Diferencia entre revisiones de «Greater Patagonian Trail»

Revisión del 16:17 30 jul 2014

General Description

Greater Patagonian Trail: Pass 2540 m viewing to Laguna Los Hornitos. Imagen: Jan Dudeck

To be issued.

KMZ File for Trekking

The KMZ file displayed on the satellite map above is optimized to provide a good overview but does not include waypoints and detailed information for hiking. Therefore the KMZ file below should be downloaded and used if you actually plan to hike a section or the entire Greater Patagonian Trail.

Greater Patagonian Trail with waypoints, options and alternatives: KMZ file (Update from 2014-Jul-26)

Read also the comment to the KMZ file after downloading.

Images

Here you find a selection of images from the Greater Patagonian Trail.

Trail Sections

The entire trail consists of 16 sections that require between 2 to 10 days each. Every section connects seamless with the following section and starts and ends near a road with public transportation. Therefore each section can be hiked as an individual trail or several sections can be combined to a longer trip.

The sections 2 and 3 can be combined with an optional trial through a pristine area that bypasses the settlement and the road at the finish of section 2 and the start of section 3. This double section makes a true long distance endurance challange.

Read also the comment to distances, ascents, descents and walking times to correctly understand the recording and relevance of these numerical values.

Trail Types

When planning the Greater Patagonian Trail the first choice were the hiking or horse trails that traverse the remote valleys and mountain passes close to the border between Chile and Argentina. Most of these trails are created and maintained by local herdsmen to drive animals to their pastures.

The second choice were unused or rarely travelled dirt roads. Such roads typically provide access to isolated settlements or villages without significant transit traffic. Some of these roads are not maintained anymore and not accessible by vehicle but passable for hikers.

In some areas the Greater Patagonian Trail crosses through open terrain without a visible trail. These cross-country routes do not pass very dense vegetation and can be hiked without cutting a trail with a machete through temperate rainforest. Some of these cross-country parts lead through steep and exposed terrain but do not require technical climbing.

Public roads with transit traffic were avoided wherever possible. Paved roads were the last choice of all.

In the Chilean River- and Lake-District the Greater Patagonian Trail incorporates one river and several lakes that can be floated down or crossed with a packraft. If not carrying such a light-weight inflatable boat all these water sections can be bypassed on food, by ferry or private boat transfers.

Expected Duration

Hiking the complete trail requires approx. 90 to 120 days. This inculdes some rest days, resupply bus trips to nearby towns and an occasional day lost to bad weather.

Recommended Season

If you plan to hike the entire trail starting with section 1 you should leave within December.

On the first sections several rivers and high passes need to be crossed. In particular high river-water-levels during snowmelt may make the river crossings difficult and dangerous until early December. Therefore leaving before December may put you in risk when crossing rivers and passes. If you leave after December you may be surprised by the heralds of the winter before reaching the finish.

If you do not insist in hiking all trail sections in the correct sequence you have more options when and where to start. If you have a packraft you may in example set out already in late October or November at the start of section 11 in Coñaripe (first packraft section). This also give you the advantage of floating down the river Caucuá with a comfortable high river-water-level during snow melt. Once you reached the finish of section 16 your can travel by bus to the start of section 1 an hike to the point where you started the trip.

Trekking Direction

The generally recommended trekking direction is southbound even if most sections can be hiked in either direction.

Some sections require an entrance permit if you hike northbound. This limitation applies to section 1, 2-3 and 12. Without an entrance permit you may be “kicked out” but if you walk southbound you may be asked to leave the property in the direction that you are hiking anyway.

Also for section 11 the southbound limitation applies but for a different reason. Only in this direction you can float down the river Caucuá with your packraft. If you want to hike section 11 northbound you need to take a rather boring dirt road with moderate traffic.

For section 15 the recommended trekking direction is also southbound. If you go south you can ask shortly before reaching the Lago Todos Los Santos a local settler for a private boat transfer. In the other direction this may not work as easy. So if you do not have a packraft or if you are unsure that you really want to cross such a rather large lake with a tiny boat than hike the section 15 southbound.

