Malleo (SPA-ENG)

Malleo

The name Malleo comes from Mapudungun, the language of the Mapuche people native to Patagonia. Its meaning is "water that runs between stones." It is the name of the river that rises at the foot of the magnificent Lanin Volcano as an outlet for Lake Tromen, almost on the border between Argentina and Chile.

We headed there for a week of fishing and sightseeing. We departed from Buenos Aires Airport on a journey of just under two hours to reach the tourist town of San Martín de los Andes in the Andean region of Neuquén province.

There's nothing better than staying right on the banks of the Malleo River, on the grounds of the Lof Painefilu, a Mapuche community named after an ancient and revered longko, or chieftain.

The community is located along Provincial Route 60, which leads to the Tromen Pass, one of the passes into Chile and the beautiful trans-Andean towns of Pucón and Villarrica. To access their land, you must pay an entrance fee of just over $2 per person in Argentine currency. If you stay on the property for several days, you do not need to pay it again if you leave for any reason. Before the entrance, a short walk away, there is an old general store where we can stock up on many of the essentials for our stay. There are no restaurants or food services within the Lof, except for the exquisite bread that some residents bake daily. There is another store within the community, but it only has a limited variety of food and drinks, although it does offer excellent grilled meat. In any case, it is advisable to stock up on most of your needs during your stay at one of the large and well-stocked supermarkets in the nearby city of Junín de los Andes.

I have known the community since the dawn of the 21st century, and its evolution is astonishing. I have seen two very well-organized and equipped primary schools and a technical school for the next level of education, which is attended by all the children and young people in the area, including those whose homes are far from the aforementioned educational establishments. The Neuquén provincial government provides transportation services with modern vans.

Although the inhabitants of the lof prefer privacy, and only a few houses are visible along the main path that runs alongside the river, they have been significantly improved. Electricity, satellite television, and the internet have made life more comfortable and modern for its members. Despite these advances, it must be acknowledged that they have never abandoned their traditions, the cultural and spiritual practices that distinguish them, or their native language, although they all speak Spanish fluently.

The accommodation where we stayed is one of several owned by the Mapuche people, and although modest, it has the necessary amenities to ensure that those who enjoy fishing and outdoor recreational activities have a comfortable and mostly temperate place to withstand the climate that becomes harsher by the day as autumn approaches. Another option is camping on the riverbanks. There are at least four of these within the Lof, although they are not recommended when the cold sets in at the beginning of autumn, but they are an interesting option in summer.

All the cabins are made of wood and built on log pillars to avoid the dampness and cold of the ground. This is a feature I've also seen in Chile. They all have a wood-burning stove, which gives the atmosphere of a remote and cozy place. They truly provide excellent heat, although the local wood is soft and burns quickly. Every morning when we woke up, we had a fresh supply of the essential wood at the entrance to the cabin, so we wouldn't be without that fire that warms the air and brings people together.

Walking along the river, delighting in the whimsical shapes of the surrounding hills, it's normal to encounter a variety of wildlife. Horses, donkeys, goats, and sheep are common, belonging to the families of the community, one of whose main activities is livestock farming. But it's also common to find birds of different sizes and colors, including black and white herons, kingfishers, a beautifully colored bird always hunting small trout in the river, and the ever-present Andean stilts with their curved beaks and bulging bodies. With a lot of luck, you might see an Andean condor gliding among the high peaks or hear a woodpecker clicking its beak on the bark of a high-altitude poplar. Underwater, what I always look for are rainbow trout, brown trout, and the elusive brook trout.

The enormous Lanín volcano stands out for its height and is visible from virtually any part of the Lof. We were lucky enough to see it with and without snow, as after a couple of beautiful days, we had two more days of extreme cold and rain in the valley and, of course, heavy snowfall on the high peaks of the Andes foothills.

But fishing and the scenery aren't the only draws in the area. Hiking, horseback riding, biking, climbing, and rappelling are common activities, and it's common to find people practicing them while we travel the river in search of trout.

After a full week, we bid farewell to the Lof and its friendly people. We said goodbye to a magnificent sunset, a very comfortable temperature that allowed us to enjoy the last silvery glimmers of the Malleo, which seemed to bid us farewell with a part of its immeasurable beauty. The next morning, we returned to the San Martín de los Andes airport, where a plane from the state-owned airline brought us back to Buenos Aires. We are left with fond memories and the dream of returning for more.