47 768
ediciones
Cambios
sin resumen de edición
{{Rutas Patrimoniales english}}
{{Trekking Chile}}
==Access==
===By car===
From Cochrane or Coyhaique Villa O`Higgins can only be reached by
the Carretera Austral (Chile). Puerto Yungay is at Km.466, where a ferry
must be taken to cross the Mitchell Fjord, and reach Rio Bravo, from this point
there are approximately 100 kms. to go.
-From Argentina, via Route 40, a road is presently under construction to
Villa O`Higgins from RNN 40 Argentina (through Baker Pass), and its opening
is programmed for 2003. There are alternative routes through different frontier
passes which connect to the Carretera Austral; Coyhaique Alto, Los Antiguos
or Paso Roballos (Baker Pass).
===By air===
There are no direct flights to Villa O`Higgins. Connecting national flights
can be taken regularly from Balmaceda (Coyhaique) and local flights or
charters to Villa O`Higgins (from Cochrane or Balmaceda).
==Description of the route==
===PARQUE CERRO SANTIAGO - CHACRAS ROAD CROSSING===
From the civic plaza of Villa OHiggins
walk 100 meters east in the direction
of Santiago hill, until reaching Cerro
Santiago Park, pass by the CONAF
ranger station and reach the SNUPIE 1
trail-marker, in an environment of old
Ñires trees (Nothofagus Antarctica) and
an extensive wild meadow crossed from
south to north by the Santiago stream.
At the location there are picnic tables, a
playground, as well as places to rest.
The trail begins with a wooden
walkway, take a course of 120° and
begin to climb the slope of the hill
following a zigzag route between forests
of Coigüe and Lengas. Other bushes
cover the open spaces, among them a
colorful plum tree with tubular flowers
of a fire red color. The trail has several
walkways and carefully built stairs
which after 200 meters reach Cerro
Santiago lookout, SNUPIE 2. This
structure is the true starting point of the
trail and offers a beautiful panoramic
view of Villa OHiggins, lakes, and
mountains to the west.
From the lookout, follow the sign
that indicates a course of 130°, in this
section you will find some signs
identifying the main species of the
zone: Coigüe, Lenga, Canelo, Calafate,
Chaura, Parilla, Chilco. The oldest
trees more are centuries old and exceed
a height of 40 meters. Of the bushes
common to the area, the Calafate is
the best known and is attributed almost
symbolic properties. It is actually a
thorny bush of the genera Beriberi
present in various species (Beriberi
buxipholia is the true Calafate). Its
flowers are yellow and the berries,
rich in seeds, are of dark blue color:
is said that anyone who eats them
will become enchanted with
Patagonia and will not be able to
avoid returning.
After a slight climb after 350
meters you will cross the Santiago
stream, SNUPIE 3, which feeds the
network of drinking water for the
town, please take especial care not
to contaminate this area. A few meters
later, go up a slope on a course of
90°, until a bog is reached that forces
an 180° change of direction, next
enter an dense forest of reforested
Coigües that after a slight slope
passes through some clearings from
which one can make out the summits
of Cerro Solo, Cerro Chela, to the
southwest, and in the background,
the peninsula of taitao.
At Km. 1,3 the trail forks with
the trail to SNUPIE 4: at a 180°
course with the main path. It leaves
the forest until reaching terrace of
wooden fence wall ground, locally
as the Chacra of the Carabineros,
with gigantic charred trunks that are
evidence of a past forest fire.
A settler of the Villa, Albano
Ribera, tells the story that: it was
the same year as the conflict of Desert
Lake (referring to the death of Police
Lieutenant Hernán Merino, in 1965)
my father Pedro Ribera left in the
morning to round up some animals
and found that a great tree had fallen
on the trail, he set fire to some
branches to burn it. Unfortunately in
the afternoon a tremendous wind
blew up and the fire spread and
burned everything you see. The fire
lasted several days, but a large
downpour put out it out. At higher
altitude it did not burn because of
snow cover.
The trail continues along the
foot of the slope diverging from a
route that goes up the hill and reaches
the Valley Lookout. Advancing
further, a wooden is bridge is crossed,
then follow the signs until the
following fork SNUPIE 5.
===CHACRAS ROAD CROSSING - START OF FOREST===
After crossing the trail from the
Chacras access road, the line of the
trail ascends the slope over a very well
marked trail, with a relatively fine,
firm soil. The environment continues
to be dominated by fallen and burned
tree trunks, and the view becomes
grand with vistas of the Mosco and
Mayer river valleys, lakes and
mountains.
The trail traces a curve that follows
a strong climb, to the east the Mosco
Glacier can be seen. After 500 meters
you find the lookout of the valley
SNUPIE 6, which is ideal for a rest and
for viewing the horizon and pinpointing
the principal natural landmarks.
