Day 44 Hanging glacier in Parque National Quenlat - Racpat South America 1999-2000 - CycleBlaze

December 5, 1999

Day 44 Hanging glacier in Parque National Quenlat

We ride to the hanging glacier in Parque National Quenlat.

The road is fairly flat and we ride by the construction workers that also are staying at Residencial Elizabeth. They were up early and eating breakfast at 7am even though most had been up late listening to music.

We arrive at the campground early about 10:30am. At the entrance of the park, we cross a wooden cattleguard, there is a dummy dressed like a Park Ranger with barbed wire around its neck and had painted signs over the park sign which we don't understand.

Before the campground, men are ripping up a bridge over a stream. We have to take our shoes off and push our bikes through the water. It is COLD! We find campsite #10, there is a shelter and picnic table and barbeque grill. We are facing the hanging glacier and we see/hear ice fall.

We cross a suspension bridge to take a short hike to Laguna Tempanos. The bridge is new and nicely done. The old bridge still hangs nearby. Rachel is thankful not to have to use that one to cross the river.

We decide to return to camp and pack a lunch for a 3.2km hike to view the Ventisquero Colgante Glacier and Falls. The hike is steep in places and we walk through rainforest. Patrick notices footprints fresh in the mud. Soon we catch up to 3 people also on the hike. We reach the end of the trail and there is a little shelter with two log stools. The view of the glacier is awesome. Sometimes the ice looks blue. There are several waterfalls all around the bowl falling into the lake. We have lunch of the smoked salmon bought in Castro. We watch the glacier for about 45 minutes taking lots of pictures and head back down to camp.

At 5:30pm two rangers tell us there is a "problemo". The park is "cerrado" and no camping. Patrick tries to reason with them that on bicycles it's not so easy to just go. But we must.  We pack up and almost at the entrance we meet two backpackers, a British guy and an Austrian woman. We chat, give them advice of where to camp, when the rangers walk down the road. The Austrian speaks Spanish and finds out the park is closed because of a dispute with the government and privatization of the parks.

We cycle on and find a spot to free camp by the river and an incredible view of the mountain peaks.

Today's ride: 47 km (29 miles)
Total: 1,886 km (1,171 miles)

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