Elemental Magic: Hiking Through The Cochamó Valley

Whenever you hike a trail, where does your mind go? Are you thinking about work details, a conversation, or how long until you get to the summit? 

Hiking through the Cochamó Valley Nature Sanctuary in Chile is a contemplation of the four elements, and the way they interact to create an ever changing balance.

It’s magical; the way water breaks down the old trees, whose rotting trunks nurse new seedlings, whose flexible green shoots seek the fiery sun, whose rays melts the summit glaciers into ponds, whose waves ripple against the force of the screaming wind, whose currents carries the birds, whose bodies carry the seeds.

‍

A History Of Strength

The low-lying Cochamó Valley is a 150-year-old rambling trail used by gauchos (the Chilean-Argentinian version of a cowboy) herding their cattle through the Andes. This is the part of Chile where the temperate rainforest ends and the sharp peaks of Patagonia begins. Known as the “Yosemite Valley of South America,” the Cochamó Valley’s huge granite mountain walls attract climbers from across the globe, while its challenging trails invite as many backpackers.

But lovers of nature aren’t the only ones attracted to the lush valley. In 2009, a proposed hydroelectric project threatened to exploit Cochamó’s main tributaries. Local residents organized to stop the project and reserve the Cochamó River basin for conservation and local development via Presidential decree.

Since then, groups like Puelo Patagonia and the Organización de Valle Cochamó have continuously halted projects attempting to disturb the thousands of species who rely on the wetlands and forests. 

The two organizations successfully nominated the area for stricter protections, and in 2023, Chile’s Ministry of Environment declared it a National Sanctuary; 11,432 hectares (28,250 acres) north of the river are now safeguarded for generations.

However, the remaining territory is on private land, remaining at-risk to extractive and real estate development. In response, multiple international organizations have launched Conserva Puchegüín, a campaign to raise $78 million within 7 years to purchase 133,000 hectares (325,000 acres) that comprise glaciers, lakes, forests, and bogs. While around 20% of funds are raised, the campaign still seeks donors worldwide.

But in order to truly know what’s worth saving, you have to see the Cochamó Valley for yourself.

‍

Entering The Valley

The valley cannot be experienced in a day. In fact, the first day is usually spent driving 8km to the trailhead, then hiking another 8 km along the valley to reach La Junta, where multiple campsites serve as the central point to the winding trails of Trinidad, Paloma, Arcoiris, Cascadas and Anfiteatro. The season is open between December and May, and it only costs a few dollars a night to stay.

Backpackers will register at the modern Visitor Center for a safety guide and an informative map of trailheads, thanks to trekking gear companies Andesgear and Mammut, who have been supporting sustainable tourism infrastructure in the Cochamó Valley since 2019. 

The first day hiking along the low valley is spent dodging huge mud puddles and searching for the brightly colored ties hidden in the trees during the subtle ascent. It’s like wandering through the lungs of an ancient being, a moist haven of oxygen and dripping moss. 

As the 2000 year old Alerce Andinos grow, their widening trunks sometimes envelope other trees around them. Seedlings explode through the center of rotting trunks. Fallen trees nurse young trees, becoming new layers of springy ground.

Most backpackers arrive at La Junta in the late afternoon, free to choose a site to set up their tent, either nestled in the trees or in the sunny clearing where gauchos still move their herds a few times a day thanks to the conservation agreements.

‍

The Sights

One of the must-see spots near La Junta are Los Toboganes, the famous rock slide waterfalls about a 40-minute walk from the campsites. Although it’s forbidden to rip down the slippery-smooth rock slides, anyone can take a plunge in the icy pool below or sunbathe on the rocky shore to rest the mind, body, and soul. Hikers can carry onto the La Paloma trail to marvel at dramatic rocky overhangs and caves. This area of the park remains a National Sanctuary.

A steep 6km ascent to Cerro Trinidad is a full-day adventure. To begin, hikers have to haul their body weight through a zipline-cart over a river one at a time to cross into the lands officially apart from the Sanctuary. After a kilometer or so, the hike splits into two well-marked trails, one leading to Cerro Anfiteatro, the other to Cerro Trinidad. After a steep ascent through the forest, trekkers will find themselves face to face with the sheer rocky cliff face into a high valley at 1320m altitude, where the crowns of trees were already turning golden in early autumn. The walk flattens across some boggy wetlands and streams that lead to a large pond hugging a granite face, the wind rippling over the water.

For advanced trad climbers in search of adventure, the Valley has a wide number of routes available across each trekking route, but Cerro Trinidad is full of the most opportunities. There are no rescue or medical services, so safety is dependent on the climbers’ own preparation. The climbs are adrenaline-inducing as folks squeeze their hands into tiny cracks to make it slowly up the vertical faces.

Once backpackers leave the Valley, they can rest weary muscles in one of a few locally-owned cabins dotted along the road entering the valley, or can head to the fishing village of Cochamó to stay in a comfortable hostel or hotel while overlooking the crystalline waters.

‍

The Valley Needs You: Give back to the enchanting land and people of Cochamó by donating to Conserva Pincheguin here.

All photos by Lorena Bally.