Tag: #adventuretravel
Soca Trail

Soca Trail

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Soca Trail

When you first see this majestic river, you won’t believe your eyes…its turquoise blue color is something out of this world and like no other river I’ve seen before! You’ll want to walk along this river forever to satisfy your eyes with its magnificent color & the best way to do so and discover its magnificent waterfalls and narrow deep gorges is to hike the 25 km Soca trail.

The Soca trail is the oldest hiking trail in the Triglav NP, and although it is long, it is an easy hike as you’ll always hike downstream. However, since this is a one-way hike, you’ll need to take care of some logistical steps first.

The trail starts at Soca river source, known in Slovenian language as Izvir Soca, and continues all the way to the town of Bovec and will take you around 8-10 hours to complete. Yet, arranging the logistics of this hike On Your Own is not easy, especially in low season, as most outfitters in the area offer transportation only as a part of a guided hike which the independent adventurer in you doesn’t want! When doing this hike in low season (April), the public bus that takes you from Bovec to Izvir Soca won’t be running so you need to arrange your own transport. After a lot of research, I found only one tour company that offered to transfer us (1-way) to the parking lot at the top of the trail & let me acknowledge this…their service was great and I highly recommend them (click to request info)  

Now to the hike itself. The first part of the hike will be from the parking lot where you’ll be dropped to the source of the river. This is actually a detour of the trail and the only upstream part, but the seeing the source of this majestic river with the background of the towering Julian Alps mountains is an amazing experience. It’ll only take 20 minutes to hike from the parking lot to the source and 10 minutes back. You’ll hike up in the forest next to the river and after about 10 minutes you’ll start getting the stunning views of the mountains at your back 

Continue hiking up, but be careful as the last part of the trail is along a narrow edge with sheer drops on your side! Luckily, it is easily manageable part and there are ropes that can assist you, but don’t forget to look back or you’ll miss this view:)

The source of the river is a spring in the rocks which really exemplifies the stunning meticulous order of nature as a tiny crack leads to a roaring river!! So admire & enjoy.

Now that you are back at the parking lot, you’ll start hiking the Soca trail proper which is a well-marked and easy to follow trail. From here it’ll be all downstream and easy and the beauty surrounding you will make you stop many times for pictures:) As this is the widest part of the river, the color isn’t as turquoise as further downstream, but still unique. This entire section of this trail to Alpinium Juliana will be in the shade of the forest next to the river with a nice refreshing breeze.

The next section stretches to Markov most and in this section you’ll start crossing the river through the famous Soca river hanging bridges

This will be a long section so a picnic along the river will be well deserved 

At the end of this section, you’ll cross the Markov most and walk briefly along the side of the road.

The next section continues along the river till you find a sign pointing towards 2 directions: “easy way” & “hard way”…so take your pick:) We chose the hard one as we still had some adventurous spirit in us and also we found out that the easy one will take you back along the road. The start of this way was really nice walk very close to the river

Then it took us uphill which was really tough and slippery…but you are here for the adventure:)

After around 5 km you’ll start approaching the crown jewel of the entire trail…The Soca Gorge!! Starting from here you’ll have to walk along the road as the river becomes really narrow and the gorge starts. This is nature at its best which demonstrates how forceful the water flow is and here the turquoise color of the water becomes very vivid and beautiful. 

There are many hanging bridges that cross the gorge to all you to enjoy the views and experience the force of the soca river, firsthand.

After the gorge, you’ll now enjoy a leisurely walk in the valley towards Bovec, but you’ll be tired and the grass is so green so don’t resist taking a break:)

 
Predjama Castle

Predjama Castle

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Predjama Castle

A castle built inside a cave!! Yes, it is true:) Predjama Castle is truly a one-of-kind attraction that you’ll only find in Slovenia. The Castle is located in the southwest region of the country and is easily accessible by car from Ljubljana via E70. You drive on this highway for 50 km, then you’ll find signs for the exit that takes you to a byroad towards the castle. Then, you’ll drive around 20 minutes more on this road till you reach the castle complex. However, if you don’t have a car, there are tour buses that goes from Ljubljana to the castle during the day.

