A 65-year-old German tourist died on Sunday 8 November 2026 after an accident while skiing down the Llaima volcano, in Conguillío National Park, La Araucanía. According to preliminary information from Chile's National Forest Corporation (Conaf), the man climbed with an Austrian guide and neither of them registered at the park rangers' checkpoints, Alerta Noticias Temuco reported.
The information is preliminary: the authorities are gathering evidence and the investigation will establish exactly what happened. This article covers what had been reported by the morning of Tuesday 10 November.
View the data as a table
| Age of the tourist who died | 65 years |
| Llaima's altitude | 3,195 m |
| Eruptions since 1900 | 35 |
What is known about the accident on the Llaima volcano
The visitors arrived on Friday, outside the rangers' opening hours, and did not ask about trail conditions. They planned to climb from Cherquenco, but as that road was not open they went in via the Pastos Blancos trail. They started the ascent in the morning and skied down in the late afternoon and evening. The body was recovered by the Carabineros special operations group (GOPE) (Alerta Noticias Temuco).
On the same Sunday, Chile's disaster prevention and response service (Senapred) reported on site a GOPE helicopter operation for a person who had reportedly fallen into a crevasse during an ascent of Llaima without the mandatory Conaf registration (Alerta Noticias Temuco). Preliminary reports do not make it possible to establish whether it is the same incident.
- Friday 6 NovArrival after hoursWithout asking rangers for information.
- Sunday 8 Nov, morningAscent via Pastos BlancosThe Cherquenco access was closed; no Conaf registration.
- Sunday 8 Nov, eveningAccident during the ski descent
- AfterwardsGOPE recoveryPolice recover the body; inquiries under way.
Why Conaf requires registration before climbing Llaima
The authorities pointed out that prior registration lets them know where climbers are and their itinerary, key information for responding quickly to an emergency in the mountains. Conaf urged visitors to find out about access and safety conditions in advance, use only established trails, respect current restrictions and follow the instructions of park rangers, who are the authority inside the park (Conaf).
| Access to Conguillío National Park | From | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| South | Temuco-Cunco-Melipeuco | Truful Truful |
| North | Victoria or Lautaro-Curacautín | Captrén |
| West | Temuco-Cajón-Vilcún-Cherquenco | Los Paraguas |
Source: Conaf. The park's information sheet warns that high-mountain sectors carry risks of avalanches and lightning between May and November, and rates several routes as "extreme" in winter. In November there is still snow on the volcano's slopes.
The Llaima volcano in figures
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Altitude | 3,195 m (other sources give 3,125 m) | Wikipedia |
| Distance to Temuco | 72 km northeast | Wikipedia |
| Confirmed eruptions since 1900 | 35, Chile's second most active after Villarrica | Global Volcanism Program |
| Last eruption | Began on 1 January 2008 | Wikipedia |
| 2023 specific risk ranking | Among the top three in the country | Sernageomin |
Sources: Wikipedia, Global Volcanism Program and Sernageomin. More detail in our rankings of Chile's most active volcanoes and most dangerous volcanoes, and in the guide to Conguillío National Park.
A Sunday of emergencies around Conguillío
That same Sunday there were two other emergencies in Melipeuco: a burn of forestry waste got out of control at the entrance to the China Muerta sector, opposite Truful Truful, and there was a forest fire on private land in the Trujull sector, near the park. The authorities asked people to notify Conaf before any burning (Alerta Noticias Temuco). With the heat forecast this week, the fire risk rises in La Araucanía: we explain it in extreme heat and wildfire risk.
Before climbing a volcano in Chile
- Register with the park rangers before starting the ascent and give your itinerary and expected return time.
- Check Sernageomin's technical alert for the volcano and the day's mountain forecast.
- Climb with a guide if you lack snow and ice experience, and carry the equipment the route requires.
- Respect timings: descending in the dark multiplies the risk.
- Do not change route if your planned access is closed without asking at the park.
For the most-climbed volcano in the country, see how to climb the Villarrica volcano, and before booking any excursion, what to check in adventure tourism.
Frequently asked questions
What happened on the Llaima volcano?
A 65-year-old German tourist died on Sunday 8 November 2026 after an accident during a ski descent, according to preliminary information from Conaf.
Do you have to register to climb the Llaima volcano?
Yes. Conaf asks climbers to register with the park rangers, so they know where people are and their itinerary. In this case, according to Conaf, no registration was made.
How do you get into Conguillío National Park?
Through Truful Truful (from Melipeuco), Captrén (from Curacautín) and Los Paraguas (from Cherquenco).
