VILCHES, Alto Los Lircay National Park

M.W. Besides its beautiful treks(see trekking section)lakes, hot springs, clean rivers and volcanoes, this national park has some outcrops of a white, good granite. Several routes have been toproped or climbed from below by Waldo Farías and Martin Waldhoer, but the area still is waiting on someone to put bolts. May be a total of 30 nice routes can be put up. There is also a boulder field, but jumping down is not easy as we have seen. Across the river Lircay the Cabeza del Indio is a huge granite cliff. It is accessible from below, but full of dense vegetation. Better try from above. One or more routes are said to have been done, but we no details. The face looks pretty steep.

Left: Volcán Dezcabezado (left)
Piedras Blancas, photo: M.Waldhoer Left: The Piedras Blancas above the entrance ranger station, 1h from below

Photo: M.Wagner
Bouldering at the Laguna del Alto
  • Location: Vilches, National Park Altos De Lircay, east of Talca
  • Access: 1h from Talca (bus service), 1h hiking from below on marked trail
  • Routes: several done, some more possible, many boulder blocks
  • Grades: 5.9-5.12 (toprope)
  • Characteristics: white, solid granite, cracks and face
  • Height: Piedras Blancas until 50m, Cabeza del Indio: until 300m
  • Equipment: Nothing in place
  • Exposure: all
  • Season: October to April

 

  
Cabeza del Indio, photo: M.Waldhoer
Cabeza del Indio across the river Lircay
Photo: M.Wagner
A possible, but hard boulder
Photo: M.Wagner Piedras Blancas from the trail, photo: M.Waldhoer
The other side of Piedras Blancas, as seen from the trail to Laguna del Alto