Argentina
The Lanín Volcano, Patagonia

Trekking an climbing in this volcano is above attractive. There are ascent routes of different difficulty levels, extraordinary landscapes, and its location can be easily accessed.

Starting point

The city of San Martín de los Andes is one of the most famous tourist centers in Patagonia. It has a rich infrastructure and a great variety of services and prices. It is the perfect place to lodge before practicing trekking or climbing in the Lanín Volcano. The second possibility is staying in Junín de los Andes.

The adventure

To access the Lanín Volcano, travelers must reach the Tromen Pass region. If you are planning on performing an ascent, you must travel with a guide. Although climbing the volcano does not involve a great amount of technical knowledge, it is not convenient to try it if you are not familiar with the place. Other requirements for the ascent are proper equipment and previous notice in the park ranger station.

The activities to choose from are, on one hand, trekking to the Mountain Infantry Regiment shelters or the Junín de los Andes Mountaineering Club. On the other hand, you can seek the summit of the volcano on either the North or South face.

The most popular ascent is along the North face, considered the Normal Route. Many of the trekking excursions explore this side of the mountain. From the National Guard (Gendarmería Nacional), a road takes adventurers to the Turbio river. This is the starting point of the ascent.

At the base of the volcano, adventurers must cross the river and follow the yellow marks. They soon arrive at the "Espina de Pescado" (Fish Spine) ledge. There is a detour that goes deep into the forest and later joins the main trail. It goes towards the right of the ledge, through a lava field that is easily noticeable from on top. There is a point where the "Espina" turns right and the slope becomes more steep.

Here there are two choices: follow the "Camino de Mulas" (Mule Route) or carry on the "Espina". The former is slower and less steep, and it has the advantage of being marked. It ends in the Junín de los Andes Mountaineering Club (2.600 meters), a building with the capacity of sheltering 14 people.

Following the "Espina" is more direct, but steep and tiring. On this route, there is an excellent view of the glacier on the north of the volcano. The "Espina" leads to the Mountain Infantry Regiment (2.450 meters), with a capacity of 20 people.

To reach the summit, it is convenient to leave at dawn, when the snow is still hard, with no wind and a clear sky. It is important to follow the blue marks, in order to avoid crevices.

After approximately two hours, climbers follow a canyon with a central depression. During the Summer, when there is no snow, it is convenient to follow the edge, to avoid falling rocks. At the end of the canyon there is a rock wall that is usually covered in snow. Climbers deviate towards the right to avoid it. After a while, they reach the area near the summit, this is the steepest part of the journey. From here, a few ice towers can be observed. They are surrounded by the right side and half an hour later is the summit.

The view is amazing: Towards the North, Llaima Volcano and lakes Tromen and Quillén; towards the West, Villarrica and Quetrupillán Volcanoes and Lake Calafquén; towards the South, lakes Huechulafquen, Paimún and further away, the Osorno Volcano and Mount Tronador.

Difficulty level

The Lanín Volcano is not a difficult obstacle if the ascent is planned correctly. A good physical condition and adequate equipment is necessary. If inexperienced, a guide is necessary. For beginners, it is a good place to learn about mountaineering.

Equipment

Walking sticks can be very helpful in the initial sections. Higher up, basic ice climbing equipment is necessary. Plastic ice climbing boots, crampons, rope and piolet. Off course, aside from this equipment you must take warm clothes, sunglasses and a sleeping bag.

Climbing the Lanín Volcano

The Lanín Volcano offers many possibilities for climbing and trekking. In this opportunity, Gadi Slomka tells us about an ascent up the Normal Route of the Lanín, one of the most beautiful mountains in Argentina (more information).