Cambios

'''This trail was not created to thru-hike Patagonia, it's a route network for "immersion-hiking". The GPT does not get you through Patagonia but gets you deep into Patagonia.'''

The GPT is much more than this. The Greater Patagonian Trail is rather like a gourmet menu of different courses that allow you to try different tastes and textures. The menu contains some world famous dishes, but mainly courses of unknown exotic ingredients in unexpected combinations. So this menu is nothing for someone who just wants to eat a burger or a steak. <!--Don't walk in just because it's a famous place with an outstanding reputation. If you actually wanted a burger or a steak you will leave the restaurant disappointed and maybe in anger.--> ====Limits of Patagonia====The Greater Patagonian Trail crosses most of Patagonia and the adjacent regions to the north. For this reason I named the trail “Greater Patagonian Trail” when I started publishing it in 2014. I coined the term "Greater Patagonia" to combine Patagonia in its traditional limits with the adjacent regions like "Greater London" includes the city of London and the surroundings.  The limits of Patagonia are as fuzzy as the imaginations of many when they hear “Patagonia”. There are some core ideas that most people connect with “Patagonia” like vastness, wilderness and solitude but few have precise knowledge.  So are the limits of this region and this makes it impractical to state where the GPT actually gets into Patagonia. If taking the administrative limits of Argentina than you gets in casting distance of Patagonia at the end of section GPT05 where you can view for the first time over the border into Argentina into the province Neuquén. But with a different understanding you enter Patagonia on section GPT13 where you ford the Río Biobío or on section GPT16 where you walk into the Chilean administrative region XIV (Región de los Ríos). You can be certain to have reached Patagonia on section GPT22 where you arrive at the first Patagonian fjord: the Estuarió de Reloncaví. For more information to this subject read the [[#Remark to the Limits of Patagonia|remarks to the limits of Patagonia in the Appendix.]]  For me this discussion about the limits of Patagonia is irrelevant as long as I can walk and paddle through pristine and varied terrain. Actually the little known region north of Patagonia is for me the one most attractive for hiking. Here you walk more distance high up in the mountains with broad views, here you find the more attractive trails and cross country routes and here you meet the arrieros and native Pehuenche people. Also the climate is more favorable for hiking. During summer rain is infrequent and short and you can mostly enjoy sunny weather.  In contrast when reaching "real Patagonia" get ready for frequent and enduring rain. Also don't expect to walk high up in the mountains as there are simply no continuously high mountain ranges. In Patagonia high mountains are rather like islands that rise out of a wild sea of dense tempered rain forest. These island-like mountains are separated by wide valleys that were carved by giant glaciers during past glacial periods. Therefore "real Patagonia" is best traveled by packraft. [[#Packrafting on the GPT|More to this later.]] [[File:Patagonia_Satellite_Image.jpg|thumb|400px|Satellite Image of Patagonia. Image: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_World_Wind Wikipedia / NASA World Wind]]][[File:GPT_Overview_Map_2.jpg|thumb|400px|Overview Map of Southern Cone with GPT. Image: GPSVisualizer.com]][[File:GPT_Overview_Map.jpg|thumb|400px|Map of GPT01-GPT40 (Regular Hiking and Packrafting Route only, no optional routes). Image: GPSVisualizer.com]] ====Diversity of Patagonia===='''East to West''' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonia Patagonia] consists of surprisingly disparate zones. There are vast open plains in the east of Patagonia with a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonian_Desert dry and wind battered steppe] that spans from the eastern edge of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andes Andes] to the Atlantic coast. The western part of Patagonia, due to the rain shadow caused by the Andes, is in some regards the opposite. In the west you have the rugged and rainy Pacific coast with countless fjords and islands. An impenetrable forest covers most of this land to the west of the Andes. And in between these two unlike areas – in between the dry plains in the east and the humid fjords in the west - tower the Patagonian Andes. Dormant and recently active volcanoes rise into the sky and glaciers cover all higher summits. During previous glacial periods these glaciers grew to a formidable size and carved deep wide valleys into the Patagonian Andes. These valleys are now partly filled by lakes and get drained by powerful rivers. All this is Patagonia and this diversity creates the mystery and magic of this region.  