Real Survival Stories – "Eruption in the Andes: Veil of Ash"

Podcast: Real Survival Stories (Noiser)
Host: John Hopkins
Date: April 1, 2026
Episode Theme:
A gripping first-person account of two backpackers trapped in the Chilean Andes during a catastrophic volcanic eruption. The episode delves into their fight to survive an ash-choked wilderness, exploring themes of decision-making under pressure, risk, resilience, and the unpredictability of nature.

Episode Overview

This episode recounts the harrowing true story of Jeff Brighton, a 25-year-old Californian, and Aviv Bromberg, a 24-year-old Israeli, who were overtaken by the 2015 Calbuco volcanic eruption while crossing the remote Villarrica National Park in Chile. As ash blots out the sun and the landscape is transformed into a monochrome wasteland, the pair must use all their resourcefulness and calm to find their way to safety.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Arrival and Decision to Hike Despite Risks

• Setup:
  • Jeff, on a six-month solo backpacking trip through South America, reaches Pucon—Chile's adventure capital—keen to tackle the famed 32-mile Villarrica Traverse (07:16-08:17).
  • He meets Aviv on a bus; they bond over travel stories and impulsively decide to hike the trail together, despite warnings and the park being officially closed due to recent high-altitude snowfall (08:52-09:37).
• Quote:
  • "We had this epic weather window that we didn't want to miss out on, and so even though they had told us the whole park was closed, we decided to go for it anyways. ... We had this confidence that only young men have that we could handle whatever came up. Probably a little too much confidence." – Jeff (10:39)

Early Trekking Experience and Volcanic Context

• Setting the Scene:
  • Spectacular, varied terrain from forests to lava fields, perfect weather, near-total solitude except for each other (16:48-20:43).
  • Dose of brash youthful confidence fuels their disregard for park warnings.
• Volcano’s Recent Activity:
  • The Villarrica volcano had erupted the month before; locals and rangers caution visitors about the risks, but Jeff and Aviv are undeterred.
  • “It was still smoking and there had been a huge eruption like hundreds of feet high, lava shooting into the sky. ... What are the odds that it'll go again?” – Jeff (04:28 / 16:48)

The Night Before the Disaster

• Camp by the Lake:
  • After a very successful two days, they camp by a lake under La Nin volcano, swimming and celebrating their luck.
  • They hear a faint boom but dismiss it as rockfall (21:36).
  • "We were just feeling good and glad we had ignored the Park Service and gone for it and went to bed thinking, wow, we're so lucky." – Jeff (22:21)

Awakening to Disaster: The Ash Blizzard

• Discovery:
  • Jeff wakes at 8am to pitch-black darkness in the tent. They open the flap to find an ash blizzard, landscape buried and visibility reduced to mere feet (22:47-25:05).
  • "I wake up to complete darkness. I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. It was like being blind." – Jeff (22:47)
  • “It just looked like a heavy snowfall of ash, and ... my headlamp is really only able to cut through about 5ft of this blizzard. Horrible visibility.” – Jeff (25:05)
• Dangers Identified:
  • Jeff recalls his training: the danger isn’t just lava, but pyroclastic flows and lahars—avalanches of hot ash, rocks, and water (26:21).

Decision Point: Stay or Evacuate?

• Weighing Options:
  • Supplies are low, and staying feels risky due to possible deluges; hiking out risks disorientation and injury (27:55).
  • Their status is precarious: "Nobody knows they're here. Two choices. It's a coin flip with no good outcomes." – Narrator (27:55)
• Taking Action:
  • They opt to evacuate, fashioning masks from shirts and relying on a single strong headlamp to see (29:07).
  • "It felt good to be able to take action and not just sit there." – Jeff (29:07)

Navigating the Ash Blizzard: Science, Strategy, and Setbacks

• Disorientation:
  • They immediately lose their way, going in circles in total darkness, hitting dead ends, and encountering obstacles (30:24-32:26).
  • “We just found ourselves starting to go in circles ... I had no idea.” – Jeff (31:46)
• Crisis Management:
  • Aviv realizes he has a compass app on his phone; combined with their map, it transforms their escape, allowing them to get back on the right path (32:42-33:28).
  • Finding the first trail marker after using the compass is described as a "huge morale boost" (33:28).