To the SW one gets panoramic
views of the entire trail, dominated by
the confluences of the Mosco and Mayer
rivers and the outpouring of the river
into lake O Higgins/San Martin at the
feet of Cerro Solo (1,730 m.) and Cerro
Chela (1,607 m.), in addition to a
segment on the Argentinean side. To
the west lies Lake Ciervo (Deer Lake),
the Mayer river with its hanging bridge,
and the Carretera Austral which leaves
Villa O Higgins for Bahamondez Bay,
the main port on lake O Higgins and
lastly you will see some mountains of
the Great Snowy Range whose slopes
border the highway. In the distance over
the mountains of the Great Snowy
Range (Gran Cordon Nevado), are the
glaciated summits of Cerro Steffen,
altitude 3,067 meters, which is the
principal mountain of the northern
border of the Southern Ice Field, which
can be accessed from the west arm of
Lake O Higgins.
To the south, Cerro Submarino
(Submarine Hill) dominates the whole
Mosco river valley and Patagonia in
the distance. Its slope shows evidence
of past forest fires and some streams.
The view to the north is covered
by the Cerro Santiago. The trail
continues to the east, with the view of
the Mosco Glaciers and the summit of
Cerro White Huemul, 2 232 m above
2,232 m.
sea level. Upon leaving the lookout
one must take precaution with the
trail, follow the white/orange markers
that indicate the correct route and
avoid a well trodden track that goes
up the slope to the left.
In this section of the trail, next
to charred tree trunks some renewed
forest and rock outcroppings begin
to appear, but these are not obstacles
for the route. There are several water
courses crossed by walkways until
reaching a large degraded hillslope
SNUPIE 7 which is an example of
erosion in this zone.
The trail follows a narrow
passage in the rock, then the route
continues with some slight gradients.
When it rains the trail can become
rather muddy, which could prohibit
further advance. The vegetation is
dominated by various renewed forest
of Lenga and Coigue that grow
among charred tree trunks. There are
numerous bushes such as the Notro
(Embothrium coccineum), which has
brilliant and fleshy leaves with tubular
flowers of fire red color, that generally
grows in isolation because it needs a
great deal of light. Calafate, Mutila
(Empetrum rubrum) and Chaura
(Pernettya pumila, P. mucronata) can
also be found.
After this trail, the route enters
a forest that has been marked
SNUPIE 8. This point has a junction
with an alternative path upper layout
which began in the first section
SNUPIE 4, before leaving the
wooden fence wall terrace (Chacra
of the Carabineros).
===START OF FOREST - PATAGONES CAMP SITE===
Entrance into the forest coincides with
slight gradients up the slope of the
mountain. The first 500 meters are
practically flat and when the trail
encounters boggy areas, tree trunks
and planks are provided to help the
crossing.
The forest is mainly made up of
Coigüe and Lenga trees that are mostly
reforestation and are of middle age.
The vestiges of the great fire of the
Mosco begin to disappear. The
crystalline waters which the trail
crosses are good for human
consumption.
After 15 minutes GUIDEPOST 9
is reached, a walkway that passes over
a deep ravine that should be crossed
carefully, especially if the tree trunks
are wet. The trail continues through a
dense forest of reforested Coigüe and
Canelo. Upon reaching a another deep
ravine the track descends to the left as
marked until a gorge called the Stone
Pass (Paso de las Piedras)
GUIDEPOST 10, that crosses the
stream. On warm days and during
spring thaw the stream can become
swollen, but that does not impede
further advance on the trail.
After this gorge the forest is
dominated by large trees with a lot of
space between them, which permits
the development of you reforestation
and bushes. The trees are covered with
mosses and lichen. The Sphagnum
type mosses practically form carpets
in the most exuberant sectors.
Canelo Pass, (Paso de los
Canelos) GUIDEPOST 11 can be
recognized by the dominance of these
species at the bottom of the ravine.
Advancing, you find a beautiful
panoramic view of the Mosco Glacier,
that on clear days contrasts strongly
with the green of the forest and blue
skies. A rest in this place is
recommended, before descending
to The Ravine of the Rapids
(Quebrada de las Cascaditas)
GUIDEPOST 12.
From this point large Coigües
dominate the terrain and in this
habitat the Patagonian Black
Carpenter is frequently found. With
black plumage and some white
feathers, the male of this species
has a beautiful head of bright red,
and marks its territory with strong
pecking on a hollow tree trunk. In
the summer season they are silent
and cautious, hidden in order to
protect their young. To attract them
strike a tree with a stone at an
appropriate rhythm.
The trail passes through a
sector of reforested Lenga trees,
GUIDEPOST 13 that grow under a
canopy of adult Coigües, these trees
are found outside of the typical
altitude level of the species, they
owe their existence to the formation
of cold microclimates.
Under the ancient Coigües
various bushes such as Calafate and
Chaura grow. In sunny places the
Notro or Ciruelillo can be found,
while the leafy Magellanic Fuchsias
(Chilco) indicates that we are once
again in a more humid zone.
