Hello from Tierra del Fuego!

Day 9: Volcán Irruputunku

Updated: June 27, 2023

Our quest to climb all the volcanos in Bolivia continues today! We started the morning with a quick breakfast and a two hour drive to Volcán Irruputunku. The volcano sits on the border of Bolivia and Chile. We had to pass through Bolivian a military checkpoint because part of the hike may technically have been on the Chile side. The Bolivian soldier was probably only gonna see two or three cars use this road today, so our visit gave him a reason to move the pile of rocks serving as the gate.

Ready and Abel

As we got closer to the volcano, we drove through the lava rock field that had queñoa trees throughout the landscape. This type of tree is able to live in dry conditions and high altitudes.

Volcán Irruputunku is both large and active

We started the hike on the south face of the volcano, hiking up ~2,400 feet to an overlook of the caldera and sulfur fumarole. The first part of the trail was steep, but relatively easy to walk on. The next part was also steep, and became a bit more rocky as we got closer to the rim of the caldera. We kept on hiking to an overlook of the crater, then had just a little more to go.

Climbing into Mordor

Gradients and Chile

Navigating around the caldera

View from above

We made it up the final section and reached the top of the volcano! We took in the views and thanked Pachamama. We could clearly see the surrounding altiplano, the mountain we just hiked up, and the crater with the sulfur fumarole steaming in the very windy conditions.

Made it to the top!

I can’t believe I held onto this flag

For our descent, we took a slightly different path. Remembering our scree-skiing skills from Volcán Ascotán, we slid our way down the volcano, aiming towards the caldera, eventually getting a close up view of the fumarole.

Let’s go get a closer look at this active, smoking, sulfur volcano

Is this close enough?

Sulfur selfie

From there, we continued our rock slide shuffle until we met up with our original path. We continued until we reached the van in the same place we started.

Looking back at summit and fumarole

“Carefully” sliding down another volcano

Can you see our van lunch yet?

Waiting for us at the van was our celebratory lunch. We then drove back to the lodge, stopping once again at the military checkpoint. This time there were a couple more Bolivian soldiers with guns and the commandant who wanted to “meet us” (Abel and Oscar) to ensure we weren’t smuggling something or whatever. After returning to the lodge we had some time to relax and enjoy the views.

Driving back to Chicuta… I think I see a Bokoblin fort over there

Back to the lodge — backyard view

Back to the lodge — front yard view

Day 8: Ramaditas to Chituca

by Joanna

Updated: June 27, 2023

4 Comments

Today we left our lodge in Ramaditas to drive to the lodge in Chituca. To break up the drive, we made a few stops and went on a short hike along the way.

Good morning, Ramaditas

Two things that are hard to find in the desert: clouds and internet

Heading out!

The first stop was Laguna Honda, which we were able to see from Volcán Ascotán yesterday. While the lagoon is shallow, the shape if it makes it look like a deep bowl, hence the name Honda, which means deep.

That camper van on the shore is going to have some issues

From there we went to Laguna Hedionda, also called Stinky Lagoon, where we saw two of the three varieties of flamingoes found here. To distinguish them, look at the tails, legs, and beak. James flamingoes have pink tails, red legs, and yellow and black beaks, while Andean flamingoes have black tails, yellow legs, and black beaks. They are able to live in the cold weather by constantly regulating their heart rate and body temperature. They do this by lifting one leg, cutting off circulation to that leg, and allowing more blood flow to their core.

Swinging to our next location

Andean and James flamingoes

Coming soon to the Allstate Arena: Flamingoes on Ice

Scouting for phytoplankton

Laguna Cañapa was our next stop. We walked along the shore of the lagoon taking in the desert views and the James flamingoes. This was a very popular and crowded spot with four other tourists.

