Following our Futaleufu we finally drove on the Carretera Austral towards Puyuhuapi. The drive runs over an unpaved road mainly through untouched nature; endless forests and mountains. When arriving 2 pm in the Queulat NP National Park, the entrance was for free as it was only possible to go on the small hike to the Mirador Panoramico. From there it is already possible to get a nice view on the Glacier.
Going back to the park in the morning of the next day – this time we paid entrance fees -, we started the hike to the Ventisquero Colgante glacier. The hike is ~7 km long, takes around 4 hours and starts at the parking lot. Hiking first over the long bridge by the Frío river was already an adventure, as the bridge is swinging.
The hike is running through the overgrown forest and is mostly uphill over a tight path. There are a couple of lookouts that invite for a break with an amazing view on the Glacier Lagoon. Shortly before we reached the Glacier we heard a loud Ice Break, which was really loud.
At the end of the trail is a lookout that give a nice view at the Glacier and the Glacier Lagoon.
The hike for us was mainly through the rain. It started during the half-way up hill. During our way down the rain got really strong, which made the hike more of a mud slide. In general the hike is not hard but with this condition it would be recommended to take hiking sticks on the track. As we were really sodden we locked forward to a swim in one of the natural pools of the Termas de Puyuhuapi.
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