The Puyehue Traverse

We have just returned from our first trek in Chile -- the Puyehue Traverse. Truly incredible. The five-day route led us around the Puyehue Volcano, a now dormant peak that last erupted in the 1960s and covered the area with marble-sized pumice stones. Honestly, the landscape resembles some combination of a desert, a lunar landscape, and the Colorado Rockies. It´s stunning. Along the way, we enjoyed natural hot springs, witnessed some incredible geo-thermal activity, spotted an Andean fox, followed the upside-down Orion constellation as it traversed a crystal-clear sky, developed a few wicked blisters, and bonded with a friendly American couple who, coincidentally, are also waiting to hear from graduate schools. Opting to take the road less traveled, we exited the region via a rather remote route. It paid off. We spent two days hiking through pristine rainforest and following the majestic Rio Nilahue -- and never once encountered another hiker! We then hitched (a first for Sean) back to civilization, where we are now enjoying beer, chicken, ice cream and clean underwear. Next stop, you ask? Tomorrow, we leave Osorno for the coastal city of Puerto Montt and the famed island of Chiloe. -Sean