Looking at Cerro Coquella

Last view of Volcán Ascotán from Laguna Cañapa

The next stop was Laguna Turquiri. Here we took a short hike around volcanic rocks, into a wetland area, and around a lagoon. There were a variety of rocks including igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Some of the big volcanic rocks had holes in them due to gas bubbles getting trapped when the rock was still molten. We also saw pumice rocks — compacted volcanic ash with many air pockets — that floated in water.

Starting our afternoon hike

Walking through the front door

At this lagoon we also saw multiple types of birds including Andean geese (the friendly geese), giant coots (which sound like they are laughing), and anaspunas ducks (with blue beaks). After the walk, we enjoyed a slightly windy lunch overlooking the lagoon.

Oscar loves other birds, too

We left a seat open for the birds

After lunch, we continued straight to the Chituca Lodge. All of the mountain lodges are designed exactly the same with the intention of making the guests feel at home and not have to re-learn a new lodge every two days. We settled in quickly and had some time to relax before dinner.

Crossing the Solar de Chiguana

The Sol de Chiguana is a mini salt flat

Made it to Chituca!

Nap with a view

Before dinner, Oscar explained the male and female Chicana, a cross like shape that represents the solar and lunar calendars, respectively. The four points on the solar calendar represents the two equinoxes and the two solstices. The points between each arm represents important holidays such as Dia de los Muertos and Southern Cross day. The four main points on the lunar calendar represents the four weeks in a month, with the steps between indicating the days of the week.

Oscar explains the Chicanas and Andean “cosmo-vision”

After dinner, Oscar led a stargazing session where he told us about the important constellations in the southern sky and their history in Greek mythology. He also pointed out the dark spots of the Milky Way, and their corresponding shapes, much like how stars create constellations.

Southern Cross (on the right) and the llama dark spot (to the left)

Scorpio (middle) and the fox dark spot

Day 7: Volcán Ascotán

by Joanna

Updated: September 10, 2023

2 Comments

One of our missions in Bolivia was to climb some high-altitude volcanoes! Our first chance is Volcán Ascotán, location directly behind the lodge here in Ramaditas. Volcán Ascotán lies on the border of Chile and Bolivia and its peak is almost 18,000 feet high. Explora labeled this hike “expert level” due to the total elevation, elevation gain and terrain. But were game to try it, and Oscar approved of our enthusiasm.

We started at the lodge — 13,370 feet — and made an offering of cocoa leaves to Pachamama (Mother Earth) which is a traditional way to start and end hikes in Bolivia. The first section was somewhat rocky, but mostly full of desert plants and holes in the gravel from a burrowing animal. We had to stay vigilant so a foot didn’t end up in a hole.

There’s the volcano

The lodge disappears quickly

Watch out for burrow holes!

The next section of the mountain had a road that was used in the past to transport Yareta, a tough green plant that grows in the high desert that can be used as a fuel source. However, we did not take the road, instead traversing the switchbacks and climbing up directly towards the summit (probably because the road would have been 3x as long).

Vastness of the area, including views of Lagunas Ramaditas, Honda, and Chiar Kkota. Can you spot Jo?

Once we passed the roads the terrain steepened drastically and became a crazy scree with loose rocks and loose gravel. Without any trails, it was very difficult to make headway. Every step slid backwards. We finally came to a point near the final rise to the summit that was impossible for us to pass and we hit the wall — literally!

Live look at the executive decision this loose rock gradient at ~5200m was no bueno

New direction!

Instead of retracing our path down the mountain, Oscar decided we could take advantage of the scree and slide our down in a direct line back to our destination. After a little explanation of the “safest” way to do this, we “carefully” slid all the way down the volcano.

Perfect shield-surfing terrain!

Scree ski instructor Oscar

It’s not exactly skiing in the Alps, but similar form

Eventually, we made it down the rock scree section and back to the more manageable downhills. With our new as-the-crow flies route, we ended up passing thru a small ravine. Oscar reassured us by noting that “I’ve never actually gone this way before!”

