Wikiexplora - Contribuciones del usuario [es]

GPT22 (Cochamo)

2026-03-23T01:38:23Z

MMartinez: /* Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns */

GPT33H (Torres de Avellano)

2026-02-19T14:16:20Z

MMartinez: /* Transport to and from Route */

'''[[GPTs|List of all GPT sections]]'''

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<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''Start Date to Finish Date (use Format YYYY-MMM-DD) / Duration in Days / Hiking or Packrafting / Travel Direction (SOBO for Southbound or NOBO Northbound) / Chosen Route and/or Option Name (RR for Regular Route) / Names or Alias'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>

If you are packrafting, put the above info into HTML tags like this (if you follow a hiking route for part of the way, highlight only "packrafting", as above):


<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''YYYY-MMM-DD / X days / Packrafting / SOBO / RP / Your name'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>.

Include remarks about your route useful for other hikers and packrafters, alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties. Try to be specific. Do not be shy to fix obvious mistakes.

=Overview=
The GPT manual has an extensive description of this route and all its options.

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/2026==
* '''2026 Feb 2 to Feb 14 / 11 hiking days, 2 zero days / NOBO / Hiking / RR, Var H, Var E, Opt 2 / Michael and Kasia'''

QUICK NOTES: A long and grueling section, but worth it if you get good weather and nice views of the Torres. It is worth making the effort to time this section with the weather, both for enjoyment as well as safety. We think NOBO is the much more attractive direction to go, especially up the Torres valley. The camp at the Torres is only for excellent weather, but worth it. If not planning to do the pass, the bypass valley is really enjoyable and has many nice views of its own.

CAMPS:

Night 1: -46.43813, -71.99556 (Camp 113.9, flat space for multiple tents on grass, good wind protection, no view, water about 200 m away

Night 2: -46.48709, -72.10010 (On the Campo Chico península, flat space for one tent, a little wind protection from west winds but not much, nice view, water from the lake very close by)

Night 3: -46.46164, -72.24432 (Flat space for one tent, wind protection from west winds, some view, water about 200 m away)

Night 4: -46.45153, -72.41652 (Flat, grassy area, space for a few tents, good wind protection, water close by)

Night 5: -46.42558, -72.50041 (Flat space for one tent, water nearby, good wind protection)

Night 6: -46.42178, -72.50672 (Camp 63.4, stellar view, no wind protection, difficult water access)

Night 7: -46.43207, -72.43984 (near Ford 69.8, wind protected, water nearby)

Nights 8-10: -46.36802, -72.43937 (At Puesto? 4.8, flat space for 2 tents, excellent wind protection, no view, water is about 200 m away)

Night 11: -46.26115, -72.40152 (flat spot for 1 tent, water nearby, some wind protection, right on the trail)

Night 12: -46.15244, -72.22080 (Emergency camp, not recommended, no water)

WATER: Generally very accessible, however on the minor road section of RR close to Cerro Castillo there was a 16 km stretch where we did not find water. Details below.

Day 01 - Feb 2nd

We took the bus from Ibáñez to the cruz. The route is well known by the locals and the driver knew the spot. She asked if we were planning to come back via Ibáñez or leaving through Cerro Castillo. (We stayed in Ibáñez at Cabañas Antu, a nice place, we would recommend (+56 9 7996 0067). The owner works for the municipality and confirmed what another report here said, that they will build a road to the port, in part to promote tourism, and they plan to make the Avellanos a protected area. He said they are doing exploration and surveys now, but in about 5 years they will start the road.) The minor road out is easy to follow. There were a couple of locked gates we had to hop. We stopped for lunch near Water 119.9 at the point where Daniel camped. It looked like a good camping spot with easy water access. We met Graham and Gabe headed SOBO and chatted with them for a bit. The road down is steep and sandy. Camp 116.3 had a flattish space but there were the plants with the spikey little balls growing everywhere. We pushed on to Camp 113.9 and were happy with the choice. It was just off the trail (look for the hole in the fence), flat, grassy, and wind protected. We had to go back to the stream about 200 m away for water.

Day 02 - Feb 3rd

The day of ups and downs. For some reason last year we were under the impression that the route went right along cliffs above the water and would be challenging for someone with vertigo (we both have it). We did not find this to be the case at all. There were a few short tricky spots, but nothing particularly bad. This would, however, be very unpleasant to walk in windy or rainy weather. Fortunately it was dry and windless most of the day. As we got closer to the lake there were some BB sections which became tiring. When we got to the lake at one point we put on water shoes and walked the rocky beach to save on the BB. We camped at the Campo Chico península near the east beach. We looked at the area under the willows near the old puesto, but we couldn't see how to put the tent. Many of the branches hung low, the ground was sloped, and there was no good water access. Above the beach we found a spot next to what looked to be another old puesto, there was an old wood stove, a table and some corrugated sheet metal. The wind protection was not great. Camping directly on the beach would probably have been better.

Day 03 - Feb 4th

The last 4 km to the port were mostly easy. Toward the end we switched to water shoes and walked the shore to avoid BB. We walked until we reached a fence built out into the lake. Just up the hill was an open gate and the road to the refugio. It was very windy there. We found a place in the bushes that was wind protected and had lunch. The refugio itself was not that inviting. It looked like a temporary office on a construction site. After lunch we started up the minor road. It was windy and there was a bit of rain on and off. The road and the landscape both felt kind of monotonous. We camped just before Ford 87.2 in the same place Dave and Siyuan camped (and thank you to them for leaving the GPS coordinates in the report, I doubt we would have seen that spot otherwise). It was a flat space big enough for our tent on grass with good wind protection from west winds. Water was about 200 m away at the ford.

Day 04 - Feb 5th

A mild day, no real wind, some sun and some clouds, cool, which we were happy for. We used the open Wi-Fi network at Puesto 81.8 to check the weather again. The network was not password protected and we were able to get signal from the road. We took Var H to only have to cross the river once. The crossing was easier than we expected. We crossed very close to the marked crossing at km 81.2. It was just above the knees at the deepest point (we're both about 165 cm) with decent current but manageable. Shortly after crossing we saw Roberto just as he was taking his ox cart across the river. We waved to each other. No one was around when we passed Maria and Julio's. We took Var E because the RR after the intersection looked like bush bashing through swamp. The trail kept disappearing for the first kilometer or so, but it was in open forest so we just needed to navigate around fallen trees. After a kilometer the trail became much more consistent and easy to follow. We camped at about km 1.4 on the variant. It was a nice, flat grassy spot just after a muddy stream crossing in a clearing that provided good wind protection but with no trees directly overhead, so no risk of falling branches. For water I went up stream a few meters and found an area that was sandy with good flow and ladled the water with my cup, being careful not to stir up sediment. The water tasted surprisingly good, very clean and fresh.

Day 05 - Feb 6th

We got started early to get across the last major ford. The remainder of Var E was in good shape and easy to follow. Ford 71.8 was easy. The two km between it and Ford 69.8 was also in good shape and easy to follow. Ford 69.8 was knee deep for us and actually quite easy. Fortunately there had been several cooler or overcast days without any real rain, so the level was low. The path up to Trailhead 68.5 was very steep for a lot of it. We stopped for lunch at Camp No Water 68.7. It is an old corral. We would not be able to put our tent up there if we wanted to. It was sloped ground, very lumpy, and had lots of shrubs and small trees growing inside of it. At the Trailhead waypoint we followed a dry creek bed down to the river. The level was fairly low, about half calf, and we decided to try walking the river instead of fighting with the forest. For the next three hours we crossed back and forth across the river. I cannot say for certain if it was faster. For us it was a bit easier because our bags are rather heavy which makes going over downfalls cumbersome, and with the water level still relatively low it wasn't too bad. By around 16:00 we got to just before the side valley drainage emptied into the main river and we had to go up into the forest. We were getting tired and as the warm sunny day progressed, the water level and the current both went up. After that we switched between the forest and the river four or five more times before the end of the day. We found a decent place to camp in the woods. It was fairly flat, right near a stream, and had the remains of an old fire ring on the side.

Day 06 - Feb 7th

We took a slow morning. Two other GPTers passed us on their way to the Torres and we had a nice chat. The last 200-300 meters of the route up to the Torres is a steep granite boulder field. It required a bit of scrambling and was quite exhausting. At the campsite there is a short stone wind wall that was too small for our X-Mid 2. We managed to set it up outside the wall, though it was a bit of a challenge. The whole area could accommodate maybe three small tents, one inside the wind wall and two outside of it, but for larger footprint tents it is not so easy. Water is the other issue there. Right as the track reaches the ridge going NOBO, just before it turns right, there was a way to get down to the lake that wasn't too steep. The campsite was another 200 m further on from that point. We had excellent weather for the day, sunny and no wind. The Torres and the other mountains around, which are just as interesting, looked nice after the sun was behind them. The finer details were more visible. The night was surprisingly warm.

Day 07 - Feb 8th

We got up about a half hour before sunrise. We got to see the orange light on the Torres which was very exciting. We stayed for about an hour and a half taking pictures. We found a slightly different way down the boulder field which went quicker. On the way down the hill we found a trail of sorts and followed it as long as we could. Eventually we ended up back in the river crossing back and forth. I used TracBack on the Garmin to look at how we had come up and that took the guess work out of the fording points. It took us about half as long to get down as it did to go up. We were fortunate that the level was relatively low again. The only tricky part was right after the side valley river joined the main one. We decided to camp early and stayed down near Ford (69.8). Just after we set up camp it started to rain a bit.

Day 08 - Feb 9th

We knew that a sistema frontal had been coming, and Tuesday was supposed to be a day of heavy rain and high wind, so we wanted a good place to wait it over. We remembered from last year that the camp at Puesto ? 4.8 was very well wind protected and had flat, grassy space. We started early to get there as early as possible. We arrived around 13:00. The trail was surprisingly good for most of the way. As the flood plain opened up near the swampy area we just followed the river banks, crossing where necessary to avoid BB and trail hunting. The puesto shelter had partially collapsed. We camped in the flat, grassy space just beyond it. There was a short path leading to a small clearing with a log that looked like it had been cut to be a trough.

Day 09 & 10 - Feb 10th & 11th

Took zero days to wait over rain and high wind. The campsite had excellent wind protection.

Day 11 - Feb 12th

A cold but beautiful sunny day. We continued to enjoy the bypass valley. All fords were easy, even after rain and snow up above. On the way up to Puesto 53, 2 guys with a team of horses passed us. After the pass a few of the bridges and wooden culverts had collapsed and we ended up doing several unexpected shoe changes. We camped just off the trail at km 37.

Day 12 - Feb 13th

The MR was in good shape the rest of the way. We passed a group of three hikers going SOBO. Having hiked in on Opt 3B last season, we wanted to hike out on RR. The views of Lago Lapparent, Lago Alto and Lago Verde were very nice. The road gets a bit tiring after a while. Camp 16.9+0.3 would have required a fence jump, and the gate was padlocked from the inside. We didn't know if that meant someone was there and didn't want to risk an issue so we kept on hiking. Camp 9.6+0.2 should be removed from the tracks. On the map it looks as if it is 200 m off the main road and easily accessible via a minor road. In reality there is no road, just a 40 m dropoff, and no access to the campsite or the lake. We ended up climbing through a fence and camping in the woods near an abandoned house in a spot without water. An important note if taking RR there is a 16 km stretch where water is not easily available. We did not find any water between km 19.5 where there was public beach access to Lago Alto until km 3. Despite the number of lakes on the map, the MR goes quite high above them and they are all fenced off, so access is difficult if not impossible. There were some other features on the map that looked like ponds, but they turned out to be seasonal wetlands which were either dry, or muddy, stagnant water. We didn't take enough and ended up camping without water for the night which was not pleasant. Obviously depending on the time of year there might be water here, but in mid-February there wasn't.

Day 13 - Feb 14th

We continued on the road. We walked about 100 m past X 5.5 before realizing that it was beyond a gate and had to walk back to it. The MR is actually nice, starting to disappear and look more like a trail. The views into the surrounding mountains were very nice; there is a panoramic view of Cerro Castillo and the other mountains in the range. We finally found water at (-46.137001, -72.177002) around km 3. There were some pipes going across the trail directing water into three large cisterns. I followed the pipes through the bushes for about 2 m and found enough of a stream to get water. We hiked down to the highway and arrived in Cerro Castillo around noon.

* '''GPT33H / 2026-01-17 to 2026-01-21/ 5 Days / SOBO / Hiking / 3B, RR, 8, 4 / Alex and Aoife.'''

Attractiveness: 5/5
Difficulty: 4 / 5 verging on 5/5 in the overgrown parts of Option 8 (Our day 4).

We chose to backtrack from the Pass to Option 08 and descend into Bahia Murta so we could go and see the Marble Caves.

If we had time, and had known about it before hand we would have also walked up a track to get a view of the Torres from the Northern aspect. The track begins around
Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548]
-46.397340, -72.582010 and ascends a trail following Rio Estero South. We were told you can find the track details/GPX for that particular part on WikiLoc which seems to be like a Chilean 'Alltrails'.

Day 1:
Bus from Coyhaique at 0800. ( Bus Company, Don Carlos), 9k CLP To option 3B Trail Head.

Distance: 22km
Time: 1100- 1800
Water:
Water available at various points where the river passes under bridges. Small stream at eastern edge of campsite clearing.
Camp: -46.26492, -72.41280

Route:
Option 3b MR, easy walk to where it joins to the RR- along a gravel road. Nice views. Didn't see a single car only saw a friendly man on a horse.

Day 2:

Distance: 22km
Time: 07.45- 19.45
Water:
Lots of opportunities for water on the route. Water available on the pass from a stream
(We were there 2 days after heavy rainfall)

Route:
Easy start on MR until you find the TL that takes you through Lenga forrest. We followed cow tracks ( and poo) through the forest. Trail not always clear but easy enough to find.

Slow moving in boggy grassy sections. Crossed multiple streams. Took off shoes once.

Camp:
Plenty of camping options along the way. Upon reaching the pass we decided to camp there as we had a good forecast, good views and tired legs. Would only consider with nil wind forecast. Views were amazing, had a nice sunset.

* We saw a great campsite for maybe 3 tents on a sandy beach next to stream with some plunge pools and very sheltered at -46.409772, -72.498086

Day 3:

Distance: 14.31km
Time: 1100-1940
Water:
Plenty of options along the route. We prefer small clear streams rather than glacial rivers. No small streams at campsite But we had carried enough from earlier.

Route:
We followed the RR back down to the unmarked Puesto we had passed the previous day, near enough to:
Camp {33H} [52.7/953]
(-46.34585, -72.49821)
We then took option 8 all the way to the remains of a Puesto (-46.36573, -72.52865) and camped here. Trail easy enough to follow. Follow the cow poo and hoof prints.

Camp:
The remains of a Puesto (-46.36573, -72.52865) not many flat spots, by a river not a stream. If you continued a few hundred ms more there was a more idyllic location close to a stream.

Day 4:

Distance: 12.3km
Time: 0700- 1700
Water: plenty of water spots along the way.

Route:
Continued on option 8. Not far into this day the trail became a full body workout. An obstacle course requiring lots of maneuvering over many fallen trees, hard to follow path, very slow and tiring day. Track very overgrown in parts.

Camp:
'Camp? {33H-08} [8.1/462]'
(-46.410860, -72.612140) - waterfall not far from camp a bit further down the track at around: (-46.41242, -72.61436)

Day 5:

Distance: 8.45km
Time: 3hrs 20mins
Water: Few options early on, we filled up few km before TL meets the MR when there is a fence and a gate blocking the river.

Route:
Easy day , followed option 8 all the way to the gate at the PR on option 4.
Started early as was hoping to hitch a ride to the marble caves at Rio Tranquilo , we managed to and would recommend.

Upon completion of the cave tour we missed the bus to Chile Chico by only about 20 mins, we decided that was a sign to have some rest so we camped at ‘Bellavista: Hospedaje, Camping y Transporte’ 8k CLP p/p, it was fine. Kitchen access, showers etc. Quite busy.

* '''2026-01-17 to 2026-01-22 / 6 Days / Packrafting & Hiking / SOBO then NOBO / Opt 09, 08, RR, Var D, Opt 03 / Michel & Lisa'''

Summary: Another really beautiful section. It's a bit of a battle to get up to the Torres (either long road waking or bush bashing) but it's actually worth it. We took the packraft down Río Murta in very high flow and stashed things in Cruce Murta before venturing up to the Torres. There are definitely mice here as well so we made sure to always hang our food and had zero problems this way. Option 8 is both nice and deserted but also tough, especially for going in. As others have said it might be a better option to get out with lighter packs, due to the bushwhacking and the elevation gain on this route.

Day 1

We took the bus towards Chile Chico from Coyhaique at 8:00 from the bus terminal and got dropped off at River In {33H-09) [0.0/275] at around 12:15. There's an open, small hut that we used for shelter from the setting in rain. You could sleep in there as well. The river water levels were really high due to rain the previous two days and the flow fast - very different from what the satellite images show. Turbid, brown water instead of crystal clear, blueish. We started paddling and enjoyed the really fast flow (10 km/h and more when completely in the flow). At the same time it meant that we couldn't see much of what was going on below the water surface and we scratched over rocks a couple of times. There were hardly any rock islands visible and we floated over places that on satellite images are just rock - there was that much water. At times we were worried that the river could become dangerous in narrow stretches if there were sunken trees but nothing dangerous happened. We made the 36 km to Bridge (33H-04) [0.2/211] in only 3 h 20 min (excluding breaks). We took close by, at Residencial Patagonia [-46.44156, -72.71190] where the high water levels basically allowed us to float into their back yard. We stayed the night (20000 clp pp in a room, 8000 clp for camping) and stored our packraft in the alojamiento for going to the torres.

Day 2

We hitchhiked to Bahía Murta, bought some additional supplies and started hiking Option 8. The path is clear and easy to travel at first. After Ford {33H-08} [11.5/545] (Estero Sur) the trail becomes harder to follow with boggy sections and lots of fallen trees. There's considerable elevation gain up to Water (33H-08} [14.5/946], where you get the first nice views of the valley and start descending again. We continued to Camp (33H-08} [16.1/703] where we found a spot that's just big enough to put a 2 person tent and not exactly flat but good enough. All in all we did 22.3 km that day in 9 h 25 min, thanks to the bushwhacking which wasn't terrible but not exactly pleasant either.

Day 3

We continued from our camp and were positively surprised that the path actually got better after the first ~3-4 km with less fallen trees, a more visible path and less soggy ground. There are many more potential campsites along this section which are not marked in the track files, some of them I noted here:

* S46.376195° W72.537594°
* S46.354586° W72.516934°
* S46.348093° W72.501339° (camp with some tables and a view over an open (boggy) area with mountains in the background - looks like someone is trying to set something more commercial up here)
* S46.352356° W72.489023°

We got to RR at around 14:00 and continued for a while before taking a well deserved lunch break. We chose to follow Variant D which is more direct and leads to the first lagoon. If you're comfortable with hiking over rocks and boulders we would definitely recommend this over RR since the view of the towering mountains you get once you're at the lagoon is amazing (given good weather I suppose). There are no obvious camp spots at the lagoon itself but you can find level, sandy spots in the vicinity of you wanted to stay here. It can probably get pretty windy down here though. We continued to Camp {33H} [61.1/1167] and went for a swim in the second lagoon (yes, the weather was that good, haha - lucky us!) which is about 10 min walking from the camp. We didn't find a perfectly flat spot here but there are a couple options that are actually more than fine. The advantage of picking this site is that you're really sheltered from the wind, thanks to the trees. Water nearby and soft ground (vegetation) are added benefits. Some parts are quite wet so you might have to search around for a moment to find something suitable.

Day 4

We decided to have a relaxed day and just hiked up to the pass to see the actual Torres, which to be honest we found almost a bit underwhelming. Personally I much preferred the view down the valley from our camp and from the first lagoon. But you might get a better view from down in the valley from the lagoons (i.e. after descending from the pass, which we didn't do). Still, the Torres are impressive and it was definitely worth the walk up. From the valley bottom and the pass it looked like one could potentially climb up to one of the passes to the east to get a view down onto option 02 (-46.40615, -72.48187 or -46.40237, -72.48235) but it would be a scramble - we didn't try. Potentially it could even be possible to go down there to join option 02 with some bushwhacking, but that's really a shot into the blue. Maybe someone wants to try. ;)

Day 5

Since there was some bad weather forecast for the coming days we decided to hike out. Going down we decided to try the RR to be able to compare with variant D. RR was also fine but there was some trail finding through the forest required and some boggy sections as well. However, it might still be slightly faster than Variant D. Still, coming up I would highly recommend Variant D so you get the beautiful view from the lagoon. We came all the way to [-46.28395, -72.44366] in 6 h 50 min, where we camped. The spot is close to the road but invisible from there, nice and flat and wind protected. In the evening a pigmy owl came for a visit and sat in the tree next to us really close before it was detected by another bird and flew away - a pretty special encounter. Lots of mouse holes everywhere so we hung our food like always on this section just to be sure.

Day 6

We continued along the road, first nice and shady in the forest and then in the scorching heat of the sun. We saw a pigmy owl in the forest that allowed us to observe it for quite a while and then we even saw it catch some large insect (a firefly maybe?) which felt like another really special moment along the otherwise rather dull road.
We continued walking along the road until we were lucky to get picked up by one of the settlers who was driving to Villa Cerro Castillo with his wife. They were very friendly and explained a lot about their lifestyle living up in the mountain valley all year. They said that the flow of hikers to the Torres has really increased in the past few years and that some people seem to be setting up some gear for climbing up there with clients. They said that they didn't mind hikers coming to visit. :)

* ''' 2026-01-16 to 2026-01-20 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO 3B, RR, H, K / Daniel.s '''

Not much to add to the previous entries (especially Dave and Siyuan and Emily and Kole)

Day 1 was a roadhike in the rain and cold for me, Camp at 38.5/1020 (-46.26492, -72.41280)

Day 2 started late (noon) due to snow and rain in the morning. Trail in good condition, CC quite wet due to rain. Camped at x with Option 8 (mice in the shelter!)

Day 3 perfect weather day, CC to pass very wet due to previous rain, wet feet again, otherwise straight forward. See D+S recommended exit point after pass. A lot of scrambling over granite blocks. Further down - as E+K mentioned boggy on both sides of the river, from about halfway it's probably better to stay left of the river. Camp at first Ford, like D+S.

Day 4 trail and MR to Puerto Avellano, river crossing where D+S suggested, a braided section, knee deep for me and immediate connection to MR on the other side.

Day 5 trail along the lake is energy consuming, it's 90% loose rock, sand and gravel. MR is steep and dusty in the beginning, great campsite at S 46.40217°, W 071.97845° near water.

* ''' 2025-Dec-13 to 2025-Dec-19 / 7 days / Hiking / SOBO RR, Opt 8 / Massa and Jacicek '''

We did not complete whole trail, but what we saw was really nice. Exit by opt 8 took us 2.5 days. No problems with water or Fords.

Day 1
Hiked from Villa Cerro Castillo to Lago Alto, we had lift for approx 5km.
The Rr from km 1.2 (after you walk off caretera austral) is through nice hills and very pretty, until you reach the minor road.
Camped on a hill alongside Lago Alto at [-46.17655, -72.32639], with a view on Laguna Verde, the spot is not flat and not well wind protected.

Day 2
Hiked through beautiful woods, as noted, camp x is fenced off and there are trespassing sings, however, there is also a ladder over the fence, so no problems there. Walked up to the Ford with Estero Alto and camped approx 200m before the ford km 36 [-46.25544, -72.38370 ] . Several spots with flat spaces there.

Day 3
Forded the Estero Alto river on km 36, ankle deep only. Beautiful section with large meadows. Camped at the end of the meadow alongside the stream on km 51 [-46.33183, -72.48916 ] .

Day 4
This day, we got awful weather, stopped approx 3km before Torres de Avellano. Camped in small spot in the forest, place for one tent, good wind protection [-46.37974, -72.49111 ] .

Day 5
Decided to turn back and head for Bahia Murta using opt 8. Camp at [-46.36514, -72.52866]. Path is recognizable and traversable.

Day 6
Fallen trees in the path, lots of ups and downs. Camped next to a Camp ? [11.6/548]. When we came, there were tents erected there, however nobody was present, we camped near the river, outside of the obvious camp. In the evening a guy came and we asked him if we can camp there and said yes. In the morning a local guide (different guy) came and said that it would be better to camp in the main camp, as there is a toilet, and to give him a heads up beforehand (www.guiasdelavellano.com).

Day 7
The path from Camp ? Is maintained, however parts are muddy.

* '''2025-12-27 to 2026-01-02 / 7 days / Hiking / SOBO / 3B + RR + H / Dave & Siyuan'''

We took 8 days of food with us from Villa Cerro Castillo and hoped we would get lifts at the start and the end. Luckily we did get lifts (32km in total) and spend 7 days on the trail.

Day 1 - 16km - 10:30-17:00
🚌 9.40am bus from Villa Cerro Castillo to start of Option 3B
🥾 Walked 1km, got a lift 🚗 for 6km to the RR, walked on the road for the rest of the day, a couple of gates, one easy ford. The public road ends at a locked gate at -46.26266, -72.35047.
⛺️ Camp at 38.5/1020 (-46.26492, -72.41280) the edge of this large clearing is sheltered from the wind with a stream nearby.

Day 2 - 20km - 09:00-19:00
🥾 Easy road walk and horse trail in the morning, then it gets harder in the forest as the trail isn’t obvious a the time. Many stream crossings and boggy sections but kept feet dry.
⛺️ Camp at 58.8/1020 (-46.39009, -72.49369) one tent spot, away from the wind, as recommended by Emily & Kole - thanks!

Day 3 - 11km - 09:00-20:00
🥾 The pass day. It was raining on and off the whole day and we didn’t get to see all the views. No snow on the way up and walked around one snow patch on the way down. Make sure you follow the RR and head left at the top of the pass (to approx -46.41859, -72.49544) so you descend on the rocky/bouldery patch in between the slippery steep slabs. Once we reached the bottom, we walked on the left bank of the river, 4 km of CC, BB and intermittent animal trails, slow going.
⛺️ Camp at 69.8/634 just before the ford.

Day 4 - 17.5km - 09:00-17:30
🥾 The day of river crossings of Rio Avellano and other side streams. The first main one at camp dropped a little bit overnight. It was up to our crotch deep. Fast current, manageable with careful footing. The second time crossing Rio Avellano, we crossed it here (-46.45641, -72.32730) a braided section. It was at knee deep. The river path probably changes every year as where we crossed didn’t look like what’s on satellite images.
⛺️ Camped at 87.4/454 (-46.46164, -72.24432) one tent tent, partially wind protected. It was 200m after a ford.

Day 5 - 15km 10:00-14:00 and 19:00-20.30
🥾 Easy walking on minor road towards the lake. Very windy and dusty. Spent a few hours at the disused port building at Puerto Avellano to shelter from the afternoon wind. Walked the last few kms after dinner.
⛺️ Campo Chico 102.4/212 (-46.48727, -72.10030) near the lake.

Day 6 - 14km - 08.15-16.15
🥾 A dusty day walking up and down hills along the shore through thorny bushes. Crossing a stream or creek every hour or two. Windy.
⛺️ Campsite 116.3/239 was full of thorns, except one tent spot near a boggy area (-46.42128, -71.98175).

Day 7 - 14km - 09:00-14.00 + hitchhiking
🥾 Walked along the shore then up on a dusty road. 14km to the road intersection between Puerto Ibanez and Levican. We found only two water sources between the lake and the road - both small streams: (-46.40371, -71.97566), and (-46.38677, -71.97407). Both might be dry in drought.
🚗 We waited at a bus stop shelter for 1.5h before the first car passed and picked us up. 🚌 We took a bus back to Coyhaique at night from Puerto Ibanez instead of staying there due to perfect bus timing and cheaper and wider resupply options in Coyhaique.

*'''2025-12-27 to 2026-01-02/ 7 days/ Hiking/ NOBO/ RR, Option 8, RR, Variant D/RR/ Option 3B/ Option 3/ Greg Carter, Tomas Martinec'''

Overall
The Torres de Avellano are spectacular, and it’s well worth the effort to access them.

Attraction: 5
Difficulty: 4

Important note: at Puesto Aguero (Day 1) we encountered an official looking sign requiring registration and payment of CLP 6,000 per person/ night, for Torres del Avellano. However Andre Aguero did not seek to enforce this. In the future this may be enforced regardless of the entry point into the area of the Torres.

Day 1
We got the 7am bus (CLP 10,500) from Cochrane which dropped us off at Cruce Murta at around 11am. From there we walked 3km to the trailhead of Option 8, where a new gate must be climbed.

The trail is steep and when it enters the forest there is a lot of fallen trees and branches, however most have been cleared up to a puesto which has been built at Camp? {33H-08} [11.6, 548]. This puesto is owned by a friendly guide (Andres Aguero), who takes clients on a private trail up to the Torres de Avellano from the puesto, on a 20km round trip. Andres has built a bridge over the Estero Sur, at [11.5, 545], so no ford is necessary there. We camped at the puesto for no cost. My tent had a hole in the morning, as did a number of food bags: hang your food here and all other camps!

Day 2
After the puesto the trail is not used or maintained, and it is very slow going with many fallen trees and branches. We left at 7am, pushed hard with a few quick breaks, and arrived at the intersection with the RR at 2:40pm, a distance of approximately 12km ie less than 2km/h.

There is another abandoned puesto at -46.36573, -72.52865, at approximately 19km.

It was not necessary to ford the Rio Resbalin at [15.6] or [15.8], we stayed on the southern side of the river.

At the RR intersection there is good camping at -46.34573, -72.49709, alongside a stream, near a corral. The nearby puesto was not occupied.

It was nice to meet David Brophy and Siyuan Hong passing through.

That afternoon, knowing that the next 2 days would be rainy, we did a quick return hike up the RR, to see the Torres in perfect visibility.

There is an established sheltered camp on the RR at -46.36762, -72.48672.

Day 3
Zero rest day, as it rained all day.

Day 4
With sunny weather forecast for the following day, we again hiked in light rain up the RR towards the Torres and camped at -46.39020, -72.49375, where there is space for a 2 man and 1 man tent. We could not find the camp others have mentioned at -46.39161, -72.49438.

Note: At about 58km it is easier to go up the slope to follow the cairns around the tree line, rather than follow the GPT eg cairns at -46.38167, -72.49209 and -46.38199, -72.49218.

Day 5
This day was perfect weather from beginning to end. Blue sky and little to no wind. The views of the Torres and the 2 lagunas were amazing, as are the views from the pass. The pass has no snow but there are a few patches of snow on the southern side of the pass, which are easy to avoid or walk across. We tried to get down to the 3rd laguna but went too far right and got stopped by steep slippery rock.

In the afternoon we returned to the previous camp at the RR intersection (-46.34573, -72.49709).

Day 6
We hiked out NOBO along the RR and camped beside a river, near the bridge over the river to the Settler [29.4/537], who wasn’t home. There are nice views on the hike out of snow-capped mountains.

Day 7
Hiked out on Option 3B, and hitched within minutes on Option 3 into Villa Cerro Castillo. There is plenty of tourist traffic on the Carretera Austral.

* ''' 2025-12-14 to 2025-12-15/ 2 days/ Hiking/ NOBO/ Option 1/Tomas Martinec'''

This was my first test with a multiday hike outside the main tourist routes like Torres del Paine and El Chalte. It also served as practical way to get from Chile Chico to Villa Cerro Castillo where I planned to continue with the Cerro Castillo trek.

The hike took me 2 days (about half of day of walking each day).

Challenges:
Lack of drinkable water at the plateau
Difficulty finding a suitable camping spot in the middle section

Day 1
I took the ferry from Chile Chico to Puerto Ibanez Ingeniero (very cheap, around 2500 CLP) and started hike around midday. The first day follows an old gravel road. Cars passed ocasionally and several drivers even offered me the lift.

The route offers some nice scenery, including a wattergall near the beginning and open landscapes in the higher sections.

Finding a place to camp was difficult to me. The Camp {33H-01} [12.5/666] is on private land and in the morning I saw many cows around. In the end, I slept near Settler {33H-01} [13.7/636].

I recommend carrying water from the lower parts of the route. In the upper section there are lagoons, but the water is stagnant. Personally, I wasn't comfortable drinking it, even with water filter.

Day 2
This day follows a proper trail, passing lakes, forests, and open terrain. The views are beautiful- both of surrounding mountains and down into the valley- and I enjoyed this section a lot.

The last 3 kms before entering to Villa Cerro Castillo are on an asphalt road, which is not very enjoyable.

'''2025-Dec-13 to 2025-Dec-18 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, Var D, Var H, Var J, Opt 11, Opt 11G / Emily & Kole'''

Camps (all spots had space for two tents, relatively sheltered, and water nearby):

Day 1: -46.25533, -72.38371

Day 2: -46.39009, -72.49369

Day 3: -46.42604, -72.49970

Day 4: Refuge [98.4+0.2/211] (Puerto Avellano)

Day 5: -46.37248, -71.87165

Attractiveness - 5/5

Difficulty - 4/5

* Joined by Ohad for the roadwalk from Villa Cerro Castillo - thanks for the company! Hope you found your stove. Beautiful views of Cerro Castillo, Laguna Verde and Lago Alto. The camp at 32.0/700 is on private property, so we continued on to a flat spot on the river around 35km. There appeared to be good flat spots in the forest to the left of trail around 1km before 32.0.
* Timed our arrival to the Torres for a clear day. Took the ascent and descent (58.5km to 63.4) of the main pass slowly as it was covered in snow between knee to hip-height. Where possible we scrambled on the uncovered boulders to avoid post-holing. Took significant time. Variant D along the glacial lakes was nice, although it may require a bit more scrambling than RR. We met GPT hikers Bailey and Ed going NOBO on our ascent to the pass - a big thank you for the footsteps!
* The view of the Torres from the main Pass [61.9/1314] was great but the best viewpoint for us was from the lake by the Camp [63.4/995].
* After 64km, Kole followed game trail to the right of the river and Em to the left. Both options were boggy, with intermittent trail and lots of blowdowns. Wet feet. Slow going, but not too difficult. Trail was clear and easy to follow after 68.5km. Ran into settler Julio driving cattle shortly thereafter.
* We forded Rio Avellano 100m downstream of 81.2/490, at 46.45791, -72.31714. Very strong current, upper-thigh height, had to cross slowly, but manageable with careful footing.
* Slept on the floor of the refugio in Puerto Avellano. A table, some chairs, and wood burning stove inside. Didn’t notice any pests. There are a few spots for tents behind in the trees, but very wind exposed. Met the settler that lives nearby the following day.
* From the junction with the road [130.4/311] we took Option 11 into Levican and camped behind some bushes with good wind protection. We didn’t find any good spots on 11G, with the north shore being very windy. Started the road walk to Puerto Ibanez on the final day, but luckily got a hitch 3km out of Levican (around 8am), we rode with them all the way to Coyhaique (he turned out to be Julio’s brother).

'''GPT33 / 2025 Dec 12-16 / NOBO / RR / 5 days/ hiking // Bailey & Ed'''

General notes - another incredibly beautiful section. Had to take a few slow days approaching the pass because of high winds and snow.

Challenges - crossing snow boulder fields at the pass

Costs - paid 70,000 CLP for two people to be dropped off just before bridge [129.3/304], saving about 27 km of road walking. +56982463160

Difficulty - 4/5

Attractiveness - 5/5

Day 1

Caught the ferry from Chile chico, took about three hours leaving at 8 am. We went to the tourist office to ask about a taxi. Mostly on minor roads to camp

Camp 1

Nice campground, wind sheltered with water [116.3/239]

Day 2

Pretty good trail, connects to a minor road. Fords okay

Camp 2

Another nice campground, wind sheltered with water [82.8/479]

Day 3.

Short day mostly on a minor road. Fords okay

Camp 3

Camped next to ford [69.8/634] because the next campsite was noted without water. This campsite was nice, wind sheltered with water. We met Julio returning back after a days work. A lot of deadfall here though

Day 4

Started with walking in the river bed. The snow line started at the campground next to the lake. Previous trip report was useful mentioning stay right of the waterfall on the ascent to the pass. We tried staying in the forest and off the boulder field as long as we could. The snow was waist deep and very soft in areas. Mostly used rocks after the forest to ascend. On the descent we met col from salt lake city also hiking the GPT this season.

Camp 4

Camped at [32.0/700], a lot of cow poo around, but sheltered. Water across the fence

Day 5

Walked down the road to hitch. There's a bus shelter here to sit in and wait, protected from the wind. Waited an hour

==Season 2024/25==

'''2025-Mar-19 to 2025-Mar-23/ 5 days/ Hiking/ NOBO OH 8, RR, OH 3B/ Timothée and Maëlle'''
We started in bahia Murta by option 8 to reach RR. Then we simply went to the lake 63.4 ( viewpoint) SOBO, and then back to Villa Cerro Castillo NOBO. We had light rain on the 2 first days and then sun, but with really cold nights. We have good equipment ( sleeping bags -5, big down jackets...) but without it that section would have not been enjoyable.

Camps:
Camp1: 8.1 : Nice one, some wind protected spots, not perfectly flat, water nearby.

Camp2: 52.7: several possibilities, we slept 300 m ( on OH8) before the waypoint, near wood tables, in the forest so a bit sheltered.

Camp3: S 46° 24.552', W 072° 29.933' below the camp 61.2: we slept on the river sediments: dry but not sheltered. We had absolutely no wind but that was really cold( we think about -5°): we re late in the season and it s high.

Camp4: S 46° 15.319', W 072° 23.019'
There are several other possibilities before this point on the MR. Not really after. Nice spot, quit sheltered, with the river next to it.

Day1:
We were coming from Puerto Rio Tranquillo by hitchhiking, and started from Bahia Murta around 1pm under light rain. We hiked only 8km.

Day2: We reached the RR from our first camp.
Overall, OH 8 was quite exhausting. The trail is maintained, probably by local guides: we found a lot of prints of chainsaws, machettes... but there is a lot of elevation gain ( ups and downs) and there are still a lot of trunks that you need to pass over, around... It was also usually muddy. At least we got a good impression of the rainforest! On OH 8 the trail does not always follow the GPS track really closely, probably because of the constant falling trees and that the trail was recently maintained.

Day3: For day 3 and 4 we decided to stay on RR to enjoy the torres a bit longer. We went to the pass with the viewpoint, and then down to the lack 63.4 with light backpack. We found that going to the lack and then back worthed it as the view feels quite different from the lack. The descent is not so technical, but indeed you need to follow the track, or even a bit more to the left( downward) to avoid the granit slabs.

Day 4: We went back to camp 52.7 and continued on the trail and the MR until camp 4. From camp 3 (61km) to camp 52.7 the trail can be lost, especially in the forest. After that it is quite easy and fast.
Day5: We went down the MR and then took option 3B. After 2 km on that option we caught a lift to cerro castillo. ( so a half day)

In total we hiked for a duration of 4 days spread on 5 days. ( 2 half days in both ends)

Right of way issues:
A guide in Bahia murta told us that we might be asked to pay if we meet the owner of puestos on OH 8 or when arriving in Villa Cerro Castillo.
We met no one on OH8 but we met the settler at 29.4 who was very friendly and never mentionned anything about paying.

For day 3 and 4 we thought about doing à loop woth OH2. We were coming from the south of GPT, and since GPT40, Rio avellano is the first big river with strong current to ford that we met. After heavy rain this option is probably a bit tricky. That is also why we stayed on RR.

'''2025-MAR-13 to 2025-MAR-16 / 3.5 days / Hiking / NOBO / OH (8, partially, then followed the east bank of Estero Sur SOBO up to southwest side of Torres de Avellano) / Joppe O'''

- 13/3: Started around 2:30PM after hitching a ride from Villa Cerro Castillo to Bahia Murta. Walked up to the mentioned camp site 33h/462. The obvious esplanade doesn’t really have a very flat spot, if you go down one ‘level’ there is a truly horizontal spot and it’s a bit more away from the trail.

- 14/3: hiked up to the ford over Rio Estero Sur. The section after the last gate up to the ford is muddy. Met three British students who came back from the Torres. The ford is easy, there is a tree log over the water and a steel cable to help you negotiate it. Lunched at Puesto/Camp at 11.6/548. Then commenced the BB section of option 8 along Resbalin. I made it about 1km into it before giving up. I did not bring a machete but even if I had I would not have pushed through it. It was impossible to make out a trail at this point and because I carried too much stuff it was too arduous and not fun, so I went back to the puesto and read a book in the sun.

- 15/3: I decided to check if I could find the trail up the Estero Sur that the British group told me of. The trail is marked with blue ribbons, pink ribbons, red paint dots, machete cuts on the trees and with cairns (hitos) so it takes some getting used to to follow it. Got lost a couple of times on the way in. There are some trees to climb over but it’s a fun hike. The last section is very steep and partially equipped with ropes to hold on to. Nonetheless would not recommend this section in rain because it would be tricky with the mud etc. Very nice trail though with really pretty forest vegetation and views on the waterfalls coming from the lakes beneath the Torres and the surrounding mountains. Made it to the lower lake around 5PM and camped right next to it at the little ¨beach¨ enjoying the warmth of a small fire made of dead wood. The spot has views of the glacier and you can hear the ice break off now and then. Very cool.

- 16/3 Woke up to rain. Went back the way I came at 10AM, the first part down through the forest is steep and requires full focus. Trail was muddier than the day before after the rain but doable. At the puesto I met Martin Aguëro, the owner, who was there for the first time in almost a year. He told me that his grandson is a guide and is the one who marked the trail and put up the ropes with the intention of taking people there. After lunch I continued the return to Bahia Murta and arrived around 8:40PM. I stayed at the cabaña next to Virginia´s house across from the aerodromo, there are more options down the road but her house is the first one that you come past on the left hand side of the road. (I think there is also a camp ground if you want to save money but at this point I was ready for a night in a proper bed :D).

Other notes:

Both Antonio Quiroz and Martin Aguëro confirmed that the BB section after the puesto along Resbalin is in disuse. They said it was opened/used by the army some decades ago and was indeed used to bring cattle to the Avellano valley, as the manual on Section 33 states.

the next day I got a ride to the bus stop from Antonio Quiroz who is a cattle farmer. He told me that another way to get to the Estero Sur and above it is to take the high route above the tree line right from the mouth of the Resbalin Valley.

For water I had 2x1.5l Nalgenes with me but I just carried a cup on my belt and took a few every time I crossed a stream, carrying .5l just in case to limit weight.

'''2025-02-28 to 2025-03-4 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / Option 3, 3B, RR, E, H, I, partial 06, K / Tyson'''

Really beautiful section bookended by some unfortunate roadwalking. The roadwalk up and down to Puerto Ibanez was especially rough with nasty wind and rain ripping down the valley almost the whole way. But the views in the middle of the section made up for it. Pretty magical up top.

Day 1: [Option 3, 3B, RR] Caught the bus at Cafe Arbolitos in Villa Cerro Castillo. 2x buses (Sao Paulo and Bus Carolina?) show up anywhere from 9:30 - 11AM depending when they leave Coyhaique and road conditions etc). Sat up front with the driver for 2.5K pesos. Started walking the 3B road by 1045. There are a couple of bridges that you cross on the initial MR sections that are probably the easiest places to get water if you need it. Saw two climbers hiking back from the Torres who gave me some info on how best to descend the pass [62.0/1314] at the Torres. Beautiful walk up the valley to the first pass [44.4/1149], and after the pass in the CC section, especially in the evening light. Expect wet feet on the CC section. At [53.0/946] there are 2x puestos. After asking at the second, I set up my tent near the first puesto in time for another arriero to arrive and occupy the first. I asked again if my tent was ok there and he happily said no problema.

Day 2: [RR] To the Torres. Initial CC section took a little longer than expected with blowdown. I caught a little sun, and had probably 80% visibility of the Torres. Hung around the lakes there a bit, then went up the pass [62.0/1314] when it started raining in earnest. NOTE: On the way down the pass, once you are past the boulders, it is best to err on the side of staying too far left. It’s tempting to start crossing on the contour when you see a long ledge beneath you after the rock bald. I got cliffed out there and had to turn back. In better weather you might could scramble down but the GPX track is much better in wet and slippery conditions. In better weather I would have done a short day and stayed at the lakeside camp [63.4/995] (called the English camp by the climbers I met the day before?), but I decided to move on. Initially on the descent down Valle Ventisquero I followed some very nice game trail but it soon dissolved into a wet bushwhack. Thought for sure I would catch sight of a huemul with all the footprints that I was seeing, but nothing. Slept at the Camp Without Water [68.7/766]. It’s a corral that offers a nice opening with enough flat space for one tent, and plenty more not so flat space. Water is accessible down the hill. However, I recommend not stopping here and hiking another half hour to the Ford [69.8/634]. There is tons of flat space there, easy water, and you can check out the condition of the Ford.

Day 3: [RR, Option E] Down Lower Rio Avellano. Water was up with all the rain, but mostly just ~knee-high fords. I took Option E by accident but it was pleasant and very easy to follow. The Ford at [81.2/490] was too deep and fast to manage so I hiked upstream not quite a km where the river branched and found a spot that was about upper-thigh high. Stuck to Option H on the north side of the river to avoid additional fords. I took the cut-through Option I to get off the road a bit and noticed some nice flat gravel spots for camping that were free of prickly bushes. Hoping to take the Option 06 high route the next day, I pushed on past the Ford [89.5/545] but couldn’t find any open spots on the first bit of that option. So I went back to the gravel spots that I saw in Option I and camped there. NOTE as I found out the next day if you continue further up Option 06 to where you start seeing more mature tree stands you can find camp spots (without water) where cows bed down.

Day 4: [Option 06 partial, RR] Tempted by a bit of sun in the morning, I started climbing Option 06. Within an hour though it started raining and blowing, and after climbing halfway to the pass it turned to snow. Reluctantly I turned back but was immediately rewarded by a great big male huemul staring at me from about 10m away! Happily descended and started down the lower RR. After the Bridge [108.1/462] there is an old fallen down puesto [-46.457555, -72.044263] that shows up on OSM and satellite. Decent flat spot there, with water down the hill not too far away; camped there.

Day 5: [RR, Option K] Wind started up again. Got to X [130.4/311] in the afternoon and decided to push through to Puerto Ibanez. Spent the next few hours on a hellish road walk leaning into the wind and rain with not a single car going my way until I was almost to the Rio Claro bridge [147.7/211]. Was thrilled to get a hitch down to Puerto the rest of the way. Though the waterfall at Rio Ibanez is very cool, I think anyone who can figure out a ferry from Playa Levican to Chile Chico would be doing a great service to future hikers. I would gladly have paid to have skipped that bit of road on a day like that.

*'''2025-FEB-28 to 2025-MAR-01 / 1 day / Hiking / SOBO / RR+OH (var. A, 01A, 01) / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''

We chose variants A, 01A and 01, so it was easy section which leads mainly on a paved road. There is a nice view of Cerro Castillo on the beginning and a waterfall of Rio Ibáñez [148.4/212] was also worth it.

From the point X [1.3/328] to the point X [5.5/554] we ascent on the minor road. The rest of this section is on the paved road.

CHALLENGES: Monotonous walk on the paved road.

BIVOUACING: There is a fence along the road most of the time, but it's possible to find some quiet places on the pastures. We spent the only night here:

WATER: Water from the nearby lakes, eventually from Rio Ibáñez. There are almost no small streams close to the road.

RESUPPLY: There is a well stocked store in the center of Villa Cerro Castillo, called 'Janito'. Close to there is a stylish foodtruck made of two old buses. There are more opportunities in Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez (at least 2 stores and even more restaurants).

'''2025-02-19 to 2025-02-23 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / option 3B, RR, variant C,H, / Thijmen Scholten'''</span

* I started hitchiking from Cerro Castillo, but barely any cars passed and Around 10.00 de bus came
* Took option 3 and first day is only road walking , the first part untill the last settler (30.8) is really really really boring ! Hitching did not work. You can get a taxi from Cero de Castillo's it will cost 70.000 pesos.
* Water: On option 3 and the road walks of the RR there is not much water. For the rest water is no problem
* Camping : Many camp places everywhere.
* Option C the Laguna is nice
* I camped at crosspoint to the Laguna (option C), nice place but many dead trees and branches so lookout where you put your tent when it's windy
* Around km 49 I followed the Osmo trail trough the forest instead of the presumely swampy grassland trail (it rained all night)
* It rained all day and also next day so I opted to take option 8 instead. But I am very glad I did continue on the RR because the view on the other side of the pass is beautiful!
* Scrambling down from the pass was ok even in the rain. Just be sure to follow the gpx carefully ! Otherwise you will end up at a ledge
* The camp site at the lake is very wind exposed my tent blew away. Decided to pack it again and camp down in the beautiful forest.
* As for the bushbash part. I followed the right side of the river (looking downstream). There was a trail which I lost often but easy to walk. Even saw campfire traces so probably it's used more often. I don't know if it's easier than the right side. But the BB/CC part took me less than 2 hours this side.
* The first official fjord (69.8) was already above my waist and very difficult (crossed it diagonal as supposed). It rained all night so probably the river is not only affected by glacial melt but also by rain alot.
* Talked to Roberto (he lives around km 80) and he confirmed the river was high due to the rain. He adviced me to cross at his house where the river has 3 arms. I did that and the crossing was just doable the water was untill my waist.
* Roberto also offered me to cross with his horse if it was impossible on foot.
* Took variant H to avoid crossing 2 more times
* The road walk has not alot of nice camping places. Found 1 grassy patch with water around 5km before the lake.
* When the hiking trail next to the lake starts , just go straight to the beach otherwise you have to bushbash.
* The trail next to the lake is sometimes covered by vegetation I break some branches to make a way. Is everyone does this (or with Macheti) the trail will stay walkable (look out for thorns).
* There is internet (Entel) from around halfway the trail.
* I Camped at the end of the trail (km 117.6) close to the lake, there is little stream there as well.
* Road walk to Ibanez is very very very boring as well.
* At water source 135.3 the creek is very small but there is a black hose laying around at the left side of the road which you can use to fill your bottle.
* After 3 hours the first car passed and I got a hitch to town.

'''25-02-19-25-02-23 / 4 days (interrupted)/ SOBO / OH 03B-RR/ Volker'''
Patagonia at its best (and its worst)

Day 0: After gpt32 and resupply in Villa Cerro Castillo too many people hitchhiking on the Carreterra, so I called Pedro Zuleta (+56 993 5786), who drove me for 20k to the start of 03B in the late afternoon. Walked until the pass at S 46.198129° W 72.357921° and camped there (nice place, but very windy).
Day 1: Light rain all the day long. Because of the weather I decided not to take the mountain route (OH07) and continued on the RR (though technically a MR, blocked for cars by fallen trees) and feels like a trail), one non-indicated (very easy) ford. With the rain getting heavier and only few feasible camp spots along the way, early camp at S 46.280118° W 72.435213°. Heavy rain all the night long.
Day 2: The day started with a non-indicated ford 50m behind my camp spot. All further river crossings (including the indicated ford at 52,0: dry feet, broken trees serving as a bridge). Weather better than forecasted, the light rain ceased during the morning and by noon the sun came out. Instead of following the track file and crossing the swampy meadow CC, I stayed on the left side, where a trail leads along the edge of the forest (not without stepping out on the meadow for the scenic view on Cerro los Pumas, which now came out of the clouds). A river bank at the end of the meadow allowed me to dry my tent and cook the warm meal I had skipped the evening before. After the puesto steep down and on the RR very nice along the river. After the steep ascent to the upper valley, though indicated as CC, the trail continues, partly along the river, partly more to the right, avoiding swamps. In the rocky parts, it‘s marked with cairns. My plan was to reach the indicated camp at 63,4, however a storm with hurricane-like blasts made the scrambling across rocks and broken trees very dangerous. Even in easy terrain I could hardly stand it. With a suicidal ford (one blast during the fording: game over) and 2km through wind-exposed rocky terrain ahead I found a flat spot in a wood at S 46.391614° W 72.494383°. Impossible to raise a tent without the protection of the dense wood! And it has to be a wood with young trees (many branches and even some trunks broke that night in forests with older and higher trees). Take this into account, when thinking about OH07 (and read the comments by Alexey, who opened up this route).
Day 3: Though the storm had subsided and the ford was doable, given the overall situation (3km of BB/CC, several fords, bad weather, possibly another storm in the afternoon and 90km ahead with a shortage of food, if slowed down too much by the conditions) I decided to walk back. Rain made the trail very swampy and slippery, 3 creeks, that I crossed dry feet the day before, now to be forded. Camped at the same spot as the day before.
Day 4: Rain the whole night long, not ceasing in the morning. I was very lucky: just arrived at the settler, where the MR gets passable for cars, when the same driver, who drove me to the start of 03B 4 days before, dropped 3 Chileans there (he had offered to drive me there for 70k) and gave me a free ride back to Villa CC.

* '''2025-02-19 to 2025-02-23 / 4,5 days / Hiking / SOBO / option 3B, RR, variant C,H, / Thijmen Scholten'''</span

* I started hitchiking from Cerro Castillo, but barely any cars passed and Around 10.00 de bus came
* Took option 3 and first day is only road walking , the first part untill the last settler (30.8) is really really really boring ! Hitching did not work. You can get a taxi from Cero de Castillo's it will cost 70.000 pesos.
* Water: On option 3 and the road walks of the RR there is not much water. For the rest water is no problem
* Camping : Many camp places everywhere.
* Option C the Laguna is nice
* I camped at crosspoint to the Laguna (option C), nice place but many dead trees and branches so lookout where you put your tent when it's windy
* Around km 49 I followed the Osmo trail trough the forest instead of the presumely swampy grassland trail (it rained all night)
* It rained all day and also next day so I opted to take option 8 instead. But I am very glad I did continue on the RR because the view on the other side of the pass is beautiful!
* Scrambling down from the pass was ok even in the rain. Just be sure to follow the gpx carefully ! Otherwise you will end up at a ledge
* The camp site at the lake is very wind exposed my tent blew away. Decided to pack it again and camp down in the beautiful forest.
* As for the bushbash part. I followed the right side of the river (looking downstream). There was a trail which I lost often but easy to walk. Even saw campfire traces so probably it's used more often. I don't know if it's easier than the right side. But the BB/CC part took me less than 2 hours this side.
* The first official fjord (69.8) was already above my waist and very difficult (crossed it diagonal as supposed). It rained all night so probably the river is not only affected by glacial melt but also by rain alot.
* Talked to Roberto (he lives around km 80) and he confirmed the river was high due to the rain. He adviced me to cross at his house where the river has 3 arms. I did that and the crossing was just doable the water was untill my waist.
* Roberto also offered me to cross with his horse if it was impossible on foot.
* Took variant H to avoid crossing 2 more times
* The road walk has not alot of nice camping places. Found 1 grassy patch with water around 5km before the lake.
* When the hiking trail next to the lake starts , just go straight to the beach otherwise you have to bushbash.
* The trail next to the lake is sometimes covered by vegetation I break some branches to make a way. Is everyone does this (or with Macheti) the trail will stay walkable (look out for thorns).
* There is internet (Entel) from around halfway the trail.
* I Camped at the end of the trail (km 117.6) close to the lake, there is little stream there as well.
* Road walk to Ibanez is very very very boring as well.
* At water source 135.3 the creek is very small but there is a black hose laying around at the left side of the road which you can use to fill your bottle.
* After 3 hours the first car passed and I got a hitch to town.

* ''' 2025-FEV-15 > 19 / 4 jours / Randonnée / SOBO / RR > 33-B > RR > 33-D > RR > 33-H > RR / Pierre-Marie '''

Etape : <strike>GPT31</strike>+GPT32+GPT33
| Meteo : soleil nuages et vent
| Eau : difficile au début
| Neige : non
| Intérêt : 5/5
| Difficulté : 4/5
| Danger : Rivière, éboulis

J'ai fais quelques courses et j'ai mangé au restaurant à Villa Cerro Castillo. Ensuite j'ai repris la randonnée. Attention l'eau est difficilement accessible car les lacs sont clôturés et en contrebas de la route. Sur la gravel road j'ai réussi à faire 4 km d'auto-stop. J'ai mal préparé ma randonnée et j'ai raté la 33-A. Mais je n'avais pas encore dépassé la 33-B alors je l'ai prise. Il y a un petit ruisseau devant le settler du km 0,7. Je n'ai pas pu faire de stop sur la gravel road car je n'ai vu aucun vehicule. Il y a un ford au km 36 quand le sentier traverse la rivière. Au km 52 un arbre permet de passer la rivière. Je suis passé par la 33-D pour aller voir les lacs. Je suis content d'avoir eu du soleil car la descente après le km 62 est vraiment raide sur des pierres lisse et des éboulis. Il n'y a pas de bush-bashing sur cette section du GPT. La descente après le lac se fait bien puis on entre dans un bois ou il n'y a pas de végétation au sol. Ensuite il faut suivre la rivière en marchand dans l'eau jusqu'au km 68,5 où la rivière se transforme en rapide et on trouve un sentier dans le sous-bois. Il faudrait trouver une autre couleur pour les sections de randonnées où on marche dans l'eau. Les fords des km 71,8, 73,5, 78,3 et 89,5 se font sans mettre les pieds dans l'eau. Le chemin est innondé au km 75,5, difficile à éviter car il est entouré de marais. Le ford du km 81,2 était dangereux car le courant était très fort même avec 60cm d'eau. Au km 98,5 il faut aller directement sur la plage. Le chemin le long du lac est parfois envahi par la végétation surtout dans les zones humide. A partir du km 130 c'est la gravel road peu frequentée X-735. J'ai eu du mal à faire de l'auto-stop mais j'ai reussi à faire les 15 derniers km avec un camion. Je n'ai pas pu m'arrêter à la cataracte du km 148,4, c'est mon seul regret car le vent était si violent que j'avais du mal à avancer.
FEV-20: Repos Coyhaique.

''' 2025-FEB-7 to 2025-FEB-15 / 8 hiking days / Hiking / SOBO / option 03B, RR, option 02 / Nimrod & Tamar '''

Good camps for bad weather (more info below): (-46.172528, -72.273827) Hut near km 52. puesto?[4.8/745] (-46.48726, -72.10065)

We think that its worth mentioning that if the weather is bad and you choose option 02 you should expect hard fords and having hard time following the trail until connecting back to RR.

Day 1:

Hitchhiked from Coyhaique - 3 rides 5 hours. Started walking at 17:00, camped at (-46.116414, -72216049). It was a little wind protected.

Day 02:

Rain all night and all day. Got a lift for 5 km by 2 chilean hikers that went to the Torres and back. Camped at: (-46.172528, -72.273827). Rain and wind all night and the camp location was well protected.

Day 03:

Finally sun came out, so we dried our gear. Camped at km 62. Great view and wind protection. The weather became bad again.

Day 04:

Started hailing in the morning and it should have became worse along the day. We climbed to the pass early in the morning. Got a glimpse of the Torres and made our way to camp at km 52. Near the camp there is an abandoned small hut where we stayed until the next day. The hut is well protected from rain and wind, and you can even make a fire inside.

Day 05:

Our Inreach forecast lied us (again...) and the rain didn't stop until evening. Took option 2 - Rio Avalleno. The river was swollen because of the rain and the fords were quite difficult for us. The trail was gone under the water in a lot of parts, and in some parts it was just CC. Track files was irrelevant in many parts. Camped at puesto?[4.8/745]. Like described before - it's actually a wooden built wall which protects from the wind. The wind was crazy and it gave us great wind protection to pitch our tent and to enjoy a fire.

Day 06:

Finally a nice day. Untill we connected to the RR the trail was in bad condition, and again the track files not very helpful. You can skip 2 fords at km 9 if you stick to the nice and visible trail on the east side.

Maria and Julio not at home. Camped at (-46.276123, -72.204873) There was some wind protection and no water.

Day 07:

At (-46.275422, -72.198820) we met Ricardo (we are not sure if he is a settler or a woreke), which kindly suggested to help us cross the Avellano on his horse back. The river was quite swollen from the rain but it's hard for us to say if it was crossable by foot. Camped at (-46.48726, -72.10065) by the small lake. The wind was strong and the campsite was well protected by the big rocks. We filtered water from the small lake/swamp. It might be flooded earlier in the season though.

Day 08:

Walked all the way to X[130.4/311] and camped near the junction. Not wind protected but the weather was good. There were a lot of water at variant N.

Woke up late and took the bus at 9:00. About one hour ride, 1000 clp. Times like MiaimZelt has written.

'''2025-Feb-02 to 2025-Jan-05 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / Hiking / Opt 3B, RR, Opt 8 / Tom'''

Day 1 - Rainy: I hitchhiked from Villa Castillo to the junction at the beginning of 3B. Great views, but if you can afford to pay for transportation to the end of the road, it's worth it. I camped at -46.2647991, -72.41223312025. Due to the rain, there were several streams, and some areas offered wind protection.

Day 2 - Rainy: A simple day, just following the route. Be mindful of the exit point from the road—I was focused on the rain and missed it. The Mallín (wetland) can be challenging at times, but nothing too difficult.

I arrived at Camp 57.2, where four students had waited for a day, hoping for clear skies.

Day 3 - Sunny: I started early, around 6:45 AM. It took about 2.5 hours to reach the viewpoint. Around -46.3870597, -72.4916724, there's a more recent landslide. Nothing too difficult, just loose rocks and fallen trees. Another 2.5 hours to return. On the same day, I started Opt 8 at 1 PM. This section took me 6.5 hours. It's a cattle trail, poorly marked—you really need to follow the GPS carefully, as there are many paths that lead nowhere. I recommend checking the contour lines since there is significant elevation gain. I arrived at Camp ? 11.6, which is Puesto Aguero—it appears to be in use, with sleeping bags and food inside. The camping area isn't ideal, as the ground retains a lot of moisture.

Day 4 - Rain/Sunny: I started at 2 PM when the rain stopped. The river was quite high, so unlike Michael and Kasia, I used the "punte" (a makeshift crossing). It's a fairly slender tree, but there's a rope to help with balance. I had no issues, but if the river were lower, I would have crossed directly through the water. At the beginning, the route is quite muddy but clear. The first half can be a bit more challenging at times, but the trail is well-marked towards the end. It took 4.5 hours to reach Bahía Muerta.

General Notes: From Route 7 to the Torres viewpoint, it's quite straightforward and well-marked. The difficult section is between Camp 57.2 and Camp ? 11.6. I know there's a route from Camp ? 11.6 to another viewpoint of the Torres, which is not included in current GPS tracks. It seems to be a trail that guides from Avellano Bahía Muerta are currently working on.

* '''2025 Jan / 4,5 days / SOBO / hiking/ opt. 3B, RR, opt. E / Al & Bee'''

It’s a beautiful route but it also consists of a considerable amount of road walking. The terrain before and after the Torres and some of the river crossings can be challenging depending on the conditions. This GPS track by Alex Chile on wikiloc was very helpful.

Day 01
We hitched a ride in the late afternoon from Villa Cerro Castillo along the Carretera Austral to the crossing with Camino Lago Lapparent (X at 18.6). From there on it’s a long way of gravel road walking. For camping we would not recommend the camp at 32.0 because it’s located on a fenced-off part of the trail. We camped in proximity to a small river at approximately (-46.25806, -72.38893).

Day 02
Late start, waiting out the rain in the morning. More road walking through the forest until X at 45.5. Then following a path through the forest on to an open valley with some cows. Some parts were boggy, at times it was easier to walk on the left side close to the forest. Some easy fording. Camp at 52.7 looked nice, lots of dead trees in that area. Route along river became more challenging at some point after X at 54.5 but it also started raining quite heavily then. Boulder fields to cross carefully, rocks were slippery in the rain. Behind the first boulder field, a stretch of (former) forest previously devastated by a storm, almost all trees uprooted. Reached the two lagoons as it was getting dark and camped at a beautiful spot close to camp at 61.2.

