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==Prolog==

[[File:GPT06-P0005.jpg|thumb|500px|GPT11: Araucaria trees in the Pehuenche homeland. Image: Jan Dudeck]]

[[File:GPT13-P0028.jpg|thumb|500px|GPT18: Cross Country walking on volcanic ash at Cordon Caulle after recent eruption. File: Jan Dudeck]]

The Greater Patagonian Trail (GPT) is a long-distance route network in the southern [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andes Andes] that spans from the outskirts of Santiago all the way to southern [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonia Patagonia].

In the following section of this Hiker’s Manual I try to rectify potentially incorrect assumptions and outline the essentials for hiking and packrafting on this trail network. You should also watch the feature documentary “Unbounded” and read the publications of other hikers and packrafters to learn from the diverse experiences of others on the Greater Patagonian Trail.

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==Introduction and General Information==

[[File:GPT_Settler_(2).jpg|thumb|500px|GPT22: Discussing route options with settlers at the Río Puelo. Image: Jan Dudeck]]

[[File:GPT08-Arriero.jpg|thumb|500px|GPT09: Arriero at the base of the Vulcano Antuco. Image: Jan Dudeck]]

[[File:GPT10-Peuenche.jpg|thumb|500px|GPT09: Being guest at a Pehuenche family: Fresh milk, fresh cheese, fresh meat! Image: Jan Dudeck]]

===Statements about the GPT by Hikers and Packrafters===

Bethany Hughes and Lauren Reed (Fidgit and Neon): "This trail has been the most punishing and the most magical experience of my hiking career to date.”

The Wikiexplora article comes with one weakness: offline access while being on the GPT. Therefore the GPT Hiker’s Manual was created in 2017. With this the Wikiexplora article is now neither the only nor the best resource to the GPT but Wikiexplora provides an introduction to anyone “just browsing around” and gives access to the Hiker’s Manual and other relevant documentations.

This Hiker’s Manual is the primary source of information to the GPT.

1 Introduction and General Information,

2 Terrain and Section Information and

3 Appendix and Indices.

You can download the GPT Hiker's Manual on Dropbox: [https://goo.gl/sWqGiv Hikers Manual on Dropbox]

The Greater Patagonian Trail is composed out of existing routes that were mainly made by the local settlers to serve their purposes. Hikers are unexpected guests on many of these trails. Only smaller parts of these routes have some kind of trail markers.

See chapter 3.6 Digital Documentation of the GPT on page 499 in the Hiker's Manual for more information.

The informal and provisional nature of the GPT makes it relevant that hikers quickly exchange updates and recommendations while travelling on this evolving route network. For this pur¬pose the GPT Facebook Group was created. Here all hikers can post brief summaries after completing a section and leave notes that might be beneficial for others that are en route. This can be information to temporary unpassable trail sections, volcano alerts, river conditions or anything that makes you think in hindsight: “I should have known this before!”.

[https://m.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455?ref=bookmarks https://m.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455?ref=bookmarks]

In the hiking season 2016/17 four novice hikers from North America and Europe walked parts of GPT to create a travel documen¬tary. The result of this endeavour is the 74-minute feature docu¬mentary “Unbounded” by Garrett Martin. This work of art displays fascinating impressions from the trail and highlights their cultural experience with the settlers and the natives along the route.

This film focuses on the individual experience of these four hikers and does not aim to provide a comprehensive introduction to the GPT. Starting under-prepared and over-loaded they learned their lessons and gradually adopted to this challenging trail network. To draw the right conclusions for your hike read my comments to this film either before or better after watching.

With this Hiker’s Manual and the article on Wikiexplora I aim to create a systematical introduction and a comprehensive documen¬tation of the GPT. I intentionally try not to overload these documents with personal stories from the trail.

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==Update in Progress==

I have written most of this trail description in 2015. Since then we returned twice to Patagonia to hike and paddle the southern extension all the way to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and we investigated various alternative routes in the northern and central area of this trail. Other hikers have walked the northern extension to Santiago and contributed with GPS records to refine the regular route and numerous optional side tracks. With this the GPT has doubled in length to approximately 3000 km and the number and length of all the additional options has growing exponentially.

Email of author: gpt.jan.dudeck@gmail.com

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The Greater Patagonian Trail is not a hiking trail.

'''All this makes the GPT a discovery network with a good portion of unpredictability but impressive authenticity.'''

===Trail Length and Trail Type Composition===

The Greater Patagonian Trail is not a normal single line long distance trail but a wide discovery trail network with countless options and alternatives. Therefore the actual length that someone may walk and paddle depends highly on the selected sections, the chosen route and the method of travel (hiking only, packrafting wherever possible or a balanced combination of both). Also a further extension of the trail towards the southern tip of the continent is in preparation. For this reason there is no precise number for the trail length and only examples can be provided.

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[[File:Pat_map.PNG|thumb|400px|Limits of Patagonia. Image: [https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonia Wikipedia]]]