You won’t believe your eyes when you first see the castle, it is an engineering marvel & since I’m an engineer, you can understand my fascination with it:)

You can enter the castle and take a tour, but for me the main reason of visiting this castle was its location, so take your time admiring it, I bet you’ll want to take a picture from every angle hoping to capture the perfect one…hope I did a good job:)

 

The ticket for entering the castle costs 14 euros/person (2018) and there is also a cave complex next to it which you can visit. For a complete list of the tours, prices, and timing, there is comprehensive website with all the details (click to request info)  

After you finish your tour, there is a nice restaurant where you can enjoy a drink or food in the terrace with amazing views of the castle…So Enjoy! 
Lake Bled

Lake Bled

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Lake Bled

Lake Bled is one of the famous touristic destinations in Slovenia & rightly so! It is a very picturesque lake with crystal clear water with towering mountains surrounding it and, above all, the small little church in the middle of the lake!!

Although you’ll find lots of organized tours offering a trip to lake Bled, it can be easily done on your own. The lake is located in the northern part of the country, near the Austrian border, and is only 40-minute drive from Ljubljana via E61. If you don’t have a car, you can still reach the area easily through one of the many regular buses from Ljubljana to Bled. Although you can visit lake Bled as a day trip, I recommend that you spend one night there and allow yourself one complete day to explore and enjoy the beauty of the area at your leisure.

Without a question, the main attraction here is the lake and you should plan your day to do as many activities as you like to explore this majestic lake and enjoy its beauty. The first must do activity is to hike the entire recreational trail around the lake; and believe me when I tell you, that you can’t get enough of this lake:) Start the hike from the far end to the church and walk counter-clockwise. This way you’ll be constantly excited with every step as you are getting closer to the church and with unobstructed views. Throughout the trail you’ll find yourself taking a multitude of pictures with every step you take, like I did:) Some from the furthest point to the church

Some when you get closer…

& some when you get to the closest point:)

However, to get the best views for the entire lake with the church in the middle, you’ve to head into the forest and up the mountains where there is a short trail that will give you the best views ever!

The Ojstrica trail will lead you uphill in the forest and after 30 minutes of hiking from the trailhead (click to request info), you’ll reach a viewpoint with the same name; and OH MY!! What a view!! 

There is also a bench at the top, so if you are lucky (like I was:), you sit, enjoy a stunning view and have an amazing picnic

When, and if, you were able to leave this view and head back down, there are some more activities that you can do and enjoy. If you want to visit the church itself, there are two ways of doing so: the adventurous way, and the relaxed one. So depending on your mood you can either rent a kayak and paddle your way to the church (will be a tough paddle if windy), or take a touristy boat ride with one of the many touristy outfitters around the lake…so make your pick:)
Europe