The Greater Patagonian Trail snakes mostly through the southern Andes but also diverts to the west into the Patagonian fjords and descents in to east where the vast plains and the Patagonian steppe begins. Therefore you can sample the full variety of Patagonia when walking the length of the GPT. '''North to South''' '''From Santiago to latitude 35° S: GPT01 to GPT04''' In the northern part of the trail the Andes are very high with some summits exceeding 6000 m. Here passes typically exceed 4000 m altitude and steep rocky terrain and glaciers impede walking along the main mountain chain close to the continental divide which also forms the border between Chile and Argentina. Therefore the trail climbs through the Precordillera mainly along the first mountain range next to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_Central_Valley Chilean Central Valley]. But don’t misunderstand Precordillera as low; here the regular route reaches the highest point with 3300 m. To an altitude of approximately 1500 m to 2000 m you find a semi-desert-like vegetation; above this altitude vegetation is scarce. In summer expect a generally hot and dry climate but be prepared for chilly nights higher up. When starting early in the hiking season (November and December) expect large snow fields in higher areas; when getting there late heavy blizzards become a hazard (April and May).  '''From latitude 35° S to 39° S: GPT05 to GPT12'''  South of Curicó the Andes drop in altitude but remain a continuous high mountain range. Summits rarely exceed 4000 m but most passes are still above 2000 m. Here the Andes are much more suitable for hiking. Therefore the trail follows the main mountain range close to the continental divide. Also here the continental divide constitute the border between Chile and Argentina so the trail is mostly close to the international limit but remains on the Chilean side. In this area a large number of route options provide many hiking choices. You can often opt between lower trails and higher more demanding routes that get you in very remote areas of the Andes. Climate during summer is still quite hot and dry but provides sufficient precipitation to maintain a relatively open forest in the valleys. In spring while the snow is melting torrential rivers make this area nearly impassable.   '''South of latitude 39° S: GPT13 to GPT40''' South of Temuco you do not find any more a continuous high mountain chain. Numerous valleys and depressions break partly deep breaches into the main mountains range creating natural low passes between Chile and Argentina. These depressions and valleys were created by immense glaciers during past ice ages and remain partly filled by lakes. Many of these breaches are lower than 1000 m, some are just 200 m above sea level.  These deep gaps in the cordillera (Spanish for mountain range) shift the continental divide in some areas far to the east and cause a partly significant offset between the main mountain range and the continent divide. This offset was one reason for more than a century of border disputes between Chile and Argentina that are still not fully resolved. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_Treaty_of_1881_between_Chile_and_Argentina See Wikipedia: Boundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina].  The mountains of the Patagonian Andes are like large islands that are separated by these "channels" of lowland. The higher summits reach mostly an altitude of 2000 m to 3000 m. Only few peeks exceed the 3000 m mark. Below the tree line frequent rain maintains a very dense, nearly impenetrable, forest that is also called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valdivian_temperate_rain_forest Valdivian temperate rain forest]. Due to this geography the GPT goes up and down between the depressions and the island-like mountains and provides a very attractive and varied hiking at least to the finish of section GPT22.  Here having a packraft becomes very beneficial in particular from section GPT17P to GPT39 where you can use your inflatable boat on 40% of the distance.  '''South of latitude 41° 30’ S: GPT22 to GPT40''' South of Puerto Montt the Chilean Central Valley "sinks" below sea level and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fjords_and_channels_of_Chile Patagonian fjords] begin. These fjords and channels form a vast network of waterways with countless islands and peninsulas. In this rugged region hardly any road or trail was built along the coast. The mountains rise directly out of the sea and rarely leave sufficient suitable space for a land connection and the impenetrable tempered rain forest amplifies this challenge.  In this region of Chile even the most important road; the Carretera Austral; has a 50 km wide gap that can only be crossed by ferry. There is not even a horse trail or a foot path that bridges this gap; just impenetrable dense forest and cragged mountains. Here most land routes are further inland in the valleys and depressions that cut through the Patagonian Andes. Due to this geography the GPT crosses on section GPT22 into Argentina and does not return to Chile until section GPT26. Only passionate and highly experienced packrafters may try the very challenging investigation routes GPT30P, GPT76P and GPT77P that provide a water connection through the fjords and channels on the Chilean side.  