Cambios

# '''Do you have some reasonable good conversational Spanish skills?''' <br> Could you explain to a local resident in Spanish what you are doing there on his land and keep up in a more confrontational conversation if necessary? Can you discuss with arrieros and settler route options? Can you ask for bus times and bus stops, buy tickets, navigate through towns, inquire prices and this with people that do not speak any English?

# '''Do you have extensive Outdoor experience?''' <br> Long distance hiking experience is not required but being competent in moving and living under the sky in different landscapes is crucial on this trail (desert-like landscapes, forest, steppe, tundra).

# '''Do you really look for a demanding unpredictable discovery hike?''' <br> Can you deal with being unable to plan your trip in detail? Are you willing to backtrack if a route turns out impassible? If you have very specific expectations than this indicates that you probably don’t want to discover.

# '''Do you have at least six weeks in Chile and Argentina available?''' <br> If you have less time available than taking some of the established hiking routes is more appropriate and effective to see several parts of Patagonia.

# '''Do you have a monthly budget of 1000 USD after having paid your gear and the airfare?''' <br> Don’t undermine the cost of living in Chile and Argentina. With some cost saving strategies you may get along with a little less but 800 USD per month per person is the bare minimum.

# Villarica Traverse <br> Comment: Read the [http://www.wikiexplora.com/index.php/Villarrica_Traverse_(english) Wikiexplora article in English] for more information.

# Puyehue Ascent <br> Comment: The ascent of this volcano from Anticura starting at the international road "Ruta 215" is an rather established summit route that is taken by several hundred hikers each year. Return on the same path! DO NOT attempt a traverse without a GPS, precise tracks, good weather and sufficient reserves. If you do not find the trail head on the other side of the plateau you will get stuck in an extremely dense forest. In this area people went missing and were never found again.

# Cochamó <br> Comment: This is a relatively young hiking area that has grown in popularity in recent years. Most people walk from the town of Cochamó to the camp site "La Junta" and make day trips from this location.

# Cerro Castillo <br> Comment: Read the [http://www.wikiexplora.com/index.php/Circuito_Cerro_Castillo_(english) Wikiexplora article in English] for more information.

# El Chaltén (Monte Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre) <br> Comment: This is a small but one of the most visited hiking areas in Patagonia. Hikers either camp in one of the official camp ground or make day trips from the town of El Chaltén to the very popular lookouts to Monte Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. Expect lots of hikers and stunning views.

# Torres del Paine <br> Comment: This is for good reasons the most popular hiking area in Patagonia. The number of visors has risen to level that restrictions are now in place. You need to make advance reservations month ahead. Read the [http://www.wikiexplora.com/index.php/Trekking_Torres_del_Paine_(english) Wikiexplora article in English] for more information.

# '''Do you want to hike only or do you want to packraft as well?''' <br> The answer to this question will determine the equipment you need and what zones to tackle. You can easily fill an entire season with hiking on sections that are very attractive for walking but where carrying a packraft is not beneficial. The same applies to packrafting: you can fill a four to five month period packrafting in areas where carrying such a light-weight boat really pays off. I suggest opting for the one or the other and not mingling both choices into one season except if you have a trustworthy place in Chile to leave your packrafting gear while hiking without your (loved) boat.

# '''Do you want to hike a continuous part of the GPT with connecting footsteps or do you want to visit several separated parts?''' <br> For some hikers connecting footsteps are an essential concept and motivator to stay on track while others don’t mind to bridge a less attractive part by public transportation or hitchhiking. Choose what is appropriate for you. And please do not look down on others but respect individual choices. Hike your hike.

# '''Do you want to follow the regular route or will you attempt in some areas more remote investigation options?''' <br> The answer to this question is really a matter of personal interest and capability. I have intentionally created the GPT as a wide network with as many options as feasible because I’m fully aware that my way of walking with my personal preferences is not everyone’s best choice. For hikes that are accustomed to follow a single trail this might be irritating but for such hikers the GPT is probably not right trail anyway. You will finally need to take these decisions on the trial but you need to get prepared before you leave. Therefore start your hike in Google Earth by looking at these options to make educated choices later on the trail. One hiker summarized this variety with these words: “The GPT is a mosaic out of which everyone needs to assemble his trail.”

