*2024-Feb-08 to 2024-Feb-14 / 5.5 days / SOBO / RR 01c 01e 03 03a/ Matthias de Austria
Work Bus from Curicó to Molina at 9am, immediate connecting bus to Parque Inglés. Buy a ticket online for the national park (8500 for foreigners, 100% surcharge! If the international debit card selection doesn't work, just try the national one, my card only worked there). You can also add the authorisation for El Bolsón online, but you have to pay for it in progresscash at a ticket office in Parque Inglés. 80 people per day, everything is sold out at lunchtime. Night in Parque Ingles at Hostal Valverde 40k for one person in a 4 bed room (solo use) with own toilet and washbasin but shared shower, towel costs extra, quiet, next to river for bathing (lots of local families though).
Bus from Curicó to Molina at 9amAt 8am next day, immediate connecting bus to Parque Inglés. Buy a ticket online for the national park (8500 for foreignersWednesday, 100% surcharge! If the international debit card selection doesn't work, just try the national one, my card only worked there). You can also add the authorisation for El Bolsón online, but you have to pay for it in cash at a ticket office in Parque Inglés. 80 people per day, everything is sold out at lunchtime. At 8am there are around 50-60 people at the ticket office. I go to the closed gate at the start of the RR and quickly climb over ithoping noone saw me, as I'm not planning to stay in Bolsón anyway. Better not to mention that to the rangers. Also, only gas cookers are allowed. After about an hour, I'm just a little way off by a stream when a ranger rides past on a motorbike. I don't know if he saw me, maybe he thought I was coming back from Bolsón. So if you hear a motorbike, it's might best to change direction shortly and head towards Parque Inglés, or even better, start much earlier in the morning. I bypass Bolsón, heading south at 01A, shortly after the bridge at -35.4973,-70.9052 is a large private area, no trespassing sign. I don't want to set a bad example for the numerous day trippers and take a path northwards along the stream to the waterfall. Once out of sight of people and Bolsón, I briefly climb up the steep slope and CC to option 1. Wasser shortly before start of 01c. Next water at -35.5226,-70.8653, even with a small pool.
Parque InglesI bypass Bolsón heading south at 01A, Busshortly after the bridge at -35.4973, Conaf-70.9052 is a large private area, Hostal Valverde 40k no trespassing sign. I don't want to set a bad example for one person in the numerous day trippers around and take a 4 bed room path along the stream (solo usesouthern side) with own toilet to the waterfall. Once out of sight of people and washbasin but shared showerBolsón, towel costs extra, quiet, next I briefly climb up the steep slope and CC to river for bathing (lots option 1. Wasser shortly before start of local families though)01c. Next water at -35.5226,-70.8653, even with a small pool.
Don Victor is the large landowner in the area. His hut is the refuge Blanquillo at 45.5/1887. Hikers used to be welcome on his land, but after they left a lot of rubbish behind and invaded his hut, he no longer allows them and sends them back. However, he (sometimes?) makes exceptions for foreigners. You could ask him for permission via whatsapp, but he was so flooded with requests that he can no longer be contacted during the season. I just took a chance and went to his land. A rider soon asked me what I was doing here, I asked him if he was Don Victor, to which he replied in the affirmative. I then introduced myself, said what my destination was, where I came from and that I was aware of the problem of dirty hikers, but that I was very careful with nature. He then allowed me to continue. I met him twice more in the following days, at Blanquillo 45.5/1887 and at Water 48.1/1837, and he reminded me not to throw away any rubbish.