Next you will find a deep ravine,
which is crossed by a tree trunk and
a rustic stairs with a hand railing
GUIDEPOST 14, be careful when
descending as it is a steep grade.
Finally, "Camp Patagones" is
reached, a flat space in the forest
that is appropriate for camping.
This point, GUIDEPOST 15 marks
===PATAGONES CAMP SITE- PUESTO RIVERA SHELTER===
From "Camp Patagones" continue
through the forest to the east, the trail
crosses some bogs and below, among
the foliage, one can just see the Mosco
river. The trail begins a zigzag descent
to GUIDEPOST 16 via a dirt track that
in some places passes over boggy areas.
GUIDEPOST 17 marks the end of
the steep grade.
Advancing through a Nothofagus
forest there is a species of knots that
encloses branches or tree trunks,
known as "pecotras" : these are a
defense response of the tree, that uses
them to generate a hyper production
of hormones (hyperplasia) when faced
with the irritation produced by the
presence of a mushroom parasite
Cyttaria Darwin, That infects the tree
via any injuries and cuts. The
reproductive parts of the mushroom,
little balls called Digüeñes can only
be eaten when are young, that is to
say, when they are still white or yellow.
Near the bottom of the valley
the trail crosses a ravine with evidence
of a major washout GUIDEPOST 18
and meters further on is a hill where
a rest area has been put in place.
GUIDEPOST 19 is a rocky narrows
of the Mosco river, that in addition to
being a good point to appreciate the
environment allows descent to the
riverbank.
The trail continues crossing small
of water courses and bogs. 15 minutes
later the bank of the river is reached
in an area dominated by a stone
outcropping GUIDEPOST 20, from
here the Mosco Glacier can be easily
observed.
For the next 400 meters the trail
follows the river, crossing two
washouts of the bank, here you walk
between the forest and the river.
Huemul tracks (Chilean Deer)
are frequently found in this section,
its footprints remain marked in the
humid sand and with a bit of luck it
is possible to catch a glimpse of one
of them. Other evidence of the
presence of Huemuls are Lenga trees
with chewed and/or damaged bark
due to the cleaning and scratching of
horns, or possibly manures, hair, or
sleeping caves.
The Huemul goes down to the
river to drink, but then returns to high
areas of the mountain where it grazes
tranquilly. Its favorite foods are:
Coirón, Calafate, Chaura, Mutilla and
young Lenga trees. At present the
Huemul is in danger of extinction.
At GUIDEPOST 21 the trail once
again enters the interior of the forest
(or coming upon the edge of the river
if you are on the return). The trail
covers a slight grade that climbs to
terrace where an extensive stems of
adult Lenga trees is found, they have
been broken and splintered by the
passing seasons. Some meters further
on GUIDEPOST 22 is reached, the
Rivera Post refuge, named thusly in
honor to Don Pedro Rivera Velásquez,
the first settler of Villa OHiggins, in
approximately 1930. The refuge is
built of Coigüe wood and Lenga tiles
constructed on site of dead trees, it
has capacity for 8 persons comfortably
and has a steel drum adapted for a
stove.
Next to the refuge you will find
a reconstruction of the original shelter
of Pedro Rivera, a "Patagon Shack"
precariously built with split logs, that
served as protection from the
inclement weather of the zone, while
the residents took care of their cattle.
Around the refuge there are
several small hikes discovering the
forest. There is ample water nearby.
===Puesto Rivera Shelter - Rocky hill 1° Narrows===
This section is characterized by the
dynamics of the water courses that
converge after descending the
mountains. The area is called The
Desplaye.
Coming out of the Rivera Post
Refuge, continue through the forest
via the edge of the terrace, from which
the Mosco river predominates. The
confluence of the Mosco with the
Sangra (Bleeding) river is recognizable,
GUIDEPOST 23, that descends to the
south. The purple color of its waters
gives it its name and is due to the erosion
of water on slopes with volcanic and
intensely rusted soils.
After this landmark the trail enters
deeper into the forest, one must avoid
the temptation of following certain paths
that descend to the river. The
white/orange trail markers lead to another
landmark in the section, a trail passing
over a mallín, ( an area over-saturated
with water, and associated with abundant
vegetation of mosses and Peat) via a
structure of fallen trunks some 100 meters
long, constructed for the purpose of
avoiding trampling and deteriorating this
fragile wetland GUIDEPOST 24.
Next a small stream is crossed and
is you descend to The Desplaye,
GUIDEPOST 25, an interesting area
where various water courses converge.
At the edge of the Mosco river an
extensive view towards the glacier opens
up.
