722
ediciones
Cambios
→Season 2023/24
About the details, read GPT19's comment.
2024-Jan-08 to 11 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / Argentina, completely new options, San Martín de los Andes to Villa Lago Meliquina / Natalie & Tomáš
[Note 2024 November: This is not in the GPT yet at all, but it is in our suggestions in the 2024 Track files. This is a part of an alternative Argentinian route connecting GPT16 all the way to GPT21. In our opinion, for hikers it is probably better as it involes a lot less roadwalking and is very scenic (and the roadwalking there is is mostly easily hitchable). It might be slightly mode difficult than the RR. This is especially useful when coming from the Villarica traverse. What follows is roughly what corrresponds to second half of GPT18, previous log is in GPT16. Look also at Hannes von S report who followed us:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/posts/1763867210785824/.
Our pictures: https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/posts/1757128991459646/.]
The majority of this route is easy CC but when on the ridge, travel is easy. The main crux is getting off the top of Chapelco through a western gully but there is a safer and longer option if you backtrack to the valley below. The pros are the beautiful views on the ridge, interesting rock features, condors, no people, no roads (or only a short carless MR in the middle] and ending in Villa de Lago Meliquina. Water and sun exposure and/or snow may or may not be an issue depending on the time of year. It may be challenging to some but hopefully a "fun" type of challenge.
Difficulties
The ridge CC is easy, there are a little more obstacles between Laguna Kika and Chapelco, in which you will need to use your hands but virtually no obstacles on the second half of the ridge towards Meliquina.
- The scramble "off" of Chapelco can be dangerous, especially with a big pack. There are [Tomáš: that is some Canadian versioning:-D] X2 class three sections/ high class three (Tomáš: SAC T5 or so), one solid and steep and the second is less steep but more loose. There is also a possibly slippery and exposed grass traverse if wet. Not advisable if the weather is bad. The next best option if you do not scramble, is to leave your bag at the beginning of the normal Chapelco climb, climb it, and head down into the valley that the regular Chapelco climb starts in. In this valley there should be another MR leading to the disused road the scramble takes you to. [Or one can go under the cliffs, look into aur track files.]
- Obstacle #2, gaining the ridge above the puesto. Slow, steep, sun exposed and tricky navigation. Expect it to take half of the day. [But it is pretty!]
- Water/wind and possibly heat could be uncomfortable. We traveled at a time when snow was not an issue for walking but there was still enough of it to supply a lot of drinking water, I do not know what this would be like when dry [Hannes managed it].
1) San Martin to northern-most trailhead and to Laguna Kika.
Although there are many different trailheads for Laguna Kika and Cerro Chapelco, we chose the northern-most access [here: 40.1381147S, 71.2258936W] in order to enjoy the ridge traverse.
In the San Martin bus terminal, the local buses are blue and you will either need a SUBE card or ask someone to pay for you and pay them back. (SUBE card is availalbe at the terminal) Ask someone for the bus to Cordones del Chapelco, near the golf course. We got off near the end of town where a quarry or something similar is, it was easy then to go straight up the streets towards the trailhead. There are some pedestrian short cuts here and there and an outside water faucet on the main supermarket (closed at the time), you could also ask locals for water or come with water.
It seems there may be a right of way issue at the trailhead bcs a home owner seemed to purposely point us in the wrong direction. However, this is a used trail, so it should not be a big deal, there are faint yellow-and-white markings. Nevertheless, use the GPS to help you at the start as there are many animal paths and the trail to the ridge is not always visible. [The routes are mostly in OSM now]. Many spiky plants so shorts will hurt a bit. The ridge can be very windy but navigation is straightforward. To get to Laguna Kika, you have to drop down to the southern side of it, there should be cairns. We had a lot of snow melt flowing into the lake we could drink from. Camp that night was very cold and windy. We build a wind-wall that helped a bit.
2) Laguna Kika and the Cerro Chapelco traverse and beyond.
It is a simple navigation from Laguna Kika to the start of trail up Cerro Chapelco, there are only a few simple rocky features closer to Chapelco that you will have to use your hands for. Nothing really exposed there. The ridge is CC, but once you start the final climb, there is a trail of sorts. Bring your water from the lake or keep an eye out on your left-hand side for snowmelt, you will have to climb down and off the ridge to get it. Otherwise there should be snowmelt on the other side of Chapelco, below the summit tower and before the scramble, there were "streams" of snowmelt when we where there.
For the standard Cerro Chapelco climb, it is cairned and fairly obvious where the trail is. You do not stay on the ridge the whole time, there is a traverse on the east side for a bit. From the summit, walk further south away from the old monitoring tower (actually not sure what it is) and look for a way off (west face) that works for you. The descent from there until the scramble is technically easy but slow because you are walking on loose rubble. Lots of water. You can enjoy the view of some of the steep drop offs to your left. Eventually you must get access to the narrow scramble gully -40.22660, -71.26430, when you are descending there is a short cliff right above it so you will have to stay left of the cliff and then traverse right to the scramble gully. There is a cairn. The beginning of the gully is steep but okay, it is near the end that you will have to scramble facing the wall. The holds are very good and it is not vertical - feels like a laddera bit. If you have a long rope for your backpacks, this would be a good time to use it. Do not follow the gully all the way down, after the steep but solid section, there will be a grass patch on your right (looking down) that you can traverse. It is also steep and slippery so not ideal in bad weather. Eventually after the grass traverse you have to work your way down to the base, this is where the second more loose scramble is, it is only one or two moves (and much less exposed). Once on the mountain base and off the scramble, traverse above the shrubbery to a lowlying ridge on your left. Once safely on the ridge the way is easy, there is a trail, follow the ridge and descend a bit on your right to the disused road. There is an easy-to-climb gate. There is good camping at the bottom of the disused road near a puesto that may or may not be active. At the time there were streams running down the road so you can take that water or drink the water from the river below. We camped further down the road near a jumpable ford to be a little closer to the ridge ascent the next day.
