st.messing Check-Ins

6.60 BRL for this peaje per car, 3.30 Moto

peaje is 35 pesos for a car.
police was nowhere to be seen ;)

a sign says they accept all kind of cards (Visa, Master, American Express). I payed with Visa, no problems. WiFi want working today, probably t due to overcast and freezing temperatures.
WIFI password: [Password removed by Moderator.]

surprisingly quiet night. WiFi password still works. quite a good option for one night.

no police around. there was a police check just leaving town, but also no one around. lucky day, I guess

new prices (although it's low season):
600 ARS for foreigners now.
ridiculously beautiful. ridiculously overpriced.
once in the park they never checked my ticket again. not even while leaving. they also never checked how many passengers were actually in the car.
just saying ;)

worked like a charm today, no password needed ;)

beautiful spot right next to the river. if you drive down all the way and behind the bushes you are completely hidden from the road.
amazing views.
free.

carretera open again.
8am-8pm.
even big trucks crossed with us today.
good luck everyone.

two days ago the carretera opened again.
per information center in Chaiten from 8am-8pm only.
normal cars only, but many big trucks crossed with us as well. good luck everyone who lost there houses here.

road still closed. we waited around half an hour going southbound. only about 9 vehicles can board at a time.

It looks like a parking/picnick structure which never got finished. Some trees to block you from the road. Lake access. Some tables. A sign says "no camping", but we saw locals who even pitched a tent and mentioned it wouldn't be a problem. We'll see.
Beautiful lake and mountain views. Free.

two ferries right now: 10:30 and 15:30
reservation needed, but I saw plenty people getting their tickets at the local office.

passenger: 5.600
motos: 8.400
autos: 33.600
bicycle: 5.600

drivers of motorized vehicles are included in price.

payed 9.800 CLP for 1 Mitsubishi Montero plus two passengers. Beautiful but short ferry ride.

06:00 - 00:00 every 15 minutes
00:00 - 06:00 every 90 minutes

no reservation needed, you just arrive and buy your ticket.

5000 pp pn during high season. Reservation and vouchers only. The place often seems empty but still don't take any more tents as they only take a certain number due to toilets and trash issues. They care about nature, in comparison to their neighbor Trawen who accepts EVERYONE, who doesn't care about clean toilet issues, not to say about nature at all. Looks like European festival feeling. Please don't support this $$$ only attitude from Tarwen in this beautiful valley.

Camping right next to the waterfalls. You habe to pass La Junta and Trawes Camping and cross the river to get her. There is one toilet only which seems not enough for all the tents but we never had to wait and it was always clean. 4000 pp during high season, while La Junta is 5000 and Trawen 6000. La Paloma hike starts right here. To get to the Arcoiris trail you unfortunately have to go back to the other camps and cross the river again as the suspension bridge got destroyed. Nice and cheaper alternative to the main camps. Its supposed to be free in low season. We didn't have a reservation, just walked in. Shaded places only. Dogs allowed.

prices: 1500 half day, 2000 full day / 24h
secure
parked here 3 full days during our Cochamo stay, didn't camp here though.

Amazing scenic vistas of granite mountains and the valley below. If you have some stamina left keep on and follow the little rock formations to the second Mirador. and if you still don't have enough and feel comfortable in scrambling class 3-4 keep on to the summit of Cerro Arcoiris which gives you the full 360° of the area. Just incredible views. Start early to be able to return before dark, it takes longer than you might expect (over 1000m elevation gain to the top). Just enjoy, and good luck with the masses of people during high season.

just off the main road along the river. plenty of space. rocky. quiet. free.

beautiful spot on little lake with surrounding mountains and volcano in background. quiet. few locals during day, but no one over night. stayed here 2 nights with car and tent and no one bothered us. some fire pits. gorgeous.

Gasco station to change or refill propane bottles.

Couldnt refill our US one though as we dont have our own adapters. Same with Lipigas up the road.

Lipigas station to change or refill propane bottles.

Couldnt refill our US one though as we dont have our own adapter.

Same with Gasco station further down the road.

still closed. looks like big construction is going on. only 3 workers here but no aduana or immigration, yet. get your papers done in San Pedro.

of course aduana was closed.
the other aduana place next to the geysir is only helpful if you leave the very same day.

immigration was easy. officer asked for 15 bol per person but dropped it after we asked for receipts

same like alexm.
filled up car and two jerry cans for 5bs/l.
quick and easy.

perfect spot to stay during Huayna Potosí summit climb. we parked our Montero just outside and could use their bathrooms. 12 bunk beds if you should need them.

Domi (la seńiora) mostly had sopas and almuerzos for very reasonable prices (please don't expect too much variety on the menu as this is harsh high altitude country and the next market is 20km away). plus she is the sopita Queen;)

Adrian (el señor) is a guide himself and can organize a local expedition to Potosí summit.
but you can also climb independently like us!

they are very welcoming to Overlanders and at the time of this writing they we're building more plane parking spots (no big rigs).

phone number: 71913144

A pretty nice game they tried to play with us. It goes like that:

Just about to leave Ica behind, two passengers pointed at our car and signaled something was very wrong. We stopped immediately and were super lucky that a mechanic was right there where we needed him. He checked behind the front tire and came back with a defective rubber housing with broken spring. "Dangerous! Follow me over there I can fix for 10 Soles".

We followed him but doubts already started cruising around in our heads. The timing was just too perfect.
Also, the two guys looked so shocked as were our complete tire missing.

At the new spot yet another mechanic arrived out of nowhere, fully equiped, weird.

They showed us a "very bad part" of the steering system, which looked exactly like the working part on the other side, weird again.

I then checked his faulty part again, which was defect but clean. Too clean. No mud or anything, unlike our car which is full of dust, sand and mud.

After he didnt want me to keep the faulty part it was enough and we left, then I read the same story in an entrance in Cuzco.

The game would have gone further as they uninstall the faulty part, leave with it and return with a newly painted, wrapped and bar coded part which is exatly the same part.

Nice try, almost guys.

Be careful out there, always what them closely when they pretend to find some faulty parts.

blocked with huge rocks!

blocked with huge rocks!

4x4 hardcore only!!

If you manage to get over the first dunes the dessert is yours. Sleep wherever you want. Beautiful sunset, millions of stars and super quiet, after all tour buggies are gone. Fantastic.

Asked one of the buggy drivers if it was allowed and safe, he just smiled and "YES"-ed it ;))