After several years of waiting, Gastón Betanzo was finally able to achieve his goal of climbing the mountain range located east of Lake Llanquihue, which is famous for the landscapes it offers from its summit and for being the gateway to Chilean Patagonia.

Argentine mountaineer Gastón Betanzo recently summited Osorno Volcano. After years of putting off this goal, he booked a tour through Ruténica, which brought him back to the Scenic Route of Lakes and Volcanoes. In this interview, he tells us details of his adventure and shares some information for future travelers considering visiting the area or summiting this iconic mountain range in southern Chile.

–How did the decision to take this trip come about?
“I've been mountaineering for several years. I like the geometric shapes of volcanoes, which I began summiting between 2013 and 2016. I've climbed Lanín, Villarrica, Llaima, and Lonquimay, for example. In 2016, I had planned to climb Osorno Volcano; however, due to melting glaciers, mountain activities were prohibited. Because of these difficulties, the climb is more technical than other volcanoes, and that obviously attracted more interest. Since the opportunity arose this year, we decided to make the climb and contacted Ruténica. The experience was very good. Our request was processed very quickly. We sent an email, and they responded very quickly. That gave me the confidence to take the service, which we contracted from Argentina and were able to pay for when we arrived in Chile, avoiding all the fluctuations in the dollar due to the devaluation in my country. We were very grateful for their trust, and they also arranged the rental of materials and the transportation. mountain guide who accompanied us to the summit.”

–Who did you go to the summit with?
“With a friend, Rodrigo, we took a two-week vacation, starting in Bariloche. We stayed there for four days and then went on to Chile, as part of an expedition we planned ourselves, from a border crossing called Paso León to the Cochamó Valley. It was a journey that lasted 6 days, all trekking, and then, after the expedition was over, we went to Puerto Varas and stayed for about 5 days.”

–How was the promotion?
“ Of all the volcanoes, it's the best summit we've ever summited. One for the technical aspect; it wasn't just about climbing, reaching the top, and taking photos, but it also involved a whole technical aspect of rope-tying; knowing some self-rescue maneuvers in case someone slips. Well, that's the beauty of a volcano.” And well, the view from the top is very impressive, because you can see many of the region's famous mountains up close, for example, Tronador and Calbuco. Well, Puntiagudo is the one that takes center stage up there. We arrived at 11:00 a.m. and spent 40 minutes on the summit. We reached the top, hydrated, had a leisurely lunch, and then headed down.        

–What was it like reaching the summit?
“The wonderful thing was seeing the nearby volcanoes and the landscapes. In our case, Lake Llanquihue, toward Puerto Varas, was heavily clouded. But in the background, the mountain range, was completely clear, as if there were a dividing line between one thing and another. Seeing Puntiagudo so close, which was what we were most interested in seeing, like Tronador, was very, very exciting for us. We had seen videos, but anyway, getting there on your own and knowing that you're going to see it if you make the effort to hike up there because there's no other way, is thrilling.”

– Any recommendations for future travelers?
“Sometimes I hear in the mountaineering or climbing community, people who believe they have enough experience and want to go it alone on these types of ascents. And the truth is that to determine that, you have to know the mountain very well. Every place, every mountain has its own identity, and who better than someone who has already climbed and knows all the tricks of that mountain, all the terrain, all the ridges, to ensure greater safety. In Argentina, generally, the mountaineers with the most accidents and deaths are foreigners. They are experts in their own land, but they come to Patagonia and don't know all the tricks, and besides, everything changes year after year on the mountain. They don't have the monitoring that someone who lives there does, like, for example, when the ice melts. For example, the Osorno Volcano has many crevasses. We made the ascent with Ignacio Rivas, an excellent guide, very professional. He always directed us on how to perform the technique, always supervising us, and besides, what I loved, he didn't do it quickly. He enjoyed it just as much as we did; he seemed like one of us in the enjoyment of it.” reach the summit.”

–What is your next goal?
“I would like to climb one of the Torres del Paine and be in Chaitén too. But, well, the truth is that I don't have anything planned for now."