Nats Notes: Ridge of 02A & Rim circuit
The camp spot where we separated had snow melt. I forgot to make a way point but it is seasonal and annually dependant anyways.The following morning I made an easy CC to the ridge on 02A. The snow was rock hard in the morning (7:30am, around 9 am the snow became "crunch-able" - that being a warm and sunny day). So, a warning to any early birds, unless you have micro spikes. Getting up the ridge was easy thanks to the consolidated pumice. Beautiful views of the snowy plateau and the volcanoes to the south. For the first time I felt like I could gallop along the ridge because the terrain was so easy. There are ups and downs but they are less in number and larger in scale, for me I MUCH prefer this. Along 02A, after coming off the ridge there was some surprise fumaroles and a large crater (not on RR but very close). Picture perfect with Puyehue behind it. The route takes you along a sulphur like rim around it that felt uncomfortably active, warm and hollow. So I side hilled at a safe distance and peaked over from time to time.My future plan was To get to do the crater Crater circuit, but due to time and energy I wanted to try and and gain the rim closer further north of 04A to the northsave time. So after the 02A ridge I started to do my own CC Cc'd which at first turned out to be was continuous with 02A and the RR. I eventually left Left the RR around here -40.55454, -72.14794. Overall but overall I think it would have been easier to stay on the RR for longer. I did not like the snow slope I hiked up and I did a few "back and forths" because of snow drop offs. Just before giving up on water, I found Found my first water source, @ -40.56451, -72.12754 . It is underneath the crater like depression north of the 04A accent route. It was, shall I say, very "crunchy", lots of sand/grit. I began my ascent to a low point on the ridge north of 04A and east of the crater like depression besides it. I did not like the final 200+ meters. I was expecting soft ground but instead got something just slightly better than "kitty-litter" (the term for small grit on slab/hard ground). Sometimes the ground was soft. There was a snow slope but the snow was harder than I would have liked, glad I did not have to go down it. At the top, views were fantastic as expected but I didn't waste time and just started the loop. It was windy but not "body pushing" wind. Looking back I was glad to have bypassed 04A. The circuit posed few issues, there was were some snow slopes, but luckily soft enough for kicking. I would not recommend doing this without micro spikes if the snow is NOT soft (ie early morning). If one wants a super easy way up to the rim, or needs and emergency escape, the slopes up the NE of the crater are very easy, starting around here (40.57497, -72.10480). I had to laugh at myself from time to time. I felt a bit out of place with a lifejacket and couple of paddles sticking out of my bag...The last push for the true summit had some snow on easy/mod slopes. Once again I wouldn't recommend it if the snow was not soft as a fall without self arrest would be a killer. There was a beautiful camp spot (no water but snow) halfway up this last push (-40.59310, -72.11426).
Although very happy to have reached the final summit, my happiness strangely turned a little sad. As I marveled at the landscape that has become my friend over the last three years, I realized this was probably the last time I would see it at this magnitude. So much time has been spent with Tomáš investigating and executing ways up and down these mountains, it seems crazy that I may never look upon them again. So, that was a weird thought but overall it was very beautiful. I waited over an hour on top, I thought Tomáš was planning on going to this peak but when I found out he was on the other peak I made my way down to the cute camping spot at the Refugio, stopping to drink some water from a creek along the way (likely not running in the morning). The way down from the regular summit is easy and there is basically a path that sees regular traffic. I would recommend taking this way if you do not like climbing steep slopes, rather than the other alternatives.
