A day-trek from the extinct volcano crater through thick primaeval forest, down to Lake Rupanco.

Departure from Zapato Amarillo Lodge at 7.30am. About a 2 hour trip past Lakes Rupanco and Puyehue, with a splendid view of the summits of the Andes (weather permitting!), then proceeding to the Puyehue National Park. We travel high up to the top of the Raihuen crater, an old, long-since extinct volcano. From this point the trek will begin. This high plateau affords a wonderful view of the Andes range, and the heavily-forested hills. Winding down towards the tree-line, a small path now leads us to thick, almost impenetrable primaeval forest. The plethora of plant species in the evergreen Valdivian rainforest is impressive indeed: moss and lichen decorate these ancient, gigantic trees, and birds hop hither and thither among the thickets, singing and calling out to each other. After about five hours we reach the banks of Lake Rupanco, where a local family is waiting for us with our midday meal. After a well-deserved siesta we take a motor boat over the stunningly-beautiful Lake Rupanco, past steep, heavily-forested hills and waterfalls, to the road where our bus is waiting to take us back to Puerto Octay. We arrive in Puerto Octay at about 7.30 pm.