Which volcanoes do we ski?

Lonquimay (2,865 m) on day 3, Villarrica (2,847 m) on day 7 and Osorno (2,652 m) on day 9. There are also touring days around Corralco and from Malalcahuello, chosen according to snow conditions.

What level of ski touring do I need?

This trip is for advanced ski tourers. You should be comfortable with long ascents on skins, kick turns and transitions, and skiing steep, variable snow. It is not suitable for skiers without ski touring experience.

Is avalanche safety equipment included?

No. The ARVA transceiver, shovel and probe can be rented as an extra, and ski touring equipment rental can be quoted on request.

One night at the Mandarin Oriental in Santiago (Club Room), then private houses: four nights in Malalcahuello, two in Pucón and two in Puerto Varas.

A private chef cooks from day 2 to day 9: breakfast, a trail lunch pack and a gourmet dinner. The trip also includes a cordero al palo dinner in Pucón and a curanto al hoyo feast in Puerto Varas. Meals and drinks not specified are not included.

Are flights included?

The domestic flights Santiago to Temuco and Puerto Montt to Santiago are included. International flights are not.

In the winter season, July to October. Fixed small-group departures are planned for July and August; exact dates on request.

How big is the group?

4 to 6 guests, with a maximum of 6.

Where does the trip start and end?

It starts with a private pickup at Santiago airport (SCL) on day 1 and ends at Santiago airport (SCL) on day 10, after the included flight from Puerto Montt (PMC), in time for your onward international connection.

Is travel insurance included?

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.

Ski tracks leading up to a snow-covered volcano summit in southern Chile

Lake District · Winter

Three Volcanoes Ski Traverse

Backcountry Ski · Lonquimay, Villarrica & Osorno

At a glance

Ten days of backcountry ski touring on Lonquimay, Villarrica and Osorno with a certified mountain guide (UIAGM or national certification), a private chef and private houses.

10 daysDuration

Duration: 10 days / 9 nights
Max elevation: 2,865 m (9,400 ft), Volcán Lonquimay
Difficulty: Advanced ski touring
Group: 4–6
Season: Winter (July–October)

Start: Santiago airport (SCL), private pickup
End: Santiago airport (SCL), after the included flight from Puerto Montt (PMC), for your onward connection
Accommodation: Mandarin Oriental Santiago (1 night), private houses in Malalcahuello (4 nights), Pucón (2 nights) and Puerto Varas (2 nights)
Guiding: Guided

Overview

This is a ten-day ski touring trip across three volcanoes in southern Chile: Lonquimay (2,865 m / 9,400 ft), Villarrica (2,847 m / 9,341 ft) and Osorno (2,652 m / 8,701 ft). It starts with a night at the Mandarin Oriental in Santiago, then an included flight south to Temuco. From there the group works its way down the volcano chain, basing itself in private houses in Malalcahuello (four nights), Pucón (two nights) and Puerto Varas (two nights), before flying back to Santiago from Puerto Montt on day 10.

A certified mountain guide (UIAGM or national certification) leads every touring day. Around Malalcahuello you ski Lonquimay and the terrain near the Corralco ski area, inside the araucaria forests of the Malalcahuello National Reserve. In Pucón the objective is the active Villarrica, and in Puerto Varas you finish on Osorno, the cone above Lago Llanquihue. A private chef cooks from day 2 to day 9, with breakfast, a trail lunch pack and dinner, and two evenings are given over to Chilean traditions: a cordero al palo (spit-roast lamb) dinner in Pucón and a curanto al hoyo feast in Puerto Varas. There are also two hot springs sessions in Malalcahuello.

The trip is for advanced ski tourers who are comfortable with long ascents on skins and steep volcano descents. It runs in the winter season, from July to October, for groups of 4 to 6, with fixed small-group departures planned for July and August. All ground transfers are in a private 4x4 vehicle. Ski touring gear and avalanche safety equipment are not included but can be rented.

Highlights

Ski touring on Lonquimay (2,865 m), Villarrica (2,847 m) and Osorno (2,652 m)
A certified mountain guide (UIAGM or national certification) on every touring day
Private chef from day 2 to day 9, cooking in your own private houses
Two hot springs sessions in Malalcahuello
A traditional cordero al palo dinner and a curanto al hoyo feast
Domestic flights Santiago–Temuco and Puerto Montt–Santiago included

Is this trip for you?