Day 03
The next morning peaks of the Torres were (still) covered in clouds, yet a beautiful sight. CC up to the pass at 62.0, beautiful views of the lagoon next to camp at 63.4 and the glacier. CC down the pass and through the boulder field required concentration but was fun, the weather was good. We were able to go around the snow field, which was then to our right. A bit further we encountered the same issue as described by MiaimZelt: our trails and the map didn’t match the terrain in the section with the waterfall. We also hiked down left of it. CC-descent close to lagoon and over boulder field. For the stretch along Rio Ventisquero to the trailhead we can really recommend the GPS track mentioned above. Countless (easy) river crossings, some riverbed walking, some boggy stretches. Nice horse trail after trailhead at 68.5. Fording at 69.8 was knee to thigh deep and manageable. After (easy) ford at 71.8 we took variant E because it seemed less overgrown. Easy horsetrail from there. Said hello to a settler. Camped right before ford at 81.2.

Day 04
Fords at 81.2 and particularly 81.4 were quite deep (thigh to hip high) and with strong current but manageable. Soon, easy walking on minor road. The road becomes bigger as you get closer to the lake. At the lake we enjoyed walking at the lake shore in the beginning before the path leads up to the hills. A perfectly windless day, the lake was extremely calm. The walk along and view of the lake was gorgeous and a highlight of the trail. Lots of creeks and beautiful waterfalls. We met two GPT-hikers heading the opposite direction and had a nice chat. Not many campsites available along the path. After a long day of walking we camped at 113.9.

Day 05
Late start, enjoying the lake in the morning. A little more ups and downs along the lake then ascended first on an overgrown minor road and then on one actually in use. Got water up the stream next to settler at 121.8. Along the last part of the dirt road we had a nice chat with local settlers who showed us some Calafate berry shrubs and offered us a ride to the junction with the road to Levican (X at 130.4). From there we had a transport.

'''2025-Jan-17 to 2025-Jan-21 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / OH03B RR + variant D + variant H / Sean & Neele'''

Took the bus at 10 from Villa Cerro Castillo to the start of Option 03B. We'd hope to hitch the dirt road but we literally saw only one car.

Bridge 25.7km - good place to get water

Camped just before junction for option C (46.5km roughly) by the stream in the woods. Great wind protection.

49km to 50.8km - track files go CC but on OSM there's a trail we followed it and it worked well. CC route looked wet and boggy in places.

Ford 52km - lots of downed trees so can cross with dry feet.

Took variant D - easy and beautiful would recommend it.

Pass 60km small patch of snow on South side no problem without spikes

Camped at camp 63.4km - very beautiful but no wind protection, we were lucky the wind was pretty calm.

CC & BB 64.3 + 4.2 - we just stuck with the stream the whole way down worked out well.

Ford 81.2km - about 550m before the waypoint the trail gets close to the river for us it looked easy at this point so we just crossed here. Just over knee deep at 4pm on a hot sunny day, no rain for the past few days.

Took variant H to skip the other 2 fords.

Camped at 93.3km (S 46° 28.690', W 072° 11.674') nice grassy area with a small stream.

98.5km - shortly after leaving the road RR take you through some bushwhacking but it's avoidable just go straight to the beach.

Camped on the beach around 116km

Road walked to 138.5km where we saw the first car of the day and got a hitch to Puerto Ibanez.

* '''2025 Jan 02 to Jan 11 / 10 hiking days / SOBO, NOBO, WEBO / Hiking / Opt 3B, RR, Opt 2, Opt 8 / Michael and Kasia'''

Quick notes:

A nice section with some great views and some good optionals. It is a fairly popular trail up to the Torres; we met 11 other hikers on the RR. Opt 2 is a really pretty and peaceful valley. Opt 8 is an adventurous alternative route, probably better to exit GPT33 than to enter it on full resupply weight.

CAMPS:

Night 01: -46.25532, -72.38365 (good water access, decent wind protection (look up before you set your tent, there were some widow makers), next to the road, no view)

Night 02: -46.34592, -72.49822 (Camp 57.2) (decent view, excellent water access, minimal wind protection, surrounded by dead trees, not safe in windy conditions, a lot of spots to choose from)

Night 03: -46.40655, -72.49601 (amazing view, decent water access, no wind protection)

Night 04: same as night 3

Night 05: -46.35732, -72.45379 (flat space for two tents, wind protected, just off the trail, water is a little ways away)

Night 06: -46.36802, -72.43937 (flat space for 2 tents, excellent wind protection, no view, water is a little ways away, accompanied by the sturdy arrieros shelter)

Night 07: same as night 6

Night 08: same as night 2

Night 09: -46.39734, -72.58201 (Camp ? 11.6) (not much truly flat space, but if you aren't picky there's lots of space, no wind protection, water is down a steep hill,next to the used puesto)

WATER:

On 3B and into RR on the road it was difficult to find at times. On all trail sections it was easy to find.

Day 01 - Jan 2nd

We got the bus from the terminal in Coyhaique. It was a bit of an ordeal. The buses hadn't been running for two days on account of the holiday, and we had not purchased tickets in advance. There was quite a line and it seemed they had been sold out much earlier. We went and talked to the driver after he finished loading most of the luggage. He said to give him a minute to check. He luckily had two empty seats to Cerro Castillo, and we paid him cash at the break point in Cerro Castillo, 8.000 pp, the normal price. He dropped us at the beginning of Opt 3B. There was a bus stop there. Opt 3B is a gravel road. There is some nice scenery, but overall it's a road walk. There isn't much traffic, but hitchhiking is possible. RR from km 24 where Opt 3B meets it is also gravel road until km 45.5. There isn't a huge grade and the road is in good condition, so it's easy if somewhat underwhelming walking. Water is not so easily accessible. All the little side creeks had dried up or were just water trickling through mud. Much of the time we were too high above the water, or it was fenced off. At km 24.9 there is an unmarked bridge. There was good water access there. There was also a very nice campsite there at (-46.21595, -72.34452). It had flat space for at least one tent, maybe two, trees and good water access close by. The next good water spot we found was at Settler 29.4. There was easy water access next to the bridge down to the barn. We didn't find water again until km 35.5 when we camped for the night. Camp 32.0 should be marked “Camp with No Water”. We did not see any water nearby or anything that looked like there is water at another time of year. At km 31.9 there was a locked gate with a No Trespassing sign, but a set of stairs to walk over the fence on the left hand side. The stairs were solid and in good condition. At km 32.9 was an easy open gate with a No Trespassing sign facing the other direction. It looked like someone had been working there recently, lots of fresh wood cuts, but we didn't see anyone. We camped just off the road at km 35.5 in a little clearing, just after a gate. There was access to the estero there.

Day 02 - Jan 3rd

We continued the road walk. The trail in the forest was very nice. The meadows were a little marshy but we moved through them fairly quickly. Ford 52.0 was easy, top of the calf and not much current. There was actually a fallen tree that could work as a bridge to do a dry foot crossing. We camped at Camp 52.7 next to a stream. This would not be a good site if it is windy. Fortunately we had a windless night. No issues finding water this day. We met three other hikers on their way out of Avellanos.

Day 03 - Jan 4th

The trail to the Trailhead 57.0 is easy to follow and, except in a few places, in good shape. There were a few places where it disappeared for a bit. Where they diverged, sometimes GPT track files were better, sometimes OSM, we just chose what seemed the most traveled. After Trailhead 57.0 the track is a little more difficult to follow. The OSM track was a little more accurate for the CC sections. There was only one ford at the end of the valley a little before it goes up into the woods, around km 59.3, just below the knee, not a strong current. The way through the woods at the end was difficult to follow. It is fairly overgrown in parts and we ended up walking a bit above the GPT track pushing through trees until the boulder field. We were trying to make it to Camp 61.2 above the pass. After the Trailhead 57.0 we did not see another suitable place to camp until close to Camp 61.2; everything was wet or on a slope, either covered in rock or trees. We camped at (-46.40655, -72.49601), about 400 m before Camp 61.2 in a flat area. There was no wind protection, but the night was calm. The site has a great view of the mountains and one of the lakes. We met five other hikers heading out over the course of the day.

Day 04 - Jan 5th

We did a packless day trip up to the pass to see the Torres. The weather was good, full sun and light wind. We spent about an hour on the pass. The Torres are nice; the one in the middle looked to us like it had the face of the rock eating monster from Neverending Story. As nice as the Torres were, we actually preferred the view on the mountains on the north side of the pass. On the way back down we looked at the area around Camp 61.2. We didn't really see any spaces suitable for a tent, certainly not for something the size of the X-Mid 2. There seemed to be a few options for bivys. There were strong gusts of wind in the night and part of our tent collapsed. We managed to get it back up and it stayed up for the rest of the night.

Day 05 - Jan 6th

We headed back NOBO on RR. We met Mia who was heading SOBO at the ford. It was nice to cross paths with another GPTer. At the X 54.5 we switched to Opt 2 Avellanos Bypass. We were interested to see the valley. The trail in places is in great shape, especially the higher areas, and in places non-existant, especially in low, wet areas, or where the river has washed it out. At one point we saw a huemul, our first one. It was walking up stream in the river very slowly and pausing often. We watched it for about 15 minutes before it finally got up on the hill on the opposite side and climbed into the trees. A little while later there was a huge waterfall coming down from one of the mountains. We camped in a sandy area under some trees a ways away from the river. All fords were more of a blessing in the scolding sun than a challenge. The riverbed moved in some places into the land where the GPS tracks were but it was very easy to navigate.

Day 06 - Jan 7th

We walked further downriver to Puesto ? 4.9. It is not actually a puesto, but a stopover half-shelter with fire pit for people driving animals. It was a great wind barrier, and a place to hang out on our rest/”waiting rain over” day. Just a few meters away we found a nice flat area with space for two tents that was very well wind protected and we were expecting 90 km/h winds to come next day. We left our packs and went further down river. The valley is really beautiful and has some great views. For a while the trail is in excellent condition, then it starts to disappear. It was not possible to follow the GPT track for all of it, but we found other paths. The river fords got increasingly more challenging as we went down stream. More drainages joined the river and added water. We turned around at Ford 8.2 and we noticed the increase in river level just over those few hours. The most difficult ford was mid-thigh with a good amount of current (at 6pm, earlier around 3 pm it was good 20 cm lower).

Day 07 - Jan 8th

We took a zero day. Rain and high wind all day. The camp site worked very well for inclement weather.

Day 08 - Jan 9th

We backtracked the rest of Opt 2 and arrived midday back at Camp 57.2. We were planning to exit 33H on Opt 8 but didn't want to start it the same day. We enjoyed a half rest day with sun and no wind at the campsite. We passed three other tents during the day.

Day 09 - Jan 10th

We started Opt 8 in the morning. For the first 7 km or so it is actually fairly easy to follow. The GPX tracks aren't always spot on, but we followed them as closely as we could and we managed to find the trail more often than not. The landslide seemed to be quite small and we just walked below it. The two fords at that point are just over a side stream, so probably dry foot crossable a little later in the season. Everything after that until Camp ? 11.6 where we stopped for the night was a bit of a challenge. In areas the trail is in excellent shape and then it just disappears into slopes of grass and blow downs. We would lose the track and CC for a while, finding it again a couple hundred meters on. I just walked with the Garmin in one hand for most of the way since I had to check it so frequently. The last few km to the campsite were very muddy. It ended up being a very long and very exhausting day. We did not see any serviceable campsites for our tent between the beginning and Camp ? 11.6. Camp ? 11.6 is a puesto with a sign saying it is called Puesto Agüero. There is also a sign saying “No Dejar Basura”, which we took to mean that the puesto is used, at least unofficially, for public camping, but just to pack your trash out. The site does not have good wind protection, but we had a windless night.

Day 10 - Jan 11th

Ford 11.5 had the same makeshift bridge that Maggie & Julien reported last season. We decided to ford instead of use the bridge. We forded a little lower than the waypoint. It was above the knee and with a fair amount of current. The path after the ford was generally very easy to follow. In the pastures we kept an eye on the GPS as there are animal trails that go all over, but in the forested areas it was very clear. It was very muddy for the first half and mostly dry for the second half. There are some nice views of the river along the way, and of the valley toward the end of the section. The MR at the end has been extended further up the valley and now starts about 1.5 km sooner than indicated in the track files. We walked into Puerto Murta around 18:30. We had no particular difficulty with Opt 8, and it was not overgrown enough that we wished we had a machete at any point. Though it doesn't look like it from the elevation profile in Gaia, due to the constant ups and downs there is an enormous amount of cumulative elevation gain and loss. For this reason we think that this is a much better option for exiting the section, so the pack can be as light as possible.

* '''2025 Jan 4th to Jan 9th / 5.5 hiking days / SOBO / Hiking / Opt 3B, RR, Opt D & E & H / MiaimZelt'''

This section indeed is a real gem, but also challenging. Weather was hot and sunny, too warm in my opinion.

Day 1: Wanted to hitchhike from Villa Cerro Castillo to the start of Opt 3B, but then a bus came an took me. Mostly boring hiking along a minor road.

Day 2: Continued along the minor road, soon it got smaller and wasn't passable for cars anymore. At -46.254893, -72.381462 is a new fence, theoretically it could be opened, but you need to be strong. I crawled under it... Here -46.260122, -72.397627 is a large rather open field with lot's of flat space to pitch a tent. Water nearby. -46.260547, -72.400255 small building, which was unoccupied. The horsetrail is in good condition. Camped here: -46.352094, -72.488826, but there is only space for small tents.

Day 3: The ascend in the forest was also in good condition. Later you have to sharpen your eyes and look for the cairns. Met Kasia and Michael, was nice to meet other GPT hikers. Option D is marked with cairns, but there is no trail and i had to cross the river 2 more times. Especially the first lake is a real gem.
Hike up to the pass was not difficult, just take your time.
Way down is more challenging. I had to cross a large and steep patch of snow, which was ok without microspikes. Than you have to climb down a steep slope with lots of boulders, but they have good traction. The middle part was the hardest, because both smartphone and Garmin didn't show my correct position and wanted me to hike down a small waterfall. According to the smartphone there had to be a lake, but there was a forest instead, which wasn't shown neither on the Garmin nor on the Smartphone. Hiked down left of the waterfall, which looked much safer. The last part before you arrive at the glacier lagoon, is a large field of XXL-boulders which you have to cross. The views at the lake were awesome!
The bushbashing was mostly easy or at least not difficult. The worst was the stretch along Rio Ventisquero to the Trailhead. In the beginning i tried to walk in the riverbed, which often means to walk in the river, not just crossing the river. But when a 2nd river was added, the water was up to middle thigh and had a stromg current - not a good idea to continue this way. Hiked at the left side in the forest instead. Sometimes there was a vague animal trail, but it disappeared very often. This was really annoying with a lot of bushbashing. Camped at Camp Without Water {33H} [68.7/766].

Day 4: Crossing of Rio Ventisquero was just up to my knees and not diffucult. Enjoyed the horsetrail along Rio Avellano, but i took Option E, because the RR was i overgrown in this area. Option E is in better condition. Didn't met Maria & Julio, later i saw to guys on horseback. Ford {33H} [81.4/492] was up to my crotch (i'm 1.74cm) and had a strong current, but i made it. My feet had traction, but couldn't place my trekkingpoles correctly due to the strong current. You have to cross 3 times here, but the other two were easy.
The Minor road is not like a real road, it's more a 4x4 track used by horses with sandy ground and vegetation in the middle. It's hard to find a camp at this minor road, because of the thorny vegetation. Camped here: -46.478173, -72.19456. It's a patch of flat gras with enough space for several tents, has a small stream and good protection from the wind.

Day 5: According to my Inreach the wind gusts should reach up to 101km/h. Was indeed very windy, but fortunately it came from the back and the wind was warm. The trail along Lago General Carrera is very scenic and mostly visible, but also strenuous. Some (fortunately very short parts) are badly overgrown - a machete would be useful. Almost every plant in this area has thorns. The ups and downs a very steep, which i didn't like in the heat. Lot's of water. Used Camp {33H} [116.3/239] which has a great protection from the wind. But be aware of the thorny plants while searching where to pitch you tent - there are only 2 places without them.

Day 6: The last stretch until the minor road was much faster. The first part of the minor road has vegetation on it and isn't used by cars. Brought all the water from the lake, but it wasn't necessary. Small streams here: -46.403664, -71.975755 and next to the road at Settler {33H} [121.8/643]. The settler wasn't at home and the wooden gates were locked, had to climb over them. There are several minor roads, not just one. Bridge {33H} [129.3/304] is a deep canyon, didn't see a possibility to get water there. Walked two hours along the road between Levican and Puerto Ibañez, until i got a hitch.

* '''Dec 6-11 / 03B + RR SOBO / wiiiim'''

Great route, still early season, weather was sunny but still cold, rivers were low, the infamous crossing of the lower rio Avellano just above knee height.
The crux of the route was the South side of the pass, sections of snow, I crossed later in the day when it was softer, avoided most of the snow on the East rock flank, but around 1200m the rock slabs were wet & the gullies in between were filled with snow. A bit of a maze, it took some time and back tracking, I used micro spikes but its probably okay without, I think knowing how to self arrest on snow with hiking poles is always a good skill to have, lots of videos exist on that.
Laguna la Plaza is a short/easy side trip well worth it, the North side of the pass is fast going & pretty well indicated (ciarns), on the South side section of CC once on the valley floor it seems easier to wade through the (spectacular) river.
I was pleasantly surprised with the walk along the lake, it’s really different and beautiful.
I was lucky to get a ride out from the MR to Puerto Ibáñez quite quickly from around -46.36065, -71.90255 but it’s usually very quiet.

At -46.26604, -72.41735 there is an established rock bivvy that could also fit a medium size tent.

Overall I would probably recommend the regular route NOBO to cut out most of the start/end road sections: organise a ride from Puerto Ibanez to the trail head (it will be worth the money) and on the other end the finish of 03B on the carretera austral will have plenty of traffic to hitch a ride

• '''2024-Dec-09 to 2024-Dec-10 / 2 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Opt.A + Opt.01A + Opt.01/ Julien'''

Following the road to Puerto Ibáñez
Just a little difficulty about finding water because most of lakes and rivers are private now.

* '''2024-Nov-28 to 30 / 3 day / Hiking / Circuit / GPT33H Option 5 and 5A Valle Miller from Puerto Alarcon to Valle Jaramillo and return to Puerto Sanchez / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

The Cordillera de Avallano between Rio Ibanez and Lago General Carrera is one of the hidden treasures of Patagonia. And Valle Miller is one possible entrance into this mountain range.

After packrafting to Puerto Alarcon we packed our packrafting gear and hiked up Valle Miller along the minor road to the bridge over Rio Miller to crossing “X {33H-05} [7.8/611]”. There are numerous possible camp sites and water sources along this minor road.

A few hundred meters after crossing “X {33H-05} [7.8/611]” is the last pasture with suitable camp sites.

Valle Jaramillo is a very scenic side valley of Valle Miller that can be explored in one day.

This side valley has no distinct trail but the forest is reasonably open. Therefore ascending and descending through the forest is not really bush bashing but just a slalom around the numerous fallen trees.

Once the open terrain is reached, hikers can see the very scenic valley with some remaining smaller glaciers.

The cross country walk to the 1679 m high pass is very rewarding in good weather. From an altitude of 1400 m the terrain was in parts covered by snow fields as we visited this early in the season.

We returned to Puerto Sanchez which is the alternative starting Point for hikers.

==Season 2023/24==

* '''2024 Mar 22 to 2024 Mar 28 / 7 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR / Maddi, Tom and Jordan'''

Day 1: Got the public bus from Puerto Ibanez to Levican for about 1000CLP each. We were the only ones on the bus and the driver dropped us at the trailhead. After walking along the road for a while we miraculously got a hitch in the back of a pick up for a couple of kms. Trail down to the lake was a little confusing but just head down and you'll hit the main trail eventually. Trail along the lake has plenty of up and down but nothing too strenuous. We had a perfect, windless day with not too much sun so it was pretty easy going, plenty of spots to get water once down near the lake. The notes said there was some scary exposure but we didn't really encounter any along this section, the path is pretty solid and clearly used by horses. Set up camp on the lake on the small rocky beach at (-46.47634,-72.08138). Just enough room for our Zpacks Triplex and Jordan's free standing tent. Jordan caught a fish that night but chucked it back.

Day 2: Great sunrise over the lake but then it started to rain. Jordan caught another fish which the boys had for breakfast. Walked along the lake in light rain until the old road where we went up the steep hill and started inland. One apple tree along this section but the apples weren't great. Followed the disused road until the end and then started along the track. Hit our first ford at about (-46.46161,-72.24620) which was above the knee on me (174cm tall) and quite fast flowing/muddy from all the rain. Tom slipped climbing up the bank here and fell backwards into the water but somehow avoided getting swept away. Kept walking along until we hit the refugio, unfortunately it was locked. Set up camp next to it so we could use the porch for shelter then went to scout the next ford just past it. This one was way too high and fast to cross so we were hoping it would go down overnight. Rio Avellano also looked impossible but that was a problem for the next day.

Day 3: Luckily the tributary into the Rio Avellano had gone down significantly overnight and we were able to cross without issues, although it was still fairly fast flowing at about knee height. Had a go at crossing the Rio Avellano just after this ford where it is marked on the GPX and others had mentioned it was doable but we had no luck, even employing the three astern. Decided to try the settler's place up on the hill to see if we could get help crossing but noone seemed to be around. Kept following the track along the river, hoping for a place to cross. Jordan somehow manage to cross using the eddies formed by a large tree that had fallen into the river. He had to come back across to help me get over with Tom but it was a near miss. Water level just below hip and quite fast flowing. Massive relief to make it across and get to enjoy the sun a bit. Had lunch near Maria and Julio's but still didn't run into anyone other than sheep. Enjoyed an awesome section walking along through ankle deep water in the autumn colours with snowy peaks in the background. Hit another fairly fast flowing ford, just above the knee, but manageable now we were getting good at crossing 3 astern. Thought we would make it to camp just below the towers but unfortunately hit another ford that even Jordan couldn't cross. Much higher consequence with huge rapids downstream and the water level above the hip. Tried to walk upstream a km or so to see if we could cross but ends up high above the river as it enters a canyon section. Scrambled back down and camped for the night on the track in the forest with the hope of lower water in the morning.

Day 4: Water was much lower in the morning and we were able to cross with no issues. Still over the knee and fast flowing but the group of 3 works wonders. Headed into the forest and up past the old corral then into the swampy section. This was super rough going as the swamp was over the knee in parts. We constantly switched between climbing between the tangle of tree or wading through the swamp. It was raining lightly and getting quite cold by this point. We made it to a clearing along the river at about 11am but the towers were in complete fog and I was shivering hard. Decided to set up camp in the forest and try for the towers the next day in the hope of more visibility. Found a nice camp spot in the forest at (-46.42932,-72.49572) with easy access to the river for water. Snuggled down to try to warm up all afternoon, only emerging for meals.

Day 5: Set off through the forest up towards the towers. Says bush bashing but was actually pretty easy walking up the hill. Towers still in a bit of cloud but made it up there mid morning and spent some time scrambling around the lake to take a look around. Camp site in the rocks was flooded from yesterday so glad we didn't try to get up there to camp. Scramble over the boulder field and up to the pass isn't too bad, although some snow patches made it a bit slippery. Cool granite slabs on the way up. Super windy once we got over the pass so hurried down the valley. No navigation issues but definitely got wet feet walking along the river. Camped at the refugio.

Day 6: Hiked along clear trail until we got to the minor road. Hoped to get a rare hitch but didn't really see anyone. Decided to hike along the river just before the bridge toward Lago Lapparent to find somewhere to camp. Found a few awesome spots along the crystal clear water for our last night.

Day 7: Headed back to the road and followed it back to the Carretera Austral. Got a hitch in about 15 minutes all the way to Coyhaique but there is a bus stop there if you can time it right.

* '''2024-02-23 to 2024-02-27 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / OH03B + RR + OH08 / Maggie & Julian '''

Trail attractiveness: 4/5;
Difficulty: 3/5
(keep in mind that this is our first GPT hike)

Day 1: ‘GPT33H-03B start’ to (-46.2570, -72.3711):

We entered from Carretera Austral at Laguna Verde (Option 03B) after being dropped off by the morning bus from Coyhaique (heading to Cochrane). Arrived at the crossroads at 11:30am with Don Carlos bus.
Whole day was walking on roads and relatively easy to make distance.
At (-46.2671, -72.3561) there was a sign reading "se prohibe la entrada al predio" and a locked gate with a ladder to climb over the side. There is a campsite (Camp, X {33H} [32.0/700]) pinned shortly after, but we decided to keep going because of the sign. At (-46.2621, -72.3613) there is an end to the property (same sign facing opposite direction, no gate). We camped on an area used for chopping wood at (-46.2570, -72.3711). Short scramble down to the river.

Day 2: (-46.2570, -72.3711) to Camp {33H} [52.7/953]:

Large part of the day was also road walking, afterwards trails and some cross country.
Camped by Camp {33H} [52.7/953]. Camping around Puesto {33H} [53.0/946] has better mountain views, Puesto itself was being used, possibly for guided horseback trekking.

Day 3: Camp {33H} [52.7/953] to Pass {33H} [62.0/1314] and back:

We left our tent set up and most things at Camp. The way up was sometimes hard to find. Trail markers made more sense on the return. Had an extended lunch a little after Pass {33H} [62.0/1314] and then returned the way we had come.

Day 4: Camp {33H} [52.7/953] to Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548]:

Probably hardest day in navigation, trail disappeared often, but manageable.
The former landslide section at (-46.3853, -72.5520) did not pose any difficulties for us as the water level was not too high and the main river flow now goes near the northwestern side of the valley. We just had to step over the remaining side stream. With more water some fording might still be necessary, but I imagine you could get away with staying near the southeastern bank for this section.
At Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548] there is a puesto that seems to be in use, but we saw no one and camped a little lower near the river.

Day 5: Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548] to ‘GPT33H-08 start’:

Right after camp there was a makeshift bridge to cross the stream (tree and rope, very rickety).
Trail seemed to be used and maintained on this part of option 08.
Shortly before Camp {33H-08} [6.9/435] there was a previously washed-out section with a new path already laid out. In heavy rainfall this could wash out again but should not pose a big hindrance.

Notes:

- RR + option 08 is a great short alternative without much backtracking.

- Our hitch out of Puerto Murta happened to be local members of an association that wants to bring more tourism to their town and the Torres del Avellano. If their plans are fruitful, traffic and trail maintenance may increase on option 08.

- We organized the transport of our non-trekking items from Coyhaique to Puerto Río Tranquilo by encomienda. Ines, the lady working at the Sao Paulo bus office in Coyhaique terminal was kind enough to hold our boxes until we arrived and called her from Puerto Rio Tranquilo. Our things arrived the day after we called at around 1pm. We shipped a rather large quantity of items (enough items to fill 50L bag) for 12000 CLP. Sao Paulo bus Coyhaique telephone: +56 672 255 726

* '''30/01/2024 - 01/02/2024 / 3 days, 78 km / Options 06 and 07 / Alex + Andrey'''
South bound (east bound).
“Mountain route”,

a combination of Options 06 and 07 which are now passed and confirmed.

Difficulty: Difficult/Very Difficult

Most of the route is off-trail
Thanks to Jan for the suggested routes and clues.
Short resume:

This mountain route is a more difficult and demanding alternative to the regular route but can be an interesting option for those looking for a challenge.
The combination with a regular route allows to form a full-fledged “eight”, a trip of 6-10 days.

Option 07 is a shorter, although more difficult, alternative to the regular route in case the Avellano River cannot be forded NOBO.
Notes and recommendations.

Option 07:

All fords do not pose any significant difficulty.
Due to the height and southern exposure the areas between Pass 1 and Pass 2 (Pass {33H-07} [17.0/1755]) and descents from Pass 2 in the early to mid-season have extensive areas of snow where microspikes or crampons may be required.
The main difficulty on the descent is overcoming several side washouts, which are small but deep and steep canyons.

Option 06:

There is no water during the first 4-5 hours of ascent to the valley.
The open area of the upper valley at Camp 2 and beyond throughout the ridge is a resort for very strong winds. Setting up camp may be difficult or impossible. A strong hiker can combine and complete this section in one day.
The predominant wind exposure makes passage from west to east highly recommended.
The last reliable source of water is before reaching High Pass 3. Further east there is no water until the junction with the regular route, except for temporary streams from seasonal snow.

The track and additional information are here:
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/avellano-mountain-route-chilean-patagonia-160489118

* '''2024-Mar-04 to 2024-Mar-08 / 4.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / OH 03B + RR + OH D + K / Joscha'''

Day 1: OH33H-03B + RR [24.2-41.2]

I tried to hitch from Villa Cerro Castillo to the start of OH33H-03B. After 1 hour a Bus arrived and took me to the start for 2000 Pesos. The Bus runs from Cohayique to Chile Chico on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It starts in Coyhaique at 9 am and stopps in Villa Cerro Castillo at around 10:30 am. From the brigde at km 25.7 until km 35.8 there is no water on the RR. You walk close to some rivers but I didn't check if its possible to acces them. After km 35.8 there is plenty of water. At km 38.5 is a big flat field for camping with a creek next to it. I camped just before the crossing of the river at km 41.2.

Day 2: RR [41.2-58.3] + OH33H-D + RR [61.0-63.4]

There was plenty of water all along the trail. Camping possible at -46.291963, -72.470389 just before the Pass (km 44.4), at the start of OH33H-C and along the CC section from km 49.0 to 50.8. I can recommend OH33H-D. I especially liked the first Laguna. Camp 63.4 has awesome views, but is only slightly wind protected and the spots are only good for small tents.

Day 3: RR [63.4-93.2]

I stayed inside the riverbed for the last 2.5 km of the CC&BB section. I had to cross the river about 20 times, but its the fastest and easiest way. The ford at km 83.6 was just below my crotch (I am 191 cm) and the current was pretty strong at around 5 pm. It would have been difficult for smaller persons. All the other fords today were at max. knee hight. There is plenty of water all along the route. I camped next to the RR on a flat, grassy field at km 93.2.

Day 4: RR [93.2-116.3]

Plenty of water along this part of the RR.

Day 5: RR [116.3-119.6] + OH33H-K + RR [122.6-141.0]

OH33H-K is easy to walk but does not offer any great views. If you choose OH33H-K, than there is no water between km 117.5 and 138.5 (at km 135.2 is a water marker, but I didn't see any as I walked by. Maybe I missed it, because I wasn't looking for it). There is water at km 140.3. I got a hitch from km 141.0 to Puerto Ibanez. But there are very few cars on the road, so don't count on getting a hitch.

* '''2024-Feb-12 to 2024-Feb-16 / 4.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / Option 03B, RR, Variant C, E, H, K / Tomáš & Natalie'''
There was a queue of three hitchhiker groups who did not get picked up while we were doing our shopping, so we opted to hire a taxi for 15000 to the start of 03B (Pedro Zuleta: +56 993 5786 68). Somehow, during our arranging of the taxi, all three groups left. Roadwalking to option 07 was uneventful. Tomáš got a hitch (he eats lunch too slowly so Natalie got ahead) for about 5 km from a family which was exploring in a car. About 500 m before the diversion to option 07, there is a locked gate with a sign saying the property is private, but one can go over a ladder. At the gate, we met a local with a key who has a house on Option 07, if we got him right. He gave us a ride of 500 m. The start of option 7 is actually a road.

The MR at 24.2 is in a bad shape due to erosion after ford at about 12 km in. Tomáš made a bridge out of a log but managed to jump into the water while doing it. Enjoy the bridge while it lasts as did a Frenchman we met there. He did the circuit NOBO based on Wikiloc. He said he keeps coming across GPT, but could not figure out how to get the GPS route. We told him to talk to Jan. Maybe he will come back the next season.

On the way to the Torres, we met 3 pairs of Chilean hikers going back. Tomáš went to Laguna La Plaza (option C). Lake is grey but the valley is nice enough to justify the short detour. It is no BB, there is a trail in the forest and above the tree line a vague trail or easy CC. The Torres are indeed magnificent. One can easily walk on the sloped polished slab falling into the far side of the second lake before the pass - it is an exhilirating detour. Going down from the pass, when the GPX turns right, Tomáš actually managed to walk over one of the ledges above the GPX and liked it. Just be extremely careful with moss and water, they can make the stones extremely slippery, but he survived that without falling. About 100 m before the lake, there is a at-least-a-ton heavy swing in the form of a loose boulder. Enjoy if you can find it. Camp 63.4 is literally awesome. We had a very warm almost windless night there.

After the boulder field under camp 63 we loss the rest of the elevation on the right side of the creek and then when the swamp appeared on the right we went to the left and stayed on that side (North) for the entire BB/CC. There is a vague trail most of the way, but is has many many logs over it. It took us 3 hours to walk to the trailhead. We kept our feet dry and were in the shade, but it would have been quicker and far less tiring just following the riverbed and constantly crossing the river.

Ford at 69.8 around noon was slightly above the knees. Ford it diagonally as the trail wants you to - it is shallower that way (ie a little further down than where the trail spits you out). Greeted grandfather, Maria and Julio and their three kids and had a short talk with the grandfather, nice to see the whole family working together on projects. From their place, the trail sort of is wide enough for a car (there is one at their place) but we think it is never or virtually never used by cars. Ford at 81.4 at six in the afternoon was 5 cm under our crotches (we are about 1.70), we forded about 100 upstream of GPX. The river was strong but we did not feel it was dangerous for us. We forded the widest part of the river just before a dead end fence (if you are coming from the other direction, after the grey river and around the dead end ford you will see the widest part of the river).The day was hot and despite not covering even 20 km, we felt superexhausted. Strong sun and spikees got to us!

We camped about 4 km along the road, shortly after the second (both jumpable) ford. It must be a good place to camp, as Tomáš, who went back to the big ford where he left his sandals the previous day, met a GPT hiker going NOBO who apparently slept in a hearing distance from us. The hiker first started to come to Patagonia decades ago, before it was overrun. Tomáš sadly never asked his name. Met the grandfather again, coming back from the port, horses are fast!

The road is not used by cars but stiĺl quite ugly. Around middle, near option 6, there are two shortcuts (400 and 50 metres) to the zigzags, three of which were marked by cairns by Tomáš. Please add the fourth cairn. Puesto 98.3 is a settler. He offered Natalie to come inside and rest but she didn't feel right stopping at that moment and kind of got the "heeby jeebies" from him. Met another pair of GPT hikers, doing just 33. The stretch along the coast is beautiful and very Mediterranean. All day the lake was without waves, even that can happen. Slept at Lake 113.8: nicer, with water and less buggy than camp 200 m earlier (just beware if the wind picks, up the waves can be very loud).

Variant K misses last water but is easy to follow, nicer than a road and involves only three very easy fence hops. Reached the bus stop for Puerto Ibanez around three. Got lucky and received a hitch from two British tourists to Puerto Ibanez. The shops there are larger than expected and stock overpriced pesto and gnocchi, Tomáš is almost as joyful as cherries make him!

Nat's Notes:

- For views I would prefer this NOBO. I suffered a new type of "look back" syndrom on most of the route. Plus, if you are walking the lake shore in the afternoon, the sun should be on your downhills and not your uphills (it was insanely hot when we did it and without a whisper of wind).

- In the section notes for km24-45 I think what was meant was that from roughly km36-45, "there are many small streams and camping spots", this is indeed true. However, between km 24-36 and option 3 there are NO longer many STREAMS to drink from, I remember only one slightly decent one and both sides of the road are fenced so if you want to camp or drink water from the main river, then you must jump the fences (cow panels or barb) or ask a settler. Also, strange to say, there is very little shade and can get uncomfortably hot...

- Intersection 45 is not hard to miss anymore, it is marked with an orange ribbon around a tree and a large cairn on your left.

- On Trail#9 (ascent before the first two alpine lakes) I took Veronicas advice about going into the woods where the RR is but rather than trying to follow the GPS, I followed what seemed to be a trail along the creek with some cairns here and there. Eventually it ends above the trees but you should be able to make your way back to the RR once the "coast is clear", ie. no more trees. If you want to walk along the lake then you should do the CC up the boulder field on Variant D.

- Going down from the pass was no problem, like everyone says, "just follow the gps". However with that said, it is very tempting to make your own way bcs there are many good looking ledge systems but after reading Wills experience, I backed away from the temptation and followed the GPS. I also slipped on some wet moss on RR.

- So much water everywhere except for the lake camping, if you are smart you will fill up on one of the many streams before getting to the lake...

- When doing the BB/CC section, after the initial elevation loss from the lake, there isn't much drinking water apart from the river until near the end of the BB. I think you could make "makeshift" camps. I was tempted to cross the river early to avoid crossing it at km69 but once again I remembered what Will wrote last year about the thorns and cliffs so I don't think that's a good idea.

- Not a fan of the lakeside gate locking technique (remember how it looks before you open it;)

- I surprisingly really enjoyed the lake stretch, it seemed it is where Pantagonia meets the Mediterranean/Arizona. The trail is in good shape, just a few overgrown roses and thorny bushes here and there (regretted shorts only a little bit). If you are coming from the north and still have your sand gaiters, this will be a good time to reuse them :). No exposure, wish there was more wind the day we were there. I am usually the biggest hater of "PUDs" - thanks for the new word - but these were not annoying. These PUDs are just a few large hills rather than a bunch of steep micro hills like gpt22 or the valley bottoms in Argentina. Water is at pretty much every "notch" in the hillside.

- Water is at the bottom of the MR~117.5 and there is still water at the top 119.9 RR (easier to grab it a little higher up).

* '''2024-Jan-30 to 2024-Feb-4 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Yannick & Nolwenn & Tess & Lukas'''

- Trail condition : gpx easy to follow / between km 63,7 and km 68,5 we mostly stayed on the left of the river
- Water : easy to find plenty of rivers and lagunas
- Camping spot : easy to find and the one at km 68.7 is nice // the refugio near the lake at km 98.5 is perfect - make fire, sleep inside, we even could ask for some bread
- Weather : some rainy and cloudy days but overall the weather was ok
- River crossing :at km 69.8 we crossed the river early in the morning and the current was strong and the water up to the middle of the thighs but manageable // at km 81,2 the river was strong and up to our hips, we crossed it in the rain, it was also manageable for us that already jave a little bit of experience
- Resupply : in Villa Cerro Castillo and in Chile Chico ( a bulk shop just opened in front of the camping Nandu) // at km 76,7 we could buy some bread, cheese and eggs at Maria and Julio's house
- Overall : we absolutely loved this section ! The views are spectacular and really diverse from one day to another // we got a hitchike at the end on the gravel road to go to Puerto Ibanez.

* '''01.27.2024 / 5 days / Hiking / SoBo / RR + Option 8 to Bahía Murta / Milton Cea + 4 more'''

Considering that we would venture to make this route a journey from Villa Cerro Castillo to Bahía Murta, we have decided to pay Pedro Zuleta, who is dedicated to transportation in the surrounding areas (+56 9 9357 8668), to take us to the entrance of the route at the registration booth. There, we encountered a pair of muleteers who did not pay much attention to our passing, however, we spoke with them to ask for their permission and inquire about the condition of the path.

We started with the regular route, a bit late, and for that reason, we camped the first night at Mallín Grande, which is a very good option, as watching the sunrise in this beautiful place is worthwhile.

Starting early the next day, we reached the "Los puestos" sector and from there, leaving our camp set up, we headed towards the towers. We were only able to reach the first lagoon at the base of the massif, as we went a bit late and our conversation with some other hikers we met extended. I would recommend leaving early to take advantage of the views from the portezuelo lookout.

The next day we began the crossing through the "Río Resbalón" Valley, as the locals call it, following an animal trail that sometimes tends to get lost among new vegetation or fallen trees, accompanied by other hikers who decided to join the journey.
It is a part of the route that can be slightly complex if you do not have a good reading of the surroundings, finding the animal traffic trail, and considering that you navigate through a forest that can easily disorient. This changes when you already walk with the "Resbalin/Resbalón" river to your right, as it is quite useful to follow its course. Always on the left side of the river.
On the way, there are some fallen trees and abandoned muleteer posts that can be used as camping space if necessary, although I would not recommend camping in this old forest.
Upon reaching the point of the road collapse, the crossing of the scree can be done at the level of its arrival, but to continue the route, you must climb a few meters up the mountain until you find the entrance to the continuation of the route. This point took some time from us, and we decided to camp near the river, towards the rock beach in the middle of a young forest with a mossy floor, very comfortable and restorative. We also decided to place some pircas at this point, as there was no mark to help resume the path towards Murta, since the difference in height was noticeable and it can be easy to believe that the path continues by the river side, but no, from here the path separates from the river and goes up the mountain.

Finally, after this last abandoned stretch, where the vegetation is abundant in some parts, we ended up arriving at the Puesto de Los Agüeros and decided to spend a night there, as we were very tired from constantly finding the route. It's worth mentioning that we couldn't find a GPS track before the trip.

The next day, after a night of intense rain, we took the official route traced from "Bahía Murta" at opossite direction and arrived in the town at dusk.
If you want the track and the Waypoints of the journey, feel free to write to me at '''milton.1902@gmail.com''' =)

* '''From 2023-01-20 to 2023-01-21 // 1,5 day // Hiking // NOBO // option 1 Valle Ibanez // Quentin Clavel'''

When I arrived in Puerto Ingeniero Ibàñez, I had to make a choice, as the weather window were pretty short. I had only 3 days and a half ahead of nice weather followed by one entire week of rain.

So I made the hard choice to skip Torres del Avelano, and go straight to Cerro Castillo by the OPT1 to explore the NP of CERRO CASTILLO.

This section was not so bad. Even if it was gravel road until the Lago tamango, I had nice views, and was not too bored from this stretch, but well yeah, it's gravel road for 30 km, so of course it was not all the time so funny aha !

Then I went to the small track along Lago tamango. Very quiet, pretty well marked thanks to these sticks with red and white colours on top, and with some scenic views.

You'll end up at the parking of the touristic sendero sitio archeologico de manos pintadas (Paredón de las Manos (1000CLP for children's, 2000CLP for adults. From Tuesday to Sunday 10h00-17h00). Then it's gravel road, following by 1,3 km on the carretera austral to reach Villa cerro castillo.

I was expecting worse for this section. Quite happy about it. That's a nice alternative if, for a reason, you want or have to skip Torres de Avelano

* '''2024-Jan- 14 to 2024-Jan-16/ 3 days/hiking/SOBO/ 33h/ 33h-b/33h-a/ 33h-P/Paulina'''

At first, I wanted to do RR, but as the recent reports about the river crossing where not very encouraging, I decided to play it safelty, so I just mixed some sections.
I started in Villa Cerro Castillo, till X 33h [ 5.5/554] it was a very peaceful, nice trail, with beautiful views on Cerra Castillo. There were some fence crossing, but not very annoying.
After the intersection, so once I joined the road X-725, it was less interesting, walk on a gravel road. I think this part of RR is better to hitch-hike ( it's possible and not very difficult to catch a car on this way).
Once I reached the big lakes ( beautiful views!) and some wanderful camping spots [ S 46.17790 W 072.32049] between Lago Alto and Lago Lapparet, I took 33h-b. At the beginning the trail was l crossing a forest used by locals as wood supply, but later ( around the place where it joined 33h-a), the landscape was amazing! Especially the part with lakes and settlers.

The last section was on 33h-01A. The cannion of Rio Claro and later the waterfall are beautiful, but for some hikers a long distance on gravel road on this section can be annoying so it's probably better to hitch-hike ( not a lot of cars but still possible).

I bought my ticket for ferry from Puerto Ibanez to Chile Chico without any problem 1h30 before the ferry departure.

The mix of these 4 sections + hitch-hiking it's a good option for bad weather or high river level on RR. Some parts are very beautiful, and the less interesting parts ( long distances on gravel roads) it's possible to cover by car.

* '''2024-01-02 to 2024-01-07 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR & Options: 03, 03B, 04C, 04 & Variant E / Roman'''

Route: Hitchhiked along Option 03 to X {33H-03} [18.6/315]. Hiked via Option 03B to X {33H} [24.2/462] and than continued RR to Ford, X {33H} [71.8/602]. Here used Variant E and back to RR all the way to Settler {33H} [85.0/462] (Luis Diaz). Continued on Option 04C to X {33H-04} [73.9/559]. From here used option 04 all to way to Bahía Murta.

Decided to go SoBo to get the tricky parts done with a good weather forecast. Hitchhiked along Option 03 because it's easier to get a lift. Was at X {33H-03} [18.6/315] 12:35 PM. From there it's a super easy to hike street all the way to X {33H} [45.5/1088] via Option 03C and than 03. Sadly there where no cars going in the correct direction. Towards the end (last 5km) there are some rivers crossing the street, nothing bad, you can get over them dry feet if jumping on the rocks. Continued the RR, the trail is clearly visible and easy to hike all the way to Camp {33H} [52.7/953]. Arrived there at 09:30 PM. It's a awsome place to pitch a tent! It was absolutely woth it to go for such a long day. Met 2 locals who went with a truck all the way to this point: -46.26754, -72.419667. Met also Cy & GG (see GPT 23). We continued the next day. Trail was in a good condition and CC was easy no snow up to the pass Pass {33H} [62.0/1314]. Absolutely beautiful view! There is some snow on the south side on the way down. It's mostly melted to you can decide if you want the first 150-200m of elevation go down in snow or trough the boulders. It was a sunny day therefore quite easy to get down to the lake. From there we went down a boulder field to the BB (Bush bashing) section (400m). This is trivial - no macheta required. It's just walking trough the forest. From there the CC&BB is at the beginning easy. We found a animal trail on the southern side of the river. Than the swamp started which was annoying. We started, after finishing the swamp section, to walk in the river bed around here -46.438037, -72.469247 which was fast progress but wet feet. Jumped on the trail and camped at Camp Without Water {33H} [68.7/766]. There is a lot of water at the river and it's just a 10 minute walk so we filled the bottles. The Camp is good, stayed there with 3 tents. Continued the next day (it was moderate rain during the night and at the morning) to the X, Ford {33H} [69.8/634]. This was at the limit what is safely possible. Fast flowing river - hip deep (iam 180). From there on the trail was clearly visible and easy to hike fast. Continued the RR and did Variant E. Check you GPS, we didn’t intend to do it we just followed the most clearly visible trail and ended up at the Puesto {33H-E} [0.8/619] so we continued. The statement from above is still valid all the way to Settler {33H} [85.0/462] (Luis Diaz) for the RR ;). After that is a easy trail, at Settler {33H} [76.7/535] (Maria & Julio) I met Julio and they had a car there to the trail from this point on is even easier. I split up here with Cy & GG because of different plans and it was questionable if the Ford at Ford {33H} [81.2/490] (Rio Avellano) is even possible so I wanted to speed up. Reached the point around 05:00 PM. It was not possible to Ford - way to deep and to much current! So I used my packraft and crossed the river. Got in the water here: -46.456627, -72.320677 and followed than the RR. Ford {33H} [81.4/492] was also impossible by foot. Used the same tactic and crossed it by boat. Got in the water here: -46.453523, -72.316373 and crossed by boat. After that easy trail and continued the RR. Ford {33H} [83.6/467] (Rio Avellano) was also absolutely impossible so also did it by boat. After that I camped here: -46.463767, -72.26597.

interim conclusion: if the weather is not stable (I knew it wasn't [would reccomend checking with meteoblue] go SoBo and be aware that the crossing can be impossible - I would reccomend bringing you packraft so you habe more options even though it's the H route. Otherwise you have to wait, potentially for days or you need the help of a local (this is how Cy & GG managed it).

Next day continued 04C. The trail to the pass is clearly visible and beautiful to hike. From there it's hard to find a few times because of a lot of animal tracks. Follow the GPS. The trail is again visible from this point on: -46.486009, -72.212428. Trail condition generally good with some bushes hanging in the trail. Reached X {33H-04} [73.9/559]. Same here a lot if animal trail - follow the GPS. The trail is clearly visible from this point on: -46.49591, -72.205307 up to Bahía Murta. Condition is good. The Pass {33H-04} [71.5/958] is definetly a highlight. Camped at Camp {33H-04} [66.2/209] - great place. Next day was long no changes on the trail condition - good and easy - hiked to Ford, Camp {33H-04} [37.5/259]. Camping there is a bit tricky to find a good place but manageable. Met a guy at the gosttown Puerto Cristal. The trail is according to him also used by tourists groups. I asked before the trial if there is a ferry connection - there is none only one company goes there by boat for tourist. Maybe you can arrange a transfer ( https://turismopuertocristal.cl/ very fast response time via WhatsApp 10 minutes). The Pass {33H-04} [43.3/840] is also a highlight. The Ford, Camp {33H-04} [37.5/259] is challenging hip deep. After that it's easy road walk to Bahía Murta. Got a lift at -46.520007, -72.636049.

Overall: I would recommend SoBo because the difficult sections are at the beginning and weather dependent. Go if you have a few stable non rainy days. Bring you packraft to have more options for fording. The entry via Option 03 & 03B is in my opinion easy due to hitchhiking & ou find a grop and book a lift The views are amazing at the passes. The BB is trivial. BB&CC is annoying but done within 2 hours. The Option 4 is absolutely beautiful and if you are a bit luckier than me avoids a lot of road walking. Would definitely reccomend the section. The reason for me to go with Option 04 is to easy connect to 82P.

Contact: https://linktr.ee/RundW

* '''2023-12-22 / 3 days / RR / SOBO / Anh'''

Just a quick info: The first part of RR is not marked but very easy to hike. After the pass (km 62) I had a hard time with the 2km CC. At first the snowfields were very steep (60 slope). The snow thickness was only 20-80cm, underneath are very big steep boulders and the melting snow makes the hollows big. Then there are the streams under the snowfields. I was a few times with a foot in it, fortunately not whole body. I had to go up and down in the forest, on the edge, on the rocks... My goal was to be safe, it took me 2 hours to cover the 2km.

==Season 2022/23==
* '''2023-Mar-30 to 2023-Mar-31 / 1.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option 1 / Martin & Helena'''

We started from Villa Cerro Castillo around 11 AM and took ferry from the port the next day at noon. The former RR trail follows path of Sendero de Chile, and starting with no expectations we were quite impressed with what it offers, especially all the amazing views of Cerro Castillo. It's definitely a good short alternative to the Torres del Avellano detour that we were forced to skip. Trail is easy to follow and you can find many camp spots along the way. There are many small shops in Puerto Ibáñez. Knowing the ferry schedule we went directly to the port where were just a few others in this time of the year.

Contact: @martin_hanzelka @helenneka

* '''26/02/2023 - 02/03/2023 / RR SOBO with emergency exit on a boat on Lago General Carrera / Louis, Rémi & Noé :'''

Day 1 - From Lago Verde - 15.5km - +700m/-300m We first hitchiked from Villa Cerro Castillo to Lago Verde on the Carretera Austral. We hiked then the gravel road until the camp next to the free check in point, in the forest.

Day 2 - Laguna La Plazza - 16.5km - +800m/-500m We kept going on the minor road before the well maintained horse trail. We took option to the Laguna La Plazza and we camped there but the weather was quite bad with a lot of wind. Would recommend to camp in the pasture down there in these conditions.

Day 3 - Lagunas before the pass - 17km - +1000m/-900m The trail was still very easy to follow this day. A bit of cross country at the end but nothing difficult as there are kerns. There is a spot to pitch tents next to the second lake, between it and the waypoint "camp" (that we didn't find btw). Very nice there and without the clouds, the view should be incredible.

Day 4 - CC until diversion @km69.8 - 14km - +500m/-1100m The troubles began for us this day. Noé injured his knee just after the pass. With Rémi, we alternated carrying his bag in addition to ours. That's why we hadn't moved a lot. The bush bashing is demanding and under the rain, fording is a real challenge. I would recommend you to be south of the Rio after the diversion/ford. We camped on the north side, a few hundred meters after the div.

Day 5 - Lago General Carrera - 30km - +700m/-1000m As we were a bit late, we decided to walk directly to the lake. We forded the Rio in order to be south of it and we found the horse trail, it was easier then ! We crossed the Rio a last time @km81.2, still manageable with the rain but a bit hard (water until the hips, we are 1m80 tall) with a strong current. Then, the minor road. We didn't leave it until the lake. A bit of ups and downs but the road is nice so it is fast. Here, at the lake. There is mobile coverage and so we contacted numeros given on the PDF on WhatsApp to find a boat to bring us back to civilisation. With the third bag to carry, it was too hard for us to keep hiking. I let you the contact of Jairo, that can bring you back to Puerto Tranquilo... for 400.000 CLP... we didn't had the choice as the settler living just in front of the lake wasn’t there. Jairo : +56 9 6633 9507 He transported us the next day.

* '''2023-Feb-21-27 / NOBO / RR + Option 3B / Ondrej and Bara / Puerto Ibanez - Vila Cerro Castillo / 6.5 days'''

Gorgerous section. Unfortunately, we were struck by bad weather mid-way which took out the joy and brought a few very difficult moments for us.

We went NOBO and on the 3rd day camped in the valley close to Maria & Julio (76.7 km). It started raining early morning and while the rain stopped around midday, it was enough to turn streams into rivers and cross country paths into swamps. We were unable to ford the river at km 69.8 at two different places. To continue, we decided to make a risky choice and bush-bash upstream on the other side of the river, hoping to ford it in an upper section and rejoin the trail. This eventually worked out. We forded the river at -46.43642, -72.45456 and rejoined the trail. This 1.2km diversion took us about 2 hours. Bush-bashing through forest was okay but in the middle of the diversion we struggled through 300m of thorny bushes which took forever to get across.

From around 1000m of altitude, we had fresh snow on the slopes. This made the boulder field more challenging than we wanted (fortunately still manageable). We crossed the exposed pass at km62.0 and continued on the other side, firstly through snow and then again through muddy cross country parts until we joined the trailhead at km 57.0. Afterwards the trail was easy all the way until the end.

We also met Anna and Christopher going the opposite direction - really great to meet fellow hikers!

* '''2023-Feb-20-24 / NOBO / RR shortend on the road sections / Zohar / Road to Levicán - Carterra Austeral / 5 days'''

I tried to shorten the section because of the upcoming bad weather, which hit on the last day, but I was lucky to catch a ride out with a family that came to collect wood from their land.

I arrived on Monday to pureto Ibañez spoke with the van to levicán that left at 17.40 to Levicán got off on the way where the rout leave the main road and walked till the shore of Lago General Carrera. Day 2 I followed the horse trail along the lake, which was very visible and easy to follow. Then, I followed a miner till I found a stable campsite. Day 3 was the hardest. I was determined to sleep at the base of the torres, so I had a lot of trail to cover, and the route was hard to follow, but the direction was clear. Day 4 started with a beautiful sun rise on the clear torres de avellano. The bolder field wasn't as hard as I itentenly thought, but be careful. After the pass, I met 4 young hikers going to the torres and back. Day 5 was wet, but at least on a minor road and about 9 km before the road, I was picked up and taken to Villa Cerro Castillo.

I don't advise doing the section in 5 days thay where long, big days, and it is better to enjoy the surroundings. if the weather was better, I would have taken 7 days. This section is beautiful and highly recommended

* '''20.02. - 24.02.23 / Anna & Christopher / SOBO, Villa Cerro Castillo - Puerto Ibáñez'''

In the afternoon we started hitchhiking the Carretera Austral to where Option 3B starts. There were lots of people trying to hitchhike directly from Villa Cerro Castillo, so we figuered to have a better chance if we walk further up the Carretera Austral. We soon got lucky. That day we walked the dirtroad until km 4.4 and camped there next to a small stream.

The next day was mostly easy walking on dirtroads until the crossing at km 45.5 (which is relatively easy to miss!). We camped at km 49 at the edge of the forest.

The next day the weather turned bad once we reached the section with all the boulders on the ascent to the pass. We did some unnecessary climbing by not sticking to the main route. When descending we lost the main route again and briefly tried to descend without it, which we soon realised is a bad idea, so we climbed back up to where we lost it. We spent the night at the camp at km 63.4.

The next morning we woke up with a clear blue sky and finally saw the Torres del Avellano. Really amazing rock formations. The following bushbashing part seemed ok to us, we had worse ones on the GPT so far ;). First we walked on to the right of the river following a good animal path. Once it ended we changed to the left side and stayed there. About 2/3 of the route is a realtively good path and the rest was some easy BB and climbing over fallen trees. Luckily the ford at km 69.8 was easy to cross. We took variant E from where on the trail was in a great condition and we could walk pretty fast. The river crossing at km 81.1 was more demanding and went almost up to Annas hips (1,63m). We camped soon after that at approx. km 81.5.

We continued on variant H the easy trail on the dirtroad until the lake, where it gets more demanding (we underestimated the continous ups and downs). The views are amazing though. It gets pretty windy next to the lake. We camped at a tiny spot at km 109.3 next to a small stream.

On the final day we walked to the bus station (6 pm) and took the ferry to Chile Chico the same day (8 pm). This section was great :)

* '''11-18 February 2023 / Maks&Gabi / SOBO / RR, 33H-E, 33H-H ( hichhiking from km136 to Puerto Ibanez)'''

We started from Villa Cerro Castillo. If you can, try not to skip the first part of road walking. It's beautiful with the view over Lagunas and Cerro Castillo. The terrain is also different than in later parts of the section.

There are some problems - lot of fences and gates on the first 5 km. Then many aggressive dogs and limited access to water (steep descents and fences around the lakes). The camping spots, marked on track files, can be hard to access (private properties with new fences). We camped by the bridge around 25km (the bridge is not marked).

We than waited half a day for the rain to stop. The rest of the road is also well maintained with occasional river crossing (all easy).

The next trail part (until km 57) is mostly visible. Some problem can occur by the CC part, especially during heavy rain - it was all floded. We weren't exactly expecting it, but it was snowing and the temperature during the night was about -4. Next day we waited until 11 am to dry our stuff, as the sun finally came out.

As Veronica wrote, when going up to the pass try to follow the cairns (33H-D). The part between the lakes and the pass is quite easy.

Going down from the pass we followed the GPS and we found it quite manageable (actually for us it seemed to be much easier going SOBO than NOBO at that point, even though it was slippery and with a lot of small streams going down the rock). We reached the camp at km 63.4 at 4 pm. First 400 m of BB is easy as the forest is not overgrown. It's getting worse in the valley. If possible try to be close to the river. We were fording it multiple times. Finally we stayed at the left side of the river, bushbashing for the next 3 km (that's where the trail starts). We slept next to the ford at km 69.8.

We forded the river in the morning. It's possible, but the current was strong (for us it was the worst ford on this section with water above our knees - I'm 175 cm). After the next ford we followed 33H-E as we couldn't find the entrance to the RR. It's a very well maintained path with a big puesto nearby.

After fords at km 81 we followed 33H-H as we didn't want to cross the river anymore. For those of you, who are planning to go there during the next few days, be carefull - somewhere around km 91 there is a fresh dead cow near to the water.

The lake part's quite exhausting. We were blessed with sunny and windless weather so we found it astonishing and not so dangerous. We started our last day at camp km 113.8 . Ascent on the road (117.5) is ok and there was water on km 119.9 (small stream). The rest of the road walking is easy (with occasional fences) but there's no water on km 135.2 (water on 129.3 is hard to access).

We hitchhiked from km 136 to Puerto Ibanez. During the weekend there is only one ferry a day (Saturday morning and Sunday evening).

* '''8 to 13 of February 2023 / Will / SOBO from Laguna Verde / 6 data'''

This one was an ordeal for me, I don't recommend starting with a week straight of rain in the forecast. At first I appreciated the ambiance after six completely dry weeks in the north, but after a few days it started to get me down. Thankfully to keep my morale up I encountered some kind settlers, a few pairs of GPT hikers, and some sun in the final stretch.

The rains never got too heavy, generally off and on light rain. The temperatures were fairly cold from the nearly constant cloud cover.

To start out I hitched out of Villa Cerro Castillo to Laguna Verde, teaming up with some of the many hitchhikers. The initial road walk was beautiful, some podcasts helped me power through the rest.

The pass was tough in the rain, but manageable. Things were slippery but there's enough to grab onto in the boulder fields to keep you stable, as long as you're focused and moving slowly. The ascent was nice boulder field the whole way, on the decent things looked scarier. Instead of boulders there was a lot of large smooth slab with water flowing down. The gpx route there was good, following boulders and vegetation around the slab. Things only felt dangerous once, when I went slightly off the track and ended up trapped between a cliff and a water slide. After some scary experimentation I found that I could get good traction on the waterslide using a crab walk technique, on my back with hands and feet and butt all resting on the slab. This let me traverse the waterslide back to safety.

The little bush bashing section after the pass was easy, I camped in there. Things got bad again once I got back out to the river and the cross country+bush bashing marker. My feet got worryingly numb after a bunch of river crossings and marshland traversal, I tried to stick to the woods after that.

I then took two big questionable detours from the tracks, staying to the south of the rio avellano and avoiding crossing it all the way until I reached the lake. I'll quickly describe them here but they were both uncomfortable and not worth it unless the river is impassable. The cold and rain seem to damage my decision making quite a bit, I refused to backtrack or to take breaks to think things through.

To skip the crossing at 69.8 I stayed in the woods south of the river starting at around km 67.5. Initially nice cow path, followed by a tricky wooded boulder field, followed by a horrific stretch crawling over thorny bushes. Eventually I made my way up to the base of some cliffs where things got a bit easier. Following the cliffs I reached a cow path, leading to some open woods through which I rejoined the trail around km 70.5. Never thought I'd be so happy to find cow poop.

I dropped a blue and black stone bracelet somewhere before or during the 71.8 river crossing, let me know if you come across it!

Some of the minor streams merging into the river were tough to cross. 71.8 was up to my thighs with a strong current.

To skip the first major crossing of the Rio Avellano at 81.2 I followed some horse trail to the big white rock hill, and climbed to the top. The rock was super grippy even in the rain. I then traversed along the slope to the east, staying between an elevation of 700 and 750m. There was some cow path making it easier to walk, I wonder how they get up there. A few tough bushy sections descending and climbing out of crevasses/streams before I got to a gradual stream at -46.46385, -72.30601 which I scrambled down to the river.

I ran into the settlers Luis and Jaqueline at their house by the river. They generously took me in for the night and gave me a chance to dry out some of my stuff.

From there I followed option 4C down to the lake, hoping that the river crossing there would be less scary with the river fanned out wider. The option was decent trail over some low passes to the lake, though at times it was hard to follow. It's tough to choose where to cross the river because you can't see the bottom through the silt. I decided to cross near the gpx line where it was wide with lots of debris and sand bars to rest in between the channels. At the worst points it was crotch deep and powerful, the rocks under my feet sliding back from the force. Pretty scary.

I camped in the willow grove by campo chico, and the next day (Monday) I raced to the bus stop at 130.4. It turns out that the bus is now at 6pm, I got there just in time. I took the bus to Puerto Ibáñez and got straight on the 8pm ferry to Chile Chico.

A small cut on my ankle ended up getting infected, I'm now in town out of commission with a ton of swelling. Should have been more careful!

* '''Feb 12 Direct Route SOBO 1 day Frank'''

I walked straight from Villa Cerro Castillo to Puerto Ibanez in one long day. A few KM out on a dirt road there is a museum on your left & a short trail on the right which goes to some rock paintings. You pass by a lake with good views of Cerro Castillo. Salto Rio Ibanez waterfall is impressive.

*Helen and Craig + (Caro and Ali)
5th-10th February NoBo<- only direction to do it! So pretty!

almost got stung by the ferry from Chile chico. Make sure when you go to the office as the online booking doesn't seen to be working, that you specify your a foot passenger. And if they refuse ask to be put on the waiting list for the next ferry (which means you'll get on just fine) pretty sure you could probably just turn up and ask very nicely and they would let you across. Looked in to the boats from Carlos and Pascual to join 33 missing the coast section from levican but Carlos is not in the area at the moment and Pascuals boat is currently non functional, sad times but the coastal section I would have been sad to miss!

