Cochrane — Parque Nacional Patagonia

Jan. 30- Feb. 3

Another day, another bus…

Most of our bus tickets can be purchased online with the option of selecting our seats. It’s funny to watch Dev buy the tickets because he is switching between the seat selection page and Google Maps to ensure we are on the correct side optimizing our views. He chooses wisely and correctly every time. The journey from Rio Tranquilo to Cochrane treated us with panoramic views of Lago General Carrera. If there weren’t hanging glaciers in the background, we would’ve mistaken the area for being in the Mediterranean.

We arrived in Cochrane in time to hunker down in the hostel before the skies opened up. We repacked our bags for our next multi day trek in Parque Nacional Patagonia (Patagonia National Park); we actually learned about this route from the French girlie back in Rio Tranquilo. The next morning we purchased our, now typical, backcountry ingredients: oatmeal, trail mix, peanut butter, honey, tortillas, lentil soup, instant potatoes, ramen. Very tempting.. I know. I must admit, Madras Lentils and Idahoan instant potatoes is one of my favorite lazy meals back in Bozeman, so it’s a real treat in the Chilean backcountry! 

Our French ami had success hitchhiking to the entrance of the park, so we set off to find a good spot along the highway. We ended up getting a ride from Kate, a traveler from Salt Lake City! She had purchased a 2008 4Runner in Santiago a few months prior and was driving along with her two dogs, Maya & Milo. She was sooo kind to drive us all the way to the entrance of the park which was at least 45 minutes out of her way. Thanks, Kate!!

Parque Nacional Patagonia represents a unique ecosystem in Southern Chile. It’s much drier, filled with grasslands and rolling hills rather than glaciers and spired peaks. We couldn’t help but compare the park to Yellowstone. Imagine Mammoth Hot Springs that is always peppered with elk…now just replace the elk with guañacos & you have the Chacabuco visitors center. And wayyyy less people! The campground (Camping Westwinds) was HUGE, with ten or so cooking shelters spread out, potable water, fully functioning toilets and hot showers. It’s still hard to believe our tent was the only one.

Our hike the next day was ideal: poca gente, buen tiempo, y vistas increibles. Few people. Good weather. Incredible views. The rain held off long enough for us to set up our tent, make some quick food, and then snuggle in our sleeping bags falling asleep to the pitter patter of the drops. Due to the forecast, we had already decided to hike out the following day instead of spending one more night in the wild. When we awoke the next morning, we found blue skies and sun, so decided to soak in the calm weather reading by the lake and packing up slowly. To our dismay, the weather changed rapidly. Within five minutes, our blue sky was covered with dark clouds that didn’t produce rain, but snow!! We high tailed it outta there on empty stomachs until we got to an abandoned ranger station and chefed up some classic oatmeal. We finished the walk all the way back to Cochrane arriving to our cozy hostel with a wood burning stove apt to warm us up and dry our clothes.

Although a shorter trek than Cerro Castillo, a few beers and greasy food were still craved. We went to a cerveceria (brewery) that wasn’t serving alcohol, so we popped next door to a packed restaurant. We’re guessing that restaurant had one of their busier days due to their neighbors not serving any beer. Satiated, we went to catch some zzzs before an early bus the next day.

Next stop: Caleta Tortel.

~ Rach <3