A resident of Kaunas decided to take an extraordinary trip: climb the 13 most active volcanoes in Chile: one of them erupted just a month ago

Two years ago, when he turned 24 in a truly unconventional place, on the edge of the Agung volcano crater, on the island of Bali, the boy was “infected” by his love for volcanoes. This year, he planned to return to Indonesia and climb to the TOP10 of the most active volcanoes there, but due to the pandemic, the country is still closed to tourists.

“Due to restrictions in Indonesia, I had to look for other countries with many volcanoes, so Chile caught my attention. There are frequent earthquakes in Chile, many active volcanoes, and in a few months I plan to see 13 of them, ”says Aurimas Valujavičius, who has been in Chile for 3 months and adds that this will be one of his shortest trips. .

However, before climbing the volcanoes and getting close to heaven, Aurim will have to overcome a series of earthly difficulties that no traveler can avoid during a pandemic. Those who arrive in Chile must have a negative COVID-19 test and be isolated for 10 days, but after 7 days it is allowed to repeat the test and if it is negative, the isolation can be stopped and the trip started.

Thirst for adrenaline

Plans to climb active volcanoes remind many of a lion putting his mustache behind, but for a traveler who wants adrenaline, it is not a motto. It ensures that by looking inside the crater, you begin to have even more respect for nature and its power.

“Yes, I lack adrenaline. Volcanoes are one of the few forces in nature that are completely rampant and unpredictable. Three years ago, when I was on the island of Bali and climbed the active Agung volcano, I felt what wildlife is like. I felt very poor, like an ant, against such power of nature. You want to feel that power of nature again. So I am not climbing some kind of mountain, but volcanoes that are active, active all the time. There I will be able to feel that adrenaline rush again ”, says the boy.

According to the traveler, climbing active volcanoes in Chile is legal, nobody restricts it. Also, for inexperienced tourists, travel agencies offer private tours with accompanying guides. However, the boy is going to travel alone, because that is more fun.

“It can be climbed alone, it can be climbed with several organizations, with guides, not a single agency offers its services. In Chile, it is quite a popular hobby. During a pandemic, local travel agencies trap all potential clients because there are very few tourists, like anywhere else. It would not be difficult for me to find a companion either, but I want to do it completely alone, without escorts, without the help of locals. For me, being alone helps me rather than hinders me. In this way I focus better on the trip, I don’t have to coordinate with another person, I value my independence and my loneliness ”.

There are an estimated 100 active volcanoes in Chile, so choosing the most active Lithuanians had to do his homework and seek information on when their last eruptions took place. A. Valujavičius will not miss Chile’s most active volcano: Viljarika. White smoke constantly billows from its top, and the nearby town of Pukonas is constantly ready for evacuation.

“One of the most active volcanoes in Chile, Villarrica, erupted a month ago, the others, which I am going to climb, shook a year or a few years ago, they are quite fresh and active. When climbing them, disasters are not usually caused by the volcanoes themselves, but by the negligence of travelers. The peaks are usually snowy or icy, so if people are careless when climbing the glacier, there will be both slipping and falling. It will be summer during my stay in Chile, so several peaks should be melted. Also, there are several websites where you can track and verify volcanic activity information. On the island of Bali, for example, active volcanoes are filmed live and you can always see if they are calm or about to erupt. “

A trip to the highest volcano on the planet

The volcanoes that the Lithuanian will climb are of different heights, so the climbing time is very different. Some can be raised and lowered in one day, others will take 2-4 days. He is also preparing to climb the highest volcano on the planet, Ochos del Saladas, which reaches a height of almost 7 km, so it will take about 2 weeks to reach its peak and descend.

“I will spend the whole night in a tent, so there will be no great inconvenience to sleep at the foot of the volcano. The tall volcanoes, which will take a few days to rise, have base camps. I’m not going specifically for the hike, all I need is proper gear and clothing. Physically, the body itself will adapt to the march, and psychologically I always feel prepared for challenges ”.

According to the inhabitants of Kaunas, the preparation for climbing volcanoes is similar to that of glaciers, only that the cover of volcanoes is usually looser, more debris.

“There is not much technical climbing, because if the volcano did not erupt a thousand years ago, but it is cooler and more active, then the formed terrain is quite comfortable to climb. The only technical difference between volcanoes and other mountains is that it is not known whether or not it will erupt. For everything I bought an international insurance, which includes protections related to COVID-19 and mountaineering up to 5 km high, as well as my electronics, car, health, and the insured sum amounts to 10 million. It is true that there will be 2-3 volcanoes that exceed 5 km, there the insurance will not be valid “.

A three-month trip for a boy who makes money with a YouTube channel, social networks and travel filming will cost between 9 and 10,000 euros. According to him, most of the money will be “eaten up” by plane tickets and car rentals in Chile.

“I will spend the night in a tent, so I will not have to use the accommodation services. The trip will mainly cost car rental, fuel, road taxes and food. I also bought the insurance at a fairly low price: I paid more than 200 euros, although when I was looking for it here in Lithuania, it offered extreme insurance during that period for more than 2000 euros, ”says A. Valujavičius.

Throughout the trip, Aurimas will film and upload the prepared videos to his YouTube channel, and from March on, the boy’s adventures will be seen and learned. TV Delfi viewers.