In Central Patagonia in particular from GPT28H to GPT31H hiking is less attractive because several historic horse trails have been upgraded to dirt roads. But packrafting in this area is just stunning. Here you can paddle over crystal clear mountain lakes and float down long mostly calm rivers with impressive mountains on either side of your inflatable raft until reaching on these rivers the Patagonian fjords.  '''South of latitude 46° 30’ S: GPT35 to GPT40''' At the latitude of Lago General Carrera and south of it are two large ice fields, the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Patagonian_Ice_Field Northern Patagonian Ice Field] and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Patagonian_Ice_Field Southern Patagonian Ice Fields]. Here ice completely fills the depressions between the island-like mountains to an altitude of about 1500 m. These are the two remnant parts of the much larger Patagonian Ice Sheet that covered most of Patagonia during previous ice ages.  In this area the GPT guides you first though the mountains about 100 km east of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field. Here you can opt between attractive hiking and attractive packrafting routes but weather is volatile and distances between settlements are substantial. Towards the current southern terminus of the GPT you reach the eastern edge of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field what makes an impressive finish. From GPT38 to GPT40 you can walk and paddle through a rough wind battered land full of milky glacier lakes that get constantly refilled by immense streams of ice that flows from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. ====Future Extensions of the GPT===='''Northbound''' Santiago de Chile is a suitable northern start (or finish) point and I’m not contemplating a further northern extension. The last metro/subway station “Puente Alto” provides an easy access and minimizes walking through an overcrowded mega-city. Santiago de Chile as the northern terminus is the point that provides the best possible contrast to the southern terminus of the GPT. It’s from metropolis to the back of beyond; it’s from semi-desert to ice fields.   I leave it to others to create a new trail that may start in Santiago and explores the Andes northbound. The Precordillera in the vicinity of Santiago offers some very attractive trails. There are even passes to cross the Andes from Chile into Argentina but creating a longer northbound trail that starts at Santiago or on a similar latitude in Argentina seems a bigger challenge than creating the GPT; at least if based on the same principles that I applied to the GPT: feasible and attractive for hiking and minimal road walking on routes with transit traffic. North of Santiago the Andes are very high and you either need to climb into really thin air and rocky terrain or you evade to the east or the west into the deserts on either side of the Andes. In my research I could simply not find similar suitable trails and the existing gravel roads are no option for me. North of Santiago water deficiency becomes an enormous challenge. Therefore most hikers that set themselves the goal to cross Chile or Argentina took primarily roads and this is what cautions me. But the challenge is out. You may go for it! '''Southbound''' The southern terminus of the GPT stands at the shore of Lago Viedma on the eastern edge of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. There are attractive and suitable trails and packraft routes south of Lago Viedma but there are three logistical challenges that currently impede a feasible and continuous southern extension of the GPT without significant road walking: * There is no ferry service over Lago Viedma. This lake is also far too wind-exposed and therefore to my current knowledge too dangerous to be packrafted.* There is no legal border crossing between Argentina and Chile on the prospective routes (between Lago Argentino and Torres del Paine). There seems to be a legal way to apply for a special expedition permit but this seems utterly complicated and I know nobody who received the permit.* Hiking in Torres del Paine became very restrictive and requires i.e. reservations for camp sites that must be made several months in advance which is not practical for such an unpredictable long distance hike.  Overcoming these challenges is not impossible but attempting a continuous southbound extension makes out of an already very challenging long distance hike a bureaucratic and probably quite expensive expedition. An alternative is giving up continuity and bus around these obstacles without connecting footsteps.  