When I have wrapped up my journey and begin to reflect on the things I saw and the people that I met, my trip to Cochamo Chile will set the bar. In early February, I had made the decision to head to Chile, and sought the advice of a few people privvy to this great country and all it has to offer. It was by chance that I was connected with a man named Jordan Harvey, who had started a Chilean adventure company called Knowmad Adventures. Through a few emails and a quick twenty minute phone conversation, I had jotted down a few destinations and notes on places to see and people to call when I reached certain locales. One particular note stood out in my mind - an ecolodge in a place called Cochamo, where I would set out on horseback to enjoy all the beauty that northern patagonia had to offer. This was destined to be the gem of my journey, and I was dead set on making it happen.
On a sunday morning, I got all my things together and set off from Hostal Ruca, headed for the local bus station in order to hop on a two hour bus to an unfamiliar territory called Cochamo. My directions were to hop on the bus and inform the driver that I would be heading to "el puente del Rio Cochamo." The bus ride was quite a trip - I conversed with a local caballlero named Don Ciro as we journeyed down a windy gravel road. The rain had been falling for a few days and everyone on the bus was suited up with muckboots and rainjackets - everyone but me that is!!
Eventually I came to the bridge crossing the Cochamo River, and I walked through some muddy roads, a wood & cable bridge and a few fields of cows until I reached my initial destination - The Campo Aventura Riverside Lodge. I was met by some very friendly hosts - Mike and Kristin, who showed me to a wonderfully cozy lodge and and offered me some hot tea and cake by the fire. I settled in to my room, took an incredible hot shower (so much better than a hostel!!) and finished reading Ayn Rand's "Fountainhead" before dinner was served. I was in heaven already!
The next morning, I was treated to a great breakfast with local jelly and honey, cheese, eggs, and REAL COFFEE! Most everywhere you go here in Chile, Nescafe instant coffee is the standard offering, and I was stoked to get a nice hot cup of black coffee with real cream! As promised by the weather forecasters, the rain stopped right when I had finished breakfast, just in time to hop on my horse, Palafito, and head up the trail to the Mountain Lodge at La Junta. The trail from the river to the mountains was quite the experience, with at least 5 river crossings and an unbelievable amount of rocks and mud - these horses were unfazed by the conditions, and I was glad to be on horseback instead of trekking. The trail itself was the original route from Argentina to Chile, where the caballeros had driven their cattle since 1902, and was in fact the same route taken by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid when the outlaws drove their cattle to the Cochamo slaughterhouse.
I was blown away when we crossed the rio Cochamo and set our eyes on the Mountain Lodge, a beautiful farm set in the middle of the valley, surrounded by massive granite peaks and thick jungle trees. I had heard comparisons between Yosemite and Cochamo, and was now convinced that Cochamo was even more spectacular!! Take my word. I was greeted by Horacio and Tatiana - the luckiest caretakers on earth - and was again treated to tea and some homemade bread and local honey. The mountainside lodge is a wonderful cabin constructed completely from fallen trees in the area and a few luxury items that had somehow made their way into to valley on horseback (think oven, toilet, mattress). After tea time, a group of guests arrived from their day trip to the local waterfalls, and we all shared a great homemade dinner, some local wine, and even some Jack Daniels. Sticking with the farm schedule, we set off to bed shortly after nightfall and planned to awake when the smell of the wood burning oven summoned us to the kitchen.
In the morning I enjoyed my first experience with the traditions of Yerba Mate, a strong tea that is served with a strict set of rules and a great sense of community. The server controls the temperature of the tea, which is served using a single cup that is passed to each person and is emptied each time and passed back to the server. The cup and straw are passed around to everyone involved in order, and you do not say thank you until you have had your fill of yerba. The strength of the tea and a filling breakfast were just what I needed, as I was about to set off on a day trip for which I was wholly unprepared. The night before, the mountain guide Rigel (an awesome 23 year old guy from Chicago) had asked me how I felt about heights and ropes. I assured him that I was fine with both and that I was here to experience the best of the best while I was here - and I was sure to get what I asked for!
Rigel and I took off at 10am and set our sights on Arco Iris, a towering granite mountain across the river from the lodge. We crossed a cable car and checked out a waterfall before we began to climb practically straight up the muddy jungle trail on the ascent of Arco Iris. Once we had cleared the jungle and made it past the tree line filled with the majestic Alerce trees, we came to the ropes that Rigel had referred to. At the base of the rope, we found a nervous Austrian couple who had been there awhile contemplating the safety of the ascent from this point. Rigel assured them that the ropes were secure and that nobody had fallen from the steep cliff directly below us - at least not yet!! Taking Rigel's lead, I tightly gripped the rope and put one foot in front of the other on the wet granite. One rope after another, sweeping from side to side and making sure I had the proper weight distribution on my feet and the rope, we had made it past the first, and then the second section of rock faces safely. Thankfully, it was only possible to look up the mountain and not down! We had reached the first "mirador" lookout and enjoyed a snack and some sun and breeze.
The climb continued, and this time our loose rock and large boulder terrain was more of a zigzag pattern following the rock signals set by other climbers earlier in the season. Rigel had been up here 8 times previously, and I had total faith in his navigation, though I struggled to keep up with his madman pace. In the end of our climb, we had ascended a total of 1300 meters in four hours, and it was worth over step. We could see Osorno Volcano, back towards Puerto Varas, el Tronador along the Argenitna/Chile border, and a 360 degree view of all the peaks and valleys all around us. Though we couldn't see it from this viewpoint, we had spotted the Mountainside lodge along the way, and it had become a few dots and fences far below. Check out the pictures I took from this amazing vista, though I assure you that they don't do it justice. I also took a video of the 360 views, which I will have to share with all of you somehow. The trip down the mountain went much quicker than the ascent, though having the knowledge of the ropes down below was a bit disconcerting. Thankfully Rigel and I made it down safely, with an unforgettable day behind us and so many mental photos that will be with me for eternity. Enjoying a pitcher of water and looking up to the peak of Arco Iris from the lodge was almost as enjoyable as the climb itself. I had no idea what I was getting into before we left, and an unbelievable sense of accomplishment when we returned.
Dinner that night couldn't have tasted any better, and it was great to enjoy a meal together with Horacio, Tatiana, their son and Rigel as we talked about their life on the ranch and all of the interesting clients that had come throughout the season at Campo Aventura. I was already saddened to leave the next morning, especially when the full moon blared an intense light through the valley and the skies cleared for my first look at the southern skies. Cities and cloudcover had prevented me from stargazing up to this point, and my first glimpse at the southern cross was every bit as magical as the past two days had been.
The ride down the trail the next morning was every bit as enjoyable as the ride up, and this time my mind was occupied by all of the epic sights and stories that had been crafted in the valley of the Cochamo river. These three days will forever define my journey to Chile, and my heart and mind are at ease when I think of all the wonderful people I met and of the stunning beauty provided to all of us by mother nature. How blessed we are to exist and to share in the enjoyment of this beautiful planet.
Below is a link to a Picasa album with all the pictures from the adventure. They are all out of order because my cell phone resets itself to 1980 everytime I power up. Don't ask me why!
Great to hear Buddy! I am glad to hear you are enjoying your adventures. "Not all those who wander are lost."
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