Raices

Exploration Path

We leave the lodge by van and head to the Laguna Edita sector, where we will begin our hike with a fairly steep hike up the steppe slopes of the Chacabuco Valley. After reaching the highest point, we will descend through a nothofagus forest where the silence is only interrupted by birdsong. In the end we reach Laguna Pepa, which surprises us with its deep blue color and views of the mountain ranges around it.

For the troperos - traditional nomadic herders - and ranchers of the region, the year was divided into two key seasons: the "veranada" and the "invernada. During the summer, the troperos drove their cattle to the veranadas, high pastures that, once free of snow, provided abundant grazing in clearings surrounded by deciduous forests of ñirre and lenga. In winter, the herds moved to the winter pastures, lower, sheltered areas where corrals provided protection from inclement weather. Today, thanks to the ecological restoration efforts led by Rewilding Chile, these clearings and ancient forests used for cattle grazing have been transformed into a natural sanctuary waiting to be explored.