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==Season 2024/25==
* '''2025-01-05 to 2025-01-0 / 3 days / Hiking / SOBO/ Completely new option, RR / Natalie & Tomáš'''
Day one: Lago Ranco to under ridge - 17km
Through OSM, satellite and some records on wikiloc we were convinced an approach to Puyehue from the west existed. It looked appealing as it had a better "road to hike ratio", and extended the already scenic area. And of course a reason to paddle to Lago Ranco to ressuply with better food (see separate Packraft post). Unfortunately, road walking is not shortened that much if you do not find a ride or order a taxi. The first 17 km is PR and MR. Taxis are not expensive in Chile so we arranged a pickup at our accommodation in Lago Ranco with Don Christian (whatsapp at +56 9 5703 5726). He arrived on time and drove us to -40.38520, -72.44823, where a locked gate stopped us three km from our original goal. He asked for 17mil but we paid him 20mil even though it was in the end just 15 km (the price was technically 1000 per km). We met nobody going up and are unsure about access arrangement, the huge equestrian property after the gate seemed to belong to a wealthy landowner . Perhaps you can find out how to request permission if it becomes a problem. The first roughly 7 km is a not a very nice MR, it has been recently "improved" (we met a nice herd of luxury horses though). 5 km in, a very solid gate screaming "money" is being built - it might create an obstacle in the future, but it should be possible to climb over it or go around. After 7 km, the road stops being passable by car. For hikers, it is actually a well passable but eroded and somewhat overgrown logging road made of logs, it has a feeling of a trail. The uphill was a struggle. We bought too much food, were lugging our packraft, and together with insects (tabanos and some new biting flies) and heat, we had to take many breaks. The bugs got so bad that we even built a tent for lunch. At -40.38520, -72.44823, there is an old refuge that would protect you from elements, which probably used to be the logging operation. Our first water was at -40.41466, -72.34625. The trail is being used, there were recentish cut marks and very fresh footprints. Also the place seems popular with beer drinking people as there was sadly a number of beer cans along the otherwise very pretty route. About here: -40.41708, -72.32830 you leave the old road and join a trail along the ridge, which is even prettier. There was quite a stream here: -40.43144, -72.30571 and from then on, water was plentiful. However, there are still large snowfields, so maybe it dries out towards the end of summer. Shortly after the stream we passed a four-tent group of Chileans at a perfect camping spot: -40.43223, -72.30665, who made the fresh footprints. We did not speak to them and camped at -40.43400, -72.30895, which is even more sheltered.
Day two: Under ridge to thermas- 19km
Setting off at 9:30, we followed the fain trail marked with cairnes to a pass over the ridge. The other side of the ridge was to a big extent under snow and we sometimes had to make detours to find side crossings over the many streams, so we made slow progress.The rock here is different from later so some water should last until end of the season. Tabanos were again quite annoying. Between the snow, trail was largely visible. After reaching a lowpoint slightly under 1300m, we started to climb, soon walking almost exclusively on snow. On such a hot day and with the reflection, being on snow feels like in an oven. Scenery kept being exceptionally pretty (and we have walked most of the GPT).We reached a ridge where 02A starts going down at around six. There was less snow here and we got faster. With less snow, you might want to take some water before you get over 1500m. We reached 02C around eight. Natalie was not as highly motivated by the termas, so I gave her our tent and set off for them. It took me two hours. You do not want to cut for the turnoff and in general want to keep a bit east from 02C from the beginning to keep the high ground.for the first two kilometres.Then follow the trackfiles, when going up the last ridge, you can veer left and aim through a lateral ridge for altitude 1550m, it is quite doable. You can then shortcut the way to the actual position of the thermas (see Tobias) down a miniridge thay has some trees on it. Just keep tonthe trees (therr are grass passages in between) and it is doable. Thermas are like Volcan Chillan on GPT8 - a hot stream witha pool, perfect temperature, a bliss. I arrived shortly before ten without needing to use headlamp.
Day three: Thermas to refugio - 25km
I followed 01 to the OSM mark called "geyser" which is actually just a series of big loud fumaroles. Above the thermas, there are few more smaller hotspring on the left, but not useful for anything. About one km after the thermas, there is steam on the left - fumaroles and sulphur, you will see it a few more times but still pretty. Avoided the last hill through here: -40.49220, -72.16946 but it probably does not pay the saved 40m of elevation. OSM route better than RR around the funaroles (ground around them unstable). Again walking in an oven over the snow, skirting the new lava is pretty (though do not expect many views), just keep in mind it is unstable and ideally keep some distance (5-10m), I saw a significant rockfall from it that could kill you if you were in the wrong time at the wrong place. It is slow going. There is one more fumarole enxt to the lava flow, go around from the right despite the footsteps you might see there. Was happy to see Natalie's footprints once 01 connected, knowing she was hours agead thanks to inReach. Took 04A, as others saidz aim for the top, countour lines are misleading and traversing does not make sense plus you would lose out on the views. Saw Natalie on top of the highest point, but she did not hear me. Only then realized there is a gap in the trackfiles and the mountain cannot (cliffs) be climbed from this side. Going down on 04A was indeed skiing (the snowfield is mapped as glacier, but if it is glacier, I could not see any crevasses, which might not have been the most responsible off me). Variant H is a trail. Met Natalie at refugio.
