Achen - Niyeu Volcano
Activity: hiking, 4 1/2 hours
Difficulty: introductory; don’t need previous experience nor special fitness
Elevation gain: 700 mts
Description: To find the secrets of Lanin National Park you need to travel trough narrow one way mountain dust roads getting into the dense humid forest to find hidden glacial lakes. The combination of the ice carved valleys and the tracks of powerful volcanic eruptions transforming them for years covered by a dense green layer of huge trees will remind you that this andes range is not static but alive. A 2 ½ hrs. drive will carry us to a small lake called Laguna Verde from where to start our trek towards the small but amazing Achen Niyeu truned off volcano. It’s an 1 hour trek trough the dense very old enormous nothofagus forest, a narrow trail at the beginning marked by to sides of colihue cane (type of bamboo) will carry us in a slow uphill between the sedimentary hills and the sharp dark scoria and volcanic rock to the base of the sandy summit. A sudden opening of the dense vegetation shows us a huge colorful sandy valley surrounded by the volcanoes that formed it. In about two hours steeper uphill will arrive to the ancient closed crater. A 360º view of the whole southern Andes deserves the last effort. From here a straight down boots sand skiing will shorten our way back in about 2 hours back to the protected small lake.
We start hiking at 10 am and come back at 2:30 pm. We make a brief lunch at the top.
An easer option but not less interesting instead of going on top keep going through the valley to a beautiful cascade and from here back down. (elevation 400mts)
Suggested gear: Hiking boots, three layer breathable clothing, waterproof parka, 30 lts. backpack, 2 lts. bottle or camelback, sunscreen, lipstick, cup or hat to protect the head from the sun, camera, personal medicine if you need, etc.
Time of the year: meanwhile the access road is opened
Food: cold food as a packed lunch.
Inclusions: English spoken mountain guide with national license, lunch, communication radios, first aids, hiking poles, national park entrance fee, and local transfers.
Difficulty: introductory; don’t need previous experience nor special fitness
Elevation gain: 700 mts
Description: To find the secrets of Lanin National Park you need to travel trough narrow one way mountain dust roads getting into the dense humid forest to find hidden glacial lakes. The combination of the ice carved valleys and the tracks of powerful volcanic eruptions transforming them for years covered by a dense green layer of huge trees will remind you that this andes range is not static but alive. A 2 ½ hrs. drive will carry us to a small lake called Laguna Verde from where to start our trek towards the small but amazing Achen Niyeu truned off volcano. It’s an 1 hour trek trough the dense very old enormous nothofagus forest, a narrow trail at the beginning marked by to sides of colihue cane (type of bamboo) will carry us in a slow uphill between the sedimentary hills and the sharp dark scoria and volcanic rock to the base of the sandy summit. A sudden opening of the dense vegetation shows us a huge colorful sandy valley surrounded by the volcanoes that formed it. In about two hours steeper uphill will arrive to the ancient closed crater. A 360º view of the whole southern Andes deserves the last effort. From here a straight down boots sand skiing will shorten our way back in about 2 hours back to the protected small lake.We start hiking at 10 am and come back at 2:30 pm. We make a brief lunch at the top.
An easer option but not less interesting instead of going on top keep going through the valley to a beautiful cascade and from here back down. (elevation 400mts)
Suggested gear: Hiking boots, three layer breathable clothing, waterproof parka, 30 lts. backpack, 2 lts. bottle or camelback, sunscreen, lipstick, cup or hat to protect the head from the sun, camera, personal medicine if you need, etc.
Time of the year: meanwhile the access road is opened
Food: cold food as a packed lunch.
Inclusions: English spoken mountain guide with national license, lunch, communication radios, first aids, hiking poles, national park entrance fee, and local transfers.