On the border of the river a fan-
shaped landslide can be recognized, made
up of trunks and gravels that correspond
to an avalanche of a ravine, next to this
fan is the confluence of the Mosco and
Turbio (Murky) rivers, GUIDEPOST 26,
that descends from Southeast. Just
upstream from this confluence is a
wooden fence wall of tree trunks is found
fallen that coincides with a walkway of
trunks that crosses the Mosco and leads
to White Huemul hill. Here the forest
the hiker passes through is surprisingly
damaged by storms, GUIDEPOST 27.
Advance via the wooden fence wall
without crossing the river until reaching
another confluence with the Mosco, this
time with the Claro (Clear) river, that
descends from the north. Walk about a
hundred meters up the bank of the Claro
river before crossing. The river is crossed
by a walkway marked GUIDEPOST 28.
On the western side is a rocky striation,
walk at a 45° course i straight line
following two stone trail markers until
reaching the pass of the first rock narrows
GUIDEPOST 29.
This is a good place to see the effects
of ice in relief, scarred and striated rocks
are observed that give a sense of the
general water flow of the ice in the valley
which went from east to west. To the
north you can observe the ancient moraine,
now colonized by vegetation. In this
sector, recent studies of dendocronology
(tree ring dating) have established that
the oldest trees date from 1772.
===Rocky hill 1° Narrows - Lookout Mosco Glacier===
From the Desplaye up, the valley of the
Mosco tightens and the torrentuous waters
run over a steep bed. The native forest
of the slopes is replaced by steep rock
walls, moraine deposits and colluvium.
Climb along the rocky edge marked
by a Stone trail-marker, GUIDEPOST
29, to pass the first Narrows of the upper
course of the Mosco river. The height
of the pass is enough to get an attractive
panoramic view to the West, with the
Desplaye of the Mosco, the mountain
ranges of the valley, Cerro Solo and in
the background Cerro Steffen of the
Southern Ice Field. Changing your view
towards the east, you find the upper course
of the Mosco with steep walls and moraine
deposits.
Upon beginning the descent, one
must take a great deal of caution in
crossing over a complicated landslide
some 35 meters long, which, despite being
marked with successive white/orange trail-
markers is easy to lose. The foot of this
pass is marked as GUIDEPOST 30 and
from this point advances to the bottom of
the valley, by the north edge of the river.
The river creates a major obstacle due to
a corner that reaches a rock wall and
forces crossing the river in order to bypass
it.
Higher we find moraine deposits
buried by landslides from the steep
mountain walls.
We arrive at the second narrows of
the upper course of the river marked
GUIDEPOST 31, which is crossed by an
outcropping of stones. This place was the
terminal point of the glacier according to
a study carried out in 1945. Instability is
evident in the following meters. A great
landslide complicates further advance until
The Remanso(The Haven), an area of
transition and calm from the torrent. This
section seems impassable, but by
advancing with care between the rocks of
the landslide it is possible to continue.
Crawl on hands and knees if necessary.
Only cross the river if the rocks available
are dry and safe. Do not risk walking on
wet rocks because they are slippery and
can provoke a fall.
After this effort, you will arrive at
the Remanso, where the third narrows,
GUIDEPOST 32, must be passed by a
trail marked on a rock wall on the north
side of the river. Climb with slow pace
and if necessary use your hands for
support. Above at GUIDEPOST 33 is a
panoramic view of the trail and of the
following meters, which brings you to a
beautiful waterfall GUIDEPOST 34 of
25 meters high whose origin is melting
ice. The cliff of the waterfall is the last
obstacle before arriving at the glacier
must be reached by following the signs
located on the north side. Here, the use
of the hands is required one last time in
a simple crawl. Again, please be careful
with humid or wet rocks, because they
are slippery.
Once we reach above we arrive at
an environment where ice is the main
protagonist and gives faithful testimony
of the glacier receding in recent years.
In fact, in 1995 the ice reached up to
Laguna Fria (Cold Lagoon)
GUIDEPOST 35 which was a great deal
smaller.
From the lagoon, follow for the
right edge until reaching a rocky
promontory called Glacier Lookout (678
m.) and marked as GUIDEPOST 36, the
end of the trail.
The glacier is formed by two major
accumulation zones that descend in two
tongues that form a great central moraine
deposit; in the front there are small
lagoons whose presence is explained by
the continuing recession of the mass of
ice, and a slope breack stream under the
moraine, causing the waterfall.
The mountain peaks here do not
have names but we have assigned a
topology to facilitate their recognition.
*Cerro Mirador: (Lookout Peak)
altitude 1,788 m. above sea level. This
name has been assigned due to its
dominant position on the two main
tongues of the glacier.
*Cerro Catalina: Altitude of 1,894 m.
above sea level. Beautiful hill of white
glaciated slopes.
*Cerro White Huemul: Altitude of
2,230 m. above sea level. Highest peak
in the Mosco valley.
*Escarpado Chain: we have assigned
this name to the chain of hills that make
up the interfluvial between the Mosco
and Claro rivers. It contains peaks with
elevations between 1,670 and 1,606 m.
above sea level.
