Searching for Waterfalls near Tanti, Argentina
Thorny bushes bite and claw at my legs as we make our way down the arduous hiking trail in Reserva Cerro Blanco. I can’t take my eyes off of the ground. Rich in minerals and spotted in quartz, marble and silver. It literally sparkles. Sweat is pooling in the lining of my hat and I stop to swipe at my forehead. I hear rushing water – we’re getting close! I pick up the pace, desperate to see it. Jumping down the thin path I come to a rocky edge, looking down into the crystal clear water of the river – Río Yuspe. To my left water pours through massive stone boulders and to the right the river winds through the canyon.
With surprising speed I aggressively undress and wade into the invigoratingly cool river. Looking up at the wild and untouched mountains, I think how prehistoric it all looks, which I suppose is not so far off, as the quartz here formed in the Paleozoic era. Following Laura, my family friend and fearless guide, we begin climbing upstream over the half-submerged boulders. Some of the rock faces burn the bottoms of my feet, so I try to keep them wet. Stepping on a stone underwater, slick with green algae, my right foot slips off the side. I bend my left leg, hoping for stability, but crack my knee against the rock as a sharp point painfully greets the arch of my right foot. A little more carefully now, I climb on all fours, making sure of my footing.
Eventually we make it over the rocks to a large stretch of calm, clear water. You can see the green rocks below almost perfectly. My eyes rise up across the oasis to a glorious waterfall pouring into the river. We found it!
Tune in for more of Alex’s Adventure Diaries!
… and give this post a pin to remind yourself that sometimes you just need to go wandering in search of waterfalls!
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