18
ediciones
Cambios
→Season 2024/25
==Season 2024/25==
*''' 2025-Jan-23 to 2025-Jan-26 / 3 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, 10-C, 10-E / Janboro '''
I combined GPT 09, 10 and 11 and took 6,5 days in total.
Highlights: Stunning Araucaria forests, encounters with the Pehuenche people living there, Laguna de Liay, puma tracks and puma stories.
Challenges: No water on the plateau. The creek at S 37°54.077' W 71°18.470' has dried out already by this time of the year.
I had lots of friendly encounters with the native Pehuenche and some not so friendly ones with their dogs. I’ve made it a habit to greet people in their language (mari mari), then approach them and introduce myself in Spanish with my name and a handshake. This led to a couple of interesting, informative and friendly conversations with lots of mutual learning.
Day 1
Started in the evening in Trapa Trapa and camped at [7.1/1181], where I met Elias, the owner of this land. He told me a lot about Pehuenche history, his hard but also beautiful and tranquil life in the mountains and about other mochileros who camped on his land.
Day 2
Started late because of hip pain. Higher up the valley two people independently from each other told me that they frequently see pumas (“leones”) on the edge of the plateau, one told me he has sheep “cuando no los comen los leones”, asked me if I had a revolver to defend myself, then reassured me pumas don’t attack people unless feeling cornered or protecting their offspring. One Pehuenche asked me how I know the way. I showed him my GPS device and showed him the track. He was a bit astonished but didn’t suspect any commercial exploitation as had happened previously according to the manual.
I shared Volkers feeling of awe when I saw the group of Araucarias right before the ascent to the plateau. It’s simply beautiful. Took a long food and coffee break there and ascended to Laguna Liay. On the way up, the path is partly heavily overgrown and at times difficult to find between other paths.
Up there I found myself in a fairytale forest in the evening light. I hashed my first glimpse of Laguna Liay shortly before sunset and it was mesmerizing. When looking for the way down to the laguna I lost the path and did some heavy CC BB but after a couple of minutes decided this can’t be the right way, double checked my location using the GPS and found the correct path. Still overgrown, but recognizable and easy to walk.
Camped close to the spot indicated by Nimrod & Tamar. Pure beauty and tranquility!
Day 3
Purified and packed enough water for the day and then continued my ascent to the and way over the plateau. Shortly before the intersection X {10} [17.7/1676] I discovered my first puma tracks.
Checked the little creek at S 37°54.077' W 71°18.470': It has dried out, so the last chance to fill up water before the plateau is at Laguna de Liay (as described in the manual).
At a rock close by I took a siesta/food/coffee break. Lorenzo, a Pehuenche in his sixties, came up from the valley in his horse with three dogs, and had them drive his cattle downhill. He then turned around, rode towards me and offered to carry my backpack on his horse all the way down to Laguna del Barco. I was amazed by this generous offer, but still wanted to carry it myself, so I thanked him many times but declined. Later met him next to his house at X {10} [32.1/1296], where we took photos together and exchanged numbers.
The last part of the descent from the plateau to Laguna de Barco is pretty steep and you can easily slip in the sandy terrain.
Camped at Laguna de Barco and filled my hungry stomach with a churrasco, a huge serving of French fries, a fruit shake and a Coca Cola. The restaurant closes around 21 opens at 8 in the morning.
Day 4
Bought a sopaipillita (similar to the hungarian lángos) and two tortilla breads and took the variant 10-E to Guallalí. Bad decision because 10-E seems to be the only way to get from and to Laguna de Barco by car, so I got to eat a lot of dust. Good decision, because I got offered a ride a couple of times (politely declined) and one passing driver gifted me cookies and fruits (gratefully accepted). There’s also a house where they sell ice cream. I asked a couple of people with chicken on their yards, if they sell eggs. None had any because most hens don’t lay that time of the year due to the heat as I learned later at the Guallalí shop. In Guallalí, shortly before the police station, I got invited for a coffee, soft drink, tortilla bread with butter and a friendly and very interested conversation with the elder couple who lives there and their family from Los Ángeles. When I left, they also gifted me cookies.
Bought a can of tuna and a pack of tomato sauce at the shop in Guallalí and continued to GPT11.
'''2024-Jan-15 to 2024-Jan-20 / 2.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, OH10C+D (Laguna Liay) / Nimrod & Tamar'''