-Decided to do Torres del avellano northbound. Highly recommend doing it this way and thankyou to the others who pointed out this point before us. Veiws were great and much easier to get over the bolder scramble going up.

-We walked in a group of 4 so payed for a transfere to levican and a pick up from lago lapparent. 60,000 each time.
-Phone signal from Puerto del avellano to levican
-The river valleys of avellano and venti were incredibly beautiful to the south.
-Route was better marked and easier to navigate than exsepted. Very Easy going apart from km 68.7-62. if you've done GPT 40 or 37, then you'll find 33 delightfully a breeze. (We did have good weather, in bad weather even just a little rain I imagine a very diffence and worse exsperience)
-In the BB/CC river valley of Rio avellano walk on the north shore of the river rather than going to the south. The forest is mostly easily passable or can hop out to the river valley to walk more freely. The south side of the river is calf/ knee high swampy bush bashing which leads to very cold feet and frustration.
-keep eyes peeled for humels! We spotted a male humel on the bushbash/cross country section and had the most amazing sighting!

* '''22 to 26 of January 2023 / Véronica / GPT33H RR SOBO / via GPT33H-03B / 4.5 days'''

Route: Villa Cerro Castillo - Laguna Verde (Río Alto valley) - Upper Río Avellano valley - Torres del Avellano viewpoint - Lower Río Avellano valley - Lago General Carrera - Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez

Simply beautiful section. Lots of excellent info is written about it in the Hiker's Manuel too. I only met 4 other hikers, with two of them being northbounding GPT hikers! Great to meet you, Yannic and Mirjam :)

From Villa Cerro Castillo I hitched easily on the Carretera Austral to Laguna Verde, where Option 3B begins. I wanted to cut some of the initial road walking because poor weather was incoming the next day and I wanted to try and beat it to have a chance at seeing the Torres. The road walk in the Río Alto valley was actually quite pleasant and scenic. There is a little self-registration booth across the road from the settler at km 30.8, where hikers are asked to "check in" before proceeding down the private road towards the Río Avellano valley. There is no charge.

The camp at 52.7 km is very nice with a little stream running through, lots of dead wood around to make a fire, and relatively sheltered. There is an old puesto/refuge there too that is open and has a fireplace. Could be a good spot to hole up if the weather is bad.

When you diverge from the Río Avellano valley to head up the pass, don't try and follow the GPS. Instead take the path of least resistance (or the path that looks the clearest) through the woods and across the rocks near the river. There are occasional cairns to mark the way too, although not always obvious to spot. Only the last cross-country section before the pass did I follow closely with the GPS, as it goes across a boulder field and the GPS line seemed to be the easiest way up to the pass.

On the south side of the pass is where you finally see the Torres del Avellano proper. Absolutely incredible, and I managed to get the great views only a couple of hours before the rain started and clouds engulfed everything.

I followed the GPS track closely going down through the granite boulder field, since it guided a safe way around the steeper cliffs. It was slow going down through the boulders, but it didn't feel unsafe as the rocks were grippy and solid.

The initial "bushbashing" segment at km 63.9 was very easy through a mature forest. I didn't follow the GPS here, just followed an old animal trail alongside a creek until it joined with Río Ventisquero. Again, the CC&BB section starting at km 64.4 was quite easy at first. I forded the river multiple times to walk along whichever side looked easier/less swampy. About midway through this section though it got tougher because Río Ventisquero got silty and the flow increased, so that I didn't want to ford it much anymore, so I stuck to the left (north) side of the river, mostly in the forest. There were some areas of unavoidable blowdowns and marshy terrain, and everything was wet from the rain coming down too.

When I reached the waypoint X, Ford at 69.8 km, I camped there for the night because Río Ventisquero was a torrent and looked unsafe to ford. There are a few nice, flat places to pitch a tent in this area, under large mature trees. Early the next morning, it was very cold and still raining, and I couldn't tell if the river had gone down at all or not. There was fresh snow higher on the mountaintops. I ended up fording the river slightly downstream from where the trail crosses it, and the water came up just below my hips (I'm 165 cm). The water is silty so you can't see the bottom, but the rocks underneath had surprisingly good traction, which I was grateful for because the current was strong.

It might be better to take Option 33H-E than the regular route. That trail looked well-maintained and clear, whereas the RR between 71.8 and 73.5 km was hard to follow and overgrown at times. There were no signs of life at the homestead of Maria and Julio when I passed through.

I was strategic when I forded Río Avellano at km 81.2, crossing multiple branches at their shallowest points. The water went midway up my thighs at the deepest point. Afterwards though I didn't want to cross it two more times, so I took Option 33H-H which stayed north of the river.

The refugio at km 98.5+0.2 on the shore of Lago General Carrera is nice and clean. There is a woodstove and some tables and chairs. It was crazy windy when I got there though, and I can't reccomend it as a good place to camp unless you sleep inside the refuge — the wind gusts were coming from all directions and there wasn't a spot that was sheltered outdoors. Further along the path at Campo Chico, there is a grove of mature willow trees that is probably a much better camp spot.

Very beautiful hiking along Lago General Carrera, but it was wildly windy for me that day. At times it was hard to stay on the trail due to the strong gusts trying to blow me off the path. Lots of water sources.

RH-MR&CC-V {33H} [19.5/118.0+4.6] is all minor road, no cross-country involved at all. I met the settler at km 121.8, he kindly let me pass through his property (and many gates) no problem.

I got to the minor road from Levican (waypoint at 130.4) at 7:40 a.m. on a Thursday. There is a little bus shelter there to protect from the wind. It was very cold and windy when I got there, and I waited until almost noon, hoping to hitch a ride. Not a single car passed by that whole time. So I resigned myself to the road walk, walked for about an hour in extremely windy conditions, and then a car finally came by and picked me up and drove me into Puerto Ibáñez :) Very grateful!!!

* '''2023 Jan / Yannic & Mirjam / Northbound'''

From Puerto Ibanez we made the first kilometres to junction 130.4 by car stop. Then we hiked on to Camp 113.4. We didn't stay at the location, but a little further ahead where the river flows into the lake. Along the lake was nice with a lot of ups and downs and then we camped somewhere on the side of the Minor Road. Along the Rio Avellano we stayed on the northern side so that we only had to cross the river once (at 81.2). The water came up to my waist (I am 180 cm). Surprisingly, there was another Ford at 69.8. Again, very strong current and loose ground, so it was difficult to find a good footing. Right after this Ford we spent the night in the forest.

On the climb at the start of the cross country section (at trailhead 68.5) be sure to get the right entry point as there are several small streams coming down the valley. We thought we saw a trail further into the forest that we could follow. Unfortunately, this was a mistake and led to us having to bush bash back onto the trail for a few hundred metres. In general, the trail was mostly better close to the river than deeper in the forest. The camping spot at the Torres was incredible and worth getting up for sunrise. The climb up the pass was very doable with the GPS tracks and not too difficult. On the other side of the pass, the trail got surprisingly good. We met a group of horses that were probably trekking to the lakes. Because the weather got worse, we took option 03 on the Carretera Austral and stopped at Ceroo Castillo.

*GPT section 33 7 days, 84 miles, 14K ft ascent Dec. 21 to 27, 2022 David and Erika NOBO

Ferry from Chili Chico runs just once a week (Mondays at 8:00 am) we missed it by hours and were stuck at the hotel California in Chili Chico for a day. “You can enter any time you like but you can never leave” got to be the feeling after residential bus after residential bus filled with residents and would not take us. Eventually got to Sierra Castillo and then hitched to Puerto Inginiero Ibanez. The tourist office there got her husband to give us a lift further 24 km to the end of the road. Well worth the 25,000 pesos. Road hike from there straightforward but new gates are being installed at the last road (NOBO) before you hit Lago General Carrera. Lots of wind. Last Refugio on the lake is legitimate. Good place to camp. Lower Rio Avellano was fordable. We thought we could avoid the 2nd and 3rd ford by taking the path over the hill. Don’t. It doesn’t go…Don’t worry, it gets worse. Ultimately, you’ll be hiking through the river all the way to Torres de Avellano. Note on that. The route takes you up to the lake. Beautiful, but then you go through a 2 km boulder field. We found the start of a trial before exiting the river that seems to lead right up to the pass. Might go, we don’t know. Instead, we took the boulder route, broke through a snow bridge, and put a deep gauge in Erika’s leg. Could have used stiches but had no sutures. Might be worth investigating.

*'''2022 Nov, NoBo, Option 1, Alice and Florian'''

We chose to do the option 1 taking the sendero de chile from Puerto Ibañez to Cerro castillo. Most of it is a trail road (first 25km, and the last 4) so it is quite tiring for the knees as some point. But it seems quite easy to do hitchhiking at least on the first 25 km if needed. Nevertheless it is quite a nice road. You first arrive to a very nice waterfall after 5km, them walk through a canyon with nice scenic views. The 10km pass through a forest trail near lakes, it is really nice as well.

* '''2022 Nov / GPT33H Option 11 and Parts of Regular Route / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

GPT33H/GPT34P: Northern coast of Lago General Carrera from Puerto Sanchez to Levican (packrafting and hiking)

From 2022-Nov-20 to 2022-Nov-24 we (Meylin Ubilla, Jan Dudeck) packrafted and hiked in 5 days from Puerto Sanchez to Levican along the northern coast of Lago General Carrera.

This lake is infamous for the frequent strong gusty wind, therefore packrafting requires a careful monitoring of the weather to depart only onto the lake when a period with calmer conditions is approaching. Luckily, there is reasonable good mobile phone coverage what facilities checking the weather and wind forecast frequently.

Given the wind conditions any packrafting attempt on Lago General Carrera requires to my opinion:

- decked packraft, a longer tandem is strongly preferable (faster, more stable) - a sail (to get quicker to an exit point) - packrafting experience in the region (to anticipate typical weather and wind patterns) - smartphone with entel SIM card or entel rooming - YR weather App, Windy weather App

The predominant wind is eastbound therefore only eastbound packrafting is advisable.

I’m left with the impression that wind gets generally stonger towards the east (towards Levican and Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez) and that calm periods are more frequent and longer towards the west (Puerto Tranquilo, Puerto Sanchez).

Also, calmer conditions are more likely in the early morning just after sunrise but strong wind all night is also common.

During a previous hike in February 2020 we experienced an entire summer day with barely any wind but such days are as frequent as unicorns and no travel plan should be build on exceptional favorable circumstances.

There is a trail along the northern shore but due to the steep coast there are sections of up to 13 km on the lake without a connection from the shoreline to this trail.

Emergency exits are more frequent along the coast but using such an exit means waiting for the wind to calm down what can take days. Therefore it is generally favorable to exit the water only in a location from where the trail can be reached easily.

We packrafted most of the distance from Puerto Sanchez to the Avellano river delta on 3 mornings in about 9 hours on the water but from there we hiked in two days to Levican because we had no similar promising calm weather windows in following early mornings. In hindsight the wind remained manageable in the morning hours till about noon but there was no point in reversing our decision to hike (and we urgently needed some exercise to get used to hike with heavy backpacks again).

Crossing from Puerto Tranquilo to Puerto Sanchez is reasonable feasible by packraft in calm weather (typically either very early in the morning or later in the evening). The crossing is 3 km wide and best started 1 km north of Puerto Tranquilo in a hidden bay with a nice protected spot to pitch a tent (46.6146°S / 72.6838°W · 210 m). If preparing the packraft at the beach of Puerto Tranquilo officials may stop packrafters as there are numerous restrictions and requirements applicable (in example accompanying motor boat with two licensed boat drivers).

Packrafters should depart in north-eastern direction to compensate for a south-eastern wind drift in case wind increases.

A very nice protected camp site is approximately 8 km from the recommended exit point near Puerto Tranquilo.

GPT33H: Bus Levican - Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez

The last 26 km from Levican to Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez are rather dull road walking. Therefore hikers that arrive at the right day and time can take the subsidized bus.

Monday and Friday only: 08:00 Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez -> Levican 09:00 Levican -> Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez 18:00 Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez -> Levican 19:00 Levican -> Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez Price: 1000 CLP

Transport at other times can be arranged for a substantially higher cost (estimated 40‘000 to 60‘000 CLP per vehicle).

Paty: +56 9 9506 3176

Luis: +56 9 8648 4075

==Season 2021/22==

* '''2022 Feb: 10-14, SoBo, RR, Kris&Stiina'''

Even though the first few days out of town is a road walk, the first part of it is actually really scenic and worth walking, the lakes are just very beautiful one the way. The second part was mostly in the forest and our feet, knees and hips were already hurting from all the road walking but once we got on trail it got better right away. The trail was surprisingly well maintained I would even say better than in Cerro Castillo National Park. Another unexpected surprise was the amount of people that we met on the trail a total of about 25 people in different size groups were hiking to see Torres de Avellano. We really didn’t expect that, there also seemed to be some sort of backpack hauling and guiding service that the local arrieros were offering. We unfortunately didn’t manage to talk to them to find out, but it seems that the place is getting popular. Which is not a surprise because it’s very very beautiful there, probably is correct what the manual says, that it’s going to be the next Torres del Paine, time will tell.

On day 3 about 2-3km before the pass the trail disappeared and the going got tougher and tougher, mostly just bolder hopping up and over the pass. The descent was pretty steep on large granite slabs which offered plenty of good grip but I am not sure how well would it work in wet conditions. I think the pass is doable in not good weather conditions but only if one feels very confident in own abilities on wet rocks. Also it’s a good idea to follow the gps on the way down because otherwise you end up on a cliff edge and have to track back up. The ground finally eases up once you enter the forest, but then starts the bushwhacky part all the way until ford/div at 69,7km.

That was as far as we could make it that day because the river was pretty fast in the evening. So we decided to camp right there and cross it in the morning when the flow would be a bit more manageable and our decision payed off. In the morning the river was about 10cm lower than the evening before, so if you ar a shorter person it could save you. The flow was pretty strong and water was still about hips deep. Both of us crossed it together by standing in a line, me in front and Stiina supporting me from behind, it worked great. After that it was easy cruising for the next 32km, however we had to cross that river once again at 81,2km. It was still challenging but we managed to do it the traditional way one by one, facing upstream. But the current was still very strong and pushing our feet out from under us, challenging our balance. After that we didn’t want to cross it two more times as gps suggested so we just stayed on the left coast all the way to the lake. There were some cow trails to follow and also to bypass the cliffs it was no problem.

The lake is really beautiful with all the islands and it wasn’t too windy when we arrived. We camped about a kilometer from Campo Chico on the rocky stream bed and managed to cook on the fire that night without causing fire hazard. And there were apple, pear and plum trees at the 98,3km, plums were very ripe but the apples and pears still need a week or two to get ready, but it was a very nice treat nevertheless.

Next day was Monday which meant that we could avoid the 26km road walk at the end of the section which we were determined to do. We had 30km to goto get to the road junction were the bus is passing by and according to the manual the bus would pass there some time after 20:00 which is when it starts from Levican. So we pushed the whole day over the steep, sandy, bushy terrain and made it to the junction by 19:00, great, we thought. But after bus didn’t show up we called the phone nr that Janna & Matthias had provided and it turned out that the bus actually leaves Levican at 18:00 and is long gone. But the bus driver was nice enough to offer us a ride to Puerto Ibañez, however for a hefty 45.000 pesos. We were out of food, out of water and pretty spent from getting ourselves there so we accepted the offer. The car ride showed that it would be a pretty dull road walk aswell if we would have had to do it so in the end it all worked out and we got to town just as we wanted.

The town was a bit disappointing, people were somehow not very helpful and also all accommodations were full, but we managed to camp at Las Cabañitas about a km out of town. The next day we went to the port to catch the ferry to Chile Chico, but due to strong winds all ferries were canceled and nobody could even give us a guess of when the ferries would restart. We didn’t want to spend another day in Puerto Ibañez so we hitched back to Villa Cerro Castillo in hopes to get bus or a hitch around the lake. There are definitely daily buses to Cochrane.

In the end our plans changed and we decided that we are content with our experience on GPT this season, so we left it at that. Thanks for kicking our butts GPT and showing us beauty we haven’t seen before! :)

For more stories of the trail, pictures, videos and in case you want to ask us anything you can find us on Instagram: @smallfootprint_bigadventures

* '''GPT 33H Option 4 (Puerto Cristal)/ Torres de Avellano/ Packrafting Route / 2022 Feb-4 / 7 days / Tobias Schorcht and Jonas Grünewald'''

I started Packrafting from Puerto Tranquilo to Puerto Sanches in the calm morning hours. Since Jonas doesn‘t have a Packraft, we booked a full Marvel Caves Tour by boat for him and asked the Captain, to leave him in Puerto Sanches, which was possible without any extra paying. We hiked northbounded along Lago Vidal Gormez and visited the left behind abandoned village Puerto Cristal. It was an impressive experience to see the old facilities of the Mining Company! The good visible trail is partly overgrown with spiky bushes and contains a lot of altitude. We have been rewarded with stunning views on the Lago General Carrera and recommend this option anyway. We went up to the Torres with good weather knowing, that some wind and rain have been predicted for the night. It took us many hours to cross the valley (-46,43300, -72,48867) because we mainly followed the “cow-trails” through the forest and wetland (as an alternative to walk up the river). We reached the camp (-46,42178, -72,50672) late and sheltered the spot with rocks against the wind. You are welcome to use our cozy spot free of charge 😉. Took the trail from the Torres down to Cerro Castillo without difficulties.

We have to say, that this part of the GPT was challenging but absolutely worth the struggle.

Disfrutas las cosas 🙏

* '''NoBo, January 2022, 6.5 days, Participants: Janna & Matthias'''

Day 1: We took the ferry from Chile Chico to Puerto Ibañez (ferry schedule online).There still runs a government-subsidised bus (+56 9 89448847) between Puerto Ibañez and Levicàn on Mondays and Fridays at 8am & 5pm (summer). We decided to spend the afternoon rain relaxing at the pizzeria in Puerto Ibañez and then catch the bus. We called and found out that the bus stop is now in front of the Supermercado Jelvez. The driver let us off at Div 130.4/311 at about 6pm ($1000 per person cash) and we hiked for another hour or so. At bridge 129.3/304 you cannot get water (a kind of gorge), maybe at the marked "Water?" about 15min downstream. We had enough with us and camped sheltered from the wind between the monoculture trees (S 46.377764 W 71.922459).

Day 2: We continued through / over many gates and past empty houses down to the water. Attention if NoBo: at gate 122.6/628 there are two gates - the GPT splits behind the left one, so take that one. The first water before the lake and two good camps at the lake are marked. The path along Lago Carrera was easy to find, sandy and rough in places but we could follow old riders' tracks. We really enjoyed the fantastic view over the lake and had a tábano-free time thanks to the strong wind. About 2 km before Campo Chico (S 46.478295 W 72.086034) we found a west wind-protected and very nice camping spot.

Day 3: Further camping possibilities would be as already described on wikiexplora at Campo Chico and at Puerto Avellano. Along the lake there are streams/rivers for drinking water every 1-2h. There is a wild apple tree on the trail here: S 46.487073 W 72.102247 in case you come by at the right time of year. After Puerto Avellano there is about 15km of a former mine road that is easy to follow. We had a wonderful view of the mountains the whole day. The first two Fords are easy to pass with little water. Water sources again every 1-2h. Our camp 3 was here: S 46.457910 W 72.299412 - beautiful, next to the water, sheltered from the wind.

Day 4: Ford-day - in total we forded rivers more than 20 times, all of them were easy to knee deep except Río Avellano at 81.2/490 which reached almost to our hips and required a lot of effort. We met and chatted with settler Maria who was on her way to have some work done. At Div/Ford 69.7/634 the mountain peaks remained hidden in the clouds and the weather forecast was not so sparkling why we opted for the bypass (option 2) which is also very nice to walk with imposing mountain massifs on both sides, enchanted fairytale forests, a waterfall and easy-to-find cow tracks. Only the large swamp around S 46.386387 W 72.422623 was very unpleasant and foul-smelling, about shin deep. It may be worth looking for a path along the water there. Camp 4: S 46.371434 W 72.432519, quiet and nice under curious observation of two horses on the other side of the river.

Day5: At Div 54.5/841 we checked the weather again but as it still looked bad and everything in the valley further up was already in fog we finally decided against the Torres. At this Div there was an unmarked Ford when coming from option 2. If NoBo hiking directly after this Div take the path higher up the hill and not the marked route directly along the water, because the latter is slipped and to climb. At Puesto 53.0/946 (if NoBo) do not go through the gate but continue on the east side. A Horse Trail runs along the eastern edge of Mallin Grande. Our Camp 5 was here: S 46.281253 W 72.436128.

Day 6: Continued on the gravel road, passing many settlers and pastures. The Estero Alto flows much lower than the road, there is water at Bridge 25.7/454 and otherwise only at the lakes. There is a fence almost everywhere to the left and right of the road. To get to Camp 16.9+0.3/598 you have to climb over a locked gate (S 46.178222 W 72.312583). The two buildings in the pasture are a ruin (S 46.182635 W 72.311414) and a stable (S 46.183119 W 72.310509).

Day 7: Continued along the gravel road we almost missed Div 5.5/554 where a sandy path continues. The path is blocked by a wire fence at S 46.143124 W 72.184071 but a little further to the right you can slip through. No problems to get to Villa Cerro Castillo

==Season 2020/21==

* '''February 2021 from Bahía Murta to Torres del Avellano to Carretera Austral / Northbound, 5 days. Valle Resfalín/Resfalón (Option 8) + Mirador Torres del Avellano + Regular Hike + Escape to Carretera Austral (Option 3B) + Hitchhiking to Villa Cerro Castillo'''

Day 1: Bahia Murta to Camp #5 (Camp ? @33H-08-#005) / 11.5 km / 6 hours

The hike started at Bahía Murta, on a steep hillside. We used the GPS tracks to find the path, and from there on it’s pretty easy to follow the path (when in doubt, we checked the GPS). It’s a very nice hike, and at the end of the day it’s necessary to cross the river. We both had trekking sandals, which came in handy every time we had to cross a river. Just after the river there is a camp option. We found a nice spot on the other side of the wooden fence, but there are many more options up the small hill. It was a perfect place for sleeping, with the soothing sound of the river.

Day 2: Camp #5 (Camp ? @33H-08-#005) to Regular Route at Mallín Quemado (Camp ? @33H-08-#010) / 11.7 km / 8 hours

This was one of the longest days for us, mainly because we underestimated how much time it takes to walk through a path that’s been reclaimed by nature. The day started with a steep uphill, where we lost the path for a while and then had to check the GPS to find it again. There are streams on the way where it’s possible to refill the water bottles. About a third way in, at (-46.38537, -72.55201), the path collapsed, probably washed out by the river. We took a look around and decided it was way safer to cross the river than to continue on the collapsed path (it was late February, so the river was not so full). We crossed to the other side, and 100m ahead crossed back. This is definitively the trickiest part of the day (although a bit farther ahead we found ourselves in the middle of a caterpillar forest...not really pleasant). Just after the crossing the are two camp sites (Camp ? @33H-08-#008 and Camp ? @33H-08-#009), but we would recommend keep going as the second part of the day is definitively easier than the first. Farther ahead we found two more camp site options: at (-46.36768, -72.53116) on this side of the river and at (-46.36722, -72.53088) on the other side of the river. We considered sleeping there, because we were exhausted, but in the end we decided to keep going as we still had some hours of daylight left. This was the right choice, because that way we could sleep at Mallín Quemado and then the next day do the day trip to Torres del Avellano. Mallín Quemado is the name the locals use for the big forest area that was “burned” by the ashes of Volcan Hudson. It’s near (Puesto @33H-53.0) and it’s a perfect place for sleeping. We decided to boil the water from the small stream, because there were some cattle grazing around.

Day 3: Camp #10 (Camp ? @33H-08-#010) to Mirador Laguna y Torres del Avellano and back to Camp #10 / 7.1 km (each way) / 3 hours (each way)

We started early and with a lot of motivation to go and see the Torres del Avellano. Sadly the day was a bit cloudy, but nonetheless it was totally worth it: the views from up there are breathtaking! A lot of glaciers and superstreams with the purest water you can ask for. When we arrived back at the camp, we met the first person in 3 days: Francisco, a teacher from Puerto Aysen. He came up the other way, from Villa Cerro Castillo, and was planning on going to Torres del Avellano on the next day, and then head back to Villa Cerro Castillo.

Day 4: Camp #10 (Camp ? @33H-08-#010) to Camp at (-46.26244, -72.35118) / 21.6 km / 8 hours

Another long day, but without any difficult parts. This section of the hike is way more popular than Valle Resfalín/Resfalón, so the path is way easier to follow. The first section, until the car road, is really beautiful. We even saw some (semi) wild horses! We knew that once the car road started there wouldn’t be so many camp site options, so we kept our eyes open. The car road goes through a narrow valley, and then comes a steep down hill. At the bottom of the hill, on the left side, there is a small meadow, where it’s possible to pitch a tent (-46.26244, 72.35118). Water is available 100m down a steep hill.

Day 5: Camp at (-46.26244, -72.35118) to Carretera Austral / 14.8 km / 4 hours

Following the main car road to Carretera Austral it’s impossible to get lost. We didn’t find any stream on the way, but in case of needing water there are many houses. Just be sure to ask nicely :) Once on the Carretera Austral we hitchhiked to Villa Cerro Castillo. We only had to wait for 30 minutes to get a ride, and considering that we did this during covid times...not too bad. We also had the backup plan of Francisco, who would be driving to Villa Cerro Castillo later that day. Funny enough, we ran into Francisco by chance in Villa Cerro Castillo and he invited us to an ice cream. It was a nice way of ending the trip.

We are extremely grateful to Jan and all the people from wikiexplora for making this adventure possible!

==Season 2019/20==

*'''Section 33: RR(New!) from Ibáñez. Exit via Option 8 to Bahía Murta.'''
Westbound. 11 days. Party (3): Mum, Sis and I.

Ibáñez y Península Levican: Continuing our extended stay in Chile we caught a government subsidised bus from Cerró Castillo to Ibáñez where we learnt after a somewhat lengthy process: talking to the ticket office, boat personnel and then the carabineros (an officer and then his jefe!), everyone passing the buck; that without a certificado de salud (not available in town, and only online) we couldn't board the vessel. The upside was that the Naviera Austral had fantastic baños (yes! they were open!) and the cleaning lady let us have a quick body wash and even do a little laundry before she had to close up. There was also limited WiFi connectivity (only WhatsApp would work) and powerpoints where we could charge our things. It also happens that we bumped into a Zulema Amoroz who was born in Fachinal, most likely a relative of Carloz Amoros who offers the boat service from Fachinal across the lake (we contacted him but no boats were allowed on the lake). If you hang around near where the ferry docks you might find her selling coffee and alfajores.

We quickly decided to walk the new Section 33 Jan recently published, but end in Bahía Murta instead (i.e. explore option 8). Some effort was exhausted trying to organise a lift out to Península Levican. We did find someone for $30k, (it seemed a little steep but that's roughly what to expect), but it wouldn't be till the following day and we needed to get out of town to spend the night. We stocked up on food and started out on foot on the old RR (now Option 1) camping before we reached Río Ibáñez.

I had a little concern about water on the way to Levican, but there are two or three good streams along the way: (-46.31022, -71.97272) (-46.32470, -71.96457) (-46.34091, -71.94069)

In Puerto Ray a lady (also named Zulema!) warmed up to us and let us camp in her fruit orchard. In the morning we bought some eggs and 'bread' from them. Her husband was tanning a chivo hide; he had such a jolly step!

Along Lago General Carrera: We went back to the junction (Div Levican @33H-131.4) where a good emergency shelter exists. The road is still very clear from here, but don't expect any traffic. I think it was a rare sight that we saw an old Mercedes truck full of wood lumbering (pun intended ;) out. The rd deviates a little from the track files maybe due to the pine plantations. There are many new rds., so take care you don't go the wrong way. Taking the RR you will pass through a locked gate (-46.38234, -71.96692), after this keep an eye out for a gate on the left. It's not in the track files and we didn't look for it, so maybe it's not there. The issue we had was that the road continues up the hill, deviating from the RR around (-46.38448, -71.97642). Here you should already be on the small road on the other side of the fence (someone traveling towards Levican/Ibáñez will find this easier to scope I imagine). Though it's not recommended to cross fences, we carefully crossed instead of heading back. A very minor Rd continues down to a dilapidated puesto and a couple of portóns. The road didn't seem to continue as indicated in the track files... but I wasn't following my gps. We CCed across a field until we encountered another road that led back to the RR.

You will finally encounter your first reliable water source since Levican (-46.40196, -71.97831), especially if you are heading towards Ibáñez, make sure you fill up here!

The two camps in the track files at km117 and km114 were the best we saw. The next obvious choice would be around Campo Chico I think, quite a bit further along. Plenty of water along the lake and we had plenty of apples seeing we were walking so late in the walking season. Amazing autumn colours! The track is also in good shape, someone had very recently 'cleaned' the way! The refugio at Los Álamos was a very welcome sight, a great place to spend a night (it's there because of the high winds possible on the lake). The nearby settler was resonably friendly and his dog Puestero even more so! He told us that it was him who 'cleaned' the track along Lago General. It made our walking so much easier! Thanks Armando!

Valle Avellano y Ventisquiero: The old mining road through Valle Avellano was easy to follow. The road actually continues significantly further than indicated in the track files. Taking Variation F to avoid extra crossings of the river we found the road ended about here: (-46.45730, -72.30207). There is an unmarked ford here: (-46.46107, -72.24636)

We took Variation D and just caught Maria and Julio before they headed out with their kids on a horse ride. We bought some bread from them. They called it a tortilla, but I think my Mexican friends would strongly argue the point ;)

Easy walking up into Valle Ventisquiero. Read Jan's track notes. They are quite thorough. The trail to remeet Río Avellano is a little unused (also as mentioned in his write up), but easy to follow. Some good camping before the river. We met some gouchos using the puesto, they were not overly friendly; I think a little scared because of the virus. They pointed out a nearby shelter we could use made from a very old technique using U-shaped logs (I met a carpenter in Murta who told me a little about it).

Option 8: Valle Resbalín/Resfalón(?): It was snowing in the morning. We decided to take Option 8 to Bahía Murta. This meant less road walking and involved a part marked as 'I' (investigation) which would be nice to document. It appears that this route down Valle Resbalín (or "Resfalón" as some locals in Murta told me it was named... anyone know?) is no longer used; quite overgrown, vague and in places difficult to detect at all. Sometimes all we could see was the occasional chainsawed log; and in some chutes: machete marks. Water was plentiful. There was a very old but partially functional puesto en route.

There is a junction ('div') here: (-46.37495, -72.53695). The trail heading up the side valley actually looked quite distinct. I'm not sure what it's name is, or what's up there, but the water was a nice glacier blue and it had a higher flow than the 'main' named river.

The only tricky spot to find the track was where it was washed away by the river, about here: (-46.38527, -72.55201). I cut steps in the bank, crossed, and dropped a rope down for the others. It would be much safer to walk in the river. We explored options to bypass via skirting around in the bosque, but they didn't seem practical. The nearby camp site marked in the track files (Camp ? @33H-08-#008) is not really good. Better to camp 200m upstream If camping around here. We camped at the confluence with Estero Sur, which is the best spot to camp we saw in the entire valley. From this point down the valley, the track is in use: plenty of fresh signs of cattle (maybe they graze in the side valleys?). Ford Estero Sur (-46.39815, -72.58224) and follow the track down the valley with ease. There is camping at (Camp ? @33H-08-#004) but better 300m down the valley near a corral. 50m down valley of (Camp ? @33H-08-#002) camping is possible next to the vague ruins of an old puesto. Further down the valley are several grassy areas good for camping, the most obvious is here (-46.43778, -72.65597) in the vicinity of the old puesto. The track (as opposed to Rd) continues much further than indicated in the track files. The road only starts about here (-46.44697, -72.66655) once you are nearly in Murta. We rested a full day in Murta and I happened to run into Felepé who we'd meet before the trip in Cerró Castillo. Loco!

Thanks Jan for making this trip possible, Tobias Hellwig for recommending the reroute, and all the people on wikiexplora who explored and documented the tracks.

If anyone has any information on the history of Valle Resbalín/Resfalón(?), the mining prospectors in Valle Avellano, or the settlers that abandoned the coast of Lago General Carrera, I'd love to read a bit.

I hope this helps someone. Thanks!

Oh! and we're back in Cochrane now and planning to be in Coyhaique in a week or so. Cheers.

* '''BE AWARE THAT THE BELOW LOGS refer to Option 1 and not to the new Regular Route:'''
Until 2019 the Regular Route followed the Sendero de Chile in the vicinity of Rio Ibañez what is now Option 1. Tobias Hellwig suggested to reroute the GPT via the Torres de Avellano to incorporate this hidden treasure. This proposed new route was investigated and documented in February 2020 by the founders of the GPT. By this time multiple segments of this new route were already published on Wikiexplora by other authors. Only the route from Kilometer 62.2 to 69.9 remained undocumented and had to be researched and ground-proved.

* '''10 Mar 2020 / RH SOBO / Ty / 1 day'''

Super easy in general. I was able to get a hitch for like the last 10 kilometers. There’s a lot of different trail you can wander off on at the start of the sendero de Chile, so just be aware of your navigation at the start. The only good easily accessible water I found was between the two lakes before the intersection where you start walking the road. The ferry to Chile Chico leaves around 8 and takes a couple hours. Otherwise the next ferry leaves at 11 am....but make sure to confirm these times yourself. When arriving in Chile Chico, I climbed up to the viewpoint/mirador close to the ferry landing and found a place protected on the wind and slept on the ground. There is also an abandoned house marked in I-overlander that has an area in a room big enough for a 2 person tent. It’s on your right just before the climb up to the mirador.

* '''Jan 2020 / RH Northbound / Matthieu / 2 days'''

No technical difficulties on this part. However, I was stopped, when the GPT leave the road to go between the two lakes, by a sign : área protegida, ingreso no permitido. For me, it was cristal clear, so I just continued the road, disappointed. I spoke to one of the settler not far, who told me that it was only for cars and it s ok for walkers, and that it is part of the "Sendero de Chile". So the way seems open finally. Anyway, there is another little path just before the lago Ardillas that goes north, and join the GPS tracks above the Valley Ibanez. Well maintained, in the hills, lots of cows, good experience.

* '''2019 Jan/ Olrik / Northbound'''

From Ibanez you walk on a dirt road to the entrance of a Reserva Natural. You are on the Sendero de Chile so it is well marked. In the reserva the trail is easy to follow and there was no one. You end up in Cerro Castillo. We did it in 2.5 days but could be done in 1 day if beginning early.

* '''2019-Nov-28/ Lea Geibel/ 1 day / Northbound / Regular Hiking Route (Puerto Ibañez to Villa Cerro Castillo)'''

After arriving with the ferry at 10.30 a.m., the section can be hiked in one day (around 8 hours of walking). Most of the section is on a dirt road with very little traffic. The part that is following a trail is marked with posts with red / white rings on them. Occasionally the trail is not very visible but numerous animals tracks are usually heading in the right direction before eventually meeting up with a trail marker again.

=Resupply and Accommodation=

==Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns==

*2025 / Michael & Kasia:
If entering or exiting via Opt 8 or Opt 4, Bahía Murta (Puerto Murta) has several places that rent cabañas or camping space. There are at least 5 shops in town. The two largest both had tall skinny gas recharge canisters (Minimercado Gemaniar 3.000, Minimercado Estribo 4.000), but no screw type for backpacking stoves. Minimarket Gemaniar across from the tourist information office had generally the best prices and a good selection. The panadería across from the plaza had good pan amasado.

*Section GPT33H starts in Villa Cerro Castillo and terminates in Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez (Resupply information see GPT34H). Hikers that continue southbound may also resupply in Chile Chico after the ferry crossing of Lago General Carrera (Resupply information see GPT35).

*Several shops sell food and camping gas canisters.

*Restaurants offer filling meals.

*Accommodation is provided by hostels, cabañas and camp sites in these towns.

*Hikers that walk GPT33H and its adjacent sections with continuous footsteps can resupply in Cerro Castillo, Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez and Chile Chico and do not need to leave the route to resupply.

==Resupply and Accommodation along the Route==

*There is no plannable resupply along the entire Regular Route but some food may be obtained at the two homestead farms on the route.

[Settler (Maria & Julio) @33H-76.9]: Maria and Julio are one of the few settlers that still make cheese for sale in such a remote location. If you are short on foot you might also ask if they may sell some bread, milk or meat.

[Settler (Luis Diaz) @33H-85.2]: Luis : When passing his home consider a visit. You may also ask if he has bread or meat to sell.

[Puesto @33H-98.5]: The puesto 250 m north of Puerto Avellano is rarely occupied by their owners but the fruit trees might provide some well desired vitamins in summer and early autumn.

=Transport to and from Route=
*2026 / Michael and Kasia
Subsidized bus between Puerto Ibáñez and Levican had the same schedule as 2025. WhatsApp to driver +56 9 9506 3176

*2025 / MiaimZelt
Subsidized bus between Puerto Ibañez and Levican every Monday & Friday: Ibañez/levican 8:15 & 17:00, Levican/ibañez 9:00 & 18:00.
Transportes Freddy Morales (+56 9 9506 2906)

*2023 / Maks&Gabi
We hitchhiked from km 136 near Levican to Puerto Ibanez. During the weekend there is only one ferry a day (Saturday morning and Sunday evening).

*2023 / Louis, Rémi & Noé :
Here, at the lake. There is mobile coverage and so we contacted numerus given on the PDF on WhatsApp to find a boat to bring us back to civilisation. I let you the contact of Jairo, that can bring you back to Puerto Tranquilo... for 400.000 CLP.. Jairo : +56 9 6633 9507

*Most buses to Villa Cerro Castillo leave Coyhaique in the morning around 08:00 and pass Villa Cerro Castillo approximately 1:30 hours later. In the opposite direction buses pass Cerro Castillo in the early afternoon.

*Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez has regular public transportation to Coyhaique (1:45 hour by bus) and Chile Chico (2:15 hour by ferry). The ferry over Lago General Carrera that connects Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez with Chile Chico does two round trips each day, one in the morning and one the evening. Buses to and from Coyhaique operate synchronized to these ferries.
Best Call Buses Alejandro: +56 9 7652 9546

*Subsidized bus from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez to Levicán: Monday and Friday, Approx. 1’000 CLP Morning round trip: Leaving Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez at 08:00, arriving in Levican around 09:00 and returning immediately to Ibañez around 09:00 and arriving at Ibanez around 10:00. Evening round trip: Leaving Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez at 17:00, arriving in Levican around 18:00 and returning to Ibañez at 18:00 arriving at Ibanez at 19:00.

*Private transport from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez to Levicán: Anytime, Approx. 35´000 CLP
Try to call Luis: +56 9 8648 4075

*Combining GPT35 with GPT33H

Northbound hikers may consider connecting GPT35 directly with GPT33H by exiting Parque Patagonia towards Fachinal and crossing Lago General Carrera by motorboat from Fachinal to the Desembocadura Rio Avellano. Here Lago General Carrera is only 3.5 km wide and a motorboat crossing does not take more than 20 minutes. Unfortunately, in summer this requires some patience as the normally strong wind often impedes this. In the morning or the evening the wind occasionally calms down but rarely during the day.

Carlos Amoroz, a settler in Fachinal owns a motorboat and offers this service on request. Pascual Diaz, a tour operator from Mallin Grande, can also provide this service but he must first haul his motorboat the 42 km on trailer from Mallin Grande to Fachinal what makes his service substantially more expensive.

Settler with motorboat in Fachinal (Location: -46.5568°S / -72.2120°W) Name: Carlos Amoroz Mobile: +56-9-76267029 Price: Approx. 30’000 CLP for 2 persons

Tour operator with motorboat in Mallin Grande Name: Pascual Diaz (Company: “Kalem Patagonia”) Mobile: +56-9-7391 7881 Price: Presumably more expensive and advance notice required

This section combination of GPT35 with GPT33H seems more practical in northbound direction as hikers can first talk directly to the settler with the motorboat in Fachinal, resupply in Chile Chico (by taking a motorized transport from Fachinal to Chile Chico and back) and then cross Lago General Carrera with a refilled backpack. While waiting for the wind to calm down hikers can pitch their tent at a nice wind protected camp site on the shore of Lago General Carrera.

Thanks to the reasonably good mobile phone coverage in Fachinal hikers can check the weather and wind forecast and call the settler with the motorboat when approaching Fachinal. This permits hikers to anticipate or discard a motorboat crossing on arrival.

Hikers that attempt a more complicated southbound crossing of Lago General Carrera should make arrangements with the settler with the motorboat at least one or two weeks before arriving at Puerto Avellano, test communication devices (i.e. InReach to mobile phone), agree on the precise pick-up location (Puerto Avellano or Desembocadura Rio Avellano) and carry enough food to wait some time in Puerto Avellano. Hikers should be prepared that the wind may not calm down while waiting several days in Puerto Avellano. In this case the motorboat transfer should canceled, and the hiker should walk out to Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez before the food reserves deplete. There is mobile phone coverage at Puerto Avellano (entel if I recall correctly).

=Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues=

*To my knowledge paddling on Lago General Carrera requires a permit from the Armada de Chile but complying with all requirements might not be possible even for a well equipped packrafter (i.e. distress signal rockets).

=Links to other Resources=

Retired Section Article [[GPT33H - Puerto Ibañez]]

Retired Section Article [[GPT33H - Torres del Avellano]]

For additional information see the Wikiexplora Articles:

[[Península de Levican - El Avellano]]

[[Torres del Avellano]]

[[Laguna La Plaza]]

For more information see the Wikiexplora Article:

[[Puerto Cristal]]

For more information see the Wikiexplora Articles:

[[Valle Miller]]

[[Estero Jaramillo]]

A part of this route is described in the Wikiexplora Article:

[[Mirador Este de las Torres de Avellano]]

=Images=

GPT33H (Torres de Avellano)

2026-02-19T14:16:04Z

MMartinez: /* Transport to and from Route */

GPT33H (Torres de Avellano)

2026-02-19T14:13:01Z

MMartinez: /* Season 2025/2026 */

'''[[GPTs|List of all GPT sections]]'''

= How to a add new entry =
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Add a new log entry always on top in the appropriate season sub-chapter and use format:


<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''Start Date to Finish Date (use Format YYYY-MMM-DD) / Duration in Days / Hiking or Packrafting / Travel Direction (SOBO for Southbound or NOBO Northbound) / Chosen Route and/or Option Name (RR for Regular Route) / Names or Alias'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>

If you are packrafting, put the above info into HTML tags like this (if you follow a hiking route for part of the way, highlight only "packrafting", as above):


<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''YYYY-MMM-DD / X days / Packrafting / SOBO / RP / Your name'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>.

Include remarks about your route useful for other hikers and packrafters, alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties. Try to be specific. Do not be shy to fix obvious mistakes.

=Overview=
The GPT manual has an extensive description of this route and all its options.

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/2026==
* '''2026 Feb 2 to Feb 14 / 11 hiking days, 2 zero days / NOBO / Hiking / RR, Var H, Var E, Opt 2 / Michael and Kasia'''

QUICK NOTES: A long and grueling section, but worth it if you get good weather and nice views of the Torres. It is worth making the effort to time this section with the weather, both for enjoyment as well as safety. We think NOBO is the much more attractive direction to go, especially up the Torres valley. The camp at the Torres is only for excellent weather, but worth it. If not planning to do the pass, the bypass valley is really enjoyable and has many nice views of its own.

CAMPS:

Night 1: -46.43813, -71.99556 (Camp 113.9, flat space for multiple tents on grass, good wind protection, no view, water about 200 m away

Night 2: -46.48709, -72.10010 (On the Campo Chico península, flat space for one tent, a little wind protection from west winds but not much, nice view, water from the lake very close by)

Night 3: -46.46164, -72.24432 (Flat space for one tent, wind protection from west winds, some view, water about 200 m away)

Night 4: -46.45153, -72.41652 (Flat, grassy area, space for a few tents, good wind protection, water close by)

Night 5: -46.42558, -72.50041 (Flat space for one tent, water nearby, good wind protection)

Night 6: -46.42178, -72.50672 (Camp 63.4, stellar view, no wind protection, difficult water access)

Night 7: -46.43207, -72.43984 (near Ford 69.8, wind protected, water nearby)

Nights 8-10: -46.36802, -72.43937 (At Puesto? 4.8, flat space for 2 tents, excellent wind protection, no view, water is about 200 m away)

Night 11: -46.26115, -72.40152 (flat spot for 1 tent, water nearby, some wind protection, right on the trail)

Night 12: -46.15244, -72.22080 (Emergency camp, not recommended, no water)

WATER: Generally very accessible, however on the minor road section of RR close to Cerro Castillo there was a 16 km stretch where we did not find water. Details below.

Day 01 - Feb 2nd

We took the bus from Ibáñez to the cruz. The route is well known by the locals and the driver knew the spot. She asked if we were planning to come back via Ibáñez or leaving through Cerro Castillo. (We stayed in Ibáñez at Cabañas Antu, a nice place, we would recommend (+56 9 7996 0067). The owner works for the municipality and confirmed what another report here said, that they will build a road to the port, in part to promote tourism, and they plan to make the Avellanos a protected area. He said they are doing exploration and surveys now, but in about 5 years they will start the road.) The minor road out is easy to follow. There were a couple of locked gates we had to hop. We stopped for lunch near Water 119.9 at the point where Daniel camped. It looked like a good camping spot with easy water access. We met Graham and Gabe headed SOBO and chatted with them for a bit. The road down is steep and sandy. Camp 116.3 had a flattish space but there were the plants with the spikey little balls growing everywhere. We pushed on to Camp 113.9 and were happy with the choice. It was just off the trail (look for the hole in the fence), flat, grassy, and wind protected. We had to go back to the stream about 200 m away for water.

Day 02 - Feb 3rd

The day of ups and downs. For some reason last year we were under the impression that the route went right along cliffs above the water and would be challenging for someone with vertigo (we both have it). We did not find this to be the case at all. There were a few short tricky spots, but nothing particularly bad. This would, however, be very unpleasant to walk in windy or rainy weather. Fortunately it was dry and windless most of the day. As we got closer to the lake there were some BB sections which became tiring. When we got to the lake at one point we put on water shoes and walked the rocky beach to save on the BB. We camped at the Campo Chico península near the east beach. We looked at the area under the willows near the old puesto, but we couldn't see how to put the tent. Many of the branches hung low, the ground was sloped, and there was no good water access. Above the beach we found a spot next to what looked to be another old puesto, there was an old wood stove, a table and some corrugated sheet metal. The wind protection was not great. Camping directly on the beach would probably have been better.

Day 03 - Feb 4th

The last 4 km to the port were mostly easy. Toward the end we switched to water shoes and walked the shore to avoid BB. We walked until we reached a fence built out into the lake. Just up the hill was an open gate and the road to the refugio. It was very windy there. We found a place in the bushes that was wind protected and had lunch. The refugio itself was not that inviting. It looked like a temporary office on a construction site. After lunch we started up the minor road. It was windy and there was a bit of rain on and off. The road and the landscape both felt kind of monotonous. We camped just before Ford 87.2 in the same place Dave and Siyuan camped (and thank you to them for leaving the GPS coordinates in the report, I doubt we would have seen that spot otherwise). It was a flat space big enough for our tent on grass with good wind protection from west winds. Water was about 200 m away at the ford.

Day 04 - Feb 5th

A mild day, no real wind, some sun and some clouds, cool, which we were happy for. We used the open Wi-Fi network at Puesto 81.8 to check the weather again. The network was not password protected and we were able to get signal from the road. We took Var H to only have to cross the river once. The crossing was easier than we expected. We crossed very close to the marked crossing at km 81.2. It was just above the knees at the deepest point (we're both about 165 cm) with decent current but manageable. Shortly after crossing we saw Roberto just as he was taking his ox cart across the river. We waved to each other. No one was around when we passed Maria and Julio's. We took Var E because the RR after the intersection looked like bush bashing through swamp. The trail kept disappearing for the first kilometer or so, but it was in open forest so we just needed to navigate around fallen trees. After a kilometer the trail became much more consistent and easy to follow. We camped at about km 1.4 on the variant. It was a nice, flat grassy spot just after a muddy stream crossing in a clearing that provided good wind protection but with no trees directly overhead, so no risk of falling branches. For water I went up stream a few meters and found an area that was sandy with good flow and ladled the water with my cup, being careful not to stir up sediment. The water tasted surprisingly good, very clean and fresh.

Day 05 - Feb 6th

We got started early to get across the last major ford. The remainder of Var E was in good shape and easy to follow. Ford 71.8 was easy. The two km between it and Ford 69.8 was also in good shape and easy to follow. Ford 69.8 was knee deep for us and actually quite easy. Fortunately there had been several cooler or overcast days without any real rain, so the level was low. The path up to Trailhead 68.5 was very steep for a lot of it. We stopped for lunch at Camp No Water 68.7. It is an old corral. We would not be able to put our tent up there if we wanted to. It was sloped ground, very lumpy, and had lots of shrubs and small trees growing inside of it. At the Trailhead waypoint we followed a dry creek bed down to the river. The level was fairly low, about half calf, and we decided to try walking the river instead of fighting with the forest. For the next three hours we crossed back and forth across the river. I cannot say for certain if it was faster. For us it was a bit easier because our bags are rather heavy which makes going over downfalls cumbersome, and with the water level still relatively low it wasn't too bad. By around 16:00 we got to just before the side valley drainage emptied into the main river and we had to go up into the forest. We were getting tired and as the warm sunny day progressed, the water level and the current both went up. After that we switched between the forest and the river four or five more times before the end of the day. We found a decent place to camp in the woods. It was fairly flat, right near a stream, and had the remains of an old fire ring on the side.

Day 06 - Feb 7th

We took a slow morning. Two other GPTers passed us on their way to the Torres and we had a nice chat. The last 200-300 meters of the route up to the Torres is a steep granite boulder field. It required a bit of scrambling and was quite exhausting. At the campsite there is a short stone wind wall that was too small for our X-Mid 2. We managed to set it up outside the wall, though it was a bit of a challenge. The whole area could accommodate maybe three small tents, one inside the wind wall and two outside of it, but for larger footprint tents it is not so easy. Water is the other issue there. Right as the track reaches the ridge going NOBO, just before it turns right, there was a way to get down to the lake that wasn't too steep. The campsite was another 200 m further on from that point. We had excellent weather for the day, sunny and no wind. The Torres and the other mountains around, which are just as interesting, looked nice after the sun was behind them. The finer details were more visible. The night was surprisingly warm.

Day 07 - Feb 8th

We got up about a half hour before sunrise. We got to see the orange light on the Torres which was very exciting. We stayed for about an hour and a half taking pictures. We found a slightly different way down the boulder field which went quicker. On the way down the hill we found a trail of sorts and followed it as long as we could. Eventually we ended up back in the river crossing back and forth. I used TracBack on the Garmin to look at how we had come up and that took the guess work out of the fording points. It took us about half as long to get down as it did to go up. We were fortunate that the level was relatively low again. The only tricky part was right after the side valley river joined the main one. We decided to camp early and stayed down near Ford (69.8). Just after we set up camp it started to rain a bit.

Day 08 - Feb 9th

We knew that a sistema frontal had been coming, and Tuesday was supposed to be a day of heavy rain and high wind, so we wanted a good place to wait it over. We remembered from last year that the camp at Puesto ? 4.8 was very well wind protected and had flat, grassy space. We started early to get there as early as possible. We arrived around 13:00. The trail was surprisingly good for most of the way. As the flood plain opened up near the swampy area we just followed the river banks, crossing where necessary to avoid BB and trail hunting. The puesto shelter had partially collapsed. We camped in the flat, grassy space just beyond it. There was a short path leading to a small clearing with a log that looked like it had been cut to be a trough.

Day 09 & 10 - Feb 10th & 11th

Took zero days to wait over rain and high wind. The campsite had excellent wind protection.

Day 11 - Feb 12th

A cold but beautiful sunny day. We continued to enjoy the bypass valley. All fords were easy, even after rain and snow up above. On the way up to Puesto 53, 2 guys with a team of horses passed us. After the pass a few of the bridges and wooden culverts had collapsed and we ended up doing several unexpected shoe changes. We camped just off the trail at km 37.

Day 12 - Feb 13th

The MR was in good shape the rest of the way. We passed a group of three hikers going SOBO. Having hiked in on Opt 3B last season, we wanted to hike out on RR. The views of Lago Lapparent, Lago Alto and Lago Verde were very nice. The road gets a bit tiring after a while. Camp 16.9+0.3 would have required a fence jump, and the gate was padlocked from the inside. We didn't know if that meant someone was there and didn't want to risk an issue so we kept on hiking. Camp 9.6+0.2 should be removed from the tracks. On the map it looks as if it is 200 m off the main road and easily accessible via a minor road. In reality there is no road, just a 40 m dropoff, and no access to the campsite or the lake. We ended up climbing through a fence and camping in the woods near an abandoned house in a spot without water. An important note if taking RR there is a 16 km stretch where water is not easily available. We did not find any water between km 19.5 where there was public beach access to Lago Alto until km 3. Despite the number of lakes on the map, the MR goes quite high above them and they are all fenced off, so access is difficult if not impossible. There were some other features on the map that looked like ponds, but they turned out to be seasonal wetlands which were either dry, or muddy, stagnant water. We didn't take enough and ended up camping without water for the night which was not pleasant. Obviously depending on the time of year there might be water here, but in mid-February there wasn't.

Day 13 - Feb 14th

We continued on the road. We walked about 100 m past X 5.5 before realizing that it was beyond a gate and had to walk back to it. The MR is actually nice, starting to disappear and look more like a trail. The views into the surrounding mountains were very nice; there is a panoramic view of Cerro Castillo and the other mountains in the range. We finally found water at (-46.137001, -72.177002) around km 3. There were some pipes going across the trail directing water into three large cisterns. I followed the pipes through the bushes for about 2 m and found enough of a stream to get water. We hiked down to the highway and arrived in Cerro Castillo around noon.

* '''GPT33H / 2026-01-17 to 2026-01-21/ 5 Days / SOBO / Hiking / 3B, RR, 8, 4 / Alex and Aoife.'''

Attractiveness: 5/5
Difficulty: 4 / 5 verging on 5/5 in the overgrown parts of Option 8 (Our day 4).

We chose to backtrack from the Pass to Option 08 and descend into Bahia Murta so we could go and see the Marble Caves.

If we had time, and had known about it before hand we would have also walked up a track to get a view of the Torres from the Northern aspect. The track begins around
Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548]
-46.397340, -72.582010 and ascends a trail following Rio Estero South. We were told you can find the track details/GPX for that particular part on WikiLoc which seems to be like a Chilean 'Alltrails'.

Day 1:
Bus from Coyhaique at 0800. ( Bus Company, Don Carlos), 9k CLP To option 3B Trail Head.

Distance: 22km
Time: 1100- 1800
Water:
Water available at various points where the river passes under bridges. Small stream at eastern edge of campsite clearing.
Camp: -46.26492, -72.41280

Route:
Option 3b MR, easy walk to where it joins to the RR- along a gravel road. Nice views. Didn't see a single car only saw a friendly man on a horse.

Day 2:

Distance: 22km
Time: 07.45- 19.45
Water:
Lots of opportunities for water on the route. Water available on the pass from a stream
(We were there 2 days after heavy rainfall)

Route:
Easy start on MR until you find the TL that takes you through Lenga forrest. We followed cow tracks ( and poo) through the forest. Trail not always clear but easy enough to find.

Slow moving in boggy grassy sections. Crossed multiple streams. Took off shoes once.

Camp:
Plenty of camping options along the way. Upon reaching the pass we decided to camp there as we had a good forecast, good views and tired legs. Would only consider with nil wind forecast. Views were amazing, had a nice sunset.

* We saw a great campsite for maybe 3 tents on a sandy beach next to stream with some plunge pools and very sheltered at -46.409772, -72.498086

Day 3:

Distance: 14.31km
Time: 1100-1940
Water:
Plenty of options along the route. We prefer small clear streams rather than glacial rivers. No small streams at campsite But we had carried enough from earlier.

Route:
We followed the RR back down to the unmarked Puesto we had passed the previous day, near enough to:
Camp {33H} [52.7/953]
(-46.34585, -72.49821)
We then took option 8 all the way to the remains of a Puesto (-46.36573, -72.52865) and camped here. Trail easy enough to follow. Follow the cow poo and hoof prints.

Camp:
The remains of a Puesto (-46.36573, -72.52865) not many flat spots, by a river not a stream. If you continued a few hundred ms more there was a more idyllic location close to a stream.

Day 4:

Distance: 12.3km
Time: 0700- 1700
Water: plenty of water spots along the way.

Route:
Continued on option 8. Not far into this day the trail became a full body workout. An obstacle course requiring lots of maneuvering over many fallen trees, hard to follow path, very slow and tiring day. Track very overgrown in parts.

Camp:
'Camp? {33H-08} [8.1/462]'
(-46.410860, -72.612140) - waterfall not far from camp a bit further down the track at around: (-46.41242, -72.61436)

Day 5:

Distance: 8.45km
Time: 3hrs 20mins
Water: Few options early on, we filled up few km before TL meets the MR when there is a fence and a gate blocking the river.

Route:
Easy day , followed option 8 all the way to the gate at the PR on option 4.
Started early as was hoping to hitch a ride to the marble caves at Rio Tranquilo , we managed to and would recommend.

Upon completion of the cave tour we missed the bus to Chile Chico by only about 20 mins, we decided that was a sign to have some rest so we camped at ‘Bellavista: Hospedaje, Camping y Transporte’ 8k CLP p/p, it was fine. Kitchen access, showers etc. Quite busy.

* '''2026-01-17 to 2026-01-22 / 6 Days / Packrafting & Hiking / SOBO then NOBO / Opt 09, 08, RR, Var D, Opt 03 / Michel & Lisa'''

Summary: Another really beautiful section. It's a bit of a battle to get up to the Torres (either long road waking or bush bashing) but it's actually worth it. We took the packraft down Río Murta in very high flow and stashed things in Cruce Murta before venturing up to the Torres. There are definitely mice here as well so we made sure to always hang our food and had zero problems this way. Option 8 is both nice and deserted but also tough, especially for going in. As others have said it might be a better option to get out with lighter packs, due to the bushwhacking and the elevation gain on this route.

Day 1

We took the bus towards Chile Chico from Coyhaique at 8:00 from the bus terminal and got dropped off at River In {33H-09) [0.0/275] at around 12:15. There's an open, small hut that we used for shelter from the setting in rain. You could sleep in there as well. The river water levels were really high due to rain the previous two days and the flow fast - very different from what the satellite images show. Turbid, brown water instead of crystal clear, blueish. We started paddling and enjoyed the really fast flow (10 km/h and more when completely in the flow). At the same time it meant that we couldn't see much of what was going on below the water surface and we scratched over rocks a couple of times. There were hardly any rock islands visible and we floated over places that on satellite images are just rock - there was that much water. At times we were worried that the river could become dangerous in narrow stretches if there were sunken trees but nothing dangerous happened. We made the 36 km to Bridge (33H-04) [0.2/211] in only 3 h 20 min (excluding breaks). We took close by, at Residencial Patagonia [-46.44156, -72.71190] where the high water levels basically allowed us to float into their back yard. We stayed the night (20000 clp pp in a room, 8000 clp for camping) and stored our packraft in the alojamiento for going to the torres.

Day 2

We hitchhiked to Bahía Murta, bought some additional supplies and started hiking Option 8. The path is clear and easy to travel at first. After Ford {33H-08} [11.5/545] (Estero Sur) the trail becomes harder to follow with boggy sections and lots of fallen trees. There's considerable elevation gain up to Water (33H-08} [14.5/946], where you get the first nice views of the valley and start descending again. We continued to Camp (33H-08} [16.1/703] where we found a spot that's just big enough to put a 2 person tent and not exactly flat but good enough. All in all we did 22.3 km that day in 9 h 25 min, thanks to the bushwhacking which wasn't terrible but not exactly pleasant either.

Day 3

We continued from our camp and were positively surprised that the path actually got better after the first ~3-4 km with less fallen trees, a more visible path and less soggy ground. There are many more potential campsites along this section which are not marked in the track files, some of them I noted here:

* S46.376195° W72.537594°
* S46.354586° W72.516934°
* S46.348093° W72.501339° (camp with some tables and a view over an open (boggy) area with mountains in the background - looks like someone is trying to set something more commercial up here)
* S46.352356° W72.489023°

We got to RR at around 14:00 and continued for a while before taking a well deserved lunch break. We chose to follow Variant D which is more direct and leads to the first lagoon. If you're comfortable with hiking over rocks and boulders we would definitely recommend this over RR since the view of the towering mountains you get once you're at the lagoon is amazing (given good weather I suppose). There are no obvious camp spots at the lagoon itself but you can find level, sandy spots in the vicinity of you wanted to stay here. It can probably get pretty windy down here though. We continued to Camp {33H} [61.1/1167] and went for a swim in the second lagoon (yes, the weather was that good, haha - lucky us!) which is about 10 min walking from the camp. We didn't find a perfectly flat spot here but there are a couple options that are actually more than fine. The advantage of picking this site is that you're really sheltered from the wind, thanks to the trees. Water nearby and soft ground (vegetation) are added benefits. Some parts are quite wet so you might have to search around for a moment to find something suitable.

Day 4

We decided to have a relaxed day and just hiked up to the pass to see the actual Torres, which to be honest we found almost a bit underwhelming. Personally I much preferred the view down the valley from our camp and from the first lagoon. But you might get a better view from down in the valley from the lagoons (i.e. after descending from the pass, which we didn't do). Still, the Torres are impressive and it was definitely worth the walk up. From the valley bottom and the pass it looked like one could potentially climb up to one of the passes to the east to get a view down onto option 02 (-46.40615, -72.48187 or -46.40237, -72.48235) but it would be a scramble - we didn't try. Potentially it could even be possible to go down there to join option 02 with some bushwhacking, but that's really a shot into the blue. Maybe someone wants to try. ;)

Day 5

Since there was some bad weather forecast for the coming days we decided to hike out. Going down we decided to try the RR to be able to compare with variant D. RR was also fine but there was some trail finding through the forest required and some boggy sections as well. However, it might still be slightly faster than Variant D. Still, coming up I would highly recommend Variant D so you get the beautiful view from the lagoon. We came all the way to [-46.28395, -72.44366] in 6 h 50 min, where we camped. The spot is close to the road but invisible from there, nice and flat and wind protected. In the evening a pigmy owl came for a visit and sat in the tree next to us really close before it was detected by another bird and flew away - a pretty special encounter. Lots of mouse holes everywhere so we hung our food like always on this section just to be sure.

Day 6

We continued along the road, first nice and shady in the forest and then in the scorching heat of the sun. We saw a pigmy owl in the forest that allowed us to observe it for quite a while and then we even saw it catch some large insect (a firefly maybe?) which felt like another really special moment along the otherwise rather dull road.
We continued walking along the road until we were lucky to get picked up by one of the settlers who was driving to Villa Cerro Castillo with his wife. They were very friendly and explained a lot about their lifestyle living up in the mountain valley all year. They said that the flow of hikers to the Torres has really increased in the past few years and that some people seem to be setting up some gear for climbing up there with clients. They said that they didn't mind hikers coming to visit. :)

* ''' 2026-01-16 to 2026-01-20 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO 3B, RR, H, K / Daniel.s '''

Not much to add to the previous entries (especially Dave and Siyuan and Emily and Kole)

Day 1 was a roadhike in the rain and cold for me, Camp at 38.5/1020 (-46.26492, -72.41280)

Day 2 started late (noon) due to snow and rain in the morning. Trail in good condition, CC quite wet due to rain. Camped at x with Option 8 (mice in the shelter!)