# '''What sections do you want to hike or packraft?''' <br> Select the sections that you plan to hike carefully. But don’t fill your plate with more than what you can reasonably eat. Get prepared and plan your route but leave it open end.

# '''When and for how long do you want to travel?''' <br> Understand the suitable timing of the different sections and align your travel plans accordingly. Certain sections became passable relatively early in the season while others can only be hiked safely after most of the snow is molten and the river levels normalized. Don’t assume wrongly that you will face more restrictions in the south. It’s the opposite; the more mountainous northern sections have the smaller seasonal window while the generally lower southern section’s permit an earlier start or later finish even if the climate is generally more volatile in the south. If you have an entire season then plan sections for the end that are less restricted by the climate.

# '''In what direction do you want to travel?''' <br> If you packraft than several key sections are only floatable southbound what determines the generally recommended packrafting orientation. But some optional packrafting routes can only be taken northbound. Verify your choices carefully otherwise you may reach a river that just flows in the “wrong” direction! If you are hiking you are freer to choose and change your direction of travel. Only at certain section you might run into permit and permission issue if have made a wrong choice.

[[File:GPT04-P0039.jpg|thumb|450px|Greater Patagonian Trail Section 4: Near Laguna de Las Lajas where 45 soldiers died in

2005 during a snow storm. File: Jan Dudeck]]

====Trail Condition====

The Greater Patagonian trail is not an official trail that is set up and managed by a government agency. Is simply a compilation of horse trails, minor roads and some cross country sections over private properties and state owned land. This means that large parts of the route are not monitored or maintained by public authorities. Most of the horse trails were created by local herdsman to drive livestock to their pastures and other parts of the route are current or disused wood logging roads. Therefore the maintenance depends on the needs and initiative of these locals users.

Severe weather, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes can destroy or alter a route and if not maintained vegetation can completely close a trail within a few years in particular in the tempered rain forest. Therefore attention and good judgment are needed when hiking the Greater Patagonian Trail because some trail sections may become impassable or change. Check your GPS regularly but don’t follow blindly the GPS track.

==== River Crossings====

====Weather====

Storms with heavy rain may arise on all parts of the trail anytime and in elevated areas heavy snowfall may occur even in midsummer. Therefore be always prepared and equipped for sudden weather changes.

In bad or instable weather do not climb a pass or venture into exposed terrain above the tree line. Rather wait or return and seek shelter if the weather changes in a concerning manner. Carry at least a poncho to protect yourself and your backpack if rain or snow closes in. In instable weather keep your eyes open and memorize potential protected camp sites and puestos if you are forced to turn around to seek shelter. Selected suitable locations are documented with waypoints in the KMZ file for trekking.

====Wild Animals====

There are no bears in South America. This makes hiking more relaxed if compared with North America. You can cook at your tent and store all you food in your tent without fearing a visit of a hungry bear.

The largest living predator in Patagonia (apart from humans) is the '''Puma''', also called Cougar or Mountain Lion. They normally hide and avoid contact with humans. Wikipedia states: “Attacks on humans are very rare, as cougar prey recognition is a learned behaviour and they do not generally recognize humans as prey. (…) As with many predators, a cougar may attack if cornered, if a fleeing human stimulates their instinct to chase, or if a person "plays dead". Standing still however may cause the cougar to consider a person easy prey. Exaggerating the threat to the animal through intense eye contact, loud but calm shouting, and any other action to appear larger and more menacing, may make the animal retreat. Fighting back with sticks and rocks, or even bare hands, is often effective in persuading an attacking cougar to disengage.”.

