Sigue la ruta patrimonial de Rosselot desde el campo al mar
Trail photos
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Trail stats
- Distance
- 45.72 mi
- Elevation gain
- 2,028 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 2,165 ft
- Max elevation
- 412 ft
- TrailRank
-
39
5
- Min elevation
- 0 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Coordinates
- 701
- Uploaded
- April 16, 2014
- Recorded
- April 2014
near La Junta, Aisén (Chile)
Viewed 1932 times, downloaded 10 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Waypoints
River
0 ft
Río Palena
El gran río Palena nace en el extremo oriental del lago binacional llamado Palena en Chile, y Vintter o General Paz en Argentina. Su cuenca cubre 12.887 km2, con un 56,5 por ciento en territorio chileno. El río Palena es de origen glacial. Tras un recorrido de 240 kilómetros desemboca cerca del puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda. En balsa, el Palena es navegable en toda su extensión -de cordillera a mar- y su último tramo de 80 kilómetros también puede ser recorrido en kayak de travesía, deporte para el que este río es un referente a nivel mundial. Sin duda toda la cuenca tiene un potencial turístico considerable. La pesca recreativa es actualmente su atractivo principal.En este río se desarrolla cada año una actividad deportiva llamada la "bajada del Palena".
Waypoint
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La Junta, El Pueblo del Encuentro
Km 0 - Pueblo de La Junta, el punto de encuentro y comienzo de la Ruta Patrimonial. Ya te hemos contado del llamado “Pueblo del Encuentro”, la localidad principal de la zona Palena-Queulat, con 1300 habitantes y todos los servicios básicos (y no tan básicos, porque en realidad es posible encontrar de todo) que necesitas para tu viaje. Mucho antes de que existieran los caminos, el río Palena era la vía de transporte más importante del sector, complementado por algunas sendas rústicas hacia poblados como Lago Verde, Chaitén, Puyuhuapi y los valles interiores. La Junta era conocida en esos años como Palena Medio y era el lugar de reunión de todo: los ríos, las sendas y especialmente los arreos de animales provenientes de los distintos valles cercanos para ser trasladados hacia sus destinos de venta. Uno de los destinos de salida era Bajo Palena, hoy conocido como Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda.
Photo
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Mirador Confluencia río Rosselot con el río Palena
Km 5,6 Mirador que marca la confluencia del río Rosselot y Río Palena. Desde La Junta, toma el camino lateral X-12 hacia el oeste, siguiendo la ruta que propuso Rosselot tantos años atrás. Encontrarás varios miradores con espectaculares vistas del río Palena, actor clave en el desarrollo de esta zona, ya que fue la vía de ingreso desde la zona costera hacia finales de la década de 1930 para los pobladores, materiales de construcción y los animales necesarios para crear los primeros asentamientos. Te recomendamos bajar de tu auto o bici a contemplarlo y tratar de imaginar a los colonos tratando de remontar la corriente río arriba en precarios botes de madera. Ascenso que por cierto tomaba varios días, incluso semanas.
Beach
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Termas El Sauce
En el Km 12 de la ruta entre La Junta y Raúl Marín Balmaceda, se ubica el fundo El Sauce, de propiedad del antiguo colono Ildefonso Berger Wiehoff, conocido como don Foncho. Siendo muy niño, navegó con su padre desde Puerto Montt a Raúl Marín Balmaceda en el verano de 1959, para remar después río arriba por cinco días. Con hacha en mano se asentaron en un terreno que hoy alberga a su esposa, tres hijos, su ganado y unas termas que llevan el mismo nombre de su campo. Las termas están ubicadas 5 km al oeste de la casa; 3 km hacia al interior desde el camino principal. Al llegar encontrarás piscinas acondicionadas con piedras y maderas de ciprés en medio del bosque siempreverde. Las termas son administradas por Claudio Berger, ((09) 94542711; alejvc@hotmail.com), uno de los hijos de don Foncho, y al cual debes solicitar las llaves del portón de acceso a las termas, si es que las visitas en temporada baja (marzo a diciembre). Durante los meses de enero y febrero, la tranquera está abierta de 9:30 a 20:30, lunes a domingo.