Day 3 perfect weather day, CC to pass very wet due to previous rain, wet feet again, otherwise straight forward. See D+S recommended exit point after pass. A lot of scrambling over granite blocks. Further down - as E+K mentioned boggy on both sides of the river, from about halfway it's probably better to stay left of the river. Camp at first Ford, like D+S.

Day 4 trail and MR to Puerto Avellano, river crossing where D+S suggested, a braided section, knee deep for me and immediate connection to MR on the other side.

Day 5 trail along the lake is energy consuming, it's 90% loose rock, sand and gravel. MR is steep and dusty in the beginning, great campsite at S 46.40217°, W 071.97845° near water.

* ''' 2025-Dec-13 to 2025-Dec-19 / 7 days / Hiking / SOBO RR, Opt 8 / Massa and Jacicek '''

We did not complete whole trail, but what we saw was really nice. Exit by opt 8 took us 2.5 days. No problems with water or Fords.

Day 1
Hiked from Villa Cerro Castillo to Lago Alto, we had lift for approx 5km.
The Rr from km 1.2 (after you walk off caretera austral) is through nice hills and very pretty, until you reach the minor road.
Camped on a hill alongside Lago Alto at [-46.17655, -72.32639], with a view on Laguna Verde, the spot is not flat and not well wind protected.

Day 2
Hiked through beautiful woods, as noted, camp x is fenced off and there are trespassing sings, however, there is also a ladder over the fence, so no problems there. Walked up to the Ford with Estero Alto and camped approx 200m before the ford km 36 [-46.25544, -72.38370 ] . Several spots with flat spaces there.

Day 3
Forded the Estero Alto river on km 36, ankle deep only. Beautiful section with large meadows. Camped at the end of the meadow alongside the stream on km 51 [-46.33183, -72.48916 ] .

Day 4
This day, we got awful weather, stopped approx 3km before Torres de Avellano. Camped in small spot in the forest, place for one tent, good wind protection [-46.37974, -72.49111 ] .

Day 5
Decided to turn back and head for Bahia Murta using opt 8. Camp at [-46.36514, -72.52866]. Path is recognizable and traversable.

Day 6
Fallen trees in the path, lots of ups and downs. Camped next to a Camp ? [11.6/548]. When we came, there were tents erected there, however nobody was present, we camped near the river, outside of the obvious camp. In the evening a guy came and we asked him if we can camp there and said yes. In the morning a local guide (different guy) came and said that it would be better to camp in the main camp, as there is a toilet, and to give him a heads up beforehand (www.guiasdelavellano.com).

Day 7
The path from Camp ? Is maintained, however parts are muddy.

* '''2025-12-27 to 2026-01-02 / 7 days / Hiking / SOBO / 3B + RR + H / Dave & Siyuan'''

We took 8 days of food with us from Villa Cerro Castillo and hoped we would get lifts at the start and the end. Luckily we did get lifts (32km in total) and spend 7 days on the trail.

Day 1 - 16km - 10:30-17:00
🚌 9.40am bus from Villa Cerro Castillo to start of Option 3B
🥾 Walked 1km, got a lift 🚗 for 6km to the RR, walked on the road for the rest of the day, a couple of gates, one easy ford. The public road ends at a locked gate at -46.26266, -72.35047.
⛺️ Camp at 38.5/1020 (-46.26492, -72.41280) the edge of this large clearing is sheltered from the wind with a stream nearby.

Day 2 - 20km - 09:00-19:00
🥾 Easy road walk and horse trail in the morning, then it gets harder in the forest as the trail isn’t obvious a the time. Many stream crossings and boggy sections but kept feet dry.
⛺️ Camp at 58.8/1020 (-46.39009, -72.49369) one tent spot, away from the wind, as recommended by Emily & Kole - thanks!

Day 3 - 11km - 09:00-20:00
🥾 The pass day. It was raining on and off the whole day and we didn’t get to see all the views. No snow on the way up and walked around one snow patch on the way down. Make sure you follow the RR and head left at the top of the pass (to approx -46.41859, -72.49544) so you descend on the rocky/bouldery patch in between the slippery steep slabs. Once we reached the bottom, we walked on the left bank of the river, 4 km of CC, BB and intermittent animal trails, slow going.
⛺️ Camp at 69.8/634 just before the ford.

Day 4 - 17.5km - 09:00-17:30
🥾 The day of river crossings of Rio Avellano and other side streams. The first main one at camp dropped a little bit overnight. It was up to our crotch deep. Fast current, manageable with careful footing. The second time crossing Rio Avellano, we crossed it here (-46.45641, -72.32730) a braided section. It was at knee deep. The river path probably changes every year as where we crossed didn’t look like what’s on satellite images.
⛺️ Camped at 87.4/454 (-46.46164, -72.24432) one tent tent, partially wind protected. It was 200m after a ford.

Day 5 - 15km 10:00-14:00 and 19:00-20.30
🥾 Easy walking on minor road towards the lake. Very windy and dusty. Spent a few hours at the disused port building at Puerto Avellano to shelter from the afternoon wind. Walked the last few kms after dinner.
⛺️ Campo Chico 102.4/212 (-46.48727, -72.10030) near the lake.

Day 6 - 14km - 08.15-16.15
🥾 A dusty day walking up and down hills along the shore through thorny bushes. Crossing a stream or creek every hour or two. Windy.
⛺️ Campsite 116.3/239 was full of thorns, except one tent spot near a boggy area (-46.42128, -71.98175).

Day 7 - 14km - 09:00-14.00 + hitchhiking
🥾 Walked along the shore then up on a dusty road. 14km to the road intersection between Puerto Ibanez and Levican. We found only two water sources between the lake and the road - both small streams: (-46.40371, -71.97566), and (-46.38677, -71.97407). Both might be dry in drought.
🚗 We waited at a bus stop shelter for 1.5h before the first car passed and picked us up. 🚌 We took a bus back to Coyhaique at night from Puerto Ibanez instead of staying there due to perfect bus timing and cheaper and wider resupply options in Coyhaique.

*'''2025-12-27 to 2026-01-02/ 7 days/ Hiking/ NOBO/ RR, Option 8, RR, Variant D/RR/ Option 3B/ Option 3/ Greg Carter, Tomas Martinec'''

Overall
The Torres de Avellano are spectacular, and it’s well worth the effort to access them.

Attraction: 5
Difficulty: 4

Important note: at Puesto Aguero (Day 1) we encountered an official looking sign requiring registration and payment of CLP 6,000 per person/ night, for Torres del Avellano. However Andre Aguero did not seek to enforce this. In the future this may be enforced regardless of the entry point into the area of the Torres.

Day 1
We got the 7am bus (CLP 10,500) from Cochrane which dropped us off at Cruce Murta at around 11am. From there we walked 3km to the trailhead of Option 8, where a new gate must be climbed.

The trail is steep and when it enters the forest there is a lot of fallen trees and branches, however most have been cleared up to a puesto which has been built at Camp? {33H-08} [11.6, 548]. This puesto is owned by a friendly guide (Andres Aguero), who takes clients on a private trail up to the Torres de Avellano from the puesto, on a 20km round trip. Andres has built a bridge over the Estero Sur, at [11.5, 545], so no ford is necessary there. We camped at the puesto for no cost. My tent had a hole in the morning, as did a number of food bags: hang your food here and all other camps!

Day 2
After the puesto the trail is not used or maintained, and it is very slow going with many fallen trees and branches. We left at 7am, pushed hard with a few quick breaks, and arrived at the intersection with the RR at 2:40pm, a distance of approximately 12km ie less than 2km/h.

There is another abandoned puesto at -46.36573, -72.52865, at approximately 19km.

It was not necessary to ford the Rio Resbalin at [15.6] or [15.8], we stayed on the southern side of the river.

At the RR intersection there is good camping at -46.34573, -72.49709, alongside a stream, near a corral. The nearby puesto was not occupied.

It was nice to meet David Brophy and Siyuan Hong passing through.

That afternoon, knowing that the next 2 days would be rainy, we did a quick return hike up the RR, to see the Torres in perfect visibility.

There is an established sheltered camp on the RR at -46.36762, -72.48672.

Day 3
Zero rest day, as it rained all day.

Day 4
With sunny weather forecast for the following day, we again hiked in light rain up the RR towards the Torres and camped at -46.39020, -72.49375, where there is space for a 2 man and 1 man tent. We could not find the camp others have mentioned at -46.39161, -72.49438.

Note: At about 58km it is easier to go up the slope to follow the cairns around the tree line, rather than follow the GPT eg cairns at -46.38167, -72.49209 and -46.38199, -72.49218.

Day 5
This day was perfect weather from beginning to end. Blue sky and little to no wind. The views of the Torres and the 2 lagunas were amazing, as are the views from the pass. The pass has no snow but there are a few patches of snow on the southern side of the pass, which are easy to avoid or walk across. We tried to get down to the 3rd laguna but went too far right and got stopped by steep slippery rock.

In the afternoon we returned to the previous camp at the RR intersection (-46.34573, -72.49709).

Day 6
We hiked out NOBO along the RR and camped beside a river, near the bridge over the river to the Settler [29.4/537], who wasn’t home. There are nice views on the hike out of snow-capped mountains.

Day 7
Hiked out on Option 3B, and hitched within minutes on Option 3 into Villa Cerro Castillo. There is plenty of tourist traffic on the Carretera Austral.

* ''' 2025-12-14 to 2025-12-15/ 2 days/ Hiking/ NOBO/ Option 1/Tomas Martinec'''

This was my first test with a multiday hike outside the main tourist routes like Torres del Paine and El Chalte. It also served as practical way to get from Chile Chico to Villa Cerro Castillo where I planned to continue with the Cerro Castillo trek.

The hike took me 2 days (about half of day of walking each day).

Challenges:
Lack of drinkable water at the plateau
Difficulty finding a suitable camping spot in the middle section

Day 1
I took the ferry from Chile Chico to Puerto Ibanez Ingeniero (very cheap, around 2500 CLP) and started hike around midday. The first day follows an old gravel road. Cars passed ocasionally and several drivers even offered me the lift.

The route offers some nice scenery, including a wattergall near the beginning and open landscapes in the higher sections.

Finding a place to camp was difficult to me. The Camp {33H-01} [12.5/666] is on private land and in the morning I saw many cows around. In the end, I slept near Settler {33H-01} [13.7/636].

I recommend carrying water from the lower parts of the route. In the upper section there are lagoons, but the water is stagnant. Personally, I wasn't comfortable drinking it, even with water filter.

Day 2
This day follows a proper trail, passing lakes, forests, and open terrain. The views are beautiful- both of surrounding mountains and down into the valley- and I enjoyed this section a lot.

The last 3 kms before entering to Villa Cerro Castillo are on an asphalt road, which is not very enjoyable.

'''2025-Dec-13 to 2025-Dec-18 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, Var D, Var H, Var J, Opt 11, Opt 11G / Emily & Kole'''

Camps (all spots had space for two tents, relatively sheltered, and water nearby):

Day 1: -46.25533, -72.38371

Day 2: -46.39009, -72.49369

Day 3: -46.42604, -72.49970

Day 4: Refuge [98.4+0.2/211] (Puerto Avellano)

Day 5: -46.37248, -71.87165

Attractiveness - 5/5

Difficulty - 4/5

* Joined by Ohad for the roadwalk from Villa Cerro Castillo - thanks for the company! Hope you found your stove. Beautiful views of Cerro Castillo, Laguna Verde and Lago Alto. The camp at 32.0/700 is on private property, so we continued on to a flat spot on the river around 35km. There appeared to be good flat spots in the forest to the left of trail around 1km before 32.0.
* Timed our arrival to the Torres for a clear day. Took the ascent and descent (58.5km to 63.4) of the main pass slowly as it was covered in snow between knee to hip-height. Where possible we scrambled on the uncovered boulders to avoid post-holing. Took significant time. Variant D along the glacial lakes was nice, although it may require a bit more scrambling than RR. We met GPT hikers Bailey and Ed going NOBO on our ascent to the pass - a big thank you for the footsteps!
* The view of the Torres from the main Pass [61.9/1314] was great but the best viewpoint for us was from the lake by the Camp [63.4/995].
* After 64km, Kole followed game trail to the right of the river and Em to the left. Both options were boggy, with intermittent trail and lots of blowdowns. Wet feet. Slow going, but not too difficult. Trail was clear and easy to follow after 68.5km. Ran into settler Julio driving cattle shortly thereafter.
* We forded Rio Avellano 100m downstream of 81.2/490, at 46.45791, -72.31714. Very strong current, upper-thigh height, had to cross slowly, but manageable with careful footing.
* Slept on the floor of the refugio in Puerto Avellano. A table, some chairs, and wood burning stove inside. Didn’t notice any pests. There are a few spots for tents behind in the trees, but very wind exposed. Met the settler that lives nearby the following day.
* From the junction with the road [130.4/311] we took Option 11 into Levican and camped behind some bushes with good wind protection. We didn’t find any good spots on 11G, with the north shore being very windy. Started the road walk to Puerto Ibanez on the final day, but luckily got a hitch 3km out of Levican (around 8am), we rode with them all the way to Coyhaique (he turned out to be Julio’s brother).

'''GPT33 / 2025 Dec 12-16 / NOBO / RR / 5 days/ hiking // Bailey & Ed'''

General notes - another incredibly beautiful section. Had to take a few slow days approaching the pass because of high winds and snow.

Challenges - crossing snow boulder fields at the pass

Costs - paid 70,000 CLP for two people to be dropped off just before bridge [129.3/304], saving about 27 km of road walking. +56982463160

Difficulty - 4/5

Attractiveness - 5/5

Day 1

Caught the ferry from Chile chico, took about three hours leaving at 8 am. We went to the tourist office to ask about a taxi. Mostly on minor roads to camp

Camp 1

Nice campground, wind sheltered with water [116.3/239]

Day 2

Pretty good trail, connects to a minor road. Fords okay

Camp 2

Another nice campground, wind sheltered with water [82.8/479]

Day 3.

Short day mostly on a minor road. Fords okay

Camp 3

Camped next to ford [69.8/634] because the next campsite was noted without water. This campsite was nice, wind sheltered with water. We met Julio returning back after a days work. A lot of deadfall here though

Day 4

Started with walking in the river bed. The snow line started at the campground next to the lake. Previous trip report was useful mentioning stay right of the waterfall on the ascent to the pass. We tried staying in the forest and off the boulder field as long as we could. The snow was waist deep and very soft in areas. Mostly used rocks after the forest to ascend. On the descent we met col from salt lake city also hiking the GPT this season.

Camp 4

Camped at [32.0/700], a lot of cow poo around, but sheltered. Water across the fence

Day 5

Walked down the road to hitch. There's a bus shelter here to sit in and wait, protected from the wind. Waited an hour

==Season 2024/25==

'''2025-Mar-19 to 2025-Mar-23/ 5 days/ Hiking/ NOBO OH 8, RR, OH 3B/ Timothée and Maëlle'''
We started in bahia Murta by option 8 to reach RR. Then we simply went to the lake 63.4 ( viewpoint) SOBO, and then back to Villa Cerro Castillo NOBO. We had light rain on the 2 first days and then sun, but with really cold nights. We have good equipment ( sleeping bags -5, big down jackets...) but without it that section would have not been enjoyable.

Camps:
Camp1: 8.1 : Nice one, some wind protected spots, not perfectly flat, water nearby.

Camp2: 52.7: several possibilities, we slept 300 m ( on OH8) before the waypoint, near wood tables, in the forest so a bit sheltered.

Camp3: S 46° 24.552', W 072° 29.933' below the camp 61.2: we slept on the river sediments: dry but not sheltered. We had absolutely no wind but that was really cold( we think about -5°): we re late in the season and it s high.

Camp4: S 46° 15.319', W 072° 23.019'
There are several other possibilities before this point on the MR. Not really after. Nice spot, quit sheltered, with the river next to it.

Day1:
We were coming from Puerto Rio Tranquillo by hitchhiking, and started from Bahia Murta around 1pm under light rain. We hiked only 8km.

Day2: We reached the RR from our first camp.
Overall, OH 8 was quite exhausting. The trail is maintained, probably by local guides: we found a lot of prints of chainsaws, machettes... but there is a lot of elevation gain ( ups and downs) and there are still a lot of trunks that you need to pass over, around... It was also usually muddy. At least we got a good impression of the rainforest! On OH 8 the trail does not always follow the GPS track really closely, probably because of the constant falling trees and that the trail was recently maintained.

Day3: For day 3 and 4 we decided to stay on RR to enjoy the torres a bit longer. We went to the pass with the viewpoint, and then down to the lack 63.4 with light backpack. We found that going to the lack and then back worthed it as the view feels quite different from the lack. The descent is not so technical, but indeed you need to follow the track, or even a bit more to the left( downward) to avoid the granit slabs.

Day 4: We went back to camp 52.7 and continued on the trail and the MR until camp 4. From camp 3 (61km) to camp 52.7 the trail can be lost, especially in the forest. After that it is quite easy and fast.
Day5: We went down the MR and then took option 3B. After 2 km on that option we caught a lift to cerro castillo. ( so a half day)

In total we hiked for a duration of 4 days spread on 5 days. ( 2 half days in both ends)

Right of way issues:
A guide in Bahia murta told us that we might be asked to pay if we meet the owner of puestos on OH 8 or when arriving in Villa Cerro Castillo.
We met no one on OH8 but we met the settler at 29.4 who was very friendly and never mentionned anything about paying.

For day 3 and 4 we thought about doing à loop woth OH2. We were coming from the south of GPT, and since GPT40, Rio avellano is the first big river with strong current to ford that we met. After heavy rain this option is probably a bit tricky. That is also why we stayed on RR.

'''2025-MAR-13 to 2025-MAR-16 / 3.5 days / Hiking / NOBO / OH (8, partially, then followed the east bank of Estero Sur SOBO up to southwest side of Torres de Avellano) / Joppe O'''

- 13/3: Started around 2:30PM after hitching a ride from Villa Cerro Castillo to Bahia Murta. Walked up to the mentioned camp site 33h/462. The obvious esplanade doesn’t really have a very flat spot, if you go down one ‘level’ there is a truly horizontal spot and it’s a bit more away from the trail.

- 14/3: hiked up to the ford over Rio Estero Sur. The section after the last gate up to the ford is muddy. Met three British students who came back from the Torres. The ford is easy, there is a tree log over the water and a steel cable to help you negotiate it. Lunched at Puesto/Camp at 11.6/548. Then commenced the BB section of option 8 along Resbalin. I made it about 1km into it before giving up. I did not bring a machete but even if I had I would not have pushed through it. It was impossible to make out a trail at this point and because I carried too much stuff it was too arduous and not fun, so I went back to the puesto and read a book in the sun.

- 15/3: I decided to check if I could find the trail up the Estero Sur that the British group told me of. The trail is marked with blue ribbons, pink ribbons, red paint dots, machete cuts on the trees and with cairns (hitos) so it takes some getting used to to follow it. Got lost a couple of times on the way in. There are some trees to climb over but it’s a fun hike. The last section is very steep and partially equipped with ropes to hold on to. Nonetheless would not recommend this section in rain because it would be tricky with the mud etc. Very nice trail though with really pretty forest vegetation and views on the waterfalls coming from the lakes beneath the Torres and the surrounding mountains. Made it to the lower lake around 5PM and camped right next to it at the little ¨beach¨ enjoying the warmth of a small fire made of dead wood. The spot has views of the glacier and you can hear the ice break off now and then. Very cool.

- 16/3 Woke up to rain. Went back the way I came at 10AM, the first part down through the forest is steep and requires full focus. Trail was muddier than the day before after the rain but doable. At the puesto I met Martin Aguëro, the owner, who was there for the first time in almost a year. He told me that his grandson is a guide and is the one who marked the trail and put up the ropes with the intention of taking people there. After lunch I continued the return to Bahia Murta and arrived around 8:40PM. I stayed at the cabaña next to Virginia´s house across from the aerodromo, there are more options down the road but her house is the first one that you come past on the left hand side of the road. (I think there is also a camp ground if you want to save money but at this point I was ready for a night in a proper bed :D).

Other notes:

Both Antonio Quiroz and Martin Aguëro confirmed that the BB section after the puesto along Resbalin is in disuse. They said it was opened/used by the army some decades ago and was indeed used to bring cattle to the Avellano valley, as the manual on Section 33 states.

the next day I got a ride to the bus stop from Antonio Quiroz who is a cattle farmer. He told me that another way to get to the Estero Sur and above it is to take the high route above the tree line right from the mouth of the Resbalin Valley.

For water I had 2x1.5l Nalgenes with me but I just carried a cup on my belt and took a few every time I crossed a stream, carrying .5l just in case to limit weight.

'''2025-02-28 to 2025-03-4 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / Option 3, 3B, RR, E, H, I, partial 06, K / Tyson'''

Really beautiful section bookended by some unfortunate roadwalking. The roadwalk up and down to Puerto Ibanez was especially rough with nasty wind and rain ripping down the valley almost the whole way. But the views in the middle of the section made up for it. Pretty magical up top.

Day 1: [Option 3, 3B, RR] Caught the bus at Cafe Arbolitos in Villa Cerro Castillo. 2x buses (Sao Paulo and Bus Carolina?) show up anywhere from 9:30 - 11AM depending when they leave Coyhaique and road conditions etc). Sat up front with the driver for 2.5K pesos. Started walking the 3B road by 1045. There are a couple of bridges that you cross on the initial MR sections that are probably the easiest places to get water if you need it. Saw two climbers hiking back from the Torres who gave me some info on how best to descend the pass [62.0/1314] at the Torres. Beautiful walk up the valley to the first pass [44.4/1149], and after the pass in the CC section, especially in the evening light. Expect wet feet on the CC section. At [53.0/946] there are 2x puestos. After asking at the second, I set up my tent near the first puesto in time for another arriero to arrive and occupy the first. I asked again if my tent was ok there and he happily said no problema.

Day 2: [RR] To the Torres. Initial CC section took a little longer than expected with blowdown. I caught a little sun, and had probably 80% visibility of the Torres. Hung around the lakes there a bit, then went up the pass [62.0/1314] when it started raining in earnest. NOTE: On the way down the pass, once you are past the boulders, it is best to err on the side of staying too far left. It’s tempting to start crossing on the contour when you see a long ledge beneath you after the rock bald. I got cliffed out there and had to turn back. In better weather you might could scramble down but the GPX track is much better in wet and slippery conditions. In better weather I would have done a short day and stayed at the lakeside camp [63.4/995] (called the English camp by the climbers I met the day before?), but I decided to move on. Initially on the descent down Valle Ventisquero I followed some very nice game trail but it soon dissolved into a wet bushwhack. Thought for sure I would catch sight of a huemul with all the footprints that I was seeing, but nothing. Slept at the Camp Without Water [68.7/766]. It’s a corral that offers a nice opening with enough flat space for one tent, and plenty more not so flat space. Water is accessible down the hill. However, I recommend not stopping here and hiking another half hour to the Ford [69.8/634]. There is tons of flat space there, easy water, and you can check out the condition of the Ford.

Day 3: [RR, Option E] Down Lower Rio Avellano. Water was up with all the rain, but mostly just ~knee-high fords. I took Option E by accident but it was pleasant and very easy to follow. The Ford at [81.2/490] was too deep and fast to manage so I hiked upstream not quite a km where the river branched and found a spot that was about upper-thigh high. Stuck to Option H on the north side of the river to avoid additional fords. I took the cut-through Option I to get off the road a bit and noticed some nice flat gravel spots for camping that were free of prickly bushes. Hoping to take the Option 06 high route the next day, I pushed on past the Ford [89.5/545] but couldn’t find any open spots on the first bit of that option. So I went back to the gravel spots that I saw in Option I and camped there. NOTE as I found out the next day if you continue further up Option 06 to where you start seeing more mature tree stands you can find camp spots (without water) where cows bed down.

Day 4: [Option 06 partial, RR] Tempted by a bit of sun in the morning, I started climbing Option 06. Within an hour though it started raining and blowing, and after climbing halfway to the pass it turned to snow. Reluctantly I turned back but was immediately rewarded by a great big male huemul staring at me from about 10m away! Happily descended and started down the lower RR. After the Bridge [108.1/462] there is an old fallen down puesto [-46.457555, -72.044263] that shows up on OSM and satellite. Decent flat spot there, with water down the hill not too far away; camped there.

Day 5: [RR, Option K] Wind started up again. Got to X [130.4/311] in the afternoon and decided to push through to Puerto Ibanez. Spent the next few hours on a hellish road walk leaning into the wind and rain with not a single car going my way until I was almost to the Rio Claro bridge [147.7/211]. Was thrilled to get a hitch down to Puerto the rest of the way. Though the waterfall at Rio Ibanez is very cool, I think anyone who can figure out a ferry from Playa Levican to Chile Chico would be doing a great service to future hikers. I would gladly have paid to have skipped that bit of road on a day like that.

*'''2025-FEB-28 to 2025-MAR-01 / 1 day / Hiking / SOBO / RR+OH (var. A, 01A, 01) / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''

We chose variants A, 01A and 01, so it was easy section which leads mainly on a paved road. There is a nice view of Cerro Castillo on the beginning and a waterfall of Rio Ibáñez [148.4/212] was also worth it.

From the point X [1.3/328] to the point X [5.5/554] we ascent on the minor road. The rest of this section is on the paved road.

CHALLENGES: Monotonous walk on the paved road.

BIVOUACING: There is a fence along the road most of the time, but it's possible to find some quiet places on the pastures. We spent the only night here:

WATER: Water from the nearby lakes, eventually from Rio Ibáñez. There are almost no small streams close to the road.

RESUPPLY: There is a well stocked store in the center of Villa Cerro Castillo, called 'Janito'. Close to there is a stylish foodtruck made of two old buses. There are more opportunities in Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez (at least 2 stores and even more restaurants).

'''2025-02-19 to 2025-02-23 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / option 3B, RR, variant C,H, / Thijmen Scholten'''</span

* I started hitchiking from Cerro Castillo, but barely any cars passed and Around 10.00 de bus came
* Took option 3 and first day is only road walking , the first part untill the last settler (30.8) is really really really boring ! Hitching did not work. You can get a taxi from Cero de Castillo's it will cost 70.000 pesos.
* Water: On option 3 and the road walks of the RR there is not much water. For the rest water is no problem
* Camping : Many camp places everywhere.
* Option C the Laguna is nice
* I camped at crosspoint to the Laguna (option C), nice place but many dead trees and branches so lookout where you put your tent when it's windy
* Around km 49 I followed the Osmo trail trough the forest instead of the presumely swampy grassland trail (it rained all night)
* It rained all day and also next day so I opted to take option 8 instead. But I am very glad I did continue on the RR because the view on the other side of the pass is beautiful!
* Scrambling down from the pass was ok even in the rain. Just be sure to follow the gpx carefully ! Otherwise you will end up at a ledge
* The camp site at the lake is very wind exposed my tent blew away. Decided to pack it again and camp down in the beautiful forest.
* As for the bushbash part. I followed the right side of the river (looking downstream). There was a trail which I lost often but easy to walk. Even saw campfire traces so probably it's used more often. I don't know if it's easier than the right side. But the BB/CC part took me less than 2 hours this side.
* The first official fjord (69.8) was already above my waist and very difficult (crossed it diagonal as supposed). It rained all night so probably the river is not only affected by glacial melt but also by rain alot.
* Talked to Roberto (he lives around km 80) and he confirmed the river was high due to the rain. He adviced me to cross at his house where the river has 3 arms. I did that and the crossing was just doable the water was untill my waist.
* Roberto also offered me to cross with his horse if it was impossible on foot.
* Took variant H to avoid crossing 2 more times
* The road walk has not alot of nice camping places. Found 1 grassy patch with water around 5km before the lake.
* When the hiking trail next to the lake starts , just go straight to the beach otherwise you have to bushbash.
* The trail next to the lake is sometimes covered by vegetation I break some branches to make a way. Is everyone does this (or with Macheti) the trail will stay walkable (look out for thorns).
* There is internet (Entel) from around halfway the trail.
* I Camped at the end of the trail (km 117.6) close to the lake, there is little stream there as well.
* Road walk to Ibanez is very very very boring as well.
* At water source 135.3 the creek is very small but there is a black hose laying around at the left side of the road which you can use to fill your bottle.
* After 3 hours the first car passed and I got a hitch to town.

'''25-02-19-25-02-23 / 4 days (interrupted)/ SOBO / OH 03B-RR/ Volker'''
Patagonia at its best (and its worst)

Day 0: After gpt32 and resupply in Villa Cerro Castillo too many people hitchhiking on the Carreterra, so I called Pedro Zuleta (+56 993 5786), who drove me for 20k to the start of 03B in the late afternoon. Walked until the pass at S 46.198129° W 72.357921° and camped there (nice place, but very windy).
Day 1: Light rain all the day long. Because of the weather I decided not to take the mountain route (OH07) and continued on the RR (though technically a MR, blocked for cars by fallen trees) and feels like a trail), one non-indicated (very easy) ford. With the rain getting heavier and only few feasible camp spots along the way, early camp at S 46.280118° W 72.435213°. Heavy rain all the night long.
Day 2: The day started with a non-indicated ford 50m behind my camp spot. All further river crossings (including the indicated ford at 52,0: dry feet, broken trees serving as a bridge). Weather better than forecasted, the light rain ceased during the morning and by noon the sun came out. Instead of following the track file and crossing the swampy meadow CC, I stayed on the left side, where a trail leads along the edge of the forest (not without stepping out on the meadow for the scenic view on Cerro los Pumas, which now came out of the clouds). A river bank at the end of the meadow allowed me to dry my tent and cook the warm meal I had skipped the evening before. After the puesto steep down and on the RR very nice along the river. After the steep ascent to the upper valley, though indicated as CC, the trail continues, partly along the river, partly more to the right, avoiding swamps. In the rocky parts, it‘s marked with cairns. My plan was to reach the indicated camp at 63,4, however a storm with hurricane-like blasts made the scrambling across rocks and broken trees very dangerous. Even in easy terrain I could hardly stand it. With a suicidal ford (one blast during the fording: game over) and 2km through wind-exposed rocky terrain ahead I found a flat spot in a wood at S 46.391614° W 72.494383°. Impossible to raise a tent without the protection of the dense wood! And it has to be a wood with young trees (many branches and even some trunks broke that night in forests with older and higher trees). Take this into account, when thinking about OH07 (and read the comments by Alexey, who opened up this route).
Day 3: Though the storm had subsided and the ford was doable, given the overall situation (3km of BB/CC, several fords, bad weather, possibly another storm in the afternoon and 90km ahead with a shortage of food, if slowed down too much by the conditions) I decided to walk back. Rain made the trail very swampy and slippery, 3 creeks, that I crossed dry feet the day before, now to be forded. Camped at the same spot as the day before.
Day 4: Rain the whole night long, not ceasing in the morning. I was very lucky: just arrived at the settler, where the MR gets passable for cars, when the same driver, who drove me to the start of 03B 4 days before, dropped 3 Chileans there (he had offered to drive me there for 70k) and gave me a free ride back to Villa CC.

* '''2025-02-19 to 2025-02-23 / 4,5 days / Hiking / SOBO / option 3B, RR, variant C,H, / Thijmen Scholten'''</span

* I started hitchiking from Cerro Castillo, but barely any cars passed and Around 10.00 de bus came
* Took option 3 and first day is only road walking , the first part untill the last settler (30.8) is really really really boring ! Hitching did not work. You can get a taxi from Cero de Castillo's it will cost 70.000 pesos.
* Water: On option 3 and the road walks of the RR there is not much water. For the rest water is no problem
* Camping : Many camp places everywhere.
* Option C the Laguna is nice
* I camped at crosspoint to the Laguna (option C), nice place but many dead trees and branches so lookout where you put your tent when it's windy
* Around km 49 I followed the Osmo trail trough the forest instead of the presumely swampy grassland trail (it rained all night)
* It rained all day and also next day so I opted to take option 8 instead. But I am very glad I did continue on the RR because the view on the other side of the pass is beautiful!
* Scrambling down from the pass was ok even in the rain. Just be sure to follow the gpx carefully ! Otherwise you will end up at a ledge
* The camp site at the lake is very wind exposed my tent blew away. Decided to pack it again and camp down in the beautiful forest.
* As for the bushbash part. I followed the right side of the river (looking downstream). There was a trail which I lost often but easy to walk. Even saw campfire traces so probably it's used more often. I don't know if it's easier than the right side. But the BB/CC part took me less than 2 hours this side.
* The first official fjord (69.8) was already above my waist and very difficult (crossed it diagonal as supposed). It rained all night so probably the river is not only affected by glacial melt but also by rain alot.
* Talked to Roberto (he lives around km 80) and he confirmed the river was high due to the rain. He adviced me to cross at his house where the river has 3 arms. I did that and the crossing was just doable the water was untill my waist.
* Roberto also offered me to cross with his horse if it was impossible on foot.
* Took variant H to avoid crossing 2 more times
* The road walk has not alot of nice camping places. Found 1 grassy patch with water around 5km before the lake.
* When the hiking trail next to the lake starts , just go straight to the beach otherwise you have to bushbash.
* The trail next to the lake is sometimes covered by vegetation I break some branches to make a way. Is everyone does this (or with Macheti) the trail will stay walkable (look out for thorns).
* There is internet (Entel) from around halfway the trail.
* I Camped at the end of the trail (km 117.6) close to the lake, there is little stream there as well.
* Road walk to Ibanez is very very very boring as well.
* At water source 135.3 the creek is very small but there is a black hose laying around at the left side of the road which you can use to fill your bottle.
* After 3 hours the first car passed and I got a hitch to town.

* ''' 2025-FEV-15 > 19 / 4 jours / Randonnée / SOBO / RR > 33-B > RR > 33-D > RR > 33-H > RR / Pierre-Marie '''

Etape : <strike>GPT31</strike>+GPT32+GPT33
| Meteo : soleil nuages et vent
| Eau : difficile au début
| Neige : non
| Intérêt : 5/5
| Difficulté : 4/5
| Danger : Rivière, éboulis

J'ai fais quelques courses et j'ai mangé au restaurant à Villa Cerro Castillo. Ensuite j'ai repris la randonnée. Attention l'eau est difficilement accessible car les lacs sont clôturés et en contrebas de la route. Sur la gravel road j'ai réussi à faire 4 km d'auto-stop. J'ai mal préparé ma randonnée et j'ai raté la 33-A. Mais je n'avais pas encore dépassé la 33-B alors je l'ai prise. Il y a un petit ruisseau devant le settler du km 0,7. Je n'ai pas pu faire de stop sur la gravel road car je n'ai vu aucun vehicule. Il y a un ford au km 36 quand le sentier traverse la rivière. Au km 52 un arbre permet de passer la rivière. Je suis passé par la 33-D pour aller voir les lacs. Je suis content d'avoir eu du soleil car la descente après le km 62 est vraiment raide sur des pierres lisse et des éboulis. Il n'y a pas de bush-bashing sur cette section du GPT. La descente après le lac se fait bien puis on entre dans un bois ou il n'y a pas de végétation au sol. Ensuite il faut suivre la rivière en marchand dans l'eau jusqu'au km 68,5 où la rivière se transforme en rapide et on trouve un sentier dans le sous-bois. Il faudrait trouver une autre couleur pour les sections de randonnées où on marche dans l'eau. Les fords des km 71,8, 73,5, 78,3 et 89,5 se font sans mettre les pieds dans l'eau. Le chemin est innondé au km 75,5, difficile à éviter car il est entouré de marais. Le ford du km 81,2 était dangereux car le courant était très fort même avec 60cm d'eau. Au km 98,5 il faut aller directement sur la plage. Le chemin le long du lac est parfois envahi par la végétation surtout dans les zones humide. A partir du km 130 c'est la gravel road peu frequentée X-735. J'ai eu du mal à faire de l'auto-stop mais j'ai reussi à faire les 15 derniers km avec un camion. Je n'ai pas pu m'arrêter à la cataracte du km 148,4, c'est mon seul regret car le vent était si violent que j'avais du mal à avancer.
FEV-20: Repos Coyhaique.

''' 2025-FEB-7 to 2025-FEB-15 / 8 hiking days / Hiking / SOBO / option 03B, RR, option 02 / Nimrod & Tamar '''

Good camps for bad weather (more info below): (-46.172528, -72.273827) Hut near km 52. puesto?[4.8/745] (-46.48726, -72.10065)

We think that its worth mentioning that if the weather is bad and you choose option 02 you should expect hard fords and having hard time following the trail until connecting back to RR.

Day 1:

Hitchhiked from Coyhaique - 3 rides 5 hours. Started walking at 17:00, camped at (-46.116414, -72216049). It was a little wind protected.

Day 02:

Rain all night and all day. Got a lift for 5 km by 2 chilean hikers that went to the Torres and back. Camped at: (-46.172528, -72.273827). Rain and wind all night and the camp location was well protected.

Day 03:

Finally sun came out, so we dried our gear. Camped at km 62. Great view and wind protection. The weather became bad again.

Day 04:

Started hailing in the morning and it should have became worse along the day. We climbed to the pass early in the morning. Got a glimpse of the Torres and made our way to camp at km 52. Near the camp there is an abandoned small hut where we stayed until the next day. The hut is well protected from rain and wind, and you can even make a fire inside.

Day 05:

Our Inreach forecast lied us (again...) and the rain didn't stop until evening. Took option 2 - Rio Avalleno. The river was swollen because of the rain and the fords were quite difficult for us. The trail was gone under the water in a lot of parts, and in some parts it was just CC. Track files was irrelevant in many parts. Camped at puesto?[4.8/745]. Like described before - it's actually a wooden built wall which protects from the wind. The wind was crazy and it gave us great wind protection to pitch our tent and to enjoy a fire.

Day 06:

Finally a nice day. Untill we connected to the RR the trail was in bad condition, and again the track files not very helpful. You can skip 2 fords at km 9 if you stick to the nice and visible trail on the east side.

Maria and Julio not at home. Camped at (-46.276123, -72.204873) There was some wind protection and no water.

Day 07:

At (-46.275422, -72.198820) we met Ricardo (we are not sure if he is a settler or a woreke), which kindly suggested to help us cross the Avellano on his horse back. The river was quite swollen from the rain but it's hard for us to say if it was crossable by foot. Camped at (-46.48726, -72.10065) by the small lake. The wind was strong and the campsite was well protected by the big rocks. We filtered water from the small lake/swamp. It might be flooded earlier in the season though.

Day 08:

Walked all the way to X[130.4/311] and camped near the junction. Not wind protected but the weather was good. There were a lot of water at variant N.

Woke up late and took the bus at 9:00. About one hour ride, 1000 clp. Times like MiaimZelt has written.

'''2025-Feb-02 to 2025-Jan-05 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / Hiking / Opt 3B, RR, Opt 8 / Tom'''

Day 1 - Rainy: I hitchhiked from Villa Castillo to the junction at the beginning of 3B. Great views, but if you can afford to pay for transportation to the end of the road, it's worth it. I camped at -46.2647991, -72.41223312025. Due to the rain, there were several streams, and some areas offered wind protection.

Day 2 - Rainy: A simple day, just following the route. Be mindful of the exit point from the road—I was focused on the rain and missed it. The Mallín (wetland) can be challenging at times, but nothing too difficult.

I arrived at Camp 57.2, where four students had waited for a day, hoping for clear skies.

Day 3 - Sunny: I started early, around 6:45 AM. It took about 2.5 hours to reach the viewpoint. Around -46.3870597, -72.4916724, there's a more recent landslide. Nothing too difficult, just loose rocks and fallen trees. Another 2.5 hours to return. On the same day, I started Opt 8 at 1 PM. This section took me 6.5 hours. It's a cattle trail, poorly marked—you really need to follow the GPS carefully, as there are many paths that lead nowhere. I recommend checking the contour lines since there is significant elevation gain. I arrived at Camp ? 11.6, which is Puesto Aguero—it appears to be in use, with sleeping bags and food inside. The camping area isn't ideal, as the ground retains a lot of moisture.

Day 4 - Rain/Sunny: I started at 2 PM when the rain stopped. The river was quite high, so unlike Michael and Kasia, I used the "punte" (a makeshift crossing). It's a fairly slender tree, but there's a rope to help with balance. I had no issues, but if the river were lower, I would have crossed directly through the water. At the beginning, the route is quite muddy but clear. The first half can be a bit more challenging at times, but the trail is well-marked towards the end. It took 4.5 hours to reach Bahía Muerta.

General Notes: From Route 7 to the Torres viewpoint, it's quite straightforward and well-marked. The difficult section is between Camp 57.2 and Camp ? 11.6. I know there's a route from Camp ? 11.6 to another viewpoint of the Torres, which is not included in current GPS tracks. It seems to be a trail that guides from Avellano Bahía Muerta are currently working on.

* '''2025 Jan / 4,5 days / SOBO / hiking/ opt. 3B, RR, opt. E / Al & Bee'''

It’s a beautiful route but it also consists of a considerable amount of road walking. The terrain before and after the Torres and some of the river crossings can be challenging depending on the conditions. This GPS track by Alex Chile on wikiloc was very helpful.

Day 01
We hitched a ride in the late afternoon from Villa Cerro Castillo along the Carretera Austral to the crossing with Camino Lago Lapparent (X at 18.6). From there on it’s a long way of gravel road walking. For camping we would not recommend the camp at 32.0 because it’s located on a fenced-off part of the trail. We camped in proximity to a small river at approximately (-46.25806, -72.38893).

Day 02
Late start, waiting out the rain in the morning. More road walking through the forest until X at 45.5. Then following a path through the forest on to an open valley with some cows. Some parts were boggy, at times it was easier to walk on the left side close to the forest. Some easy fording. Camp at 52.7 looked nice, lots of dead trees in that area. Route along river became more challenging at some point after X at 54.5 but it also started raining quite heavily then. Boulder fields to cross carefully, rocks were slippery in the rain. Behind the first boulder field, a stretch of (former) forest previously devastated by a storm, almost all trees uprooted. Reached the two lagoons as it was getting dark and camped at a beautiful spot close to camp at 61.2.

Day 03
The next morning peaks of the Torres were (still) covered in clouds, yet a beautiful sight. CC up to the pass at 62.0, beautiful views of the lagoon next to camp at 63.4 and the glacier. CC down the pass and through the boulder field required concentration but was fun, the weather was good. We were able to go around the snow field, which was then to our right. A bit further we encountered the same issue as described by MiaimZelt: our trails and the map didn’t match the terrain in the section with the waterfall. We also hiked down left of it. CC-descent close to lagoon and over boulder field. For the stretch along Rio Ventisquero to the trailhead we can really recommend the GPS track mentioned above. Countless (easy) river crossings, some riverbed walking, some boggy stretches. Nice horse trail after trailhead at 68.5. Fording at 69.8 was knee to thigh deep and manageable. After (easy) ford at 71.8 we took variant E because it seemed less overgrown. Easy horsetrail from there. Said hello to a settler. Camped right before ford at 81.2.

Day 04
Fords at 81.2 and particularly 81.4 were quite deep (thigh to hip high) and with strong current but manageable. Soon, easy walking on minor road. The road becomes bigger as you get closer to the lake. At the lake we enjoyed walking at the lake shore in the beginning before the path leads up to the hills. A perfectly windless day, the lake was extremely calm. The walk along and view of the lake was gorgeous and a highlight of the trail. Lots of creeks and beautiful waterfalls. We met two GPT-hikers heading the opposite direction and had a nice chat. Not many campsites available along the path. After a long day of walking we camped at 113.9.

Day 05
Late start, enjoying the lake in the morning. A little more ups and downs along the lake then ascended first on an overgrown minor road and then on one actually in use. Got water up the stream next to settler at 121.8. Along the last part of the dirt road we had a nice chat with local settlers who showed us some Calafate berry shrubs and offered us a ride to the junction with the road to Levican (X at 130.4). From there we had a transport.

'''2025-Jan-17 to 2025-Jan-21 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / OH03B RR + variant D + variant H / Sean & Neele'''

Took the bus at 10 from Villa Cerro Castillo to the start of Option 03B. We'd hope to hitch the dirt road but we literally saw only one car.

Bridge 25.7km - good place to get water

Camped just before junction for option C (46.5km roughly) by the stream in the woods. Great wind protection.

49km to 50.8km - track files go CC but on OSM there's a trail we followed it and it worked well. CC route looked wet and boggy in places.

Ford 52km - lots of downed trees so can cross with dry feet.

Took variant D - easy and beautiful would recommend it.

Pass 60km small patch of snow on South side no problem without spikes

Camped at camp 63.4km - very beautiful but no wind protection, we were lucky the wind was pretty calm.

CC & BB 64.3 + 4.2 - we just stuck with the stream the whole way down worked out well.

Ford 81.2km - about 550m before the waypoint the trail gets close to the river for us it looked easy at this point so we just crossed here. Just over knee deep at 4pm on a hot sunny day, no rain for the past few days.

Took variant H to skip the other 2 fords.

Camped at 93.3km (S 46° 28.690', W 072° 11.674') nice grassy area with a small stream.

98.5km - shortly after leaving the road RR take you through some bushwhacking but it's avoidable just go straight to the beach.

Camped on the beach around 116km

Road walked to 138.5km where we saw the first car of the day and got a hitch to Puerto Ibanez.

* '''2025 Jan 02 to Jan 11 / 10 hiking days / SOBO, NOBO, WEBO / Hiking / Opt 3B, RR, Opt 2, Opt 8 / Michael and Kasia'''

Quick notes:

A nice section with some great views and some good optionals. It is a fairly popular trail up to the Torres; we met 11 other hikers on the RR. Opt 2 is a really pretty and peaceful valley. Opt 8 is an adventurous alternative route, probably better to exit GPT33 than to enter it on full resupply weight.

CAMPS:

Night 01: -46.25532, -72.38365 (good water access, decent wind protection (look up before you set your tent, there were some widow makers), next to the road, no view)

Night 02: -46.34592, -72.49822 (Camp 57.2) (decent view, excellent water access, minimal wind protection, surrounded by dead trees, not safe in windy conditions, a lot of spots to choose from)

Night 03: -46.40655, -72.49601 (amazing view, decent water access, no wind protection)

Night 04: same as night 3

Night 05: -46.35732, -72.45379 (flat space for two tents, wind protected, just off the trail, water is a little ways away)

Night 06: -46.36802, -72.43937 (flat space for 2 tents, excellent wind protection, no view, water is a little ways away, accompanied by the sturdy arrieros shelter)

Night 07: same as night 6

Night 08: same as night 2

Night 09: -46.39734, -72.58201 (Camp ? 11.6) (not much truly flat space, but if you aren't picky there's lots of space, no wind protection, water is down a steep hill,next to the used puesto)

WATER:

On 3B and into RR on the road it was difficult to find at times. On all trail sections it was easy to find.

Day 01 - Jan 2nd

We got the bus from the terminal in Coyhaique. It was a bit of an ordeal. The buses hadn't been running for two days on account of the holiday, and we had not purchased tickets in advance. There was quite a line and it seemed they had been sold out much earlier. We went and talked to the driver after he finished loading most of the luggage. He said to give him a minute to check. He luckily had two empty seats to Cerro Castillo, and we paid him cash at the break point in Cerro Castillo, 8.000 pp, the normal price. He dropped us at the beginning of Opt 3B. There was a bus stop there. Opt 3B is a gravel road. There is some nice scenery, but overall it's a road walk. There isn't much traffic, but hitchhiking is possible. RR from km 24 where Opt 3B meets it is also gravel road until km 45.5. There isn't a huge grade and the road is in good condition, so it's easy if somewhat underwhelming walking. Water is not so easily accessible. All the little side creeks had dried up or were just water trickling through mud. Much of the time we were too high above the water, or it was fenced off. At km 24.9 there is an unmarked bridge. There was good water access there. There was also a very nice campsite there at (-46.21595, -72.34452). It had flat space for at least one tent, maybe two, trees and good water access close by. The next good water spot we found was at Settler 29.4. There was easy water access next to the bridge down to the barn. We didn't find water again until km 35.5 when we camped for the night. Camp 32.0 should be marked “Camp with No Water”. We did not see any water nearby or anything that looked like there is water at another time of year. At km 31.9 there was a locked gate with a No Trespassing sign, but a set of stairs to walk over the fence on the left hand side. The stairs were solid and in good condition. At km 32.9 was an easy open gate with a No Trespassing sign facing the other direction. It looked like someone had been working there recently, lots of fresh wood cuts, but we didn't see anyone. We camped just off the road at km 35.5 in a little clearing, just after a gate. There was access to the estero there.

Day 02 - Jan 3rd

We continued the road walk. The trail in the forest was very nice. The meadows were a little marshy but we moved through them fairly quickly. Ford 52.0 was easy, top of the calf and not much current. There was actually a fallen tree that could work as a bridge to do a dry foot crossing. We camped at Camp 52.7 next to a stream. This would not be a good site if it is windy. Fortunately we had a windless night. No issues finding water this day. We met three other hikers on their way out of Avellanos.

Day 03 - Jan 4th

The trail to the Trailhead 57.0 is easy to follow and, except in a few places, in good shape. There were a few places where it disappeared for a bit. Where they diverged, sometimes GPT track files were better, sometimes OSM, we just chose what seemed the most traveled. After Trailhead 57.0 the track is a little more difficult to follow. The OSM track was a little more accurate for the CC sections. There was only one ford at the end of the valley a little before it goes up into the woods, around km 59.3, just below the knee, not a strong current. The way through the woods at the end was difficult to follow. It is fairly overgrown in parts and we ended up walking a bit above the GPT track pushing through trees until the boulder field. We were trying to make it to Camp 61.2 above the pass. After the Trailhead 57.0 we did not see another suitable place to camp until close to Camp 61.2; everything was wet or on a slope, either covered in rock or trees. We camped at (-46.40655, -72.49601), about 400 m before Camp 61.2 in a flat area. There was no wind protection, but the night was calm. The site has a great view of the mountains and one of the lakes. We met five other hikers heading out over the course of the day.

Day 04 - Jan 5th

We did a packless day trip up to the pass to see the Torres. The weather was good, full sun and light wind. We spent about an hour on the pass. The Torres are nice; the one in the middle looked to us like it had the face of the rock eating monster from Neverending Story. As nice as the Torres were, we actually preferred the view on the mountains on the north side of the pass. On the way back down we looked at the area around Camp 61.2. We didn't really see any spaces suitable for a tent, certainly not for something the size of the X-Mid 2. There seemed to be a few options for bivys. There were strong gusts of wind in the night and part of our tent collapsed. We managed to get it back up and it stayed up for the rest of the night.

Day 05 - Jan 6th

We headed back NOBO on RR. We met Mia who was heading SOBO at the ford. It was nice to cross paths with another GPTer. At the X 54.5 we switched to Opt 2 Avellanos Bypass. We were interested to see the valley. The trail in places is in great shape, especially the higher areas, and in places non-existant, especially in low, wet areas, or where the river has washed it out. At one point we saw a huemul, our first one. It was walking up stream in the river very slowly and pausing often. We watched it for about 15 minutes before it finally got up on the hill on the opposite side and climbed into the trees. A little while later there was a huge waterfall coming down from one of the mountains. We camped in a sandy area under some trees a ways away from the river. All fords were more of a blessing in the scolding sun than a challenge. The riverbed moved in some places into the land where the GPS tracks were but it was very easy to navigate.

Day 06 - Jan 7th

We walked further downriver to Puesto ? 4.9. It is not actually a puesto, but a stopover half-shelter with fire pit for people driving animals. It was a great wind barrier, and a place to hang out on our rest/”waiting rain over” day. Just a few meters away we found a nice flat area with space for two tents that was very well wind protected and we were expecting 90 km/h winds to come next day. We left our packs and went further down river. The valley is really beautiful and has some great views. For a while the trail is in excellent condition, then it starts to disappear. It was not possible to follow the GPT track for all of it, but we found other paths. The river fords got increasingly more challenging as we went down stream. More drainages joined the river and added water. We turned around at Ford 8.2 and we noticed the increase in river level just over those few hours. The most difficult ford was mid-thigh with a good amount of current (at 6pm, earlier around 3 pm it was good 20 cm lower).

Day 07 - Jan 8th

We took a zero day. Rain and high wind all day. The camp site worked very well for inclement weather.

Day 08 - Jan 9th

We backtracked the rest of Opt 2 and arrived midday back at Camp 57.2. We were planning to exit 33H on Opt 8 but didn't want to start it the same day. We enjoyed a half rest day with sun and no wind at the campsite. We passed three other tents during the day.

Day 09 - Jan 10th

We started Opt 8 in the morning. For the first 7 km or so it is actually fairly easy to follow. The GPX tracks aren't always spot on, but we followed them as closely as we could and we managed to find the trail more often than not. The landslide seemed to be quite small and we just walked below it. The two fords at that point are just over a side stream, so probably dry foot crossable a little later in the season. Everything after that until Camp ? 11.6 where we stopped for the night was a bit of a challenge. In areas the trail is in excellent shape and then it just disappears into slopes of grass and blow downs. We would lose the track and CC for a while, finding it again a couple hundred meters on. I just walked with the Garmin in one hand for most of the way since I had to check it so frequently. The last few km to the campsite were very muddy. It ended up being a very long and very exhausting day. We did not see any serviceable campsites for our tent between the beginning and Camp ? 11.6. Camp ? 11.6 is a puesto with a sign saying it is called Puesto Agüero. There is also a sign saying “No Dejar Basura”, which we took to mean that the puesto is used, at least unofficially, for public camping, but just to pack your trash out. The site does not have good wind protection, but we had a windless night.

Day 10 - Jan 11th

Ford 11.5 had the same makeshift bridge that Maggie & Julien reported last season. We decided to ford instead of use the bridge. We forded a little lower than the waypoint. It was above the knee and with a fair amount of current. The path after the ford was generally very easy to follow. In the pastures we kept an eye on the GPS as there are animal trails that go all over, but in the forested areas it was very clear. It was very muddy for the first half and mostly dry for the second half. There are some nice views of the river along the way, and of the valley toward the end of the section. The MR at the end has been extended further up the valley and now starts about 1.5 km sooner than indicated in the track files. We walked into Puerto Murta around 18:30. We had no particular difficulty with Opt 8, and it was not overgrown enough that we wished we had a machete at any point. Though it doesn't look like it from the elevation profile in Gaia, due to the constant ups and downs there is an enormous amount of cumulative elevation gain and loss. For this reason we think that this is a much better option for exiting the section, so the pack can be as light as possible.

* '''2025 Jan 4th to Jan 9th / 5.5 hiking days / SOBO / Hiking / Opt 3B, RR, Opt D & E & H / MiaimZelt'''

This section indeed is a real gem, but also challenging. Weather was hot and sunny, too warm in my opinion.

Day 1: Wanted to hitchhike from Villa Cerro Castillo to the start of Opt 3B, but then a bus came an took me. Mostly boring hiking along a minor road.

Day 2: Continued along the minor road, soon it got smaller and wasn't passable for cars anymore. At -46.254893, -72.381462 is a new fence, theoretically it could be opened, but you need to be strong. I crawled under it... Here -46.260122, -72.397627 is a large rather open field with lot's of flat space to pitch a tent. Water nearby. -46.260547, -72.400255 small building, which was unoccupied. The horsetrail is in good condition. Camped here: -46.352094, -72.488826, but there is only space for small tents.

Day 3: The ascend in the forest was also in good condition. Later you have to sharpen your eyes and look for the cairns. Met Kasia and Michael, was nice to meet other GPT hikers. Option D is marked with cairns, but there is no trail and i had to cross the river 2 more times. Especially the first lake is a real gem.
Hike up to the pass was not difficult, just take your time.
Way down is more challenging. I had to cross a large and steep patch of snow, which was ok without microspikes. Than you have to climb down a steep slope with lots of boulders, but they have good traction. The middle part was the hardest, because both smartphone and Garmin didn't show my correct position and wanted me to hike down a small waterfall. According to the smartphone there had to be a lake, but there was a forest instead, which wasn't shown neither on the Garmin nor on the Smartphone. Hiked down left of the waterfall, which looked much safer. The last part before you arrive at the glacier lagoon, is a large field of XXL-boulders which you have to cross. The views at the lake were awesome!
The bushbashing was mostly easy or at least not difficult. The worst was the stretch along Rio Ventisquero to the Trailhead. In the beginning i tried to walk in the riverbed, which often means to walk in the river, not just crossing the river. But when a 2nd river was added, the water was up to middle thigh and had a stromg current - not a good idea to continue this way. Hiked at the left side in the forest instead. Sometimes there was a vague animal trail, but it disappeared very often. This was really annoying with a lot of bushbashing. Camped at Camp Without Water {33H} [68.7/766].

Day 4: Crossing of Rio Ventisquero was just up to my knees and not diffucult. Enjoyed the horsetrail along Rio Avellano, but i took Option E, because the RR was i overgrown in this area. Option E is in better condition. Didn't met Maria & Julio, later i saw to guys on horseback. Ford {33H} [81.4/492] was up to my crotch (i'm 1.74cm) and had a strong current, but i made it. My feet had traction, but couldn't place my trekkingpoles correctly due to the strong current. You have to cross 3 times here, but the other two were easy.
The Minor road is not like a real road, it's more a 4x4 track used by horses with sandy ground and vegetation in the middle. It's hard to find a camp at this minor road, because of the thorny vegetation. Camped here: -46.478173, -72.19456. It's a patch of flat gras with enough space for several tents, has a small stream and good protection from the wind.

Day 5: According to my Inreach the wind gusts should reach up to 101km/h. Was indeed very windy, but fortunately it came from the back and the wind was warm. The trail along Lago General Carrera is very scenic and mostly visible, but also strenuous. Some (fortunately very short parts) are badly overgrown - a machete would be useful. Almost every plant in this area has thorns. The ups and downs a very steep, which i didn't like in the heat. Lot's of water. Used Camp {33H} [116.3/239] which has a great protection from the wind. But be aware of the thorny plants while searching where to pitch you tent - there are only 2 places without them.

Day 6: The last stretch until the minor road was much faster. The first part of the minor road has vegetation on it and isn't used by cars. Brought all the water from the lake, but it wasn't necessary. Small streams here: -46.403664, -71.975755 and next to the road at Settler {33H} [121.8/643]. The settler wasn't at home and the wooden gates were locked, had to climb over them. There are several minor roads, not just one. Bridge {33H} [129.3/304] is a deep canyon, didn't see a possibility to get water there. Walked two hours along the road between Levican and Puerto Ibañez, until i got a hitch.

* '''Dec 6-11 / 03B + RR SOBO / wiiiim'''

Great route, still early season, weather was sunny but still cold, rivers were low, the infamous crossing of the lower rio Avellano just above knee height.
The crux of the route was the South side of the pass, sections of snow, I crossed later in the day when it was softer, avoided most of the snow on the East rock flank, but around 1200m the rock slabs were wet & the gullies in between were filled with snow. A bit of a maze, it took some time and back tracking, I used micro spikes but its probably okay without, I think knowing how to self arrest on snow with hiking poles is always a good skill to have, lots of videos exist on that.
Laguna la Plaza is a short/easy side trip well worth it, the North side of the pass is fast going & pretty well indicated (ciarns), on the South side section of CC once on the valley floor it seems easier to wade through the (spectacular) river.
I was pleasantly surprised with the walk along the lake, it’s really different and beautiful.
I was lucky to get a ride out from the MR to Puerto Ibáñez quite quickly from around -46.36065, -71.90255 but it’s usually very quiet.

At -46.26604, -72.41735 there is an established rock bivvy that could also fit a medium size tent.

Overall I would probably recommend the regular route NOBO to cut out most of the start/end road sections: organise a ride from Puerto Ibanez to the trail head (it will be worth the money) and on the other end the finish of 03B on the carretera austral will have plenty of traffic to hitch a ride

• '''2024-Dec-09 to 2024-Dec-10 / 2 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Opt.A + Opt.01A + Opt.01/ Julien'''

Following the road to Puerto Ibáñez
Just a little difficulty about finding water because most of lakes and rivers are private now.

* '''2024-Nov-28 to 30 / 3 day / Hiking / Circuit / GPT33H Option 5 and 5A Valle Miller from Puerto Alarcon to Valle Jaramillo and return to Puerto Sanchez / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

The Cordillera de Avallano between Rio Ibanez and Lago General Carrera is one of the hidden treasures of Patagonia. And Valle Miller is one possible entrance into this mountain range.

After packrafting to Puerto Alarcon we packed our packrafting gear and hiked up Valle Miller along the minor road to the bridge over Rio Miller to crossing “X {33H-05} [7.8/611]”. There are numerous possible camp sites and water sources along this minor road.

A few hundred meters after crossing “X {33H-05} [7.8/611]” is the last pasture with suitable camp sites.

Valle Jaramillo is a very scenic side valley of Valle Miller that can be explored in one day.

This side valley has no distinct trail but the forest is reasonably open. Therefore ascending and descending through the forest is not really bush bashing but just a slalom around the numerous fallen trees.

Once the open terrain is reached, hikers can see the very scenic valley with some remaining smaller glaciers.

The cross country walk to the 1679 m high pass is very rewarding in good weather. From an altitude of 1400 m the terrain was in parts covered by snow fields as we visited this early in the season.

We returned to Puerto Sanchez which is the alternative starting Point for hikers.

==Season 2023/24==

* '''2024 Mar 22 to 2024 Mar 28 / 7 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR / Maddi, Tom and Jordan'''

Day 1: Got the public bus from Puerto Ibanez to Levican for about 1000CLP each. We were the only ones on the bus and the driver dropped us at the trailhead. After walking along the road for a while we miraculously got a hitch in the back of a pick up for a couple of kms. Trail down to the lake was a little confusing but just head down and you'll hit the main trail eventually. Trail along the lake has plenty of up and down but nothing too strenuous. We had a perfect, windless day with not too much sun so it was pretty easy going, plenty of spots to get water once down near the lake. The notes said there was some scary exposure but we didn't really encounter any along this section, the path is pretty solid and clearly used by horses. Set up camp on the lake on the small rocky beach at (-46.47634,-72.08138). Just enough room for our Zpacks Triplex and Jordan's free standing tent. Jordan caught a fish that night but chucked it back.

Day 2: Great sunrise over the lake but then it started to rain. Jordan caught another fish which the boys had for breakfast. Walked along the lake in light rain until the old road where we went up the steep hill and started inland. One apple tree along this section but the apples weren't great. Followed the disused road until the end and then started along the track. Hit our first ford at about (-46.46161,-72.24620) which was above the knee on me (174cm tall) and quite fast flowing/muddy from all the rain. Tom slipped climbing up the bank here and fell backwards into the water but somehow avoided getting swept away. Kept walking along until we hit the refugio, unfortunately it was locked. Set up camp next to it so we could use the porch for shelter then went to scout the next ford just past it. This one was way too high and fast to cross so we were hoping it would go down overnight. Rio Avellano also looked impossible but that was a problem for the next day.

Day 3: Luckily the tributary into the Rio Avellano had gone down significantly overnight and we were able to cross without issues, although it was still fairly fast flowing at about knee height. Had a go at crossing the Rio Avellano just after this ford where it is marked on the GPX and others had mentioned it was doable but we had no luck, even employing the three astern. Decided to try the settler's place up on the hill to see if we could get help crossing but noone seemed to be around. Kept following the track along the river, hoping for a place to cross. Jordan somehow manage to cross using the eddies formed by a large tree that had fallen into the river. He had to come back across to help me get over with Tom but it was a near miss. Water level just below hip and quite fast flowing. Massive relief to make it across and get to enjoy the sun a bit. Had lunch near Maria and Julio's but still didn't run into anyone other than sheep. Enjoyed an awesome section walking along through ankle deep water in the autumn colours with snowy peaks in the background. Hit another fairly fast flowing ford, just above the knee, but manageable now we were getting good at crossing 3 astern. Thought we would make it to camp just below the towers but unfortunately hit another ford that even Jordan couldn't cross. Much higher consequence with huge rapids downstream and the water level above the hip. Tried to walk upstream a km or so to see if we could cross but ends up high above the river as it enters a canyon section. Scrambled back down and camped for the night on the track in the forest with the hope of lower water in the morning.