Logistical Considerations

Food Supply

There are no proper shops along the first seven sections of the trail. The first regular food store on the trail comes after 600 km at the finish of section 7. But there is a road with public transportation at the end of each section that gives you the opportunity to take a bus and to travel to the next village or town to resupply. A true through-hike would require the setup of food depots on strategic points along the route.

On this trail, in particular on the first seven sections you will meet shepherds on the summer pastures with their annimals (cattle, sheep, goats and horses). Depending on the altutude and the snow melt they migrate up between October and January and return home in April or May. These shepherds, locally called "Postero", live in imporvised permanent shelters, called "Puesto". They bring large quantities of food with their horses and mules up in the mountains. You may ask them for food, in particular for flour and bread or whatever they are willing to sell. If you are desperate for meet they may sell you a goat or a sheep but be aware, the smallest quantity for sale is typically half an annimal. To communicate with the locals you need to be speak Spanish.

On section 5 to 10 you will cross the Araucania region with plenty of impressive Araucaria trees. What we liked on this trees were not just the imposing figure of these living fossiles, but the nutritious fruits rich in carbohydrates. The indigious Pehuenche people teached us how to harvest and prepare this food. You can gather these Araucaria "piñoes" between February and April.

The product range in smaller villages and towns is limited. In particular dehydrated trekking food may not be offered at all. If you prefer to have some special stuff that you find only in Santiago or that you bring with you from overseas you have the following option: You pack a box with food and other gear in Santiago and send the box with one of the mayor bus companies to a town where you plan a resupply stop. To send the box you do not need any address in this town; all you need to do is making yourself the recipient of your own package. The bus company will ship your box to this town in 1 or 2 days and store it until you pick it up (storage of up to 30 days is free of charge). There you can take out of your box whatever you need and resend the box to the next resupply town.

Visa

As a non-Chilean tourist with a regular tourist visa you can stay up to 90 days in Chile. The easiest way to renew your visa is travelling to Argentina before you complete your 90 days and return a few days later to Chile. On re-entry you will normally be granted another 90 days.

Recommended Equipment

GPS and Electronic Map

The trail is mostly unmarked, partly not visible and only smaller fractions are documented with maps. Therefore a GPS is essential for navigation. In addition an electronic topographical map is recommended.

I have used a Garmin GPS with the Garmin TOPO Chile Deluxe electronic map. The topographical profile, rivers, lakes, road and towns are precisely mapped. Only smaller streams, smaller lagoons and some trails are partly incorrecly placed on the electronic map.

Solar Charger

The partly long stages and the limited supply along the trail requires a proper power management for the GPS, the camera and all other electronic gear. If you rely on the GPS for navigation you need to make sure to have in functional whenever needed.

We opted to carry a solar power panel to recharge all our batteries while hiking. Carrying regular batteries for up to 3 weeks would have meant a substantial extra weight.

Packraft

A packraft is a light-weight inflatable boat designed to be carried in the backpack when not needed but to carry the backpacker and his backpack over lakes and rivers when he needs it. A packraft is recommended for sections 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16.

Here you find some images of our packraft.

The packraft made our trip much more diverse. It was so great to walk to the shore of a lake or river, take the backpack down, inflate the boat, store the gear, take a seat and row off.

At the two larger lakes you can alternatively take a daily ferry (Lago Pirihueco) or a private boat transfer (Lago Todos Los Santos). For all other lakes and rivers alternative trails, that circumvent the water are included in the GPS File for Trekking below. So you can bypass on food all water sections if you do not have a packraft or if wind and weather does not permit the crossing of a lake with a rather tiny boat.

Dangers and Annoyances

River Crossings - Together, Shoes, Hiking Poles, Rope, Don't cross if not safe / Navigation - GPS with sufficent power / Weather - Don't cross passes in bad weather / Isolation - SPOT / Hanta - Mice, Puestos / Annimals - Boar, Puma /

Comment to KMZ File for Trekking

The KMZ file displayed on the satellite map above is optimized to provide a good overview but does not include waypoints and detailed information for hiking. Therefore the file below should be downloaded and used if you actually plan to hike a section or the entire Greater Patagonian Trail.

