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*16/01/23- 25/01/23 / Natalie & Tomás/ OH 06-02 & 06-03 NOBO / Laguna Maule to Villeches w/ volcans/ 10days
An extremely long description so my apologies but hopefully it will help someone. We Started in Maule and ended in Villeches with inclusion of Descabezado, Azul, Chico and Colorado (Tomás).
All fords super easy or jump-able. Only times water was scarce was Descabezado and Azul (technically there is melt water at Azul), the afternoon around Nevada Chico and also water was scarce around the Laguna caliente because I would not trust drinking that water. Weather turned bad only once while we were climbing Azul, the change happened rapidly and we went from blue skies to total white out (~10m or less visibility) within minutes. Other than that weather was amazing, a little cold at night and a little warm in the day.
Happy we started in Maule and finished in Vilches. This saved elevation gain and let us dictate whether or not we had enough food in the end to climb Descabezado, Azul, chico and for Tomás Colorado.
Day1.
Starting in Talca, due to a certain someone (me) I accidentally sent Tomás and I too Molina on a bus instead of "la mina" so our day was very messed up but we still managed to take a bus to Colorado and hitchhike to the start of this route. Buses from Talca to la Mina go at; 7:00am, 1:00pm (only to la Suiza), 3:00pm and 7:00pm. We took a bus to Colorado due to time and hitched the rest of the way. The last hitch was in a snowplow truck and he dropped us off miraculously at the start of the trail and before any customs or checks.
OH-TL-V {06-02} (109.1). Straight away the trail is hard to see, do not take the road looking trail on the side of the mountain because it ends, stick to the gps. However soon we were walking on the correct route through the sand and down to a creek with fun boulders. Easy to follow. After this first creek we followed option OH-CC-A (06-02) {98} For only -5km until making camp in-between a river and and canal with flowing water. Bogs in this area slowed us down a lot.
Day2.
OH- {06-02} -[ (93) & (86) ]
This day seemed long, we crossed two passes, one small (-35.94909, -70.45347) and one much larger (-35.88855, -70.46776). I liked the entire area south of the second pass, many beautiful camp spots, water was available almost to the top of the pass and there is also a nice waterfall/swimming pool located roughly around (-35.90452, -70.45218). Trail to first pass was easy but trail between first and second was much more cross country, there are many animal tracks, I followed the gps and Tomás followed a trail closer to the river and we both ended up at the same spot...
After the second pass there is a small plateau and then it follows down a creek with water until you must cross a east hill and go towards your first mountain puesto to the east(noone home). There is only a little bit of water here, better water at the creek you came from and or a few creeks ahead.
From the puesto (-35.86707, -70.47589) there is a good trail that trvaerses the slope ahead. We should have camped but we continued. There were a few nice creeks that were passed along the way. We were forced to make a "make-shift" camp before hitting a much nicer plateau because it was dark and I was not having a good day 😅.
Day 3
OH {06-02} [78.6] + [75.7] + [63.6]
Easy day, only one small pass. There is an ex cabineraro puesto at (-35.84277, -70.40285) and a highlight was two rivers, one at (-35.76317, -70.42051) and one river at (-35.74734, -70.45623). We walked near {06-02E} along a river filled with sand and not great for drinking but there is a creek that starts/ends here (-35.72759, -70.44125). We camped near this way point in the sand but it got windy at night, we wished we camped elsewhere.
Day4
OH {06-02} [59.6] + [29.1] + {06-02D}
This day we passed a large pass (-35.65200, -70.43356) via {06-02D}. This option was more direct and involved a very short and easy scramble onto a windy plateau. Surprisingly lots of water up towards the pass, last one being (-35.66343, -70.42666) , however the water available had a lot of sand in it, fyi. From camp I followed a cow trail until a lake like feature (-35.70057, -70.42733) and then went cross country. I hope my cairns marking the turn for {06-02D} survive.
After the pass the true Descabezado environment begins. We both made note of how terrible it would be to be on this plateau in bad weather, very open and CC. Next water source would be a couple of creeks here (-35.61215, -70.42156). From a break at this creek we ended up going straight down the creek bed. Kind of exhausting mentally and would not be possible in early season due to water levels but it shot us out directly in line for making a green camp here (-35.56164, -70.44009).
Day 05
OH {06-02} [29.1] + [20]
Lagunas aqua caliente day.
An easy day with a lot of time spent at Aqua Caliente, true to the name.
Trail from camp was easy to follow until (-35.53519, -70.46551) and then it went CC to the Laguna. If shelter is needed in this open landscape we found a rock shelter here (-35.51276, -70.51035). The Laguna was fabulously warm. Tomás found the proper source of the spring here (-35.50395, -70.52347). After this Laguna there is a nasty and windy sand stretch until a creek located here (-35.48980, -70.57667). On this stretch I chose not to follow the sand but detoured on more solid ground to the east (-35.48839, -70.56200) and was glad I did. Later on we found snow melt here (-35.48544, -70.59940) and loaded all the water we would need for night/morning and exploring Nevada Chico the next day.
Day 06
OH {06-02} [20] + {06-02C Chico} + [4.5]
Nevado Chico + Nevando Colorado (Tomás)
Went up and around the crater of Nevado Chico in the morning which I highly recommend. The crater is easy to walk around and gives an amazing 360 experience. The climb up is tedious scree but makes for a super fast decent. Make sure you have enough water because water is scarce there. I saw a waterfall on the NE side the lake but did not go to it, Tomás got water somewhere off trail around here (-35.51226, -70.65626) and I drank out of the next lake -35.52036, -70.65873 (questionable).
