About 70 km southeast of San Pedro de Atacama is one of Chile's most active volcanoes, called Lascar Volcano. It has a height of 5592 meters above sea level and its last eruptive activity happened on October 30th, 2015, at 9:30 AM (Chile Time), in which the column of smoke rose over 2500m high. However, the most significant eruption occurred in 1993, when the wind blew ashes and smoke to the coast of Brazil; it was recorded as the third largest eruption in Chilean history. Despite all of this, going to this volcano is an unforgettable experience, even more so, if you do it by trekking with friends and a guide.
The beginning of this adventure starts in the tourist center of San Pedro; you have to go through the villages of Toconao and Talabre, through the Lye lagoon. You might want to go in a four-wheel truck as the altitude and the road is not as good as in the city. This route is not very easy to follow as it has 120kms and it takes more or less 3 hours to finish.
In normal conditions, it is not possible to camp near or at the foot of the mountain as it has sulfur dioxide all around it. In spite of this, at 4500 meters height, you will be able to find a place to camp and finally have a rest. There is also another place to camp, which is in the lagoon Lye, 4300 meters above sea level. However, this place has strong winds, which makes it difficult to be there for a long time. Additionally, in order to go to this secondary camp, you have to be able to withstand the climate and the cold weather -so proceed with caution and wit ha guide! If it snows, all the footprints will be wiped clean - which will will make it difficult to return to San Pedro without any route signs.
Finally, you have to follow the footprints for one hour or one and a half hours (if you go by foot), otherwise - it will take you more time to get there. Then, you have to climb up the smooth part in the middle of the slope, and you will see a clear path that will lead you up to the Volcano. Even so, sometimes this path is covered with sulfur dioxide, which makes it impossible to continue. Fortunately, you can take the crest on the west side of the slope. It will be more difficult to reach the Volcano, as it will take you up to 3 hours, and the path has a lot of rocks over it - but it is the only alternative if you want reach this amazing place!
Do not miss the chance to go to Lascar Volcano, as it is a unique experience, is one of the most amazing Volcanoes in all Chile, and is one of the most active!
Finally, do not forget that if you are traveling to Chile and want to book this trip and others, you have to download the KeyoPass app! In which you will have the opportunity to book the best tours and activities, discover fun things to do, and find the guaranteed lowest prices on hotel bookings - all in Latin America.
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Photography Credit: Pixabay
