Backpack Los Carpinteros Trail, Laguna del Laja NP

*You can take water as well as drink from the small creeks you'll be finding on the trail*

First of all you have to do 1 hour trip from Los Angeles, a town on the Bio Bio Region of Chile, to the small andean city of Antuco (this is the last place where you can buy food and provisions) , where the road will continue for 30 min to the Andes Mountain range. Here you will enter into what is known as the "Laguna del Laja" National Park. The entrance costs $1500 chilean pesos (around $2.31 US) for adult national visitors. For international adult visitors the entrance costs $3000 chilean pesos ( $4.6 US). The rangers will ask for your personal information as well as a little introduction to the park. From the entrance you continue for 7 km by car in direction of the ski center on the ledge of Antuco Volcano. A little bit before the ski center, theres a path to the left where theres a broken car bridge and an old river canal (37°23'11.52"S- 71°23'4.87"O). Here is where you have to park your car. Your Adventure starts here.

So once your ready with all of your stuff your off to go! As told before, at the beginning of the trail theres an old car bridge (nearly completely destroyed) which on the side has a trail to start walking (you'll see a little sign that tell you you're going out of the dependencies of the park). So you cross the old river and continue a zig zag trail on the west hillside for about an hour, going up with a beautiful view of Antuco volcano (as seen on the first picture), until you get to what is called "El Toro" plateau. This vast plain is made of volcanic crushed stone which has to be crossed longitudinally with north direction always near the west hillside. 

While crossing this plain you'll encounter a vast marshland (a marshy zone with vast grasses) which has to be crossed longitudinally through a trail that goes precisely through its center (THIS PART HAS MOSQUITOS) Throughout the path you have a beautiful view of the Antuco Volcano and the Sierra Velluda (huge mountain by the way).

Now that you've crossed the vast marshland you'll encounter with a "Cow Boy" post (37°20'54.47"S- 71°23'24.88"O), where during summers people stay to feed mostly cows. Heres wheres the second part of the trail starts. Introducing yourself into this old Lenga forest, you have to keep walking north, the trail is visible but gets narrower. Most of this part of the trail goes below this tall forest, making it a fresh and comfortable walk. 30 minutes later approximately you'll get to the end of the valley you've been walking in, and the steep part of the trail starts. The ramp is pretty considerable so no need to rush and get exhausted. Here the trail is really well marked so theres no way to get lost. At the end of this steep part you'll get at the feet of a big stone wall (called in some cases "Farellón"). Here the trail turns direction to the east with a beautiful view of the valley you just crossed, the volcano and the sierra. 200 mts further on the trail and you start seeing the Laja lake, blue and majestic between hundreds of mountains. Be on the watch cause mountains don't just look beautiful, but they too tell stories of old glaciers that stood right where you are. Go a little bit further and you'll encounter a bifurcation that'll take you between a small stumpy forest of Lengas (its stumpy due to the altitude) to a natural view point (37°19'51.64"S- 37°19'51.64"S) that shows you the first lake, filled with pure blue waters, standing on top of the mountain surrounded by Lengas with a view few have seen. This lake is know as "Laguna el Toro" (37°19'40.27"S- 71°23'25.50"O). 

Continuing, you go back to the main trail and on the same bifurcation, you continue to the west,  where you'll see a green lake at the distance. You have to take the trail down to the lake which is really well marked too, though a little bit steep (watch for falls and those ankles too). Here you`ll enter into an old magical Lenga forest too (maybe 300 years old) and see the lake in between the trees. After some zig zagging down the forest ends on a vast plain valley with huge rock walls that surround the area. Welcome to "Los Condores" lake (37°19'38.76"S- 71°23'4.75"O). This place is suitable for camping (Always respecting the Leave No Trace principles due to its pristine state). During spring season this area is filled with different type of birds, proper to the area. Wild geese and mountain seagulls are usually easy too spot. A vast forest surrounds the area, as well as a waterfall on the back. This place is surely magical and has a deep cleansing power.

You can choose weather to stay or not, depends on your equipment.

After admiring the place and all its surroundings you off to go back!