Photo
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Mirador Valle y brazo del río Palena
Km 25 - Mirador Valle y brazo del río Palena. Es un buen mirador para ver toda la magnitud del río, con un ancho, caudal y colores impresionantes, rodeado de vegetación nativa y caídas de agua.
Photo
157 ft
Mirador Volcán Melimoyu
Km 39,7 - Mirador volcán Melimoyu. Si tienes la suerte de tener un día despejado, este es el punto con la mejor vista del volcán Melimoyu, una imponente mole cubierta de nieve y glaciares. La traducción literal de su nombre mapuche es "Cuatro ubres" (Meli = cuatro, Moyu = ubre), porque desde el cráter se levantan dos conos mayores y dos menores. Es uno de los volcanes activos de la Patagonia y protagonista de varios mitos y leyendas. Algunos le atribuyen energías especiales, otros dicen que es un paso al “centro hueco de la Tierra” y otros lo han vinculado a la Ciudad de los Césares. Creas o no, si la belleza te impresiona, este lugar de seguro te resultará mágico.
River
153 ft
Río Correntoso
Km 40 - Río Correntoso. Es todo un espectáculo de fuerza y color, por ello cuenta con una zona de detención y mirador que no debes dejar de disfrutar. El caudal es abundante y arrastra troncos hasta el río Palena, lo que antiguamente era una enorme pesadilla para las vulnerables embarcaciones de los colonos que pasaban por el lugar.
Photo
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Mirador Río Palena y antiguo puerto del río.
Km 46,2 - Antiguo puerto del río. Desde este lugar se tiene una vista inmejorable de un brazo del río Palena completo y hay una bajada a un antiguo puerto. Los puertos a lo largo de esta ruta eran lugares que espontáneamente se escogían para desembarcar o embarcar, según la profundidad y acceso despejado a tierra firme.
River
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Río Cascada
Km 48,1 - Río Cascada. Esta caída de agua impresiona por la fuerza y color. Si lo visitas durante el invierno, lo sentirás rugir por el caudal que lleva. En verano disminuye notablemente, pero como la lluvia es abundante nunca deja de caer.
Photo
82 ft
Mirador Bahía Rincón
Km 51,3 - Mirador Bahía Rincón. Los meandros son las curvas que presenta un río y este es el mejor sector para apreciar cómo va serpenteando el río entre la vegetación. Foto panorámica asegurada.
Mooring point
19 ft
Barcaza Río Palena
Km 63 - Barcaza Río Palena. Es hora de cruzar el río Palena en una barcaza para llegar a la isla Raúl Marín Balmaceda. Son apenas cinco minutos de cruce, que cambiaron la vida de los pobladores para siempre.
Waypoint
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Isla Leones, Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda
Km 73 – Isla de Los Leones, el actual Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda. Fue una de las colonias más antiguas de la Región de Aysén, fundada el 4 de enero de 1889 con el nombre de Isla de Los Leones. Ese primer intento fracasó por las distancias que separaban a la población y los lugares de pastoreo y por la falta de aportes del Estado. Después la colonización continuó a duras penas, principalmente por parte de chilotes, hasta que en la década de 1930 la constitución del villorrio de Puerto Palena o Bajo Palena, marcó un hito y constituyó la base para la exploración y colonización de las tierras interiores. El poblado cambió su nombre en 1957 a Raúl Marín Balmaceda, en honor a un senador que fallece en Santiago de un repentino y fulminante ataque al corazón, durante una reunión en que justamente hablaba de la zona.
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Travel Rosselot’s historic route from the valleys to the sea
The Heritage Route between La Junta and Raul Marin Balmaceda offers great views of the Palena River, evergreen forests, streams, waterfalls and historic farmhouses of the pioneers who first settled the area. Meander, take pictures, visit natural hot springs, learn a little history and end this adventure with a barefoot walk in the sand on the beaches of the Island of the Lions.