Day 4: Water was much lower in the morning and we were able to cross with no issues. Still over the knee and fast flowing but the group of 3 works wonders. Headed into the forest and up past the old corral then into the swampy section. This was super rough going as the swamp was over the knee in parts. We constantly switched between climbing between the tangle of tree or wading through the swamp. It was raining lightly and getting quite cold by this point. We made it to a clearing along the river at about 11am but the towers were in complete fog and I was shivering hard. Decided to set up camp in the forest and try for the towers the next day in the hope of more visibility. Found a nice camp spot in the forest at (-46.42932,-72.49572) with easy access to the river for water. Snuggled down to try to warm up all afternoon, only emerging for meals.

Day 5: Set off through the forest up towards the towers. Says bush bashing but was actually pretty easy walking up the hill. Towers still in a bit of cloud but made it up there mid morning and spent some time scrambling around the lake to take a look around. Camp site in the rocks was flooded from yesterday so glad we didn't try to get up there to camp. Scramble over the boulder field and up to the pass isn't too bad, although some snow patches made it a bit slippery. Cool granite slabs on the way up. Super windy once we got over the pass so hurried down the valley. No navigation issues but definitely got wet feet walking along the river. Camped at the refugio.

Day 6: Hiked along clear trail until we got to the minor road. Hoped to get a rare hitch but didn't really see anyone. Decided to hike along the river just before the bridge toward Lago Lapparent to find somewhere to camp. Found a few awesome spots along the crystal clear water for our last night.

Day 7: Headed back to the road and followed it back to the Carretera Austral. Got a hitch in about 15 minutes all the way to Coyhaique but there is a bus stop there if you can time it right.

* '''2024-02-23 to 2024-02-27 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / OH03B + RR + OH08 / Maggie & Julian '''

Trail attractiveness: 4/5;
Difficulty: 3/5
(keep in mind that this is our first GPT hike)

Day 1: ‘GPT33H-03B start’ to (-46.2570, -72.3711):

We entered from Carretera Austral at Laguna Verde (Option 03B) after being dropped off by the morning bus from Coyhaique (heading to Cochrane). Arrived at the crossroads at 11:30am with Don Carlos bus.
Whole day was walking on roads and relatively easy to make distance.
At (-46.2671, -72.3561) there was a sign reading "se prohibe la entrada al predio" and a locked gate with a ladder to climb over the side. There is a campsite (Camp, X {33H} [32.0/700]) pinned shortly after, but we decided to keep going because of the sign. At (-46.2621, -72.3613) there is an end to the property (same sign facing opposite direction, no gate). We camped on an area used for chopping wood at (-46.2570, -72.3711). Short scramble down to the river.

Day 2: (-46.2570, -72.3711) to Camp {33H} [52.7/953]:

Large part of the day was also road walking, afterwards trails and some cross country.
Camped by Camp {33H} [52.7/953]. Camping around Puesto {33H} [53.0/946] has better mountain views, Puesto itself was being used, possibly for guided horseback trekking.

Day 3: Camp {33H} [52.7/953] to Pass {33H} [62.0/1314] and back:

We left our tent set up and most things at Camp. The way up was sometimes hard to find. Trail markers made more sense on the return. Had an extended lunch a little after Pass {33H} [62.0/1314] and then returned the way we had come.

Day 4: Camp {33H} [52.7/953] to Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548]:

Probably hardest day in navigation, trail disappeared often, but manageable.
The former landslide section at (-46.3853, -72.5520) did not pose any difficulties for us as the water level was not too high and the main river flow now goes near the northwestern side of the valley. We just had to step over the remaining side stream. With more water some fording might still be necessary, but I imagine you could get away with staying near the southeastern bank for this section.
At Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548] there is a puesto that seems to be in use, but we saw no one and camped a little lower near the river.

Day 5: Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548] to ‘GPT33H-08 start’:

Right after camp there was a makeshift bridge to cross the stream (tree and rope, very rickety).
Trail seemed to be used and maintained on this part of option 08.
Shortly before Camp {33H-08} [6.9/435] there was a previously washed-out section with a new path already laid out. In heavy rainfall this could wash out again but should not pose a big hindrance.

Notes:

- RR + option 08 is a great short alternative without much backtracking.

- Our hitch out of Puerto Murta happened to be local members of an association that wants to bring more tourism to their town and the Torres del Avellano. If their plans are fruitful, traffic and trail maintenance may increase on option 08.

- We organized the transport of our non-trekking items from Coyhaique to Puerto Río Tranquilo by encomienda. Ines, the lady working at the Sao Paulo bus office in Coyhaique terminal was kind enough to hold our boxes until we arrived and called her from Puerto Rio Tranquilo. Our things arrived the day after we called at around 1pm. We shipped a rather large quantity of items (enough items to fill 50L bag) for 12000 CLP. Sao Paulo bus Coyhaique telephone: +56 672 255 726

* '''30/01/2024 - 01/02/2024 / 3 days, 78 km / Options 06 and 07 / Alex + Andrey'''
South bound (east bound).
“Mountain route”,

a combination of Options 06 and 07 which are now passed and confirmed.

Difficulty: Difficult/Very Difficult

Most of the route is off-trail
Thanks to Jan for the suggested routes and clues.
Short resume:

This mountain route is a more difficult and demanding alternative to the regular route but can be an interesting option for those looking for a challenge.
The combination with a regular route allows to form a full-fledged “eight”, a trip of 6-10 days.

Option 07 is a shorter, although more difficult, alternative to the regular route in case the Avellano River cannot be forded NOBO.
Notes and recommendations.

Option 07:

All fords do not pose any significant difficulty.
Due to the height and southern exposure the areas between Pass 1 and Pass 2 (Pass {33H-07} [17.0/1755]) and descents from Pass 2 in the early to mid-season have extensive areas of snow where microspikes or crampons may be required.
The main difficulty on the descent is overcoming several side washouts, which are small but deep and steep canyons.

Option 06:

There is no water during the first 4-5 hours of ascent to the valley.
The open area of the upper valley at Camp 2 and beyond throughout the ridge is a resort for very strong winds. Setting up camp may be difficult or impossible. A strong hiker can combine and complete this section in one day.
The predominant wind exposure makes passage from west to east highly recommended.
The last reliable source of water is before reaching High Pass 3. Further east there is no water until the junction with the regular route, except for temporary streams from seasonal snow.

The track and additional information are here:
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/avellano-mountain-route-chilean-patagonia-160489118

* '''2024-Mar-04 to 2024-Mar-08 / 4.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / OH 03B + RR + OH D + K / Joscha'''

Day 1: OH33H-03B + RR [24.2-41.2]

I tried to hitch from Villa Cerro Castillo to the start of OH33H-03B. After 1 hour a Bus arrived and took me to the start for 2000 Pesos. The Bus runs from Cohayique to Chile Chico on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It starts in Coyhaique at 9 am and stopps in Villa Cerro Castillo at around 10:30 am. From the brigde at km 25.7 until km 35.8 there is no water on the RR. You walk close to some rivers but I didn't check if its possible to acces them. After km 35.8 there is plenty of water. At km 38.5 is a big flat field for camping with a creek next to it. I camped just before the crossing of the river at km 41.2.

Day 2: RR [41.2-58.3] + OH33H-D + RR [61.0-63.4]

There was plenty of water all along the trail. Camping possible at -46.291963, -72.470389 just before the Pass (km 44.4), at the start of OH33H-C and along the CC section from km 49.0 to 50.8. I can recommend OH33H-D. I especially liked the first Laguna. Camp 63.4 has awesome views, but is only slightly wind protected and the spots are only good for small tents.

Day 3: RR [63.4-93.2]

I stayed inside the riverbed for the last 2.5 km of the CC&BB section. I had to cross the river about 20 times, but its the fastest and easiest way. The ford at km 83.6 was just below my crotch (I am 191 cm) and the current was pretty strong at around 5 pm. It would have been difficult for smaller persons. All the other fords today were at max. knee hight. There is plenty of water all along the route. I camped next to the RR on a flat, grassy field at km 93.2.

Day 4: RR [93.2-116.3]

Plenty of water along this part of the RR.

Day 5: RR [116.3-119.6] + OH33H-K + RR [122.6-141.0]

OH33H-K is easy to walk but does not offer any great views. If you choose OH33H-K, than there is no water between km 117.5 and 138.5 (at km 135.2 is a water marker, but I didn't see any as I walked by. Maybe I missed it, because I wasn't looking for it). There is water at km 140.3. I got a hitch from km 141.0 to Puerto Ibanez. But there are very few cars on the road, so don't count on getting a hitch.

* '''2024-Feb-12 to 2024-Feb-16 / 4.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / Option 03B, RR, Variant C, E, H, K / Tomáš & Natalie'''
There was a queue of three hitchhiker groups who did not get picked up while we were doing our shopping, so we opted to hire a taxi for 15000 to the start of 03B (Pedro Zuleta: +56 993 5786 68). Somehow, during our arranging of the taxi, all three groups left. Roadwalking to option 07 was uneventful. Tomáš got a hitch (he eats lunch too slowly so Natalie got ahead) for about 5 km from a family which was exploring in a car. About 500 m before the diversion to option 07, there is a locked gate with a sign saying the property is private, but one can go over a ladder. At the gate, we met a local with a key who has a house on Option 07, if we got him right. He gave us a ride of 500 m. The start of option 7 is actually a road.

The MR at 24.2 is in a bad shape due to erosion after ford at about 12 km in. Tomáš made a bridge out of a log but managed to jump into the water while doing it. Enjoy the bridge while it lasts as did a Frenchman we met there. He did the circuit NOBO based on Wikiloc. He said he keeps coming across GPT, but could not figure out how to get the GPS route. We told him to talk to Jan. Maybe he will come back the next season.

On the way to the Torres, we met 3 pairs of Chilean hikers going back. Tomáš went to Laguna La Plaza (option C). Lake is grey but the valley is nice enough to justify the short detour. It is no BB, there is a trail in the forest and above the tree line a vague trail or easy CC. The Torres are indeed magnificent. One can easily walk on the sloped polished slab falling into the far side of the second lake before the pass - it is an exhilirating detour. Going down from the pass, when the GPX turns right, Tomáš actually managed to walk over one of the ledges above the GPX and liked it. Just be extremely careful with moss and water, they can make the stones extremely slippery, but he survived that without falling. About 100 m before the lake, there is a at-least-a-ton heavy swing in the form of a loose boulder. Enjoy if you can find it. Camp 63.4 is literally awesome. We had a very warm almost windless night there.

After the boulder field under camp 63 we loss the rest of the elevation on the right side of the creek and then when the swamp appeared on the right we went to the left and stayed on that side (North) for the entire BB/CC. There is a vague trail most of the way, but is has many many logs over it. It took us 3 hours to walk to the trailhead. We kept our feet dry and were in the shade, but it would have been quicker and far less tiring just following the riverbed and constantly crossing the river.

Ford at 69.8 around noon was slightly above the knees. Ford it diagonally as the trail wants you to - it is shallower that way (ie a little further down than where the trail spits you out). Greeted grandfather, Maria and Julio and their three kids and had a short talk with the grandfather, nice to see the whole family working together on projects. From their place, the trail sort of is wide enough for a car (there is one at their place) but we think it is never or virtually never used by cars. Ford at 81.4 at six in the afternoon was 5 cm under our crotches (we are about 1.70), we forded about 100 upstream of GPX. The river was strong but we did not feel it was dangerous for us. We forded the widest part of the river just before a dead end fence (if you are coming from the other direction, after the grey river and around the dead end ford you will see the widest part of the river).The day was hot and despite not covering even 20 km, we felt superexhausted. Strong sun and spikees got to us!

We camped about 4 km along the road, shortly after the second (both jumpable) ford. It must be a good place to camp, as Tomáš, who went back to the big ford where he left his sandals the previous day, met a GPT hiker going NOBO who apparently slept in a hearing distance from us. The hiker first started to come to Patagonia decades ago, before it was overrun. Tomáš sadly never asked his name. Met the grandfather again, coming back from the port, horses are fast!

The road is not used by cars but stiĺl quite ugly. Around middle, near option 6, there are two shortcuts (400 and 50 metres) to the zigzags, three of which were marked by cairns by Tomáš. Please add the fourth cairn. Puesto 98.3 is a settler. He offered Natalie to come inside and rest but she didn't feel right stopping at that moment and kind of got the "heeby jeebies" from him. Met another pair of GPT hikers, doing just 33. The stretch along the coast is beautiful and very Mediterranean. All day the lake was without waves, even that can happen. Slept at Lake 113.8: nicer, with water and less buggy than camp 200 m earlier (just beware if the wind picks, up the waves can be very loud).

Variant K misses last water but is easy to follow, nicer than a road and involves only three very easy fence hops. Reached the bus stop for Puerto Ibanez around three. Got lucky and received a hitch from two British tourists to Puerto Ibanez. The shops there are larger than expected and stock overpriced pesto and gnocchi, Tomáš is almost as joyful as cherries make him!

Nat's Notes:

- For views I would prefer this NOBO. I suffered a new type of "look back" syndrom on most of the route. Plus, if you are walking the lake shore in the afternoon, the sun should be on your downhills and not your uphills (it was insanely hot when we did it and without a whisper of wind).

- In the section notes for km24-45 I think what was meant was that from roughly km36-45, "there are many small streams and camping spots", this is indeed true. However, between km 24-36 and option 3 there are NO longer many STREAMS to drink from, I remember only one slightly decent one and both sides of the road are fenced so if you want to camp or drink water from the main river, then you must jump the fences (cow panels or barb) or ask a settler. Also, strange to say, there is very little shade and can get uncomfortably hot...

- Intersection 45 is not hard to miss anymore, it is marked with an orange ribbon around a tree and a large cairn on your left.

- On Trail#9 (ascent before the first two alpine lakes) I took Veronicas advice about going into the woods where the RR is but rather than trying to follow the GPS, I followed what seemed to be a trail along the creek with some cairns here and there. Eventually it ends above the trees but you should be able to make your way back to the RR once the "coast is clear", ie. no more trees. If you want to walk along the lake then you should do the CC up the boulder field on Variant D.

- Going down from the pass was no problem, like everyone says, "just follow the gps". However with that said, it is very tempting to make your own way bcs there are many good looking ledge systems but after reading Wills experience, I backed away from the temptation and followed the GPS. I also slipped on some wet moss on RR.

- So much water everywhere except for the lake camping, if you are smart you will fill up on one of the many streams before getting to the lake...

- When doing the BB/CC section, after the initial elevation loss from the lake, there isn't much drinking water apart from the river until near the end of the BB. I think you could make "makeshift" camps. I was tempted to cross the river early to avoid crossing it at km69 but once again I remembered what Will wrote last year about the thorns and cliffs so I don't think that's a good idea.

- Not a fan of the lakeside gate locking technique (remember how it looks before you open it;)

- I surprisingly really enjoyed the lake stretch, it seemed it is where Pantagonia meets the Mediterranean/Arizona. The trail is in good shape, just a few overgrown roses and thorny bushes here and there (regretted shorts only a little bit). If you are coming from the north and still have your sand gaiters, this will be a good time to reuse them :). No exposure, wish there was more wind the day we were there. I am usually the biggest hater of "PUDs" - thanks for the new word - but these were not annoying. These PUDs are just a few large hills rather than a bunch of steep micro hills like gpt22 or the valley bottoms in Argentina. Water is at pretty much every "notch" in the hillside.

- Water is at the bottom of the MR~117.5 and there is still water at the top 119.9 RR (easier to grab it a little higher up).

* '''2024-Jan-30 to 2024-Feb-4 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Yannick & Nolwenn & Tess & Lukas'''

- Trail condition : gpx easy to follow / between km 63,7 and km 68,5 we mostly stayed on the left of the river
- Water : easy to find plenty of rivers and lagunas
- Camping spot : easy to find and the one at km 68.7 is nice // the refugio near the lake at km 98.5 is perfect - make fire, sleep inside, we even could ask for some bread
- Weather : some rainy and cloudy days but overall the weather was ok
- River crossing :at km 69.8 we crossed the river early in the morning and the current was strong and the water up to the middle of the thighs but manageable // at km 81,2 the river was strong and up to our hips, we crossed it in the rain, it was also manageable for us that already jave a little bit of experience
- Resupply : in Villa Cerro Castillo and in Chile Chico ( a bulk shop just opened in front of the camping Nandu) // at km 76,7 we could buy some bread, cheese and eggs at Maria and Julio's house
- Overall : we absolutely loved this section ! The views are spectacular and really diverse from one day to another // we got a hitchike at the end on the gravel road to go to Puerto Ibanez.

* '''01.27.2024 / 5 days / Hiking / SoBo / RR + Option 8 to Bahía Murta / Milton Cea + 4 more'''

Considering that we would venture to make this route a journey from Villa Cerro Castillo to Bahía Murta, we have decided to pay Pedro Zuleta, who is dedicated to transportation in the surrounding areas (+56 9 9357 8668), to take us to the entrance of the route at the registration booth. There, we encountered a pair of muleteers who did not pay much attention to our passing, however, we spoke with them to ask for their permission and inquire about the condition of the path.

We started with the regular route, a bit late, and for that reason, we camped the first night at Mallín Grande, which is a very good option, as watching the sunrise in this beautiful place is worthwhile.

Starting early the next day, we reached the "Los puestos" sector and from there, leaving our camp set up, we headed towards the towers. We were only able to reach the first lagoon at the base of the massif, as we went a bit late and our conversation with some other hikers we met extended. I would recommend leaving early to take advantage of the views from the portezuelo lookout.

The next day we began the crossing through the "Río Resbalón" Valley, as the locals call it, following an animal trail that sometimes tends to get lost among new vegetation or fallen trees, accompanied by other hikers who decided to join the journey.
It is a part of the route that can be slightly complex if you do not have a good reading of the surroundings, finding the animal traffic trail, and considering that you navigate through a forest that can easily disorient. This changes when you already walk with the "Resbalin/Resbalón" river to your right, as it is quite useful to follow its course. Always on the left side of the river.
On the way, there are some fallen trees and abandoned muleteer posts that can be used as camping space if necessary, although I would not recommend camping in this old forest.
Upon reaching the point of the road collapse, the crossing of the scree can be done at the level of its arrival, but to continue the route, you must climb a few meters up the mountain until you find the entrance to the continuation of the route. This point took some time from us, and we decided to camp near the river, towards the rock beach in the middle of a young forest with a mossy floor, very comfortable and restorative. We also decided to place some pircas at this point, as there was no mark to help resume the path towards Murta, since the difference in height was noticeable and it can be easy to believe that the path continues by the river side, but no, from here the path separates from the river and goes up the mountain.

Finally, after this last abandoned stretch, where the vegetation is abundant in some parts, we ended up arriving at the Puesto de Los Agüeros and decided to spend a night there, as we were very tired from constantly finding the route. It's worth mentioning that we couldn't find a GPS track before the trip.

The next day, after a night of intense rain, we took the official route traced from "Bahía Murta" at opossite direction and arrived in the town at dusk.
If you want the track and the Waypoints of the journey, feel free to write to me at '''milton.1902@gmail.com''' =)

* '''From 2023-01-20 to 2023-01-21 // 1,5 day // Hiking // NOBO // option 1 Valle Ibanez // Quentin Clavel'''

When I arrived in Puerto Ingeniero Ibàñez, I had to make a choice, as the weather window were pretty short. I had only 3 days and a half ahead of nice weather followed by one entire week of rain.

So I made the hard choice to skip Torres del Avelano, and go straight to Cerro Castillo by the OPT1 to explore the NP of CERRO CASTILLO.

This section was not so bad. Even if it was gravel road until the Lago tamango, I had nice views, and was not too bored from this stretch, but well yeah, it's gravel road for 30 km, so of course it was not all the time so funny aha !

Then I went to the small track along Lago tamango. Very quiet, pretty well marked thanks to these sticks with red and white colours on top, and with some scenic views.

You'll end up at the parking of the touristic sendero sitio archeologico de manos pintadas (Paredón de las Manos (1000CLP for children's, 2000CLP for adults. From Tuesday to Sunday 10h00-17h00). Then it's gravel road, following by 1,3 km on the carretera austral to reach Villa cerro castillo.

I was expecting worse for this section. Quite happy about it. That's a nice alternative if, for a reason, you want or have to skip Torres de Avelano

* '''2024-Jan- 14 to 2024-Jan-16/ 3 days/hiking/SOBO/ 33h/ 33h-b/33h-a/ 33h-P/Paulina'''

At first, I wanted to do RR, but as the recent reports about the river crossing where not very encouraging, I decided to play it safelty, so I just mixed some sections.
I started in Villa Cerro Castillo, till X 33h [ 5.5/554] it was a very peaceful, nice trail, with beautiful views on Cerra Castillo. There were some fence crossing, but not very annoying.
After the intersection, so once I joined the road X-725, it was less interesting, walk on a gravel road. I think this part of RR is better to hitch-hike ( it's possible and not very difficult to catch a car on this way).
Once I reached the big lakes ( beautiful views!) and some wanderful camping spots [ S 46.17790 W 072.32049] between Lago Alto and Lago Lapparet, I took 33h-b. At the beginning the trail was l crossing a forest used by locals as wood supply, but later ( around the place where it joined 33h-a), the landscape was amazing! Especially the part with lakes and settlers.

The last section was on 33h-01A. The cannion of Rio Claro and later the waterfall are beautiful, but for some hikers a long distance on gravel road on this section can be annoying so it's probably better to hitch-hike ( not a lot of cars but still possible).

I bought my ticket for ferry from Puerto Ibanez to Chile Chico without any problem 1h30 before the ferry departure.

The mix of these 4 sections + hitch-hiking it's a good option for bad weather or high river level on RR. Some parts are very beautiful, and the less interesting parts ( long distances on gravel roads) it's possible to cover by car.

* '''2024-01-02 to 2024-01-07 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR & Options: 03, 03B, 04C, 04 & Variant E / Roman'''

Route: Hitchhiked along Option 03 to X {33H-03} [18.6/315]. Hiked via Option 03B to X {33H} [24.2/462] and than continued RR to Ford, X {33H} [71.8/602]. Here used Variant E and back to RR all the way to Settler {33H} [85.0/462] (Luis Diaz). Continued on Option 04C to X {33H-04} [73.9/559]. From here used option 04 all to way to Bahía Murta.

Decided to go SoBo to get the tricky parts done with a good weather forecast. Hitchhiked along Option 03 because it's easier to get a lift. Was at X {33H-03} [18.6/315] 12:35 PM. From there it's a super easy to hike street all the way to X {33H} [45.5/1088] via Option 03C and than 03. Sadly there where no cars going in the correct direction. Towards the end (last 5km) there are some rivers crossing the street, nothing bad, you can get over them dry feet if jumping on the rocks. Continued the RR, the trail is clearly visible and easy to hike all the way to Camp {33H} [52.7/953]. Arrived there at 09:30 PM. It's a awsome place to pitch a tent! It was absolutely woth it to go for such a long day. Met 2 locals who went with a truck all the way to this point: -46.26754, -72.419667. Met also Cy & GG (see GPT 23). We continued the next day. Trail was in a good condition and CC was easy no snow up to the pass Pass {33H} [62.0/1314]. Absolutely beautiful view! There is some snow on the south side on the way down. It's mostly melted to you can decide if you want the first 150-200m of elevation go down in snow or trough the boulders. It was a sunny day therefore quite easy to get down to the lake. From there we went down a boulder field to the BB (Bush bashing) section (400m). This is trivial - no macheta required. It's just walking trough the forest. From there the CC&BB is at the beginning easy. We found a animal trail on the southern side of the river. Than the swamp started which was annoying. We started, after finishing the swamp section, to walk in the river bed around here -46.438037, -72.469247 which was fast progress but wet feet. Jumped on the trail and camped at Camp Without Water {33H} [68.7/766]. There is a lot of water at the river and it's just a 10 minute walk so we filled the bottles. The Camp is good, stayed there with 3 tents. Continued the next day (it was moderate rain during the night and at the morning) to the X, Ford {33H} [69.8/634]. This was at the limit what is safely possible. Fast flowing river - hip deep (iam 180). From there on the trail was clearly visible and easy to hike fast. Continued the RR and did Variant E. Check you GPS, we didn’t intend to do it we just followed the most clearly visible trail and ended up at the Puesto {33H-E} [0.8/619] so we continued. The statement from above is still valid all the way to Settler {33H} [85.0/462] (Luis Diaz) for the RR ;). After that is a easy trail, at Settler {33H} [76.7/535] (Maria & Julio) I met Julio and they had a car there to the trail from this point on is even easier. I split up here with Cy & GG because of different plans and it was questionable if the Ford at Ford {33H} [81.2/490] (Rio Avellano) is even possible so I wanted to speed up. Reached the point around 05:00 PM. It was not possible to Ford - way to deep and to much current! So I used my packraft and crossed the river. Got in the water here: -46.456627, -72.320677 and followed than the RR. Ford {33H} [81.4/492] was also impossible by foot. Used the same tactic and crossed it by boat. Got in the water here: -46.453523, -72.316373 and crossed by boat. After that easy trail and continued the RR. Ford {33H} [83.6/467] (Rio Avellano) was also absolutely impossible so also did it by boat. After that I camped here: -46.463767, -72.26597.

interim conclusion: if the weather is not stable (I knew it wasn't [would reccomend checking with meteoblue] go SoBo and be aware that the crossing can be impossible - I would reccomend bringing you packraft so you habe more options even though it's the H route. Otherwise you have to wait, potentially for days or you need the help of a local (this is how Cy & GG managed it).

Next day continued 04C. The trail to the pass is clearly visible and beautiful to hike. From there it's hard to find a few times because of a lot of animal tracks. Follow the GPS. The trail is again visible from this point on: -46.486009, -72.212428. Trail condition generally good with some bushes hanging in the trail. Reached X {33H-04} [73.9/559]. Same here a lot if animal trail - follow the GPS. The trail is clearly visible from this point on: -46.49591, -72.205307 up to Bahía Murta. Condition is good. The Pass {33H-04} [71.5/958] is definetly a highlight. Camped at Camp {33H-04} [66.2/209] - great place. Next day was long no changes on the trail condition - good and easy - hiked to Ford, Camp {33H-04} [37.5/259]. Camping there is a bit tricky to find a good place but manageable. Met a guy at the gosttown Puerto Cristal. The trail is according to him also used by tourists groups. I asked before the trial if there is a ferry connection - there is none only one company goes there by boat for tourist. Maybe you can arrange a transfer ( https://turismopuertocristal.cl/ very fast response time via WhatsApp 10 minutes). The Pass {33H-04} [43.3/840] is also a highlight. The Ford, Camp {33H-04} [37.5/259] is challenging hip deep. After that it's easy road walk to Bahía Murta. Got a lift at -46.520007, -72.636049.

Overall: I would recommend SoBo because the difficult sections are at the beginning and weather dependent. Go if you have a few stable non rainy days. Bring you packraft to have more options for fording. The entry via Option 03 & 03B is in my opinion easy due to hitchhiking & ou find a grop and book a lift The views are amazing at the passes. The BB is trivial. BB&CC is annoying but done within 2 hours. The Option 4 is absolutely beautiful and if you are a bit luckier than me avoids a lot of road walking. Would definitely reccomend the section. The reason for me to go with Option 04 is to easy connect to 82P.

Contact: https://linktr.ee/RundW

* '''2023-12-22 / 3 days / RR / SOBO / Anh'''

Just a quick info: The first part of RR is not marked but very easy to hike. After the pass (km 62) I had a hard time with the 2km CC. At first the snowfields were very steep (60 slope). The snow thickness was only 20-80cm, underneath are very big steep boulders and the melting snow makes the hollows big. Then there are the streams under the snowfields. I was a few times with a foot in it, fortunately not whole body. I had to go up and down in the forest, on the edge, on the rocks... My goal was to be safe, it took me 2 hours to cover the 2km.

==Season 2022/23==
* '''2023-Mar-30 to 2023-Mar-31 / 1.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option 1 / Martin & Helena'''

We started from Villa Cerro Castillo around 11 AM and took ferry from the port the next day at noon. The former RR trail follows path of Sendero de Chile, and starting with no expectations we were quite impressed with what it offers, especially all the amazing views of Cerro Castillo. It's definitely a good short alternative to the Torres del Avellano detour that we were forced to skip. Trail is easy to follow and you can find many camp spots along the way. There are many small shops in Puerto Ibáñez. Knowing the ferry schedule we went directly to the port where were just a few others in this time of the year.

Contact: @martin_hanzelka @helenneka

* '''26/02/2023 - 02/03/2023 / RR SOBO with emergency exit on a boat on Lago General Carrera / Louis, Rémi & Noé :'''

Day 1 - From Lago Verde - 15.5km - +700m/-300m We first hitchiked from Villa Cerro Castillo to Lago Verde on the Carretera Austral. We hiked then the gravel road until the camp next to the free check in point, in the forest.

Day 2 - Laguna La Plazza - 16.5km - +800m/-500m We kept going on the minor road before the well maintained horse trail. We took option to the Laguna La Plazza and we camped there but the weather was quite bad with a lot of wind. Would recommend to camp in the pasture down there in these conditions.

Day 3 - Lagunas before the pass - 17km - +1000m/-900m The trail was still very easy to follow this day. A bit of cross country at the end but nothing difficult as there are kerns. There is a spot to pitch tents next to the second lake, between it and the waypoint "camp" (that we didn't find btw). Very nice there and without the clouds, the view should be incredible.

Day 4 - CC until diversion @km69.8 - 14km - +500m/-1100m The troubles began for us this day. Noé injured his knee just after the pass. With Rémi, we alternated carrying his bag in addition to ours. That's why we hadn't moved a lot. The bush bashing is demanding and under the rain, fording is a real challenge. I would recommend you to be south of the Rio after the diversion/ford. We camped on the north side, a few hundred meters after the div.

Day 5 - Lago General Carrera - 30km - +700m/-1000m As we were a bit late, we decided to walk directly to the lake. We forded the Rio in order to be south of it and we found the horse trail, it was easier then ! We crossed the Rio a last time @km81.2, still manageable with the rain but a bit hard (water until the hips, we are 1m80 tall) with a strong current. Then, the minor road. We didn't leave it until the lake. A bit of ups and downs but the road is nice so it is fast. Here, at the lake. There is mobile coverage and so we contacted numeros given on the PDF on WhatsApp to find a boat to bring us back to civilisation. With the third bag to carry, it was too hard for us to keep hiking. I let you the contact of Jairo, that can bring you back to Puerto Tranquilo... for 400.000 CLP... we didn't had the choice as the settler living just in front of the lake wasn’t there. Jairo : +56 9 6633 9507 He transported us the next day.

* '''2023-Feb-21-27 / NOBO / RR + Option 3B / Ondrej and Bara / Puerto Ibanez - Vila Cerro Castillo / 6.5 days'''

Gorgerous section. Unfortunately, we were struck by bad weather mid-way which took out the joy and brought a few very difficult moments for us.

We went NOBO and on the 3rd day camped in the valley close to Maria & Julio (76.7 km). It started raining early morning and while the rain stopped around midday, it was enough to turn streams into rivers and cross country paths into swamps. We were unable to ford the river at km 69.8 at two different places. To continue, we decided to make a risky choice and bush-bash upstream on the other side of the river, hoping to ford it in an upper section and rejoin the trail. This eventually worked out. We forded the river at -46.43642, -72.45456 and rejoined the trail. This 1.2km diversion took us about 2 hours. Bush-bashing through forest was okay but in the middle of the diversion we struggled through 300m of thorny bushes which took forever to get across.

From around 1000m of altitude, we had fresh snow on the slopes. This made the boulder field more challenging than we wanted (fortunately still manageable). We crossed the exposed pass at km62.0 and continued on the other side, firstly through snow and then again through muddy cross country parts until we joined the trailhead at km 57.0. Afterwards the trail was easy all the way until the end.

We also met Anna and Christopher going the opposite direction - really great to meet fellow hikers!

* '''2023-Feb-20-24 / NOBO / RR shortend on the road sections / Zohar / Road to Levicán - Carterra Austeral / 5 days'''

I tried to shorten the section because of the upcoming bad weather, which hit on the last day, but I was lucky to catch a ride out with a family that came to collect wood from their land.

I arrived on Monday to pureto Ibañez spoke with the van to levicán that left at 17.40 to Levicán got off on the way where the rout leave the main road and walked till the shore of Lago General Carrera. Day 2 I followed the horse trail along the lake, which was very visible and easy to follow. Then, I followed a miner till I found a stable campsite. Day 3 was the hardest. I was determined to sleep at the base of the torres, so I had a lot of trail to cover, and the route was hard to follow, but the direction was clear. Day 4 started with a beautiful sun rise on the clear torres de avellano. The bolder field wasn't as hard as I itentenly thought, but be careful. After the pass, I met 4 young hikers going to the torres and back. Day 5 was wet, but at least on a minor road and about 9 km before the road, I was picked up and taken to Villa Cerro Castillo.

I don't advise doing the section in 5 days thay where long, big days, and it is better to enjoy the surroundings. if the weather was better, I would have taken 7 days. This section is beautiful and highly recommended

* '''20.02. - 24.02.23 / Anna & Christopher / SOBO, Villa Cerro Castillo - Puerto Ibáñez'''

In the afternoon we started hitchhiking the Carretera Austral to where Option 3B starts. There were lots of people trying to hitchhike directly from Villa Cerro Castillo, so we figuered to have a better chance if we walk further up the Carretera Austral. We soon got lucky. That day we walked the dirtroad until km 4.4 and camped there next to a small stream.

The next day was mostly easy walking on dirtroads until the crossing at km 45.5 (which is relatively easy to miss!). We camped at km 49 at the edge of the forest.

The next day the weather turned bad once we reached the section with all the boulders on the ascent to the pass. We did some unnecessary climbing by not sticking to the main route. When descending we lost the main route again and briefly tried to descend without it, which we soon realised is a bad idea, so we climbed back up to where we lost it. We spent the night at the camp at km 63.4.

The next morning we woke up with a clear blue sky and finally saw the Torres del Avellano. Really amazing rock formations. The following bushbashing part seemed ok to us, we had worse ones on the GPT so far ;). First we walked on to the right of the river following a good animal path. Once it ended we changed to the left side and stayed there. About 2/3 of the route is a realtively good path and the rest was some easy BB and climbing over fallen trees. Luckily the ford at km 69.8 was easy to cross. We took variant E from where on the trail was in a great condition and we could walk pretty fast. The river crossing at km 81.1 was more demanding and went almost up to Annas hips (1,63m). We camped soon after that at approx. km 81.5.

We continued on variant H the easy trail on the dirtroad until the lake, where it gets more demanding (we underestimated the continous ups and downs). The views are amazing though. It gets pretty windy next to the lake. We camped at a tiny spot at km 109.3 next to a small stream.

On the final day we walked to the bus station (6 pm) and took the ferry to Chile Chico the same day (8 pm). This section was great :)

* '''11-18 February 2023 / Maks&Gabi / SOBO / RR, 33H-E, 33H-H ( hichhiking from km136 to Puerto Ibanez)'''

We started from Villa Cerro Castillo. If you can, try not to skip the first part of road walking. It's beautiful with the view over Lagunas and Cerro Castillo. The terrain is also different than in later parts of the section.

There are some problems - lot of fences and gates on the first 5 km. Then many aggressive dogs and limited access to water (steep descents and fences around the lakes). The camping spots, marked on track files, can be hard to access (private properties with new fences). We camped by the bridge around 25km (the bridge is not marked).

We than waited half a day for the rain to stop. The rest of the road is also well maintained with occasional river crossing (all easy).

The next trail part (until km 57) is mostly visible. Some problem can occur by the CC part, especially during heavy rain - it was all floded. We weren't exactly expecting it, but it was snowing and the temperature during the night was about -4. Next day we waited until 11 am to dry our stuff, as the sun finally came out.

As Veronica wrote, when going up to the pass try to follow the cairns (33H-D). The part between the lakes and the pass is quite easy.

Going down from the pass we followed the GPS and we found it quite manageable (actually for us it seemed to be much easier going SOBO than NOBO at that point, even though it was slippery and with a lot of small streams going down the rock). We reached the camp at km 63.4 at 4 pm. First 400 m of BB is easy as the forest is not overgrown. It's getting worse in the valley. If possible try to be close to the river. We were fording it multiple times. Finally we stayed at the left side of the river, bushbashing for the next 3 km (that's where the trail starts). We slept next to the ford at km 69.8.

We forded the river in the morning. It's possible, but the current was strong (for us it was the worst ford on this section with water above our knees - I'm 175 cm). After the next ford we followed 33H-E as we couldn't find the entrance to the RR. It's a very well maintained path with a big puesto nearby.

After fords at km 81 we followed 33H-H as we didn't want to cross the river anymore. For those of you, who are planning to go there during the next few days, be carefull - somewhere around km 91 there is a fresh dead cow near to the water.

The lake part's quite exhausting. We were blessed with sunny and windless weather so we found it astonishing and not so dangerous. We started our last day at camp km 113.8 . Ascent on the road (117.5) is ok and there was water on km 119.9 (small stream). The rest of the road walking is easy (with occasional fences) but there's no water on km 135.2 (water on 129.3 is hard to access).

We hitchhiked from km 136 to Puerto Ibanez. During the weekend there is only one ferry a day (Saturday morning and Sunday evening).

* '''8 to 13 of February 2023 / Will / SOBO from Laguna Verde / 6 data'''

This one was an ordeal for me, I don't recommend starting with a week straight of rain in the forecast. At first I appreciated the ambiance after six completely dry weeks in the north, but after a few days it started to get me down. Thankfully to keep my morale up I encountered some kind settlers, a few pairs of GPT hikers, and some sun in the final stretch.

The rains never got too heavy, generally off and on light rain. The temperatures were fairly cold from the nearly constant cloud cover.

To start out I hitched out of Villa Cerro Castillo to Laguna Verde, teaming up with some of the many hitchhikers. The initial road walk was beautiful, some podcasts helped me power through the rest.

The pass was tough in the rain, but manageable. Things were slippery but there's enough to grab onto in the boulder fields to keep you stable, as long as you're focused and moving slowly. The ascent was nice boulder field the whole way, on the decent things looked scarier. Instead of boulders there was a lot of large smooth slab with water flowing down. The gpx route there was good, following boulders and vegetation around the slab. Things only felt dangerous once, when I went slightly off the track and ended up trapped between a cliff and a water slide. After some scary experimentation I found that I could get good traction on the waterslide using a crab walk technique, on my back with hands and feet and butt all resting on the slab. This let me traverse the waterslide back to safety.

The little bush bashing section after the pass was easy, I camped in there. Things got bad again once I got back out to the river and the cross country+bush bashing marker. My feet got worryingly numb after a bunch of river crossings and marshland traversal, I tried to stick to the woods after that.

I then took two big questionable detours from the tracks, staying to the south of the rio avellano and avoiding crossing it all the way until I reached the lake. I'll quickly describe them here but they were both uncomfortable and not worth it unless the river is impassable. The cold and rain seem to damage my decision making quite a bit, I refused to backtrack or to take breaks to think things through.

To skip the crossing at 69.8 I stayed in the woods south of the river starting at around km 67.5. Initially nice cow path, followed by a tricky wooded boulder field, followed by a horrific stretch crawling over thorny bushes. Eventually I made my way up to the base of some cliffs where things got a bit easier. Following the cliffs I reached a cow path, leading to some open woods through which I rejoined the trail around km 70.5. Never thought I'd be so happy to find cow poop.

I dropped a blue and black stone bracelet somewhere before or during the 71.8 river crossing, let me know if you come across it!

Some of the minor streams merging into the river were tough to cross. 71.8 was up to my thighs with a strong current.

To skip the first major crossing of the Rio Avellano at 81.2 I followed some horse trail to the big white rock hill, and climbed to the top. The rock was super grippy even in the rain. I then traversed along the slope to the east, staying between an elevation of 700 and 750m. There was some cow path making it easier to walk, I wonder how they get up there. A few tough bushy sections descending and climbing out of crevasses/streams before I got to a gradual stream at -46.46385, -72.30601 which I scrambled down to the river.

I ran into the settlers Luis and Jaqueline at their house by the river. They generously took me in for the night and gave me a chance to dry out some of my stuff.

From there I followed option 4C down to the lake, hoping that the river crossing there would be less scary with the river fanned out wider. The option was decent trail over some low passes to the lake, though at times it was hard to follow. It's tough to choose where to cross the river because you can't see the bottom through the silt. I decided to cross near the gpx line where it was wide with lots of debris and sand bars to rest in between the channels. At the worst points it was crotch deep and powerful, the rocks under my feet sliding back from the force. Pretty scary.

I camped in the willow grove by campo chico, and the next day (Monday) I raced to the bus stop at 130.4. It turns out that the bus is now at 6pm, I got there just in time. I took the bus to Puerto Ibáñez and got straight on the 8pm ferry to Chile Chico.

A small cut on my ankle ended up getting infected, I'm now in town out of commission with a ton of swelling. Should have been more careful!

* '''Feb 12 Direct Route SOBO 1 day Frank'''

I walked straight from Villa Cerro Castillo to Puerto Ibanez in one long day. A few KM out on a dirt road there is a museum on your left & a short trail on the right which goes to some rock paintings. You pass by a lake with good views of Cerro Castillo. Salto Rio Ibanez waterfall is impressive.

*Helen and Craig + (Caro and Ali)
5th-10th February NoBo<- only direction to do it! So pretty!

almost got stung by the ferry from Chile chico. Make sure when you go to the office as the online booking doesn't seen to be working, that you specify your a foot passenger. And if they refuse ask to be put on the waiting list for the next ferry (which means you'll get on just fine) pretty sure you could probably just turn up and ask very nicely and they would let you across. Looked in to the boats from Carlos and Pascual to join 33 missing the coast section from levican but Carlos is not in the area at the moment and Pascuals boat is currently non functional, sad times but the coastal section I would have been sad to miss!

-Decided to do Torres del avellano northbound. Highly recommend doing it this way and thankyou to the others who pointed out this point before us. Veiws were great and much easier to get over the bolder scramble going up.

-We walked in a group of 4 so payed for a transfere to levican and a pick up from lago lapparent. 60,000 each time.
-Phone signal from Puerto del avellano to levican
-The river valleys of avellano and venti were incredibly beautiful to the south.
-Route was better marked and easier to navigate than exsepted. Very Easy going apart from km 68.7-62. if you've done GPT 40 or 37, then you'll find 33 delightfully a breeze. (We did have good weather, in bad weather even just a little rain I imagine a very diffence and worse exsperience)
-In the BB/CC river valley of Rio avellano walk on the north shore of the river rather than going to the south. The forest is mostly easily passable or can hop out to the river valley to walk more freely. The south side of the river is calf/ knee high swampy bush bashing which leads to very cold feet and frustration.
-keep eyes peeled for humels! We spotted a male humel on the bushbash/cross country section and had the most amazing sighting!

* '''22 to 26 of January 2023 / Véronica / GPT33H RR SOBO / via GPT33H-03B / 4.5 days'''

Route: Villa Cerro Castillo - Laguna Verde (Río Alto valley) - Upper Río Avellano valley - Torres del Avellano viewpoint - Lower Río Avellano valley - Lago General Carrera - Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez

Simply beautiful section. Lots of excellent info is written about it in the Hiker's Manuel too. I only met 4 other hikers, with two of them being northbounding GPT hikers! Great to meet you, Yannic and Mirjam :)

From Villa Cerro Castillo I hitched easily on the Carretera Austral to Laguna Verde, where Option 3B begins. I wanted to cut some of the initial road walking because poor weather was incoming the next day and I wanted to try and beat it to have a chance at seeing the Torres. The road walk in the Río Alto valley was actually quite pleasant and scenic. There is a little self-registration booth across the road from the settler at km 30.8, where hikers are asked to "check in" before proceeding down the private road towards the Río Avellano valley. There is no charge.

The camp at 52.7 km is very nice with a little stream running through, lots of dead wood around to make a fire, and relatively sheltered. There is an old puesto/refuge there too that is open and has a fireplace. Could be a good spot to hole up if the weather is bad.

When you diverge from the Río Avellano valley to head up the pass, don't try and follow the GPS. Instead take the path of least resistance (or the path that looks the clearest) through the woods and across the rocks near the river. There are occasional cairns to mark the way too, although not always obvious to spot. Only the last cross-country section before the pass did I follow closely with the GPS, as it goes across a boulder field and the GPS line seemed to be the easiest way up to the pass.

On the south side of the pass is where you finally see the Torres del Avellano proper. Absolutely incredible, and I managed to get the great views only a couple of hours before the rain started and clouds engulfed everything.

I followed the GPS track closely going down through the granite boulder field, since it guided a safe way around the steeper cliffs. It was slow going down through the boulders, but it didn't feel unsafe as the rocks were grippy and solid.

The initial "bushbashing" segment at km 63.9 was very easy through a mature forest. I didn't follow the GPS here, just followed an old animal trail alongside a creek until it joined with Río Ventisquero. Again, the CC&BB section starting at km 64.4 was quite easy at first. I forded the river multiple times to walk along whichever side looked easier/less swampy. About midway through this section though it got tougher because Río Ventisquero got silty and the flow increased, so that I didn't want to ford it much anymore, so I stuck to the left (north) side of the river, mostly in the forest. There were some areas of unavoidable blowdowns and marshy terrain, and everything was wet from the rain coming down too.

When I reached the waypoint X, Ford at 69.8 km, I camped there for the night because Río Ventisquero was a torrent and looked unsafe to ford. There are a few nice, flat places to pitch a tent in this area, under large mature trees. Early the next morning, it was very cold and still raining, and I couldn't tell if the river had gone down at all or not. There was fresh snow higher on the mountaintops. I ended up fording the river slightly downstream from where the trail crosses it, and the water came up just below my hips (I'm 165 cm). The water is silty so you can't see the bottom, but the rocks underneath had surprisingly good traction, which I was grateful for because the current was strong.

It might be better to take Option 33H-E than the regular route. That trail looked well-maintained and clear, whereas the RR between 71.8 and 73.5 km was hard to follow and overgrown at times. There were no signs of life at the homestead of Maria and Julio when I passed through.

I was strategic when I forded Río Avellano at km 81.2, crossing multiple branches at their shallowest points. The water went midway up my thighs at the deepest point. Afterwards though I didn't want to cross it two more times, so I took Option 33H-H which stayed north of the river.

The refugio at km 98.5+0.2 on the shore of Lago General Carrera is nice and clean. There is a woodstove and some tables and chairs. It was crazy windy when I got there though, and I can't reccomend it as a good place to camp unless you sleep inside the refuge — the wind gusts were coming from all directions and there wasn't a spot that was sheltered outdoors. Further along the path at Campo Chico, there is a grove of mature willow trees that is probably a much better camp spot.

Very beautiful hiking along Lago General Carrera, but it was wildly windy for me that day. At times it was hard to stay on the trail due to the strong gusts trying to blow me off the path. Lots of water sources.

RH-MR&CC-V {33H} [19.5/118.0+4.6] is all minor road, no cross-country involved at all. I met the settler at km 121.8, he kindly let me pass through his property (and many gates) no problem.

I got to the minor road from Levican (waypoint at 130.4) at 7:40 a.m. on a Thursday. There is a little bus shelter there to protect from the wind. It was very cold and windy when I got there, and I waited until almost noon, hoping to hitch a ride. Not a single car passed by that whole time. So I resigned myself to the road walk, walked for about an hour in extremely windy conditions, and then a car finally came by and picked me up and drove me into Puerto Ibáñez :) Very grateful!!!

* '''2023 Jan / Yannic & Mirjam / Northbound'''

From Puerto Ibanez we made the first kilometres to junction 130.4 by car stop. Then we hiked on to Camp 113.4. We didn't stay at the location, but a little further ahead where the river flows into the lake. Along the lake was nice with a lot of ups and downs and then we camped somewhere on the side of the Minor Road. Along the Rio Avellano we stayed on the northern side so that we only had to cross the river once (at 81.2). The water came up to my waist (I am 180 cm). Surprisingly, there was another Ford at 69.8. Again, very strong current and loose ground, so it was difficult to find a good footing. Right after this Ford we spent the night in the forest.

On the climb at the start of the cross country section (at trailhead 68.5) be sure to get the right entry point as there are several small streams coming down the valley. We thought we saw a trail further into the forest that we could follow. Unfortunately, this was a mistake and led to us having to bush bash back onto the trail for a few hundred metres. In general, the trail was mostly better close to the river than deeper in the forest. The camping spot at the Torres was incredible and worth getting up for sunrise. The climb up the pass was very doable with the GPS tracks and not too difficult. On the other side of the pass, the trail got surprisingly good. We met a group of horses that were probably trekking to the lakes. Because the weather got worse, we took option 03 on the Carretera Austral and stopped at Ceroo Castillo.

*GPT section 33 7 days, 84 miles, 14K ft ascent Dec. 21 to 27, 2022 David and Erika NOBO

Ferry from Chili Chico runs just once a week (Mondays at 8:00 am) we missed it by hours and were stuck at the hotel California in Chili Chico for a day. “You can enter any time you like but you can never leave” got to be the feeling after residential bus after residential bus filled with residents and would not take us. Eventually got to Sierra Castillo and then hitched to Puerto Inginiero Ibanez. The tourist office there got her husband to give us a lift further 24 km to the end of the road. Well worth the 25,000 pesos. Road hike from there straightforward but new gates are being installed at the last road (NOBO) before you hit Lago General Carrera. Lots of wind. Last Refugio on the lake is legitimate. Good place to camp. Lower Rio Avellano was fordable. We thought we could avoid the 2nd and 3rd ford by taking the path over the hill. Don’t. It doesn’t go…Don’t worry, it gets worse. Ultimately, you’ll be hiking through the river all the way to Torres de Avellano. Note on that. The route takes you up to the lake. Beautiful, but then you go through a 2 km boulder field. We found the start of a trial before exiting the river that seems to lead right up to the pass. Might go, we don’t know. Instead, we took the boulder route, broke through a snow bridge, and put a deep gauge in Erika’s leg. Could have used stiches but had no sutures. Might be worth investigating.

*'''2022 Nov, NoBo, Option 1, Alice and Florian'''

We chose to do the option 1 taking the sendero de chile from Puerto Ibañez to Cerro castillo. Most of it is a trail road (first 25km, and the last 4) so it is quite tiring for the knees as some point. But it seems quite easy to do hitchhiking at least on the first 25 km if needed. Nevertheless it is quite a nice road. You first arrive to a very nice waterfall after 5km, them walk through a canyon with nice scenic views. The 10km pass through a forest trail near lakes, it is really nice as well.

* '''2022 Nov / GPT33H Option 11 and Parts of Regular Route / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

GPT33H/GPT34P: Northern coast of Lago General Carrera from Puerto Sanchez to Levican (packrafting and hiking)

From 2022-Nov-20 to 2022-Nov-24 we (Meylin Ubilla, Jan Dudeck) packrafted and hiked in 5 days from Puerto Sanchez to Levican along the northern coast of Lago General Carrera.

This lake is infamous for the frequent strong gusty wind, therefore packrafting requires a careful monitoring of the weather to depart only onto the lake when a period with calmer conditions is approaching. Luckily, there is reasonable good mobile phone coverage what facilities checking the weather and wind forecast frequently.

Given the wind conditions any packrafting attempt on Lago General Carrera requires to my opinion:

- decked packraft, a longer tandem is strongly preferable (faster, more stable) - a sail (to get quicker to an exit point) - packrafting experience in the region (to anticipate typical weather and wind patterns) - smartphone with entel SIM card or entel rooming - YR weather App, Windy weather App

The predominant wind is eastbound therefore only eastbound packrafting is advisable.

I’m left with the impression that wind gets generally stonger towards the east (towards Levican and Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez) and that calm periods are more frequent and longer towards the west (Puerto Tranquilo, Puerto Sanchez).

Also, calmer conditions are more likely in the early morning just after sunrise but strong wind all night is also common.

During a previous hike in February 2020 we experienced an entire summer day with barely any wind but such days are as frequent as unicorns and no travel plan should be build on exceptional favorable circumstances.

There is a trail along the northern shore but due to the steep coast there are sections of up to 13 km on the lake without a connection from the shoreline to this trail.

Emergency exits are more frequent along the coast but using such an exit means waiting for the wind to calm down what can take days. Therefore it is generally favorable to exit the water only in a location from where the trail can be reached easily.

We packrafted most of the distance from Puerto Sanchez to the Avellano river delta on 3 mornings in about 9 hours on the water but from there we hiked in two days to Levican because we had no similar promising calm weather windows in following early mornings. In hindsight the wind remained manageable in the morning hours till about noon but there was no point in reversing our decision to hike (and we urgently needed some exercise to get used to hike with heavy backpacks again).

Crossing from Puerto Tranquilo to Puerto Sanchez is reasonable feasible by packraft in calm weather (typically either very early in the morning or later in the evening). The crossing is 3 km wide and best started 1 km north of Puerto Tranquilo in a hidden bay with a nice protected spot to pitch a tent (46.6146°S / 72.6838°W · 210 m). If preparing the packraft at the beach of Puerto Tranquilo officials may stop packrafters as there are numerous restrictions and requirements applicable (in example accompanying motor boat with two licensed boat drivers).

Packrafters should depart in north-eastern direction to compensate for a south-eastern wind drift in case wind increases.

A very nice protected camp site is approximately 8 km from the recommended exit point near Puerto Tranquilo.

GPT33H: Bus Levican - Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez

The last 26 km from Levican to Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez are rather dull road walking. Therefore hikers that arrive at the right day and time can take the subsidized bus.

Monday and Friday only: 08:00 Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez -> Levican 09:00 Levican -> Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez 18:00 Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez -> Levican 19:00 Levican -> Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez Price: 1000 CLP

Transport at other times can be arranged for a substantially higher cost (estimated 40‘000 to 60‘000 CLP per vehicle).

Paty: +56 9 9506 3176

Luis: +56 9 8648 4075

==Season 2021/22==

* '''2022 Feb: 10-14, SoBo, RR, Kris&Stiina'''

Even though the first few days out of town is a road walk, the first part of it is actually really scenic and worth walking, the lakes are just very beautiful one the way. The second part was mostly in the forest and our feet, knees and hips were already hurting from all the road walking but once we got on trail it got better right away. The trail was surprisingly well maintained I would even say better than in Cerro Castillo National Park. Another unexpected surprise was the amount of people that we met on the trail a total of about 25 people in different size groups were hiking to see Torres de Avellano. We really didn’t expect that, there also seemed to be some sort of backpack hauling and guiding service that the local arrieros were offering. We unfortunately didn’t manage to talk to them to find out, but it seems that the place is getting popular. Which is not a surprise because it’s very very beautiful there, probably is correct what the manual says, that it’s going to be the next Torres del Paine, time will tell.

On day 3 about 2-3km before the pass the trail disappeared and the going got tougher and tougher, mostly just bolder hopping up and over the pass. The descent was pretty steep on large granite slabs which offered plenty of good grip but I am not sure how well would it work in wet conditions. I think the pass is doable in not good weather conditions but only if one feels very confident in own abilities on wet rocks. Also it’s a good idea to follow the gps on the way down because otherwise you end up on a cliff edge and have to track back up. The ground finally eases up once you enter the forest, but then starts the bushwhacky part all the way until ford/div at 69,7km.

That was as far as we could make it that day because the river was pretty fast in the evening. So we decided to camp right there and cross it in the morning when the flow would be a bit more manageable and our decision payed off. In the morning the river was about 10cm lower than the evening before, so if you ar a shorter person it could save you. The flow was pretty strong and water was still about hips deep. Both of us crossed it together by standing in a line, me in front and Stiina supporting me from behind, it worked great. After that it was easy cruising for the next 32km, however we had to cross that river once again at 81,2km. It was still challenging but we managed to do it the traditional way one by one, facing upstream. But the current was still very strong and pushing our feet out from under us, challenging our balance. After that we didn’t want to cross it two more times as gps suggested so we just stayed on the left coast all the way to the lake. There were some cow trails to follow and also to bypass the cliffs it was no problem.

The lake is really beautiful with all the islands and it wasn’t too windy when we arrived. We camped about a kilometer from Campo Chico on the rocky stream bed and managed to cook on the fire that night without causing fire hazard. And there were apple, pear and plum trees at the 98,3km, plums were very ripe but the apples and pears still need a week or two to get ready, but it was a very nice treat nevertheless.

Next day was Monday which meant that we could avoid the 26km road walk at the end of the section which we were determined to do. We had 30km to goto get to the road junction were the bus is passing by and according to the manual the bus would pass there some time after 20:00 which is when it starts from Levican. So we pushed the whole day over the steep, sandy, bushy terrain and made it to the junction by 19:00, great, we thought. But after bus didn’t show up we called the phone nr that Janna & Matthias had provided and it turned out that the bus actually leaves Levican at 18:00 and is long gone. But the bus driver was nice enough to offer us a ride to Puerto Ibañez, however for a hefty 45.000 pesos. We were out of food, out of water and pretty spent from getting ourselves there so we accepted the offer. The car ride showed that it would be a pretty dull road walk aswell if we would have had to do it so in the end it all worked out and we got to town just as we wanted.

The town was a bit disappointing, people were somehow not very helpful and also all accommodations were full, but we managed to camp at Las Cabañitas about a km out of town. The next day we went to the port to catch the ferry to Chile Chico, but due to strong winds all ferries were canceled and nobody could even give us a guess of when the ferries would restart. We didn’t want to spend another day in Puerto Ibañez so we hitched back to Villa Cerro Castillo in hopes to get bus or a hitch around the lake. There are definitely daily buses to Cochrane.

In the end our plans changed and we decided that we are content with our experience on GPT this season, so we left it at that. Thanks for kicking our butts GPT and showing us beauty we haven’t seen before! :)

For more stories of the trail, pictures, videos and in case you want to ask us anything you can find us on Instagram: @smallfootprint_bigadventures

* '''GPT 33H Option 4 (Puerto Cristal)/ Torres de Avellano/ Packrafting Route / 2022 Feb-4 / 7 days / Tobias Schorcht and Jonas Grünewald'''

I started Packrafting from Puerto Tranquilo to Puerto Sanches in the calm morning hours. Since Jonas doesn‘t have a Packraft, we booked a full Marvel Caves Tour by boat for him and asked the Captain, to leave him in Puerto Sanches, which was possible without any extra paying. We hiked northbounded along Lago Vidal Gormez and visited the left behind abandoned village Puerto Cristal. It was an impressive experience to see the old facilities of the Mining Company! The good visible trail is partly overgrown with spiky bushes and contains a lot of altitude. We have been rewarded with stunning views on the Lago General Carrera and recommend this option anyway. We went up to the Torres with good weather knowing, that some wind and rain have been predicted for the night. It took us many hours to cross the valley (-46,43300, -72,48867) because we mainly followed the “cow-trails” through the forest and wetland (as an alternative to walk up the river). We reached the camp (-46,42178, -72,50672) late and sheltered the spot with rocks against the wind. You are welcome to use our cozy spot free of charge 😉. Took the trail from the Torres down to Cerro Castillo without difficulties.

We have to say, that this part of the GPT was challenging but absolutely worth the struggle.

Disfrutas las cosas 🙏

* '''NoBo, January 2022, 6.5 days, Participants: Janna & Matthias'''

Day 1: We took the ferry from Chile Chico to Puerto Ibañez (ferry schedule online).There still runs a government-subsidised bus (+56 9 89448847) between Puerto Ibañez and Levicàn on Mondays and Fridays at 8am & 5pm (summer). We decided to spend the afternoon rain relaxing at the pizzeria in Puerto Ibañez and then catch the bus. We called and found out that the bus stop is now in front of the Supermercado Jelvez. The driver let us off at Div 130.4/311 at about 6pm ($1000 per person cash) and we hiked for another hour or so. At bridge 129.3/304 you cannot get water (a kind of gorge), maybe at the marked "Water?" about 15min downstream. We had enough with us and camped sheltered from the wind between the monoculture trees (S 46.377764 W 71.922459).

Day 2: We continued through / over many gates and past empty houses down to the water. Attention if NoBo: at gate 122.6/628 there are two gates - the GPT splits behind the left one, so take that one. The first water before the lake and two good camps at the lake are marked. The path along Lago Carrera was easy to find, sandy and rough in places but we could follow old riders' tracks. We really enjoyed the fantastic view over the lake and had a tábano-free time thanks to the strong wind. About 2 km before Campo Chico (S 46.478295 W 72.086034) we found a west wind-protected and very nice camping spot.

Day 3: Further camping possibilities would be as already described on wikiexplora at Campo Chico and at Puerto Avellano. Along the lake there are streams/rivers for drinking water every 1-2h. There is a wild apple tree on the trail here: S 46.487073 W 72.102247 in case you come by at the right time of year. After Puerto Avellano there is about 15km of a former mine road that is easy to follow. We had a wonderful view of the mountains the whole day. The first two Fords are easy to pass with little water. Water sources again every 1-2h. Our camp 3 was here: S 46.457910 W 72.299412 - beautiful, next to the water, sheltered from the wind.

Day 4: Ford-day - in total we forded rivers more than 20 times, all of them were easy to knee deep except Río Avellano at 81.2/490 which reached almost to our hips and required a lot of effort. We met and chatted with settler Maria who was on her way to have some work done. At Div/Ford 69.7/634 the mountain peaks remained hidden in the clouds and the weather forecast was not so sparkling why we opted for the bypass (option 2) which is also very nice to walk with imposing mountain massifs on both sides, enchanted fairytale forests, a waterfall and easy-to-find cow tracks. Only the large swamp around S 46.386387 W 72.422623 was very unpleasant and foul-smelling, about shin deep. It may be worth looking for a path along the water there. Camp 4: S 46.371434 W 72.432519, quiet and nice under curious observation of two horses on the other side of the river.

Day5: At Div 54.5/841 we checked the weather again but as it still looked bad and everything in the valley further up was already in fog we finally decided against the Torres. At this Div there was an unmarked Ford when coming from option 2. If NoBo hiking directly after this Div take the path higher up the hill and not the marked route directly along the water, because the latter is slipped and to climb. At Puesto 53.0/946 (if NoBo) do not go through the gate but continue on the east side. A Horse Trail runs along the eastern edge of Mallin Grande. Our Camp 5 was here: S 46.281253 W 72.436128.

Day 6: Continued on the gravel road, passing many settlers and pastures. The Estero Alto flows much lower than the road, there is water at Bridge 25.7/454 and otherwise only at the lakes. There is a fence almost everywhere to the left and right of the road. To get to Camp 16.9+0.3/598 you have to climb over a locked gate (S 46.178222 W 72.312583). The two buildings in the pasture are a ruin (S 46.182635 W 72.311414) and a stable (S 46.183119 W 72.310509).

Day 7: Continued along the gravel road we almost missed Div 5.5/554 where a sandy path continues. The path is blocked by a wire fence at S 46.143124 W 72.184071 but a little further to the right you can slip through. No problems to get to Villa Cerro Castillo

==Season 2020/21==

* '''February 2021 from Bahía Murta to Torres del Avellano to Carretera Austral / Northbound, 5 days. Valle Resfalín/Resfalón (Option 8) + Mirador Torres del Avellano + Regular Hike + Escape to Carretera Austral (Option 3B) + Hitchhiking to Villa Cerro Castillo'''

Day 1: Bahia Murta to Camp #5 (Camp ? @33H-08-#005) / 11.5 km / 6 hours

The hike started at Bahía Murta, on a steep hillside. We used the GPS tracks to find the path, and from there on it’s pretty easy to follow the path (when in doubt, we checked the GPS). It’s a very nice hike, and at the end of the day it’s necessary to cross the river. We both had trekking sandals, which came in handy every time we had to cross a river. Just after the river there is a camp option. We found a nice spot on the other side of the wooden fence, but there are many more options up the small hill. It was a perfect place for sleeping, with the soothing sound of the river.

