To the ancient ice of the Calluqueo Glacier, thanks to Frank Hornby
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 66.92 mi
- Elevation gain
- 5,794 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 5,794 ft
- Max elevation
- 2,653 ft
- TrailRank
- 34
- Min elevation
- 457 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Coordinates
- 1226
- Uploaded
- July 5, 2014
- Recorded
- July 2014
near Cochrane, Aisén (Chile)
Viewed 1588 times, downloaded 22 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Waypoints
Photo
0 ft
Confluencia Lake
After passing the confluence of the Salto and San Lorenzo Rivers, you’ll cross a giant, life-size version of a “meccano bridge” and continue two kilometers further, until you find the fork toward the glacier. Take a right at the fork along a secondary road that skirts the border of the Confluencia Lake and later, the Salto and Calluqueo Rivers. You’ll drive approximately 12.5 km before crossing a second meccano bridge over the Calluqueo River.
Waypoint
0 ft
Sector Mirador Glaciar Calluqueo
Tres km más adelante encontrarás un estacionamiento y desde ahí deberás subir por el camino de la morrena, donde tendrás tu ticket de entrada para un gran espectáculo patagónico: ante tus ojos estarán las formas caprichosas del hielo del glaciar Calluqueo, la impresionante laguna que se ha formado a sus pies producto de los deshielos y el nacimiento del río del mismo nombre. Aunque la escena es memorable, no gastes toda la memoria de tu cámara fotográfica, porque lo mejor está por venir, a medida que te acercas al glaciar. Y mejor noticia aún, para tu suerte hay experimentados guías locales con los que podrás entrar de lleno al misterioso mundo de hielos transparentes, blancos y azules, grietas y sumideros, que guarda este milenario y gélido coloso.
Photo
0 ft
Calluqueo Lake and Glacier
Continue approximately three kilometers before parking your car. From here, you’ll need to climb the path of the moraine to your choice of vantage points for the great panoramic spectacle laid out before you: in the foreground, beautiful native forests and wetlands with a river winding through; in the mid-ground, the impressive Calluqueo lagoon that gives birth to the Calluqueo River; winding from high above, the tongue of the glacier itself, a mysterious ribbon of ancient ice, a spectrum of transparency, whites, and blues, interspersed with millions of cracks and sinks. Rising way, way up behind all of this beauty are the spectacular peaks of Mount San Lorenzo. It’s truly breathtaking. To fully take advantage of the opportunity afforded to you by Patagonia, Mother Nature and Frank Hornby, the inventor of Meccano building sets, we suggest that you contact Jimmy Valdés, owner of Lord Patagonia Audiovisual and Tourism Services, (www.lordpatagonia.cl), or one of the other local guides working in this area. You can arrange to meet your guide in Cochrane and travel to the glacier for an up-close and personal tour. The true adventure begins after your initial gazing has finished. You’ll hike down to the shores of the lagoon and cross, via a small outboard-motored boat. Once on the other side, Jimmy will share helmets, crampons, and safety instructions before leading you up the ice on a three-hour trek through this surreal glacier landscape. You’ll lunch next to the glacier at the foot of mythical Mount San Lorenzo before heading back down, or, if the ice has become an insatiable vice for you, you can extend your adventure (with previous coordination), and spend the rest of the afternoon on the ice before heading to the side to set up camp. Where? On the side of the glacier, there are perfect spots where you’ll be afforded incredible views of Mount San Lorenzo and the zillion stars that fill the sector’s skies.
You can add a comment or review this trail
Comments