Volcán Tuzgle Adventure: Trekking High in Switchback Boots

At Softstar, we believe that some of the most fulfilling adventures happen when you can fully connect with the environment around you—feeling the earth beneath your feet, the elements in all their intensity, and the raw emotions that only nature can evoke. That’s exactly what adventurer Onna Voellmer experienced on her journey to Volcán Tuzgle, a remote and rugged peak in the Andes. Equipped with her Softstar Switchback Boots, she embraced the challenge of shifting temperatures, volcanic terrain, and high-altitude extremes. Her story is a testament to what happens when the right gear supports your journey, letting you focus on the experience, not your feet.

Volcán Tuzgle Through an Adventurer's Eyes

"Volcán Tuzgle, 17,999 feet (5486 meters), is a stratovolcano in the eastern Andes of northwestern Argentina. It has a magnificent dark-colored lava flow down its southwestern flank, so massive and distinct that it is visible on satellite maps and from the neighboring mountains. It has that perfect volcano shape—the shape of mountains like the ones I grew up with in a Washington State. It rises from the Puna like an Incan temple, surrounded by a sea of mountains in every direction.

Its access road, now abandoned, once serviced a sulfur mine. The road switchbacks up the southwestern flank of the mountain. I have little tolerance for such roads, narrow with steep drop-offs. How close were the tires to that edge? Our driver keeps going. I can’t watch. I close my eyes. Our driver eases the truck higher and higher, until finally I say, “Let’s just get out here.”

The wind is cold, my fingers instantly go numb. We’re a little over 16,000 feet now. I take a deep breath, adding a bit of back pressure by pursing my lips, to compensate for the lack of oxygen at this altitude. I finally stop to put on a second pair of gloves and a hat. We turn another switchback and around the corner into the sun. It immediately goes from cold to hot, save for the cold wind, so I stop again to remove the layers I had just added. It’s a weird thing to be hot and sweaty at 17,000 feet, and yet somehow still chilled from the wind. You can learn about different environments in a textbook, but it is something else entirely to feel it in one’s body, to feel a place deep down in your bones.

We pass the ruins of the old sulfur mine, the surrounding earth pale, almost white here. A couple of more switchbacks higher and a few more ruins come into view. They have the look of Incan craftsmanship—dry stacked stone enclosures, perched with views of the valley below. We continue steeply, winding through dark volcanic boulders until reaching a large flat area just below the final stretch to the summit block. A faint smell of sulfur wafts by. There is something eerie about climbing a volcano. Like traversing the spiny back of a sleeping dragon, hoping it will not wake during your journey.

The wind is strong on the final steps to the summit, but on the summit itself, the air is calm and warm. We bask in the sun taking in the surrounding views. The way down goes much more quickly, taking the descent route that cuts out most of the switchbacks. It’s a long descent all the way back to basecamp. We are still far from the valley floor, but we’ve dropped enough elevation that I can feel the heat rising up to greet me.

Back at basecamp, the sun is hot and there is little shade to be found. It is situated on the western side of a small hill covered in dark volcanic boulders. I wedge myself as closely as possible next to a short rock wall, attempting to keep my upper body out of the sun. Viscacha, small rabbit-sized rodents, dance about the boulders on the small hill. They occupy my attention for several hours. The air slowly cools as the sun dips into the horizon.

I wake in the night to a very loud …squeal? …shriek? What is that sound? A bird? A small rodent? I shine my flashlight at the rocks next to our sleeping bags. I don’t see anything, but the sound stops. I turn off my flashlight. It starts again. This goes on a few times before all is quiet. Perhaps we set up camp in someone’s evening path? I lie there awake for some time, staring up at the sky, so many stars. The milky way like a superhighway of stars. The Magellanic clouds. A clearer night sky than I have ever seen anywhere."

- Photos and Narrative by Onna Voellmer, @theredheadednomad

Every adventure shapes us, not just in the stories we tell but in the way we experience and reflect upon the world. From volcanic ridges to forest trails, the right footwear should support your body’s natural movement, letting you focus on the path ahead rather than what’s on your feet. Softstar Shoes designs footwear that moves with you, rather than against you, so you can take on any journey—whether it’s a once-in-a-lifetime summit or a quiet walk close to home. So, where will your next adventure lead?

To keep up with Onna and her adventures, check her out at @theredheadednomad on Instagram!

Elf Anna

Anna joined the Softstar team in 2022 approximately a year after graduating from Oregon State University with a dual degree in Marketing and Management. She grew up on a local, rural farm and her passions include exploring the Oregon outdoors, traveling, sports, and playing instruments.