MONTE TRONADOR 3491m

Tronador is a volcano with three peaks, one of them frequently climbed by many people from Argentina. Climbing the main peak coming from Chile is not a really difficult undertaking, but exceptionally impressive, leading you from zero altitude through vast, deeply incised river valleys, struggling with dense forest and climbing impressive glaciers. The area is still volcanically active, you can hear it and smell it!

The main summit with the final 400m-ascent going up the ice flank.
	The approach from the police station (10km).

• Location: Southern Chile, Lago Todos Los Santos, see map Tronador - Osorno
• Access: ca. 3-4 days from Peulla to summit
• Characteristics: Pathless hike through rivers, climb through dense forest until the glacier, final ascent of 500m ice face to summit

First, take the ferry from Petrohue to Peulla, from there hike ca. 15km to Carabineros station to enter the valley shown above. Do not follow the main river valley to where the tremendous noise of falling avalanches seems to come from. Huge, 20m high boulders are scattered across the river bed, the woods of the valley borders are scraped off more than 100m above the river bottom, showing that something went through here one does not really want to see where it may have come from. So take the first valley to the right to get below the glaciers. From the end of the valley turn right and scramble up over granite rocks and through dense vegetation. Do not try the moraine ridge to the left hand! Once you are above the glacier, the main difficulty is over and the way further on is evident: Cross glacier below the peaks until reaching the main summit. See also map Tronador - Osorno.