3) Disused road to simple hunting cabin and ridge (+Optional peak).
Follow the disused road until here -40.26425, -71.29475. The last stream before turning into the simple hunting cabin is here,-40.26359, -71.29430. After that there is no water until quite high (once again, not sure what water is like in late season).
From the cabin, surprisingly there is a trail up and through the thick shrubbery to your left November 2024 now also in OSM], it goes along and above the steep stream bed. If you cannot find the trail through the shrubbery you are in for a near impossible bushbash. Climbing along the tiny trail, it is not always visible, there is a rock outcrop -40.27048, -71.29008 that you need to stay left of in the middle of all the bamboo and bush. In the back of this rock outcrop there is a narrow passage through the shrubs, no need to scramble unless you want to (like Tomáš). After the rock outcrop there is some steep sidehilling with minor bamboo-bashing followed by a steep landside assent. Luckily after the steep landslide the terrain gets easier. After the landslide, you climb up and traverse left and then right around a ledge systém to get to the otherside of the "corner" -40.27260, -71.28829. Then it is another ascent on rubble followed by a rubble traverse until you get to the point you need to go straight up (on steep easy grass -40.27384, -71.28521). This steep grass ascent is not obvious, you have to keep traversing past gully systems until you get to it. Then you can follow the ridge for a while and get to the first water spot -40.27309, -71.28296. After the water spot you have to go around a small leftward corner where the water comes from and then up again to the ridge. Finally this ridge is the one you can keep walking on (mostly) until heading to the final push for the "main" ridge! Mostly rubble. [November 2024: if it sounds complicated, following our tracks in the suggestinos shoulw make it easier, what is important takeway that this is a walkup, if steep, no climb.] On the main ridge there is a quick and easy walk on stones and dirt to the summit that lies next to Chapelco -40.26451, -71.25841. From Chapelco it looks unwalkable (but it is!). Worth the trip, many condors there that like to fly really close to you.
4) Final Ridge Traverse to the descent to Laguna Meliquina.
The rest of the ridge is truly fast without any surprises. Although getting to the ridge takes half of the day, we were still able to climb that mountain and get to a good camping spot here -40.32033, -71.25775 in one day. Views at sunset were excellent. Our camp spot had a good water source but was not completely wind protected, one can explore the area for a better spot if need be. This is the last water source until Meliquina.
After the camping spot, the ridge peters out and you have to make your own way down to Meliquina, which was not as straight forward as we expected (but still good!). If you keep your eyes out, there were hundreds of small crystal-like nuggets on the ground, very neat!
Navigation is not slowed until you get to around here -40.34952, -71.24666. Here you have to climb on and off the rocks and into the bush at times. GPS is handy here unless you want to make your own way. There is one last and very minor hill climb up a nursery pine slope which makes for easy walking (just hot). but unfortunately the other side is not pine, it is bamboo. Use the gps for the bamboo or try and stick to the left. Closer to the bottom there is a very faint footpath. There will be a section where the bamboo is gone but the trees are so dense and dead that you have to go far left to get around them. There will be one fence you have to jump over near the end before getting to the very dusty MR for Meliquina. Jump it early and walk up along it and or try to jump it higher up where the road should be. Before the dusty road actually starts, there is a nice view of Meliquina, makes for a nice rest unless you are dying to get to Meliquina.
5) In Meliquina
Meliquina is interesting, it is a small but popular place for locals, very "tranquilo". There is no cell phone reception but there is good wifi at the tourist info board here -40.38378, -71.25086. If planning to stay, you need to organize your stay here by using Whatsapp and/or the QR codes given for cabanas and hospedajes, the QR codes do not always work, it is very simple in the end, but needs some patience. We got lucky and stayed in a two-story Cabana for 40mil for the two of us (no linens, you can ask for a deal if you do not need linens) because it was late in the day. However I heard very good things about the "bike hostel". Food is surprisingly good, we ate the meal of the day at Lago Refugio Meliquina (beginning of the strip) which was tasty and bought expensive yet delicious hiking treats and Nat enjoyed their whole-wheat bread loafs. For resupply we enjoyed the shop and the shopkeeper at La proveedora de Daniela. She had a strict but funny attitude, made amazing pickled eggplants and even gave Tomáš herbs out of her own hand that she was not planning to sell. If you want fancy chocolate and cheese, this is the place to go: el panal de Meliquina is across the street. Many other small shoes scattered around, you are in Argentina so the food is usually always good 🙂.
For transportation I am sure it is easy to hitch back to San Martin if need be but I recommend hitching to Lago Filo Hua Hum to continue our Traverse to Lago Traful:) [see our log for GPT19].
* '''2024-01-06 / 1,5 days / Hiking / SOBO / new optio + option 2 + Option 1/ Jens '''