Day 2: Camp #5 (Camp ? @33H-08-#005) to Regular Route at Mallín Quemado (Camp ? @33H-08-#010) / 11.7 km / 8 hours

This was one of the longest days for us, mainly because we underestimated how much time it takes to walk through a path that’s been reclaimed by nature. The day started with a steep uphill, where we lost the path for a while and then had to check the GPS to find it again. There are streams on the way where it’s possible to refill the water bottles. About a third way in, at (-46.38537, -72.55201), the path collapsed, probably washed out by the river. We took a look around and decided it was way safer to cross the river than to continue on the collapsed path (it was late February, so the river was not so full). We crossed to the other side, and 100m ahead crossed back. This is definitively the trickiest part of the day (although a bit farther ahead we found ourselves in the middle of a caterpillar forest...not really pleasant). Just after the crossing the are two camp sites (Camp ? @33H-08-#008 and Camp ? @33H-08-#009), but we would recommend keep going as the second part of the day is definitively easier than the first. Farther ahead we found two more camp site options: at (-46.36768, -72.53116) on this side of the river and at (-46.36722, -72.53088) on the other side of the river. We considered sleeping there, because we were exhausted, but in the end we decided to keep going as we still had some hours of daylight left. This was the right choice, because that way we could sleep at Mallín Quemado and then the next day do the day trip to Torres del Avellano. Mallín Quemado is the name the locals use for the big forest area that was “burned” by the ashes of Volcan Hudson. It’s near (Puesto @33H-53.0) and it’s a perfect place for sleeping. We decided to boil the water from the small stream, because there were some cattle grazing around.

Day 3: Camp #10 (Camp ? @33H-08-#010) to Mirador Laguna y Torres del Avellano and back to Camp #10 / 7.1 km (each way) / 3 hours (each way)

We started early and with a lot of motivation to go and see the Torres del Avellano. Sadly the day was a bit cloudy, but nonetheless it was totally worth it: the views from up there are breathtaking! A lot of glaciers and superstreams with the purest water you can ask for. When we arrived back at the camp, we met the first person in 3 days: Francisco, a teacher from Puerto Aysen. He came up the other way, from Villa Cerro Castillo, and was planning on going to Torres del Avellano on the next day, and then head back to Villa Cerro Castillo.

Day 4: Camp #10 (Camp ? @33H-08-#010) to Camp at (-46.26244, -72.35118) / 21.6 km / 8 hours

Another long day, but without any difficult parts. This section of the hike is way more popular than Valle Resfalín/Resfalón, so the path is way easier to follow. The first section, until the car road, is really beautiful. We even saw some (semi) wild horses! We knew that once the car road started there wouldn’t be so many camp site options, so we kept our eyes open. The car road goes through a narrow valley, and then comes a steep down hill. At the bottom of the hill, on the left side, there is a small meadow, where it’s possible to pitch a tent (-46.26244, 72.35118). Water is available 100m down a steep hill.

Day 5: Camp at (-46.26244, -72.35118) to Carretera Austral / 14.8 km / 4 hours

Following the main car road to Carretera Austral it’s impossible to get lost. We didn’t find any stream on the way, but in case of needing water there are many houses. Just be sure to ask nicely :) Once on the Carretera Austral we hitchhiked to Villa Cerro Castillo. We only had to wait for 30 minutes to get a ride, and considering that we did this during covid times...not too bad. We also had the backup plan of Francisco, who would be driving to Villa Cerro Castillo later that day. Funny enough, we ran into Francisco by chance in Villa Cerro Castillo and he invited us to an ice cream. It was a nice way of ending the trip.

We are extremely grateful to Jan and all the people from wikiexplora for making this adventure possible!

==Season 2019/20==

*'''Section 33: RR(New!) from Ibáñez. Exit via Option 8 to Bahía Murta.'''
Westbound. 11 days. Party (3): Mum, Sis and I.

Ibáñez y Península Levican: Continuing our extended stay in Chile we caught a government subsidised bus from Cerró Castillo to Ibáñez where we learnt after a somewhat lengthy process: talking to the ticket office, boat personnel and then the carabineros (an officer and then his jefe!), everyone passing the buck; that without a certificado de salud (not available in town, and only online) we couldn't board the vessel. The upside was that the Naviera Austral had fantastic baños (yes! they were open!) and the cleaning lady let us have a quick body wash and even do a little laundry before she had to close up. There was also limited WiFi connectivity (only WhatsApp would work) and powerpoints where we could charge our things. It also happens that we bumped into a Zulema Amoroz who was born in Fachinal, most likely a relative of Carloz Amoros who offers the boat service from Fachinal across the lake (we contacted him but no boats were allowed on the lake). If you hang around near where the ferry docks you might find her selling coffee and alfajores.

We quickly decided to walk the new Section 33 Jan recently published, but end in Bahía Murta instead (i.e. explore option 8). Some effort was exhausted trying to organise a lift out to Península Levican. We did find someone for $30k, (it seemed a little steep but that's roughly what to expect), but it wouldn't be till the following day and we needed to get out of town to spend the night. We stocked up on food and started out on foot on the old RR (now Option 1) camping before we reached Río Ibáñez.

I had a little concern about water on the way to Levican, but there are two or three good streams along the way: (-46.31022, -71.97272) (-46.32470, -71.96457) (-46.34091, -71.94069)

In Puerto Ray a lady (also named Zulema!) warmed up to us and let us camp in her fruit orchard. In the morning we bought some eggs and 'bread' from them. Her husband was tanning a chivo hide; he had such a jolly step!

Along Lago General Carrera: We went back to the junction (Div Levican @33H-131.4) where a good emergency shelter exists. The road is still very clear from here, but don't expect any traffic. I think it was a rare sight that we saw an old Mercedes truck full of wood lumbering (pun intended ;) out. The rd deviates a little from the track files maybe due to the pine plantations. There are many new rds., so take care you don't go the wrong way. Taking the RR you will pass through a locked gate (-46.38234, -71.96692), after this keep an eye out for a gate on the left. It's not in the track files and we didn't look for it, so maybe it's not there. The issue we had was that the road continues up the hill, deviating from the RR around (-46.38448, -71.97642). Here you should already be on the small road on the other side of the fence (someone traveling towards Levican/Ibáñez will find this easier to scope I imagine). Though it's not recommended to cross fences, we carefully crossed instead of heading back. A very minor Rd continues down to a dilapidated puesto and a couple of portóns. The road didn't seem to continue as indicated in the track files... but I wasn't following my gps. We CCed across a field until we encountered another road that led back to the RR.

You will finally encounter your first reliable water source since Levican (-46.40196, -71.97831), especially if you are heading towards Ibáñez, make sure you fill up here!

The two camps in the track files at km117 and km114 were the best we saw. The next obvious choice would be around Campo Chico I think, quite a bit further along. Plenty of water along the lake and we had plenty of apples seeing we were walking so late in the walking season. Amazing autumn colours! The track is also in good shape, someone had very recently 'cleaned' the way! The refugio at Los Álamos was a very welcome sight, a great place to spend a night (it's there because of the high winds possible on the lake). The nearby settler was resonably friendly and his dog Puestero even more so! He told us that it was him who 'cleaned' the track along Lago General. It made our walking so much easier! Thanks Armando!

Valle Avellano y Ventisquiero: The old mining road through Valle Avellano was easy to follow. The road actually continues significantly further than indicated in the track files. Taking Variation F to avoid extra crossings of the river we found the road ended about here: (-46.45730, -72.30207). There is an unmarked ford here: (-46.46107, -72.24636)

We took Variation D and just caught Maria and Julio before they headed out with their kids on a horse ride. We bought some bread from them. They called it a tortilla, but I think my Mexican friends would strongly argue the point ;)

Easy walking up into Valle Ventisquiero. Read Jan's track notes. They are quite thorough. The trail to remeet Río Avellano is a little unused (also as mentioned in his write up), but easy to follow. Some good camping before the river. We met some gouchos using the puesto, they were not overly friendly; I think a little scared because of the virus. They pointed out a nearby shelter we could use made from a very old technique using U-shaped logs (I met a carpenter in Murta who told me a little about it).

Option 8: Valle Resbalín/Resfalón(?): It was snowing in the morning. We decided to take Option 8 to Bahía Murta. This meant less road walking and involved a part marked as 'I' (investigation) which would be nice to document. It appears that this route down Valle Resbalín (or "Resfalón" as some locals in Murta told me it was named... anyone know?) is no longer used; quite overgrown, vague and in places difficult to detect at all. Sometimes all we could see was the occasional chainsawed log; and in some chutes: machete marks. Water was plentiful. There was a very old but partially functional puesto en route.

There is a junction ('div') here: (-46.37495, -72.53695). The trail heading up the side valley actually looked quite distinct. I'm not sure what it's name is, or what's up there, but the water was a nice glacier blue and it had a higher flow than the 'main' named river.

The only tricky spot to find the track was where it was washed away by the river, about here: (-46.38527, -72.55201). I cut steps in the bank, crossed, and dropped a rope down for the others. It would be much safer to walk in the river. We explored options to bypass via skirting around in the bosque, but they didn't seem practical. The nearby camp site marked in the track files (Camp ? @33H-08-#008) is not really good. Better to camp 200m upstream If camping around here. We camped at the confluence with Estero Sur, which is the best spot to camp we saw in the entire valley. From this point down the valley, the track is in use: plenty of fresh signs of cattle (maybe they graze in the side valleys?). Ford Estero Sur (-46.39815, -72.58224) and follow the track down the valley with ease. There is camping at (Camp ? @33H-08-#004) but better 300m down the valley near a corral. 50m down valley of (Camp ? @33H-08-#002) camping is possible next to the vague ruins of an old puesto. Further down the valley are several grassy areas good for camping, the most obvious is here (-46.43778, -72.65597) in the vicinity of the old puesto. The track (as opposed to Rd) continues much further than indicated in the track files. The road only starts about here (-46.44697, -72.66655) once you are nearly in Murta. We rested a full day in Murta and I happened to run into Felepé who we'd meet before the trip in Cerró Castillo. Loco!

Thanks Jan for making this trip possible, Tobias Hellwig for recommending the reroute, and all the people on wikiexplora who explored and documented the tracks.

If anyone has any information on the history of Valle Resbalín/Resfalón(?), the mining prospectors in Valle Avellano, or the settlers that abandoned the coast of Lago General Carrera, I'd love to read a bit.

I hope this helps someone. Thanks!

Oh! and we're back in Cochrane now and planning to be in Coyhaique in a week or so. Cheers.

* '''BE AWARE THAT THE BELOW LOGS refer to Option 1 and not to the new Regular Route:'''
Until 2019 the Regular Route followed the Sendero de Chile in the vicinity of Rio Ibañez what is now Option 1. Tobias Hellwig suggested to reroute the GPT via the Torres de Avellano to incorporate this hidden treasure. This proposed new route was investigated and documented in February 2020 by the founders of the GPT. By this time multiple segments of this new route were already published on Wikiexplora by other authors. Only the route from Kilometer 62.2 to 69.9 remained undocumented and had to be researched and ground-proved.

* '''10 Mar 2020 / RH SOBO / Ty / 1 day'''

Super easy in general. I was able to get a hitch for like the last 10 kilometers. There’s a lot of different trail you can wander off on at the start of the sendero de Chile, so just be aware of your navigation at the start. The only good easily accessible water I found was between the two lakes before the intersection where you start walking the road. The ferry to Chile Chico leaves around 8 and takes a couple hours. Otherwise the next ferry leaves at 11 am....but make sure to confirm these times yourself. When arriving in Chile Chico, I climbed up to the viewpoint/mirador close to the ferry landing and found a place protected on the wind and slept on the ground. There is also an abandoned house marked in I-overlander that has an area in a room big enough for a 2 person tent. It’s on your right just before the climb up to the mirador.

* '''Jan 2020 / RH Northbound / Matthieu / 2 days'''

No technical difficulties on this part. However, I was stopped, when the GPT leave the road to go between the two lakes, by a sign : área protegida, ingreso no permitido. For me, it was cristal clear, so I just continued the road, disappointed. I spoke to one of the settler not far, who told me that it was only for cars and it s ok for walkers, and that it is part of the "Sendero de Chile". So the way seems open finally. Anyway, there is another little path just before the lago Ardillas that goes north, and join the GPS tracks above the Valley Ibanez. Well maintained, in the hills, lots of cows, good experience.

* '''2019 Jan/ Olrik / Northbound'''

From Ibanez you walk on a dirt road to the entrance of a Reserva Natural. You are on the Sendero de Chile so it is well marked. In the reserva the trail is easy to follow and there was no one. You end up in Cerro Castillo. We did it in 2.5 days but could be done in 1 day if beginning early.

* '''2019-Nov-28/ Lea Geibel/ 1 day / Northbound / Regular Hiking Route (Puerto Ibañez to Villa Cerro Castillo)'''

After arriving with the ferry at 10.30 a.m., the section can be hiked in one day (around 8 hours of walking). Most of the section is on a dirt road with very little traffic. The part that is following a trail is marked with posts with red / white rings on them. Occasionally the trail is not very visible but numerous animals tracks are usually heading in the right direction before eventually meeting up with a trail marker again.

=Resupply and Accommodation=

==Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns==

*2025 / Michael & Kasia:
If entering or exiting via Opt 8 or Opt 4, Bahía Murta (Puerto Murta) has several places that rent cabañas or camping space. There are at least 5 shops in town. The two largest both had tall skinny gas recharge canisters (Minimercado Gemaniar 3.000, Minimercado Estribo 4.000), but no screw type for backpacking stoves. Minimarket Gemaniar across from the tourist information office had generally the best prices and a good selection. The panadería across from the plaza had good pan amasado.

*Section GPT33H starts in Villa Cerro Castillo and terminates in Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez (Resupply information see GPT34H). Hikers that continue southbound may also resupply in Chile Chico after the ferry crossing of Lago General Carrera (Resupply information see GPT35).

*Several shops sell food and camping gas canisters.

*Restaurants offer filling meals.

*Accommodation is provided by hostels, cabañas and camp sites in these towns.

*Hikers that walk GPT33H and its adjacent sections with continuous footsteps can resupply in Cerro Castillo, Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez and Chile Chico and do not need to leave the route to resupply.

==Resupply and Accommodation along the Route==

*There is no plannable resupply along the entire Regular Route but some food may be obtained at the two homestead farms on the route.

[Settler (Maria & Julio) @33H-76.9]: Maria and Julio are one of the few settlers that still make cheese for sale in such a remote location. If you are short on foot you might also ask if they may sell some bread, milk or meat.

[Settler (Luis Diaz) @33H-85.2]: Luis : When passing his home consider a visit. You may also ask if he has bread or meat to sell.

[Puesto @33H-98.5]: The puesto 250 m north of Puerto Avellano is rarely occupied by their owners but the fruit trees might provide some well desired vitamins in summer and early autumn.

=Transport to and from Route=

*2025 / MiaimZelt
Subsidized bus between Puerto Ibañez and Levican every Monday & Friday: Ibañez/levican 8:15 & 17:00, Levican/ibañez 9:00 & 18:00.
Transportes Freddy Morales (+56 9 9506 2906)

*2023 / Maks&Gabi
We hitchhiked from km 136 near Levican to Puerto Ibanez. During the weekend there is only one ferry a day (Saturday morning and Sunday evening).

*2023 / Louis, Rémi & Noé :
Here, at the lake. There is mobile coverage and so we contacted numerus given on the PDF on WhatsApp to find a boat to bring us back to civilisation. I let you the contact of Jairo, that can bring you back to Puerto Tranquilo... for 400.000 CLP.. Jairo : +56 9 6633 9507

*Most buses to Villa Cerro Castillo leave Coyhaique in the morning around 08:00 and pass Villa Cerro Castillo approximately 1:30 hours later. In the opposite direction buses pass Cerro Castillo in the early afternoon.

*Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez has regular public transportation to Coyhaique (1:45 hour by bus) and Chile Chico (2:15 hour by ferry). The ferry over Lago General Carrera that connects Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez with Chile Chico does two round trips each day, one in the morning and one the evening. Buses to and from Coyhaique operate synchronized to these ferries.
Best Call Buses Alejandro: +56 9 7652 9546

*Subsidized bus from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez to Levicán: Monday and Friday, Approx. 1’000 CLP Morning round trip: Leaving Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez at 08:00, arriving in Levican around 09:00 and returning immediately to Ibañez around 09:00 and arriving at Ibanez around 10:00. Evening round trip: Leaving Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez at 17:00, arriving in Levican around 18:00 and returning to Ibañez at 18:00 arriving at Ibanez at 19:00.

*Private transport from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez to Levicán: Anytime, Approx. 35´000 CLP
Try to call Luis: +56 9 8648 4075

*Combining GPT35 with GPT33H

Northbound hikers may consider connecting GPT35 directly with GPT33H by exiting Parque Patagonia towards Fachinal and crossing Lago General Carrera by motorboat from Fachinal to the Desembocadura Rio Avellano. Here Lago General Carrera is only 3.5 km wide and a motorboat crossing does not take more than 20 minutes. Unfortunately, in summer this requires some patience as the normally strong wind often impedes this. In the morning or the evening the wind occasionally calms down but rarely during the day.

Carlos Amoroz, a settler in Fachinal owns a motorboat and offers this service on request. Pascual Diaz, a tour operator from Mallin Grande, can also provide this service but he must first haul his motorboat the 42 km on trailer from Mallin Grande to Fachinal what makes his service substantially more expensive.

Settler with motorboat in Fachinal (Location: -46.5568°S / -72.2120°W) Name: Carlos Amoroz Mobile: +56-9-76267029 Price: Approx. 30’000 CLP for 2 persons

Tour operator with motorboat in Mallin Grande Name: Pascual Diaz (Company: “Kalem Patagonia”) Mobile: +56-9-7391 7881 Price: Presumably more expensive and advance notice required

This section combination of GPT35 with GPT33H seems more practical in northbound direction as hikers can first talk directly to the settler with the motorboat in Fachinal, resupply in Chile Chico (by taking a motorized transport from Fachinal to Chile Chico and back) and then cross Lago General Carrera with a refilled backpack. While waiting for the wind to calm down hikers can pitch their tent at a nice wind protected camp site on the shore of Lago General Carrera.

Thanks to the reasonably good mobile phone coverage in Fachinal hikers can check the weather and wind forecast and call the settler with the motorboat when approaching Fachinal. This permits hikers to anticipate or discard a motorboat crossing on arrival.

Hikers that attempt a more complicated southbound crossing of Lago General Carrera should make arrangements with the settler with the motorboat at least one or two weeks before arriving at Puerto Avellano, test communication devices (i.e. InReach to mobile phone), agree on the precise pick-up location (Puerto Avellano or Desembocadura Rio Avellano) and carry enough food to wait some time in Puerto Avellano. Hikers should be prepared that the wind may not calm down while waiting several days in Puerto Avellano. In this case the motorboat transfer should canceled, and the hiker should walk out to Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez before the food reserves deplete. There is mobile phone coverage at Puerto Avellano (entel if I recall correctly).

=Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues=

*To my knowledge paddling on Lago General Carrera requires a permit from the Armada de Chile but complying with all requirements might not be possible even for a well equipped packrafter (i.e. distress signal rockets).

=Links to other Resources=

Retired Section Article [[GPT33H - Puerto Ibañez]]

Retired Section Article [[GPT33H - Torres del Avellano]]

For additional information see the Wikiexplora Articles:

[[Península de Levican - El Avellano]]

[[Torres del Avellano]]

[[Laguna La Plaza]]

For more information see the Wikiexplora Article:

[[Puerto Cristal]]

For more information see the Wikiexplora Articles:

[[Valle Miller]]

[[Estero Jaramillo]]

A part of this route is described in the Wikiexplora Article:

[[Mirador Este de las Torres de Avellano]]

=Images=

GPT33H (Torres de Avellano)

2026-02-19T14:08:59Z

MMartinez: /* Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions */

'''[[GPTs|List of all GPT sections]]'''

= How to a add new entry =
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Add a new log entry always on top in the appropriate season sub-chapter and use format:


<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''Start Date to Finish Date (use Format YYYY-MMM-DD) / Duration in Days / Hiking or Packrafting / Travel Direction (SOBO for Southbound or NOBO Northbound) / Chosen Route and/or Option Name (RR for Regular Route) / Names or Alias'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>

If you are packrafting, put the above info into HTML tags like this (if you follow a hiking route for part of the way, highlight only "packrafting", as above):


<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''YYYY-MMM-DD / X days / Packrafting / SOBO / RP / Your name'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>.

Include remarks about your route useful for other hikers and packrafters, alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties. Try to be specific. Do not be shy to fix obvious mistakes.

=Overview=
The GPT manual has an extensive description of this route and all its options.

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/2026==
* '''2026 Feb 2 to Feb 14 / 11 hiking days, 2 zero days / NOBO / Hiking / RR, Var H, Var E, Opt 2 / Michael and Kasia'''

QUICK NOTES: A long and grueling section, but worth it if you get good weather and nice views of the Torres. It is worth making the effort to time this section with the weather, both for enjoyment as well as safety. We think NOBO is the much more attractive direction to go, especially up the Torres valley. The camp at the Torres is only for excellent weather, but worth it. If not planning to do the pass, the bypass valley is really enjoyable and has many nice views of its own.

CAMPS:

Night 1: -46.43813, -71.99556 (Camp 113.9, flat space for multiple tents on grass, good wind protection, no view, water about 200 m away

Night 2: -46.48709, -72.10010 (On the Campo Chico península, flat space for one tent, a little wind protection from west winds but not much, nice view, water from the lake very close by)

Night 3: -46.46164, -72.24432 (Flat space for one tent, wind protection from west winds, some view, water about 200 m away)

Night 4: -46.45153, -72.41652 (Flat, grassy area, space for a few tents, good wind protection, water close by)

Night 5: -46.42558, -72.50041 (Flat space for one tent, water nearby, good wind protection)

Night 6: -46.42178, -72.50672 (Camp 63.4, stellar view, no wind protection, difficult water access)

Night 7: -46.43207, -72.43984 (near Ford 69.8, wind protected, water nearby)

Nights 8-10: -46.36802, -72.43937 (At Puesto? 4.8, flat space for 2 tents, excellent wind protection, no view, water is about 200 m away)

Night 11: -46.26115, -72.40152 (flat spot for 1 tent, water nearby, some wind protection, right on the trail)

Night 12: -46.15244, -72.22080 (Emergency camp, not recommended, no water)

Day 01 - Feb 2nd

We took the bus from Ibáñez to the cruz. The route is well known by the locals and the driver knew the spot. She asked if we were planning to come back via Ibáñez or leaving through Cerro Castillo. (We stayed in Ibáñez at Cabañas Antu, a nice place, we would recommend (+56 9 7996 0067). The owner works for the municipality and confirmed what another report here said, that they will build a road to the port, in part to promote tourism, and they plan to make the Avellanos a protected area. He said they are doing exploration and surveys now, but in about 5 years they will start the road.) The minor road out is easy to follow. There were a couple of locked gates we had to hop. We stopped for lunch near Water 119.9 at the point where Daniel camped. It looked like a good camping spot with easy water access. We met Graham and Gabe headed SOBO and chatted with them for a bit. The road down is steep and sandy. Camp 116.3 had a flattish space but there were the plants with the spikey little balls growing everywhere. We pushed on to Camp 113.9 and were happy with the choice. It was just off the trail (look for the hole in the fence), flat, grassy, and wind protected. We had to go back to the stream about 200 m away for water.

Day 02 - Feb 3rd

The day of ups and downs. For some reason last year we were under the impression that the route went right along cliffs above the water and would be challenging for someone with vertigo (we both have it). We did not find this to be the case at all. There were a few short tricky spots, but nothing particularly bad. This would, however, be very unpleasant to walk in windy or rainy weather. Fortunately it was dry and windless most of the day. As we got closer to the lake there were some BB sections which became tiring. When we got to the lake at one point we put on water shoes and walked the rocky beach to save on the BB. We camped at the Campo Chico península near the east beach. We looked at the area under the willows near the old puesto, but we couldn't see how to put the tent. Many of the branches hung low, the ground was sloped, and there was no good water access. Above the beach we found a spot next to what looked to be another old puesto, there was an old wood stove, a table and some corrugated sheet metal. The wind protection was not great. Camping directly on the beach would probably have been better.

Day 03 - Feb 4th

The last 4 km to the port were mostly easy. Toward the end we switched to water shoes and walked the shore to avoid BB. We walked until we reached a fence built out into the lake. Just up the hill was an open gate and the road to the refugio. It was very windy there. We found a place in the bushes that was wind protected and had lunch. The refugio itself was not that inviting. It looked like a temporary office on a construction site. After lunch we started up the minor road. It was windy and there was a bit of rain on and off. The road and the landscape both felt kind of monotonous. We camped just before Ford 87.2 in the same place Dave and Siyuan camped (and thank you to them for leaving the GPS coordinates in the report, I doubt we would have seen that spot otherwise). It was a flat space big enough for our tent on grass with good wind protection from west winds. Water was about 200 m away at the ford.

Day 04 - Feb 5th

A mild day, no real wind, some sun and some clouds, cool, which we were happy for. We used the open Wi-Fi network at Puesto 81.8 to check the weather again. The network was not password protected and we were able to get signal from the road. We took Var H to only have to cross the river once. The crossing was easier than we expected. We crossed very close to the marked crossing at km 81.2. It was just above the knees at the deepest point (we're both about 165 cm) with decent current but manageable. Shortly after crossing we saw Roberto just as he was taking his ox cart across the river. We waved to each other. No one was around when we passed Maria and Julio's. We took Var E because the RR after the intersection looked like bush bashing through swamp. The trail kept disappearing for the first kilometer or so, but it was in open forest so we just needed to navigate around fallen trees. After a kilometer the trail became much more consistent and easy to follow. We camped at about km 1.4 on the variant. It was a nice, flat grassy spot just after a muddy stream crossing in a clearing that provided good wind protection but with no trees directly overhead, so no risk of falling branches. For water I went up stream a few meters and found an area that was sandy with good flow and ladled the water with my cup, being careful not to stir up sediment. The water tasted surprisingly good, very clean and fresh.

Day 05 - Feb 6th

We got started early to get across the last major ford. The remainder of Var E was in good shape and easy to follow. Ford 71.8 was easy. The two km between it and Ford 69.8 was also in good shape and easy to follow. Ford 69.8 was knee deep for us and actually quite easy. Fortunately there had been several cooler or overcast days without any real rain, so the level was low. The path up to Trailhead 68.5 was very steep for a lot of it. We stopped for lunch at Camp No Water 68.7. It is an old corral. We would not be able to put our tent up there if we wanted to. It was sloped ground, very lumpy, and had lots of shrubs and small trees growing inside of it. At the Trailhead waypoint we followed a dry creek bed down to the river. The level was fairly low, about half calf, and we decided to try walking the river instead of fighting with the forest. For the next three hours we crossed back and forth across the river. I cannot say for certain if it was faster. For us it was a bit easier because our bags are rather heavy which makes going over downfalls cumbersome, and with the water level still relatively low it wasn't too bad. By around 16:00 we got to just before the side valley drainage emptied into the main river and we had to go up into the forest. We were getting tired and as the warm sunny day progressed, the water level and the current both went up. After that we switched between the forest and the river four or five more times before the end of the day. We found a decent place to camp in the woods. It was fairly flat, right near a stream, and had the remains of an old fire ring on the side.

Day 06 - Feb 7th

We took a slow morning. Two other GPTers passed us on their way to the Torres and we had a nice chat. The last 200-300 meters of the route up to the Torres is a steep granite boulder field. It required a bit of scrambling and was quite exhausting. At the campsite there is a short stone wind wall that was too small for our X-Mid 2. We managed to set it up outside the wall, though it was a bit of a challenge. The whole area could accommodate maybe three small tents, one inside the wind wall and two outside of it, but for larger footprint tents it is not so easy. Water is the other issue there. Right as the track reaches the ridge going NOBO, just before it turns right, there was a way to get down to the lake that wasn't too steep. The campsite was another 200 m further on from that point. We had excellent weather for the day, sunny and no wind. The Torres and the other mountains around, which are just as interesting, looked nice after the sun was behind them. The finer details were more visible. The night was surprisingly warm.

Day 07 - Feb 8th

We got up about a half hour before sunrise. We got to see the orange light on the Torres which was very exciting. We stayed for about an hour and a half taking pictures. We found a slightly different way down the boulder field which went quicker. On the way down the hill we found a trail of sorts and followed it as long as we could. Eventually we ended up back in the river crossing back and forth. I used TracBack on the Garmin to look at how we had come up and that took the guess work out of the fording points. It took us about half as long to get down as it did to go up. We were fortunate that the level was relatively low again. The only tricky part was right after the side valley river joined the main one. We decided to camp early and stayed down near Ford (69.8). Just after we set up camp it started to rain a bit.

Day 08 - Feb 9th

We knew that a sistema frontal had been coming, and Tuesday was supposed to be a day of heavy rain and high wind, so we wanted a good place to wait it over. We remembered from last year that the camp at Puesto ? 4.8 was very well wind protected and had flat, grassy space. We started early to get there as early as possible. We arrived around 13:00. The trail was surprisingly good for most of the way. As the flood plain opened up near the swampy area we just followed the river banks, crossing where necessary to avoid BB and trail hunting. The puesto shelter had partially collapsed. We camped in the flat, grassy space just beyond it. There was a short path leading to a small clearing with a log that looked like it had been cut to be a trough.

Day 09 & 10 - Feb 10th & 11th

Took zero days to wait over rain and high wind. The campsite had excellent wind protection.

Day 11 - Feb 12th

A cold but beautiful sunny day. We continued to enjoy the bypass valley. All fords were easy, even after rain and snow up above. On the way up to Puesto 53, 2 guys with a team of horses passed us. After the pass a few of the bridges and wooden culverts had collapsed and we ended up doing several unexpected shoe changes. We camped just off the trail at km 37.

Day 12 - Feb 13th

The MR was in good shape the rest of the way. We passed a group of three hikers going SOBO. Having hiked in on Opt 3B last season, we wanted to hike out on RR. The views of Lago Lapparent, Lago Alto and Lago Verde were very nice. The road gets a bit tiring after a while. Camp 16.9+0.3 would have required a fence jump, and the gate was padlocked from the inside. We didn't know if that meant someone was there and didn't want to risk an issue so we kept on hiking. Camp 9.6+0.2 should be removed from the tracks. On the map it looks as if it is 200 m off the main road and easily accessible via a minor road. In reality there is no road, just a 40 m dropoff, and no access to the campsite or the lake. We ended up climbing through a fence and camping in the woods near an abandoned house in a spot without water. An important note if taking RR there is a 16 km stretch where water is not easily available. We did not find any water between km 19.5 where there was public beach access to Lago Alto until km 3. Despite the number of lakes on the map, the MR goes quite high above them and they are all fenced off, so access is difficult if not impossible. There were some other features on the map that looked like ponds, but they turned out to be seasonal wetlands which were either dry, or muddy, stagnant water. We didn't take enough and ended up camping without water for the night which was not pleasant. Obviously depending on the time of year there might be water here, but in mid-February there wasn't.

Day 13 - Feb 14th

We continued on the road. We walked about 100 m past X 5.5 before realizing that it was beyond a gate and had to walk back to it. The MR is actually nice, starting to disappear and look more like a trail. The views into the surrounding mountains were very nice; there is a panoramic view of Cerro Castillo and the other mountains in the range. We finally found water at (-46.137001, -72.177002) around km 3. There were some pipes going across the trail directing water into three large cisterns. I followed the pipes through the bushes for about 2 m and found enough of a stream to get water. We hiked down to the highway and arrived in Cerro Castillo around noon.

* '''GPT33H / 2026-01-17 to 2026-01-21/ 5 Days / SOBO / Hiking / 3B, RR, 8, 4 / Alex and Aoife.'''

Attractiveness: 5/5
Difficulty: 4 / 5 verging on 5/5 in the overgrown parts of Option 8 (Our day 4).

We chose to backtrack from the Pass to Option 08 and descend into Bahia Murta so we could go and see the Marble Caves.

If we had time, and had known about it before hand we would have also walked up a track to get a view of the Torres from the Northern aspect. The track begins around
Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548]
-46.397340, -72.582010 and ascends a trail following Rio Estero South. We were told you can find the track details/GPX for that particular part on WikiLoc which seems to be like a Chilean 'Alltrails'.

Day 1:
Bus from Coyhaique at 0800. ( Bus Company, Don Carlos), 9k CLP To option 3B Trail Head.

Distance: 22km
Time: 1100- 1800
Water:
Water available at various points where the river passes under bridges. Small stream at eastern edge of campsite clearing.
Camp: -46.26492, -72.41280

Route:
Option 3b MR, easy walk to where it joins to the RR- along a gravel road. Nice views. Didn't see a single car only saw a friendly man on a horse.

Day 2:

Distance: 22km
Time: 07.45- 19.45
Water:
Lots of opportunities for water on the route. Water available on the pass from a stream
(We were there 2 days after heavy rainfall)

Route:
Easy start on MR until you find the TL that takes you through Lenga forrest. We followed cow tracks ( and poo) through the forest. Trail not always clear but easy enough to find.

Slow moving in boggy grassy sections. Crossed multiple streams. Took off shoes once.

Camp:
Plenty of camping options along the way. Upon reaching the pass we decided to camp there as we had a good forecast, good views and tired legs. Would only consider with nil wind forecast. Views were amazing, had a nice sunset.

* We saw a great campsite for maybe 3 tents on a sandy beach next to stream with some plunge pools and very sheltered at -46.409772, -72.498086

Day 3:

Distance: 14.31km
Time: 1100-1940
Water:
Plenty of options along the route. We prefer small clear streams rather than glacial rivers. No small streams at campsite But we had carried enough from earlier.

Route:
We followed the RR back down to the unmarked Puesto we had passed the previous day, near enough to:
Camp {33H} [52.7/953]
(-46.34585, -72.49821)
We then took option 8 all the way to the remains of a Puesto (-46.36573, -72.52865) and camped here. Trail easy enough to follow. Follow the cow poo and hoof prints.

Camp:
The remains of a Puesto (-46.36573, -72.52865) not many flat spots, by a river not a stream. If you continued a few hundred ms more there was a more idyllic location close to a stream.

Day 4:

Distance: 12.3km
Time: 0700- 1700
Water: plenty of water spots along the way.

Route:
Continued on option 8. Not far into this day the trail became a full body workout. An obstacle course requiring lots of maneuvering over many fallen trees, hard to follow path, very slow and tiring day. Track very overgrown in parts.

Camp:
'Camp? {33H-08} [8.1/462]'
(-46.410860, -72.612140) - waterfall not far from camp a bit further down the track at around: (-46.41242, -72.61436)

Day 5:

Distance: 8.45km
Time: 3hrs 20mins
Water: Few options early on, we filled up few km before TL meets the MR when there is a fence and a gate blocking the river.

Route:
Easy day , followed option 8 all the way to the gate at the PR on option 4.
Started early as was hoping to hitch a ride to the marble caves at Rio Tranquilo , we managed to and would recommend.

Upon completion of the cave tour we missed the bus to Chile Chico by only about 20 mins, we decided that was a sign to have some rest so we camped at ‘Bellavista: Hospedaje, Camping y Transporte’ 8k CLP p/p, it was fine. Kitchen access, showers etc. Quite busy.

* '''2026-01-17 to 2026-01-22 / 6 Days / Packrafting & Hiking / SOBO then NOBO / Opt 09, 08, RR, Var D, Opt 03 / Michel & Lisa'''

Summary: Another really beautiful section. It's a bit of a battle to get up to the Torres (either long road waking or bush bashing) but it's actually worth it. We took the packraft down Río Murta in very high flow and stashed things in Cruce Murta before venturing up to the Torres. There are definitely mice here as well so we made sure to always hang our food and had zero problems this way. Option 8 is both nice and deserted but also tough, especially for going in. As others have said it might be a better option to get out with lighter packs, due to the bushwhacking and the elevation gain on this route.

Day 1

We took the bus towards Chile Chico from Coyhaique at 8:00 from the bus terminal and got dropped off at River In {33H-09) [0.0/275] at around 12:15. There's an open, small hut that we used for shelter from the setting in rain. You could sleep in there as well. The river water levels were really high due to rain the previous two days and the flow fast - very different from what the satellite images show. Turbid, brown water instead of crystal clear, blueish. We started paddling and enjoyed the really fast flow (10 km/h and more when completely in the flow). At the same time it meant that we couldn't see much of what was going on below the water surface and we scratched over rocks a couple of times. There were hardly any rock islands visible and we floated over places that on satellite images are just rock - there was that much water. At times we were worried that the river could become dangerous in narrow stretches if there were sunken trees but nothing dangerous happened. We made the 36 km to Bridge (33H-04) [0.2/211] in only 3 h 20 min (excluding breaks). We took close by, at Residencial Patagonia [-46.44156, -72.71190] where the high water levels basically allowed us to float into their back yard. We stayed the night (20000 clp pp in a room, 8000 clp for camping) and stored our packraft in the alojamiento for going to the torres.

Day 2

We hitchhiked to Bahía Murta, bought some additional supplies and started hiking Option 8. The path is clear and easy to travel at first. After Ford {33H-08} [11.5/545] (Estero Sur) the trail becomes harder to follow with boggy sections and lots of fallen trees. There's considerable elevation gain up to Water (33H-08} [14.5/946], where you get the first nice views of the valley and start descending again. We continued to Camp (33H-08} [16.1/703] where we found a spot that's just big enough to put a 2 person tent and not exactly flat but good enough. All in all we did 22.3 km that day in 9 h 25 min, thanks to the bushwhacking which wasn't terrible but not exactly pleasant either.

Day 3

We continued from our camp and were positively surprised that the path actually got better after the first ~3-4 km with less fallen trees, a more visible path and less soggy ground. There are many more potential campsites along this section which are not marked in the track files, some of them I noted here:

* S46.376195° W72.537594°
* S46.354586° W72.516934°
* S46.348093° W72.501339° (camp with some tables and a view over an open (boggy) area with mountains in the background - looks like someone is trying to set something more commercial up here)
* S46.352356° W72.489023°

We got to RR at around 14:00 and continued for a while before taking a well deserved lunch break. We chose to follow Variant D which is more direct and leads to the first lagoon. If you're comfortable with hiking over rocks and boulders we would definitely recommend this over RR since the view of the towering mountains you get once you're at the lagoon is amazing (given good weather I suppose). There are no obvious camp spots at the lagoon itself but you can find level, sandy spots in the vicinity of you wanted to stay here. It can probably get pretty windy down here though. We continued to Camp {33H} [61.1/1167] and went for a swim in the second lagoon (yes, the weather was that good, haha - lucky us!) which is about 10 min walking from the camp. We didn't find a perfectly flat spot here but there are a couple options that are actually more than fine. The advantage of picking this site is that you're really sheltered from the wind, thanks to the trees. Water nearby and soft ground (vegetation) are added benefits. Some parts are quite wet so you might have to search around for a moment to find something suitable.

Day 4

We decided to have a relaxed day and just hiked up to the pass to see the actual Torres, which to be honest we found almost a bit underwhelming. Personally I much preferred the view down the valley from our camp and from the first lagoon. But you might get a better view from down in the valley from the lagoons (i.e. after descending from the pass, which we didn't do). Still, the Torres are impressive and it was definitely worth the walk up. From the valley bottom and the pass it looked like one could potentially climb up to one of the passes to the east to get a view down onto option 02 (-46.40615, -72.48187 or -46.40237, -72.48235) but it would be a scramble - we didn't try. Potentially it could even be possible to go down there to join option 02 with some bushwhacking, but that's really a shot into the blue. Maybe someone wants to try. ;)

Day 5

Since there was some bad weather forecast for the coming days we decided to hike out. Going down we decided to try the RR to be able to compare with variant D. RR was also fine but there was some trail finding through the forest required and some boggy sections as well. However, it might still be slightly faster than Variant D. Still, coming up I would highly recommend Variant D so you get the beautiful view from the lagoon. We came all the way to [-46.28395, -72.44366] in 6 h 50 min, where we camped. The spot is close to the road but invisible from there, nice and flat and wind protected. In the evening a pigmy owl came for a visit and sat in the tree next to us really close before it was detected by another bird and flew away - a pretty special encounter. Lots of mouse holes everywhere so we hung our food like always on this section just to be sure.

Day 6

We continued along the road, first nice and shady in the forest and then in the scorching heat of the sun. We saw a pigmy owl in the forest that allowed us to observe it for quite a while and then we even saw it catch some large insect (a firefly maybe?) which felt like another really special moment along the otherwise rather dull road.
We continued walking along the road until we were lucky to get picked up by one of the settlers who was driving to Villa Cerro Castillo with his wife. They were very friendly and explained a lot about their lifestyle living up in the mountain valley all year. They said that the flow of hikers to the Torres has really increased in the past few years and that some people seem to be setting up some gear for climbing up there with clients. They said that they didn't mind hikers coming to visit. :)

* ''' 2026-01-16 to 2026-01-20 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO 3B, RR, H, K / Daniel.s '''

Not much to add to the previous entries (especially Dave and Siyuan and Emily and Kole)

Day 1 was a roadhike in the rain and cold for me, Camp at 38.5/1020 (-46.26492, -72.41280)

Day 2 started late (noon) due to snow and rain in the morning. Trail in good condition, CC quite wet due to rain. Camped at x with Option 8 (mice in the shelter!)

Day 3 perfect weather day, CC to pass very wet due to previous rain, wet feet again, otherwise straight forward. See D+S recommended exit point after pass. A lot of scrambling over granite blocks. Further down - as E+K mentioned boggy on both sides of the river, from about halfway it's probably better to stay left of the river. Camp at first Ford, like D+S.

Day 4 trail and MR to Puerto Avellano, river crossing where D+S suggested, a braided section, knee deep for me and immediate connection to MR on the other side.

Day 5 trail along the lake is energy consuming, it's 90% loose rock, sand and gravel. MR is steep and dusty in the beginning, great campsite at S 46.40217°, W 071.97845° near water.

* ''' 2025-Dec-13 to 2025-Dec-19 / 7 days / Hiking / SOBO RR, Opt 8 / Massa and Jacicek '''

We did not complete whole trail, but what we saw was really nice. Exit by opt 8 took us 2.5 days. No problems with water or Fords.

Day 1
Hiked from Villa Cerro Castillo to Lago Alto, we had lift for approx 5km.
The Rr from km 1.2 (after you walk off caretera austral) is through nice hills and very pretty, until you reach the minor road.
Camped on a hill alongside Lago Alto at [-46.17655, -72.32639], with a view on Laguna Verde, the spot is not flat and not well wind protected.

Day 2
Hiked through beautiful woods, as noted, camp x is fenced off and there are trespassing sings, however, there is also a ladder over the fence, so no problems there. Walked up to the Ford with Estero Alto and camped approx 200m before the ford km 36 [-46.25544, -72.38370 ] . Several spots with flat spaces there.

Day 3
Forded the Estero Alto river on km 36, ankle deep only. Beautiful section with large meadows. Camped at the end of the meadow alongside the stream on km 51 [-46.33183, -72.48916 ] .

Day 4
This day, we got awful weather, stopped approx 3km before Torres de Avellano. Camped in small spot in the forest, place for one tent, good wind protection [-46.37974, -72.49111 ] .

Day 5
Decided to turn back and head for Bahia Murta using opt 8. Camp at [-46.36514, -72.52866]. Path is recognizable and traversable.

Day 6
Fallen trees in the path, lots of ups and downs. Camped next to a Camp ? [11.6/548]. When we came, there were tents erected there, however nobody was present, we camped near the river, outside of the obvious camp. In the evening a guy came and we asked him if we can camp there and said yes. In the morning a local guide (different guy) came and said that it would be better to camp in the main camp, as there is a toilet, and to give him a heads up beforehand (www.guiasdelavellano.com).

Day 7
The path from Camp ? Is maintained, however parts are muddy.

* '''2025-12-27 to 2026-01-02 / 7 days / Hiking / SOBO / 3B + RR + H / Dave & Siyuan'''

We took 8 days of food with us from Villa Cerro Castillo and hoped we would get lifts at the start and the end. Luckily we did get lifts (32km in total) and spend 7 days on the trail.

Day 1 - 16km - 10:30-17:00
🚌 9.40am bus from Villa Cerro Castillo to start of Option 3B
🥾 Walked 1km, got a lift 🚗 for 6km to the RR, walked on the road for the rest of the day, a couple of gates, one easy ford. The public road ends at a locked gate at -46.26266, -72.35047.
⛺️ Camp at 38.5/1020 (-46.26492, -72.41280) the edge of this large clearing is sheltered from the wind with a stream nearby.

Day 2 - 20km - 09:00-19:00
🥾 Easy road walk and horse trail in the morning, then it gets harder in the forest as the trail isn’t obvious a the time. Many stream crossings and boggy sections but kept feet dry.
⛺️ Camp at 58.8/1020 (-46.39009, -72.49369) one tent spot, away from the wind, as recommended by Emily & Kole - thanks!

Day 3 - 11km - 09:00-20:00
🥾 The pass day. It was raining on and off the whole day and we didn’t get to see all the views. No snow on the way up and walked around one snow patch on the way down. Make sure you follow the RR and head left at the top of the pass (to approx -46.41859, -72.49544) so you descend on the rocky/bouldery patch in between the slippery steep slabs. Once we reached the bottom, we walked on the left bank of the river, 4 km of CC, BB and intermittent animal trails, slow going.
⛺️ Camp at 69.8/634 just before the ford.

Day 4 - 17.5km - 09:00-17:30
🥾 The day of river crossings of Rio Avellano and other side streams. The first main one at camp dropped a little bit overnight. It was up to our crotch deep. Fast current, manageable with careful footing. The second time crossing Rio Avellano, we crossed it here (-46.45641, -72.32730) a braided section. It was at knee deep. The river path probably changes every year as where we crossed didn’t look like what’s on satellite images.
⛺️ Camped at 87.4/454 (-46.46164, -72.24432) one tent tent, partially wind protected. It was 200m after a ford.

Day 5 - 15km 10:00-14:00 and 19:00-20.30
🥾 Easy walking on minor road towards the lake. Very windy and dusty. Spent a few hours at the disused port building at Puerto Avellano to shelter from the afternoon wind. Walked the last few kms after dinner.
⛺️ Campo Chico 102.4/212 (-46.48727, -72.10030) near the lake.

Day 6 - 14km - 08.15-16.15
🥾 A dusty day walking up and down hills along the shore through thorny bushes. Crossing a stream or creek every hour or two. Windy.
⛺️ Campsite 116.3/239 was full of thorns, except one tent spot near a boggy area (-46.42128, -71.98175).

Day 7 - 14km - 09:00-14.00 + hitchhiking
🥾 Walked along the shore then up on a dusty road. 14km to the road intersection between Puerto Ibanez and Levican. We found only two water sources between the lake and the road - both small streams: (-46.40371, -71.97566), and (-46.38677, -71.97407). Both might be dry in drought.
🚗 We waited at a bus stop shelter for 1.5h before the first car passed and picked us up. 🚌 We took a bus back to Coyhaique at night from Puerto Ibanez instead of staying there due to perfect bus timing and cheaper and wider resupply options in Coyhaique.

*'''2025-12-27 to 2026-01-02/ 7 days/ Hiking/ NOBO/ RR, Option 8, RR, Variant D/RR/ Option 3B/ Option 3/ Greg Carter, Tomas Martinec'''

Overall
The Torres de Avellano are spectacular, and it’s well worth the effort to access them.

Attraction: 5
Difficulty: 4

Important note: at Puesto Aguero (Day 1) we encountered an official looking sign requiring registration and payment of CLP 6,000 per person/ night, for Torres del Avellano. However Andre Aguero did not seek to enforce this. In the future this may be enforced regardless of the entry point into the area of the Torres.

Day 1
We got the 7am bus (CLP 10,500) from Cochrane which dropped us off at Cruce Murta at around 11am. From there we walked 3km to the trailhead of Option 8, where a new gate must be climbed.

The trail is steep and when it enters the forest there is a lot of fallen trees and branches, however most have been cleared up to a puesto which has been built at Camp? {33H-08} [11.6, 548]. This puesto is owned by a friendly guide (Andres Aguero), who takes clients on a private trail up to the Torres de Avellano from the puesto, on a 20km round trip. Andres has built a bridge over the Estero Sur, at [11.5, 545], so no ford is necessary there. We camped at the puesto for no cost. My tent had a hole in the morning, as did a number of food bags: hang your food here and all other camps!

Day 2
After the puesto the trail is not used or maintained, and it is very slow going with many fallen trees and branches. We left at 7am, pushed hard with a few quick breaks, and arrived at the intersection with the RR at 2:40pm, a distance of approximately 12km ie less than 2km/h.

There is another abandoned puesto at -46.36573, -72.52865, at approximately 19km.

It was not necessary to ford the Rio Resbalin at [15.6] or [15.8], we stayed on the southern side of the river.

At the RR intersection there is good camping at -46.34573, -72.49709, alongside a stream, near a corral. The nearby puesto was not occupied.

It was nice to meet David Brophy and Siyuan Hong passing through.

That afternoon, knowing that the next 2 days would be rainy, we did a quick return hike up the RR, to see the Torres in perfect visibility.

There is an established sheltered camp on the RR at -46.36762, -72.48672.

Day 3
Zero rest day, as it rained all day.

Day 4
With sunny weather forecast for the following day, we again hiked in light rain up the RR towards the Torres and camped at -46.39020, -72.49375, where there is space for a 2 man and 1 man tent. We could not find the camp others have mentioned at -46.39161, -72.49438.

Note: At about 58km it is easier to go up the slope to follow the cairns around the tree line, rather than follow the GPT eg cairns at -46.38167, -72.49209 and -46.38199, -72.49218.

Day 5
This day was perfect weather from beginning to end. Blue sky and little to no wind. The views of the Torres and the 2 lagunas were amazing, as are the views from the pass. The pass has no snow but there are a few patches of snow on the southern side of the pass, which are easy to avoid or walk across. We tried to get down to the 3rd laguna but went too far right and got stopped by steep slippery rock.

In the afternoon we returned to the previous camp at the RR intersection (-46.34573, -72.49709).

Day 6
We hiked out NOBO along the RR and camped beside a river, near the bridge over the river to the Settler [29.4/537], who wasn’t home. There are nice views on the hike out of snow-capped mountains.

Day 7
Hiked out on Option 3B, and hitched within minutes on Option 3 into Villa Cerro Castillo. There is plenty of tourist traffic on the Carretera Austral.

* ''' 2025-12-14 to 2025-12-15/ 2 days/ Hiking/ NOBO/ Option 1/Tomas Martinec'''

This was my first test with a multiday hike outside the main tourist routes like Torres del Paine and El Chalte. It also served as practical way to get from Chile Chico to Villa Cerro Castillo where I planned to continue with the Cerro Castillo trek.

The hike took me 2 days (about half of day of walking each day).

Challenges:
Lack of drinkable water at the plateau
Difficulty finding a suitable camping spot in the middle section

Day 1
I took the ferry from Chile Chico to Puerto Ibanez Ingeniero (very cheap, around 2500 CLP) and started hike around midday. The first day follows an old gravel road. Cars passed ocasionally and several drivers even offered me the lift.

The route offers some nice scenery, including a wattergall near the beginning and open landscapes in the higher sections.

Finding a place to camp was difficult to me. The Camp {33H-01} [12.5/666] is on private land and in the morning I saw many cows around. In the end, I slept near Settler {33H-01} [13.7/636].

I recommend carrying water from the lower parts of the route. In the upper section there are lagoons, but the water is stagnant. Personally, I wasn't comfortable drinking it, even with water filter.

Day 2
This day follows a proper trail, passing lakes, forests, and open terrain. The views are beautiful- both of surrounding mountains and down into the valley- and I enjoyed this section a lot.

The last 3 kms before entering to Villa Cerro Castillo are on an asphalt road, which is not very enjoyable.

'''2025-Dec-13 to 2025-Dec-18 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, Var D, Var H, Var J, Opt 11, Opt 11G / Emily & Kole'''

Camps (all spots had space for two tents, relatively sheltered, and water nearby):

Day 1: -46.25533, -72.38371

Day 2: -46.39009, -72.49369

Day 3: -46.42604, -72.49970

Day 4: Refuge [98.4+0.2/211] (Puerto Avellano)

Day 5: -46.37248, -71.87165

Attractiveness - 5/5

Difficulty - 4/5

* Joined by Ohad for the roadwalk from Villa Cerro Castillo - thanks for the company! Hope you found your stove. Beautiful views of Cerro Castillo, Laguna Verde and Lago Alto. The camp at 32.0/700 is on private property, so we continued on to a flat spot on the river around 35km. There appeared to be good flat spots in the forest to the left of trail around 1km before 32.0.
* Timed our arrival to the Torres for a clear day. Took the ascent and descent (58.5km to 63.4) of the main pass slowly as it was covered in snow between knee to hip-height. Where possible we scrambled on the uncovered boulders to avoid post-holing. Took significant time. Variant D along the glacial lakes was nice, although it may require a bit more scrambling than RR. We met GPT hikers Bailey and Ed going NOBO on our ascent to the pass - a big thank you for the footsteps!
* The view of the Torres from the main Pass [61.9/1314] was great but the best viewpoint for us was from the lake by the Camp [63.4/995].
* After 64km, Kole followed game trail to the right of the river and Em to the left. Both options were boggy, with intermittent trail and lots of blowdowns. Wet feet. Slow going, but not too difficult. Trail was clear and easy to follow after 68.5km. Ran into settler Julio driving cattle shortly thereafter.
* We forded Rio Avellano 100m downstream of 81.2/490, at 46.45791, -72.31714. Very strong current, upper-thigh height, had to cross slowly, but manageable with careful footing.
* Slept on the floor of the refugio in Puerto Avellano. A table, some chairs, and wood burning stove inside. Didn’t notice any pests. There are a few spots for tents behind in the trees, but very wind exposed. Met the settler that lives nearby the following day.
* From the junction with the road [130.4/311] we took Option 11 into Levican and camped behind some bushes with good wind protection. We didn’t find any good spots on 11G, with the north shore being very windy. Started the road walk to Puerto Ibanez on the final day, but luckily got a hitch 3km out of Levican (around 8am), we rode with them all the way to Coyhaique (he turned out to be Julio’s brother).

'''GPT33 / 2025 Dec 12-16 / NOBO / RR / 5 days/ hiking // Bailey & Ed'''

General notes - another incredibly beautiful section. Had to take a few slow days approaching the pass because of high winds and snow.

Challenges - crossing snow boulder fields at the pass

Costs - paid 70,000 CLP for two people to be dropped off just before bridge [129.3/304], saving about 27 km of road walking. +56982463160

Difficulty - 4/5

Attractiveness - 5/5

Day 1

Caught the ferry from Chile chico, took about three hours leaving at 8 am. We went to the tourist office to ask about a taxi. Mostly on minor roads to camp

Camp 1

Nice campground, wind sheltered with water [116.3/239]

Day 2

Pretty good trail, connects to a minor road. Fords okay

Camp 2

Another nice campground, wind sheltered with water [82.8/479]

Day 3.

Short day mostly on a minor road. Fords okay

Camp 3

Camped next to ford [69.8/634] because the next campsite was noted without water. This campsite was nice, wind sheltered with water. We met Julio returning back after a days work. A lot of deadfall here though

Day 4

Started with walking in the river bed. The snow line started at the campground next to the lake. Previous trip report was useful mentioning stay right of the waterfall on the ascent to the pass. We tried staying in the forest and off the boulder field as long as we could. The snow was waist deep and very soft in areas. Mostly used rocks after the forest to ascend. On the descent we met col from salt lake city also hiking the GPT this season.

Camp 4

Camped at [32.0/700], a lot of cow poo around, but sheltered. Water across the fence

Day 5

Walked down the road to hitch. There's a bus shelter here to sit in and wait, protected from the wind. Waited an hour

==Season 2024/25==

'''2025-Mar-19 to 2025-Mar-23/ 5 days/ Hiking/ NOBO OH 8, RR, OH 3B/ Timothée and Maëlle'''
We started in bahia Murta by option 8 to reach RR. Then we simply went to the lake 63.4 ( viewpoint) SOBO, and then back to Villa Cerro Castillo NOBO. We had light rain on the 2 first days and then sun, but with really cold nights. We have good equipment ( sleeping bags -5, big down jackets...) but without it that section would have not been enjoyable.

Camps:
Camp1: 8.1 : Nice one, some wind protected spots, not perfectly flat, water nearby.

Camp2: 52.7: several possibilities, we slept 300 m ( on OH8) before the waypoint, near wood tables, in the forest so a bit sheltered.

Camp3: S 46° 24.552', W 072° 29.933' below the camp 61.2: we slept on the river sediments: dry but not sheltered. We had absolutely no wind but that was really cold( we think about -5°): we re late in the season and it s high.

Camp4: S 46° 15.319', W 072° 23.019'
There are several other possibilities before this point on the MR. Not really after. Nice spot, quit sheltered, with the river next to it.

Day1:
We were coming from Puerto Rio Tranquillo by hitchhiking, and started from Bahia Murta around 1pm under light rain. We hiked only 8km.

Day2: We reached the RR from our first camp.
Overall, OH 8 was quite exhausting. The trail is maintained, probably by local guides: we found a lot of prints of chainsaws, machettes... but there is a lot of elevation gain ( ups and downs) and there are still a lot of trunks that you need to pass over, around... It was also usually muddy. At least we got a good impression of the rainforest! On OH 8 the trail does not always follow the GPS track really closely, probably because of the constant falling trees and that the trail was recently maintained.

Day3: For day 3 and 4 we decided to stay on RR to enjoy the torres a bit longer. We went to the pass with the viewpoint, and then down to the lack 63.4 with light backpack. We found that going to the lack and then back worthed it as the view feels quite different from the lack. The descent is not so technical, but indeed you need to follow the track, or even a bit more to the left( downward) to avoid the granit slabs.

Day 4: We went back to camp 52.7 and continued on the trail and the MR until camp 4. From camp 3 (61km) to camp 52.7 the trail can be lost, especially in the forest. After that it is quite easy and fast.
Day5: We went down the MR and then took option 3B. After 2 km on that option we caught a lift to cerro castillo. ( so a half day)

In total we hiked for a duration of 4 days spread on 5 days. ( 2 half days in both ends)

Right of way issues:
A guide in Bahia murta told us that we might be asked to pay if we meet the owner of puestos on OH 8 or when arriving in Villa Cerro Castillo.
We met no one on OH8 but we met the settler at 29.4 who was very friendly and never mentionned anything about paying.

For day 3 and 4 we thought about doing à loop woth OH2. We were coming from the south of GPT, and since GPT40, Rio avellano is the first big river with strong current to ford that we met. After heavy rain this option is probably a bit tricky. That is also why we stayed on RR.

'''2025-MAR-13 to 2025-MAR-16 / 3.5 days / Hiking / NOBO / OH (8, partially, then followed the east bank of Estero Sur SOBO up to southwest side of Torres de Avellano) / Joppe O'''

- 13/3: Started around 2:30PM after hitching a ride from Villa Cerro Castillo to Bahia Murta. Walked up to the mentioned camp site 33h/462. The obvious esplanade doesn’t really have a very flat spot, if you go down one ‘level’ there is a truly horizontal spot and it’s a bit more away from the trail.

- 14/3: hiked up to the ford over Rio Estero Sur. The section after the last gate up to the ford is muddy. Met three British students who came back from the Torres. The ford is easy, there is a tree log over the water and a steel cable to help you negotiate it. Lunched at Puesto/Camp at 11.6/548. Then commenced the BB section of option 8 along Resbalin. I made it about 1km into it before giving up. I did not bring a machete but even if I had I would not have pushed through it. It was impossible to make out a trail at this point and because I carried too much stuff it was too arduous and not fun, so I went back to the puesto and read a book in the sun.

- 15/3: I decided to check if I could find the trail up the Estero Sur that the British group told me of. The trail is marked with blue ribbons, pink ribbons, red paint dots, machete cuts on the trees and with cairns (hitos) so it takes some getting used to to follow it. Got lost a couple of times on the way in. There are some trees to climb over but it’s a fun hike. The last section is very steep and partially equipped with ropes to hold on to. Nonetheless would not recommend this section in rain because it would be tricky with the mud etc. Very nice trail though with really pretty forest vegetation and views on the waterfalls coming from the lakes beneath the Torres and the surrounding mountains. Made it to the lower lake around 5PM and camped right next to it at the little ¨beach¨ enjoying the warmth of a small fire made of dead wood. The spot has views of the glacier and you can hear the ice break off now and then. Very cool.

- 16/3 Woke up to rain. Went back the way I came at 10AM, the first part down through the forest is steep and requires full focus. Trail was muddier than the day before after the rain but doable. At the puesto I met Martin Aguëro, the owner, who was there for the first time in almost a year. He told me that his grandson is a guide and is the one who marked the trail and put up the ropes with the intention of taking people there. After lunch I continued the return to Bahia Murta and arrived around 8:40PM. I stayed at the cabaña next to Virginia´s house across from the aerodromo, there are more options down the road but her house is the first one that you come past on the left hand side of the road. (I think there is also a camp ground if you want to save money but at this point I was ready for a night in a proper bed :D).

Other notes:

Both Antonio Quiroz and Martin Aguëro confirmed that the BB section after the puesto along Resbalin is in disuse. They said it was opened/used by the army some decades ago and was indeed used to bring cattle to the Avellano valley, as the manual on Section 33 states.

the next day I got a ride to the bus stop from Antonio Quiroz who is a cattle farmer. He told me that another way to get to the Estero Sur and above it is to take the high route above the tree line right from the mouth of the Resbalin Valley.

For water I had 2x1.5l Nalgenes with me but I just carried a cup on my belt and took a few every time I crossed a stream, carrying .5l just in case to limit weight.

'''2025-02-28 to 2025-03-4 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / Option 3, 3B, RR, E, H, I, partial 06, K / Tyson'''

Really beautiful section bookended by some unfortunate roadwalking. The roadwalk up and down to Puerto Ibanez was especially rough with nasty wind and rain ripping down the valley almost the whole way. But the views in the middle of the section made up for it. Pretty magical up top.

Day 1: [Option 3, 3B, RR] Caught the bus at Cafe Arbolitos in Villa Cerro Castillo. 2x buses (Sao Paulo and Bus Carolina?) show up anywhere from 9:30 - 11AM depending when they leave Coyhaique and road conditions etc). Sat up front with the driver for 2.5K pesos. Started walking the 3B road by 1045. There are a couple of bridges that you cross on the initial MR sections that are probably the easiest places to get water if you need it. Saw two climbers hiking back from the Torres who gave me some info on how best to descend the pass [62.0/1314] at the Torres. Beautiful walk up the valley to the first pass [44.4/1149], and after the pass in the CC section, especially in the evening light. Expect wet feet on the CC section. At [53.0/946] there are 2x puestos. After asking at the second, I set up my tent near the first puesto in time for another arriero to arrive and occupy the first. I asked again if my tent was ok there and he happily said no problema.

