Volcán Apagado (Extinguished Volcano)

I had the good fortune to meet up with Robert from Patagonia El Cobre in Hornopirén. He and his wife Noemi arrived here about 20 years ago to start a family. They purchased some land near town and began to create a destination for tourists, including a campground and botanical park. They and partner Cristián offer tours by land and kayak in the fjords. It's a bit cold and rainy for me this year, so I chose to explore the land where there is an old volcano with a sandy lava cone and crater. It carries the undistinguished name of "Extinguished Volcano".

A lovely road leads us up into the mountains. This is one of the better sections of the road.

Looking west toward Chiloé

We stop to visit a portion of the dense forest. One of our guides, Patricio, is caretaker of this huge property, more than 50,000 acres. He knows the forest well and can explain much of the flora here.

Logging of the ancient alerce trees was big business in decades and centuries in the past. This remarkable species is very much like the coast redwood of California, with a similar bark. A preferred wood for construction and shingles, the alerce is now protected. Only felled trees can be harvested. This tree is only an adolescent at about 1,500 years of age.

Notro or ciruelillo

This is me in front of a nalca plant. It looks like a giant rhubarb, but the flesh of the stem is sweet and juicy. We decided that it tastes somewhat like a mix of celery and cucumber and is eaten raw.

An ancient Russian truck once used in the logging operations here

A few obstacles in the road must be cleared before we continue. At this altitude (3,000 feet?) the mountains are shrouded in a cold mist with little visibility.

This narrow saddle has perpendicular walls. I try not to look down as we pass over.

We leave the vehicles behind and head up the side of the volcano. The lava is like sand. The air is cool and a little windy. This makes the hike easier than if there were sun.

We conquer the top of the volcano. Here I am with Robert and Patricio, our two excellent hosts and guides.

We have our lunch as we contemplate the crater. The younger folks visited the bottom of the crater. Our descent on the lava sand was like skiing, great fun!

Looking down into the crater.

A small forest on the slope of the volcano

The sky clears considerably in the afternoon as we prepare to leave the volcano. This land was once covered in giant, ancient alerce trees. Many houses along this narrow country are constructed with the wood.

The next couple of days are very rainy, with thunder and hail. I am very content with a book in front of a wood stove in my cabin, but I will have to return here another day to see more sights by boat and horse that I couldn't do this trip. Hornopirén is a town with very friendly people. It is typical of the south of Chile in that one feels completely comfortable. And the food at the Mercado Típico is excellent. I am grateful to the people of Hornopirén for their generous hospitality. Tomorrow I return to Puerto Montt and more adventures.