Link: [https://her-odyssey.org her-odyssey.org]

Bethany and Lauren are on their way to traverse the length of the Americas by non-motorized means to connect stories of the land and its inhabitants. They started in December 2015 in Ushuaia on the southern tip of the continent and were the first to walk the entire length of the GPT. We got in touch before they commenced their endeavor and while they walked northbound I developed the trail southbound. This resulted in a very fertile exchange of ideas and routes. Bethany and Lauren “gound-truthed” and recorded several of the hiking sections of the GPT in central Patagonia based on my drafts. This was a very important support since I traveled with my wife primarily the packraft options in central Patagonia. The following year, around October 2016, they asked me for my advice how to continue their journey north which led me to develop the fife northern section of the GPT extending the trail all the way to Santiago. Independently from Gerald Klamer they investigated and recorded these fife sections in the Precordillera (GPT01 to GPT05).

Link: [http://geraldtrekkt.blogspot.it/2017/04/greater-patagonian-trail-1-santiago-coya.html geraldtrekkt on blogspot]

Gerald is a highly experienced hiker who walked in many remote areas around the world. He learned about this trail though a common friend (Christine Thürmer, the German author of the book “Laufen, Essen, Schlafen”). When we got in touch I told him about the newly drafted but unverified fife northern sections (GPT01 to GPT05). He loved the idea to be the first to investigate and record them and so he did! When he reached the already verified part of the GPT he did not continue on the “path of least resistance” by following the already well documented regular route but instead he kept investigating and recording the more remote and mountainous options that I drafted mainly based on satellite images and descriptions from local arrieros. He liked it so much that he now prepares the continuation of his hike on the GPT in the coming season.

The Hiker's Manual is a PDF file optimized for reading on a computer screen or smart phone. The page size ratio is 16 to 9 like the screen on most smart phones and many computer screens. The PDF file is best reviewed in "full screen slide mode" (one page filling the entire screen, no scrolling but flipping entire pages).

You can download the currently still incomplete version of the Hikers Manual here: [https://goo.gl/sWqGiv Hikers Manual on Dropbox]

They live in villages in the mountain valleys but also move up on higher grazing grounds during the summer very much like the “arrieros” do. But in contrast to the "arrieros" you will meet more women and entire families, sometimes three generations living together in small summer shelters. Some milk their cows and make cheese. In summer and autumn they harvest the "piñones" of the Araucaria tree what is the staple food of their traditional diet. Once you discover how to collect and prepare these seeds you will have an unlimited food supply along the trail provided that you scheduled the traverse of this zone to match the harvest season.

These Araucaria trees are one defining element of this landscape and a highlight of this zone. Areas where old growth trees have been preserved create and impressive scenery. If then a large band of squawking parrots crosses your path you may feel like in mystery forest.

The other so different face of this zone is the volcanic lunar landscape. Two extended volcanic areas rise out of the rainforest with the last major eruption occurring in 2011. The trail climbs up and out of the rainforest to traverse wide fields of grey ash and snake around massive streams of black lava boulders. You can summit the volcanos and stare into a wide open crater. The contrast between the engulfing forest and the hostile volcanic terrain is mind-blowing.

With this zone the packraft dreamland begins. You can cover about a third of the distance on water floating down calm river, crossing immense lakes and even paddling in the Patagonian fjords.

In this zone the climate cools considerably and rain become more frequent. But where the trail remains in the forest you are less exposed than in the zones further north. Only the two volcano crossings get you high up in open terrain where condition can turn hostile even in mid-summer if you are hit by bad weather.

You will see the effects of a wide variety of trail maintenance throughout this zone. In parts you have well maintained forest roads; then you walk on frequently used horse trails but in a few parts you need to fight your way through overgrown terrain.

====Zone E: Zona Ríos y Lagos Argentinos====

Chile and Argentina are like two brothers that share a lot but have some distinct differences in appearance and attitude. The relation between both countries is pretty much like between siblings; they can stand together and feel strong family ties but there is also some sibling rivalry, just like two little boys that quietly play together in the sandbox and a moment later they stream and fight over one toy that both grabbed at the same time. And this zone is your opportunity to get to know the other brother. You can explore the difference of the Argentine culture and way of life i.e. by visiting the hippie town of El Bolsón at the end of section GPT22 and the start of GPT23.

