GUNUNG · Chile
Villarrica Volcano
Volcán Villarrica
Source
Photo: source
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- Feels like
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- Humidity
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- Wind
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Source: Open-Meteo
Information
- Elevation
- 2.850 m
- Country
- Chile (CL)
- Location / Range
- Andes
- Mountain type
- Volcano
- Volcanic?
- Yes — volcano
- Coordinates
- -39.4200, -71.9392
- Difficulty
- Moderate (guided)
- Best Season
- November–March (Southern Hemisphere summer)
- Permits & Rules
- The climb must be guided by a licensed operator from Pucón; access is through Villarrica National Park, with a daily quota & closures when volcanic activity increases.
- Hazards
- Volcanic gas at the crater rim, active glowing lava, strong winds, and snowy ice terrain that requires crampons and an ice axe.
Description
Villarrica (2,850 m) is one of Chile's most active volcanoes, rising above the lakeside town of Pucón in Araucanía. Its snow-clad cone holds an active lava lake whose glow is visible from town at night. A guided one-day climb crosses snow and ice fields—using crampons and ice axe—to the sulphurous crater rim, with a fast glissade descent; it is also a popular ski-touring and splitboard objective.
Gallery
Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.
Routes
Pendakian Penuh Tanpa Lift (Base ke Kawah)
Sedang–Berat (full elevation gain, terpandu)Full-gain variant without the chairlift: start from the national park access gate (~1,450 m) and walk 10–12 km through Araucaria forest before reaching the snow line. Longer but richer in nature; a CONAF-certified guide is still mandatory for the snow-ice section.
Rute Normal dari Pucón (Sisi Utara)
Sedang (terpandu, butuh crampon)Standard guided route from Pucón ski resort: climb the snow-ice slope to the active crater rim using crampons and ice axe, then descend fast via glissade. Climbers may use the ski-resort chairlift (operational mornings) to skip the initial 400–500 m of elevation gain.
Ski Touring / Splitboard (Lereng Utara)
Sedang (butuh keterampilan ski backcountry + crampon near summit)A ski mountaineer's classic: skin or splitboard up the northern slope from Ski Pucón base (~5 km). Switch to crampons and ice axe for the final 200–300 m where the slope steepens to the crater rim. The ski descent with views of Lake Villarrica below is the reward for the effort.
Climbing Experiences
Villarrica (2,850 m) near Pucón is a guided day climb: crossing snow-and-ice fields on crampons with an ice axe to the sulphur-fuming crater rim, then a fast glissade descent. Climbers highlight the active lava lake, the Araucanía lakes panorama, and occasional fierce winds that force a turnaround.
References
The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.