Level: Advanced ski touring

Group: 4–6

Advanced ski tourers with solid experience on skins and in off-piste terrain who want to ski volcanoes with a certified mountain guide (UIAGM or national certification). It suits a small group of 4 to 6 friends who value a private chef and their own houses. It is not for skiers without ski touring experience; if you prefer lift-served skiing, see Valle Nevado and Portillo.

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival in Santiago
Your trip starts at Santiago airport (SCL), where a private vehicle picks you up and takes you to the Mandarin Oriental in Santiago. You stay in a Club Room for the night. There's nothing scheduled for the rest of the day, so you can rest after your international flight, check your ski touring kit and get ready for an early start: tomorrow morning the group flies south to La Araucanía. Meals today are on your own.
Overnight · Mandarin Oriental, Santiago (Club Room)
Day 2
Flight to La Araucanía
A morning flight takes you from Santiago (SCL) to Temuco (ZCO), included in the trip. From the airport you transfer by private 4x4 to your private house in Malalcahuello, a small mountain village on International Route 181, about 30 km past Curacautín, at the edge of the Malalcahuello National Reserve. Once you've settled in, your certified mountain guide (UIAGM or national certification) runs a safety briefing and checks everyone's equipment, so the group is ready to tour the next morning. Your private chef starts cooking today.
Overnight · Private house, Malalcahuello · Meals · Private chef
Day 3
Ski Touring Volcán Lonquimay
Your first volcano. Lonquimay (2,865 m) rises inside the Malalcahuello National Reserve, an area of araucaria, coigüe, roble and lenga forest that is part of UNESCO's Araucarias Biosphere Reserve. The standard route from the Corralco side starts around 1,500 m, about 1,365 m below the summit, and the upper section can hold hard snow and some ice. From the top, the views take in the Tolhuaca, Llaima, Sierra Nevada and Callaqui volcanoes and the Navidad crater. Your guide picks the line for the day's snow, then you ski down.
Overnight · Private house, Malalcahuello · Meals · Breakfast, trail lunch pack and dinner by the private chef
Day 4
Corralco Area
A touring day on alternative lines around Corralco, the ski area inside the Malalcahuello National Reserve, about 10 km from the village. Your guide chooses the terrain according to snow conditions, which gives the group a chance to ski different aspects and slopes than on Lonquimay. It's also a good day to refine your skinning and transitions before the bigger objectives later in the week. You return to the house in Malalcahuello for dinner.
Overnight · Private house, Malalcahuello · Meals · Breakfast, trail lunch pack and dinner by the private chef
Day 5
Touring Day and Hot Springs
A second objective touring day from Malalcahuello, with the line again chosen by your guide according to conditions. After a few days on the skin track, the afternoon finishes with a hot springs session in Malalcahuello, one of the two included on the trip. Back at the house, the private chef has dinner ready, and it's your last night in La Araucanía's northern mountains before the group heads south to Pucón.
Overnight · Private house, Malalcahuello · Meals · Breakfast, trail lunch pack and dinner by the private chef
Day 6
Transfer to Pucón
Today you transfer by private 4x4 from Malalcahuello to Pucón, the base for Volcán Villarrica, with an approach touring day on the way, so you get a day on skis as well as the drive south. Check in to your private house in Pucón, your base for the next two nights, and settle in before tomorrow's Villarrica objective. In the evening the group sits down to a traditional cordero al palo, a whole lamb roasted on a spit.
Overnight · Private house, Pucón · Meals · Breakfast, trail lunch pack and cordero al palo dinner
Day 7
Ski Touring Volcán Villarrica
Summit day on Villarrica (2,847 m), an active volcano inside Villarrica National Park. The normal route starts at the base of the ski area, at around 1,450 m, so you climb roughly 1,400 m on skins and on foot to the crater rim. Near the top the smell of sulfur from the crater is strong, and on a clear day you can look down into the live crater. Then comes the reward: a long ski descent back toward the ski area and the 4x4.
Overnight · Private house, Pucón · Meals · Breakfast, trail lunch pack and dinner by the private chef
Day 8
Transfer to Los Lagos
A transfer day by private 4x4 from Pucón south to Puerto Varas, on the shore of Lago Llanquihue in the Los Lagos region. Check in to your private house. In the evening you share a traditional curanto al hoyo, a southern Chilean feast cooked in a pit in the ground. It's a fitting way to spend the night before the last summit of the trip.
Overnight · Private house, Puerto Varas · Meals · Breakfast and curanto al hoyo feast
Day 9
Ski Touring Volcán Osorno
Your last volcano: the conical Osorno (2,652 m), in Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, overlooking Lago Llanquihue. The road from Puerto Varas runs 57 km to Ensenada and then 14 km up to the Osorno ski area. Snow usually starts somewhere between 1,700 and 2,000 m. Osorno is glaciated and its slopes are crevassed, so your guide sets the route carefully, and crampons are often needed from the snow line up. After the descent you return to Puerto Varas for a final dinner by the private chef.
Overnight · Private house, Puerto Varas · Meals · Breakfast, trail lunch pack and dinner by the private chef
Day 10
Return
A private transfer takes you from your house in Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt airport (PMC) for the included flight to Santiago (SCL). The trip ends at Santiago airport (SCL), where you connect to your onward international flight. Vertic's services end on arrival at Santiago airport (SCL). Allow enough time between the domestic arrival and your international departure when booking your flights.
Overnight · None (trip ends at Santiago airport, SCL)

