The Camping Weekend in the Chilean Andes was one of the most beautiful, memorable experiences of my exchange year. It was probably the most spontaneous trip of my life – on Friday afternoon, I was still thinking I would be going on a little excursion with my host mother. By the evening I was squeezing everything I needed for a whole weekend of camping into my rucksack! The campsite in Parque Inglés had opened at short notice, and since we didn’t know when we would next have the opportunity to take a whole weekend off, we bought the tickets straight away!
Arriving at the parque inglés
With the motorbike, a rucksack squeezed between us and another one on the back, we set off from Talca on Saturday morning. After an hour and a half’s drive, we reached the national park. Since our last visit, it had adapted to the approaching summer: the leaves on the trees were now large and green and provided wonderful shade! We registered at the park entrance and were asked to be back by 4 p.m. the next day. That’s when the rangers’ shift ends, and there is no one left at reception to check that we come back safely.
Hiking through foggy forests
Then our adventure began. The first section of the hike led through sparse forest with small trees, which soon grew taller and covered us with their leaves. It was a sunny, fresh day, perfect for hiking! We were also lucky with the animals: a whole family of woodpeckers was pecking at a tree trunk in front of us. They had partially or completely red heads and were much larger than the woodpeckers I knew from Germany. Their calls and the way they pecked also sounded different. We stood very close to their tree, and I was fascinated by their bright colours and long, pointed beaks.
As we continued walking, my host mum almost tripped over a small snake! It disappeared into its hole in the ground in a flash. Otherwise, our hike was accompanied by lots of lizards and colourful beetles.
Further up in the mountains, the clouds hung low and touched the treetops. It was time to get our jackets out. The forest had also changed – from deciduous trees to conifers that reminded me of Christmas trees. It was a mystical atmosphere, and I could have imagined being in Norway, with a troll about to peek around the corner!
The Camping “El bolsón”
After about 2½ hours, we reached the tree line and scrambled over bamboo and barren stone plains. Our way went up and down, and after four hours, we finally reached our destination – Camping El Bolsón. It is located on a grassy plain between two mountains, and you have a phenomenal view of a particularly beautiful, barren peak. We pitched our tent and ate something, enjoying the sight. Then we rested for two hours. As it was cloudy, we couldn’t really see much of the rest of the landscape, and an icy wind drove us into the tent. Later, however, we got up again to walk to some beautiful waterfalls (only ten minutes away), which are great for swimming in summer. The spectacular view of the mountains and the water gave me a deep sense of peace and, in a very special way, inner calm.
We went to bed early, exhausted but happy.
Wildlife, Waterfalls and mountain mornings
The next morning, we were awakened by the song of bright orange birds. They swarmed across the plain. When I poked my nose out of the tent, I was amazed. It was a glorious morning, and in the sunshine, a view full of peaks and steep ridges spread out before me. Small mountain flowers competed with the birds for brightness, and a condor circled above the plain. We spent the morning enjoying the sun, munching on avocado toast, strolling across the plain and taking some breathtaking photos. We also discovered small pools of water with lots of tadpoles and the accompanying little frogs, called Ranita Bonita.
Saying Goodbye to the mountains
We packed up our tent and left our rucksacks behind to make a quick detour to the “Salto del Indio”, the furthest waterfall in the park. We actually wanted to stay longer in this wonderful weather and just admire the mountains, but it was already very late. The descent was easy on the legs but hard on the heart; we managed it in a record time of 2½ hours. Nevertheless, we had spent too much time on the plain and didn’t arrive at the park entrance until around 7 o’clock. Fortunately, there is also a box where you can leave your tickets if you arrive late. You drop them in, and later the rangers check to see if everyone has returned.
The weekend in the mountains did not pass without leaving its mark on me – my legs protested when I got on the motorbike. But in my head, there was a wonderful peace that you can only feel in nature. With a light heart, we drove back home, the warm afternoon wind on our faces. I already felt wanderlust for the mountains and the feeling of freedom that these vast landscapes give me. The Camping in the Chilean Andes reminded me again how small we are, and how big and wonderful this world is. Bye, Parque Inglés – we’ll be back!
What you should know before Camping in the Chilean Andes
If you now think, “Huh, that sounds like something I wanna try!”, keep these things in mind:
- Depending on the weather, the campsite opens differently each season.
- You don’t have any signal, warm water or electricity up there.
- The only person who can help you is the ranger who lives in a small house on the plain during the camping season, in case of an emergency.
- There are bathrooms with toilets and showers, but the water is cold and you have to bring your own toilet paper.
- Even if you start your tour at 35 degrees, take a jacket with you – the temperature in the mountains can be very different from that in the valley, especially on windy days!
- Don’t leave any trash in the park – even banana peels have to be taken with you, so don’t forget your bin bag!
- If you don’t want to camp, you can also visit the plain on a day trip – but I promise you, staying there for just a few hours is not enough!
Wanna know what else to visit in the Parque Inglés? Check out my post about the smaller hikes in the park! That’s everything you need to know. I hope you have a wonderful time exploring the wilderness of the Andes!
Chilli and wanderlust,
Latika