Although I was a little mad at myself for not doing the night walk to the hot springs, I was really happy with a night on the plateau and everything that followed the next day. The camp spot where we separated had snow melt. I forgot to make a way point but it is seasonal and annually dependant anyways.
The following morning I made an easy CC to the ridge on 02A. The snow was rock hard in the morning (730am, around 9 am the snow became "crunch-able"- that being a warm and sunny day). So, I don't recommend early morning walks in the up and down terrain, when there is snow- unless you have micro spikes. There was only one baby slope I had to go down but it was enough to hurt my bum as I slipped down it (I accidentally dropped my hiking poles and they sailed down like a bobsled, so trying to get down the slope on rock hard snow without poles was next to impossible). Getting up the ridge was easy thanks to the consolidated pumice. It acted like mini crampons and my large pack and 3L of water did not make me feel insecure. At the top I felt rejuvenated. Beautiful views of the snowy plateau and the volcanoes to the south. For the first time I felt like I could gallop along the ridge because the terrain was so easy. There are ups and downs but they are less in number and larger in scale, for me I MUCH prefer this. The only thing that slowed me down were the 100s of photos I took!
Along 02A, after coming off the ridge there was some surprise fumaroles and a large crater (not on RR but very close). Picture perfect with Puyehue behind it. The route takes you along a sulphur like rim around it that felt uncomfortably active, warm and hollow. So I side hilled at a safe distance and peaked over from time to time.
My future plan was to do the crater circuit but due to time and energy I wanted to try and and gain the rim closer to the North. So after the ridge I started to do my own CC which at first turned out to be continuous with 02A and the RR. I eventually left the RR around here -40.55454, -72.14794. Overall I think it would have been easier to stay on the RR for longer. I did not like the snow slope I hiked up and I did a few "back and forths" because I kept hitting snow drop offs. Just before giving up on finding water, I found my first source just before heading to the rim -40.56451, -72.12754 . It is underneath the crater like depression north of the 04A accent route. It was, shall I say, "crunchy". Lots of sand/grit.
I began my ascent to a low point on the ridge North of 04A and East of the crater like depression besides it. I did not like the final 200+ meters. I was expecting soft ground but instead got something just slightly better than "kitty-litter" (the term I use for small pebbles on slab/hard ground). Luckily when I kicked hard enough I made good steps (this is not the case with kitty-litter), sometimes the ground was soft. There was a snow slope but the snow was harder than I would have liked, I walked beside it because the wet ground was slightly easier to grip.
At the top, views were fantastic as expected but I didn't waste time and just started the loop. It was windy but not "body pushing" wind. Looking back I was glad to have bypassed 04A. The circuit posed few issues, there was some snow slopes but luckily they were soft and I was able to kick steps down or up. I would not recommend doing this without micro spikes if the snow is NOT soft. If one wants a super easy way up to the rim, or needs and emergency escape, the slopes up the NE of the crater are very easy, starting around here (40.57497, -72.10480). I had to laugh at myself from time to time. I felt a bit out of place with a lifejacket and couple of paddles sticking out of my bag...
The last push for the true summit had some snow climbing on easy/mod slopes. Once again I wouldn't recommend it if the snow was not soft as a fall without self arrest would be likely fatal. There was a beautiful camp spot (no water but snow) halfway up this last push (-40.59310, -72.11426).
Although very happy to have reached the final summit, my happiness strangely turned a little sad. As I marveled at the landscape that has become my friend over the last three years, I realized this was probably the last time I would see it at this magnitude. So much time has been spent with Tomáš investigating and executing ways up and down these mountains, it seems crazy that I may never look upon them again. So, that was a weird thought but overall it was very beautiful. I waited over an hour on top, I thought Tomáš was planning on going to this peak but when I found out he was on the other peak I made my way down to the cute camping spot at the Refugio, stopping to drink some water from a creek along the way. There is indeed still lots of water flowing in the creek under the Refugio in the evening that turn into a trickle in the morning.
Day four - Refugio to primary road - 8 km
Easy going down, surprisingly little tabanos, second water not existent, met nobody down, so paid nothing, hitched an enmpty tour bus to Entre Lagos to ressuply almost immediately.
* <span style="background-color:aqua;">'''2024-12-02 to 2025-01-03 / 2 days / Packrafting/ SOBO/ New: Lago Maihue, Rio Calcurrupe, Lago Ralco, / Natalie & Tomáš'''</span>
Day one: The lake and river, 27 km
