Fire and Ice

Volcan Villaricca
Originally uploaded by mtflickyou.

Humans have many qualities that differentiate them from other animals, but I think that a key one is the urge to acheive something entirely for its own sake. Not because we get more food, or earn more money, but simply so we can proudly say, "I did that!"

I can think of no other earthly reason to explain why, yesterday morning at 7am, Harsh and I set off to climb the volcano that dominates the landscape around the small Chilean town of Pucòn.

A towering snow-capped cone of more than 9,000 feet, Villaricca is not only the highest point in this part of Chile, it is also one of the most active volcanoes in the country (with its last major erruption in the 80s) and smoke can regularly be seen pouring from the top.

Spurred on by the claim in our guide book that the climb to the peak is "regularly completed by those with no previous climbing experience", we signed up with Klaus, a hoary old German tour guide who kitted us out in a variety of unstylish snow gear, including helmets, ice-axes and crampons (some truly hilarious pictures to follow) and began our ascent.

It was my very first time in crampons, and the experience of jamming each step into the snow to stop yourself sliding down a mountain when hammering winds are trying their hardest to knock you over was a tough and extremely slow one. The wind was too strong for the cable car which usually takes climbers part of the way but we battled on determinedly for almost four hours, long after most of the other groups had given up and gone back.

Eventually, however, we had to concede that the winds were too strong and going any further might result in serious misadventure so we reluctantly turned around a began the tricky slide back down. Disappointed as I was not to reach the peak, given that the reason was an unavoidable case of nature taking its course and not simply because I was too weak, I still feel justified in proudly claiming, "I climbed Volcano Villaricca!"

If only I hadn´t fallen down the stairs on the way to the thermal springs later in the evening I might be feeling better about it today...