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In the morning we completed our shopping for the trek before catching the 12.30 bus (first of the day) to Correntoso for the Laguna Fria walk.
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The bus was a local one, picking up and dropping off on the way. But after only an hour we were there. Lonely Planet said to take the road out signposted to El Salto, but there were no signs. A helpful boy scout pointed us in the right direction and we set off down the gravel road. From then on everything followed as per guide book, passing over a river above some cascades and turning right. Next reference point should have been the park entrance, we were expecting a gatehouse and perhaps a barrier but we didn't see anything. The next reference was a path leading off to the left after the entrance, but having missed the first we didn't pick up the second and so continued along the road until we realised that we were well passed and might as well carry on, even though it was a bit longer. So for the next couple of hours we trekked along accompanied by large flies which for the most part were just annoying, but would sometimes land and if not brushed off would give a gentle nip, though as nothing was injected we didn't get a reaction.
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At last, after climbing for an hour where reached a low saddle, we descended slowly to the river that drains Laguna Sargazo, and turned left to follow it up stream to the Sargazo park entrance, reaching there at 4pm. After a few formalities and handing over 1000 pesos each we were in and after a further 500m on a gravel road our path around the lake was signed off to the left. Being a lake side path we had expected it to be reasonably level but for some reason in chose to climb halfway up the mountain side on steps and walkways constructed of rough timber. But at least it was dry. About halfway around the lake the path deteriorated so that we were climbing around bogs and through tree roots, definitely not the easy to moderate path we had been promised.
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As we walked we met Dave, an Aussie friend who had started on the trail in the morning and because it was getting more difficult was looking about for a spot to camp. Min was a bit further up the track. We walked on together until we met her and after some discussion and as Dave hadn't found any good spots, they decided to continue on. We pressed on for another hour over rough ground until we came to the eastern end of the lake where we found a patch large enough to take two tents. Just in case there was something better just a bit further on I scouted ahead for 10 minutes, but found nothing better and so returned and set up camp, soon to be joined by Dave and Min. We were told that we hadn't in fact missed the path at the start and it was actually closed, so we wouldn't even be able to go back on it. After a dinner of pasta and tuna we sat out on a dead tree trunk at the edge of the lake reading our books in the failing light until it was time to turn in.
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Rose leisurely and considered our options. Dave and Min had to return as they had a ferry to catch; we could either continue on or also return at a leisurely pace. Decided to return to camp at the Refugio Laguna Sargazo camp site near the park gate, but first we decided to walk on a little up the path, without our packs, to find the refugio and official campsite. As it turned out the site was only a couple of hundred metres beyond where I had reached the previous evening. It was set in a meadow of long grass and probably wasn't worth the extra 15 minutes walking with packs in the late evening. Also found what we took to be the remains of the refugio, now more like a dilapidated open sided barn. The path at this point was quite good but as we hadn't come prepared to walk on we turned around and returned to pick up our rucksacks.
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The return path out didn't seem quite so long or bad, perhaps it was because we had plenty of time as well as being fresh. On reaching the road we turned left to take us to the Laguna Sargazo campsite, collecting horse flies on the way. On reaching the end of the road and the Rio Lenca, we stopped for lunch and though we persevered to relax after lunch the flies became too much of a nuisance. As we needed to cross the river to get to the campsite, I scouted ahead to check it out, but after 10 minutes, with the path climbing uphill to a site that was supposed to be beside the lake, I returned.
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We decided instead that we would continue on, to the Campamento Pangal campsite that was just outside Correntoso, a walk of about 2 hours.
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It had been almost a year since we had walked with a full pack. In the hot afternoon, on a gravel track, accompanied by flies, our packs felt heavy our backs and shoulder ached, and the road always appeared up hill. The horse flies, about which we had been warned, were the biggest we have ever come across, about the size of a bee. They are more a nuisance than a major pest. We would walk in a cloud of about a dozen flies, with one landing just occasionally. If we managed to hit one it would fly away. If one landed, even on our 'T' shirts and was not noticed for a few seconds it would take a small bite, a small pinprick which didn't rise into a lump or itch. But most of the time they just circled around, burning up energy for very little gain.
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Just before 4pm we finally arrived at the campsite and finding a pitch sat down to rest before doing anything else. After a while I got up and explored the rest of the site but finding most pitches much the same we set up where we were and enjoyed a relaxing evening and even lit a camp fire.
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As we were only a couple of kilometres from Correntoso and the first bus wasn't until 2pm, we had a lay in and a leisurely breakfast. Dried out the tent and aired sleeping bags before slowly packing. At 11.30, with nothing else to do we walked the last 2km, stopping at a small shop for snacks for lunch. Although it was almost 2 hours until the bus, two old men already occupied the seats at the bus stop and so we positioned ourselves in the shade of a tree and ate lunch. The bus stop, being positioned at a cross roads seemed to be a bit of a meeting point with people stopping by to chat with those waiting for the bus. Across the way was a children's play area, just three swings and a slide that wouldn't have met with EU standards but the children were enjoying it, and behind the play area was what must have been the Community Hall with a steady procession of mothers and young children. Somewhere in the background music was playing, with the low thump of the base. Every now and then a cool breeze would blow down the road, whipping up the dust, but also dispersing the flies.
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At 12.45 a bus came by heading for Lago Capo, it was not the company we had come out with, it being more dilapidated, but it would do on the return journey. At 1.30 it returned but instead of passing the stop we were standing at in the centre of the village it turn directly for Puerto Montt. On enquiry with the locals we were told we needed to be 100m down the road
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Moved down to the correct spot to await the 2.30 bus that we had planned to catch. At 2.45 it arrived with the same crew that had brought us out and we returned to Puerto Montt and out lodgings.
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