The day I climbed an active volcano...

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Up for a 7am pick up to the active volcano - Mount Villarrica. I'd like to tell you a little about the journey but unfortunately, I was asleep for all of it. Since starting to travel, I have discovered this amazing ability to fall asleep anywhere, any time. It's a gift! One that I hope not to lose.

Upon reaching the volcano, we gathered all of our stuff together, were given an ice-pick and told that we should try to stay together but may have to split into a fast and slow group. No prizes for guessing which group I ended up in! (And just in case you can't guess, it's the slow one.)

We took the chairlift up the first part to save time and energy and luckily I was sitting with David (our new guide) who told me exactly how and when to jump off otherwise I probably would have fallen flat on my face.

Once the trek had started, I fell behind pretty quickly but luckily, Molly and Sarah (new Sarah) stayed back with me. I felt a bit bad because I was going slower than their natural pace but I was really grateful for them walking with me.

As we were walking up, the guide kept telling other climbers to pass us because we were so slow. I didn't mind. At first.

It became very steep very quickly and even though I was still walking very slowly, I was still happy when it was time for our first break.

Soon, we came to the icy section of the mountain and had to don the special gear. On goes the jacket, on goes the helmet, the gloves, the dreaded crampons and out comes the ice-pick for real.

The guide shows us how to use the crampons and the ice pick and tells us what we're supposed to do if we fall. I probably should have paid more attention to that last bit.

The guide soon discovered my name (bad news) and told me that I had to go first. Like I wasn't holding the other two up enough already! Being the first time I'd walked on ice (ice on the streets of London is NOT the same) with devil spikes on my shoes, I admittedly wasn't the best at it and walked with both of my feet facing outwards, kind of like a weird penguin...

“Nicky, don't walk like that.” Hmmm

“Nicky, move your feet.” It had started.

“Nicky, use the crampons.”

“Nicky, walk faster.”

“Nicky, you're doing it wrong,”

“Nicky, Nicky, NICKY!” I began to hate my name a little.

At each stop, the views became increasingly spectacular. Looking out on to towns, lakes, ice and other volcanoes staring back at us. I was starting to understand exactly why I was doing this.

A little bit further up the ice and it was time to take off those crampons. Heaven! Never let anyone put those things near my feet again! Not long to go until we reach the top.

As we're walking to the top, the guide continues to tell people to pass us as we're so slow. And then gets on his radio to tell the others that he's still with the 'little slow one'. “Slow, slow, slow.” This made me giggle and I think it was then that he picked up that I could understand Spanish. He didn't do it so much after that.

We reached the top! And the smell of sulphur burned in my throat. The incredible smell however, was no match for the incredible view, you could see Argentina from up there!

We dropped our bags and were taken over to the crater where the lava was bubbling up. I think I totally lack words to describe just how amazing seeing the lava was. It was so windy up there too that all the girls were being blown about and the guides had to hold us back from the edge.

We ate lunch at the top and it was then time for descent. And what a descent it was!

In the ice were grooves/tunnels for us to slide down on our bums.

The first one was a practice run and was short. I fell over on the way down to the tunnel and got the serious giggles. “COME ON NICKY!” Oops.

I managed to finish the first one in one piece, stood up, took a step and fell straight back down to the ground.

Started walking to the next one and fell once again. “ Walk properly Nicky.” I'm trying!

The next one was steeper and longer and much more fun. I loved racing down it at speed - it was like being a kid on a never-ending slide.

On a few of them, I got a bit stuck in the middle and was told to use the ice pick to help get me on the move. Which worked temporarily. Then Snr. Guide gave up on me fully and told me that from now on, we would be sliding down together. I had to sit behind him wit th my legs around him holding on to his backpack. He went so much faster than I ever could have and I had to stop myself from screaming. A couple of times, he bumped into Sarah in front of us which made her scream and me have a laughing attack in a mess on the floor.

In total, I fell over over about eight times on the way down so in addition to having to slide with my guide, he had to link arms with me like an old lady or hold my hand like a small child. At one point, I fell holding his hand and he asked me very nicely not to fall over any more. Poor guy, wish I had had control over that but unfortunately being clumsy is inherent.

After the ice, the three of us girls dawdled down and I became so slow that I ended up trundling down on my own and finishing about 50 minutes after everyone with Tam running up and helping me carry my stuff back to the van. I got to the end and gave the guide a big hug for putting up with me - I think we both needed it.

It was hard but I had so much fun and laughed so much it hurt. Totally worth it and I enjoyed the way down so much that I would climb to the top just to do it all over again.

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