Carretera Austral or the story of…Go on? Yes! No? Yes?!

Leaving Buenos Aires behind I entered Chile again through Santiago. I had to do another PCR test but was able to take the transfer flight to Puerto Montt without the result. I just had to quarantine again once landed. However, some fucker stole both of my knives from my checked luggage 👿

The first days felt hard. Really hard. Like a restart of the vacation. I won’t lie to you, I wanted to go home…badly. The constant rain didn’t help and I felt lonely. My personality doesn’t help traveling alone as I’m not good making connections with strangers. I had a hard time motivating myself. But the same personality does not let me give up easily. So, I pushed on. And yes, I am still debating if I shouldn’t go home. And then the sun comes out and I am totally in love with the nature here. Breathtaking!
Will I go back earlier? I can’t tell you! The other day I did plan my final time until the original flight and that felt good. Maybe that was missing? No clue. I wouldn’t be surprised to be back in Germany by the end of March 😉

From Puerto Montt I had to drive for a couple of hours to get to the first ferry. That one is short (around 40 minutes) and it’s on first come first serve basis. The price is also human (around 10 USD). The next one, going from Hornopirén to Caleta Gonzalo, you have to book in advance. In fact, it was this connection that prevented me to make it to the Carretera Austral in February. There is a subsidized version but I was too late for that (so 75 USD it is). In 3.5 hours it spits you out on a short stretch of land that you cross in about 10 minutes with your car and then you get on the next one. Well, that’s the idea. Ours of course was late. And instead of getting on the ferry at 8:30 pm it was 11 pm. 40 minutes later we arrived and I saw lots of backpackers trying their luck in the poring rain. Not with me folks! Where did I spend my first night on the Carretera Austral? On the backseat of my car 😀 With all the potholes on the road I didn’t want to go one with my tiny car. It is overwhelmed already (like me!). Later I found out that the rental company made a note on the contract “not suitable for the Carretera Austral”.

On my way to Chaitén I did some small hikes. One leading to a lagoon and the other one through a forest of Alerce trees. It is crazy to imagine that some of them already stood a thousand years when the first explorers arrived. They can get up to 3.000 years.
Another hike was up to the Vulcan Chaitén, which erupted in 2018. Again the weather was shite and I couldn’t see much.

Getting closer to Chaitén the Carretera becomes a paved road. I don’t know, yes, it makes traveling easier, but it takes away some of the soul I was expecting. I guess within the next 5 years most of the carretera will be paved. It’ll make the region more accessible and I am sure change to a new future.

After Chaitén I moved on to Futaleufú. This is the Mekka for kayaking and rafting. And so I did. Although only a day later since on the scheduled date it rained cats and dogs and they canceled. I was glad. Yes, you get wet anyway but it is different when the sun in shining a little bit.
That evening I was invited to a Chilean asado…BBQ. The B&B I stayed was owned by 2 one guys. Kind of Statler and Waldorf 😉 Anyway, some other guests invited me and I had a fantastic time and too much wine.
So, next day it was and I nervous. After all, we were supposed to do 2 class 5 rapids. That is the end of the line. I started out in the front line and I liked it. You take the full force of the waves but you also give the pace and are on the action.
At the last class 5 rapid we paddled hard and suddenly the guide was beside me in the boat. WTF! He screemed “get down” and we all were in the boat. All of us? By some miracle we managed not to flip the raft. As I was looking to my right I thought “something is missing”. Ah, our trainee 😀 She was floating fast away from us. Looked a bit scared as well. Don’t blame her with those big waves. But, all was well and I had an exciting day at the Futaleufú.

I continued on towards Puyuhuapi. Yes, pronouncing those names is beyond me. In the Parque nacional you can walk up to a lookout point and see the falls Ventisquero Colgante fed by an overhanging glacier.
But, that day the weather wasn’t any good and I decided to take it easy. My muscles ached from the rafting still. So, that evening I went to some termas. Very relaxing indeed. I jumped several times into the fjord to cool down. Very importantly, the weather changed!
I didn’t want to pay for a campsite and read that there is a space right beside the park fence. However, they put a boulder on the path now. Seeing it and evaluating the space beside it I figured that I can squeeze my tiny car around it. And so I did 🙂
The place was wonderful and quiet. However, it was clear that I had to get out of there before the rangers show up the next day. While it was still dark I got around it another time. After a sparsely breakfast it was time for coup 2. The day before I read at the gate that you can get in only after 9 am and having made a reservation online. I hadn’t and couldn’t. Climbing the gate it was 😀 Unfortunately, the sun had risen already when I was passing the rangers station and smoke was already coming out of the chimney. Somehow they didn’t see me and so I was the first one at the trail. In fact, when the park officially opened I was already at the lookout point. Ever so slowly the mist cleared and gave way to an amazing sight of the overhanging glacier. And that is only a tiny part of the whole. FFS!

After that successful coup I continued on the road with new risen spirit. In fact, this was one of the best parts of the Carretera so far. With the sun the landscape just became breathtaking. Although at some point I had to get to Coyhaique I was looking for a wild campsite at the setting sun. That’s not so easy as every available land is fenced in. Never giving up comes in handy from time to time and that evening I was just staring out until the stars came up. Even during the night I had to get out and see the milky way. And here I am, fully motivated again.

That motivation drove me to Cerro Castillo. Another beautiful landscape and very different. Strong winds shape the mountains. There is a 3 to 4 days hike. I did in 2. Because I can. And because I didn’t want to spend the whole afternoon at the campsite because it is “forbidden” to cross after a specific time due to strong winds.
The first part of the trek was a bit boring. Lots of milage and mostly through forest on wide roads. Well, there were the odd river crossings but I’m used to that by now 😉
At the dangerous part it wasn’t so much the wind that I feared. But seeing steep rock slopes right and left gave me an oppressive feeling. Anyway, after 24 km I was at the first campsite and glad for it.
The next day was hard. From the start I didn’t feel great. Nevertheless, I managed to do the other 18 km. But boy, am I happy to be back. And now after a shower and getting my laundry done I feel like a new man!

Love,
Matthias