Europe

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  • Austria: Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves, Vienna, Mayrhofen, St. Johann im Pongau
  • Belgium: Brussels 
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina: Sarajevo, Mostar, Hajduka Vrata, Lukomir, Kravice Waterfalls 
  • Croatia: Dubrovnik, Plitvice Lakes NP, Split, Zadar, Zagreb,     
  • Cyprus: Nicosia  
  • Czech Republic: Prague
  • Denmark: Copenhagen, Odense, Funen Island
  • England: London, Manchester, Dover, The Cotswolds, Peak District NP 
  • Finland: Helsinki, Rovaniemi (Northern Lights) 
  • France: Paris, Lyon, La Plagne (Ski Resort), Toulouse, Cauterets, Carcassonne, Cirque de Gavarnie, Marseille, Nice, Parc National des Calanques, Parc National Mercantour
  • Germany: Berlin, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Koln, Munich, Stuttgart, Garmisch-Partenkirchen
  • Greece: Athens, Crete, Rhodes
  • Hungary: Budapest, Holloko, Visegrad 
  • Iceland: Reykjavik, Skaftafell-Vatnajökull National Park, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Fimmvorduhals Hike, F-Roads
  • Italy: Bolzano, Etna Volcano, Kasterluth, Lucca, Florence, Milan, Pisa, Rome, Seiser Alm (Ski Resort), Siena, Taormina, Portofino, Amalfi Coast, Napoli, Lake Como, Venice, Cortina d’Ampezzo
  • Latvia: Riga
  • Liechtenstein: Vaduz, Malbun
  • Luxembourg: Luxembourg City
  • Malta: Valletta, Gozo
  • Monaco: Monte Carlo
  • The Netherlands: Amsterdam
  • Norway: Geirangerfjord, Jostedalsbreen NP, Sognefjord, Oslo
  • Portugal: Lisbon
  • Romania: Bucharest, Sasca Montana, Baile Herculane, Arad, Brasov
  • Scotland: Ben Nevis Mountain, Cairngorms NP, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hidden Valley, Isle of Skye, West Highland Way 
  • Slovakia: Bratislava
  • Slovenia: Nova Gorcia, Lake Bled, Ljubljana, Predjama Castle, Soca Trail
  • Spain: Barcelona, Canary Islands, Cordoba, Grenada, Madrid, Monserrat, Seville, Palma de Mallorca, Soller 
  • Sweden: Kiruna (Northern Lights), Stockholm
  • Switzerland: Luzern, Interlaken, Geneva, Jungfrau, Zurich
  • Turkey: Goreme, Istanbul, Pamukkale
  • The Vatican: Vatican City
  • Wales: Bangor, Llandudno, Llyn Idwal

 
Sacred Valley (Hikes)

Sacred Valley (Hikes)

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Salineras de Maras & Moray

Not only is it full of magnificent Inca ruins, the sacred valley of Peru boasts a stunning nature which can be enjoyed through a number of hiking trails. The hike that I did and will be described in this post will take you, not only, through unspoiled nature away from mass tourism, but also will pass by two of the must-see ruins/sights in the sacred valley; and as always…All On Your Own…So let us begin:)

Urubamba → Salineras de Maras → Moray:

This hike is fairly easy and suitable for the average hiker; albeit, it is a bit long. So, based in Cusco, you’ll need to start your day early to take your time and enjoy all it has to offer.

To get to the start of the hike from Cusco, again the collective is your savior:) As you now became an expert with how to navigate your way in the sacred valley through collectivos, there is a designated stop in Cusco for the collectivos heading directly to Urubamba, or you can take a collective to Pisac then Urubamaba (click to request info).

Urubamaba is in the middle of the sacred valley and when you arrive there, the collective will drop you on the main sacred valley’s road adjacent to the river. Don’t enter Urubamaba itself, instead head across the street towards the river to reach the trailhead (click to request info).

Immediately when you start hiking you’ll cross a wooden bridge over the river and then you’ll find a small gate and a little boy selling tickets to Salineras. Don’t be alarmed, it is not a scam!! But because you took the road less-traveled to reach Salineras, this is not the main gate that all tourists use to reach the salt mines. Buy your ticket and be ready to reach Salineras like no other tourist:)

The hike from the gate to the salt terraces of Salineras is an uphill hike, yet it is fairly moderate and will take you around 40 minutes to reach your destination.

The trail digs itself in the pass between the hills and along the way you’ll get amazing views of the valley behind you…so enjoy.

 

Since you took the road less-traveled, you’ll reach Salineras from the bottom, unlike the tour groups’ tourists, so you’ll have this section of the mines to yourself:) 

The way these mines are engineered from ancient times and the fact that they are still operational till today is fascinating. You can walk on the terraces themselves but be careful not to slip…so enjoy and admire this marvelous engineering feat. When you are ready, head your way up the terraces to the main gate from which tour groups arrive and say a final goodbye to those amazing mines.

Now that you finished the first leg of the hike, take a break and rest because the next leg is very long and it is the true definition of “off-the-beaten-pass”!

There is a road connecting Salineras to Moray, but few people know that there is also a hiking trail along the ridge of the mountains that takes you directly there. First, you’ll start walking on the main road and after few meters you’ll venture into a side road away from the tour buses. On this road, you’ll be totally alone…Only you, some wildlife, and stunning nature! 