The hiking route of this zone borders numerous pristine lakes and rivers and crosses forest and patches of cattle grazing land. The route passes two national parks and several large private properties ("estancias"). You can enjoy many gorgeous views and some sections of this zone are generally easy walking. Here the GPT follows in large parts the Huella Andina, a personal initiated trail project by Estefania Chereguini and Walter Oszust. This project unfortunately came to a halt when the Argentine Ministry of Tourism assumed control and forced the founders out. This and recent wild fires mean that parts of the trail are no longer maintained and become overgrown.

A very challenging but fascinating highlight of this zone is the traverse from Lago Puelo to Lago Cholila that contains some demanding bush bashing and walking in rivers to avoid the dense vegetation. Here you can test what it takes to walk without a trail though partly engulfing forest. This experience may reconcile you with the larger proportion of road walking that is unavoidable if hiking and not packrafting.

With this zone the packraft dreamland continues. The distance on water exceeds 40%. In particular from Lago Cholila to Lago Kruger you have a long continuous sector of interconnecting lakes and rivers where you don’t need to leave the water for 3 or 4 days except to rest and to camp.

In this zone rain is rare but heat can be a burden since the trail snakes along of the eastern edge of the Andes in the rain shadow. Expect to climb over many fences and closed gates since the more leveled ground on the eastern edge of the Andes is used as grazing land for large herds of cattle. In the National Park “Los Alerces” you will meet large crowds on the camp sites but a short stroll from these hot-spots you will encounter much less people. On the southern terminus of this zone you return to Chile on a paved road where collecting your passport stamps is straightforward.

If hiking you traverse a thickly forested region that generally follows quiet back roads and historic horse trails. A major trail section is a national heritage trail (“Ruta Patrimonial”) that is beautiful hiking, with a wonderful perspective of history. The wide river valleys are lovely to note, as are the views when you can see through the trees. Sparsely populated, it gives an idea of the hardy and kind people who inhabit Patagonia.

If hiking be aware that parts of the route receive little to no maintenance and can be quite difficult to track. Some hikers turned back because they lost the trail. At the moment I have no precise GPS record for parts of the trail and only an approximate route is incorporated into the trail file. Your contribution is needed to fill this gap with an accurate record.

For packrafters this zone is an unmatched highlight of the GPT. Just two kilometers after leaving the village Palena you reach the put in at the generally calm river Palena that you can now float down in 4 to 6 days until you reach the Fjord Pitipalena and the tiny harbor village Raul Marin Balmaceda. Don’t try to be fast to enjoy the scenery and to meet some of the families that live for three or four generations on the shore of this powerful but unhurried river.

From Raul Marin Balmaceda you best take the ferry to Puerto Chacabuco, which with favorable weather is a very scenic 24 h boat ride through the Patagonian fjord world. The ferry stops in various tiny settlements in the fjords, where you might leave the boat to do some optional exploration excursions. From Puerto Chacabuco the most practical option is to continue after GPT28P with GPT31P, skipping the expedition sections GPT29P and GPT30P that should only be considered by highly experienced packrafters that are quite familiar with Patagonia.

The few rapids can normally be scouted and portaged if needed but your constant attention is needed to evade the countless sunken trees that lurk under the water. Towards the end the river valley widens exposing you to sometimes heavy head wind and when you reach the intertidal zone the flow direction may inverse twice per day for several hours. So understand the tidal cycles and get tidal charts to plan at what times you can paddle down. When choosing your last camp site make sure that you do not pitch your tent in the intertidal zone otherwise you may suddenly wake up in the middle of the river.

The hiking route largely follows an array of roads, from impassible by vehicle to main thoroughfares and is easy walking. A few notable peaks can be viewed along the way and water is ample. The few villages are safe, simple, and kind. Coming in the Valle Chacabuco around Coyhaique gives a striking view of the effects of the early fire clearing in this region to create grazing land as you move between old growth forests and clear cuts. Coyhaique is the largest city directly on GPT and has several outdoor shops, which, while overpriced, can help in a pinch. This is also the center for “Patagonia Sin Represas” so if you have a chance, stop by!