Greater Patagonian Trail with waypoints, options and alternatives: KMZ file (Update from 2014-Jul-26)

The file is organized in folders and subfolders for a better overview in particular when viewing and organizing the trail on a computer. There is one folder for each section and each section contains a subfolder for waypoints and a subfolder for tracks.

Waypoints

The waypoints are named with the item of interest at the waypoint. A running number is added in brackets to be able to refer in the trail description to specific waypoints. The GPS normally displays the entire waypoint name with the running number.

Example waypoint name: Start (GPT01-WP001)

• Start: Item of interest, in this case the start of section 1
• (GPT01-WP001): Running number in brackets
  • GPT: Greater Patagonian Trail
  • 01: Section 1
  • -WP: Waypoint
  • 001: Running number

Tracks

The track of each section is broken into smaller segments to differentiate between different trail types. Each section consists of up to 20 such trail segments.

Example track name: GPT01-TR006-1

• GPT: Greater Patagonian Trail
• 01: Section 1
• -TR: Track
• 006: Running number
• -1: Trail type, in this exmaple its a hiking trail or horse trail

A -X is added to the track name for optional side trips or alternative trails.

Example track name: GPT01-TR007-0-X

The -X at the end means that this is an optional side trip. In this example its the optional climb to the summit of the volcano Descabezado Grande.

Used trail types are:

Distances, Ascents, Descents and Walking Times

This trail description contains plenty of numbers for distances, altitudes, ascents, descents and even walking times. All these numbers are based on the "cleaned" GPS track without our occasional seek and search detours. Also all altitudes, ascents and descents are based on a digital map with a quite precise altitude profile.

These numbers are therefore also free of accumulated "GPS noise" and "barometric altimeter noise" that increase the measured distances, ascents and descents when recording the track by GPS while hiking. So, don't be surprised if your GPS will always indicate longer distances, more ascents and decents even if you stay on the trail. A deviation of 10% is typical.

The walking times provided here are estimated moving times without any breaks and rests. When evalutating our GPS records I was surprised that we did not move nearly one third of the time between leaving the camp in the morning and stopping again in the evening. It did not appear to us that we make such long breaks but the GPS record does not lie. So a walking time of 6 hours means more or less a 9 hour hiking day adding normal breaks to to eat, take pictures, verify navigation, chating with the locals on the trail or harvesting some piñones.

The estimated walking time is calculated purely based on distances, ascents and descents. I opted to use such a calculation because it removes the unnecessary seek and search detours and the factor of having a good day or a bad day. I developed and verified this calculation method based on all our GPS records and was surprised myself that such a simplified calculation provides quite reliable estimates. The calculated times correspond closely with our actual walking time. If applied to our actual GPS records the average deviation per day is 15 minutes and never more than 50 minutes.

The used calculation factors are:

• 12:23 minutes per km (corresponds with 4.8 km/h on a level trail)
• 11:26 minutes per 100 m ascent
• 3:44 minutes per 100 m descent

These factors resulted in the smallest average deviation to our actual moving time.

Verifications, Additional Options and Extensions

Verifications

The GPS File for Trekking above contains a few not verified track and waypoints because we did not hike all the options and alternatives. This unconfirmed tracks and waypoints are based on satellite images, maps or tales from locals and have a question mark “?” in the name. So you know on what items you can rely on and where your explorer’s skills are needed. Tracks that need to be explored can also be recognized on unnatural straight lines.

Whenever you walk such a not verified trial, you are welcome to record the trail by GPS and send the file with a comment to the author of this trail for update of the GPS File.

Additional Options

If you know a better or simply an interesting alternative trail, that fits well into this Greater Patagonian Trail you are invited to be become co-author by sending your proposal with a GPS File to me. I will review it and incorporate it in the master file. This applies also to helpful new waypoints.

Extensions

This trail is not finished yet. There is plenty of terrain left till this trail finally reaches the southern tip of Patagonia and ends either on the shores of the Magellan street or even on Tierra del Fuego. So, if you hiked a section that extends this trail further south or that simply covers an area that is not included yet you are more than welcome to become a co-author by contributing your trail.

