Lake District · Summer
Multi-Volcano Summer
Ascents · Villarrica, Llaima & Osorno
At a glance
Seven days to climb three volcanoes in southern Chile, Villarrica, Llaima and Osorno, with a guide, technical gear and a rest day between ascents.
- Duration
- 7 days / 6 nights
- Distance
- About 35 km across the three ascents (Villarrica 8 km, Llaima 14 km, Osorno 13 km)
- Max elevation
- 3,125 m (10,253 ft), Volcán Llaima
- Difficulty
- High; prior winter or glacier experience recommended
- Group
- 1–6
- Season
- Summer (November–March)
- Start
- Pucón, where you meet your guide
- End
- Transfer from Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt airport (PMC) or another airport agreed at booking
- Accommodation
- Hotel, lodge or cabin in Pucón (2 nights), Malalcahuello (2 nights) and Puerto Varas (2 nights)
- Guiding
- Guided
Overview
This seven-day program takes you up three volcanoes of southern Chile in summer conditions: Villarrica (2,847 m / 9,341 ft) from Pucón, Llaima (3,125 m / 10,253 ft) from Malalcahuello and Osorno (2,652 m / 8,701 ft) from Puerto Varas. The rhythm is simple. You arrive in a town and meet your guide, climb the next day, then move on to the next base. That pattern builds a recovery and travel day in between each ascent, which makes three big climbs in one week realistic for fit hikers.
Each volcano is different. Villarrica is an active volcano in Villarrica National Park, with a strong smell of sulfur at the crater rim. Llaima, in Conguillío National Park among araucaria forests, is the highest of the three and the longest day, at 14 km. Osorno, in Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park above Lago Llanquihue, is a glaciated cone with crevasses and rime ice near the top, which is why rope and harness are part of the kit. The three ascents add up to about 35 km on foot.
Guiding, technical briefings, transfer services, meals on guided days and accommodation in a hotel, lodge or cabin are included. So is the technical gear: rope, helmet, ice axe, crampons and harness. You bring your own boots and personal gear. The trip runs from November to March for groups of 1 to 6, and it calls for high physical fitness. Prior winter or glacier mountaineering experience, with crampon and ice-axe skills, is recommended.
Highlights
- Summit Volcán Villarrica (2,847 m), an active volcano above Pucón
- Summit Volcán Llaima (3,125 m) in Conguillío National Park
- Summit Volcán Osorno (2,652 m), a glaciated cone above Lago Llanquihue
- A rest and travel day built in between each ascent
- Technical gear included: rope, helmet, ice axe, crampons and harness
Is this trip for you?
- Level
- High
- Group
- 1–6
Travelers with high physical fitness who want to climb more than one volcano in a single trip. You don't need to be a mountaineer, but you should be ready for long days on snow, ice and loose volcanic ground. Prior winter or glacier mountaineering experience, with crampon and ice-axe skills, is recommended. If you'd rather climb just one volcano in a day, see the Volcán Villarrica Ascent.
Itinerary
- Day 1Arrival in Pucón
- Day 2Villarrica Ascent8 km / 5 mi
- Day 3Arrival in Malalcahuello
- Day 4Llaima Ascent14 km / 9 mi
- Day 5Arrival in Puerto Varas
- Day 6Osorno Ascent13 km / 8 mi
- Day 7Departure
Day 1
Arrival in Pucón
The trip starts in Pucón, in La Araucanía, where you meet your guide. Villarrica National Park lies partly within the commune of Pucón, so the first volcano is close by. Check in to your hotel, lodge or cabin and use the rest of the day to get ready. The program includes technical briefings and all the technical gear (rope, helmet, ice axe, crampons and harness), so it's a good moment to check that your own boots fit the crampons. Get an early night: tomorrow is summit day.Overnight · Hotel, lodge or cabin in Pucón
Day 2
Villarrica Ascent
Day 3
Arrival in Malalcahuello
Day 4
Llaima Ascent
Day 5
Arrival in Puerto Varas
Day 6
Osorno Ascent
Day 7
Departure
Also bookable as a day experience: Volcán Villarrica Ascent and Osorno Volcano Ascent.
Where you'll stay
- Nights 1–2Pucón
Hotel, lodge or cabin in Pucón, the base for Volcán Villarrica.
- Nights 3–4Malalcahuello
Hotel, lodge or cabin in the mountain village at the edge of the Malalcahuello National Reserve, your base for Llaima.
- Nights 5–6Puerto Varas
Hotel, lodge or cabin in the town on Lago Llanquihue, your base for Osorno.
Dates
Private departures on request, summer (November–March).
Hours of daylight · 39° S (Pucón)
Included and not included
Included
- Accommodation in a hotel, lodge or cabin
- Transfer services
- Guiding
- Meals during guided days
- Technical briefings
- Technical gear: rope, helmet, ice axe, crampons and harness
Not included
- Flights
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities
- Boots and personal gear
What to bring
- Mountaineering boots that take crampons (not included; ask Vertic which boots work with the crampons provided)
- Layered mountain clothing: waterproof shell jacket and pants, insulated jacket, base layers, warm hat and gloves
- Glacier sunglasses, high-SPF sunscreen and lip balm
- Daypack, water bottles and snacks for long summit days
- Gaiters and trekking poles (optional)
- Headlamp for early starts
- Passport and travel insurance documents that cover mountaineering
Good to know
- Technical gear is included (rope, helmet, ice axe, crampons and harness). Boots and personal gear are not.
- On Villarrica, CONAF also requires a gas mask for the summit; Vertic confirms the arrangement at booking.
- Each ascent is followed by a travel and recovery day, so you climb on days 2, 4 and 6.
- Meals are included on the guided days; other meals are on your own.
- Flights and travel insurance are not included. Choose a policy that covers mountaineering.
More in the Lake District: the Lake District travel guide, with when to go, the places and every trip in the region.
SOURCES · Vertic field notes · andeshandbook.org · conaf.cl · Daylight computed with the NOAA solar equations for 39° S (Pucón), 15th of each month
Ready to go?
FAQs
Villarrica (2,847 m) on day 2, Llaima (3,125 m) on day 4 and Osorno (2,652 m) on day 6.
High physical fitness is required. The ascents are about 8 km on Villarrica, 14 km on Llaima and 13 km on Osorno, with long climbs on snow and volcanic ground. Prior crampon experience is a plus.
No technical climbing experience is required, but you need to be comfortable on long, steep days. Your guide runs technical briefings. Prior winter or glacier mountaineering experience, with crampon and ice-axe skills, is recommended.
A rest day is built in between each ascent for recovery and logistics, including the move to the next base.
Rope, helmet, ice axe, crampons and harness. Boots and personal gear are not included.
In a hotel, lodge or cabin: two nights in Pucón, two in Malalcahuello and two in Puerto Varas.
Accommodation, transfer services, guiding, meals during guided days, technical briefings and the technical gear listed above.
Flights, travel insurance, gratuities, and boots and personal gear.
In summer, from November to March.
It starts in Pucón, where you meet your guide, and ends on day 7 with a transfer from Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt airport (PMC) or another airport agreed at booking.
No. Travel insurance is required and is not included. We recommend World Nomads for travel insurance and Global Rescue for evacuation and medical support in remote terrain. Both are optional partners, never part of the trip price.