It is possible to continue trekking on the
{{Trekking Chile}}
==Access==
===By car===
From Cochrane or Coyhaique Villa O`Higgins can only be reached by
the Carretera Austral (Chile). Puerto Yungay is at Km.466, where a ferry
must be taken to cross the Mitchell Fjord, and reach Rio Bravo, from this point
there are approximately 100 kms. to go.
-From Argentina, via Route 40, a road is presently under construction to
Villa O`Higgins from RNN 40 Argentina (through Baker Pass), and its opening
is programmed for 2003. There are alternative routes through different frontier
passes which connect to the Carretera Austral; Coyhaique Alto, Los Antiguos
or Paso Roballos (Baker Pass).
===By air===
There are no direct flights to Villa O`Higgins. Connecting national flights
can be taken regularly from Balmaceda (Coyhaique) and local flights or
charters to Villa O`Higgins (from Cochrane or Balmaceda).
==Description of the route==
===PARQUE CERRO SANTIAGO - CHACRAS ROAD CROSSING===
From the civic plaza of Villa OHiggins
walk 100 meters east in the direction
of Santiago hill, until reaching Cerro
Santiago Park, pass by the CONAF
ranger station and reach the SNUPIE 1
trail-marker, in an environment of old
Ñires trees (Nothofagus Antarctica) and
an extensive wild meadow crossed from
south to north by the Santiago stream.
At the location there are picnic tables, a
playground, as well as places to rest.
The trail begins with a wooden
walkway, take a course of 120° and
begin to climb the slope of the hill
following a zigzag route between forests
of Coigüe and Lengas. Other bushes
cover the open spaces, among them a
colorful plum tree with tubular flowers
of a fire red color. The trail has several
walkways and carefully built stairs
which after 200 meters reach Cerro
Santiago lookout, SNUPIE 2. This
structure is the true starting point of the
trail and offers a beautiful panoramic
view of Villa OHiggins, lakes, and
mountains to the west.
From the lookout, follow the sign
that indicates a course of 130°, in this
section you will find some signs
identifying the main species of the
zone: Coigüe, Lenga, Canelo, Calafate,
Chaura, Parilla, Chilco. The oldest
trees more are centuries old and exceed
a height of 40 meters. Of the bushes
common to the area, the Calafate is
the best known and is attributed almost
symbolic properties. It is actually a
thorny bush of the genera Beriberi
present in various species (Beriberi
buxipholia is the true Calafate). Its
flowers are yellow and the berries,
rich in seeds, are of dark blue color:
is said that anyone who eats them
will become enchanted with
Patagonia and will not be able to
avoid returning.
After a slight climb after 350
meters you will cross the Santiago
stream, SNUPIE 3, which feeds the
network of drinking water for the
town, please take especial care not
to contaminate this area. A few meters
later, go up a slope on a course of
90°, until a bog is reached that forces
an 180° change of direction, next
enter an dense forest of reforested
Coigües that after a slight slope
passes through some clearings from
which one can make out the summits
of Cerro Solo, Cerro Chela, to the
southwest, and in the background,
the peninsula of taitao.
At Km. 1,3 the trail forks with
the trail to SNUPIE 4: at a 180°
course with the main path. It leaves
the forest until reaching terrace of
wooden fence wall ground, locally
as the Chacra of the Carabineros,
with gigantic charred trunks that are
evidence of a past forest fire.
A settler of the Villa, Albano
Ribera, tells the story that: it was
the same year as the conflict of Desert
Lake (referring to the death of Police
Lieutenant Hernán Merino, in 1965)
my father Pedro Ribera left in the
morning to round up some animals
and found that a great tree had fallen
on the trail, he set fire to some
branches to burn it. Unfortunately in
the afternoon a tremendous wind
blew up and the fire spread and
burned everything you see. The fire
lasted several days, but a large
downpour put out it out. At higher
altitude it did not burn because of
snow cover.
The trail continues along the
foot of the slope diverging from a
route that goes up the hill and reaches
the Valley Lookout. Advancing
further, a wooden is bridge is crossed,
then follow the signs until the
following fork SNUPIE 5.
===CHACRAS ROAD CROSSING - START OF FOREST===
After crossing the trail from the
Chacras access road, the line of the
trail ascends the slope over a very well
marked trail, with a relatively fine,
firm soil. The environment continues
to be dominated by fallen and burned
tree trunks, and the view becomes
grand with vistas of the Mosco and
Mayer river valleys, lakes and
mountains.
The trail traces a curve that follows
a strong climb, to the east the Mosco
Glacier can be seen. After 500 meters
you find the lookout of the valley
SNUPIE 6, which is ideal for a rest and
for viewing the horizon and pinpointing
the principal natural landmarks.
