It was almost 9:00 p.m. when I arrived at the road that leads to Laguna and Volcán El Planchón. The access point is near the Chilean border control station San Pedro. I left my car parked there — a Ford Fiesta, which is certainly not the most suitable vehicle, and definitely not a 4x4, for climbing a winding mountain road full of sharp turns and uneven sections.

So I decided to make the ascent on foot, alternating between jogging and hiking.

The route was tough. At the beginning, I struggled to find my rhythm. I carried trekking poles, but the truth is that I ended up walking most of the way, with only occasional attempts at jogging. It was also my first time hiking this route — and I was doing it at night. I moved carefully. In nearly three hours, I covered the approximately 12 kilometers of ascent.

Close to midnight on the 2nd, I finally reached Laguna El Planchón. The full moon was lighting the water and outlining the silhouette of the volcano. It was a magical moment. I sat down, took out one of my oatmeal tortillas with honey, and quietly contemplated the beauty of the lagoon and the volcano.

That night, something else happened. I saw two lights that seemed to settle above the volcano. They could have been satellites — maybe. But no. I know what I saw. And in my bottle, there was only water. Nothing else.

I lost my fear of the dark a long time ago, and living that experience alone was fascinating.

But then came the descent. Fatigue began to hit hard. Fighting off sleep, I made my way down the 12 kilometers back. I arrived around 3:00 a.m. Along the way, I encountered several animals — horses and cows that seemed to guard the night. Some of them are shared in this post.

When I reached the car, I should have slept. Instead, I decided to drive down immediately. I had early commitments the next day. It wasn’t the best decision. I should have rested up there. But sometimes, you just move forward.

That night, I also slept near the arriero monument in Los Queñes. And it was there that an idea came to me:

Why not organize a horseback expedition to El Planchón?

Full Moon Night at El Planchón