Slice of Life on the Road (Cochamo Day 2)

14 min readFeb 2, 2022

Day 2, continuation from Day 1 account.

In this account you’ll find philosophy, trespassing, idiocy, and hobbits. Again, apologies for my handwriting.

Edit: I’ve been asked to type it enough times, including by my dad, that I sucked it up and typed it up. Only edited for obvious grammar typos. Scroll down to see the original pages.

Typed Up Account

I wake up in the random dude’s backyard in my tent. Haven’t slept that well but check the time — it’s almost 9. I got packed.

I roll up to the ranger station (?) and Jas is there. She tries to radio Camping La Junta but no response. I have to go to the basecamp of Trawen, thankfully the first campsite.

I re-roll my ankle after 20 feet going back to get the Trawen reservation. Beautiful. It’s not as bad as the one from the previous day (same ankle), but it’s not nothing. I hobble back to the station. Jas hooks me up with some bandage wrap for my ankle. I feel good enough-ish (pretend to be fine though because she starts getting concerned about danger).

Roll up to the basecamp, pay 10k (instead of 8k at La Junta, ugh), fill my water, redo the bandages and go back to the station.

Satisfied with my slip of paper denoting reservation, Jas gives me the low down on the valley, and I go on my merry way — 11.5 km of hiking, only 300m of gain thankfully.

At first the going is slow. I’m ginger with my ankle. I picked up a walking stick at the ranger station which I think helps. I try to time the stick with my left foot. It’s not very natural, but I get it like 60% of the time.

The hike is through lush Valdivian forest. I see my first horse + rider going the other way. There’s multiple “trails” weaving in and out of each other. The trail has apparently been in use for hundreds of years and it shows.

The trails are more like valleys deeper than my height, at least the “man” paths. They show layers of sediment and are often muddy on the bottom. Up above on the walls are plants/vegetation, sometimes growing on a narrow ridge, the result of multiple valleys/paths on either side. There’s often trails on the top of the valleys as well, where I think the level of the soil was in the past — the valleys formed by hundreds of years of use & erosion. The valleys are often narrow at the bottom, just enough for feet, and sometimes have wooden planks, assumedly to help with mud build up. Assumedly the horses stick to the valleys, likely how they’ve continued to form and deepen — at least they did when I saw more horses.

It was very interesting to see a late stage trail, the effects of all that traffic and erosion over time, and showcased interesting hiker/horse pathfinding psychology. Many stick to the main path, but I think as it gets muddy, people start looking for alternative paths. These paths deepen as well until they’re as deep and muddy as the original, and by now the cycle has restarted. Hypothesis

My pace builds over time, the ankle support and walking stick of bamboo (the bamboo here is diff than in Asia! It has leaves growing at main joints like hairs) help and my ankle probably gets used to the strain. Eventually I’m going at close to full, comfortable pace.

The trail isn’t steep but it’s hot and I have a big backpack. I’m sweating pretty good and have to make stops primarily for heat. My cotton T shirt soaks up a lot of sweat. When I get hungry I have my trusty peanuts to munch on. Not sick of them yet, surprisingly. Though judging by how bottomless my stomach felt while snacking, being hungry helps a lot.

The trail is straightforward and well marked. The only place I get lost for a few minutes is where I follow the main valley which leads to a small stream crossing. When I look to the left I see a new foot bridge up above and cross there instead.

The forest and valleys/paths are nice but it’s the same forest/paths the whole way. A few nice fields. You can occasionally see the river through the trees on the right. The water is incredibly clear and beautiful.

Towards the end, you can start seeing glimpses of towering granite mountaintops! Starting to get excited.

I pass a couple that looks international and ask them how far to La Junta in broken Spanish. They respond in English. They’re a Canadian pair also in Chile for 2 months (!!!) But they’ve been here a month and in Torres del Paine. A month sounds like a super long time, but she’s recently recovering from a concussion so I guess they have to take it slow and rest a lot. Curious how they’ll feel about a month in Torres del Paine. 30–45 min out.

As I get closer, I see cables going across the river with a little car/seat/box thing on each. The first one I pass has some people in front, and the sign says max 1 person. I guess its to transport people across the river.

After passing a few more cable cars, views of the river, and a trailhead, I emerge into the valley. An audible “wow” escapes me. As promised, Yosemite valley like mountain tops and a U shaped valley from glaciers.

I arrive at Trawen very tired. The girl working speaks English, is super friendly and helpful. I ask if there’s time to do a short hike — she encourages me to do the Cascadas hike, which she says is just 2 hours total — it’s about 3 PM.