It is a serene and a very satisfying feeling to be so immersed in nature with no civilization around you to spoil the views! But don’t let the serenity take you along this road for too long because very shortly you’ll take a detour to the hiking trails (click to request info).

Once you find the trail, it’ll be a straightforward hike to Moray on a mostly flat terrain; however, it is a long trail which will take you around 3 hours to complete.

Congratulations!!! You’ve arrived at Moray On Your Own and via a route that few people take; and, above all, this isn’t one of the main ruins on the tourists’ trail so there will be few people around. Enjoy this ancient amphitheater; and then you’ll need to arrange your ride back to Cusco.

There are no collectivos or public transportation from Moray to Cusco, so the best way to go back is to find a local taxi (I’ve to admit, not many stop there), or hitchhike a ride and pay a small fee to a local guy. It might sound alarming that you might get stuck in Moray, but don’t worry you’ll find your way back and actually this is part of the fun of doing it On Your Own…SO ENJOY:)
Chinggis Khaan Statue

Chinggis Khaan Statue

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Chinggis Khaan Statue

It is a statue like no other! It is the larges equestrian statue in the world according to Guinness World Records! and it surely fits such a great emperor and warrior… The Chinggis Khaan Statue! Although Mongolia is famous for its nomadic life and stunning nature with vast open spaces, no visit is complete to this land without visiting this statue and paying tribute to one of the greatest conquerors in the history of mankind.

The Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex is located 54 km outside of the capital city “Ulanbaatar” (UB) and you would be forgiven to think that it’ll be straightforward to go there; however, as the public transportation in Mongolia is a bit limited outside UB and whenever you ask about how to go there, people will tell you that the only way is going with a tour group which costs at least $40!! That didn’t make sense to me as, for sure, the land of free-roaming nomads can’t depend on tour companies to visit one of its landmarks. So I did my research before my trip and found out that I can go On My Own and On Budget, but still I needed to figure out the exact route when I arrive there. Using the way that I’ll describe below to visit the statue will immerse you with the locals and make you venture into the unknow; yet confident in your planning skills:)

The independent trip to the statue complex is a two-legged trip; first you’ll take a bus from UB, then a local taxi. Since there is no direct public bus from UB to the statue, you’ll need to take the bus going to a village called Naliakh. Finding the right bus, and the right bus stop, is a challenge in itself. I, myself, had to go to two 3 different stops, ask the drivers of 2 different buses, and seek the help of the friendly locals to know which is which! So, for the spirit of the discoverer in you, I won’t reveal these details here; but, in case you want the exact directions, just drop me an email and I’ll be happy to help…for free of course:) (click to request info)

When you are on the bus, ask the driver to tell you when the bus reaches Naliakh as there are no signs to point that out for you. Arriving at Naliakh, the bus will drop you at an intersection and you’ll find a shopping center to your left (click to request info) for the exact signs of this shopping center. Here you’ll find some local taxis, although unofficial, that will take you to the statue safely. Expect to haggle the price with the driver, but not too much as their starting price will be already cheap compared to the $40 option. The driver will take you to the statue complex, wait for you till you finish exploring and enjoying the site with no rush, and then take you back to Naliakh. It is a truly amazing experience to visit this emperor’s statue in his homeland with his own people, and the best part of it is that the total cost of the entire trip from UB is no more than $10!!:) and will take you maximum an hour each way.

The statue is part of a complex with museums and shops. You’ll start seeing the mighty Chinggis Khaan riding his horse from afar and it is really impressive.

Soon you’ll enter through a care gate with the name of Chinggis Khaan engraved on it…Yes you are there:)

When you first arrive, you’ll not be able to hide your excitement…this is really a unique statue in a unique land. The first close view of the statue will be from the side and you’ll start taking lots of pictures then realize that there are still 360 degrees views of the statue and still lots of pictures:)

Start walking the circular trail around the statue’s base, I bet you’ll do it multiple time:), and OH MY…here is the face of the statue and how impressive and detailed is that…amazing 

And the back…it is a real horse!!