The trail should get you further south on a route that is worthwhile hiking. It should consist mainly of horse trails or minor dirt road with no or insignificant traffic. Walking i.e. long distances on the Careterra Austral seams not tempting to me. If I take the Careterra Austral, than I rather do it by bicycle.

The route should be passable without a machete, technical climbing or superman skills. Cross country through of an open landscape is great but I do not want to fight me tree by tree through dense tampered rainforest.

It does not matter at all if the trail is on the Argentine side or the Chilean side as long as it does not depend on clandestine border crossings. If you get catched in particular by the Chilean carabineros without a valid stamp you may get expelled and this makes not a nice finish of such a trip.

Creation of the Greater Patagonian Trail

To be issued.

Section 1: Volcán Descabezado

• Duration: 6 to 8 days
• Distance: 103 km
• Ascent: 4970 meters ↑
• Descent: 4870 meters ↓

• Option 1: Climb to the summit of the volcano Descabezado Grande
  • Duration: 1 to 2 days
  • Distance: 16 km
  • Ascent: 2030 meters ↑
  • Descent: 2030 meters ↓

• Option 2: Explore to hidden lakes
  • Duration: ½ to 1 day

Summary

The first stage of the Greater Patagonian Trail gets you right into a mind-blowing volcanic theatre. The landscape is transformed by numerous powerful eruptions of the volcano Descabezado Grande and it’s equally potent smaller brothers in the surrounding. During the last major outbreak in 1932 the Quizapu; a parasitic crater 6 km south of the main crater; vomited an estimated 25 cubic kilometer of lava and volcanic ash.

After leaving the forest you will step through endless fields of pumice, climb three passes and cross a 4 km wide lava river. The struggle is rewarded with amazing outlooks, deep blue lakes and lagoons that suddenly pop in a surreal scenery and two thermal springs. Here you can soak up heat during a freezing night while admiring a sky full of stars. You can even cook your meal on one of the hot steam vents.

As an option your may climb to the 3900 m high summit of the “Great Decapitated”; this is what Descabezado Grande means. It’s a demanding long but technically uncomplicated ascent.

You can also explore two hidden lagoons; one that fills an ancient crater and a second one that was dammed up by another smaller volcano. Both lakes are not far of the trail near a scenic camp site.

Recommended Season

This traverse is best be hiked between December and April. After a mild winter with less snow than usual you may already set out in November but be aware that some rivers may be impassible high during snowmelt (in particular GPT01-WP018 and GPT01-WP019). If you plan to get up to the summit of the Descabezado Grande without carrying crampons you should have better chances at the end of December or later when most of the snow is gone.

Difficulty

The isolation and the high passes make this a rather difficult but rewarding trail. Good orientational skill are required because hardly any signposts are placed and some parts of the trail are cross country.

Full Description

• Greater Patagonian Trail Section 1: Volcán Descabezado

Image Gallery

Here you find a selection of images of section 1 of the Greater Patagonian Trail (Panoramio)

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  El Bolsón

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  Leaving El Bolsón

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  Laguna Las Ánimas

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  Pass 2560 m

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  Approaching Laguna Mondaca

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  Laguna Mondaca

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  Bypasses Laguna Mondaca

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  Termas de Azufre

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  Leaving the Base Camp Descabezado Grande

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  Hot springs at Base Camp Descabezado Grande

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  Camp near Laguna Los Hornitos

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  Laguna Los Hornitos

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  Laguna Los Hornitos

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Section 2: Laguna Dial

Section 2-3: Alternative Long Distance Challange via Las Truchas

Section 3: Volcán Chillan

Section 4: Volcán Antuco

Section 5: Laguna El Barco

Section 6: Guallali

Section 7: Laguna Marinanqui

Section 8: Icalma and Volcán Sollpulli

Section 9: Curarrehue

Section 10: Volcán Quetrupillan

Section 10-12: Alternative via Liquiñe

Section 11: Neltume

Section 12: Lago Pirihueico

Section 13: Volcán Puyehue

Section 14: Volcán Antillanca

Section 15: Lago Todos Los Santos

Section 16: Cochamó

Galería de imágenes