Also bookable as a day experience: Volcán Villarrica Ascent, Osorno Volcano Ascent and Volcán Lonquimay Ascent.

Where you'll stay

Night 1Mandarin Oriental, Santiago
A Club Room in Santiago for your arrival night.
Nights 2–5Private house, Malalcahuello
The group's own house in the mountain village at the edge of the Malalcahuello National Reserve, with the private chef cooking.
Nights 6–7Private house, Pucón
A private house in the lakeside town at the foot of Volcán Villarrica.
Nights 8–9Private house, Puerto Varas
A private house in the town on Lago Llanquihue, the base for Volcán Osorno.

Dates

Small-group departure in July and August 2027. Exact date confirmed on request.

Minimum 4 guests to run this departure. If the minimum is not reached, we let you know at least 95 days before the start, and you choose a full refund or another trip of equal value.

Private departures on request, winter (July–October).

All fixed departures

Hours of daylight · 39° S (Pucón)

Sunrise to sunset on the 15th of each month. Computed for 39° S. Gold: our group departure.

Included

9 nights: Santiago (1 night), private house Malalcahuello (4 nights), private house Pucón (2 nights), private house Puerto Varas (2 nights)
Domestic flights SCL–ZCO and PMC–SCL
Certified mountain guide (UIAGM or national certification) on all touring days
Private chef, days 2–9 (breakfast, trail lunch pack, gourmet dinner)
Two Malalcahuello hot springs sessions
Traditional cordero al palo and curanto al hoyo feast
All ground transfers in a private 4x4 vehicle
Vertic Kit and digital photo album

Not included

International flights
Travel insurance
Ski touring equipment rental (quotable on request)
Avalanche safety equipment (ARVA transceiver, shovel, probe), available to rent as an extra
Meals and drinks not specified
Gratuities and personal expenses

What to bring

Ski touring setup (skis or splitboard, touring bindings, skins, touring boots, poles) or ask us to quote rental

Avalanche transceiver (ARVA), shovel and probe, or rent them from us as an extra

Ski crampons and boot crampons, ice axe and helmet (confirm with Vertic which items your guide requires)

Layered ski touring clothing: waterproof shell, insulated jacket, base layers, two pairs of gloves

Goggles, glacier sunglasses, high-SPF sunscreen and lip balm

Touring daypack and a water bottle or thermos

Swimwear for the hot springs

Passport and travel insurance documents that cover backcountry skiing

Good to know

Avalanche safety equipment (ARVA transceiver, shovel, probe) is not included; it can be rented as an extra. Ski touring equipment rental can be quoted on request.
On Villarrica, CONAF requires a helmet, crampons, an ice axe and a gas mask for the summit; Vertic confirms what you bring and what is provided at booking.
The Corralco touring day and the second objective day from Malalcahuello are chosen according to snow conditions.
Two flights are included (Santiago–Temuco and Puerto Montt–Santiago). Book your international flights into and out of Santiago (SCL).
Fixed small-group departures are planned for July and August; exact dates are available on request.
Travel insurance is not included. Make sure your policy covers backcountry ski touring.

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

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Three Volcanoes Ski Traverse

At a glance

Overview

Highlights

Is this trip for you?

Itinerary

Arrival in Santiago

Flight to La Araucanía

Ski Touring Volcán Lonquimay

Corralco Area

Touring Day and Hot Springs

Transfer to Pucón

Ski Touring Volcán Villarrica

Transfer to Los Lagos

Ski Touring Volcán Osorno

Return