But wait! That is not all! You can go up the horse!! Pay your entry ticket at the complex’s entrance and go inside. First, you’ll find some souvenir shops and you can take pictures in traditional Mongolian costumes. Next, and saving the best for last, go downstairs to the museum which has many artifacts belonging to the mighty emperor, himself.

Now… Are you ready!! Head up the big circular stairs, then there will be an elevator and narrower set of stairs. From my excitement, I could not wait for the elevator and ran up the stairs in a second:) and now I’m up in the head of the horse and OH MY!!

Behind me is the mighty man himself and infront of me are stunning green views, so take your breath and take multiple pictures with Chinggis Khaan up close and personal.

It’ll be tough to go down and leave this great man, but there is still one more treat for you! Across the street from the complex’s gate is another statue of Chinggis Khaan’s mother, so ask your driver to take you there, which he will happily do. Yes, it is not as impressive, but still a nice statue and a great way to end your day trip.

Now that you are done, your driver will take you back to Naliakh, which is 20-30 min away, where you’ll take your bus back to UB all proud of yourself that you visited the great emperor…ON YOUR OWN!

 

 
Sacred Valley (Towns & Ruins)

Sacred Valley (Towns & Ruins)

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Towns & Ruins

I explored the magnificent towns of the sacred valley on two different routes which I recommend to every independent traveler and they both can be done On Your Own:

  • Cusco → Tipon → Cusco:

Tipon is not in the sacred valley proper, yet it lies at a high elevation to the south of the valley; yet there are some beautiful ruins here that are worth the trip.

It is really easy and straight-forward to go to Tipon on your own, you don’t need to join a cramped organized tour for that. From Cusco, you’ll take a collective directly to Tipon which takes around 30 minutes and for only 5 soles; however, as there are different collectivo stops in Cusco, depending on your destination, you’ll need to head to the right one for Tipon (click to request info).

Arriving at Tipon, you’ll start hiking to the ruins. Since the ruins are outside of town, which makes them more magical, you’ll hike around 3 hours (each way) to visit them on a well-marked trail. From the collective stop, you’ll see signs to the ruins or you can ask any local about “el camino” to the ruins and they will point which direction to you. The hike is about 1-1:30 hours of an uphill climb to the first terraces of the ruins. The first section of the trail consists of a dirt road passing through some local houses which will then be followed by a trail in the mountains with some beautiful scenery.

These ruins are off-the-beaten-path of the sacred valley and few tour groups go there which makes them much more special. When you arrive at the ruins, you’ll find yourself almost alone there and you be free to explore as much as you want of these ruins, take lots of pictures of your, almost private, Inca ruins; and if you still have an appetite for more ruins, you’ll see signs for “Pucara” which is another ruin’s site close-by. After getting your ruins’ fix:) you can head back to Cusco, same way as you came, or you can try the “cuy” in Tipon (click to request info).

  • Cusco → Pisac → Ollantaytambo → Cusco:

This tour is about visiting the small towns of the sacred valley and their ruins, on your own, and soak in the cultural and historic highlights of this special spot of our planet. In order to be able to optimize your time and be able to visit all the highlights on a day-trip from Cusco, you’ll have to get a grasp of the sacred valley’s geography and have a good map with you (click to request info).

The first stop in this tour will be Pisac. Apart from its ruins, Pisac is famous for its bustling market and a trip to visit this market should be on each explorer’s itinerary. To reach Pisac from Cusco, take a collective from its designated stop (click to request info) which will take you directly to Pisac’s main street. Get out here and walk in the direction away from the river and you’ll find the famous market.

You’ll be tempted to explore the market now, but I recommend to wait till you visit the ruins and explore it on your way back. The ruins are up in the hills, so continue walking through the market away from the river till you reach a dirt road which you’ll follow easily to the ruins. But be warned, the hike up to the ruins is fairly steep and if this is your rest day:) then you can take a taxi or hitchhike your way directly to the ruins. After exploring the ruins, the hike back is downhill and easy and takes you directly to the market. So now its shopping time:) Explore the market at your leisure, there are some hidden gems here and true bargains; however, expect to haggle the prices down with the merchants who are mostly friendly and smiling.

