17
ediciones
Cambios
sin resumen de edición
The trail levels out at the top and continues southwards on the plateau (which is 1,868m high according to the route signs) on a fairly level gradient. You will eventually arrive at the obvious place for a break, the only large shady tree, a quillay (Quillaja saponaria, the soap bark tree) which the route signs say is over 100 years old. On my visit, there was a loud and ominous buzzing from the tree, as of many possibly very angry bees, so I gave that a miss and went on a bit further to the junction where the paths diverge for the summit (Cerro Provincia) and that turning west (right) down to San Carlos de Apoquindo.
It should be possible to continue southwards from Alto del Naranjo (via the summit?) and then to leave the high ground by various routes. One of these routes (with a total length of 36Km) descends to Parque Mahuida which is at the end of Av Larrain, which is the extension continuation of Irarrazaval and should have buses. The Parque Mahuida website has route diagrams.
From the three-way junction, the path towards Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo starts a rapid descent, following a rough fence on the left hand side. The path is largely loose material, sand or gravel, and it is easy to loose your footing and sit down. At a point where the descent levels out a bit, look out for where the path crosses the line of the fence which you have been following on the left, at a gap which looks a bit like an English stile. It is possible to miss this (I did, and was corrected by the shouts of two Chileans some way above me).