While I get my stuff ready, I see some familiar faces on the path outside the camp. We awkwardly double take for a while until he hollers “did we meet you in Pucon?” It’s a German couple in grad school that I met briefly in Pucon. They’ve been here a day but are leaving the next day. I had been planning on checking out La Junta to save a buck and apparently for potential international folks, but apparently they won’t be a reason for the move. They’re going to the Toboganes. I consider pivoting to go with them, but I stick with Cascadas, probably some combo of not much time with them, Toboganes being a bit short for my afternoon, not vibing hard with them.

Starting the Cascada hike ends up being a bit confusing. The girl had said just take the cable car across, go into camping Vista Hermosa, go left and start the trail. I start going up the campsite and someone hollers at me. I say “Cascadas” and he motions towards my left. I come to the trailhead and compare it to maps.me. Doesn’t look the right way.

Looks wrong according to the map at the ranger station also. Looks like the trail, according to the latter map, is over east a bit, but also looks like there’s a really straightforward, direct trail that goes along the river. (6.6 km vs like 2)

Armed with this, I go talk to the dude who hollered at me asking how to get to the Cascadas. He says the route on his property is roundabout, and says I should cross back to the other side, cable car back over further down the river, and start there — more direct.

Not really sure how this maps to what I see on maps.me, I start walking down the river towards the trailheads (?) without cable car-ing.

I eventually make it to the trailhead for Trinidad, which is what the ranger map says is the start of the Cascadas hike. I’m still curious about this direct path on maps.me, but I resolve to take it on the way down.

The way up is un poquito steep but in my tired, slightly injured state, it’s tiring. Add to this that the trail is narrow and not super well marked — I end up having to find my way back to the trail with maps.me multiple times.

Eventually I get to both waterfalls. They’re both very pretty. I had found 2 bamboo walking sticks on my way up. I wash them(ish) in the first waterfall. This one is more like water gliding down a giant slab of granite, I don’t stay very long or enjoy very much though due to the incessant hum of bugs near/trying to bite me. The second waterfall is huge but it’s inconvenient to get down to the pool. I’m not getting in anyways, don’t have my towel anyways, so I continue on after a brief view (bugs).

I continue down the straightforward path on maps.me. The trail is pretty straightforward and I’m feeling good about a shorter return trip. The bamboo sticks are earning their keep on the downhill.

Eventually I end up in the property of Camping Aventura. Don’t see anyone but the dog starts barking at me. I make my way to the river where it looks like their cable car is.

Cable car is locked. Great. No wonder Ventura doesn’t look open, it probably isn’t. Just don’t know if the owners are there and I’m about to get an earful.

Earlier during the hike I was thinking about security, and how I felt like I lacked it in the moment, and how I felt my security came from Jess. Chris Lee talking about wanting security post breakup made more sense, and I had a renewed sense of respect for people craving security.

I’ve since revisited this thought and refined further. (I think) security is really about the feeling of not lacking (being scarce) in base needs — maybe think Maslow’s hierarchy. So I could feel physically unsafe on the hike (not really but worried about, say, rerolling my ankle), and Jess would help but she’s not an expert in wilderness first aid and extraction. Vs when I’m feeling lonely I feel insecure and think of her as my primary source of companionship. I think as humans we need those base things — food, water, shelter, companionship, physical safety, etc. And we need the feeling that each of those won’t disappear on us — security (but domain specific).

Anyways, from the locked cable car I figure I have to get to the next cable car, around the river bend. I follow the trail (“trail” in some parts, definitely just hacking through underbrush in parts. I feel like I have a penchant for accidentally getting off trail). Eventually it leads to barbed wire.

At this point, I’m too deep. I’m like a kilometer from camp, I wasn’t going to hike back 7 km around after having already done like 18 km on a bum ankle. I think I find a gate to hop.

I continue across the trail, encounter more barbed wire and gates, which I go past another few times. Yay trespassing? I hope no angry owners come out to give me the business.

Eventually I get to some gates that aren’t locked! And they’re on the maps.me trail. I’m relieved. Along the way I had started to concoct a plan where I find a place to swim across the river, with valuables in my bag lifted overhead, hopefully out of the water. Questionable if it would’ve worked but thankfully didn’t need to try.

On the way back, I stop at La Junta. Sounds like there’s international folks there but the prospect of moving my tent sounds like a pain.

I finally make it to the cable car and cross to my campsite Trawen.

I ask on arrival about the Toboganes for tomorrow. She says they’re just 5 min away, follow the well marked trail and stay close to the river. I’m tired but need a shower. I say fuck it.

I get to the trailhead and start going up. There’s no trail on maps.me to the toboganes (natural waterslides), just a pin. I had forgotten that she had mentioned there were signs saying “T->” — wish I had remembered, would’ve saved my phone & flip flops).