Golden hour on our way back

Discovery! Ramaditas Ravine.

This rock looks like a bear. Rawr!

We slowly approached the lodge that looked closer than it was and finally made it back.

Ahh, sweet lodge

We climbed that (mostly!)

Tomorrow we head to Chituca with a few scenic stops along the way. We are grateful to
have a rest day.

The Ramaditas Lodge office with our plan for tomorrow.

High-altitude blogging

Day 6: Atacama to Ramaditas

by Joanna

Updated: June 27, 2023

1 Comment

Today’s agenda was an early wake-up call at Explora Atacama followed by a drive across the border into Bolivia heading north to the Ramaditas Mountain Lodge. The drive takes about eight hours, including a few stops. No problem! However, when we met Carlos and Nico, they told us that the border control office was closed and we would need to go to the downtown Atacama location to get our papers checked and stamped. We arrived at about 7:15am, and waited in line with the other tour groups until they opened at 8am.

What’s worse, Chilean border control or gloom hands?

We finally stepped up to the window at 9:20am and got the all-clear to proceed. Matt was ready to contribute a blog rant about Bolivia’s continued efforts to kill our time trying to get into the country, but as it turns out, this one was on Chile. We believe they closed their (indoor) border control due to “high winds.” After departing San Pedro de Atacama, it was a 40 minute drive to the border.

“Goodbye, thanks for nothing!” – Carlos

We said goodbye to our Atacama team and met our new guide, Oscar, and driver, Abel. Oscar helped us get our entry stamps and show the friendly Bolivian officials all the right paperwork in all the right places. Finally – three and a half hours after leaving – we were in Bolivia!

Bolivia, what more do you want from us?!?!

This part of Bolivia is located within the Andes mountains, a volcanic range. Our first stop was at Laguna Blanca. The lagoon is white due to the boron deposits. This area is also interesting because the rocks show both underwater coral and volcanic basalt. Other tourists not from the Midwest looked amazed to be walking on the frozen lake.

Checking out the basalt and coral

But Ice skates were not on the packing list!

Next stop was Laguna Verde, appropriately named for its green color. The bacteria in this lagoon is green and becomes more vibrant with the sun and wind. A little later down the road, we stopped at an area called Salvador Dali mountain. We did not see melting watches, but we did see a variety of colors and vast spaces.

Rocks and green lake with Oscar

Desert road, take me home

Warping to the desert level (Chalviri Hot Springs)

We then drove into Sal de Mañana, a caldera on an active volcano. We saw fumaroles, which are vents that release gas and steam. Unlike geysers that need time to refill and erupt, the pressure release of a fumarole is constant. We walked around many fumaroles of different sizes and bubbling.

Watch out for fumaroles

The final stop was Laguna Colorada, commonly known as Red Lagoon due to its – you guessed it – red color. Similar to Laguna verde, the color is caused by the type of bacteria that thieves in extreme conditions. This is also where three types of flamingoes live. We walked along the shore and then stopped for lunch.

These flamingoes are not stuck… yet

Our lunch stop next to Laguna Colorada

Lunch with a view

All sorts of colors in this area

Atacama parking lot

With another two hours of desert to cross before reaching our final destination, Oscar and Abel appointed us DJs. With this vital task, we turned to the two best playlists on Matt’s phone — Adam and James’ high school playlists. Oscar and Abel are both ~40 years old, so it was a smashing success. Well done.

Dusty, dry road makes for dirty cars

Finally, we drove the last hour and half to the very remote mountain lodge. The only people here are us, one other family of three (who will only be here tonight), the guides, drivers, and lodge staff. We all had dinner together (family style) before getting ready for the night.

Home for the next two nights

Room with a view — as always

As always, the internet may or may not be available over the next week. Keep checking back!

