Off the Map Chile Adventure: Hiking Volcano Quetrupillan by Achilles

Who doesn’t want to be a poet-warrior? Who doesn’t want to be a person of substance, vitality and vision? What dad doesn’t want to make his son proud? It was with these questions on my heart and in my mind that I went to climb Volcan Quetrupillan. On a sunny day in late April I drove alone with the intent of summiting this formidable and beautiful yet inactive volcano (It last erupted in 1872). The journey to the trail head was not straight forward. At a critical cross-road I happened upon a ranger who told me in Spanish to “go straight for 5KM then at the junction go left, go another 1KM and at the next junction take the road to the left. After that I would see a bridge. Follow the bridge to the left. Then go up for another KM and I would see a little red house. The trail head would supposedly be waiting for me. As with most directions in South America it wasn’t that straightforward. But with a map and asking some people working on a house deep in the forest I found the house. As I drove up to the gate (the house was on private property) I met with a lone Chilean hiker. We made introductions and then started up the mountain.

It’s safe to say that I wouldn’t have ascended the summit without his help and he wouldn’t have ascended without mine. He was a true brother of the mountains. We spoke of the Mapuche, family, nature and our professions. We got a little lost as the trail was a bit unclear at the base of the volcano. However, we recovered and after a 1.5 hour detour of climbing the side of the volcano, we finally found the correct trail. The trek revealed 3 Andean Condors, the smell of sulfur, blue skies, ice and obsidian. It was a tough trek toward the summit. But the view at the top was breathtaking. Quetrupillan is 7,743 ft. high. Erik (my Chilean hiking buddy) made it up first. He called down and said, “Achilles, you won’t believe your eyes.” At the top was a view that can only be described as liberating and enormous. The crater was covered with ice and a small glacier. The panoramic view of Volcan Lanin, Volcan Villarica and Volcan Llaima was inspirational. I came across a cool poem a few days later that made my eyes well up a little bit because it nailed my feelings as we descended the mountain and had the clean air filling my lungs. It’s from a book called, “The Iron Heel” by Jack London.

“Joy upon joy and gain upon gain

Are the destined rights of my birth,

And I shout the praise of my endless days

To the echoing edge of the earth.

Though I suffer all deaths that a man can die

To the uttermost end of time,

I have deep-drained this, my cup of bliss,

In every age and climb ----

The froth of Pride, the tang of Power,

The sweet of Womanhood!

I drain the lees upon my knees,

For oh, the draught is good;

I drink to Life, I drink to Death,

And smack my lips with song,

For when I die, another ‘I’ shall pass the cup along.

The man…..”

The poem continues in that vein. If anyone is interested let me know and we can read the poem aloud together when I return over a cup of wine by a fire. Who doesn’t want to be a poet-warrior? Who doesn’t want to be a person of substance, vitality and vision? Peace and love to everyone who took the time to read. Thanks Chris for letting a brother blog. Gracias.