To the SW one gets panoramic
views of the entire trail, dominated by
the confluences of the Mosco and Mayer
rivers and the outpouring of the river
into lake O Higgins/San Martin at the
feet of Cerro Solo (1,730 m.) and Cerro
Chela (1,607 m.), in addition to a
segment on the Argentinean side. To
the west lies Lake Ciervo (Deer Lake),
the Mayer river with its hanging bridge,
and the Carretera Austral which leaves
Villa O Higgins for Bahamondez Bay,
the main port on lake O Higgins and
lastly you will see some mountains of
the Great Snowy Range whose slopes
border the highway. In the distance over
the mountains of the Great Snowy
Range (Gran Cordon Nevado), are the
glaciated summits of Cerro Steffen,
altitude 3,067 meters, which is the
principal mountain of the northern
border of the Southern Ice Field, which
can be accessed from the west arm of
Lake O Higgins.
To the south, Cerro Submarino
(Submarine Hill) dominates the whole
Mosco river valley and Patagonia in
the distance. Its slope shows evidence
of past forest fires and some streams.
The view to the north is covered
by the Cerro Santiago. The trail
continues to the east, with the view of
the Mosco Glaciers and the summit of
Cerro White Huemul, 2 232 m above
2,232 m.
sea level. Upon leaving the lookout
one must take precaution with the
trail, follow the white/orange markers
that indicate the correct route and
avoid a well trodden track that goes
up the slope to the left.
In this section of the trail, next
to charred tree trunks some renewed
forest and rock outcroppings begin
to appear, but these are not obstacles
for the route. There are several water
courses crossed by walkways until
reaching a large degraded hillslope
SNUPIE 7 which is an example of
erosion in this zone.
The trail follows a narrow
passage in the rock, then the route
continues with some slight gradients.
When it rains the trail can become
rather muddy, which could prohibit
further advance. The vegetation is
dominated by various renewed forest
of Lenga and Coigue that grow
among charred tree trunks. There are
numerous bushes such as the Notro
(Embothrium coccineum), which has
brilliant and fleshy leaves with tubular
flowers of fire red color, that generally
grows in isolation because it needs a
great deal of light. Calafate, Mutila
(Empetrum rubrum) and Chaura
(Pernettya pumila, P. mucronata) can
also be found.
After this trail, the route enters
a forest that has been marked
SNUPIE 8. This point has a junction
with an alternative path upper layout
which began in the first section
SNUPIE 4, before leaving the
wooden fence wall terrace (Chacra
of the Carabineros).
===START OF FOREST - PATAGONES CAMP SITE===
Entrance into the forest coincides with
slight gradients up the slope of the
mountain. The first 500 meters are
practically flat and when the trail
encounters boggy areas, tree trunks
and planks are provided to help the
crossing.
The forest is mainly made up of
Coigüe and Lenga trees that are mostly
reforestation and are of middle age.
The vestiges of the great fire of the
Mosco begin to disappear. The
crystalline waters which the trail
crosses are good for human
consumption.
After 15 minutes GUIDEPOST 9
is reached, a walkway that passes over
a deep ravine that should be crossed
carefully, especially if the tree trunks
are wet. The trail continues through a
dense forest of reforested Coigüe and
Canelo. Upon reaching a another deep
ravine the track descends to the left as
marked until a gorge called the Stone
Pass (Paso de las Piedras)
GUIDEPOST 10, that crosses the
stream. On warm days and during
spring thaw the stream can become
swollen, but that does not impede
further advance on the trail.
After this gorge the forest is
dominated by large trees with a lot of
space between them, which permits
the development of you reforestation
and bushes. The trees are covered with
mosses and lichen. The Sphagnum
type mosses practically form carpets
in the most exuberant sectors.
Canelo Pass, (Paso de los
Canelos) GUIDEPOST 11 can be
recognized by the dominance of these
species at the bottom of the ravine.
Advancing, you find a beautiful
panoramic view of the Mosco Glacier,
that on clear days contrasts strongly
with the green of the forest and blue
skies. A rest in this place is
recommended, before descending
to The Ravine of the Rapids
(Quebrada de las Cascaditas)
GUIDEPOST 12.
From this point large Coigües
dominate the terrain and in this
habitat the Patagonian Black
Carpenter is frequently found. With
black plumage and some white
feathers, the male of this species
has a beautiful head of bright red,
and marks its territory with strong
pecking on a hollow tree trunk. In
the summer season they are silent
and cautious, hidden in order to
protect their young. To attract them
strike a tree with a stone at an
appropriate rhythm.
The trail passes through a
sector of reforested Lenga trees,
GUIDEPOST 13 that grow under a
canopy of adult Coigües, these trees
are found outside of the typical
altitude level of the species, they
owe their existence to the formation
of cold microclimates.
Under the ancient Coigües
various bushes such as Calafate and
Chaura grow. In sunny places the
Notro or Ciruelillo can be found,
while the leafy Magellanic Fuchsias
(Chilco) indicates that we are once
again in a more humid zone.
