Program Profile for Wanderland.org Voluntours.

1. Wanderland Volunteer Vacations

Trip Details
Trip Type: Service
Learning, Active, Lodge-
Based.
Difficulty: 4 (Somewhat
Strenuous) Scale is 1 – 7.
Length: 10 Days
Destination: Cochamó Valley
Group Size: 8-20
Patagonia Chile
Price: $ TBA Please Call
Us for Pricing.
Volunteer Project For Trail Improvement
Dates: January 3-14, 2012
Meeting Time and Place:
PM Jan 3, 2012, Puerto
Montt Airport, Chile.
Climb the mountains and
get their good tidings.

Wanderland’s Mission:
Nature's peace will flow “To provide educational
travel that reveals and
into you as sunshine respects geography, culture,
flows into trees. The and history, while
responsibly supporting and
winds will blow their re-investing into local
own freshness into you, and the storms their economies and environmental
protection.”
energy, while cares will drop off like autumn
leaves. ~John Muir Stewart, Eric & Brice
www.WanderlandTravel.org 1 866 701 2113 getinfo@wanderlandtravel.org

2. Cochamó Volunteer Vacation exotic birdsong and clear running streams. And
it is an adventure destination. The towering
Introduction granite peaks of the inner valleys are ripe for
exploration. Climbing, trekking and rock
Chile’s Cochamó Valley in Northern Patagonia is
scrambling up from the valley will provide you
not only one of the most accessible destinations with Andean vistas across a wide region. Our
in the Patagonia region, it is also one of the hosts are the owners of the Refugio Cochamó,
most beautiful, verdant, and inviting places in a
wide decks, a loving kitchen, and hot showers.
region already known for its wild nature.
The Cochamó Valley has obtained a rare and
precious state of recognition and protection for
its untrammeled state, the lush Valdivian
Rainforest Complex, and the dynamite
exposures of Andean Granite, peaks that soar to
4000 feet from the valley floor. Join us for a
week-long trekking and trail improvement
edventure / voluntour. The trails that access to
Cochamó Valley are in need of a lot of TLC and
we hope that you will come not only to enjoy
the wildness of the place and its special beauty
but also to lend a hand in improving access and
signage for hikers, horseback riders, and
climbers.
The Valley of Cochamó has been impacted by
more than 100 years of pastoral activities that
preceded its establishment as a trekking and
climbing destination. The stock that moved up
and down the valley seasonally have left deep
troughs for trails, the walls of dark, rich earth
sometimes tower over hikers heads. Other
stretches contain soupy, half-floating
boardwalks over calf-deep mud. Hikers have
established social trails that thread around
these obstacles and these need to be better
established and fortified for navigability and
safety.
The Valdivian rainforest is a temperate zone
that contains immense Redwoods, Nothofagus,
and many other unique and enchanting native
trees and shrubs. It is a wilderness of lovely,
www.WanderlandTravel.org 1 866 701 2113 getinfo@wanderlandtravel.org

3. Day 1 Arrive to Puerto Varas Days 4-9 Trail Improvements and Cochamó
Exploration
Shuttle Airport to Inn: ½ Hour from Puerto
Montt. Our detail will be assigned to specific
improvement projects. We will hike
Meet your Trip Leader / Field Educator and approximately 7 kilometers per day. We often
check in to hotel. After you settle into our nice have ready access to horses and stock for
lodgings and get a chance to rest a bit and transport of equipment, tools, and raw
perhaps take in the sights of Puerto Varas, a materials. Don’t envision yourself lugging
lovely small town on the shores of Lake chainsaws and blocks of wood on your back.
Llanquihue you will meet for a short orientation Expect to be either employing shovels, hand
meeting and then depart for dinner of delicious saws, trimmers, block and tackle, router, and/or
Chilean fare in a great local restaurant. painting supplies as we tackle signage needs,
Day 2 Head To Cochamó and Trailhead brush trimming, log placements, hiker trail
routefinding and crew support. There is room
Today we will drive along Lake Llanquihue and in our detail for all kinds of talents, we welcome
enter Secret Patagonia, the beginning of the what you can bring to the table! Also expect
Southern Highway system, the Carretera plenty of ‘hike breaks’ where we can explore
Austral. Our associates in Cochamó will meet hidden niches in this lush forest for bright
us at the trailhead and we will begin hiking up springs, uncommon vistas, and even glacial
the 10 kilometers of pioneer’s trail that allows tarns.
access to the interior valleys. Along the way not
only will we be inspecting the trail for
improvements that need to be effected, we will
also revel in the lush forests of Nothofagus and
Ulmo and thick canebrakes of the Valdivian
Forest. We will enjoy short side hikes to the
roaring cascades of the Cochamó River and then
arrive at the main valley and set up camp in the
wide basin ringed by granite spires that will be
our home for the week.
Day 3 Getting to Know and Love Cochamó
Today we will hike the famed Arcoiris Trail to an
amazing overlook of the Valley. Today we want
to explore and appreciate this jewel of the
Andes. In the evening over a fine meal
prepared by your guides and hosts we will work
a little on producing signage and familiarizing
ourselves with the implements of trail repair
and the targeted zones we will be improving
throughout the next few days.

4. While some of the work required will be
strenuous, there are also many light-duty
options and support crew assignments that
means we welcome all able hikers. Trip Details
Day 10 Return to Puerto Montt and evening
Flights home.
Trip Type: Service Learning,
Our last couple of days we will be working on Trailwork, Hiking, Lodges and
the portions of the trail closer to the trailhead Camping.
and will camp within an easy hike on day 10 to
the vehicles and then return to Puerto Montt
for evening flights or extended stays in the
Difficulty: 4 (Considerable)
region.
Scale is 1-7.
Education
Wanderland NFP and the Cochamó NFP are
Length: 10 Days
dedicated to providing you a learning
experience along with your travel and service to
this region. Expect your guides to provide you
with excellent materials and background to the Mileage: 35 Miles Overall
region and to the specific area where you visit.
Natural History, Geology, Geography, Biology,
Ecology, and Language Immersion are all in the Group Size: 6-20
outdoor classroom of Cochamó.
Pack Weight: 10-25 lbs.
Price: $925
Start Dates: December. January,
and March, 2012
Meeting Time and Place:
Afternoon of Day One, Puerto
Varas, Chile
www.WanderlandTravel.org 1 866 701 2113 getinfo@wanderlandtravel.org

5. Travel, Transportation, Meeting
and Lodging
Travel: International Flights form the US to
Santiago, Chile are available through American,
Continental and LAN Chile. National Flights
through LAN from Santiago to Puerto Montt
depart several times each day.
Gateway Cities: International arrivals to
Santiago, Chile. Puerto Montt Chile for National
flights. Puerto Varas, Chile for national bus
travel.
Shuttle: Regular shuttle and taxi services from
the airport to Puerto Varas are easily arranged
at the Puerto Montt Airport.
Car Rentals: Auto rentals for days that you
spend prior to and after the trip can be
arranged at the Puerto Montt Airport.
Meeting Time and Place: PM in TBA Hotel in
Puerto Varas, Chile on the first itinerary day of
the trip.
Transportation to and From The Trailhead:
This is handled by our staff and is included in
the price of the trip.
Pre-Trip and Post-Trip Recommended Lodging:
Contact us for suggestions of hotels or hosterias
and activities in Santiago, Puerto Montt, and
Puerto Varas
www.WanderlandTravel.org 1 866 701 2113 getinfo@wanderlandtravel.org