I have an approximate route in my mind and I already reserved section numbers (GPT41 to GPT50) for this southbound extension to the most southern continental point of Americas: Cabo Froward. But for now this is not on the top of my agenda. Before personally focusing on a further extension I wish to consolidate the GPT between Santiago and Lago Viedma by investigating relevant optional routes and updating the trail documentation.<br style="clear:both" />[[Archivo:Regular_Hiking_Route_(GPT01_to_GPT40).png|1050px|thumb|right|GPT01-GPT40: Elevation Profile of the Regular Hiking Route. Image: GPSVisualizer.com]][[Archivo:Regular_Hiking_Route_(GPT01_to_GPT16_and_GPT40)_and_Regular_Packrafting_Route_(GPT17P_to_GPT39).png|1050px|thumb|right|GPT01-GPT40: Elevation Profile of the Regular Route for Balanced Combination of Hiking and Packrafting. Image: GPSVisualizer.com]]<br style="clear:both" /> ====Become a Contributor to the GPT====If you want to become a collaborator on this amazing project you are very welcome. Don’t just be a beneficiary; become a contributor. If you walk on the GPT please continuously record your hike by GPS and share these records with me (Email of author: gpt.jan.dudeck@gmail.com). Save useful waypoints on your GPS and highlight where you got lost or struggled with the trail. This is essential to keep the tracks updated.   A best practice of contributors is to keep notes as you go. When you save i.e. a new useful waypoint record your considerations soon after together with the waypoint identifying number. Keeping notes as you go is important as the length and variety of this trail can muddy specifics and details if you wait until the end of the hike to document observations. One successful method is to document observations into an email draft and arrange according to section.  If you wish to investigate some of the numerous options, please do so with the necessary preparation and care. The entire network of tracks (currently more than 12’000 km) is more than four times the length of the trail (approx. 3’000 km) so there are plenty of alternatives to the regular route. Some of these optional routes are just exit and escape routes and not particularly attractive for hiking but numerous options will get into more remote and challenging back-country. Some of these optional routes may even replace the regular route if proven to be feasible and more attractive. Other hikes already contributed heavily making the creation and consolidation of the Greater Patagonian Trail a joint project of the hiking community.  If you consider exploring the prospective southern extension or parts of it please contact me. I can share my knowledge about this area and suggest approximate routes. But such an expedition should only be considered by highly skilled hikers or packrafters that already know Patagonia very well and that are humbled by experience. Proud heros are not wanted.<br style="clear:both" />[[File:GPT18-2014-Pano-Pic027.jpg|thumb|1050px|right|GPT24P: Lake Packrafting on Lago Futalaufquen. Image: Jan Dudeck]]<br style="clear:both" />[[File:Packraft_Sailing.jpg|thumb|500px|GPT18: Packraft Sailing on Lago Pirihueico. Image: Jan Dudeck]][[File:GPT22-Lago_Tagua_Tagua.jpg|thumb|500px|GPT22: Crossing Lago Tagua Tagua. Image: Jan Dudeck]][[File:GPT27P-Rio_Palena_Asking_Directions.jpg|thumb|500px|GPT27P: Río Palena: Asking directions. Image: Jan Dudeck]][[File:GPT38-Glacier_Chico1.jpg|thumb|500px|GPT38: Glacier Chico flowing into Lago Chico which are both not as small as the names suggest. The regular packraft route gets you over this lake. Image: Jan Dudeck]][[File:GPT38-Glacier_Chico2.jpg|thumb|500px|GPT38: Glacier Chico. Resist the temptation and don't get close. Image: Jan Dudeck]] ====Packrafting on the GPT====When I started planning my first long hike through Patagonia in 2013 I could not find a continuous hiking route south of Coñaripe (GPT16) because dense forest hides most of the trails on satellite images. But I could see calm rivers and lakes that bridged the gaps and wondered if there exists a light enough boat to be carried in a backpack to traverse these waters. I googled and found the packraft. This is the cause for all the packrafting options of the GPT: insufficient planning information. It was not until after our first hike that I could add additional hiking routes that render a packraft expendable but not less beneficial.  In retrospect I’m so happy that I had such insufficient planning information at that time. Otherwise I would probably not have discovered the packraft as the ideal hiking partner for Patagonia. A packraft does not carry only your backpack but it carries you! What matters in this “partnership” is a good balance; you don’t want to carry your packraft most of the time but benefit from it as much as possible. And this is the case on sections GPT17 to GPT39. Here the packraft carries you on up to 40% of the distance and this makes it a brilliant deal. Further north on sections GPT01 to GPT16 a packraft is more burden than benefit and I would only recommend packrafting if you specifically plan to explore a certain lake and the surrounding area.   