Tours and Activities:

The Queulat Hanging Snowdrift

We got deep into the evergreen forest and discovered a snowdrift formed in the fissure of a rocky mountain. At any season, it pours its icy waters in the shape of a waterfall.

During our tour around the town of Puyuhuapi, we were invited to see the Hanging Snowdrift located in the Queulat National Park. We wondered whether we had ever seen a snowdrift and we got “no” for an answer.

A great occasion to reach this place as part of the tours we had already programmed. We wanted to learn something else about this wonder of nature formed thousands of years ago. As well, we wished to get to capture its essence and its amazing continuance in time with the help of an experienced guide from the national park and portray all this in some photographs.

We traveled south along the Southern Road surrounded by lush vegetation and, 19 kilometers ahead, we spotted a CONAF sign indicating the access to Queulat National Park.

We were welcomed by an evergreen very thick forest with well-marked trails and signs reading the names of the tree species and the park ranger house, two kilometers away from the entrance. We talked to him in order to start our tour around the reserve in an orderly manner.

Our expectations to find the snowdrift made us choose that destination from all the others within the park. Three trails start at the parking lot in the camping site area and we took the one leading to the longed-for vantage point.

Hiking towards the Ancient Jewel

We felt the protection of the trees during the 3.5 kilometers we covered at a slop pace and enjoying that wonderful environment to reach the snowdrift.

The climbing plants took advantage of friendly trunks to live on them and there were countless varieties of flowers showing off before our eyes along the way. We found Chilean rhubarbs and huge ferns at first and then the vegetation changed according to the height we gained.

We crossed the Ventisquero River, the first vantage point, and when we noticed the moraine and the indicating signs, we realized the snowdrift was not far. Some meters ahead, the vantage point promised a spectacular view of that hanging wonder.

From the vantage point, everything can be seen together: a triangle of compressed snow falling down in meltdown water; an icy waterfall pouring into that alley made of black rocks shaped by deep grooves, among mountain ranges.

It was hard for us to understand that the everlasting ice co-exists with the wetlands and the lush forest, all this appearing before our eyes. A clear explanation was provided by our guide.

Our Eyes Wet, Our Emotions Contained

Nature offers us this wonder and we just have to go and find it. We felt deeply touched to have listened to the advice somebody had given us not to leave Puyuhuapi without reaching this nook in the middle of the rainforest and taking us home this sight we could certainly not miss.

A great part of the Queulat National Park may be toured by car, but the most representative, unknown and wildest areas must be covered on foot. This is a sample of glaciers with snowdrifts which are constantly on the move.

The Témpanos Lagoon may be accessed from this point. Experienced visitors may continue their way across the valley to the source of the Guillermo River, with prior authorization granted by the Park Ranger.

There are special areas where camping and picnic are authorized. Outside the park, this is allowed only on the Northern shore of Lake Risopatrón.

We learned that flora and fauna include a wide range of species in the park. Birds and mammals live freely all throughout this territory. But we could just spot some birds crying in fear of our presence and some ducks playing in a pond.

The visit was coming to an end and we slowly abandoned the Queulat National Park with the feeling of having watched that magnificent snowdrift pleased to have enjoyed its environment in such a personal way. Our wish had just been fulfilled.

Contact

CONAF

, (6010000) , Puyuhuapi, XI Región Aisén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo

See also: Hotels in Puyuhuapi and other accommodation venues