Exploring Pisac should take you around 3-4 hours after which you’ll ride all the way along the river to your next stop…Ollantaytambo. Again, from the main road in Pisac where the collective dropped you, you can take another collective to Ollantaytambo or hitchhike your way, but expect to pay a little fee.

Ollantaytambo is a little charming village famous for its Inca ruins. These ruins were used as defensive structures against the Spaniards and they are, in my opinion, the best ruins outside Machu Picchu. You can visit the ruins easily on your own or you can hire a local guide to give you a brief history about the ruins and the village. After visiting the ruins, don’t miss strolling around the old town and have the famous local drink at one of the village’s watering holes:) (click to request info).

Finally, when you are ready to head back to Cusco, there is a direct collective from here, but be aware that this collectivo will drop you at a different stop than the one you started your tour from (click to request info).    

 

 
Sacred Valley

Sacred Valley

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Sacred Valley

The sacred valley of the Incas is one of the famed attractions of Peru and it is comprised of a number of small villages and towns, each with its own character and ruins. Although this part of the country is swarmed with tour companies and tour groups, you can still do it on your own. If big AC buses aren’t your thing, then look no further! It is much more rewarding, enjoyable, and cheaper to do it On Your Own, or, in other words, “Do it as the locals do.”

To do the sacred valley on your own means that you’ll depend on public transportation i.e. collectivos, tok toks, and hitchhiking. What is great about doing it on your own is that you’ll get the chance to meet the true locals, interact with them, listen to their stories (assuming you speak basic Spanish, of course:), and understand how it is like to call such a beautiful place…home!

However, from Cusco, there is a dedicated collective stop for every town in the Sacred Valley, so you’ll have to get your map (click to request info) and go to the right one, or you’ll end up somewhere else.

Not only does the sacred valley include amazing towns and ruins, it also offers the adventurer traveler great hiking opportunities to some of the off-the-beaten-path destinations. Hence, I’ll do separate blog posts for visiting the towns & ruins and for the hikes in the area.
Villarica Volcano Trek (Pucon)

Villarica Volcano Trek (Pucon)

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Villarica Volcano Trek

Pucon is a small city located deep into the Chilean Andes that is best known for its adventure tourism. The major attraction here is the Villarica volcano, which is a perfect conical-shaped volcano, that imposes itself in the city’s backyard. It is a picture-perfect volcano, the one you always imagined when you were a kid: perfectly conical-shaped crater, standing alone, 2,840 meters high, and snow-capped!!

There are many activities and adventures that can be done in Pucon, but this blog is dedicated to the mother of all adventures here…the volcano trek!!

This volcano is one of the many active volcanos in Chile’s ring of fire region (last eruption: March 2015), yet it is the only one that you can hike up all the way to the volcano’s crater! However, to hike-up the volcano, you have to do it with a certified guide i.e. tour company. I know that this might sound not as independent as we all wish, but still there are a lot of planning and preparation you need to do, On Your Own, for this tough adventure. SO LETS START!!

Going to Pucon from Santiago is easy; but, as a budget traveler, I opted for the bus option. There are several buses operating along this route that are very comfortable and modern (click to request info). The journey takes around 10 hours from Santiago! But don’t be discouraged, there are night buses with sleepers that are very comfortable and saves a lot of time and, above all, money:)

If you are going to Pucon only for the volcano trek, it is recommended to spend, at least, a complete full day in the city before your ascent to enjoy the city, rest, and relax before this tough adventure.

Arriving at Pucon in the early morning, check in at your hostel and grab a good breakfast, then it’ll be time to pick your tour company. I assume by now you already did most of your homework on this and, at least, narrowed-down the many available companies to a couple of options. Basically, all the companies offer the same services, same timings, and equipment; they only differ in the size of the group, some luxury amenities that you can do without, flexible logistics, and of course…price! I, personally, narrowed-down my options to two companies before arriving which I can both recommend (click to request info). I waited to chose when I arrive because I wanted to meet the people and inspect the equipment, myself.