Day 2: [RR] To the Torres. Initial CC section took a little longer than expected with blowdown. I caught a little sun, and had probably 80% visibility of the Torres. Hung around the lakes there a bit, then went up the pass [62.0/1314] when it started raining in earnest. NOTE: On the way down the pass, once you are past the boulders, it is best to err on the side of staying too far left. It’s tempting to start crossing on the contour when you see a long ledge beneath you after the rock bald. I got cliffed out there and had to turn back. In better weather you might could scramble down but the GPX track is much better in wet and slippery conditions. In better weather I would have done a short day and stayed at the lakeside camp [63.4/995] (called the English camp by the climbers I met the day before?), but I decided to move on. Initially on the descent down Valle Ventisquero I followed some very nice game trail but it soon dissolved into a wet bushwhack. Thought for sure I would catch sight of a huemul with all the footprints that I was seeing, but nothing. Slept at the Camp Without Water [68.7/766]. It’s a corral that offers a nice opening with enough flat space for one tent, and plenty more not so flat space. Water is accessible down the hill. However, I recommend not stopping here and hiking another half hour to the Ford [69.8/634]. There is tons of flat space there, easy water, and you can check out the condition of the Ford.

Day 3: [RR, Option E] Down Lower Rio Avellano. Water was up with all the rain, but mostly just ~knee-high fords. I took Option E by accident but it was pleasant and very easy to follow. The Ford at [81.2/490] was too deep and fast to manage so I hiked upstream not quite a km where the river branched and found a spot that was about upper-thigh high. Stuck to Option H on the north side of the river to avoid additional fords. I took the cut-through Option I to get off the road a bit and noticed some nice flat gravel spots for camping that were free of prickly bushes. Hoping to take the Option 06 high route the next day, I pushed on past the Ford [89.5/545] but couldn’t find any open spots on the first bit of that option. So I went back to the gravel spots that I saw in Option I and camped there. NOTE as I found out the next day if you continue further up Option 06 to where you start seeing more mature tree stands you can find camp spots (without water) where cows bed down.

Day 4: [Option 06 partial, RR] Tempted by a bit of sun in the morning, I started climbing Option 06. Within an hour though it started raining and blowing, and after climbing halfway to the pass it turned to snow. Reluctantly I turned back but was immediately rewarded by a great big male huemul staring at me from about 10m away! Happily descended and started down the lower RR. After the Bridge [108.1/462] there is an old fallen down puesto [-46.457555, -72.044263] that shows up on OSM and satellite. Decent flat spot there, with water down the hill not too far away; camped there.

Day 5: [RR, Option K] Wind started up again. Got to X [130.4/311] in the afternoon and decided to push through to Puerto Ibanez. Spent the next few hours on a hellish road walk leaning into the wind and rain with not a single car going my way until I was almost to the Rio Claro bridge [147.7/211]. Was thrilled to get a hitch down to Puerto the rest of the way. Though the waterfall at Rio Ibanez is very cool, I think anyone who can figure out a ferry from Playa Levican to Chile Chico would be doing a great service to future hikers. I would gladly have paid to have skipped that bit of road on a day like that.

*'''2025-FEB-28 to 2025-MAR-01 / 1 day / Hiking / SOBO / RR+OH (var. A, 01A, 01) / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''

We chose variants A, 01A and 01, so it was easy section which leads mainly on a paved road. There is a nice view of Cerro Castillo on the beginning and a waterfall of Rio Ibáñez [148.4/212] was also worth it.

From the point X [1.3/328] to the point X [5.5/554] we ascent on the minor road. The rest of this section is on the paved road.

CHALLENGES: Monotonous walk on the paved road.

BIVOUACING: There is a fence along the road most of the time, but it's possible to find some quiet places on the pastures. We spent the only night here:

WATER: Water from the nearby lakes, eventually from Rio Ibáñez. There are almost no small streams close to the road.

RESUPPLY: There is a well stocked store in the center of Villa Cerro Castillo, called 'Janito'. Close to there is a stylish foodtruck made of two old buses. There are more opportunities in Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez (at least 2 stores and even more restaurants).

'''2025-02-19 to 2025-02-23 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / option 3B, RR, variant C,H, / Thijmen Scholten'''</span

* I started hitchiking from Cerro Castillo, but barely any cars passed and Around 10.00 de bus came
* Took option 3 and first day is only road walking , the first part untill the last settler (30.8) is really really really boring ! Hitching did not work. You can get a taxi from Cero de Castillo's it will cost 70.000 pesos.
* Water: On option 3 and the road walks of the RR there is not much water. For the rest water is no problem
* Camping : Many camp places everywhere.
* Option C the Laguna is nice
* I camped at crosspoint to the Laguna (option C), nice place but many dead trees and branches so lookout where you put your tent when it's windy
* Around km 49 I followed the Osmo trail trough the forest instead of the presumely swampy grassland trail (it rained all night)
* It rained all day and also next day so I opted to take option 8 instead. But I am very glad I did continue on the RR because the view on the other side of the pass is beautiful!
* Scrambling down from the pass was ok even in the rain. Just be sure to follow the gpx carefully ! Otherwise you will end up at a ledge
* The camp site at the lake is very wind exposed my tent blew away. Decided to pack it again and camp down in the beautiful forest.
* As for the bushbash part. I followed the right side of the river (looking downstream). There was a trail which I lost often but easy to walk. Even saw campfire traces so probably it's used more often. I don't know if it's easier than the right side. But the BB/CC part took me less than 2 hours this side.
* The first official fjord (69.8) was already above my waist and very difficult (crossed it diagonal as supposed). It rained all night so probably the river is not only affected by glacial melt but also by rain alot.
* Talked to Roberto (he lives around km 80) and he confirmed the river was high due to the rain. He adviced me to cross at his house where the river has 3 arms. I did that and the crossing was just doable the water was untill my waist.
* Roberto also offered me to cross with his horse if it was impossible on foot.
* Took variant H to avoid crossing 2 more times
* The road walk has not alot of nice camping places. Found 1 grassy patch with water around 5km before the lake.
* When the hiking trail next to the lake starts , just go straight to the beach otherwise you have to bushbash.
* The trail next to the lake is sometimes covered by vegetation I break some branches to make a way. Is everyone does this (or with Macheti) the trail will stay walkable (look out for thorns).
* There is internet (Entel) from around halfway the trail.
* I Camped at the end of the trail (km 117.6) close to the lake, there is little stream there as well.
* Road walk to Ibanez is very very very boring as well.
* At water source 135.3 the creek is very small but there is a black hose laying around at the left side of the road which you can use to fill your bottle.
* After 3 hours the first car passed and I got a hitch to town.

'''25-02-19-25-02-23 / 4 days (interrupted)/ SOBO / OH 03B-RR/ Volker'''
Patagonia at its best (and its worst)

Day 0: After gpt32 and resupply in Villa Cerro Castillo too many people hitchhiking on the Carreterra, so I called Pedro Zuleta (+56 993 5786), who drove me for 20k to the start of 03B in the late afternoon. Walked until the pass at S 46.198129° W 72.357921° and camped there (nice place, but very windy).
Day 1: Light rain all the day long. Because of the weather I decided not to take the mountain route (OH07) and continued on the RR (though technically a MR, blocked for cars by fallen trees) and feels like a trail), one non-indicated (very easy) ford. With the rain getting heavier and only few feasible camp spots along the way, early camp at S 46.280118° W 72.435213°. Heavy rain all the night long.
Day 2: The day started with a non-indicated ford 50m behind my camp spot. All further river crossings (including the indicated ford at 52,0: dry feet, broken trees serving as a bridge). Weather better than forecasted, the light rain ceased during the morning and by noon the sun came out. Instead of following the track file and crossing the swampy meadow CC, I stayed on the left side, where a trail leads along the edge of the forest (not without stepping out on the meadow for the scenic view on Cerro los Pumas, which now came out of the clouds). A river bank at the end of the meadow allowed me to dry my tent and cook the warm meal I had skipped the evening before. After the puesto steep down and on the RR very nice along the river. After the steep ascent to the upper valley, though indicated as CC, the trail continues, partly along the river, partly more to the right, avoiding swamps. In the rocky parts, it‘s marked with cairns. My plan was to reach the indicated camp at 63,4, however a storm with hurricane-like blasts made the scrambling across rocks and broken trees very dangerous. Even in easy terrain I could hardly stand it. With a suicidal ford (one blast during the fording: game over) and 2km through wind-exposed rocky terrain ahead I found a flat spot in a wood at S 46.391614° W 72.494383°. Impossible to raise a tent without the protection of the dense wood! And it has to be a wood with young trees (many branches and even some trunks broke that night in forests with older and higher trees). Take this into account, when thinking about OH07 (and read the comments by Alexey, who opened up this route).
Day 3: Though the storm had subsided and the ford was doable, given the overall situation (3km of BB/CC, several fords, bad weather, possibly another storm in the afternoon and 90km ahead with a shortage of food, if slowed down too much by the conditions) I decided to walk back. Rain made the trail very swampy and slippery, 3 creeks, that I crossed dry feet the day before, now to be forded. Camped at the same spot as the day before.
Day 4: Rain the whole night long, not ceasing in the morning. I was very lucky: just arrived at the settler, where the MR gets passable for cars, when the same driver, who drove me to the start of 03B 4 days before, dropped 3 Chileans there (he had offered to drive me there for 70k) and gave me a free ride back to Villa CC.

* '''2025-02-19 to 2025-02-23 / 4,5 days / Hiking / SOBO / option 3B, RR, variant C,H, / Thijmen Scholten'''</span

* I started hitchiking from Cerro Castillo, but barely any cars passed and Around 10.00 de bus came
* Took option 3 and first day is only road walking , the first part untill the last settler (30.8) is really really really boring ! Hitching did not work. You can get a taxi from Cero de Castillo's it will cost 70.000 pesos.
* Water: On option 3 and the road walks of the RR there is not much water. For the rest water is no problem
* Camping : Many camp places everywhere.
* Option C the Laguna is nice
* I camped at crosspoint to the Laguna (option C), nice place but many dead trees and branches so lookout where you put your tent when it's windy
* Around km 49 I followed the Osmo trail trough the forest instead of the presumely swampy grassland trail (it rained all night)
* It rained all day and also next day so I opted to take option 8 instead. But I am very glad I did continue on the RR because the view on the other side of the pass is beautiful!
* Scrambling down from the pass was ok even in the rain. Just be sure to follow the gpx carefully ! Otherwise you will end up at a ledge
* The camp site at the lake is very wind exposed my tent blew away. Decided to pack it again and camp down in the beautiful forest.
* As for the bushbash part. I followed the right side of the river (looking downstream). There was a trail which I lost often but easy to walk. Even saw campfire traces so probably it's used more often. I don't know if it's easier than the right side. But the BB/CC part took me less than 2 hours this side.
* The first official fjord (69.8) was already above my waist and very difficult (crossed it diagonal as supposed). It rained all night so probably the river is not only affected by glacial melt but also by rain alot.
* Talked to Roberto (he lives around km 80) and he confirmed the river was high due to the rain. He adviced me to cross at his house where the river has 3 arms. I did that and the crossing was just doable the water was untill my waist.
* Roberto also offered me to cross with his horse if it was impossible on foot.
* Took variant H to avoid crossing 2 more times
* The road walk has not alot of nice camping places. Found 1 grassy patch with water around 5km before the lake.
* When the hiking trail next to the lake starts , just go straight to the beach otherwise you have to bushbash.
* The trail next to the lake is sometimes covered by vegetation I break some branches to make a way. Is everyone does this (or with Macheti) the trail will stay walkable (look out for thorns).
* There is internet (Entel) from around halfway the trail.
* I Camped at the end of the trail (km 117.6) close to the lake, there is little stream there as well.
* Road walk to Ibanez is very very very boring as well.
* At water source 135.3 the creek is very small but there is a black hose laying around at the left side of the road which you can use to fill your bottle.
* After 3 hours the first car passed and I got a hitch to town.

* ''' 2025-FEV-15 > 19 / 4 jours / Randonnée / SOBO / RR > 33-B > RR > 33-D > RR > 33-H > RR / Pierre-Marie '''

Etape : <strike>GPT31</strike>+GPT32+GPT33
| Meteo : soleil nuages et vent
| Eau : difficile au début
| Neige : non
| Intérêt : 5/5
| Difficulté : 4/5
| Danger : Rivière, éboulis

J'ai fais quelques courses et j'ai mangé au restaurant à Villa Cerro Castillo. Ensuite j'ai repris la randonnée. Attention l'eau est difficilement accessible car les lacs sont clôturés et en contrebas de la route. Sur la gravel road j'ai réussi à faire 4 km d'auto-stop. J'ai mal préparé ma randonnée et j'ai raté la 33-A. Mais je n'avais pas encore dépassé la 33-B alors je l'ai prise. Il y a un petit ruisseau devant le settler du km 0,7. Je n'ai pas pu faire de stop sur la gravel road car je n'ai vu aucun vehicule. Il y a un ford au km 36 quand le sentier traverse la rivière. Au km 52 un arbre permet de passer la rivière. Je suis passé par la 33-D pour aller voir les lacs. Je suis content d'avoir eu du soleil car la descente après le km 62 est vraiment raide sur des pierres lisse et des éboulis. Il n'y a pas de bush-bashing sur cette section du GPT. La descente après le lac se fait bien puis on entre dans un bois ou il n'y a pas de végétation au sol. Ensuite il faut suivre la rivière en marchand dans l'eau jusqu'au km 68,5 où la rivière se transforme en rapide et on trouve un sentier dans le sous-bois. Il faudrait trouver une autre couleur pour les sections de randonnées où on marche dans l'eau. Les fords des km 71,8, 73,5, 78,3 et 89,5 se font sans mettre les pieds dans l'eau. Le chemin est innondé au km 75,5, difficile à éviter car il est entouré de marais. Le ford du km 81,2 était dangereux car le courant était très fort même avec 60cm d'eau. Au km 98,5 il faut aller directement sur la plage. Le chemin le long du lac est parfois envahi par la végétation surtout dans les zones humide. A partir du km 130 c'est la gravel road peu frequentée X-735. J'ai eu du mal à faire de l'auto-stop mais j'ai reussi à faire les 15 derniers km avec un camion. Je n'ai pas pu m'arrêter à la cataracte du km 148,4, c'est mon seul regret car le vent était si violent que j'avais du mal à avancer.
FEV-20: Repos Coyhaique.

''' 2025-FEB-7 to 2025-FEB-15 / 8 hiking days / Hiking / SOBO / option 03B, RR, option 02 / Nimrod & Tamar '''

Good camps for bad weather (more info below): (-46.172528, -72.273827) Hut near km 52. puesto?[4.8/745] (-46.48726, -72.10065)

We think that its worth mentioning that if the weather is bad and you choose option 02 you should expect hard fords and having hard time following the trail until connecting back to RR.

Day 1:

Hitchhiked from Coyhaique - 3 rides 5 hours. Started walking at 17:00, camped at (-46.116414, -72216049). It was a little wind protected.

Day 02:

Rain all night and all day. Got a lift for 5 km by 2 chilean hikers that went to the Torres and back. Camped at: (-46.172528, -72.273827). Rain and wind all night and the camp location was well protected.

Day 03:

Finally sun came out, so we dried our gear. Camped at km 62. Great view and wind protection. The weather became bad again.

Day 04:

Started hailing in the morning and it should have became worse along the day. We climbed to the pass early in the morning. Got a glimpse of the Torres and made our way to camp at km 52. Near the camp there is an abandoned small hut where we stayed until the next day. The hut is well protected from rain and wind, and you can even make a fire inside.

Day 05:

Our Inreach forecast lied us (again...) and the rain didn't stop until evening. Took option 2 - Rio Avalleno. The river was swollen because of the rain and the fords were quite difficult for us. The trail was gone under the water in a lot of parts, and in some parts it was just CC. Track files was irrelevant in many parts. Camped at puesto?[4.8/745]. Like described before - it's actually a wooden built wall which protects from the wind. The wind was crazy and it gave us great wind protection to pitch our tent and to enjoy a fire.

Day 06:

Finally a nice day. Untill we connected to the RR the trail was in bad condition, and again the track files not very helpful. You can skip 2 fords at km 9 if you stick to the nice and visible trail on the east side.

Maria and Julio not at home. Camped at (-46.276123, -72.204873) There was some wind protection and no water.

Day 07:

At (-46.275422, -72.198820) we met Ricardo (we are not sure if he is a settler or a woreke), which kindly suggested to help us cross the Avellano on his horse back. The river was quite swollen from the rain but it's hard for us to say if it was crossable by foot. Camped at (-46.48726, -72.10065) by the small lake. The wind was strong and the campsite was well protected by the big rocks. We filtered water from the small lake/swamp. It might be flooded earlier in the season though.

Day 08:

Walked all the way to X[130.4/311] and camped near the junction. Not wind protected but the weather was good. There were a lot of water at variant N.

Woke up late and took the bus at 9:00. About one hour ride, 1000 clp. Times like MiaimZelt has written.

'''2025-Feb-02 to 2025-Jan-05 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / Hiking / Opt 3B, RR, Opt 8 / Tom'''

Day 1 - Rainy: I hitchhiked from Villa Castillo to the junction at the beginning of 3B. Great views, but if you can afford to pay for transportation to the end of the road, it's worth it. I camped at -46.2647991, -72.41223312025. Due to the rain, there were several streams, and some areas offered wind protection.

Day 2 - Rainy: A simple day, just following the route. Be mindful of the exit point from the road—I was focused on the rain and missed it. The Mallín (wetland) can be challenging at times, but nothing too difficult.

I arrived at Camp 57.2, where four students had waited for a day, hoping for clear skies.

Day 3 - Sunny: I started early, around 6:45 AM. It took about 2.5 hours to reach the viewpoint. Around -46.3870597, -72.4916724, there's a more recent landslide. Nothing too difficult, just loose rocks and fallen trees. Another 2.5 hours to return. On the same day, I started Opt 8 at 1 PM. This section took me 6.5 hours. It's a cattle trail, poorly marked—you really need to follow the GPS carefully, as there are many paths that lead nowhere. I recommend checking the contour lines since there is significant elevation gain. I arrived at Camp ? 11.6, which is Puesto Aguero—it appears to be in use, with sleeping bags and food inside. The camping area isn't ideal, as the ground retains a lot of moisture.

Day 4 - Rain/Sunny: I started at 2 PM when the rain stopped. The river was quite high, so unlike Michael and Kasia, I used the "punte" (a makeshift crossing). It's a fairly slender tree, but there's a rope to help with balance. I had no issues, but if the river were lower, I would have crossed directly through the water. At the beginning, the route is quite muddy but clear. The first half can be a bit more challenging at times, but the trail is well-marked towards the end. It took 4.5 hours to reach Bahía Muerta.

General Notes: From Route 7 to the Torres viewpoint, it's quite straightforward and well-marked. The difficult section is between Camp 57.2 and Camp ? 11.6. I know there's a route from Camp ? 11.6 to another viewpoint of the Torres, which is not included in current GPS tracks. It seems to be a trail that guides from Avellano Bahía Muerta are currently working on.

* '''2025 Jan / 4,5 days / SOBO / hiking/ opt. 3B, RR, opt. E / Al & Bee'''

It’s a beautiful route but it also consists of a considerable amount of road walking. The terrain before and after the Torres and some of the river crossings can be challenging depending on the conditions. This GPS track by Alex Chile on wikiloc was very helpful.

Day 01
We hitched a ride in the late afternoon from Villa Cerro Castillo along the Carretera Austral to the crossing with Camino Lago Lapparent (X at 18.6). From there on it’s a long way of gravel road walking. For camping we would not recommend the camp at 32.0 because it’s located on a fenced-off part of the trail. We camped in proximity to a small river at approximately (-46.25806, -72.38893).

Day 02
Late start, waiting out the rain in the morning. More road walking through the forest until X at 45.5. Then following a path through the forest on to an open valley with some cows. Some parts were boggy, at times it was easier to walk on the left side close to the forest. Some easy fording. Camp at 52.7 looked nice, lots of dead trees in that area. Route along river became more challenging at some point after X at 54.5 but it also started raining quite heavily then. Boulder fields to cross carefully, rocks were slippery in the rain. Behind the first boulder field, a stretch of (former) forest previously devastated by a storm, almost all trees uprooted. Reached the two lagoons as it was getting dark and camped at a beautiful spot close to camp at 61.2.

Day 03
The next morning peaks of the Torres were (still) covered in clouds, yet a beautiful sight. CC up to the pass at 62.0, beautiful views of the lagoon next to camp at 63.4 and the glacier. CC down the pass and through the boulder field required concentration but was fun, the weather was good. We were able to go around the snow field, which was then to our right. A bit further we encountered the same issue as described by MiaimZelt: our trails and the map didn’t match the terrain in the section with the waterfall. We also hiked down left of it. CC-descent close to lagoon and over boulder field. For the stretch along Rio Ventisquero to the trailhead we can really recommend the GPS track mentioned above. Countless (easy) river crossings, some riverbed walking, some boggy stretches. Nice horse trail after trailhead at 68.5. Fording at 69.8 was knee to thigh deep and manageable. After (easy) ford at 71.8 we took variant E because it seemed less overgrown. Easy horsetrail from there. Said hello to a settler. Camped right before ford at 81.2.

Day 04
Fords at 81.2 and particularly 81.4 were quite deep (thigh to hip high) and with strong current but manageable. Soon, easy walking on minor road. The road becomes bigger as you get closer to the lake. At the lake we enjoyed walking at the lake shore in the beginning before the path leads up to the hills. A perfectly windless day, the lake was extremely calm. The walk along and view of the lake was gorgeous and a highlight of the trail. Lots of creeks and beautiful waterfalls. We met two GPT-hikers heading the opposite direction and had a nice chat. Not many campsites available along the path. After a long day of walking we camped at 113.9.

Day 05
Late start, enjoying the lake in the morning. A little more ups and downs along the lake then ascended first on an overgrown minor road and then on one actually in use. Got water up the stream next to settler at 121.8. Along the last part of the dirt road we had a nice chat with local settlers who showed us some Calafate berry shrubs and offered us a ride to the junction with the road to Levican (X at 130.4). From there we had a transport.

'''2025-Jan-17 to 2025-Jan-21 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / OH03B RR + variant D + variant H / Sean & Neele'''

Took the bus at 10 from Villa Cerro Castillo to the start of Option 03B. We'd hope to hitch the dirt road but we literally saw only one car.

Bridge 25.7km - good place to get water

Camped just before junction for option C (46.5km roughly) by the stream in the woods. Great wind protection.

49km to 50.8km - track files go CC but on OSM there's a trail we followed it and it worked well. CC route looked wet and boggy in places.

Ford 52km - lots of downed trees so can cross with dry feet.

Took variant D - easy and beautiful would recommend it.

Pass 60km small patch of snow on South side no problem without spikes

Camped at camp 63.4km - very beautiful but no wind protection, we were lucky the wind was pretty calm.

CC & BB 64.3 + 4.2 - we just stuck with the stream the whole way down worked out well.

Ford 81.2km - about 550m before the waypoint the trail gets close to the river for us it looked easy at this point so we just crossed here. Just over knee deep at 4pm on a hot sunny day, no rain for the past few days.

Took variant H to skip the other 2 fords.

Camped at 93.3km (S 46° 28.690', W 072° 11.674') nice grassy area with a small stream.

98.5km - shortly after leaving the road RR take you through some bushwhacking but it's avoidable just go straight to the beach.

Camped on the beach around 116km

Road walked to 138.5km where we saw the first car of the day and got a hitch to Puerto Ibanez.

* '''2025 Jan 02 to Jan 11 / 10 hiking days / SOBO, NOBO, WEBO / Hiking / Opt 3B, RR, Opt 2, Opt 8 / Michael and Kasia'''

Quick notes:

A nice section with some great views and some good optionals. It is a fairly popular trail up to the Torres; we met 11 other hikers on the RR. Opt 2 is a really pretty and peaceful valley. Opt 8 is an adventurous alternative route, probably better to exit GPT33 than to enter it on full resupply weight.

CAMPS:

Night 01: -46.25532, -72.38365 (good water access, decent wind protection (look up before you set your tent, there were some widow makers), next to the road, no view)

Night 02: -46.34592, -72.49822 (Camp 57.2) (decent view, excellent water access, minimal wind protection, surrounded by dead trees, not safe in windy conditions, a lot of spots to choose from)

Night 03: -46.40655, -72.49601 (amazing view, decent water access, no wind protection)

Night 04: same as night 3

Night 05: -46.35732, -72.45379 (flat space for two tents, wind protected, just off the trail, water is a little ways away)

Night 06: -46.36802, -72.43937 (flat space for 2 tents, excellent wind protection, no view, water is a little ways away, accompanied by the sturdy arrieros shelter)

Night 07: same as night 6

Night 08: same as night 2

Night 09: -46.39734, -72.58201 (Camp ? 11.6) (not much truly flat space, but if you aren't picky there's lots of space, no wind protection, water is down a steep hill,next to the used puesto)

WATER:

On 3B and into RR on the road it was difficult to find at times. On all trail sections it was easy to find.

Day 01 - Jan 2nd

We got the bus from the terminal in Coyhaique. It was a bit of an ordeal. The buses hadn't been running for two days on account of the holiday, and we had not purchased tickets in advance. There was quite a line and it seemed they had been sold out much earlier. We went and talked to the driver after he finished loading most of the luggage. He said to give him a minute to check. He luckily had two empty seats to Cerro Castillo, and we paid him cash at the break point in Cerro Castillo, 8.000 pp, the normal price. He dropped us at the beginning of Opt 3B. There was a bus stop there. Opt 3B is a gravel road. There is some nice scenery, but overall it's a road walk. There isn't much traffic, but hitchhiking is possible. RR from km 24 where Opt 3B meets it is also gravel road until km 45.5. There isn't a huge grade and the road is in good condition, so it's easy if somewhat underwhelming walking. Water is not so easily accessible. All the little side creeks had dried up or were just water trickling through mud. Much of the time we were too high above the water, or it was fenced off. At km 24.9 there is an unmarked bridge. There was good water access there. There was also a very nice campsite there at (-46.21595, -72.34452). It had flat space for at least one tent, maybe two, trees and good water access close by. The next good water spot we found was at Settler 29.4. There was easy water access next to the bridge down to the barn. We didn't find water again until km 35.5 when we camped for the night. Camp 32.0 should be marked “Camp with No Water”. We did not see any water nearby or anything that looked like there is water at another time of year. At km 31.9 there was a locked gate with a No Trespassing sign, but a set of stairs to walk over the fence on the left hand side. The stairs were solid and in good condition. At km 32.9 was an easy open gate with a No Trespassing sign facing the other direction. It looked like someone had been working there recently, lots of fresh wood cuts, but we didn't see anyone. We camped just off the road at km 35.5 in a little clearing, just after a gate. There was access to the estero there.

Day 02 - Jan 3rd

We continued the road walk. The trail in the forest was very nice. The meadows were a little marshy but we moved through them fairly quickly. Ford 52.0 was easy, top of the calf and not much current. There was actually a fallen tree that could work as a bridge to do a dry foot crossing. We camped at Camp 52.7 next to a stream. This would not be a good site if it is windy. Fortunately we had a windless night. No issues finding water this day. We met three other hikers on their way out of Avellanos.

Day 03 - Jan 4th

The trail to the Trailhead 57.0 is easy to follow and, except in a few places, in good shape. There were a few places where it disappeared for a bit. Where they diverged, sometimes GPT track files were better, sometimes OSM, we just chose what seemed the most traveled. After Trailhead 57.0 the track is a little more difficult to follow. The OSM track was a little more accurate for the CC sections. There was only one ford at the end of the valley a little before it goes up into the woods, around km 59.3, just below the knee, not a strong current. The way through the woods at the end was difficult to follow. It is fairly overgrown in parts and we ended up walking a bit above the GPT track pushing through trees until the boulder field. We were trying to make it to Camp 61.2 above the pass. After the Trailhead 57.0 we did not see another suitable place to camp until close to Camp 61.2; everything was wet or on a slope, either covered in rock or trees. We camped at (-46.40655, -72.49601), about 400 m before Camp 61.2 in a flat area. There was no wind protection, but the night was calm. The site has a great view of the mountains and one of the lakes. We met five other hikers heading out over the course of the day.

Day 04 - Jan 5th

We did a packless day trip up to the pass to see the Torres. The weather was good, full sun and light wind. We spent about an hour on the pass. The Torres are nice; the one in the middle looked to us like it had the face of the rock eating monster from Neverending Story. As nice as the Torres were, we actually preferred the view on the mountains on the north side of the pass. On the way back down we looked at the area around Camp 61.2. We didn't really see any spaces suitable for a tent, certainly not for something the size of the X-Mid 2. There seemed to be a few options for bivys. There were strong gusts of wind in the night and part of our tent collapsed. We managed to get it back up and it stayed up for the rest of the night.

Day 05 - Jan 6th

We headed back NOBO on RR. We met Mia who was heading SOBO at the ford. It was nice to cross paths with another GPTer. At the X 54.5 we switched to Opt 2 Avellanos Bypass. We were interested to see the valley. The trail in places is in great shape, especially the higher areas, and in places non-existant, especially in low, wet areas, or where the river has washed it out. At one point we saw a huemul, our first one. It was walking up stream in the river very slowly and pausing often. We watched it for about 15 minutes before it finally got up on the hill on the opposite side and climbed into the trees. A little while later there was a huge waterfall coming down from one of the mountains. We camped in a sandy area under some trees a ways away from the river. All fords were more of a blessing in the scolding sun than a challenge. The riverbed moved in some places into the land where the GPS tracks were but it was very easy to navigate.

Day 06 - Jan 7th

We walked further downriver to Puesto ? 4.9. It is not actually a puesto, but a stopover half-shelter with fire pit for people driving animals. It was a great wind barrier, and a place to hang out on our rest/”waiting rain over” day. Just a few meters away we found a nice flat area with space for two tents that was very well wind protected and we were expecting 90 km/h winds to come next day. We left our packs and went further down river. The valley is really beautiful and has some great views. For a while the trail is in excellent condition, then it starts to disappear. It was not possible to follow the GPT track for all of it, but we found other paths. The river fords got increasingly more challenging as we went down stream. More drainages joined the river and added water. We turned around at Ford 8.2 and we noticed the increase in river level just over those few hours. The most difficult ford was mid-thigh with a good amount of current (at 6pm, earlier around 3 pm it was good 20 cm lower).

Day 07 - Jan 8th

We took a zero day. Rain and high wind all day. The camp site worked very well for inclement weather.

Day 08 - Jan 9th

We backtracked the rest of Opt 2 and arrived midday back at Camp 57.2. We were planning to exit 33H on Opt 8 but didn't want to start it the same day. We enjoyed a half rest day with sun and no wind at the campsite. We passed three other tents during the day.

Day 09 - Jan 10th

We started Opt 8 in the morning. For the first 7 km or so it is actually fairly easy to follow. The GPX tracks aren't always spot on, but we followed them as closely as we could and we managed to find the trail more often than not. The landslide seemed to be quite small and we just walked below it. The two fords at that point are just over a side stream, so probably dry foot crossable a little later in the season. Everything after that until Camp ? 11.6 where we stopped for the night was a bit of a challenge. In areas the trail is in excellent shape and then it just disappears into slopes of grass and blow downs. We would lose the track and CC for a while, finding it again a couple hundred meters on. I just walked with the Garmin in one hand for most of the way since I had to check it so frequently. The last few km to the campsite were very muddy. It ended up being a very long and very exhausting day. We did not see any serviceable campsites for our tent between the beginning and Camp ? 11.6. Camp ? 11.6 is a puesto with a sign saying it is called Puesto Agüero. There is also a sign saying “No Dejar Basura”, which we took to mean that the puesto is used, at least unofficially, for public camping, but just to pack your trash out. The site does not have good wind protection, but we had a windless night.

Day 10 - Jan 11th

Ford 11.5 had the same makeshift bridge that Maggie & Julien reported last season. We decided to ford instead of use the bridge. We forded a little lower than the waypoint. It was above the knee and with a fair amount of current. The path after the ford was generally very easy to follow. In the pastures we kept an eye on the GPS as there are animal trails that go all over, but in the forested areas it was very clear. It was very muddy for the first half and mostly dry for the second half. There are some nice views of the river along the way, and of the valley toward the end of the section. The MR at the end has been extended further up the valley and now starts about 1.5 km sooner than indicated in the track files. We walked into Puerto Murta around 18:30. We had no particular difficulty with Opt 8, and it was not overgrown enough that we wished we had a machete at any point. Though it doesn't look like it from the elevation profile in Gaia, due to the constant ups and downs there is an enormous amount of cumulative elevation gain and loss. For this reason we think that this is a much better option for exiting the section, so the pack can be as light as possible.

* '''2025 Jan 4th to Jan 9th / 5.5 hiking days / SOBO / Hiking / Opt 3B, RR, Opt D & E & H / MiaimZelt'''

This section indeed is a real gem, but also challenging. Weather was hot and sunny, too warm in my opinion.

Day 1: Wanted to hitchhike from Villa Cerro Castillo to the start of Opt 3B, but then a bus came an took me. Mostly boring hiking along a minor road.

Day 2: Continued along the minor road, soon it got smaller and wasn't passable for cars anymore. At -46.254893, -72.381462 is a new fence, theoretically it could be opened, but you need to be strong. I crawled under it... Here -46.260122, -72.397627 is a large rather open field with lot's of flat space to pitch a tent. Water nearby. -46.260547, -72.400255 small building, which was unoccupied. The horsetrail is in good condition. Camped here: -46.352094, -72.488826, but there is only space for small tents.

Day 3: The ascend in the forest was also in good condition. Later you have to sharpen your eyes and look for the cairns. Met Kasia and Michael, was nice to meet other GPT hikers. Option D is marked with cairns, but there is no trail and i had to cross the river 2 more times. Especially the first lake is a real gem.
Hike up to the pass was not difficult, just take your time.
Way down is more challenging. I had to cross a large and steep patch of snow, which was ok without microspikes. Than you have to climb down a steep slope with lots of boulders, but they have good traction. The middle part was the hardest, because both smartphone and Garmin didn't show my correct position and wanted me to hike down a small waterfall. According to the smartphone there had to be a lake, but there was a forest instead, which wasn't shown neither on the Garmin nor on the Smartphone. Hiked down left of the waterfall, which looked much safer. The last part before you arrive at the glacier lagoon, is a large field of XXL-boulders which you have to cross. The views at the lake were awesome!
The bushbashing was mostly easy or at least not difficult. The worst was the stretch along Rio Ventisquero to the Trailhead. In the beginning i tried to walk in the riverbed, which often means to walk in the river, not just crossing the river. But when a 2nd river was added, the water was up to middle thigh and had a stromg current - not a good idea to continue this way. Hiked at the left side in the forest instead. Sometimes there was a vague animal trail, but it disappeared very often. This was really annoying with a lot of bushbashing. Camped at Camp Without Water {33H} [68.7/766].

Day 4: Crossing of Rio Ventisquero was just up to my knees and not diffucult. Enjoyed the horsetrail along Rio Avellano, but i took Option E, because the RR was i overgrown in this area. Option E is in better condition. Didn't met Maria & Julio, later i saw to guys on horseback. Ford {33H} [81.4/492] was up to my crotch (i'm 1.74cm) and had a strong current, but i made it. My feet had traction, but couldn't place my trekkingpoles correctly due to the strong current. You have to cross 3 times here, but the other two were easy.
The Minor road is not like a real road, it's more a 4x4 track used by horses with sandy ground and vegetation in the middle. It's hard to find a camp at this minor road, because of the thorny vegetation. Camped here: -46.478173, -72.19456. It's a patch of flat gras with enough space for several tents, has a small stream and good protection from the wind.

Day 5: According to my Inreach the wind gusts should reach up to 101km/h. Was indeed very windy, but fortunately it came from the back and the wind was warm. The trail along Lago General Carrera is very scenic and mostly visible, but also strenuous. Some (fortunately very short parts) are badly overgrown - a machete would be useful. Almost every plant in this area has thorns. The ups and downs a very steep, which i didn't like in the heat. Lot's of water. Used Camp {33H} [116.3/239] which has a great protection from the wind. But be aware of the thorny plants while searching where to pitch you tent - there are only 2 places without them.

Day 6: The last stretch until the minor road was much faster. The first part of the minor road has vegetation on it and isn't used by cars. Brought all the water from the lake, but it wasn't necessary. Small streams here: -46.403664, -71.975755 and next to the road at Settler {33H} [121.8/643]. The settler wasn't at home and the wooden gates were locked, had to climb over them. There are several minor roads, not just one. Bridge {33H} [129.3/304] is a deep canyon, didn't see a possibility to get water there. Walked two hours along the road between Levican and Puerto Ibañez, until i got a hitch.

* '''Dec 6-11 / 03B + RR SOBO / wiiiim'''

Great route, still early season, weather was sunny but still cold, rivers were low, the infamous crossing of the lower rio Avellano just above knee height.
The crux of the route was the South side of the pass, sections of snow, I crossed later in the day when it was softer, avoided most of the snow on the East rock flank, but around 1200m the rock slabs were wet & the gullies in between were filled with snow. A bit of a maze, it took some time and back tracking, I used micro spikes but its probably okay without, I think knowing how to self arrest on snow with hiking poles is always a good skill to have, lots of videos exist on that.
Laguna la Plaza is a short/easy side trip well worth it, the North side of the pass is fast going & pretty well indicated (ciarns), on the South side section of CC once on the valley floor it seems easier to wade through the (spectacular) river.
I was pleasantly surprised with the walk along the lake, it’s really different and beautiful.
I was lucky to get a ride out from the MR to Puerto Ibáñez quite quickly from around -46.36065, -71.90255 but it’s usually very quiet.

At -46.26604, -72.41735 there is an established rock bivvy that could also fit a medium size tent.

Overall I would probably recommend the regular route NOBO to cut out most of the start/end road sections: organise a ride from Puerto Ibanez to the trail head (it will be worth the money) and on the other end the finish of 03B on the carretera austral will have plenty of traffic to hitch a ride

• '''2024-Dec-09 to 2024-Dec-10 / 2 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Opt.A + Opt.01A + Opt.01/ Julien'''

Following the road to Puerto Ibáñez
Just a little difficulty about finding water because most of lakes and rivers are private now.

* '''2024-Nov-28 to 30 / 3 day / Hiking / Circuit / GPT33H Option 5 and 5A Valle Miller from Puerto Alarcon to Valle Jaramillo and return to Puerto Sanchez / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

The Cordillera de Avallano between Rio Ibanez and Lago General Carrera is one of the hidden treasures of Patagonia. And Valle Miller is one possible entrance into this mountain range.

After packrafting to Puerto Alarcon we packed our packrafting gear and hiked up Valle Miller along the minor road to the bridge over Rio Miller to crossing “X {33H-05} [7.8/611]”. There are numerous possible camp sites and water sources along this minor road.

A few hundred meters after crossing “X {33H-05} [7.8/611]” is the last pasture with suitable camp sites.

Valle Jaramillo is a very scenic side valley of Valle Miller that can be explored in one day.

This side valley has no distinct trail but the forest is reasonably open. Therefore ascending and descending through the forest is not really bush bashing but just a slalom around the numerous fallen trees.

Once the open terrain is reached, hikers can see the very scenic valley with some remaining smaller glaciers.

The cross country walk to the 1679 m high pass is very rewarding in good weather. From an altitude of 1400 m the terrain was in parts covered by snow fields as we visited this early in the season.

We returned to Puerto Sanchez which is the alternative starting Point for hikers.

==Season 2023/24==

* '''2024 Mar 22 to 2024 Mar 28 / 7 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR / Maddi, Tom and Jordan'''

Day 1: Got the public bus from Puerto Ibanez to Levican for about 1000CLP each. We were the only ones on the bus and the driver dropped us at the trailhead. After walking along the road for a while we miraculously got a hitch in the back of a pick up for a couple of kms. Trail down to the lake was a little confusing but just head down and you'll hit the main trail eventually. Trail along the lake has plenty of up and down but nothing too strenuous. We had a perfect, windless day with not too much sun so it was pretty easy going, plenty of spots to get water once down near the lake. The notes said there was some scary exposure but we didn't really encounter any along this section, the path is pretty solid and clearly used by horses. Set up camp on the lake on the small rocky beach at (-46.47634,-72.08138). Just enough room for our Zpacks Triplex and Jordan's free standing tent. Jordan caught a fish that night but chucked it back.

Day 2: Great sunrise over the lake but then it started to rain. Jordan caught another fish which the boys had for breakfast. Walked along the lake in light rain until the old road where we went up the steep hill and started inland. One apple tree along this section but the apples weren't great. Followed the disused road until the end and then started along the track. Hit our first ford at about (-46.46161,-72.24620) which was above the knee on me (174cm tall) and quite fast flowing/muddy from all the rain. Tom slipped climbing up the bank here and fell backwards into the water but somehow avoided getting swept away. Kept walking along until we hit the refugio, unfortunately it was locked. Set up camp next to it so we could use the porch for shelter then went to scout the next ford just past it. This one was way too high and fast to cross so we were hoping it would go down overnight. Rio Avellano also looked impossible but that was a problem for the next day.

Day 3: Luckily the tributary into the Rio Avellano had gone down significantly overnight and we were able to cross without issues, although it was still fairly fast flowing at about knee height. Had a go at crossing the Rio Avellano just after this ford where it is marked on the GPX and others had mentioned it was doable but we had no luck, even employing the three astern. Decided to try the settler's place up on the hill to see if we could get help crossing but noone seemed to be around. Kept following the track along the river, hoping for a place to cross. Jordan somehow manage to cross using the eddies formed by a large tree that had fallen into the river. He had to come back across to help me get over with Tom but it was a near miss. Water level just below hip and quite fast flowing. Massive relief to make it across and get to enjoy the sun a bit. Had lunch near Maria and Julio's but still didn't run into anyone other than sheep. Enjoyed an awesome section walking along through ankle deep water in the autumn colours with snowy peaks in the background. Hit another fairly fast flowing ford, just above the knee, but manageable now we were getting good at crossing 3 astern. Thought we would make it to camp just below the towers but unfortunately hit another ford that even Jordan couldn't cross. Much higher consequence with huge rapids downstream and the water level above the hip. Tried to walk upstream a km or so to see if we could cross but ends up high above the river as it enters a canyon section. Scrambled back down and camped for the night on the track in the forest with the hope of lower water in the morning.

Day 4: Water was much lower in the morning and we were able to cross with no issues. Still over the knee and fast flowing but the group of 3 works wonders. Headed into the forest and up past the old corral then into the swampy section. This was super rough going as the swamp was over the knee in parts. We constantly switched between climbing between the tangle of tree or wading through the swamp. It was raining lightly and getting quite cold by this point. We made it to a clearing along the river at about 11am but the towers were in complete fog and I was shivering hard. Decided to set up camp in the forest and try for the towers the next day in the hope of more visibility. Found a nice camp spot in the forest at (-46.42932,-72.49572) with easy access to the river for water. Snuggled down to try to warm up all afternoon, only emerging for meals.

Day 5: Set off through the forest up towards the towers. Says bush bashing but was actually pretty easy walking up the hill. Towers still in a bit of cloud but made it up there mid morning and spent some time scrambling around the lake to take a look around. Camp site in the rocks was flooded from yesterday so glad we didn't try to get up there to camp. Scramble over the boulder field and up to the pass isn't too bad, although some snow patches made it a bit slippery. Cool granite slabs on the way up. Super windy once we got over the pass so hurried down the valley. No navigation issues but definitely got wet feet walking along the river. Camped at the refugio.

Day 6: Hiked along clear trail until we got to the minor road. Hoped to get a rare hitch but didn't really see anyone. Decided to hike along the river just before the bridge toward Lago Lapparent to find somewhere to camp. Found a few awesome spots along the crystal clear water for our last night.

Day 7: Headed back to the road and followed it back to the Carretera Austral. Got a hitch in about 15 minutes all the way to Coyhaique but there is a bus stop there if you can time it right.

* '''2024-02-23 to 2024-02-27 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / OH03B + RR + OH08 / Maggie & Julian '''

Trail attractiveness: 4/5;
Difficulty: 3/5
(keep in mind that this is our first GPT hike)

Day 1: ‘GPT33H-03B start’ to (-46.2570, -72.3711):

We entered from Carretera Austral at Laguna Verde (Option 03B) after being dropped off by the morning bus from Coyhaique (heading to Cochrane). Arrived at the crossroads at 11:30am with Don Carlos bus.
Whole day was walking on roads and relatively easy to make distance.
At (-46.2671, -72.3561) there was a sign reading "se prohibe la entrada al predio" and a locked gate with a ladder to climb over the side. There is a campsite (Camp, X {33H} [32.0/700]) pinned shortly after, but we decided to keep going because of the sign. At (-46.2621, -72.3613) there is an end to the property (same sign facing opposite direction, no gate). We camped on an area used for chopping wood at (-46.2570, -72.3711). Short scramble down to the river.

Day 2: (-46.2570, -72.3711) to Camp {33H} [52.7/953]:

Large part of the day was also road walking, afterwards trails and some cross country.
Camped by Camp {33H} [52.7/953]. Camping around Puesto {33H} [53.0/946] has better mountain views, Puesto itself was being used, possibly for guided horseback trekking.

Day 3: Camp {33H} [52.7/953] to Pass {33H} [62.0/1314] and back:

We left our tent set up and most things at Camp. The way up was sometimes hard to find. Trail markers made more sense on the return. Had an extended lunch a little after Pass {33H} [62.0/1314] and then returned the way we had come.

Day 4: Camp {33H} [52.7/953] to Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548]:

Probably hardest day in navigation, trail disappeared often, but manageable.
The former landslide section at (-46.3853, -72.5520) did not pose any difficulties for us as the water level was not too high and the main river flow now goes near the northwestern side of the valley. We just had to step over the remaining side stream. With more water some fording might still be necessary, but I imagine you could get away with staying near the southeastern bank for this section.
At Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548] there is a puesto that seems to be in use, but we saw no one and camped a little lower near the river.

Day 5: Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548] to ‘GPT33H-08 start’:

Right after camp there was a makeshift bridge to cross the stream (tree and rope, very rickety).
Trail seemed to be used and maintained on this part of option 08.
Shortly before Camp {33H-08} [6.9/435] there was a previously washed-out section with a new path already laid out. In heavy rainfall this could wash out again but should not pose a big hindrance.

Notes:

- RR + option 08 is a great short alternative without much backtracking.

- Our hitch out of Puerto Murta happened to be local members of an association that wants to bring more tourism to their town and the Torres del Avellano. If their plans are fruitful, traffic and trail maintenance may increase on option 08.

- We organized the transport of our non-trekking items from Coyhaique to Puerto Río Tranquilo by encomienda. Ines, the lady working at the Sao Paulo bus office in Coyhaique terminal was kind enough to hold our boxes until we arrived and called her from Puerto Rio Tranquilo. Our things arrived the day after we called at around 1pm. We shipped a rather large quantity of items (enough items to fill 50L bag) for 12000 CLP. Sao Paulo bus Coyhaique telephone: +56 672 255 726

* '''30/01/2024 - 01/02/2024 / 3 days, 78 km / Options 06 and 07 / Alex + Andrey'''
South bound (east bound).
“Mountain route”,

a combination of Options 06 and 07 which are now passed and confirmed.

Difficulty: Difficult/Very Difficult

Most of the route is off-trail
Thanks to Jan for the suggested routes and clues.
Short resume:

This mountain route is a more difficult and demanding alternative to the regular route but can be an interesting option for those looking for a challenge.
The combination with a regular route allows to form a full-fledged “eight”, a trip of 6-10 days.

Option 07 is a shorter, although more difficult, alternative to the regular route in case the Avellano River cannot be forded NOBO.
Notes and recommendations.

Option 07:

All fords do not pose any significant difficulty.
Due to the height and southern exposure the areas between Pass 1 and Pass 2 (Pass {33H-07} [17.0/1755]) and descents from Pass 2 in the early to mid-season have extensive areas of snow where microspikes or crampons may be required.
The main difficulty on the descent is overcoming several side washouts, which are small but deep and steep canyons.

Option 06:

There is no water during the first 4-5 hours of ascent to the valley.
The open area of the upper valley at Camp 2 and beyond throughout the ridge is a resort for very strong winds. Setting up camp may be difficult or impossible. A strong hiker can combine and complete this section in one day.
The predominant wind exposure makes passage from west to east highly recommended.
The last reliable source of water is before reaching High Pass 3. Further east there is no water until the junction with the regular route, except for temporary streams from seasonal snow.

The track and additional information are here:
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/avellano-mountain-route-chilean-patagonia-160489118

* '''2024-Mar-04 to 2024-Mar-08 / 4.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / OH 03B + RR + OH D + K / Joscha'''

Day 1: OH33H-03B + RR [24.2-41.2]

I tried to hitch from Villa Cerro Castillo to the start of OH33H-03B. After 1 hour a Bus arrived and took me to the start for 2000 Pesos. The Bus runs from Cohayique to Chile Chico on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It starts in Coyhaique at 9 am and stopps in Villa Cerro Castillo at around 10:30 am. From the brigde at km 25.7 until km 35.8 there is no water on the RR. You walk close to some rivers but I didn't check if its possible to acces them. After km 35.8 there is plenty of water. At km 38.5 is a big flat field for camping with a creek next to it. I camped just before the crossing of the river at km 41.2.

Day 2: RR [41.2-58.3] + OH33H-D + RR [61.0-63.4]

There was plenty of water all along the trail. Camping possible at -46.291963, -72.470389 just before the Pass (km 44.4), at the start of OH33H-C and along the CC section from km 49.0 to 50.8. I can recommend OH33H-D. I especially liked the first Laguna. Camp 63.4 has awesome views, but is only slightly wind protected and the spots are only good for small tents.

Day 3: RR [63.4-93.2]

I stayed inside the riverbed for the last 2.5 km of the CC&BB section. I had to cross the river about 20 times, but its the fastest and easiest way. The ford at km 83.6 was just below my crotch (I am 191 cm) and the current was pretty strong at around 5 pm. It would have been difficult for smaller persons. All the other fords today were at max. knee hight. There is plenty of water all along the route. I camped next to the RR on a flat, grassy field at km 93.2.

Day 4: RR [93.2-116.3]

Plenty of water along this part of the RR.

Day 5: RR [116.3-119.6] + OH33H-K + RR [122.6-141.0]

OH33H-K is easy to walk but does not offer any great views. If you choose OH33H-K, than there is no water between km 117.5 and 138.5 (at km 135.2 is a water marker, but I didn't see any as I walked by. Maybe I missed it, because I wasn't looking for it). There is water at km 140.3. I got a hitch from km 141.0 to Puerto Ibanez. But there are very few cars on the road, so don't count on getting a hitch.

* '''2024-Feb-12 to 2024-Feb-16 / 4.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / Option 03B, RR, Variant C, E, H, K / Tomáš & Natalie'''
There was a queue of three hitchhiker groups who did not get picked up while we were doing our shopping, so we opted to hire a taxi for 15000 to the start of 03B (Pedro Zuleta: +56 993 5786 68). Somehow, during our arranging of the taxi, all three groups left. Roadwalking to option 07 was uneventful. Tomáš got a hitch (he eats lunch too slowly so Natalie got ahead) for about 5 km from a family which was exploring in a car. About 500 m before the diversion to option 07, there is a locked gate with a sign saying the property is private, but one can go over a ladder. At the gate, we met a local with a key who has a house on Option 07, if we got him right. He gave us a ride of 500 m. The start of option 7 is actually a road.

The MR at 24.2 is in a bad shape due to erosion after ford at about 12 km in. Tomáš made a bridge out of a log but managed to jump into the water while doing it. Enjoy the bridge while it lasts as did a Frenchman we met there. He did the circuit NOBO based on Wikiloc. He said he keeps coming across GPT, but could not figure out how to get the GPS route. We told him to talk to Jan. Maybe he will come back the next season.

On the way to the Torres, we met 3 pairs of Chilean hikers going back. Tomáš went to Laguna La Plaza (option C). Lake is grey but the valley is nice enough to justify the short detour. It is no BB, there is a trail in the forest and above the tree line a vague trail or easy CC. The Torres are indeed magnificent. One can easily walk on the sloped polished slab falling into the far side of the second lake before the pass - it is an exhilirating detour. Going down from the pass, when the GPX turns right, Tomáš actually managed to walk over one of the ledges above the GPX and liked it. Just be extremely careful with moss and water, they can make the stones extremely slippery, but he survived that without falling. About 100 m before the lake, there is a at-least-a-ton heavy swing in the form of a loose boulder. Enjoy if you can find it. Camp 63.4 is literally awesome. We had a very warm almost windless night there.

After the boulder field under camp 63 we loss the rest of the elevation on the right side of the creek and then when the swamp appeared on the right we went to the left and stayed on that side (North) for the entire BB/CC. There is a vague trail most of the way, but is has many many logs over it. It took us 3 hours to walk to the trailhead. We kept our feet dry and were in the shade, but it would have been quicker and far less tiring just following the riverbed and constantly crossing the river.

Ford at 69.8 around noon was slightly above the knees. Ford it diagonally as the trail wants you to - it is shallower that way (ie a little further down than where the trail spits you out). Greeted grandfather, Maria and Julio and their three kids and had a short talk with the grandfather, nice to see the whole family working together on projects. From their place, the trail sort of is wide enough for a car (there is one at their place) but we think it is never or virtually never used by cars. Ford at 81.4 at six in the afternoon was 5 cm under our crotches (we are about 1.70), we forded about 100 upstream of GPX. The river was strong but we did not feel it was dangerous for us. We forded the widest part of the river just before a dead end fence (if you are coming from the other direction, after the grey river and around the dead end ford you will see the widest part of the river).The day was hot and despite not covering even 20 km, we felt superexhausted. Strong sun and spikees got to us!

We camped about 4 km along the road, shortly after the second (both jumpable) ford. It must be a good place to camp, as Tomáš, who went back to the big ford where he left his sandals the previous day, met a GPT hiker going NOBO who apparently slept in a hearing distance from us. The hiker first started to come to Patagonia decades ago, before it was overrun. Tomáš sadly never asked his name. Met the grandfather again, coming back from the port, horses are fast!

The road is not used by cars but stiĺl quite ugly. Around middle, near option 6, there are two shortcuts (400 and 50 metres) to the zigzags, three of which were marked by cairns by Tomáš. Please add the fourth cairn. Puesto 98.3 is a settler. He offered Natalie to come inside and rest but she didn't feel right stopping at that moment and kind of got the "heeby jeebies" from him. Met another pair of GPT hikers, doing just 33. The stretch along the coast is beautiful and very Mediterranean. All day the lake was without waves, even that can happen. Slept at Lake 113.8: nicer, with water and less buggy than camp 200 m earlier (just beware if the wind picks, up the waves can be very loud).

Variant K misses last water but is easy to follow, nicer than a road and involves only three very easy fence hops. Reached the bus stop for Puerto Ibanez around three. Got lucky and received a hitch from two British tourists to Puerto Ibanez. The shops there are larger than expected and stock overpriced pesto and gnocchi, Tomáš is almost as joyful as cherries make him!

Nat's Notes:

- For views I would prefer this NOBO. I suffered a new type of "look back" syndrom on most of the route. Plus, if you are walking the lake shore in the afternoon, the sun should be on your downhills and not your uphills (it was insanely hot when we did it and without a whisper of wind).

- In the section notes for km24-45 I think what was meant was that from roughly km36-45, "there are many small streams and camping spots", this is indeed true. However, between km 24-36 and option 3 there are NO longer many STREAMS to drink from, I remember only one slightly decent one and both sides of the road are fenced so if you want to camp or drink water from the main river, then you must jump the fences (cow panels or barb) or ask a settler. Also, strange to say, there is very little shade and can get uncomfortably hot...

- Intersection 45 is not hard to miss anymore, it is marked with an orange ribbon around a tree and a large cairn on your left.

- On Trail#9 (ascent before the first two alpine lakes) I took Veronicas advice about going into the woods where the RR is but rather than trying to follow the GPS, I followed what seemed to be a trail along the creek with some cairns here and there. Eventually it ends above the trees but you should be able to make your way back to the RR once the "coast is clear", ie. no more trees. If you want to walk along the lake then you should do the CC up the boulder field on Variant D.

- Going down from the pass was no problem, like everyone says, "just follow the gps". However with that said, it is very tempting to make your own way bcs there are many good looking ledge systems but after reading Wills experience, I backed away from the temptation and followed the GPS. I also slipped on some wet moss on RR.

- So much water everywhere except for the lake camping, if you are smart you will fill up on one of the many streams before getting to the lake...

- When doing the BB/CC section, after the initial elevation loss from the lake, there isn't much drinking water apart from the river until near the end of the BB. I think you could make "makeshift" camps. I was tempted to cross the river early to avoid crossing it at km69 but once again I remembered what Will wrote last year about the thorns and cliffs so I don't think that's a good idea.

- Not a fan of the lakeside gate locking technique (remember how it looks before you open it;)

- I surprisingly really enjoyed the lake stretch, it seemed it is where Pantagonia meets the Mediterranean/Arizona. The trail is in good shape, just a few overgrown roses and thorny bushes here and there (regretted shorts only a little bit). If you are coming from the north and still have your sand gaiters, this will be a good time to reuse them :). No exposure, wish there was more wind the day we were there. I am usually the biggest hater of "PUDs" - thanks for the new word - but these were not annoying. These PUDs are just a few large hills rather than a bunch of steep micro hills like gpt22 or the valley bottoms in Argentina. Water is at pretty much every "notch" in the hillside.

- Water is at the bottom of the MR~117.5 and there is still water at the top 119.9 RR (easier to grab it a little higher up).

* '''2024-Jan-30 to 2024-Feb-4 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Yannick & Nolwenn & Tess & Lukas'''

- Trail condition : gpx easy to follow / between km 63,7 and km 68,5 we mostly stayed on the left of the river
- Water : easy to find plenty of rivers and lagunas
- Camping spot : easy to find and the one at km 68.7 is nice // the refugio near the lake at km 98.5 is perfect - make fire, sleep inside, we even could ask for some bread
- Weather : some rainy and cloudy days but overall the weather was ok
- River crossing :at km 69.8 we crossed the river early in the morning and the current was strong and the water up to the middle of the thighs but manageable // at km 81,2 the river was strong and up to our hips, we crossed it in the rain, it was also manageable for us that already jave a little bit of experience
- Resupply : in Villa Cerro Castillo and in Chile Chico ( a bulk shop just opened in front of the camping Nandu) // at km 76,7 we could buy some bread, cheese and eggs at Maria and Julio's house
- Overall : we absolutely loved this section ! The views are spectacular and really diverse from one day to another // we got a hitchike at the end on the gravel road to go to Puerto Ibanez.

* '''01.27.2024 / 5 days / Hiking / SoBo / RR + Option 8 to Bahía Murta / Milton Cea + 4 more'''

Considering that we would venture to make this route a journey from Villa Cerro Castillo to Bahía Murta, we have decided to pay Pedro Zuleta, who is dedicated to transportation in the surrounding areas (+56 9 9357 8668), to take us to the entrance of the route at the registration booth. There, we encountered a pair of muleteers who did not pay much attention to our passing, however, we spoke with them to ask for their permission and inquire about the condition of the path.

We started with the regular route, a bit late, and for that reason, we camped the first night at Mallín Grande, which is a very good option, as watching the sunrise in this beautiful place is worthwhile.

Starting early the next day, we reached the "Los puestos" sector and from there, leaving our camp set up, we headed towards the towers. We were only able to reach the first lagoon at the base of the massif, as we went a bit late and our conversation with some other hikers we met extended. I would recommend leaving early to take advantage of the views from the portezuelo lookout.

The next day we began the crossing through the "Río Resbalón" Valley, as the locals call it, following an animal trail that sometimes tends to get lost among new vegetation or fallen trees, accompanied by other hikers who decided to join the journey.
It is a part of the route that can be slightly complex if you do not have a good reading of the surroundings, finding the animal traffic trail, and considering that you navigate through a forest that can easily disorient. This changes when you already walk with the "Resbalin/Resbalón" river to your right, as it is quite useful to follow its course. Always on the left side of the river.
On the way, there are some fallen trees and abandoned muleteer posts that can be used as camping space if necessary, although I would not recommend camping in this old forest.
Upon reaching the point of the road collapse, the crossing of the scree can be done at the level of its arrival, but to continue the route, you must climb a few meters up the mountain until you find the entrance to the continuation of the route. This point took some time from us, and we decided to camp near the river, towards the rock beach in the middle of a young forest with a mossy floor, very comfortable and restorative. We also decided to place some pircas at this point, as there was no mark to help resume the path towards Murta, since the difference in height was noticeable and it can be easy to believe that the path continues by the river side, but no, from here the path separates from the river and goes up the mountain.

Finally, after this last abandoned stretch, where the vegetation is abundant in some parts, we ended up arriving at the Puesto de Los Agüeros and decided to spend a night there, as we were very tired from constantly finding the route. It's worth mentioning that we couldn't find a GPS track before the trip.

The next day, after a night of intense rain, we took the official route traced from "Bahía Murta" at opossite direction and arrived in the town at dusk.
If you want the track and the Waypoints of the journey, feel free to write to me at '''milton.1902@gmail.com''' =)

* '''From 2023-01-20 to 2023-01-21 // 1,5 day // Hiking // NOBO // option 1 Valle Ibanez // Quentin Clavel'''

When I arrived in Puerto Ingeniero Ibàñez, I had to make a choice, as the weather window were pretty short. I had only 3 days and a half ahead of nice weather followed by one entire week of rain.

So I made the hard choice to skip Torres del Avelano, and go straight to Cerro Castillo by the OPT1 to explore the NP of CERRO CASTILLO.

This section was not so bad. Even if it was gravel road until the Lago tamango, I had nice views, and was not too bored from this stretch, but well yeah, it's gravel road for 30 km, so of course it was not all the time so funny aha !

Then I went to the small track along Lago tamango. Very quiet, pretty well marked thanks to these sticks with red and white colours on top, and with some scenic views.

You'll end up at the parking of the touristic sendero sitio archeologico de manos pintadas (Paredón de las Manos (1000CLP for children's, 2000CLP for adults. From Tuesday to Sunday 10h00-17h00). Then it's gravel road, following by 1,3 km on the carretera austral to reach Villa cerro castillo.

I was expecting worse for this section. Quite happy about it. That's a nice alternative if, for a reason, you want or have to skip Torres de Avelano

* '''2024-Jan- 14 to 2024-Jan-16/ 3 days/hiking/SOBO/ 33h/ 33h-b/33h-a/ 33h-P/Paulina'''

At first, I wanted to do RR, but as the recent reports about the river crossing where not very encouraging, I decided to play it safelty, so I just mixed some sections.
I started in Villa Cerro Castillo, till X 33h [ 5.5/554] it was a very peaceful, nice trail, with beautiful views on Cerra Castillo. There were some fence crossing, but not very annoying.
After the intersection, so once I joined the road X-725, it was less interesting, walk on a gravel road. I think this part of RR is better to hitch-hike ( it's possible and not very difficult to catch a car on this way).
Once I reached the big lakes ( beautiful views!) and some wanderful camping spots [ S 46.17790 W 072.32049] between Lago Alto and Lago Lapparet, I took 33h-b. At the beginning the trail was l crossing a forest used by locals as wood supply, but later ( around the place where it joined 33h-a), the landscape was amazing! Especially the part with lakes and settlers.

The last section was on 33h-01A. The cannion of Rio Claro and later the waterfall are beautiful, but for some hikers a long distance on gravel road on this section can be annoying so it's probably better to hitch-hike ( not a lot of cars but still possible).

I bought my ticket for ferry from Puerto Ibanez to Chile Chico without any problem 1h30 before the ferry departure.

The mix of these 4 sections + hitch-hiking it's a good option for bad weather or high river level on RR. Some parts are very beautiful, and the less interesting parts ( long distances on gravel roads) it's possible to cover by car.

* '''2024-01-02 to 2024-01-07 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR & Options: 03, 03B, 04C, 04 & Variant E / Roman'''

Route: Hitchhiked along Option 03 to X {33H-03} [18.6/315]. Hiked via Option 03B to X {33H} [24.2/462] and than continued RR to Ford, X {33H} [71.8/602]. Here used Variant E and back to RR all the way to Settler {33H} [85.0/462] (Luis Diaz). Continued on Option 04C to X {33H-04} [73.9/559]. From here used option 04 all to way to Bahía Murta.