From the lake the next pass begins and I stupidly made Tomás and I carry 5L of water up it because I did not think there would be water on the south side...I was wrong, no water high up but lots of water down low. For the pass we opted not to follow the route because it was thick sand so we instead climbed a more solid ridge here (-35.52506, -70.66854). Tomás went to continue up Nevando Colorado and I boringly traversed to the normal pass and enjoyed a very fun sand ski down the south side. This pass would be very tiresome climbing up due to sand. If you are coming from the opposite direction and do not trust the lagoon water then you should aim for (-35.51226, -70.65626) and or bring water.
Everything this day was CC. I found it to be the hardest day navigation wise but still not troublesome. We finished the day in a nice Valley before the next days climb here (-35.55427, -70.70793). The water around this area is a bit Sandy but better further up.
Day 07
Last pass and New route possibly
From camp a trail existed to the pass at -35.55228, -70.73791. There was a little bit of snow at the top but since there was already steps made it was zero problem. Lots of water on the SE of this pass but only a trickle of water on the NW side at -35.54575, -70.75672. This water trickle point is where we left the trail to make a short cut to Descabezado. To our surprise our route worked and in 4hrs we were making a camp at 2630m next to the approach trail to Descabezado,therefore saving time and elevation. In our route there was only one difficulty and that was a deep gorge and creek "jump" at -35.57904, -70.77929. Personally I would not recommend this in early season because the consequence of falling in the river would take you down a waterfall. The gorge is fed by the glacier in the crater of Descabezado so in the morning it should be better but the water is very dirty.
I drew the route on my photos of the pass if anyone wants them. Otherwise here is my description of our pass.
From the small trickle creek at -35.54575, -70.75672 head SW up the creek bed in the direction of this easy pass ***-35.55513, -70.76977. Nearbye spots would work except for the pass directly above the creek bed, the other side of that one had snow and rocks. After this pass I believe it is easiest to just go straight down and up like a half pipe rather than trying to traverse and keep elevation, we aimed for a middle looking plateau on the otherside, this middle plateau took us to the proper crossing of the gorge here, -35.57923, -70.77864 (más o menos). We jumped the gorge and climbed easily up the other side although the other side looks like a scramble it was actually just walking. We travesed this altitude for a little longer (although I would suggest easier walking a little lower) until we made camp in a ravene very close to the Descabezado approach route. Our camp even had a small amount of snow melt so it was heaven in my mind! (Camp with water; -35.59280, -70.78723).
Day 8
Descabezado & Azul.
This is turning into a novel so I will keep this short. We left our tent in place and set off early to do Descabezado and Azul as a day trip. Descabezado was straightforward, it seems the trail will change slightly every year depending on who makes the tracks. If wanting to make the true summit it looks like you have to go down into the crater, cross the glacier and approach it from the other side. Coming down Descabezado was very fast but we made a Huge mistake and left the trail to follow the other osm route that heads east then west called "Descabezado Grande - Quizapu - cerro Azul".
This route should be avoided for many reasons apart from the fact the other route is easier despite elevation gain (we took the other route back). This osm route took us here -35.61301, -70.75604 which was actually a glacier covered in sand with a small hanging glacier above causing a lot of rockfall, it was a very ugly place and we carefully got out of there and made or way to the proper route to Azul. Despite loosing almost 2hourd on an already tight day we continued (although I wasted an extra 30min due to making up my mind🙄). Once again on the way up to Azul we did not follow the normal way but went to the east side of the crater of Azul where the bad osm route is. There were a foot print here and there but it was CC. The crater was amazing but too windy too enjoy, we saw a few fumaroles. We continued CC to the base of Azul, a tiny bit of snow but posed no difficulties. The base of Azul is beautiful with melt water if needed. We followed the ridge to Azul, it was more involved than Descabezado but no more than a low 3rd class. There is a interesting summit tower on Azul but because of the wind and time we had no desire to stretch our limits. Weather moved in fast and before we were off the ridge of Azul we were completely covered in a white out, maybe maximum 10m of visibility. Navigation was incredibly hard but we took or chances and took the GPT route down and luckily bit was a very easy route and we were down below the clouds and able to see again. The rest of the night was CC back to our camp ~1030pm. Twas a good day.
Day 9.
From our camp in the ravene we headed CC and then onto the trail that lead to the puesto near Descabezado and from then on we were on a good trail. While walking down we opted to stay in sandals and just walk in the river, it was refreshing. We didn't have clean water until the valley bottom at the CONAF camp (valley El venado) where there was also lots of pear trees and plum trees. Many people there (first people seen). We made camp at the river before the pass (Mirador del valle del venado) but the walk from the CONAF camp until then was slower than expected because it was along a river bed with confusing tracks.
Day 10.
Good trail up and down from Mirador del valle del venado with lots of water and trees for shade. Took us almost half the time we thought it would take. Note that you cannot actually camp at zone 06 on this trail. The CONAF guards asked us where we were coming from and when we said Maule he just sounded amused and let us go on our way. There was a decent restaurant with empanadas, beer ext near the bus stop . There was a posted schedule of the bus but it clearly did not follow this schedule so if you are there just ask the many locals around what time the bus comes, we caught the 1230 bus.
Great trip, beautiful views and details and just the right amount of challenge.
* 2023-Jan-20-23 / SOBO / RR / Ondrej / Parque Inglés - El Medano / 3.5 days