It was the summer of 1894, and the Chilean Government had commissioned two expeditions in the area of Baja Palena. Hans Steffen was in charge of an exploration of the territory with the mission to deliver technical background data to support Chile’s position in the boundary dispute with Argentina that emerged after the treaty of 1881. Elias Rosselot, the State appointed Inspector of Colonization of the Area, was charged with the responsibility of determining the best overland route for future roads between the coast and the interior. He was told to develop this recommendation in collaboration with Steffen, but both had different positions: Steffen intended to make the road along the north shore, as it had fewer tributaries feeding the Palena River (thus less bridges and engineering costs); while,Rosselot defended the idea of routing the road along the south bank of the Palena, because the valley was wider and situated farther from the river; thus there was more space.
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Travel Rosselot’s historic route from the valleys to the sea
The debate was put on the back burner for 114 long years, until finally, the road connecting La Junta with Raul Marin Balmaceda was completed in 2009. And time confirmed the vision of Rosselot; engineers constructed the road following the southern shore of the Palena River. Two years later (2010), the road was declared a Heritage Route, for its potential to highlight the fascinating and difficult history of colonization in this sector, in addition to allow visitors to enjoy its incredible beauty. You can explore this route in vehicle or by bike, and will encounter several great scenic overlooks of the Palena River, waterfalls, historic farmhouses, volcanos and diverse flora that becomes increasingly lush and dense as the adventure progresses toward the coast.
The debate was put on the back burner for 114 long years, until finally, the road connecting La Junta with Raul Marin Balmaceda was completed in 2009. And time confirmed the vision of Rosselot; engineers constructed the road following the southern shore of the Palena River. Two years later (2010), the road was declared a Heritage Route, for its potential to highlight the fascinating and difficult history of colonization in this sector, in addition to allow visitors to enjoy its incredible beauty. You can explore this route in vehicle or by bike, and will encounter several great scenic overlooks of the Palena River, waterfalls, historic farmhouses, volcanos and diverse flora that becomes increasingly lush and dense as the adventure progresses toward the coast. /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584756
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Palena River /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584756
Km 0 - La Junta, the “pueblo of encounters”
Km 0 - La Junta, the “pueblo of encounters” and the beginning of the Heritage Route. We've already told you of La Junta’s role as a primary meeting place for area settlers. It’s the largest town of the Palena - Queulat area, with more than 1,300 inhabitants and all the basic services (and not so basic, because it really is possible to find almost everything) that you need for your trip. Long before there were roads, the Palena River was the major transport artery of the sector, complemented by some trails leading toward the villages of the interior, like Lago Verde, Chaiten, Puyuhuapi and some of the more remote valleys. La Junta was known in those years as Palena Medio and was the meeting place of everything: the rivers, trails and of course, the livestock being moved from farms and estancias to regional ports and markets. One of the ports was located in Bajo Palena, now known as Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda. /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584757
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Km 0 - La Junta, the “pueblo of encounters” /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584757
Km 5.6 Overlook that marks the confluence of the Palena and Rosselot Rivers. From La Junta, take Route X-12 to the west, following the route that Rosselot proposed more than a century ago. You will find several overlooks with spectacular views of the Palena River, a critical resource for the development of this area, since it served as the first means of transport between the coastal zone and the interior valleys, providing a viable option for pioneers to move construction materials, animals and other supplies, during the years of the colonization, from the late 1930s, and forward. We recommend that you park your cars or bikes and walk to get a good view of the confluence. From here, you canimagine settlers trying to paddling upstream in makeshift wooden boats, called chatas. By the time they reached this confluence, they had likely been battling the river for weeks. This sector of the route borders meadows and fields and you’ll likely see livestock grazing; settlers had to work for years, even lifetimes, to prepare these fields for livestock. Almost the whole area was marshlands and forests! /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584758
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Km 5.6 Overlook that marks the confluence of the Palena and Rosselot Rivers /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584758
