Mirador de los Condores (2023)

A viewpoint where condors fly by below you

Anyone who has a day to spare  in Santiago and is looking for a nice hike will quickly find the Mirador de los Cóndores (or the viewpoint of the condors). It's a short walk of barely 10 km, but don't underestimate it. You go up for 5 km, from 1400 to 2000 meters. And in the summer heat that can be quite challenging. But it’s definitely worth it. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, you can look down on soaring condors, the largest bird in the world with a wingspan of up to 3.2 meters.

When I booked my holiday, there were still corona measures in place in Chile and I would have had to wait in Santiago for the results of a PCR test. That's why I have an extra day in Santiago and what better to spend it hiking? After some puzzling I take an Uber towards Al Alfalfal where the trail starts on the outskirts. It is a five km long climb through a sandy, rocky landscape with huge cacti and low shrubs. I knew it would be summer in Chile, but even this early in the morning it's already hot. I slowly climb up and as my heart races and my legs feel like porridge I pant like a horse. Is my condition that bad? I hiked 40 km last week! Twice I rest in the shade and that at a distance of 5 km! My water supply is dwindling and at a narrow stream full of tadpoles I wet my head and dare to drink a few sips. Slowly I hike on, grateful for my trekking poles and shorts that I brought to Chile after all. I doubt myself, how far is it? Is it wise to continue? But when I see the hikers who have rushed ahead of me sitting calmly on a rock, I squeeze out a last bit of energy. Once sitting on the edge of a cliff I enjoy the mountains.

We are about 60 km from Santiago and the city is nowhere to be seen. The rocks are rough, brown and high. Unfortunately no condor to be seen yet, but you have to be patient. I relax and slather myself with suntan lotion. And then I see a black shadow skim across the sandy ground in the valley. A condor! Spreading its black wings, it floats soundlessly across the landscape. Even from this distance, it's huge. It flies low above the rocks and that helps with orientation when I grab my camera. Two or three shots before he lets the thermals carry him higher and disappears into the blue sky. After half an hour the heat is too much for me and I start the descent. It is a lot easier, although I have to be careful not to slip on the coarse sand path. Two km before the end I meet a Swedish couple who are traveling through South America. I give them tips about walks in El Chaltén and after a nice chat I descend further. I pass a family with a dog lying in the shade and panting from the heat. I hope they don't go all the way to the viewpoint, that's cruel. Once back at the parking lot, I don't have enough signal to order an uber. The bus to Al Alfalfal passes by and does not stop, this is not an official bus stop. Finally I get a lift to the subway station in Santiago from a father and son who were at the picnic. In the back of a work van I can stretch my legs for the long drive back. What a wonderful day.