Day 5: Volcán Blanco

by Joanna

Updated: June 27, 2023

2 Comments

We left early again this morning to drive to the Volcán Blanco hike. Along the way, we stopped to see flamingoes. Because the temperature was below freezing last night and this morning, the water in their pond froze, and the flamingoes got stuck in the ice. As the temperature rises throughout the day, the ice melts and the flamingoes are free. Though they tend to repeat the cycle.

Sebastian makes killer playlists

Stupid Stuck Flamingoes

Ducks failing at sticking their head underwater

We continued up to the 4,000 meter in elevation range and made a stop to walk around geysers. We got to get up close to each one that were located in close range in a paved area and Carlos explained how geysers work.

Geysers steaming in the distance

More geology geeking out

Queen of the geysers

Just a hole in the ground with 190 degree water erupting out

Those rocks are definitely going to stop people from getting closer

After viewing all of the geysers, we drove a few minutes further to start the hike. The very first part was a 200 rise in elevation, only to go right back down. The downhill consisted of switchbacks on a fine gravel path all the way down about 500 feet. Located within the Andes Mountains, this area of geysers is the 3rd largest in the world, so we saw many geysers all along our route. We stopped at one that takes about 30 minutes to refill, hoping we wouldn’t have to wait too long. Luckily, we saw the eruption, which lasted a couple of minutes.

On the way down

You can see the switchbacks on the hill in the distance

Waterfall – Andes edition

The next pit-stop was for lunch. We found an area near a stream and enjoyed our soup, sandwiches, and canisters. Once we were full, we continued on to the next part of the hike.

A little climbing, a little shadows, a little geyser bacteria

We arrived at Volcán Blanco and learned that it is not an actual volcano, but a large hill with a geyser on top, which caused white deposits on the side of the hill. As we continued, we were out of geyser range, and into wildlife range.

Happy hikers

There was a large expanse of flat land with plants and streams. There were plenty of birds, vizcacha (similar to rabbits), and vicuña (similar to llamas) around, giving this area the nickname of Pumas’ Restaurant. Multiple herds of vicuña were all around the area, and we got very close to some as we passed. The vizacha were also abundant and sitting on the rocks along the edge of the water.

Sneaking up on the vicuñas

Climbed up for a better view

After 8 kilometers, we made it to the van and celebrated our last hike in Chile. Tomorrow we cross the border into Bolivia and will have to say goodbye to Carlos, Nico, and Sebastian as Bolivia only allows their citizens to work as tour guides and drivers. On the drive back, we ran into more road construction along the way.

Cheers!

Road paving trucks

At the hotel, the guide manager wanted to make sure we had all of our paperwork in line for the border crossing (we do) and had us fill out the customs form needed to enter (we did). We then had some free time to shop at the store one last time in search of any clothing with the Explora logo on it, fly the drone, and get a drink at the bar.

We leave early tomorrow to cross into Bolivia and to the first stop in Ramaditas. We may be without internet for about a week as we spend our nights in remote mountain lodges.

Day 4: Hot Springs & Rocks

by Joanna

Updated: June 27, 2023

2 Comments

This morning’s exploration was to Puritama in the region of Guatin. Since we were scheduled to leave at 7:30, we were able to catch the sunrise, the moon, and Jupiter before breakfast.

Good morning, moon

Both Carlos and Nico were our guides and Sebastian drove us to the trail head. We started with an ascent up a rocky path in a volcanic canyon and followed the Puritama river. Yes, there is a river in this desert sourced from geothermic springs. Along the way, we saw volcanic rocks, rica rica plants, fox tail plants, and cacti. We also saw rock structures that were animal corrals and tambos – shelter for people tending to the animals.

Pre-hike calisthenics

Everything the light touches is Explora’s

Desert views

Desert waterfall

We continued to ascend to 11,555 feet of elevation (958 of which were on the hike) and arrived at the Puritama Hot Springs. The entire area we hiked and the hot springs are part of Explora’s conservation reserve. Explora owns access to the hot springs and anyone can buy a ticket, so there were people in the 6 of the 8 pools. The final (and best, obviously) pool is reserved for hotel guests on this hike, so we had the hot spring to ourselves.

