Villarrica, Chile - Setting our Sights

The Villarrica Volcano
There are thousands of volcanoes in Chile but very few are active.  The exception is the Villarrica volcano, it sits just west of town.  It's conical like Mt Fuji but has a plume of smoke coming out of the top.  There is an active lava pool in the crater, you can climb it and see for yourself if you're crazy enough.  We signed up, it turns out we're a bit crazy.

We drove to the town of Pucon a few days prior to the hike.  Since most of the hike is on a glacier, we had to be fitted for snow pants, boots, etc.  It looked gentle from a distance, like a flat white blob of ice cream.

Up close, it looks to be something else.  Nine thousand feet of sharp, steep ice.  Great for pictures, horrible for climbing.

At the tour guide's office, they don't exactly inspire confidence.  As you fill out the paperwork that confirms in writing they're not responsible for your death they ask questions like "Do you work out?  How often?  Do you have any other pants other than those jeans, those are the worst to hike in."  They made us try on boots, snow pants and a jacket.  They tell you to expect the hardest ten hours of your life.  They ask you if you really are sure you want to do it.

I know one thing.  Neither of us is going to be the first one to back out.  Most likely we'd have been happy to skip this but we weren't letting on.  I looked inside the backpack we would be carrying.  A pair of work gloves, a pair of heavy winter gloves, a helmet, crampons (the spikes that you attach to your boots) an ice pick, a gas mask and a funny round piece of plastic whose use I couldn't figure out.
"Dodo, you ready or what"?  You already know the answer she gave.....