It’s getting dark in the underbrush (like 6–7 PM), I’m tired AF, I’ve taken off the ankle support bandages and changed into flip flops. Maps.me says I’m 500 feet away, and I’m high up on the river.

I cut back and down towards the river in pseudo trails (not well marked), follow a water pipe for a while and give up. Eventually I find some well worn paths which I follow. Some walking through steepness and mud and much more than 5 min later…

I emerge at the Toboganes! Woo! But I’m kind of in the middle of them (where I emerge ends up where you start the sliding — poetic, as we will see). I had cut over early thinking I should put my stuff at the bottom of the falls so I could collect it after (I found out the next day that I was of course off trail and in the wrong spot.

I see people hanging with their stuff on the other side of the pool. I decide I’ll slowly shuffle down, cross the shallow river, and drop my stuff on the other side.

Of course the rocks are very slippery, and I slip down the granite slide a few feet into the river.

Fast flowing apparently. My pair of walking sticks and flip flops start flowing away from me. I leap towards them but only manage to grab one of the sticks. Bye bye flip flops.

I get up and stumble my way to the other side, assuredly stubbing my toes. I pull out my phone, now wet, and immediately turn it off. Hopefully in time and I’m able to dry it sufficiently — we’ll see when I leave the valley.

I take inventory — my wallet is damp, but not soaked (hopefully good sign for my phone). My down jacket is a bit wet in the sleeves (I set it out to dry) and my Tinder sweater is dry. My shirt and shorts are pretty soaked but I take them off to dry anyways.

Obviously onlookers have been amused and checked if I was OK. I swim across the freezing river to the slide spot and slide once. It’s fun but I’m not in the mood — I’m in my underwear and it’s cold — no sun, all shade from trees.

I ask the group of guys how to get to Trawen. They point and indicate straight & narrow trail (?). Not really sure how that works geographically but I have no phone and I’m desperate, so good enough for me. I oblige them for a selfie and my IG handle.

I put on my wet shorts, my Tinder sweater, and drape my down over my shoulders Hamptons style. And now shoeless, set off on the trail they’ve told me.

It’s wide, not narrow like they said. Yolo. Walking barefoot really isn’t that bad — the ground is pretty soft.

At some point, the image of Frodo pops into my head. I feel like a fucking hobbit haha. Walking stick, barefoot, down “clock”. Lord of the Rings music starts playing. My mood instantly brightens as I amuse myself with the Hobbit idea. At the end I walk through abandoned campsites and a “registration Trawen” sign. I’m close.

I eventually follow the trail to a river. Not really sure where to go from here. Luckily, some horseback riders go by on the other side. I holler at one “donde Trawen?” She points to her other side. Guess I’m crossing the river.

Pretty sure there was a river scene in the “Fellowship of the Ring” right? I cross the river, freezing but thankfully only knee deep, not a problem for my already wet shorts. The walking stick is also a life saver for balance. I work out a 2 points of contact system.

I reach the other side! I follow the path like 20 meters, come to some barbed wire that’s been lifted, and on the other side I see green grass and tents! I’ve made it to Trawen! My walk across the site is triumphant. “There and back again — a hobbit’s journey”.

I’m famished. I make pasta and oil tuna. Works great. Slightly more than half w/ water & half the pasta bag.

While I eat, I think about the ramifications of no longer having a phone. I realize I probably at a minimum need maps.me for hiking the next day, given my off trail tendencies. Looks like I need to make a friend. I think about going to La Junta but in the kitchen area, I strike broken conversation with a Chilean guy and his girlfriend. I previously asked for recommendations for the next day (not crazy intense hike) and was suggested Trinidad or Paloma. The couple is going to Paloma the next day. I ask if I can join — Boom! Friends made. Thank God.

I’m feeling the urge to write, and also enjoy the nice sunset, so I write the story of the previous day. I am pleased with my work.

I realize I’ll need a flashlight so I power up my back up phone (Thanks Jess! Her very old phone). I brush my teeth and prepare for bed. But I notice a few stars, the light is about to go out from the horizon. I figure I can stay up a bit longer to see some estrellas.

I head back into the common area, where lo and behold, the 3 dudes that I selfied with at the toboganes are eating dinner!

I chat with them for a while, they’re young, about 20. One guy that’s been to Cochamo a lot also apparently works on fishing boats. 21 days on in Punta Arenas, 21 days off in Puerto Montt. He says it’s easy to get jobs with experience but very hard to get your first job. We’re not so different after all.

I say that I’ll leave at 9, in a few min. Turns out the old phone is on east coast time, so 2 hours slow. It’s 11 PM.

I go look at stars for a bit and go to bed. Rest well deserved.

Day 1 if you missed it.