Of course, they also had snacks and drinks for us, which we enjoyed before getting in the hot spring. Carlos and Nico also told us about a Fanchop, a popular drink that is a combination of Fanta and a lager beer. With both ingredients available to us, we tried it and agreed it was very tasty.

Fanchop!

The hot springs are full of sodium sulfate waters, which has been known to ease arthritis, stress, and fatigue. We can agree, it was quite peaceful and relaxing.

Very peaceful and calming

Refilling our heart containers

Drying off and enjoying the heat of the sun

When our Survivor Reward ended, we took the van back to Explora. There was some road construction on the way back which created the most traffic I’ve seen here yet. There were like, 12 cars. Also this road is apparently already the “good road.”

view on the way back

Won’t somebody support President Hudson?!

Back at the hotel, we had a leisurely lunch and relaxed before our afternoon exploration of hiking in the volcanic Domeyko mountain range. This is a unique area as there is a combination of the older Salt Mountain Range geology of clay, salt, and gypsum, mixed with the younger Domeyko volcanic range with igneous rocks. The hike started just outside of a canyon that we hiked into. Throughout the entire hike, we saw evidence of the geologic history.

Welcome to Mars

Top to Bottom: Igneous volcanic mountain, Salt Mountain, river bed

Carlos explained that millions of years ago, a subduction zone with a magma chamber created the land, Then a plutonic intrusion pushed up the land to cause the hills, tilts in the land, and created new rocks. Also millions of years ago (but not quite as many) and this area was covered in water. Over time, erosion carved the canyon to what it is today. Finally, the canyon became the driest place on the planet and all of the water left behind dry waterfalls and riverbeds.

Just two geology nerds geeking out

Hey, Adam, it’s an Atacama waterfall

Bouldering down the canyon

We stopped multiple times along the way to look at cool rocks and admire the geology and view. The hike ended just as the sun was setting over the Atacama salt flats. We made our way back to the hotel for dinner and relaxation.

Heading back

Day 3: Horses & Bikes

by Joanna

Updated: June 27, 2023

1 Comment

Today was the day of rides — horseback riding and bike riding. But first, breakfast! We had our usual Explora breakfast of omelettes and cappuccinos to fuel up for the day.

Traditional Jo & Cappuccino picture

Our morning exploration was horseback riding. We met Carlos and walked over to the stables just outside the front door. After getting geared up and on our horses, we rode towards the salt mountain range. Our horses, Viola and Ooh La La were very gentle and well trained.

Giddyup up up up

Jo in her happy place

When we arrived at las Dunas de la Chula, at the base of the salt mountains, we stopped for some water and photo opportunities. We then continued up and down a ridge as we rode back toward San Pedro.

Everybody say “carrot”

Angel’s Landing – horseback style

Back at our room, we were surprised to learn that our backyard is also where the horses graze. This also explains our confusion yesterday when we found no stairs to the back yard.

Do you have horses in your backyard?

We had some time before our afternoon exploration, so we walked the 10 minutes into town. There is one main street with souvenir shops, restaurants, artist’s shops, and plenty of tour companies. We also found the church in the town center with its triangles on the walls to keep the spirits in.

Walking to town

Looks exactly like the magnet we bought.

After lunch, we met Nico to continue our day of riding things — this time mountain bikes. Leaving Explora, we rode north along the San Pedro River toward Catarpe. The first half was on gravel roads, then we reached the Devil’s Throat canyon, another part of the Salt Mountain Range (it’s pretty big). We rode a very fun route along the floor of the canyon to a lookout point, then took the same route back to Explora. This area had more gypsum than salt, which we could see in veins on the walls of the canyon.

You ready for this?

Watch out for boulders in canyon

Admiring the gypsum veins

Almost there!

We made it!