Continuing Dangers and Surreal Encounters

• Still at Risk:
  • Ash remains thick, compounds the challenge of staying on the fading trail even with a compass (34:10-35:31).
• Memorable Animal Encounter:
  • In the monotone world, ominous shapes dart at the edge of their vision. Jeff is struck in the head—by birds disoriented by the darkness who are drawn to their headlamps (39:20-40:28).
  • "They decided to fly at my head. And so we kept having these little demon birds popping out of the bushes and kind of attacking us. Turned out to be not as much of a horror movie and more of a comedy." – Jeff (40:28)

Emerging from the Ash and Reaching Safety

• Ash Cloud Lifts:
  • Four hours in, the light returns as the ash cloud thins, making travel much easier (41:08-42:13).
  • “We saw this extremely faint light start to appear. ... This was like the moment of,...wow, okay, this is going to be a lot easier now that we can actually see.” – Jeff (41:37)
• Escape:
  • With nearly all supplies exhausted, they emerge onto a tarmac road, physically spent but euphoric (43:15).
  • “Huge relief. We kind of cheered and high fived each other and we could finally look at each other and realize we looked like total apocalypse survivors, just absolutely covered in ash.” – Jeff (43:15)
• Aftermath:
  • They flag down a bus, return to their hostel, and only then discover from the news that the distant “boom” was the Calbuco volcano, erupting dozens of miles to the north, and showering them in ash (44:25-44:36).

Epilogue and Reflection

• Loss and Reflection:
  • Months later, Jeff learns Aviv died of high-altitude sickness during further travels in Peru—a poignant reminder of the unpredictability of adventuring and life itself (45:06).
  • "It kind of feels like a movie or something. It's a little odd looking back on that time of my life. It was such a wild adventure ... it feels oddly unreal." – Jeff (45:46)
• Changed Attitude Toward Risk:
  • Jeff reflects on having moderated his appetite for risk, learning to stay calm and methodical in crises—skills honed through extreme sports and now applied to life (46:17).
  • "Doing those kinds of sports ... gives you a dose of fear, but in a manageable environment ... probably good practice for when you end up in a more gnarly situation." – Jeff (46:17)
• Closure:
  • Now settled with his wife in Washington, Jeff continues to seek adventure, but with greater appreciation for caution and partnership (47:52).
  • “So rather than having to travel solo, now I’m with her. ... We’re constantly getting outdoors, just in search of even more mountains and more adventures.” – Jeff (47:52)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “It was almost like a submarine in the blackest depths of the ocean. There’s just this little bubble of light with nothing beyond.” – Jeff (02:09)
• “We just found ourselves starting to go in circles ... Are we getting more and more lost? Are we getting closer to the trail or further? And I had no idea.” – Jeff (31:46)
• “It felt good to be able to take action and not just sit there.” – Jeff (29:07)
• “Huge relief. We kind of cheered and high fived each other and ... realized we looked like total apocalypse survivors.” – Jeff (43:15)
• “[Aviv] had continued his adventure north up to Peru ... He died due to high altitude sickness.” – Jeff (45:06)
• “I think over the years in terms of risk mitigation, I’ve learned to not be as dumb ... it's not worth it.” – Jeff (46:17)
• “We kept having these little demon birds popping out of the bushes and kind of attacking us. Turned out to be not as much of a horror movie and more of a comedy.” – Jeff (40:28)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:19-02:48 – Introduction and first moments after the eruption
• 07:16-09:37 – Introducing Jeff and Aviv, decision to take on the hike
• 13:32-14:41 – Jeff's background with risk and previous natural disasters
• 16:11-20:43 – Early hiking experiences, beauty and joy of the trek
• 21:36-22:47 – Hearing the eruption (unbeknownst to them) while swimming
• 22:47-25:05 – Waking to find the world buried in ash
• 26:21-29:07 – Decision-making: stay put or try to escape
• 30:24-32:26 – Struggling through the ash, growing panic
• 32:42-33:28 – The compass app epiphany
• 35:31-37:01 – Crossing a dangerous clearing, applying wilderness survival logic
• 39:20-40:28 – The “demon birds” episode
• 41:08-43:28 – Emergence from the ash, arrival at the road
• 44:25-45:06 – Aftermath, learning the eruption’s true distance
• 45:06-46:17 – The loss of Aviv and the impact on Jeff’s worldview
• 47:52-end – Life after disaster; embracing adventure with caution

Conclusion

This episode is a vivid, suspenseful recounting of a near-miss with disaster in the Chilean Andes, filled with honest reflections on facing fear, improvising in crises, and the ambiguity of risk. Jeff’s story is equal parts inspiring and sobering, capped by a bittersweet reminder of life’s unpredictability through Aviv’s fate. The narrative offers not just a survival tale, but a meditation on how adventure shapes our judgment, humility, and gratitude.