Since the hiking route consists completely of minor and primary roads I don’t recommend walking this zone except if you advocate connecting food steps or if you are a die-heard thru-hiker that attempts hiking the entire trail without packrafting in two or three seasons.

The packrafting route is much more scenic than the hiking option and with about half the distance on water carrying a boat really pays off. The route connects half a dozen lakes and river sections and requires some walking on minor roads because the historic horse trails have been upgraded in the last one or two decades. When talking to the few settlers on the shore of the lakes and along the roads you can gain a very personal insight how this harsh land got settled during the 20th century.

Note that wind on these lakes can be powerful and rain is frequent and cold. If going southbound then wind is normally favorable. But be prepared to sit out periods of unsafe strong wind even if blasting in your direction.

Challenges in this region are remoteness, volatile weather and partly poor trail conditions. The walking distance from Chile Chico to Villa O’Higgins is about 350 km and you have just the village Chochrane to resupply in the middle. The partially difficult route finding on the “Ruta de los Pioneros” probably reconciles you with the easy but tiresome road walking on either end of this historic trail.

When packrafting you can opt between several more choices. You can i.e. cross Lago Cochrane and bypass the village Cochrane to venture into the particular remote area of Lago Brown and float down the swift river Río Tranquilo that is not as tranquil as name suggests. You can paddle several lakes and rivers that parallel the “Ruta de los Pioneros”. The most challenging packrafting option is floating down the Río Baker. This powerful high volume river requires a couple of portages and wind can fiercely against you in particular when getting close to the harbor village Villa Tortel where this rivers flows into Patagonian fjords.

This zone is sure to be a favorite among hikers and packrafters that seek to be challenged by difficult terrain.

The giant Southern Patagonian Ice Field extends 350 km in North-South direction and is in average 35 km wide. It’s northern terminus is located as the latitude of Villa O’Higgins. Immense glaciers flow down from this ice field in all directions and some glaciers constantly refill the Lago O’Higgins with immense blocks of ice and turquoise glacier melt. For navigation this lake is often considered the most challenging lake in South America due to the heavy and very variable wind in the different arms of the lake.

To continue southbound you need to take the ferry that crosses this wind battered lake and unloads you next to the tiny settlement Candelario Mansilla, where a Chilean police outpost provides you with the required passport exit stamp. From here you can walk either directly into Argentina or follow the much more scenic route along the shore of the lake. Some optional trails get you face to face with various glaciers that flow down from the ice field. At the northern end of Lago del Desierto the Argentine police outpost will verify that you got your Chilean exit stamp and if so, give you an entry stamp for Argentina. Rules and regulations are unclear how long you may wander in the no man’s land in between both police posts.

The trail along Lago del Desierto is a beautiful walk and provides inspiring first peeks at one of the most famous highlights of this region, Cerro Fitz Roy at the eastern edge of the ice field. Multiple optional trails get you to various lookouts and glaciers and you should walk at least some of these options. In particular Cerro Torre seen from the Laguna Torre is one of the most pictured views. The GPT currently terminates with the “Huelta Huemul” a 60 km circuit that gets you to the edge of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and with perfect views over the glacier Viedma that flows into Lago Viedma.

During peak tourist season the area next to Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre and the town of El Chalten are extremely crowded, which can be a difficult shift from the solitude of Patagonia that you experience on most parts of the GPT. Climate can be challenging and in particular the “Huelta Huemul” should only be attempted if the weather and wind forecast is suitable for this very exposed terrain.

===Remark to [[#Before you depart: Be careful doing this ...|"Before you depart: Be careful doing this ..."]]===

If you expect me to name this person or to place a link to the mentioned web page then you misjudged my intention. I do not want to publicly denounce this person but I want to share an important lesson learned with future hikers that can benefit from this experience.