Hopefully, you’ll be done with selecting your tour company early-on to relax and stroll around the city (I don’t recommend to do another activity on the day before the hike as the hike will be very tough so you’ll need to take it easy and sleep early). So now to the hike itself:)

The day will start very early, normally you meet your guides and the rest of the group at dawn in front of the company’s office and then they’ll transport you, by a mini-bus, to the national park and the base of the volcano. At this point the guides have to make a decision about whether it’ll be possible to ascend the volcano or not, depending on the weather, which will hopefully be favorable. If not, they will transport you back to the city and you won’t pay anything, but once you started hiking…you’ll pay! In my case, the weather was not that favorable and the guides told us: it is a 50-50 chance of being able to reach the crater…so some decided to do it, obviously me:) while others went back.

Since I did this hike in the off-season (May), the cable cars at the base to the first stop were not operational so we started the hike from the base. The entire hike is very steep, but the first part was the least of them and with no snow on the ground, so it was moderately difficult till reaching the upper cable car’s station. By this point, the weather cleared and it was sunny:) 

From here you’ll start walking in deep snow which will make this hike much much tougher. Our pace got slower and slower, and I was getting tired but the reward waiting for me kept me going.

Unfortunately, it won’t get easier from here and the weather up at the top of the volcano was very different from the base…It was cloudy and windy. Here the guides told us that we won’t be able to see anything from the top, but we can continue if we wanted. So we decided to do it and the last section was as steep and strenuous as a hike I’ve ever did in my life and with the snow…100 times tougher!!

As the guides said, we reached the top and could see nothing from the clouds; moreover, we couldn’t stay up because of the wind… so, yes, we didn’t get a clear view of the crater, but the sense of achievement and the views while going down made it up, somehow, for us!  

The way down is much more fun. The guides will give you slides to sit on and you’ll slide your way back to the base, very fun and lively activity! Clearly I was enjoying it in this picture:)

When reaching the base, you’ll be transported back to the city and depending on your plans, you can have time to shower and eat. All in all, Pucon is a touristy city, but going in the shoulder season was pretty and peaceful; and the volcano trek is a must do for any adventurer.

N.B: There are some other adventure activities that you can do in the area surrounding Pucon as a day trip, but I, personally, didn’t have enough time to do any; albeit I planned for them in case the volcano trek was a no-go. So if you need any suggestions, just drop me an email and I’ll be happy to assist (click to request info)
Otter Trail (Day 5)

Otter Trail (Day 5)

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[Andre Hut → Nature Valley] (10.8 km)

The final day of this amazing adventure; the day you’ll be back in civilization:) Depending on your transport arrangements and timing, plan your start for this day bearing in mind that this is an easy short day that will take you only 3 hours to finish, with stops.

The first section will be along the pebble beach you spent the previous night on and it’ll involve some challenging boulder hopping.

Then the final uphill of this entire trail will start immediately after you hike along the beach for less than a kilometer. The uphill will be inside the forest and by now you’ll be expert in this terrain so it won’t be tough for you.

After this last uphill you’ll reach the top of the plateau with amazing final views of the towering cliffs above the ocean. You’ll continue hiking on the top and will have this amazing feeling that you almost finished this thrilling adventure.

It is all flat from here, so take your time, enjoy, take your last pictures, and keep going till you reach the metal gate marking the end of the trail!! CONGRATULATIONS YOU DID IT

From this point you’ll have an amazing view of Nature Valley beach 

and the trail will take you down all the way to the beach and civilization.

Now you’ll start meeting people: day trippers and beach goers and they’ll all congratulate you:) so enjoy your glory moment and don’t forget to stop by the rest camp to sign-out from the trail and collect your Otter Trail Certificate…YOU ARE OFFICIALLY AN ADVENTURER!!

 

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