Snowshoe Hiking in the Andes Mountains

Stephanie Brown
Jan 15, 2018
5 min read

Hiking in the Andes is one of my peak experiences. I honestly never thought this would be something I accomplished in my life, but it has become one of my top travel moments ever. On my South American adventure, I had the opportunity to visit Chile and Peru. While in Chile I spent one day exploring the colorful city of Valparaiso, one day touring the bustling capitol city of Santiago, and a third day hiking in the Andes. Until recently, I would have expected the city days to be the highlights of my trip. However, around the time of my South America trip I discovered my true love of outdoor adventures. Although this was not an experience I had planned for, it ended up being the highlight of my time in Chile and further opened my eyes to the incredible adventures waiting in the natural world.

In preparation for my trip to Chile, I looked into day trips from Santiago. I have had some great experiences on guided day tours, so I thought this would be a great way to see another part of this incredible country. I used Viator to book a guided tour that promised views of glaciers and a trip to a natural hot spring. I have never experienced a hot spring, so I was incredibly excited to finally have the chance to relax in a hot spring with the gorgeous Andes surrounding me. I packed a bathing suit and I was prepared for this tour. Unfortunately, the day before the scheduled tour I learned that due to the weather conditions, this tour would not longer be possible. I was informed that the tour would be changed into a snowshoe hike through the mountains. Although I was initially disappointed that my tour had been changed, the snow hike turned out to be an incredible adventure.

On the morning of the hike, my husband and I were picked up outside our Santiago hostel at 8am. Our guide was very friendly and began explaining the itinerary for the day. Along our drive we stopped at a small local market where our guide picked up sandwiches and other items for our picnic lunch. From there we drove a little farther to Cajón de Maipo. Our guide distributed gear, including hiking shoes, snowshoes, gaters, and trekking poles. Our 5-mile round trip hike began up a rocky hillside. Once we reached the snow-covered trail, we put on our snow shoes and gaters and continued the hike. I had never snowshoed before, so it was a little challenging learning how to walk in the gear. Once I got the hang of it I was able to fully enjoy the scenery around me. I have never experienced a hike quite like this before. The Andes are breathtaking, and I could see snow covered jagged mountain tops all around. Our guide pointed out a few glaciers and a live volcano. I even saw a few groups of circling condors above us which was really exciting!

Once we reached the halfway point, we were in a beautiful valley that provided 360 degree views of the mountains. At this point I was surprisingly warm, so I only needed my light jacket. We were given time to sit and enjoy our picnic lunch with the mesmerizing views in the valley.

After our lunch it was time to begin our descent. It was a bit challenging to get the gear back on, but soon I was comfortable and enjoyed the sunny snow hike back to the van. Although I consider myself a fit and active person, snowshoe hiking was unlike anything I had done before and it was very difficult at times. Instead of taking normal small steps, I felt like I had to lift my legs high above the ground on each step, almost creating a 90 degree angle (this might not be how the pros do it but who knows). This strange walking pattern got easier over time but it was hard to train my legs and brain to make this kind of unfamiliar step.

When we reached the van, we returned the gear to our guide and he began the drive back to Santiago. Along the way we stopped at a gorgeous overlook for a small meal. The guide had purchased wine, cheese, bread, and caramel sauce at the market that morning, and this was a perfect way to end the day. He produced a folding table from the trunk and arranged a gorgeous spread on the table. The bread dipped in the caramel sauce was amazing and it was so fun to spend some time chatting with a local about his life in Chile.

After our meal, we headed back to the van and we were soon dropped off at our hostel in Santiago. This is one of the best aspects of doing a guided tour. I love the ease of being picked up and dropped off right at my hotel or hostel. Also, it is nice to take a break from planning and let a local show you the best sights in their town. I thoroughly enjoyed my hike and I recommend that you consider booking a guided tour for a day trip or excursion on your upcoming travels.

This hike also taught me the value of going with the flow on my travels. I am typically a person who likes to have everything planned. I spend hours researching and creating a perfect itinerary before my trips. I usually know what I want to see, where I want to eat, and what time I would like to do everything. However, I have learned that it is impossible to plan for everything when you are traveling. This is one of the reasons I think travel has really changed my life. I have high anxiety and it can be very difficult for me if things do not follow the plan I have created. I am (slowly) learning that plans do not always need to be meticulously followed. While I think it is still important to prepare for a trip, it is also necessary to be open to changes while I am traveling. Maybe I will discover a museum, park, or historic sight during my journey that I want to explore. Maybe I will hear about a restaurant that I didn't know about. Maybe the tour I booked will be cancelled. If I am strict about my itinerary, I will never let the true experience of travel happen. I am getting better at this and when I am more flexible, I seem to have more fulfilling and rewarding experiences. This is not something that has come easily for me and I am still working on it, but I do believe that travel has helped make me a less anxious and more relaxed individual.