In search of the contrasting landscapes of the Mañihuales sector
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 53.94 mi
- Elevation gain
- 4,810 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 4,813 ft
- Max elevation
- 2,697 ft
- TrailRank
- 26
- Min elevation
- 463 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Coordinates
- 332
- Uploaded
- June 28, 2014
- Recorded
- June 2014
near Villa Mañihuales, Aisén (Chile)
Viewed 894 times, downloaded 3 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Waypoints
Waypoint
2,000 ft
El Toqui Mine
A little further the road descends and levels out, and here you will find the welcome signs for the El Toqui mine and shortly thereafter, the camp itself, with various houses painted in bright colors, machinery and the infrastructure, including offices, the mines and of course, the overflow pools. The scale and modernity of the infrastructure are impressive and in stark contrast with the natural and rural landscapes of the area. Nyrstar (www.nyrstar.com) a Belgian company, is owner of the deposit, with 460 direct workers and another 200 contractors. In this sector you will also want to be careful, first, for the presence of trucks and buses of the mine, and second, because the company sometimes reroutes the roads to prevent problems between their trucks and passenger vehicles. Follow the signs carefully!
Photo
2,019 ft
Two small streams
Once you’ve passed the mine, follow the signage indicating the public road that winds its way toward the tiny village of El Gato. The landscape changes dramatically, transporting you from the modern realities of heavy industry to scenery that has existed practically untouched for centuries. What more appropriate gateway to mark this sharp contrast than two small streams that stand between you and the road you must follow?!? There’s no bridge here so you’ll need to cross; they are small and should be no problem; engage your 4-wheel drive and then advance slowly and steadily to the other side.
Photo
1,379 ft
El Gato
Now that you’ve met these early challenges, the rest of the route is a piece of cake. Just after the streams, you’ll encounter a fork in the road (Km 45) and you’ll bear to the right. From there you’ll just follow the road. In the first few kilometers, you’ll wind past country churches and beautiful wetlands full of native and migratory birds, lagoons, creeks and natural pools that almost touch the road. At the end of the giant wetland you’ll encounter an enormous field with millions of yellow, pink, or purple flowers, depending on the season. From here the road begins to climb toward a beautiful pass with a mature native forest of lenga and ñirre that glows with vibrant oranges and yellows and reds in autumn. In this sector you’ll encounter pioneer era barns and fences that show century old building practices, including canogas (hollowed out trees, halved lengthwise and overlapped to form rustic roofs), tejuelas (axe hued wooden shingles) and traditional “palo a pique” fences. Keep a watch for gauchos working with cattle and sheep in this area; you may even be treated to a show as they round up their animals using Patagonian sheepdogs. Toward the end of this road, you’ll make a steep descent into the tiny village of El Gato. Here you’ll notice the tragic implications of the fires, with a landscape heavily impacted by deforestation and erosion. El Gato is a tiny place, familiar only to its inhabitants and fly-fishermen who come to visit the exclusive lodges that are located in this area. But collections of tiny villages like this were precisely how this region began its course of development: widespread collections of a couple of houses in the middle of immense nature that little by little began to grow and form villages. El Gato remains tiny however, it does have a couple of small markets, where you can stop for a snack, a rural school, a first-aid post and a community center.
Waypoint
0 ft
Villa Mañihuales
Some of the services available in Villa Mañihuales include: - Cabañas La Ruka - Eusebio Ibar 865; (09)78003768 - 85285259; egcaro@hotmail.es - Residencial Mañihuales - Eusebio Ibar 280; (067) 2431403; pablo.caromansilla@gmail.com - Camping Mañihuales National Reserve - Las Lavanderas Km 65; Reserve with the park guards. - Restaurant Lucymarc - General Marchant 141; (09) 97661027 - 81923249; lucy.pizarro.prado@gmail.com - La Cocina de Yussef - Carretera Austral s/n, Popular restaurant with travelers who are seeking a break from the Carretera Austral and a great lunch or coffee. - Supermercado Carretera Austral - Carretera Austral s/n, This supermaket has a bit of everything, including an ATM Cash Machine. - Panadería y Provisiones El Camionero - Carretera Austral s/n, This small market offers great food, to go, like empanadas, chaparritas and sandwiches. They offer a public bathroom, free to customers and a few hundred pesos for others. - Cafetería Luis Nick - Carretera Austral northern end of town; (067) 2431376 - (09) 85285259; great lunches and sandwiches.
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