GPT 01 | Cerro Purgatorio
6 January 2024 | 26°C
I hear some dogs barking in the distance. What time is it? It’s 9am already but I can hardly open my eyes.
29 degrees Celsius will be todays top temperature. No way I am going to start walking before late afternoon! I stay in bed for a while reading some online trail notes from other hikers. It’s hard to believe that walkers just a bit further south are struggling with snow.
It's already 5 p.m. when I step out of the metro station at Puente Alto, the official start of Section 1 of the Greater Patagonian Trail. Originally, I planned to begin my trek further south, but an old injury flared up just before I left home. So, I decided to use this section as a “test hike” while still near Santiago.
It’s still roughly 12km of road walking to the natural reserve so I take one of the many busses that leave in front of the station. There are bus stops but one can get off literally everywhere when telling the bus driver. I jump off once I see a sign saying “Reserva Rio Clarillo”. A bit too early as it turns out but I am fine with a bit of walking obviously. Once I reach the gate of the reserve it is closed. Not a surprise really.
I read in the guide that it’s closed at a certain hour but was secretly hoping that I could climb over the gate. Not this one. It’s high with some nasty hooks on top of it. Instead of trying to get to the alternate route which would require taking another bus, I decide to get up early tmrw morning and stay at the nearby campground. It’s in a small dusty side street and soon I have company of some friendly dogs. When I see a man with two children at a playground I ask if this is the campground. “Yes, but it closed several years ago”, he replies. I wonder where else I could pitch my tent and he suggests a quiet area by a stream just a few minutes away.
One of the dogs continues following me until I have found my little hideaway. Looks like she’s here to stay and protect me. I cook my dinner and as I am not very hungry I give her my leftovers. And she’s so happy when I pet her. Guess that doesn’t happen too often.
Not much fun being a dog in Chile I think.
7 January 2024 | 30°C
The sun goes down and suddenly everything is quiet. The annoying mosquitos disappear. A beautiful sunset that colors the mountain range in a fascinating dark red shade. Santiago illuminates in the distance. Peace after an exhausting day. In the end, it was all worth it.
That same morning I realized that I am at the wrong entrance of the natural reserve. Not really wrong but not where the track starts that I would like to walk. So bus again. It’s Sunday and as I do not know when the first bus comes I start walking to the next stop.
“My dog” follows me despite me telling her to go home. She looks at me with an innocent face and keeps following me. Not a problem I think, as she will find her way home. If only there wasn’t the barking of ALL of the dogs in the neighborhood as we are walking along the streets.
A bus approaches, I wave and jump in. It’s a bit sad but that’s the end of our friendship I guess. 😢 The next bus never shows up so I start walking. After some 45 minutes someone picks me up and gives me a ride to my trailhead. It’s almost midday at that time and pretty hot.
I am eager to get going and literally rush to the trailhead. After roughly one kiIometer uphill I wonder if I have enough water. I don’t. Beginners mistake!
So back to the first house I see and kindly ask people to fill up my water bottles. I take several longer breaks on the way up as it’s way too warm and I don’t want to drink that precious liquid all at once. No water sources on the way!
Around 6pm when the temperature starts being ideal for walking, I am exhausted.
I walk for another hour and then decide to call it a day and pitch my tent. If there only weren’t these annoying giant mosquitos buzzing around me and my sweaty shirt!
8 January 2024 | 30°C
In the morning, I try to beat the sun on the way to the Summit of Cerro Purgatorio. Will I manage to be up there before the sun hits this side of the valley? Not quite.
There is a nice breeze at the top. From now on only downhill! It’s not as easy as it looks though. I walk along a veeeery long ridge. It’s slow as there’s a bit of rock climbing and loose scree. Still an interesting walk I think at first. Reminds me of hikes in the Alps. It’s a walk to enjoy but suddenly I get very worried: I have very little water left and with this speed it will take me ages to get to the next water source.
All the small streams that still carried water 4 weeks ago are dry. It becomes a mentally challenging afternoon. But there’s no other way than continuing to move I tell myself. I eventually hit a gravel road. At least I can speed up a bit now. Still a long way to town though. At times, I almost start running. I just occasionally take a tiny zip from my water when my tongue gets super dry.
The sun is fully up now so that even the few rocks do not offer any shade. I jump under the first tree I find to take shelter and have a nap. I have to pee and for a second I think what people in a desert what do. Drink it?
On the map I see a waterfall. Maybe 45 minutes away. There must be water!
As I continue the gravel roads makes another turn and another one. And then: the sound of water! I cannot believe my eyes when I see a small stream! Never has water been so tasty!
And another good news: This was kind of a test hike to see if my recent hip/knee problem would cause issues. Suddenly, it’s gone! Was it the stretching routine or did my leg just want to hike?