After an displeasing exchange of emails he actually started to exchange names to stop the inappropriate use of the trail name. Therefore you can refrain from googling this person and simply learn from this "case study" as described here.

===Remark to Best Practices and Hiking Recommendations===

If you are charged by a dog or a pack of dogs, a phrase they commonly recognize is if you shout “vete pa ya” (go over there) or stoop down and pick up (or even just simulate picking up) a rock and they usually turn tail. The action of lowering your face to a charging dog’s level is counter intuitive but can spare you some nasty scars or a scare. In extreme situations (such as if the dogs you encounter are herding dogs who will continue to pursue and nip at your ankles), you may have to actually throw a rock at them.

One must also consider the rhythm of Patagonia in neither rushed nor focused on efficiency. One significant way hikers will encounter this is with siesta, strictly observed in almost every small and many of the larger towns throughout the region. Businesses close (roughly) between 1-4 pm, though even those hours are subject to whim. Shops rarely have posted hours and even if they do, these are not observed. You may note on some a small white buzzer which you must press to call attention. Do not be shy in these circumstances, ring the bell and be prepared to wait patiently. If you bustle in brusquely, expect for services to be rendered even more slowly.

For profit buses, like businesses, operate at their leisure. If there is a schedule posted online, it is often inaccurate or incomplete. For bus schedules, ask at the kiosks or other local shops. Do not expect bus stops to have signs posted. Here again, communicating with locals will play an integral role to your experience and that will be defined by how you approach and treat them.

(...) For these reasons it is advisable to carry at least an extra day worth of food on many sections of the GPT.

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==Images==

Here you find a selection of [http://www.panoramio.com/user/7876187?show=best images from the Greater Patagonian Trail] that are uploaded to Panoramio and displayed on Google Earth.

==Used Trails==

Not all hiking options are recorded yet by GPS since the author investigated the Greater Patagonian Trail with a packraft. There is also a shorter part that could not be hiked because one area was closed at the time of the investigation due to a large wild fire. These '''to be verified''' trails may therefore be imprecisely shown in this trail description and by the KMZ/GPX files. But the author has reliable information that these trails exist and have been hiked recently. At this time the author has simply no precise GPS record and the route is not sufficiently visible on satellite images.

Wherever possible the Greater Patagonian Trail incorporates '''lake''' crossings, '''river''' downstream floats and even paddeling on '''fjords''' with a [[#Packraft|packraft]].If not carrying such a light-weight inflatable boat or if the weather does not permit paddling then all these water sections can be bypassed on foot, by ferry or with private boat transfers. The river downstream floats do not include white-water rivers with large rapids.

==Expected Duration==

The complete trail can be hiked in one summer season and requires approx. 90 to 120 days if walking with a moderate pace. This inculdes some rest days, resupply bus trips to nearby towns and an occasional day lost to bad weather. One "high-speed-hiker" has done sections 1 to 16 in about 50 days so you can be faster, but I suggest to take some time to enjoy the trail and allow yourself some lesure time while hiking in this pristine region.

If you do not have the time to hike the entire trail then you can customize your trail by selecting some sections only.

==Trail Sections==

The entire trail consists currently of 18 sections that require between 2 to 10 days each. The sections are between 35 km and 150 km long. Every section connects seamless with the following section and starts and ends near a road or village with public transportation. Therefore each section can be hiked as an individual trail or several sections can be combined to a longer trip.

==Questions and Feedbacks==

If you have questions that are not answered in this trail descriptions then you may send an email to the author of this article. Also your feedbacks are very welcome. Please report any changes or errors to correct the trail description and the trail file. Your GPS records are very helpful to update the not yet confirmed parts of the trail. If you have change and extension proposals please send the proposal ideally with a GPS record to the author. Alternative routes, that are more attractive for hiking will be included as a trail option or result in a change of the regular route.

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

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File:03 Greater Patagonian Trail, Volcan Descabezado.jpg

File:04 Greater Patagonian Trail, Volcan Descabezado, Laguna Las Ánimas.jpg|Laguna Las Ánimas