Pucon

Pucon is a friendly and laid back place situated on the slopes of the Villarica Volcano in the Lake District region. It provides the rider with a perfect natural funpark for freestylers and cool freeriding destination. It should keep all snowboarders no matter what your ability, busy and content for a good seven days or more, although the volcano is still live and smoking. The resort is made up of four old creaking chairlifts and three drags, all but one of which are above treeline. Plans are afoot to install a further lift above the long left hand chair to access the steeper higher terrain.

The feeling of riding the mountain is unique. The previous volcanic eruptions and lava flows have left behind a terrain of rollers and deep gullies. While the lift-accessed area is not particularly large and the lift positioning unimaginative, it contains some excellent freeriding/freestyle terrain with neverending hits, corniches and huge natural halfpipes that easily compensate for the lack of steeps. In short it's a playground.

Snow quality varies due to the lower elevation and local climate factors. Storms roll in from the Pacific and drop their load, or the mountain may become fogged in. Winds quite often affect the operation of the old lifts.