In kilometer 12 you will encounter the El Sauce Ranch, owned by pioneer Ildefonso Berger Wiehoff, also known as Don Foncho. As a young child, in the summer of 1959, Don Fonchosailed with his father from Puerto Montt to Raul Marin Balmaceda, to establish this ranch after rowing up river for five days. With an ax in hand they established their claim in these lands; which, today are home to he and his wife, their three sons, their livestock and the El Sauce thermal baths. The hot springs are located 5 km further west of the house. The entrance is along the X-12 Heritage Route and from there, you drive 3 km along a farm road before arriving at the baths, which consist of a bath house with bathrooms, changing rooms, an area for barbecuing anda small path leading into a forested glade where you will find the thermal baths, made more comfortable by cypress decking and a floor of river pebbles. The hot springs are managed by Claudio Berger ((09) 94542711; alejvc@hotmail.com), one of Don Foncho’s sons. During the summer months of January and February, the gate is open from 9:30 to 20:30, Monday to Sunday. During the rest of the year, you can call from La Junta to arrange access. /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584759
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El Sauce thermal baths /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584759
Km 25 – Palena River Valley Overlook
This is a good vantage point to take in the full scale of the river, revealing its width, powerful flow and striking colors. The surrounding valley is densely filled with native vegetation. /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584760
Km 39.7 – Melimoyu Volcano Overlook
If you are graced with a clear day, this is your place for the best views of the Melimoyu Volcano, an imposing cone covered with snow and glaciers. The literal translation of its mapuche name is "Four udders" (Meli = four, Moyu = udder), because there are four cones rising up inside the crater. It is one of Patagonia’s active volcanoes and the protagonist of several myths and legends. Some attribute special energies, others say it is the doorway to the center of the Earth, and still others have linked it to the elusive,“City of the Caesars”. Whether you subscribe to any (or all) of these myths is your choice, but, if natural beauty impresses you,you will surely find this place magical. /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584761
Km 40 - Correntoso River
Power, strength and color that merits a stop to really enjoy. There’s a small area for parking near the overlook that you shouldn’t pass by. The flow of this river makes it easy to understand why, during the days of the pioneers, its convergence with the Palena River produced huge nightmares for the vulnerable vessels that were frequently confronted with trees and other obstacles that the Correntoso had dragged along its course. /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584762
Km 46.2 – Historic River Port
From this overlook, you will have an unbeatable view of the Palena River and one of the ancient ports used by settlers. The ports along this route evolved spontaneously in places with adequate depth and clear access to the shores, factors critical for safe loading and off-loading. /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584763
Km 48.1 - Cascada River
An impressive waterfall, for its strength and color. Winter visitors will be treated to a wonderful roar from its rapids. In the summer the flow decreases markedly, but abundant rain maintain its beautiful presence. /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584764
Km 63 - Palena River Ferry
Here, you’ll cross the Palena River by ferry, so as to access the island of Raúl Marín Balmaceda, formerly known as the Island of the Lions. Today, only 5 minutes separate the island from the port on the other side, but historically, the trip required several hours and clearly, did not allow for vehicle movement. The addition of this ferry has changed the lives of local inhabitants forever. /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584766
Km 51.3 – Mirador of Rincón Bay
This is the best sector to see meandering curves of the Palena River as it makes its way amongst the dense vegetation. Panoramic Photo guaranteed. /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584765
Km 73 - Island of the Lions, a.k.a. Puerto Bajo Palena, a.k.a. Raúl Marín Balmaceda
One of the oldest colonies of the Aysén Region, founded on January 4, 1889, with the name of, Island of the Lions. This first colony failed due to the distances that separated the population and the places for grazing (It wasn’t called Island of Lions for nothing!), and due to lack of support from the State. In later years, small scale colonization attempts continued, mainly impulsed by chilotes, who migrated from the island of Chiloé. It was not until the 1930's that the colony was officially founded as the hamlet of Puerto Bajo Palena, a milestone for the sector. Puerto Bajo Palena was used as the base for the exploration and colonization of the interior valley, including the area of La Junta. The village changed names again in 1957 to Raúl Marín Balmaceda, in honor of a Senator who died in Santiago, after a sudden and violent heart attack during a meeting in which he had just spoken of the area. . /outdoor-trails/sigue-la-ruta-patrimonial-de-rosselot-desde-el-campo-al-mar-6584755#wp-6584767