Next you will find a deep ravine,
which is crossed by a tree trunk and
a rustic stairs with a hand railing
GUIDEPOST 14, be careful when
descending as it is a steep grade.
Finally, "Camp Patagones" is
reached, a flat space in the forest
that is appropriate for camping.
This point, GUIDEPOST 15 marks
===PATAGONES CAMP SITE- PUESTO RIVERA SHELTER===
From "Camp Patagones" continue
through the forest to the east, the trail
crosses some bogs and below, among
the foliage, one can just see the Mosco
river. The trail begins a zigzag descent
to GUIDEPOST 16 via a dirt track that
in some places passes over boggy areas.
GUIDEPOST 17 marks the end of
the steep grade.
Advancing through a Nothofagus
forest there is a species of knots that
encloses branches or tree trunks,
known as "pecotras" : these are a
defense response of the tree, that uses
them to generate a hyper production
of hormones (hyperplasia) when faced
with the irritation produced by the
presence of a mushroom parasite
Cyttaria Darwin, That infects the tree
via any injuries and cuts. The
reproductive parts of the mushroom,
little balls called Digüeñes can only
be eaten when are young, that is to
say, when they are still white or yellow.
Near the bottom of the valley
the trail crosses a ravine with evidence
of a major washout GUIDEPOST 18
and meters further on is a hill where
a rest area has been put in place.
GUIDEPOST 19 is a rocky narrows
of the Mosco river, that in addition to
being a good point to appreciate the
environment allows descent to the
riverbank.
The trail continues crossing small
of water courses and bogs. 15 minutes
later the bank of the river is reached
in an area dominated by a stone
outcropping GUIDEPOST 20, from
here the Mosco Glacier can be easily
observed.
For the next 400 meters the trail
follows the river, crossing two
washouts of the bank, here you walk
between the forest and the river.
Huemul tracks (Chilean Deer)
are frequently found in this section,
its footprints remain marked in the
humid sand and with a bit of luck it
is possible to catch a glimpse of one
of them. Other evidence of the
presence of Huemuls are Lenga trees
with chewed and/or damaged bark
due to the cleaning and scratching of
horns, or possibly manures, hair, or
sleeping caves.
The Huemul goes down to the
river to drink, but then returns to high
areas of the mountain where it grazes
tranquilly. Its favorite foods are:
Coirón, Calafate, Chaura, Mutilla and
young Lenga trees. At present the
Huemul is in danger of extinction.
At GUIDEPOST 21 the trail once
again enters the interior of the forest
(or coming upon the edge of the river
if you are on the return). The trail
covers a slight grade that climbs to
terrace where an extensive stems of
adult Lenga trees is found, they have
been broken and splintered by the
passing seasons. Some meters further
on GUIDEPOST 22 is reached, the
Rivera Post refuge, named thusly in
honor to Don Pedro Rivera Velásquez,
the first settler of Villa OHiggins, in
approximately 1930. The refuge is
built of Coigüe wood and Lenga tiles
constructed on site of dead trees, it
has capacity for 8 persons comfortably
and has a steel drum adapted for a
stove.
Next to the refuge you will find
a reconstruction of the original shelter
of Pedro Rivera, a "Patagon Shack"
precariously built with split logs, that
served as protection from the
inclement weather of the zone, while
the residents took care of their cattle.
Around the refuge there are
several small hikes discovering the
forest. There is ample water nearby.
===Puesto Rivera Shelter - Rocky hill 1° Narrows===
This section is characterized by the
dynamics of the water courses that
converge after descending the
mountains. The area is called The
Desplaye.
Coming out of the Rivera Post
Refuge, continue through the forest
via the edge of the terrace, from which
the Mosco river predominates. The
confluence of the Mosco with the
Sangra (Bleeding) river is recognizable,
GUIDEPOST 23, that descends to the
south. The purple color of its waters
gives it its name and is due to the erosion
of water on slopes with volcanic and
intensely rusted soils.
After this landmark the trail enters
deeper into the forest, one must avoid
the temptation of following certain paths
that descend to the river. The
white/orange trail markers lead to another
landmark in the section, a trail passing
over a mallín, ( an area over-saturated
with water, and associated with abundant
vegetation of mosses and Peat) via a
structure of fallen trunks some 100 meters
long, constructed for the purpose of
avoiding trampling and deteriorating this
fragile wetland GUIDEPOST 24.
Next a small stream is crossed and
is you descend to The Desplaye,
GUIDEPOST 25, an interesting area
where various water courses converge.
At the edge of the Mosco river an
extensive view towards the glacier opens
up.
On the border of the river a fan-
shaped landslide can be recognized, made
up of trunks and gravels that correspond
to an avalanche of a ravine, next to this
fan is the confluence of the Mosco and
Turbio (Murky) rivers, GUIDEPOST 26,
that descends from Southeast. Just
upstream from this confluence is a
wooden fence wall of tree trunks is found
fallen that coincides with a walkway of
trunks that crosses the Mosco and leads
to White Huemul hill. Here the forest
the hiker passes through is surprisingly
damaged by storms, GUIDEPOST 27.
