Sollipulli - My first volcano climb
When I was planning my trip to Chile and Pucón, I was particularly focused on the SCAR Open Science Conference 2024. Until then, I had no idea what opportunities this region had to offer. But I quickly discovered that there was a rich repertoire of diverse activities. I was immediately excited and sought advice on tours from Baum Adventures. I quickly decided on my first volcano climb, the ascent of Sollipullis.
Since I was unfamiliar with the conditions on the mountain on foot, I followed the instructions on the website as closely as possible. I packed eight buttered rolls, some sausages, and nuts. I also brought around 2.5 liters of drinks, including water and fruit juice pouches. At the Baum Adventures office, the nice lady at the counter confirmed that the climb was suitable for beginners and that I could use my camera backpack. I had already tested the Airport Accelerator extensively in Tasmania. The only downside: a fairly high base weight (around 3 kg). For photo equipment, I took the Nikon Z 14-30 mm f/4, the Nikon Z 24-70 mm f/2.8, and the Nikon Z 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6. Let’s not forget the Z8, or the DJI OSMO Action 4 for the videos. With this already quite heavy load, I set off for the agency at six o’clock the next morning.
Chile has a number of peculiarities that may take some getting used to for some people at first. One of these is the presence of free-roaming dogs. Whether in Santiago de Chile, San Pedro de Atacama, or Punta Arenas, stray dogs can be found everywhere. Even at six in the morning in Pucón, when there is no one on the streets, you will encounter barking dogs of all breeds and sizes. They are by no means aggressive or threatening. They are often fed by residents and shop owners, so there is no need to be afraid.
The second point is punctuality. Similar to what I have already experienced in Peru, Spain, and South Africa, many appointments are more of a rough estimate. You can easily wait half an hour to an hour longer. This is usually not a big problem for me, as I allow everyone a certain amount of leeway and am also familiar with the South American mentality.
When we were finally allowed into the office to collect the necessary equipment and change our clothes, a small hurdle presented itself. In addition to hiking boots, a large jacket, and overalls, which I had already tried on the day before, there was a whole lot of other equipment to add. A plastic tray to use as a sled, an ice axe, hiking poles, gaiters, a helmet, and crampons. My backpack was already extremely full with food and camera equipment. I managed to fit most of it into my backpack, but I had to squeeze it in quite a bit. Only the ice axe was later taken from me by our guide. If I had to guess, my backpack already weighed over 10 kg. I estimate that the total weight was around 12 kg to 13 kg. In retrospect, it was a very brave decision for my first volcano hiking tour.
Together with our tour guide and two adventurous tourists, we set off for Sollipulli. It was still quite cold early in the morning on this beautiful winter’s day. And the car had no air conditioning. I was already freezing on the way there. Even as it slowly got lighter, the temperature continued to drop as we climbed higher. For about 2.5 hours, I felt like an ice-cold soft drink. Due to the sparse breakfast and lack of exercise, I could hardly resist the creeping cold. But I was able to distract myself during the drive. On the one hand, I talked to the other passengers. On the other hand, I made fun of my guide’s driving style. I had never seen anyone shift gears like that before. First gear was used up to 30, our driver shifted into third at 50 and fourth at 80. Mind you, without any really steep inclines. This caused the engine to roar like crazy and the tachometer to approach the end of the scale. I had driven on challenging terrain myself and was therefore eagerly waiting for our guide to finally shift up a gear. In addition, our guide didn’t seem to notice that he had his high beams on all the time and was repeatedly getting light signals from oncoming vehicles to dim his lights.
When we arrived, we grabbed our equipment and changed our shoes. We started our hiking tour in a forest area where there was still some snow left. The flora was dominated by Chilean bamboo, coihue, and araucaria trees. At times, it reminded me of a Russian fairy-tale forest, even though completely different species grow in Eurasia. The further we went, the more noticeable the lichens on the trees became. They hung in long curtains from the branches and covered the trunks like a coat. These are Usnea barbata. In Chile, they are also known as old man’s beard. Their color and shape reinforce the impression of a beautiful, uniform, but also mystical landscape of enormous age.
Araucaria trees grow only a few centimeters per year, and we saw trees 30 to 50 meters tall. They are highly adapted to the climate and only grow at altitudes above 600 meters. Their seeds are edible. Lichens are also interesting in terms of growth, as they too grow very slowly, usually only a few millimeters or less than a centimeter per year.
In a clearing, we encountered a crowd of other hikers, who were probably all on their way to the Sollipulli caldera. From a snow ramp, the trail continued steadily uphill. Every time we took a break, I pulled out my camera. Whether we were eating or drinking or putting crampons on our shoes for the steeper climbs, I took every opportunity to take photos. And, of course, I regularly changed the batteries in the DJI so that I wouldn’t run out of power in the middle of it all. The climbs became steeper and steeper and divided into steps, which we climbed in serpentines, partly with hiking poles and ice axes. Several times it looked as if we had long since reached the summit, but then the next ramp appeared as the curve flattened out. Meanwhile, I noticed the weight on my shoulders. While the rest had very light backpacks and only hiking equipment and food with them, I was lugging my camera equipment inexorably up the mountain.
Despite the effort, every meter of the climb was worth it. The view of the endless araucaria forests, the mountain ranges of the Andes, and other volcanoes is simply spectacular. Especially in such good weather, we could see far across the landscape. It was one of the most beautiful views I have ever enjoyed. After about four hours of climbing, I was very happy to arrive at an altitude of 2,282 meters. An icy wind swept across the caldera. But the view into the crater, four kilometers in diameter and filled with a glacier hundreds of meters thick, made you forget everything for a few moments.
Around 2,900 years ago, in approximately 920 BC, the volcano exploded in the Alpehué eruption. The tip was blown off and the volcano lost several hundred meters in height. The explosion hurled huge chunks of rock out, some of which can still be found in the surrounding area, even as far away as Temuco. A column of smoke over 40 km high rose from the mountain’s vent at the time.
The remains of this eruption can now be admired as the Alpehué crater at the top of Sollipulli. A breathtaking landscape, born out of a dramatic phase of formation.
The descent was less on foot and more with the plastic disc mentioned at the beginning. We dressed up in overtrousers, thick jackets, and armed ourselves with ice axes, the sled between our legs. And then we went downhill again on our backsides. However, there were two things to keep in mind. Due to the weight and size of my backpack, I was hardly able to lean forward very far. This meant that my backpack was pressing against my back and slowing me down. I couldn’t build up as much speed as my companions. On the other hand, I picked up a little too much speed on a slope, took off slightly due to a bump in the ground, and landed on my tailbone. I felt the impact for several days after the hike, which limited me for a while both on the Villarrica tour and when sitting down.
Conclusion: I highly recommend this tour. It is very strenuous (especially with a heavy load), but it undoubtedly offers unforgettable views and an insight into the geological history of the region. If you are a fan of snowy landscapes, mountains, and nature, this tour is an absolute must.
