By Hailey Kellison of University of Puget Sound
My first backpacking trip in Patagonia entailed a 12 km hike in the lower region of Aysen within the Patagonia national park. My group was led by my instructors Sara, Claudia, and Nick. They are all biologists and along with being my field guides are also my professors. Our hike began with a steep start that continued for the first four km or so. With intermediate flat areas and shade to provide much-needed rest to me and the rest of my group. I mostly stayed in the back with Sara who took this opportunity to bird watch and point out species.
Whereas in the front Claudia was able to point various plants and other flora to our group. We stopped for lunch at what looked to be an abandoned structure with little to nothing inside. The group prepared sandwiches for themselves and then some sunbathed in the early afternoon sun. We reapplied our sunscreen and adjusted our packs and then left for the next part of our hike. We eventually got a site of lake Cochrane and its beautiful blue water.
The hike was less steep compared to the first part and provided streams for me to dip my hat into to provide some relief from the heat. The wet hat along with the two liters of water I brought made for a cooler experience than some of my counterparts. The original place we had planned to camp had a lack of a water source and the group decided to move to our second campsite that was originally meant for the second day. Since the beginning of the hike was climbing a steep hill and our new campsite was at the lake below, it meant that the last bit of our hike was our descent from the hills we had climbed. This meant careful steps had to be taken to ensure we would not fall on our face. Once down the mountain, we passed vacation houses that we suspected used to be available for people to stay in. These housed were in the shape of a square but rotated on to one point. In total, we saw about five of these houses. The terrain was filled with long grass and was also sloped due to the hills behind us. This made finding a place to set up our tents quite difficult. But eventually, we all found a place for the five tents the eleven of us had brought. My tent buddy Lilly and I set ours up next to the abandoned houses. The rest of this day was filled with a comforting stir fry meal and a swim (for me) in the lake that was luckily only a short minute walk away. The next day we all celebrated not having to backpack. We made breakfast which consisted of oatmeal which is a staple for Round River in the mornings when in the field. I dressed mine in flax seed, Chia seed, and cinnamon. The rest of the day was spent primarily on studies which included learning how to use a compass with Nick and discussions of readings with Sara. We concluded our day with a delicious spaghetti meal that was cooked for us as a treat by our field guides. This meal for me was followed by me reading and then going to bed to be ready to leave and return to base camp the next day. We woke up bright and early and began the process of taking down our tent which left me time to begin boiling the water for our classic breakfast. I dressed my oatmeal with the same toppings and, once done, packed my backpack to leave. The hike back, although steep, was more spread out compared to the first day.
This hike was along the lake as we were traversing through the cliffs that made up a large part of the sides of the lake. This meant there were some exposed parts. Lunch was at a moderately trafficked lookout point with a deck which provided some seating for our meal. Sandwiches were consumed and we resumed our hike back to the starting point we had been at only a few days prior. At one point in the hike, we climbed a large rocky hill that led to another beautiful view of the lake. Eventually we made it back to the start where the van was parked, and I proceeded to take off my shoes and watch my group members show off their handstand abilities. This trip was a great start to my semester in Patagonia. The weather was beautiful with no rain and great views which I hope continue throughout this semester.