Getting high in the Andes, until it got complicated

[Quickstatus]

Were back

Ive only done a ski resort double visit in one year once before. Congratulations!

 

[offshore171]

Today made all the hassles, all the dramas, worth it!

Absolutely sublime.

 

[OZDUCK]

Some pretty amazing views. Worth all the effort you put in to getting back there

 

[offshore171]

A bit about the lake.

It’s 4km long and 700m wide. Depth has never been reliably measured, but thought to be about 200m

The ancient Incas had a legend about the place, which held that it is the burial place of an Inca princess who fell off one of the surrounding cliffs.

In the summer, the lake goes an emerald colour, and they say this is from her green eyes.

The Incas believed the lake was so deep that it connected to the ocean.





The text reads:

The Legend of the Laguna del Inca


Across the crystal blue waters of this lake, on full moon nights, one can hear the strange cries that stir the winter calm. It is perhaps an enchantment that produces those mournful lamentations.


Legend tells that the spirit of the Inca, Illi Yunqui, haunts the watery tomb in which he buried his soul-mate, the Princess Kora-Illé, who had tragically fallen from a cliff during a royal mountain banquet (a nascu).


The Inca Yungui, whose grief shook the mountain, believed that no earthly grave could compare with this lake, Shrouded in white linen, she was lowered into the blue depths in the presence of the grief-stricken imperial court. From that moment, the waters were tinted with the emerald shade of the beautiful eyes that the heir of the sun could awaken no more.


This tale of love and mystery is blanketed by the deep shroud of the wintonow and only the sad cries of Illi Yunqui remain to remind us of the story.

 

[offshore171]

Taken just now, just before dawn. Glorious moonlit scene

You can see why the astronomers build giant space telescopes at high altitude in Chile!

 

[offshore171]

Minus 8 this morning.

Here’s the forecast through to the end of their extended season.

El Niño has such a different effect on South America compared with Australia

 

[offshore171]

It’s departure day today and the pass is again closed from both the Argentina and Chile sides.

But given the clear skies, the front desk thinks they will be able to get dispensation from the authorities to transfer guests to and from the checkpoint below the snow line.

 

[Seat0B]

Those photos were truly spectacular. I remain quite jealous!!

 

[offshore171]

Ok it's time for me to do the writeup of the "sequel" trip.

To recap, our bucket list trip to Portillo, Chile in July was cut short due to an historic snowstorm.

The resort offered us a credit for the unused days.

Then in early September, they announced they were extending their season into Mid October. This presented an unexpected opportunity in the Sept/Oct school holidays.

I reached out, they said yes we have a room. And not only that, it's 20% off due to late season pricing. Our credit would be more than enough for another half-week stay.

So, off again, departing SYD 29 Sept.

A large sporting group was at the gate, this was the Hong Kong/China U20 Rugby team, who were heading to Chile to play their Chilean U20 counterparts in the World U20 Challenger Cup. Chile is the host nation apparently.

We are on QF27, but at the gate, we hear announcements for the equivalent LATAM flight calling for passengers who have failed to board. The LATAM flight is supposed to leave an hour or so before the QF flight, but it seems that it is going nowhere until they offload the luggage of the no-shows.

Our QF27 departs pretty close to on time, and fortunately this one has wifi. Just as we start flying over NZ, the Latam flight that should be an hour in front us, instead is about an hour behind. You can see it following our track on FR24

A real bugger for those pax, who will be 2 hours late into Santiago, all because of some no-shows. Some will miss connecting flights due to this.

 

[offshore171]

The flight isn uneventful and we arrive in Santiago, to find zero queues at immigration and we are through in no time, and get an Uber to our hotel.

We stayed again at the AC Hotel in the Providencia district.

It's mid afternoon and we pop into the mall for lunch. They have a two piece band playing

 

[offshore171]

In the morning, I check the weather information. There's been more snow in the Andes overnight.

Normally heavy snowfall wouldn't be an issue at this time of year, but in this record setting El Nino winter, anything can happen.

Our transfer to Portillo picks us up around 9am and we head off through incredibly green countryside. Sping has sprung, at least at lower elevations. The farmland around Santiago looks terrific.

Then the site updates with information that the road pass (Paso Los Libertadores) has been closed.


This isn't supposed to happen in spring!

We reach the the closure checkpoint, where officials have closed the road. This is about 1200m altitude, well below the snow line.

Driver says we will wait here for a bit, so we get out of the car and stretch the legs.

We start spotting Condors circling up high near the peaks.

Then we get the news we were hoping for. The hotel has a dispensation for our driver to ascend the pass with an escort 4wd vehicle driving in front.

 

[offshore171]

We make it to the hotel, and yes, there's been plenty more snow.

No takers for the deckchairs today





Lunch is served


Then we head out for a ski in the afternoon