We made it back at sunset and confirmed our activities for tomorrow with Nico. We relaxed before dinner and went to sleep for our early start tomorrow.

The tables are the maps!!!

Day 2: Cordillera de la Sal

by Joanna

Updated: June 27, 2023

2 Comments

Our stay in Calama was not too eventful, but that was the point. Our pick up was at 10:30, so we had plenty of time to sleep in, get breakfast, and say goodbye to the Geotel. Our Explora driver was Sebastian who provided some fun facts about the area along the way, including so many Brazilians come to San Pedro de Atacama for vacation that they call it Sao Paulo de Atacama. Also, Sebastian’s playlist, top notch.

Leaving Goron City

On the road to San Pedro de Atacama

When we arrived, we toured the main building and scored an upgrade to a suite. Woo! We settled in for a few minutes, then met with Carlos and Nico, our two guides for the week. They gave us a short presentation about Explora and the area, then we picked our explorations for the week here in Atacama — starting with Cordillera del la Sal (Salt Mountain Range) hike for today. Before leaving, we had time for a very fresh and flavorful lunch and to get ready for the afternoon.

The room is pretty suite!

The view is volcanic

Sebastian drove us to the start of the hike where we walked around a flat area and learned about how you can tell the difference between gypsum and salt, both of which occur naturally in this area. For one, the salt is salty. Also, gypsum is very soft and can be scratched with your fingernail.

Venturing into the Salt Mountain Range

They’re minerals, Marie!

Rock salt candy…need those electrolytes

Mini hoodoo

We climbed up to a former salt mine with a half dome appearance. The mining of the salt here stopped when they realized there was no iodine in the salt, and it was too expensive to add it. Since we arrived a little before sunset as the temperature was cooling down, we sat down in silence to “listen to the salt,” which we originally thought was a joke, but turns out you can hear the salt contracting.

Heading to the salt mine

Listening to the salt

Onward!

From there, we walked up a ridge a little further for some good views. We stopped to watch the sunset and a 360 degree view of the area.

Desert lighting

Golden hour with us

Golden hour without us

For the final leg of the trip, we walked a bit further on the narrow ridge and ran (or shuffled) down a sand dune. We made it back with an incredible amount of sand in our shoes and smiles on our faces.

Angel’s Landing – Atacama style

We got back to the hotel and relaxed at the bar before dinner started. This location’s special pisco sour is made with rica rica, a local herb — so we obviously had to give it a try.

Your local pisco variation

After dinner, we met for an evening stargazing exploration. This part of Chile is a designated Dark Sky area due to its low light pollution, high elevation, and arid conditions. We were clearly able to see many stars and constellations as well as the Milky Way. Plus, an hour long talk about binary stars, red giants, nebula, globular clusters, and black holes. You know, cool astronomy stuff.

Day 1: Chicago to Calama

by Joanna

Updated: June 27, 2023

Getting Ready for Bolivia, etc

by Joanna

Updated: April 2, 2024

1 Comment

Continuing with our Explora streak, we decided to visit their last location that is still open in our summer. After a couple of flights, we’ll start in the Atacama desert in Chile for four nights. We will then take a car (with an Explora driver and tour guide) into Bolivia. Fun fact: US citizens need a visa to get into Bolivia which involves hoping for the best and getting the visa at the border, or going to one of the four consulates in the US, none of which are in Chicago. Spoiler alert — we got our visas ahead of time.

Once in Bolivia, we will stop in Ramaditas for one night, then Chituca for one night, and finally the Bolivian salt flats in Uyuni for 3 nights. We’ll say goodbye to Explora (until Spring break) and head to Brazil to see the Iguazu waterfalls. That is, assuming, the one of three flights a week leaving Uyuni is on time.

Don’t worry, detailed pictures are forthcoming

Wasting no time after the last day of school (today), we head out tomorrow for a little over two weeks. This time with airport lounge access!