Advance via the wooden fence wall
without crossing the river until reaching
another confluence with the Mosco, this
time with the Claro (Clear) river, that
descends from the north. Walk about a
hundred meters up the bank of the Claro
river before crossing. The river is crossed
by a walkway marked GUIDEPOST 28.
On the western side is a rocky striation,
walk at a 45° course i straight line
following two stone trail markers until
reaching the pass of the first rock narrows
GUIDEPOST 29.
This is a good place to see the effects
of ice in relief, scarred and striated rocks
are observed that give a sense of the
general water flow of the ice in the valley
which went from east to west. To the
north you can observe the ancient moraine,
now colonized by vegetation. In this
sector, recent studies of dendocronology
(tree ring dating) have established that
the oldest trees date from 1772.
===Rocky hill 1° Narrows - Lookout Mosco Glacier===
From the Desplaye up, the valley of the
Mosco tightens and the torrentuous waters
run over a steep bed. The native forest
of the slopes is replaced by steep rock
walls, moraine deposits and colluvium.
Climb along the rocky edge marked
by a Stone trail-marker, GUIDEPOST
29, to pass the first Narrows of the upper
course of the Mosco river. The height
of the pass is enough to get an attractive
panoramic view to the West, with the
Desplaye of the Mosco, the mountain
ranges of the valley, Cerro Solo and in
the background Cerro Steffen of the
Southern Ice Field. Changing your view
towards the east, you find the upper course
of the Mosco with steep walls and moraine
deposits.
Upon beginning the descent, one
must take a great deal of caution in
crossing over a complicated landslide
some 35 meters long, which, despite being
marked with successive white/orange trail-
markers is easy to lose. The foot of this
pass is marked as GUIDEPOST 30 and
from this point advances to the bottom of
the valley, by the north edge of the river.
The river creates a major obstacle due to
a corner that reaches a rock wall and
forces crossing the river in order to bypass
it.
Higher we find moraine deposits
buried by landslides from the steep
mountain walls.
We arrive at the second narrows of
the upper course of the river marked
GUIDEPOST 31, which is crossed by an
outcropping of stones. This place was the
terminal point of the glacier according to
a study carried out in 1945. Instability is
evident in the following meters. A great
landslide complicates further advance until
The Remanso(The Haven), an area of
transition and calm from the torrent. This
section seems impassable, but by
advancing with care between the rocks of
the landslide it is possible to continue.
Crawl on hands and knees if necessary.
Only cross the river if the rocks available
are dry and safe. Do not risk walking on
wet rocks because they are slippery and
can provoke a fall.
After this effort, you will arrive at
the Remanso, where the third narrows,
GUIDEPOST 32, must be passed by a
trail marked on a rock wall on the north
side of the river. Climb with slow pace
and if necessary use your hands for
support. Above at GUIDEPOST 33 is a
panoramic view of the trail and of the
following meters, which brings you to a
beautiful waterfall GUIDEPOST 34 of
25 meters high whose origin is melting
ice. The cliff of the waterfall is the last
obstacle before arriving at the glacier
must be reached by following the signs
located on the north side. Here, the use
of the hands is required one last time in
a simple crawl. Again, please be careful
with humid or wet rocks, because they
are slippery.
Once we reach above we arrive at
an environment where ice is the main
protagonist and gives faithful testimony
of the glacier receding in recent years.
In fact, in 1995 the ice reached up to
Laguna Fria (Cold Lagoon)
GUIDEPOST 35 which was a great deal
smaller.
From the lagoon, follow for the
right edge until reaching a rocky
promontory called Glacier Lookout (678
m.) and marked as GUIDEPOST 36, the
end of the trail.
The glacier is formed by two major
accumulation zones that descend in two
tongues that form a great central moraine
deposit; in the front there are small
lagoons whose presence is explained by
the continuing recession of the mass of
ice, and a slope breack stream under the
moraine, causing the waterfall.
The mountain peaks here do not
have names but we have assigned a
topology to facilitate their recognition.
*Cerro Mirador: (Lookout Peak)
altitude 1,788 m. above sea level. This
name has been assigned due to its
dominant position on the two main
tongues of the glacier.
*Cerro Catalina: Altitude of 1,894 m.
above sea level. Beautiful hill of white
glaciated slopes.
*Cerro White Huemul: Altitude of
2,230 m. above sea level. Highest peak
in the Mosco valley.
*Escarpado Chain: we have assigned
this name to the chain of hills that make
up the interfluvial between the Mosco
and Claro rivers. It contains peaks with
elevations between 1,670 and 1,606 m.
above sea level.
It is possible to continue trekking on the