When packrafting on lakes and rivers we normally do not exceed hiking speed so the packraft does not make us faster. In contrast, all the packing and unpacking and the extra weight slows us down. But speed is not our objective. What we seek is diversity and a packraft opens up some of the most epic routes through Patagonia.  The required packrafting gear adds about 5 kg to a solo hiker’s pack or 4 kg if shared in between two. You need a boat, paddles, a dry suite, a PFD (personal flotation devise), an inflation bag and repair gear. A sail is optional. For an ultra-light hiker this is an unimaginable extra weight but if considering that the backpack weight drops on 40% of the distance to zero then this extra weight on 60% of the distance is a fair deal.   What you need when packrafting is a dry suite; not only for comfort but as a life insurance. In Patagonia weather is volatile and water temperatures are normally low. Hypothermia can cause complete exhaustion and unconsciousness in less then 15 minutes if you get into a glacier lake with a water temperature at the freezing point. A dry suite can help protecting you in such situations. We were several times surprised by heavy wind, rain and even snow during lake crossings and the dry suite was our layer of defense till we reached a suitable landing shore. Without a dry suite your body temperature drops in minutes in such an adverse situation and with this you loose your capability to act properly. Chill makes dumb and numb and transforms you into silly zombie regardless how experienced and prudent you are at normal "operation temperature".  The extra weight of a dry suite is not that much if you replace your normal rain gear with it. And a dry suite is so much better than any rain gear, also when hiking. It keeps you completely dry and warm even when fording glacier rivers. No rain gear does this. When we need to walk in cold rain or snow we put on our dry suite and we don't take it off until we have cooked our dinner and can slide in our sleeping bag or quilt.  If I can choose on a rainy day between hiking or packrafting than I do not need a blink of an eye to make my choice. Sitting in my boat protected by my dry suite make out of a nasty rainy day an enjoyable day on the water. Without a backpack on my back and with only moderate exertion I’m not sweating nor freezing, provided that I wear appropriate cloth below my dry suite. Protected with proper gloves and a cap only the face is exposed to the elements. What stops us packrafting is only too strong wind, but not rain.  When we started investigating the GPT we had no pre-experience with packrafting or kayaking; we were complete novices. Looking back now I would probably have taken some packrafting or kayak lessons, just to get some practice and a better feel for such a water activity. While we lacked experience at the beginning we were very careful even with small rapids and did not paddle larger lakes. But we grew with every river and lake and gained slowly confidence.  What is essential when packrafting is knowledge and respect of the hazards of water and good judgment. Great care must be taken to leave a river latest at the last recommended exit point because mortal rapids are often downstream even if you don’t see or hear them at the last exit point. Streams change constantly with rising and falling water levels, riverbeds alter over time and the weather in Patagonia is volatile. The fact that someone took a particular water route before does not mean that it is safe anytime later. Therefore the track file for GPS is only an approximate guide and each packrafter needs to assess the situation himself; i.e. judge wind, waves and weather before attempting a lake or fjord crossing or scout a river rapid to decide if to paddle or porter around.  Packrafting gear is not cheap. If you don't have it expect to spend at least 2000 EUR or USD to buy the full set. That's a considerable investment but it's a lasting one if you treat it with care.  Before attempting to hike on the GPT evaluate careful what sections to travel and if carrying a packraft or not. For this you need to study in detail the [[#Section Evaluation and Trail Type Composition Charts|sections evaluation and trail type composition]] to make a smart choice that fits your capabilities and expectations. Thanks to the length of the GPT it is easy to fill an entire hiking season either with pure hiking or with a balanced combination of packrafting and hiking. <br style="clear:both" />[[File:Valparaiso_at_Night.jpg|thumb|1050px|right|Valparaiso at night. Image: Jan Dudeck]]<br style="clear:both" />[[File:Valparaiso.jpg|thumb|400px|Valparaiso. Image: Jan Dudeck]][[File:Santiago_Mercado_Central.jpg|thumb|400px|Santiago de Chile: Mercado Central. Image: Jan Dudeck]][[File:Native_Population_of_Patagonia.jpg|thumb|400px|Native population of Patagonia before arrival of the European immigrants. Image: [https://her-odyssey.org/2017/07/09/the-tompkins-conundrum/ her-odyssey.org]]]