Vulkan Chaitén

Chaitén is a city of 5,000 inhabitants located in the middle of Pumalin National Park. The trek leads over many stairs, 3 km long and 1 km high, to the Chaitén Volcano, which has only been active again for 10 years. Previously, it was considered extinct, which proved to be disastrous for the residents of Chaiten on May 2, 2008. At 00:30, strong earthquakes and an explosion woke up the residents of Chaiten, and everyone thought it was the Michinmahuida Volcano, 35 kilometers away. However, it turned out to be the Chaiten Volcano, which is said to have erupted for the last time 9,000 years ago. The volcano spewed its ash up to 20 kilometers high, and after a few days, the column of smoke even darkened Buenos Aires. In the vicinity of the volcano, a dense ash rain fell, making breathing difficult. Chaiten was covered with a 20 cm thick layer of ash within a day. All residents within a radius of 50 km were evacuated.

Finally, the Rio Blanco, which springs from below the volcano, overflowed and flooded large parts of the city with ash, mud, and debris, extending the beach in Chaiten by about 500 meters.

After a long dispute with the government, the residents occupied Chaiten so that the Chilean government could rebuild their homes. The city is now rising literally from the ashes.

During the hike, the destructive power becomes evident. The crater alone has moved up by 200 meters and is still smoking. From above, you can still see how the river carried the mud through the rainforest to the sea. In the city, you can still see destroyed houses along the river.