To this day, the entrance to the valley is still free thanks to the contributions of the owners and private individuals. To achieve the goals of administration, conservation, restoration, security, and infrastructure implementation, the cost of implementation and maintenance per year is approximately CLP$38,500,000.
The Cochamó Valley does not receive governmental aid, but has been recognized nationally for its conservation and territorial organization efforts.
Be part of this collaborative project and help us meet our challenges.
Visitor Center
Operating cost for high season: CLP$12,900,000
The Visitor Center, created and administrated since 2017 by the OVC was established as a response to the exponential increase of tourism and non regulated tourism activities. All these creating problems as garbage, increase in accidents, trail erosion, flora and fauna impact, water contamination and fire danger. To be able to cover the operating expenses between December and March we need a suitable group of volunteers and administrator which, among other assignments, welcome, register and educate more than 12.000 visitors. Also need to rent a house for the team and provide corporative clothing.
Operating cost for low season: CLP$5,600,000
Every year there is more people visiting the valley off-season. It is our dream to be able to have the Visitor Center open all year round, since without the information, education and on field operations, the problems mentioned throughout this site start happening again.
Environmental Education Program
Cost: CLP$6,000,000
In order to strengthen the collaborative network between the Cochamó Valley and the town of Cochamó, we have a plan to implement environmental education, responsible and sustainable tourism and natural and cultural heritage through thematic workshops. These would be held in town and in the valley, use printed material. This effort to strengthen the value chain of caring for the Cochamó Valley would be especially aimed at local students, visitors, guachos, tour operators and locals.
Rescue / First Aid
Cost: CLP$4,000,000
Every year, accidents inevitably happen. Having an accident in an area as isolated as this is high risk, it is also very far from any hospital center and an aeromedical evacuation is only possible if the weather allows it. Each rescue requires a tremendous trained human effort, until now, it has almost always been the same climbers (most with WFR first aid knowledge) who have helped the victims. It is of the utmost urgency to have a team prepared with first-rate supplies to attend to these emergencies.
Interpretive Trail
Cost: CLP$3,400,000
Implementation of an interpretive trail along 11.5 kilometers, on the entrance trail to the Cochamó Valley, between the beginning of the valley and the La Junta sector. It includes 20 signs with names of trees, ferns, and mosses, 5 informative signs about conservation objects, and 6 signs about the alerce tree. One more contribution to the strengthening of environmental education and natural and cultural heritage.
Trail Work
Cost: CLP$3,000,000
El sendero hacia el valle son 11,5km por un imponente bosque patagónico lluvioso. Su historia centenar de tránsito de ganado, el uso intensivo de la última década debido al turismo, sumado a que cada invierno se caen árboles sobre el sendero, que no solo tapan el paso, sino también dañan el camino, la señalética y la infraestructura. Esto requiere no solo mejoras para hacerlo más seguro para el turismo, sino mantención anual. Llegar a estos lugares requiere mucho esfuerzo, recursos materiales y humanos, se deben transportar motosierras y herramientas para mejorar y recuperar el sendero y su infraestructura, como puentes colgantes, pasarelas, envaralados.
Informational Video
Cost: CLP$3,500,000
The number of tourists has increased over the years, reaching thousands of people per season (12,689 people registered only between December 2019 to mid-March 2020). It is essential and indispensable to give a small welcome induction at the Visitor Center. The vast majority of visitors are inexperienced in mountain terrain and waste management in wild areas. A video would help not only at the Visitor Center, but also through our organization's social networks, conferences, workshops, meetings, etc.