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the Degree Confluence Project
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Chile : El Maule

8.0 km (5.0 miles) SSE of Santa Blanca, Maule, Chile
Approx. altitude: 668 m (2191 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 35°N 109°E

Accuracy: 15 m (49 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: View from point, facing south #3: View from point, facing east #4: View from point, facing west #5: GPS reading all zero #6: Better view of GPS, not zeroed out #7: Left to right: Iain, Matt, and Heather

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  35°S 71°W (visit #4)  

#1: View from point, facing north

(visited by Matt & Heather HummAhl, Heather Hummel and Iain Ballesty)

13-Dec-2008 --

My wife Heather and I met Iain on a Saturday morning at Casa Chueca in Talca. We had never heard of the Confluence Project and so Iain invited us to come along with him. Iain had already done the research on the point and figured a good method of getting up there.

We got off Route 5 and headed east on Junction 55 for approximately 15km. The confluence point was south of the main road, so I watched the GPS crows-fly distance to our intended destination until it started getting larger. We kept our eyes peeled for a forest service road that Iain had located on Google Maps. After turning around and combing the area almost directly north of the point we found what appeared to be a dirt road that headed into the forest. The road came to a gate approximately 1km off Junction 55, but the gate was open this time.

This dirt road seemed to be leading us directly south toward the point. We continued on this road for 3km, with the point almost passing within 200m of the road. We parked our vehicle and set into the light forest on food. After a 10 minute hike down a small embankment and over a small creek we came to a clearing and it appeared we had arrived. There was horse excrement on the ground, so it was probable we were not the first visitors.

Iain was the expert here, so we went about the confluence waltz trying to get his Rino 130 to read the point exactly. He took the necessary photos and I did the same with my camera. I only had my manual focus fish eye lens with me, so I apologize for the strange photos. Of the six preferred photos, I am only missing the photo of the area without any people in it. I do have the N-S-E-W and GPS photos.

Iain was supposed to post the visit on the website, but we never heard back from him and thought we'd post our successful trip in Chile. I hope he will add his photos later.


 All pictures
#1: View from point, facing north
#2: View from point, facing south
#3: View from point, facing east
#4: View from point, facing west
#5: GPS reading all zero
#6: Better view of GPS, not zeroed out
#7: Left to right: Iain, Matt, and Heather
ALL: All pictures on one page