Snow Hike Tour 4 A 6 K

We will leave Santiago very early towards Cajón del Maipo but first, we will stop for breakfast in a traditional place and then rent equipment for those who need it. After that, we will head to the starting point of the hike. During the walk, we will have the possibility to enjoy breathtaking landscapes covered by snow and to refresh our bodies with pure air. After a walk of 3 km, we will arrive in La Engorda Valley, where we will reach a lookout where we will have the best view of San José Volcano.

This Volcano is considered active due to its last eruption in the '60s.

Finishing this incredible experience we will leave Cajon del Maipo heading towards Santiago.

USEFUL TIPS TO PREPARE YOU FOR SNOW HIKING:

Winter is cold but that doesn’t mean it can’t be comfortable. You just need to stock up on the right gear and arm yourself with a little knowledge to be safe and comfortable when winter trekking. Here are our tips to help you winter trek more efficiently while staying comfortable and warm!

LAYERING TIPS:

People who don’t know a lot about cold weather think you have to stay bundled up at all times, but if you are warm, you can strip down. It’s important to not let yourself overheat. When working out in the cold, we strip right down to our bare minimum layers to keep from having sweat build up. You want to have as little moisture on your body as possible. When you do stop activities, put your layers back quickly. A down jacket or parka can be strapped onto the outside of your sled so you can put it on whenever you stop to stay warm.

BASE LAYER

Merino Wool layers – tops and bottoms. Icebreaker is the brand we like and you can buy it at SportCheck. It’s expensive, but you will have it for years. It wicks away moisture and it is odor resistant. On Lure of the North, we only wore two sets of our Merino wool base layers (wool usually makes me itchy, but not this stuff) and they worked like a charm.

MID-LAYERS

Fleece or wool sweater: You had a fleece mid-layer and a very lightweight down mi- layer.

OUTER LAYER AND WARM COAT

So be sure to have a breathable outer layer. Even though it is cold outside, you need to be able to have material that will breathe. When you stop to rest for a while, we have parkas to change in to keep warm. A good puffy-down jacket with a high weight count is also a good option.

FACE COVERINGS

No matter how hot you get when hiking, your face still freezes. Covered as much as possible because you hate the feeling of a cold neck and chin. Use a breathable face mask for really cold days and several buffs for the head and neck that you interchanged regularly.

HATS

When trekking, wear a lightweight base layer hat. You want to keep heat in, but if you overheat, it can cause a chill.

USE THE RIGHT WINTER GEAR

When doing winter trekking, know your task. No one piece of gear fits all expeditions.

SNOWSHOES

When trekking in the winter a lot of people think that “modern” means better. But while talking to all the experts, we’ve learned that if you are going on a full-on winter trek into the backcountry, you should use traditional snowshoes. If you are high altitude or glacier trekking you will need crampons and solid hiking boots, if you go farther north, you will want to have cross-country skis as they are more efficient.

TENTS

When camping traditionally, you are quite comfortable. You carry more gear with you on sleds, but it all helps you sleep comfortably. A canvas tent is cozy and warm compared to modern nylon tents. A wood stove can be safely set up inside and a fire can be lit all night long. That is when modern tents work well with camp stoves. So once again, know where you are going and what resources are available to you.