Forest Trekking near Pucon, Chile

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Lake Tinquilco with the Villarrica Volcano in the background


Arriving at Largo Chico. After we took this shot we turned around and there was Dave Goldman.


Araucaria and Beech forest at Largo Chico


No ducks at The Ducks lake.


The park is named after this lake, Huerquehue. It was the highest lake we visited.


You could be forgiven for thinking this Araucaria is a young Bunya Pine, it has very similar foliage.


Spectacular scenery on day one as we descended towards our camp site at Renahue.


Yet another beautiful lake at Pehuen on day two.


Camping at the thermal pools at Rio Blanco. It was raining but the water was hot and we had the place to ourselves.


We had a frosty start to our fourth and last day which was cloud free with a deep blue sky.


A stand of Araucarias at Largo Toro on the final leg of our journey.

Wow, Chile sure has some beautiful National Parks! We have slipped over the border from Argentina and entered Chile for our fourth time specifically to visit the town of Pucon and the nearby National Park of Huerquehue. Our trek started with a 30km bus ride to the Ranger station at Lago Tinquilco where we paid our camping fees and to our surprise, did not have to pay an entrance fee to the park because it was the Ranger´s birthday and he was celebrating by letting everyone in for free that day. (I cannot imagine that happening in Australia.)

There were spectacular views of Lago Tinquilco and the volcano Villarrica as we chugged uphill towards Largo Chico the next in a series of lakes we visited that day. The forest was a mix of beech trees and pines down lower but as we gained altitude the unusual Aracauria trees started to appear. These trees are the same genus as the Hoop Pine and Bunya Pine back home. In fact, on the border track at Binna Burra there is a Hoop Pine with a sign saying ¨Aracauria Cunninghamii related to a tree found in South America¨. They look more like Bunya Pines than Hoop Pines because of the dome shaped top and the leaves. As we crossed the bridge over the stream that exits Chico, who should we meet once again but our old mate Dave Goldman! It seems like we are having parallel trips through Patagonia and it was great to catch up with him again.

That afternoon it was fantastic walking on soft paths littered with Beech leaves and one gorgeous lake after another. Eventually we reached a pass and dropped into the next valley to the North where there was intact forest as far as we could see and pointy granite peaks that would make great climbs if there was more time. (If only flying to Chile was as cheap as flying to New Zealand I would be back every year.) The first camp site was called Renahue and was a grassy area near the junction of two streams. We were joined by three Germans doing the same trek. We had seen a lot of cow manure on the tracks near the camp site and to everyone´s suprise at about seven o´clock in the evening the local farmers on horseback herded some cattle right through the middle of the camp. The funniest thing was that after the horses passed a pig trotted through. Whether he was being rounded up as well or was helping the dogs we don´t know!

On the second day we crossed Paso Las Mellizas and made a long descent to the thermal pools at Rio Blanco. It was raining when we arrived and we were feeling a bit miserable until we hopped into the hot pools and they were just the ticket after two days of hiking. A few drops of rain on the surface made no difference. We had the whole place to ourselves so even though they were outdoor pools it felt very private. As the afternoon progressed the rain got heavier and we wondered what had happened to our German friends. We found out next morning when they appeared out of the cabins of another establishment across the Rio Blanco. They told us how they had started late from Renahue because they were drying out damp sleeping bags. Unfortunately, that meant that they got caught in the afternoon rain and had a terrible time descending the steep slopes. On top of that all their gear was soaked so they were not able to do the return trip.

We returned to Renahue on our third day via an alternate route across Renahue Pass. That night the weather cleared and we were treated to a display of stars equal to anything we have seen at Girraween. It was also bloody cold that night and next morning there was a heavy frost on the grass and tent.

On our fourth and last day we had bright sunshine and a deep blue sky. A slightly different return route took us past yet another picturesque lake called Largo El Toro before descending to Tinquilco once again. Thanks Chile for another world class walk.