Decided to go SoBo to get the tricky parts done with a good weather forecast. Hitchhiked along Option 03 because it's easier to get a lift. Was at X {33H-03} [18.6/315] 12:35 PM. From there it's a super easy to hike street all the way to X {33H} [45.5/1088] via Option 03C and than 03. Sadly there where no cars going in the correct direction. Towards the end (last 5km) there are some rivers crossing the street, nothing bad, you can get over them dry feet if jumping on the rocks. Continued the RR, the trail is clearly visible and easy to hike all the way to Camp {33H} [52.7/953]. Arrived there at 09:30 PM. It's a awsome place to pitch a tent! It was absolutely woth it to go for such a long day. Met 2 locals who went with a truck all the way to this point: -46.26754, -72.419667. Met also Cy & GG (see GPT 23). We continued the next day. Trail was in a good condition and CC was easy no snow up to the pass Pass {33H} [62.0/1314]. Absolutely beautiful view! There is some snow on the south side on the way down. It's mostly melted to you can decide if you want the first 150-200m of elevation go down in snow or trough the boulders. It was a sunny day therefore quite easy to get down to the lake. From there we went down a boulder field to the BB (Bush bashing) section (400m). This is trivial - no macheta required. It's just walking trough the forest. From there the CC&BB is at the beginning easy. We found a animal trail on the southern side of the river. Than the swamp started which was annoying. We started, after finishing the swamp section, to walk in the river bed around here -46.438037, -72.469247 which was fast progress but wet feet. Jumped on the trail and camped at Camp Without Water {33H} [68.7/766]. There is a lot of water at the river and it's just a 10 minute walk so we filled the bottles. The Camp is good, stayed there with 3 tents. Continued the next day (it was moderate rain during the night and at the morning) to the X, Ford {33H} [69.8/634]. This was at the limit what is safely possible. Fast flowing river - hip deep (iam 180). From there on the trail was clearly visible and easy to hike fast. Continued the RR and did Variant E. Check you GPS, we didn’t intend to do it we just followed the most clearly visible trail and ended up at the Puesto {33H-E} [0.8/619] so we continued. The statement from above is still valid all the way to Settler {33H} [85.0/462] (Luis Diaz) for the RR ;). After that is a easy trail, at Settler {33H} [76.7/535] (Maria & Julio) I met Julio and they had a car there to the trail from this point on is even easier. I split up here with Cy & GG because of different plans and it was questionable if the Ford at Ford {33H} [81.2/490] (Rio Avellano) is even possible so I wanted to speed up. Reached the point around 05:00 PM. It was not possible to Ford - way to deep and to much current! So I used my packraft and crossed the river. Got in the water here: -46.456627, -72.320677 and followed than the RR. Ford {33H} [81.4/492] was also impossible by foot. Used the same tactic and crossed it by boat. Got in the water here: -46.453523, -72.316373 and crossed by boat. After that easy trail and continued the RR. Ford {33H} [83.6/467] (Rio Avellano) was also absolutely impossible so also did it by boat. After that I camped here: -46.463767, -72.26597.

interim conclusion: if the weather is not stable (I knew it wasn't [would reccomend checking with meteoblue] go SoBo and be aware that the crossing can be impossible - I would reccomend bringing you packraft so you habe more options even though it's the H route. Otherwise you have to wait, potentially for days or you need the help of a local (this is how Cy & GG managed it).

Next day continued 04C. The trail to the pass is clearly visible and beautiful to hike. From there it's hard to find a few times because of a lot of animal tracks. Follow the GPS. The trail is again visible from this point on: -46.486009, -72.212428. Trail condition generally good with some bushes hanging in the trail. Reached X {33H-04} [73.9/559]. Same here a lot if animal trail - follow the GPS. The trail is clearly visible from this point on: -46.49591, -72.205307 up to Bahía Murta. Condition is good. The Pass {33H-04} [71.5/958] is definetly a highlight. Camped at Camp {33H-04} [66.2/209] - great place. Next day was long no changes on the trail condition - good and easy - hiked to Ford, Camp {33H-04} [37.5/259]. Camping there is a bit tricky to find a good place but manageable. Met a guy at the gosttown Puerto Cristal. The trail is according to him also used by tourists groups. I asked before the trial if there is a ferry connection - there is none only one company goes there by boat for tourist. Maybe you can arrange a transfer ( https://turismopuertocristal.cl/ very fast response time via WhatsApp 10 minutes). The Pass {33H-04} [43.3/840] is also a highlight. The Ford, Camp {33H-04} [37.5/259] is challenging hip deep. After that it's easy road walk to Bahía Murta. Got a lift at -46.520007, -72.636049.

Overall: I would recommend SoBo because the difficult sections are at the beginning and weather dependent. Go if you have a few stable non rainy days. Bring you packraft to have more options for fording. The entry via Option 03 & 03B is in my opinion easy due to hitchhiking & ou find a grop and book a lift The views are amazing at the passes. The BB is trivial. BB&CC is annoying but done within 2 hours. The Option 4 is absolutely beautiful and if you are a bit luckier than me avoids a lot of road walking. Would definitely reccomend the section. The reason for me to go with Option 04 is to easy connect to 82P.

Contact: https://linktr.ee/RundW

* '''2023-12-22 / 3 days / RR / SOBO / Anh'''

Just a quick info: The first part of RR is not marked but very easy to hike. After the pass (km 62) I had a hard time with the 2km CC. At first the snowfields were very steep (60 slope). The snow thickness was only 20-80cm, underneath are very big steep boulders and the melting snow makes the hollows big. Then there are the streams under the snowfields. I was a few times with a foot in it, fortunately not whole body. I had to go up and down in the forest, on the edge, on the rocks... My goal was to be safe, it took me 2 hours to cover the 2km.

==Season 2022/23==
* '''2023-Mar-30 to 2023-Mar-31 / 1.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option 1 / Martin & Helena'''

We started from Villa Cerro Castillo around 11 AM and took ferry from the port the next day at noon. The former RR trail follows path of Sendero de Chile, and starting with no expectations we were quite impressed with what it offers, especially all the amazing views of Cerro Castillo. It's definitely a good short alternative to the Torres del Avellano detour that we were forced to skip. Trail is easy to follow and you can find many camp spots along the way. There are many small shops in Puerto Ibáñez. Knowing the ferry schedule we went directly to the port where were just a few others in this time of the year.

Contact: @martin_hanzelka @helenneka

* '''26/02/2023 - 02/03/2023 / RR SOBO with emergency exit on a boat on Lago General Carrera / Louis, Rémi & Noé :'''

Day 1 - From Lago Verde - 15.5km - +700m/-300m We first hitchiked from Villa Cerro Castillo to Lago Verde on the Carretera Austral. We hiked then the gravel road until the camp next to the free check in point, in the forest.

Day 2 - Laguna La Plazza - 16.5km - +800m/-500m We kept going on the minor road before the well maintained horse trail. We took option to the Laguna La Plazza and we camped there but the weather was quite bad with a lot of wind. Would recommend to camp in the pasture down there in these conditions.

Day 3 - Lagunas before the pass - 17km - +1000m/-900m The trail was still very easy to follow this day. A bit of cross country at the end but nothing difficult as there are kerns. There is a spot to pitch tents next to the second lake, between it and the waypoint "camp" (that we didn't find btw). Very nice there and without the clouds, the view should be incredible.

Day 4 - CC until diversion @km69.8 - 14km - +500m/-1100m The troubles began for us this day. Noé injured his knee just after the pass. With Rémi, we alternated carrying his bag in addition to ours. That's why we hadn't moved a lot. The bush bashing is demanding and under the rain, fording is a real challenge. I would recommend you to be south of the Rio after the diversion/ford. We camped on the north side, a few hundred meters after the div.

Day 5 - Lago General Carrera - 30km - +700m/-1000m As we were a bit late, we decided to walk directly to the lake. We forded the Rio in order to be south of it and we found the horse trail, it was easier then ! We crossed the Rio a last time @km81.2, still manageable with the rain but a bit hard (water until the hips, we are 1m80 tall) with a strong current. Then, the minor road. We didn't leave it until the lake. A bit of ups and downs but the road is nice so it is fast. Here, at the lake. There is mobile coverage and so we contacted numeros given on the PDF on WhatsApp to find a boat to bring us back to civilisation. With the third bag to carry, it was too hard for us to keep hiking. I let you the contact of Jairo, that can bring you back to Puerto Tranquilo... for 400.000 CLP... we didn't had the choice as the settler living just in front of the lake wasn’t there. Jairo : +56 9 6633 9507 He transported us the next day.

* '''2023-Feb-21-27 / NOBO / RR + Option 3B / Ondrej and Bara / Puerto Ibanez - Vila Cerro Castillo / 6.5 days'''

Gorgerous section. Unfortunately, we were struck by bad weather mid-way which took out the joy and brought a few very difficult moments for us.

We went NOBO and on the 3rd day camped in the valley close to Maria & Julio (76.7 km). It started raining early morning and while the rain stopped around midday, it was enough to turn streams into rivers and cross country paths into swamps. We were unable to ford the river at km 69.8 at two different places. To continue, we decided to make a risky choice and bush-bash upstream on the other side of the river, hoping to ford it in an upper section and rejoin the trail. This eventually worked out. We forded the river at -46.43642, -72.45456 and rejoined the trail. This 1.2km diversion took us about 2 hours. Bush-bashing through forest was okay but in the middle of the diversion we struggled through 300m of thorny bushes which took forever to get across.

From around 1000m of altitude, we had fresh snow on the slopes. This made the boulder field more challenging than we wanted (fortunately still manageable). We crossed the exposed pass at km62.0 and continued on the other side, firstly through snow and then again through muddy cross country parts until we joined the trailhead at km 57.0. Afterwards the trail was easy all the way until the end.

We also met Anna and Christopher going the opposite direction - really great to meet fellow hikers!

* '''2023-Feb-20-24 / NOBO / RR shortend on the road sections / Zohar / Road to Levicán - Carterra Austeral / 5 days'''

I tried to shorten the section because of the upcoming bad weather, which hit on the last day, but I was lucky to catch a ride out with a family that came to collect wood from their land.

I arrived on Monday to pureto Ibañez spoke with the van to levicán that left at 17.40 to Levicán got off on the way where the rout leave the main road and walked till the shore of Lago General Carrera. Day 2 I followed the horse trail along the lake, which was very visible and easy to follow. Then, I followed a miner till I found a stable campsite. Day 3 was the hardest. I was determined to sleep at the base of the torres, so I had a lot of trail to cover, and the route was hard to follow, but the direction was clear. Day 4 started with a beautiful sun rise on the clear torres de avellano. The bolder field wasn't as hard as I itentenly thought, but be careful. After the pass, I met 4 young hikers going to the torres and back. Day 5 was wet, but at least on a minor road and about 9 km before the road, I was picked up and taken to Villa Cerro Castillo.

I don't advise doing the section in 5 days thay where long, big days, and it is better to enjoy the surroundings. if the weather was better, I would have taken 7 days. This section is beautiful and highly recommended

* '''20.02. - 24.02.23 / Anna & Christopher / SOBO, Villa Cerro Castillo - Puerto Ibáñez'''

In the afternoon we started hitchhiking the Carretera Austral to where Option 3B starts. There were lots of people trying to hitchhike directly from Villa Cerro Castillo, so we figuered to have a better chance if we walk further up the Carretera Austral. We soon got lucky. That day we walked the dirtroad until km 4.4 and camped there next to a small stream.

The next day was mostly easy walking on dirtroads until the crossing at km 45.5 (which is relatively easy to miss!). We camped at km 49 at the edge of the forest.

The next day the weather turned bad once we reached the section with all the boulders on the ascent to the pass. We did some unnecessary climbing by not sticking to the main route. When descending we lost the main route again and briefly tried to descend without it, which we soon realised is a bad idea, so we climbed back up to where we lost it. We spent the night at the camp at km 63.4.

The next morning we woke up with a clear blue sky and finally saw the Torres del Avellano. Really amazing rock formations. The following bushbashing part seemed ok to us, we had worse ones on the GPT so far ;). First we walked on to the right of the river following a good animal path. Once it ended we changed to the left side and stayed there. About 2/3 of the route is a realtively good path and the rest was some easy BB and climbing over fallen trees. Luckily the ford at km 69.8 was easy to cross. We took variant E from where on the trail was in a great condition and we could walk pretty fast. The river crossing at km 81.1 was more demanding and went almost up to Annas hips (1,63m). We camped soon after that at approx. km 81.5.

We continued on variant H the easy trail on the dirtroad until the lake, where it gets more demanding (we underestimated the continous ups and downs). The views are amazing though. It gets pretty windy next to the lake. We camped at a tiny spot at km 109.3 next to a small stream.

On the final day we walked to the bus station (6 pm) and took the ferry to Chile Chico the same day (8 pm). This section was great :)

* '''11-18 February 2023 / Maks&Gabi / SOBO / RR, 33H-E, 33H-H ( hichhiking from km136 to Puerto Ibanez)'''

We started from Villa Cerro Castillo. If you can, try not to skip the first part of road walking. It's beautiful with the view over Lagunas and Cerro Castillo. The terrain is also different than in later parts of the section.

There are some problems - lot of fences and gates on the first 5 km. Then many aggressive dogs and limited access to water (steep descents and fences around the lakes). The camping spots, marked on track files, can be hard to access (private properties with new fences). We camped by the bridge around 25km (the bridge is not marked).

We than waited half a day for the rain to stop. The rest of the road is also well maintained with occasional river crossing (all easy).

The next trail part (until km 57) is mostly visible. Some problem can occur by the CC part, especially during heavy rain - it was all floded. We weren't exactly expecting it, but it was snowing and the temperature during the night was about -4. Next day we waited until 11 am to dry our stuff, as the sun finally came out.

As Veronica wrote, when going up to the pass try to follow the cairns (33H-D). The part between the lakes and the pass is quite easy.

Going down from the pass we followed the GPS and we found it quite manageable (actually for us it seemed to be much easier going SOBO than NOBO at that point, even though it was slippery and with a lot of small streams going down the rock). We reached the camp at km 63.4 at 4 pm. First 400 m of BB is easy as the forest is not overgrown. It's getting worse in the valley. If possible try to be close to the river. We were fording it multiple times. Finally we stayed at the left side of the river, bushbashing for the next 3 km (that's where the trail starts). We slept next to the ford at km 69.8.

We forded the river in the morning. It's possible, but the current was strong (for us it was the worst ford on this section with water above our knees - I'm 175 cm). After the next ford we followed 33H-E as we couldn't find the entrance to the RR. It's a very well maintained path with a big puesto nearby.

After fords at km 81 we followed 33H-H as we didn't want to cross the river anymore. For those of you, who are planning to go there during the next few days, be carefull - somewhere around km 91 there is a fresh dead cow near to the water.

The lake part's quite exhausting. We were blessed with sunny and windless weather so we found it astonishing and not so dangerous. We started our last day at camp km 113.8 . Ascent on the road (117.5) is ok and there was water on km 119.9 (small stream). The rest of the road walking is easy (with occasional fences) but there's no water on km 135.2 (water on 129.3 is hard to access).

We hitchhiked from km 136 to Puerto Ibanez. During the weekend there is only one ferry a day (Saturday morning and Sunday evening).

* '''8 to 13 of February 2023 / Will / SOBO from Laguna Verde / 6 data'''

This one was an ordeal for me, I don't recommend starting with a week straight of rain in the forecast. At first I appreciated the ambiance after six completely dry weeks in the north, but after a few days it started to get me down. Thankfully to keep my morale up I encountered some kind settlers, a few pairs of GPT hikers, and some sun in the final stretch.

The rains never got too heavy, generally off and on light rain. The temperatures were fairly cold from the nearly constant cloud cover.

To start out I hitched out of Villa Cerro Castillo to Laguna Verde, teaming up with some of the many hitchhikers. The initial road walk was beautiful, some podcasts helped me power through the rest.

The pass was tough in the rain, but manageable. Things were slippery but there's enough to grab onto in the boulder fields to keep you stable, as long as you're focused and moving slowly. The ascent was nice boulder field the whole way, on the decent things looked scarier. Instead of boulders there was a lot of large smooth slab with water flowing down. The gpx route there was good, following boulders and vegetation around the slab. Things only felt dangerous once, when I went slightly off the track and ended up trapped between a cliff and a water slide. After some scary experimentation I found that I could get good traction on the waterslide using a crab walk technique, on my back with hands and feet and butt all resting on the slab. This let me traverse the waterslide back to safety.

The little bush bashing section after the pass was easy, I camped in there. Things got bad again once I got back out to the river and the cross country+bush bashing marker. My feet got worryingly numb after a bunch of river crossings and marshland traversal, I tried to stick to the woods after that.

I then took two big questionable detours from the tracks, staying to the south of the rio avellano and avoiding crossing it all the way until I reached the lake. I'll quickly describe them here but they were both uncomfortable and not worth it unless the river is impassable. The cold and rain seem to damage my decision making quite a bit, I refused to backtrack or to take breaks to think things through.

To skip the crossing at 69.8 I stayed in the woods south of the river starting at around km 67.5. Initially nice cow path, followed by a tricky wooded boulder field, followed by a horrific stretch crawling over thorny bushes. Eventually I made my way up to the base of some cliffs where things got a bit easier. Following the cliffs I reached a cow path, leading to some open woods through which I rejoined the trail around km 70.5. Never thought I'd be so happy to find cow poop.

I dropped a blue and black stone bracelet somewhere before or during the 71.8 river crossing, let me know if you come across it!

Some of the minor streams merging into the river were tough to cross. 71.8 was up to my thighs with a strong current.

To skip the first major crossing of the Rio Avellano at 81.2 I followed some horse trail to the big white rock hill, and climbed to the top. The rock was super grippy even in the rain. I then traversed along the slope to the east, staying between an elevation of 700 and 750m. There was some cow path making it easier to walk, I wonder how they get up there. A few tough bushy sections descending and climbing out of crevasses/streams before I got to a gradual stream at -46.46385, -72.30601 which I scrambled down to the river.

I ran into the settlers Luis and Jaqueline at their house by the river. They generously took me in for the night and gave me a chance to dry out some of my stuff.

From there I followed option 4C down to the lake, hoping that the river crossing there would be less scary with the river fanned out wider. The option was decent trail over some low passes to the lake, though at times it was hard to follow. It's tough to choose where to cross the river because you can't see the bottom through the silt. I decided to cross near the gpx line where it was wide with lots of debris and sand bars to rest in between the channels. At the worst points it was crotch deep and powerful, the rocks under my feet sliding back from the force. Pretty scary.

I camped in the willow grove by campo chico, and the next day (Monday) I raced to the bus stop at 130.4. It turns out that the bus is now at 6pm, I got there just in time. I took the bus to Puerto Ibáñez and got straight on the 8pm ferry to Chile Chico.

A small cut on my ankle ended up getting infected, I'm now in town out of commission with a ton of swelling. Should have been more careful!

* '''Feb 12 Direct Route SOBO 1 day Frank'''

I walked straight from Villa Cerro Castillo to Puerto Ibanez in one long day. A few KM out on a dirt road there is a museum on your left & a short trail on the right which goes to some rock paintings. You pass by a lake with good views of Cerro Castillo. Salto Rio Ibanez waterfall is impressive.

*Helen and Craig + (Caro and Ali)
5th-10th February NoBo<- only direction to do it! So pretty!

almost got stung by the ferry from Chile chico. Make sure when you go to the office as the online booking doesn't seen to be working, that you specify your a foot passenger. And if they refuse ask to be put on the waiting list for the next ferry (which means you'll get on just fine) pretty sure you could probably just turn up and ask very nicely and they would let you across. Looked in to the boats from Carlos and Pascual to join 33 missing the coast section from levican but Carlos is not in the area at the moment and Pascuals boat is currently non functional, sad times but the coastal section I would have been sad to miss!

-Decided to do Torres del avellano northbound. Highly recommend doing it this way and thankyou to the others who pointed out this point before us. Veiws were great and much easier to get over the bolder scramble going up.

-We walked in a group of 4 so payed for a transfere to levican and a pick up from lago lapparent. 60,000 each time.
-Phone signal from Puerto del avellano to levican
-The river valleys of avellano and venti were incredibly beautiful to the south.
-Route was better marked and easier to navigate than exsepted. Very Easy going apart from km 68.7-62. if you've done GPT 40 or 37, then you'll find 33 delightfully a breeze. (We did have good weather, in bad weather even just a little rain I imagine a very diffence and worse exsperience)
-In the BB/CC river valley of Rio avellano walk on the north shore of the river rather than going to the south. The forest is mostly easily passable or can hop out to the river valley to walk more freely. The south side of the river is calf/ knee high swampy bush bashing which leads to very cold feet and frustration.
-keep eyes peeled for humels! We spotted a male humel on the bushbash/cross country section and had the most amazing sighting!

* '''22 to 26 of January 2023 / Véronica / GPT33H RR SOBO / via GPT33H-03B / 4.5 days'''

Route: Villa Cerro Castillo - Laguna Verde (Río Alto valley) - Upper Río Avellano valley - Torres del Avellano viewpoint - Lower Río Avellano valley - Lago General Carrera - Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez

Simply beautiful section. Lots of excellent info is written about it in the Hiker's Manuel too. I only met 4 other hikers, with two of them being northbounding GPT hikers! Great to meet you, Yannic and Mirjam :)

From Villa Cerro Castillo I hitched easily on the Carretera Austral to Laguna Verde, where Option 3B begins. I wanted to cut some of the initial road walking because poor weather was incoming the next day and I wanted to try and beat it to have a chance at seeing the Torres. The road walk in the Río Alto valley was actually quite pleasant and scenic. There is a little self-registration booth across the road from the settler at km 30.8, where hikers are asked to "check in" before proceeding down the private road towards the Río Avellano valley. There is no charge.

The camp at 52.7 km is very nice with a little stream running through, lots of dead wood around to make a fire, and relatively sheltered. There is an old puesto/refuge there too that is open and has a fireplace. Could be a good spot to hole up if the weather is bad.

When you diverge from the Río Avellano valley to head up the pass, don't try and follow the GPS. Instead take the path of least resistance (or the path that looks the clearest) through the woods and across the rocks near the river. There are occasional cairns to mark the way too, although not always obvious to spot. Only the last cross-country section before the pass did I follow closely with the GPS, as it goes across a boulder field and the GPS line seemed to be the easiest way up to the pass.

On the south side of the pass is where you finally see the Torres del Avellano proper. Absolutely incredible, and I managed to get the great views only a couple of hours before the rain started and clouds engulfed everything.

I followed the GPS track closely going down through the granite boulder field, since it guided a safe way around the steeper cliffs. It was slow going down through the boulders, but it didn't feel unsafe as the rocks were grippy and solid.

The initial "bushbashing" segment at km 63.9 was very easy through a mature forest. I didn't follow the GPS here, just followed an old animal trail alongside a creek until it joined with Río Ventisquero. Again, the CC&BB section starting at km 64.4 was quite easy at first. I forded the river multiple times to walk along whichever side looked easier/less swampy. About midway through this section though it got tougher because Río Ventisquero got silty and the flow increased, so that I didn't want to ford it much anymore, so I stuck to the left (north) side of the river, mostly in the forest. There were some areas of unavoidable blowdowns and marshy terrain, and everything was wet from the rain coming down too.

When I reached the waypoint X, Ford at 69.8 km, I camped there for the night because Río Ventisquero was a torrent and looked unsafe to ford. There are a few nice, flat places to pitch a tent in this area, under large mature trees. Early the next morning, it was very cold and still raining, and I couldn't tell if the river had gone down at all or not. There was fresh snow higher on the mountaintops. I ended up fording the river slightly downstream from where the trail crosses it, and the water came up just below my hips (I'm 165 cm). The water is silty so you can't see the bottom, but the rocks underneath had surprisingly good traction, which I was grateful for because the current was strong.

It might be better to take Option 33H-E than the regular route. That trail looked well-maintained and clear, whereas the RR between 71.8 and 73.5 km was hard to follow and overgrown at times. There were no signs of life at the homestead of Maria and Julio when I passed through.

I was strategic when I forded Río Avellano at km 81.2, crossing multiple branches at their shallowest points. The water went midway up my thighs at the deepest point. Afterwards though I didn't want to cross it two more times, so I took Option 33H-H which stayed north of the river.

The refugio at km 98.5+0.2 on the shore of Lago General Carrera is nice and clean. There is a woodstove and some tables and chairs. It was crazy windy when I got there though, and I can't reccomend it as a good place to camp unless you sleep inside the refuge — the wind gusts were coming from all directions and there wasn't a spot that was sheltered outdoors. Further along the path at Campo Chico, there is a grove of mature willow trees that is probably a much better camp spot.

Very beautiful hiking along Lago General Carrera, but it was wildly windy for me that day. At times it was hard to stay on the trail due to the strong gusts trying to blow me off the path. Lots of water sources.

RH-MR&CC-V {33H} [19.5/118.0+4.6] is all minor road, no cross-country involved at all. I met the settler at km 121.8, he kindly let me pass through his property (and many gates) no problem.

I got to the minor road from Levican (waypoint at 130.4) at 7:40 a.m. on a Thursday. There is a little bus shelter there to protect from the wind. It was very cold and windy when I got there, and I waited until almost noon, hoping to hitch a ride. Not a single car passed by that whole time. So I resigned myself to the road walk, walked for about an hour in extremely windy conditions, and then a car finally came by and picked me up and drove me into Puerto Ibáñez :) Very grateful!!!

* '''2023 Jan / Yannic & Mirjam / Northbound'''

From Puerto Ibanez we made the first kilometres to junction 130.4 by car stop. Then we hiked on to Camp 113.4. We didn't stay at the location, but a little further ahead where the river flows into the lake. Along the lake was nice with a lot of ups and downs and then we camped somewhere on the side of the Minor Road. Along the Rio Avellano we stayed on the northern side so that we only had to cross the river once (at 81.2). The water came up to my waist (I am 180 cm). Surprisingly, there was another Ford at 69.8. Again, very strong current and loose ground, so it was difficult to find a good footing. Right after this Ford we spent the night in the forest.

On the climb at the start of the cross country section (at trailhead 68.5) be sure to get the right entry point as there are several small streams coming down the valley. We thought we saw a trail further into the forest that we could follow. Unfortunately, this was a mistake and led to us having to bush bash back onto the trail for a few hundred metres. In general, the trail was mostly better close to the river than deeper in the forest. The camping spot at the Torres was incredible and worth getting up for sunrise. The climb up the pass was very doable with the GPS tracks and not too difficult. On the other side of the pass, the trail got surprisingly good. We met a group of horses that were probably trekking to the lakes. Because the weather got worse, we took option 03 on the Carretera Austral and stopped at Ceroo Castillo.

*GPT section 33 7 days, 84 miles, 14K ft ascent Dec. 21 to 27, 2022 David and Erika NOBO

Ferry from Chili Chico runs just once a week (Mondays at 8:00 am) we missed it by hours and were stuck at the hotel California in Chili Chico for a day. “You can enter any time you like but you can never leave” got to be the feeling after residential bus after residential bus filled with residents and would not take us. Eventually got to Sierra Castillo and then hitched to Puerto Inginiero Ibanez. The tourist office there got her husband to give us a lift further 24 km to the end of the road. Well worth the 25,000 pesos. Road hike from there straightforward but new gates are being installed at the last road (NOBO) before you hit Lago General Carrera. Lots of wind. Last Refugio on the lake is legitimate. Good place to camp. Lower Rio Avellano was fordable. We thought we could avoid the 2nd and 3rd ford by taking the path over the hill. Don’t. It doesn’t go…Don’t worry, it gets worse. Ultimately, you’ll be hiking through the river all the way to Torres de Avellano. Note on that. The route takes you up to the lake. Beautiful, but then you go through a 2 km boulder field. We found the start of a trial before exiting the river that seems to lead right up to the pass. Might go, we don’t know. Instead, we took the boulder route, broke through a snow bridge, and put a deep gauge in Erika’s leg. Could have used stiches but had no sutures. Might be worth investigating.

*'''2022 Nov, NoBo, Option 1, Alice and Florian'''

We chose to do the option 1 taking the sendero de chile from Puerto Ibañez to Cerro castillo. Most of it is a trail road (first 25km, and the last 4) so it is quite tiring for the knees as some point. But it seems quite easy to do hitchhiking at least on the first 25 km if needed. Nevertheless it is quite a nice road. You first arrive to a very nice waterfall after 5km, them walk through a canyon with nice scenic views. The 10km pass through a forest trail near lakes, it is really nice as well.

* '''2022 Nov / GPT33H Option 11 and Parts of Regular Route / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

GPT33H/GPT34P: Northern coast of Lago General Carrera from Puerto Sanchez to Levican (packrafting and hiking)

From 2022-Nov-20 to 2022-Nov-24 we (Meylin Ubilla, Jan Dudeck) packrafted and hiked in 5 days from Puerto Sanchez to Levican along the northern coast of Lago General Carrera.

This lake is infamous for the frequent strong gusty wind, therefore packrafting requires a careful monitoring of the weather to depart only onto the lake when a period with calmer conditions is approaching. Luckily, there is reasonable good mobile phone coverage what facilities checking the weather and wind forecast frequently.

Given the wind conditions any packrafting attempt on Lago General Carrera requires to my opinion:

- decked packraft, a longer tandem is strongly preferable (faster, more stable) - a sail (to get quicker to an exit point) - packrafting experience in the region (to anticipate typical weather and wind patterns) - smartphone with entel SIM card or entel rooming - YR weather App, Windy weather App

The predominant wind is eastbound therefore only eastbound packrafting is advisable.

I’m left with the impression that wind gets generally stonger towards the east (towards Levican and Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez) and that calm periods are more frequent and longer towards the west (Puerto Tranquilo, Puerto Sanchez).

Also, calmer conditions are more likely in the early morning just after sunrise but strong wind all night is also common.

During a previous hike in February 2020 we experienced an entire summer day with barely any wind but such days are as frequent as unicorns and no travel plan should be build on exceptional favorable circumstances.

There is a trail along the northern shore but due to the steep coast there are sections of up to 13 km on the lake without a connection from the shoreline to this trail.

Emergency exits are more frequent along the coast but using such an exit means waiting for the wind to calm down what can take days. Therefore it is generally favorable to exit the water only in a location from where the trail can be reached easily.

We packrafted most of the distance from Puerto Sanchez to the Avellano river delta on 3 mornings in about 9 hours on the water but from there we hiked in two days to Levican because we had no similar promising calm weather windows in following early mornings. In hindsight the wind remained manageable in the morning hours till about noon but there was no point in reversing our decision to hike (and we urgently needed some exercise to get used to hike with heavy backpacks again).

Crossing from Puerto Tranquilo to Puerto Sanchez is reasonable feasible by packraft in calm weather (typically either very early in the morning or later in the evening). The crossing is 3 km wide and best started 1 km north of Puerto Tranquilo in a hidden bay with a nice protected spot to pitch a tent (46.6146°S / 72.6838°W · 210 m). If preparing the packraft at the beach of Puerto Tranquilo officials may stop packrafters as there are numerous restrictions and requirements applicable (in example accompanying motor boat with two licensed boat drivers).

Packrafters should depart in north-eastern direction to compensate for a south-eastern wind drift in case wind increases.

A very nice protected camp site is approximately 8 km from the recommended exit point near Puerto Tranquilo.

GPT33H: Bus Levican - Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez

The last 26 km from Levican to Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez are rather dull road walking. Therefore hikers that arrive at the right day and time can take the subsidized bus.

Monday and Friday only: 08:00 Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez -> Levican 09:00 Levican -> Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez 18:00 Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez -> Levican 19:00 Levican -> Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez Price: 1000 CLP

Transport at other times can be arranged for a substantially higher cost (estimated 40‘000 to 60‘000 CLP per vehicle).

Paty: +56 9 9506 3176

Luis: +56 9 8648 4075

==Season 2021/22==

* '''2022 Feb: 10-14, SoBo, RR, Kris&Stiina'''

Even though the first few days out of town is a road walk, the first part of it is actually really scenic and worth walking, the lakes are just very beautiful one the way. The second part was mostly in the forest and our feet, knees and hips were already hurting from all the road walking but once we got on trail it got better right away. The trail was surprisingly well maintained I would even say better than in Cerro Castillo National Park. Another unexpected surprise was the amount of people that we met on the trail a total of about 25 people in different size groups were hiking to see Torres de Avellano. We really didn’t expect that, there also seemed to be some sort of backpack hauling and guiding service that the local arrieros were offering. We unfortunately didn’t manage to talk to them to find out, but it seems that the place is getting popular. Which is not a surprise because it’s very very beautiful there, probably is correct what the manual says, that it’s going to be the next Torres del Paine, time will tell.

On day 3 about 2-3km before the pass the trail disappeared and the going got tougher and tougher, mostly just bolder hopping up and over the pass. The descent was pretty steep on large granite slabs which offered plenty of good grip but I am not sure how well would it work in wet conditions. I think the pass is doable in not good weather conditions but only if one feels very confident in own abilities on wet rocks. Also it’s a good idea to follow the gps on the way down because otherwise you end up on a cliff edge and have to track back up. The ground finally eases up once you enter the forest, but then starts the bushwhacky part all the way until ford/div at 69,7km.

That was as far as we could make it that day because the river was pretty fast in the evening. So we decided to camp right there and cross it in the morning when the flow would be a bit more manageable and our decision payed off. In the morning the river was about 10cm lower than the evening before, so if you ar a shorter person it could save you. The flow was pretty strong and water was still about hips deep. Both of us crossed it together by standing in a line, me in front and Stiina supporting me from behind, it worked great. After that it was easy cruising for the next 32km, however we had to cross that river once again at 81,2km. It was still challenging but we managed to do it the traditional way one by one, facing upstream. But the current was still very strong and pushing our feet out from under us, challenging our balance. After that we didn’t want to cross it two more times as gps suggested so we just stayed on the left coast all the way to the lake. There were some cow trails to follow and also to bypass the cliffs it was no problem.

The lake is really beautiful with all the islands and it wasn’t too windy when we arrived. We camped about a kilometer from Campo Chico on the rocky stream bed and managed to cook on the fire that night without causing fire hazard. And there were apple, pear and plum trees at the 98,3km, plums were very ripe but the apples and pears still need a week or two to get ready, but it was a very nice treat nevertheless.

Next day was Monday which meant that we could avoid the 26km road walk at the end of the section which we were determined to do. We had 30km to goto get to the road junction were the bus is passing by and according to the manual the bus would pass there some time after 20:00 which is when it starts from Levican. So we pushed the whole day over the steep, sandy, bushy terrain and made it to the junction by 19:00, great, we thought. But after bus didn’t show up we called the phone nr that Janna & Matthias had provided and it turned out that the bus actually leaves Levican at 18:00 and is long gone. But the bus driver was nice enough to offer us a ride to Puerto Ibañez, however for a hefty 45.000 pesos. We were out of food, out of water and pretty spent from getting ourselves there so we accepted the offer. The car ride showed that it would be a pretty dull road walk aswell if we would have had to do it so in the end it all worked out and we got to town just as we wanted.

The town was a bit disappointing, people were somehow not very helpful and also all accommodations were full, but we managed to camp at Las Cabañitas about a km out of town. The next day we went to the port to catch the ferry to Chile Chico, but due to strong winds all ferries were canceled and nobody could even give us a guess of when the ferries would restart. We didn’t want to spend another day in Puerto Ibañez so we hitched back to Villa Cerro Castillo in hopes to get bus or a hitch around the lake. There are definitely daily buses to Cochrane.

In the end our plans changed and we decided that we are content with our experience on GPT this season, so we left it at that. Thanks for kicking our butts GPT and showing us beauty we haven’t seen before! :)

For more stories of the trail, pictures, videos and in case you want to ask us anything you can find us on Instagram: @smallfootprint_bigadventures

* '''GPT 33H Option 4 (Puerto Cristal)/ Torres de Avellano/ Packrafting Route / 2022 Feb-4 / 7 days / Tobias Schorcht and Jonas Grünewald'''

I started Packrafting from Puerto Tranquilo to Puerto Sanches in the calm morning hours. Since Jonas doesn‘t have a Packraft, we booked a full Marvel Caves Tour by boat for him and asked the Captain, to leave him in Puerto Sanches, which was possible without any extra paying. We hiked northbounded along Lago Vidal Gormez and visited the left behind abandoned village Puerto Cristal. It was an impressive experience to see the old facilities of the Mining Company! The good visible trail is partly overgrown with spiky bushes and contains a lot of altitude. We have been rewarded with stunning views on the Lago General Carrera and recommend this option anyway. We went up to the Torres with good weather knowing, that some wind and rain have been predicted for the night. It took us many hours to cross the valley (-46,43300, -72,48867) because we mainly followed the “cow-trails” through the forest and wetland (as an alternative to walk up the river). We reached the camp (-46,42178, -72,50672) late and sheltered the spot with rocks against the wind. You are welcome to use our cozy spot free of charge 😉. Took the trail from the Torres down to Cerro Castillo without difficulties.

We have to say, that this part of the GPT was challenging but absolutely worth the struggle.

Disfrutas las cosas 🙏

* '''NoBo, January 2022, 6.5 days, Participants: Janna & Matthias'''

Day 1: We took the ferry from Chile Chico to Puerto Ibañez (ferry schedule online).There still runs a government-subsidised bus (+56 9 89448847) between Puerto Ibañez and Levicàn on Mondays and Fridays at 8am & 5pm (summer). We decided to spend the afternoon rain relaxing at the pizzeria in Puerto Ibañez and then catch the bus. We called and found out that the bus stop is now in front of the Supermercado Jelvez. The driver let us off at Div 130.4/311 at about 6pm ($1000 per person cash) and we hiked for another hour or so. At bridge 129.3/304 you cannot get water (a kind of gorge), maybe at the marked "Water?" about 15min downstream. We had enough with us and camped sheltered from the wind between the monoculture trees (S 46.377764 W 71.922459).

Day 2: We continued through / over many gates and past empty houses down to the water. Attention if NoBo: at gate 122.6/628 there are two gates - the GPT splits behind the left one, so take that one. The first water before the lake and two good camps at the lake are marked. The path along Lago Carrera was easy to find, sandy and rough in places but we could follow old riders' tracks. We really enjoyed the fantastic view over the lake and had a tábano-free time thanks to the strong wind. About 2 km before Campo Chico (S 46.478295 W 72.086034) we found a west wind-protected and very nice camping spot.

Day 3: Further camping possibilities would be as already described on wikiexplora at Campo Chico and at Puerto Avellano. Along the lake there are streams/rivers for drinking water every 1-2h. There is a wild apple tree on the trail here: S 46.487073 W 72.102247 in case you come by at the right time of year. After Puerto Avellano there is about 15km of a former mine road that is easy to follow. We had a wonderful view of the mountains the whole day. The first two Fords are easy to pass with little water. Water sources again every 1-2h. Our camp 3 was here: S 46.457910 W 72.299412 - beautiful, next to the water, sheltered from the wind.

Day 4: Ford-day - in total we forded rivers more than 20 times, all of them were easy to knee deep except Río Avellano at 81.2/490 which reached almost to our hips and required a lot of effort. We met and chatted with settler Maria who was on her way to have some work done. At Div/Ford 69.7/634 the mountain peaks remained hidden in the clouds and the weather forecast was not so sparkling why we opted for the bypass (option 2) which is also very nice to walk with imposing mountain massifs on both sides, enchanted fairytale forests, a waterfall and easy-to-find cow tracks. Only the large swamp around S 46.386387 W 72.422623 was very unpleasant and foul-smelling, about shin deep. It may be worth looking for a path along the water there. Camp 4: S 46.371434 W 72.432519, quiet and nice under curious observation of two horses on the other side of the river.

Day5: At Div 54.5/841 we checked the weather again but as it still looked bad and everything in the valley further up was already in fog we finally decided against the Torres. At this Div there was an unmarked Ford when coming from option 2. If NoBo hiking directly after this Div take the path higher up the hill and not the marked route directly along the water, because the latter is slipped and to climb. At Puesto 53.0/946 (if NoBo) do not go through the gate but continue on the east side. A Horse Trail runs along the eastern edge of Mallin Grande. Our Camp 5 was here: S 46.281253 W 72.436128.

Day 6: Continued on the gravel road, passing many settlers and pastures. The Estero Alto flows much lower than the road, there is water at Bridge 25.7/454 and otherwise only at the lakes. There is a fence almost everywhere to the left and right of the road. To get to Camp 16.9+0.3/598 you have to climb over a locked gate (S 46.178222 W 72.312583). The two buildings in the pasture are a ruin (S 46.182635 W 72.311414) and a stable (S 46.183119 W 72.310509).

Day 7: Continued along the gravel road we almost missed Div 5.5/554 where a sandy path continues. The path is blocked by a wire fence at S 46.143124 W 72.184071 but a little further to the right you can slip through. No problems to get to Villa Cerro Castillo

==Season 2020/21==

* '''February 2021 from Bahía Murta to Torres del Avellano to Carretera Austral / Northbound, 5 days. Valle Resfalín/Resfalón (Option 8) + Mirador Torres del Avellano + Regular Hike + Escape to Carretera Austral (Option 3B) + Hitchhiking to Villa Cerro Castillo'''

Day 1: Bahia Murta to Camp #5 (Camp ? @33H-08-#005) / 11.5 km / 6 hours

The hike started at Bahía Murta, on a steep hillside. We used the GPS tracks to find the path, and from there on it’s pretty easy to follow the path (when in doubt, we checked the GPS). It’s a very nice hike, and at the end of the day it’s necessary to cross the river. We both had trekking sandals, which came in handy every time we had to cross a river. Just after the river there is a camp option. We found a nice spot on the other side of the wooden fence, but there are many more options up the small hill. It was a perfect place for sleeping, with the soothing sound of the river.

Day 2: Camp #5 (Camp ? @33H-08-#005) to Regular Route at Mallín Quemado (Camp ? @33H-08-#010) / 11.7 km / 8 hours

This was one of the longest days for us, mainly because we underestimated how much time it takes to walk through a path that’s been reclaimed by nature. The day started with a steep uphill, where we lost the path for a while and then had to check the GPS to find it again. There are streams on the way where it’s possible to refill the water bottles. About a third way in, at (-46.38537, -72.55201), the path collapsed, probably washed out by the river. We took a look around and decided it was way safer to cross the river than to continue on the collapsed path (it was late February, so the river was not so full). We crossed to the other side, and 100m ahead crossed back. This is definitively the trickiest part of the day (although a bit farther ahead we found ourselves in the middle of a caterpillar forest...not really pleasant). Just after the crossing the are two camp sites (Camp ? @33H-08-#008 and Camp ? @33H-08-#009), but we would recommend keep going as the second part of the day is definitively easier than the first. Farther ahead we found two more camp site options: at (-46.36768, -72.53116) on this side of the river and at (-46.36722, -72.53088) on the other side of the river. We considered sleeping there, because we were exhausted, but in the end we decided to keep going as we still had some hours of daylight left. This was the right choice, because that way we could sleep at Mallín Quemado and then the next day do the day trip to Torres del Avellano. Mallín Quemado is the name the locals use for the big forest area that was “burned” by the ashes of Volcan Hudson. It’s near (Puesto @33H-53.0) and it’s a perfect place for sleeping. We decided to boil the water from the small stream, because there were some cattle grazing around.

Day 3: Camp #10 (Camp ? @33H-08-#010) to Mirador Laguna y Torres del Avellano and back to Camp #10 / 7.1 km (each way) / 3 hours (each way)

We started early and with a lot of motivation to go and see the Torres del Avellano. Sadly the day was a bit cloudy, but nonetheless it was totally worth it: the views from up there are breathtaking! A lot of glaciers and superstreams with the purest water you can ask for. When we arrived back at the camp, we met the first person in 3 days: Francisco, a teacher from Puerto Aysen. He came up the other way, from Villa Cerro Castillo, and was planning on going to Torres del Avellano on the next day, and then head back to Villa Cerro Castillo.

Day 4: Camp #10 (Camp ? @33H-08-#010) to Camp at (-46.26244, -72.35118) / 21.6 km / 8 hours

Another long day, but without any difficult parts. This section of the hike is way more popular than Valle Resfalín/Resfalón, so the path is way easier to follow. The first section, until the car road, is really beautiful. We even saw some (semi) wild horses! We knew that once the car road started there wouldn’t be so many camp site options, so we kept our eyes open. The car road goes through a narrow valley, and then comes a steep down hill. At the bottom of the hill, on the left side, there is a small meadow, where it’s possible to pitch a tent (-46.26244, 72.35118). Water is available 100m down a steep hill.

Day 5: Camp at (-46.26244, -72.35118) to Carretera Austral / 14.8 km / 4 hours

Following the main car road to Carretera Austral it’s impossible to get lost. We didn’t find any stream on the way, but in case of needing water there are many houses. Just be sure to ask nicely :) Once on the Carretera Austral we hitchhiked to Villa Cerro Castillo. We only had to wait for 30 minutes to get a ride, and considering that we did this during covid times...not too bad. We also had the backup plan of Francisco, who would be driving to Villa Cerro Castillo later that day. Funny enough, we ran into Francisco by chance in Villa Cerro Castillo and he invited us to an ice cream. It was a nice way of ending the trip.

We are extremely grateful to Jan and all the people from wikiexplora for making this adventure possible!

==Season 2019/20==

*'''Section 33: RR(New!) from Ibáñez. Exit via Option 8 to Bahía Murta.'''
Westbound. 11 days. Party (3): Mum, Sis and I.

Ibáñez y Península Levican: Continuing our extended stay in Chile we caught a government subsidised bus from Cerró Castillo to Ibáñez where we learnt after a somewhat lengthy process: talking to the ticket office, boat personnel and then the carabineros (an officer and then his jefe!), everyone passing the buck; that without a certificado de salud (not available in town, and only online) we couldn't board the vessel. The upside was that the Naviera Austral had fantastic baños (yes! they were open!) and the cleaning lady let us have a quick body wash and even do a little laundry before she had to close up. There was also limited WiFi connectivity (only WhatsApp would work) and powerpoints where we could charge our things. It also happens that we bumped into a Zulema Amoroz who was born in Fachinal, most likely a relative of Carloz Amoros who offers the boat service from Fachinal across the lake (we contacted him but no boats were allowed on the lake). If you hang around near where the ferry docks you might find her selling coffee and alfajores.

We quickly decided to walk the new Section 33 Jan recently published, but end in Bahía Murta instead (i.e. explore option 8). Some effort was exhausted trying to organise a lift out to Península Levican. We did find someone for $30k, (it seemed a little steep but that's roughly what to expect), but it wouldn't be till the following day and we needed to get out of town to spend the night. We stocked up on food and started out on foot on the old RR (now Option 1) camping before we reached Río Ibáñez.

I had a little concern about water on the way to Levican, but there are two or three good streams along the way: (-46.31022, -71.97272) (-46.32470, -71.96457) (-46.34091, -71.94069)

In Puerto Ray a lady (also named Zulema!) warmed up to us and let us camp in her fruit orchard. In the morning we bought some eggs and 'bread' from them. Her husband was tanning a chivo hide; he had such a jolly step!

Along Lago General Carrera: We went back to the junction (Div Levican @33H-131.4) where a good emergency shelter exists. The road is still very clear from here, but don't expect any traffic. I think it was a rare sight that we saw an old Mercedes truck full of wood lumbering (pun intended ;) out. The rd deviates a little from the track files maybe due to the pine plantations. There are many new rds., so take care you don't go the wrong way. Taking the RR you will pass through a locked gate (-46.38234, -71.96692), after this keep an eye out for a gate on the left. It's not in the track files and we didn't look for it, so maybe it's not there. The issue we had was that the road continues up the hill, deviating from the RR around (-46.38448, -71.97642). Here you should already be on the small road on the other side of the fence (someone traveling towards Levican/Ibáñez will find this easier to scope I imagine). Though it's not recommended to cross fences, we carefully crossed instead of heading back. A very minor Rd continues down to a dilapidated puesto and a couple of portóns. The road didn't seem to continue as indicated in the track files... but I wasn't following my gps. We CCed across a field until we encountered another road that led back to the RR.

You will finally encounter your first reliable water source since Levican (-46.40196, -71.97831), especially if you are heading towards Ibáñez, make sure you fill up here!

The two camps in the track files at km117 and km114 were the best we saw. The next obvious choice would be around Campo Chico I think, quite a bit further along. Plenty of water along the lake and we had plenty of apples seeing we were walking so late in the walking season. Amazing autumn colours! The track is also in good shape, someone had very recently 'cleaned' the way! The refugio at Los Álamos was a very welcome sight, a great place to spend a night (it's there because of the high winds possible on the lake). The nearby settler was resonably friendly and his dog Puestero even more so! He told us that it was him who 'cleaned' the track along Lago General. It made our walking so much easier! Thanks Armando!

Valle Avellano y Ventisquiero: The old mining road through Valle Avellano was easy to follow. The road actually continues significantly further than indicated in the track files. Taking Variation F to avoid extra crossings of the river we found the road ended about here: (-46.45730, -72.30207). There is an unmarked ford here: (-46.46107, -72.24636)

We took Variation D and just caught Maria and Julio before they headed out with their kids on a horse ride. We bought some bread from them. They called it a tortilla, but I think my Mexican friends would strongly argue the point ;)

Easy walking up into Valle Ventisquiero. Read Jan's track notes. They are quite thorough. The trail to remeet Río Avellano is a little unused (also as mentioned in his write up), but easy to follow. Some good camping before the river. We met some gouchos using the puesto, they were not overly friendly; I think a little scared because of the virus. They pointed out a nearby shelter we could use made from a very old technique using U-shaped logs (I met a carpenter in Murta who told me a little about it).

Option 8: Valle Resbalín/Resfalón(?): It was snowing in the morning. We decided to take Option 8 to Bahía Murta. This meant less road walking and involved a part marked as 'I' (investigation) which would be nice to document. It appears that this route down Valle Resbalín (or "Resfalón" as some locals in Murta told me it was named... anyone know?) is no longer used; quite overgrown, vague and in places difficult to detect at all. Sometimes all we could see was the occasional chainsawed log; and in some chutes: machete marks. Water was plentiful. There was a very old but partially functional puesto en route.

There is a junction ('div') here: (-46.37495, -72.53695). The trail heading up the side valley actually looked quite distinct. I'm not sure what it's name is, or what's up there, but the water was a nice glacier blue and it had a higher flow than the 'main' named river.

The only tricky spot to find the track was where it was washed away by the river, about here: (-46.38527, -72.55201). I cut steps in the bank, crossed, and dropped a rope down for the others. It would be much safer to walk in the river. We explored options to bypass via skirting around in the bosque, but they didn't seem practical. The nearby camp site marked in the track files (Camp ? @33H-08-#008) is not really good. Better to camp 200m upstream If camping around here. We camped at the confluence with Estero Sur, which is the best spot to camp we saw in the entire valley. From this point down the valley, the track is in use: plenty of fresh signs of cattle (maybe they graze in the side valleys?). Ford Estero Sur (-46.39815, -72.58224) and follow the track down the valley with ease. There is camping at (Camp ? @33H-08-#004) but better 300m down the valley near a corral. 50m down valley of (Camp ? @33H-08-#002) camping is possible next to the vague ruins of an old puesto. Further down the valley are several grassy areas good for camping, the most obvious is here (-46.43778, -72.65597) in the vicinity of the old puesto. The track (as opposed to Rd) continues much further than indicated in the track files. The road only starts about here (-46.44697, -72.66655) once you are nearly in Murta. We rested a full day in Murta and I happened to run into Felepé who we'd meet before the trip in Cerró Castillo. Loco!

Thanks Jan for making this trip possible, Tobias Hellwig for recommending the reroute, and all the people on wikiexplora who explored and documented the tracks.

If anyone has any information on the history of Valle Resbalín/Resfalón(?), the mining prospectors in Valle Avellano, or the settlers that abandoned the coast of Lago General Carrera, I'd love to read a bit.

I hope this helps someone. Thanks!

Oh! and we're back in Cochrane now and planning to be in Coyhaique in a week or so. Cheers.

* '''BE AWARE THAT THE BELOW LOGS refer to Option 1 and not to the new Regular Route:'''
Until 2019 the Regular Route followed the Sendero de Chile in the vicinity of Rio Ibañez what is now Option 1. Tobias Hellwig suggested to reroute the GPT via the Torres de Avellano to incorporate this hidden treasure. This proposed new route was investigated and documented in February 2020 by the founders of the GPT. By this time multiple segments of this new route were already published on Wikiexplora by other authors. Only the route from Kilometer 62.2 to 69.9 remained undocumented and had to be researched and ground-proved.

* '''10 Mar 2020 / RH SOBO / Ty / 1 day'''

Super easy in general. I was able to get a hitch for like the last 10 kilometers. There’s a lot of different trail you can wander off on at the start of the sendero de Chile, so just be aware of your navigation at the start. The only good easily accessible water I found was between the two lakes before the intersection where you start walking the road. The ferry to Chile Chico leaves around 8 and takes a couple hours. Otherwise the next ferry leaves at 11 am....but make sure to confirm these times yourself. When arriving in Chile Chico, I climbed up to the viewpoint/mirador close to the ferry landing and found a place protected on the wind and slept on the ground. There is also an abandoned house marked in I-overlander that has an area in a room big enough for a 2 person tent. It’s on your right just before the climb up to the mirador.

* '''Jan 2020 / RH Northbound / Matthieu / 2 days'''

No technical difficulties on this part. However, I was stopped, when the GPT leave the road to go between the two lakes, by a sign : área protegida, ingreso no permitido. For me, it was cristal clear, so I just continued the road, disappointed. I spoke to one of the settler not far, who told me that it was only for cars and it s ok for walkers, and that it is part of the "Sendero de Chile". So the way seems open finally. Anyway, there is another little path just before the lago Ardillas that goes north, and join the GPS tracks above the Valley Ibanez. Well maintained, in the hills, lots of cows, good experience.

* '''2019 Jan/ Olrik / Northbound'''

From Ibanez you walk on a dirt road to the entrance of a Reserva Natural. You are on the Sendero de Chile so it is well marked. In the reserva the trail is easy to follow and there was no one. You end up in Cerro Castillo. We did it in 2.5 days but could be done in 1 day if beginning early.

* '''2019-Nov-28/ Lea Geibel/ 1 day / Northbound / Regular Hiking Route (Puerto Ibañez to Villa Cerro Castillo)'''

After arriving with the ferry at 10.30 a.m., the section can be hiked in one day (around 8 hours of walking). Most of the section is on a dirt road with very little traffic. The part that is following a trail is marked with posts with red / white rings on them. Occasionally the trail is not very visible but numerous animals tracks are usually heading in the right direction before eventually meeting up with a trail marker again.

=Resupply and Accommodation=

==Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns==

*2025 / Michael & Kasia:
If entering or exiting via Opt 8 or Opt 4, Bahía Murta (Puerto Murta) has several places that rent cabañas or camping space. There are at least 5 shops in town. The two largest both had tall skinny gas recharge canisters (Minimercado Gemaniar 3.000, Minimercado Estribo 4.000), but no screw type for backpacking stoves. Minimarket Gemaniar across from the tourist information office had generally the best prices and a good selection. The panadería across from the plaza had good pan amasado.

*Section GPT33H starts in Villa Cerro Castillo and terminates in Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez (Resupply information see GPT34H). Hikers that continue southbound may also resupply in Chile Chico after the ferry crossing of Lago General Carrera (Resupply information see GPT35).

*Several shops sell food and camping gas canisters.

*Restaurants offer filling meals.

*Accommodation is provided by hostels, cabañas and camp sites in these towns.

*Hikers that walk GPT33H and its adjacent sections with continuous footsteps can resupply in Cerro Castillo, Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez and Chile Chico and do not need to leave the route to resupply.

==Resupply and Accommodation along the Route==

*There is no plannable resupply along the entire Regular Route but some food may be obtained at the two homestead farms on the route.

[Settler (Maria & Julio) @33H-76.9]: Maria and Julio are one of the few settlers that still make cheese for sale in such a remote location. If you are short on foot you might also ask if they may sell some bread, milk or meat.

[Settler (Luis Diaz) @33H-85.2]: Luis : When passing his home consider a visit. You may also ask if he has bread or meat to sell.

[Puesto @33H-98.5]: The puesto 250 m north of Puerto Avellano is rarely occupied by their owners but the fruit trees might provide some well desired vitamins in summer and early autumn.

=Transport to and from Route=

*2025 / MiaimZelt
Subsidized bus between Puerto Ibañez and Levican every Monday & Friday: Ibañez/levican 8:15 & 17:00, Levican/ibañez 9:00 & 18:00.
Transportes Freddy Morales (+56 9 9506 2906)

*2023 / Maks&Gabi
We hitchhiked from km 136 near Levican to Puerto Ibanez. During the weekend there is only one ferry a day (Saturday morning and Sunday evening).

*2023 / Louis, Rémi & Noé :
Here, at the lake. There is mobile coverage and so we contacted numerus given on the PDF on WhatsApp to find a boat to bring us back to civilisation. I let you the contact of Jairo, that can bring you back to Puerto Tranquilo... for 400.000 CLP.. Jairo : +56 9 6633 9507

*Most buses to Villa Cerro Castillo leave Coyhaique in the morning around 08:00 and pass Villa Cerro Castillo approximately 1:30 hours later. In the opposite direction buses pass Cerro Castillo in the early afternoon.

*Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez has regular public transportation to Coyhaique (1:45 hour by bus) and Chile Chico (2:15 hour by ferry). The ferry over Lago General Carrera that connects Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez with Chile Chico does two round trips each day, one in the morning and one the evening. Buses to and from Coyhaique operate synchronized to these ferries.
Best Call Buses Alejandro: +56 9 7652 9546

*Subsidized bus from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez to Levicán: Monday and Friday, Approx. 1’000 CLP Morning round trip: Leaving Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez at 08:00, arriving in Levican around 09:00 and returning immediately to Ibañez around 09:00 and arriving at Ibanez around 10:00. Evening round trip: Leaving Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez at 17:00, arriving in Levican around 18:00 and returning to Ibañez at 18:00 arriving at Ibanez at 19:00.

*Private transport from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez to Levicán: Anytime, Approx. 35´000 CLP
Try to call Luis: +56 9 8648 4075

*Combining GPT35 with GPT33H

Northbound hikers may consider connecting GPT35 directly with GPT33H by exiting Parque Patagonia towards Fachinal and crossing Lago General Carrera by motorboat from Fachinal to the Desembocadura Rio Avellano. Here Lago General Carrera is only 3.5 km wide and a motorboat crossing does not take more than 20 minutes. Unfortunately, in summer this requires some patience as the normally strong wind often impedes this. In the morning or the evening the wind occasionally calms down but rarely during the day.

Carlos Amoroz, a settler in Fachinal owns a motorboat and offers this service on request. Pascual Diaz, a tour operator from Mallin Grande, can also provide this service but he must first haul his motorboat the 42 km on trailer from Mallin Grande to Fachinal what makes his service substantially more expensive.

Settler with motorboat in Fachinal (Location: -46.5568°S / -72.2120°W) Name: Carlos Amoroz Mobile: +56-9-76267029 Price: Approx. 30’000 CLP for 2 persons

Tour operator with motorboat in Mallin Grande Name: Pascual Diaz (Company: “Kalem Patagonia”) Mobile: +56-9-7391 7881 Price: Presumably more expensive and advance notice required

This section combination of GPT35 with GPT33H seems more practical in northbound direction as hikers can first talk directly to the settler with the motorboat in Fachinal, resupply in Chile Chico (by taking a motorized transport from Fachinal to Chile Chico and back) and then cross Lago General Carrera with a refilled backpack. While waiting for the wind to calm down hikers can pitch their tent at a nice wind protected camp site on the shore of Lago General Carrera.

Thanks to the reasonably good mobile phone coverage in Fachinal hikers can check the weather and wind forecast and call the settler with the motorboat when approaching Fachinal. This permits hikers to anticipate or discard a motorboat crossing on arrival.

Hikers that attempt a more complicated southbound crossing of Lago General Carrera should make arrangements with the settler with the motorboat at least one or two weeks before arriving at Puerto Avellano, test communication devices (i.e. InReach to mobile phone), agree on the precise pick-up location (Puerto Avellano or Desembocadura Rio Avellano) and carry enough food to wait some time in Puerto Avellano. Hikers should be prepared that the wind may not calm down while waiting several days in Puerto Avellano. In this case the motorboat transfer should canceled, and the hiker should walk out to Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez before the food reserves deplete. There is mobile phone coverage at Puerto Avellano (entel if I recall correctly).

=Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues=

*To my knowledge paddling on Lago General Carrera requires a permit from the Armada de Chile but complying with all requirements might not be possible even for a well equipped packrafter (i.e. distress signal rockets).

=Links to other Resources=

Retired Section Article [[GPT33H - Puerto Ibañez]]

Retired Section Article [[GPT33H - Torres del Avellano]]

For additional information see the Wikiexplora Articles:

[[Península de Levican - El Avellano]]

[[Torres del Avellano]]

[[Laguna La Plaza]]

For more information see the Wikiexplora Article:

[[Puerto Cristal]]

For more information see the Wikiexplora Articles:

[[Valle Miller]]

[[Estero Jaramillo]]

A part of this route is described in the Wikiexplora Article:

[[Mirador Este de las Torres de Avellano]]

=Images=

GPT33H (Torres de Avellano)

2026-02-19T14:07:28Z

MMartinez: /* Season 2025/2026 */

'''[[GPTs|List of all GPT sections]]'''

= How to a add new entry =
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Add a new log entry always on top in the appropriate season sub-chapter and use format:


<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''Start Date to Finish Date (use Format YYYY-MMM-DD) / Duration in Days / Hiking or Packrafting / Travel Direction (SOBO for Southbound or NOBO Northbound) / Chosen Route and/or Option Name (RR for Regular Route) / Names or Alias'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>

If you are packrafting, put the above info into HTML tags like this (if you follow a hiking route for part of the way, highlight only "packrafting", as above):


<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''YYYY-MMM-DD / X days / Packrafting / SOBO / RP / Your name'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>.

Include remarks about your route useful for other hikers and packrafters, alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties. Try to be specific. Do not be shy to fix obvious mistakes.

=Overview=
The GPT manual has an extensive description of this route and all its options.

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/2026==
* '''2026 Feb 2 to Feb 14 / 11 hiking days, 2 zero days / NOBO / Hiking / RR, Var H, Var E, Opt 2 / Michael and Kasia'''

QUICK NOTES: A long and grueling section, but worth it if you get good weather and nice views of the Torres. It is worth making the effort to time this section with the weather, both for enjoyment as well as safety. We think NOBO is the much more attractive direction to go, especially up the Torres valley. The camp at the Torres is only for excellent weather, but worth it. If not planning to do the pass, the bypass valley is really enjoyable and has many nice views of its own.

CAMPS:

Night 1: -46.43813, -71.99556 (Camp 113.9, flat space for multiple tents on grass, good wind protection, no view, water about 200 m away

Night 2: -46.48709, -72.10010 (On the Campo Chico península, flat space for one tent, a little wind protection from west winds but not much, nice view, water from the lake very close by)

Night 3: -46.46164, -72.24432 (Flat space for one tent, wind protection from west winds, some view, water about 200 m away)

Night 4: -46.45153, -72.41652 (Flat, grassy area, space for a few tents, good wind protection, water close by)

Night 5: -46.42558, -72.50041 (Flat space for one tent, water nearby, good wind protection)

Night 6: -46.42178, -72.50672 (Camp 63.4, stellar view, no wind protection, difficult water access)

Night 7: -46.43207, -72.43984 (near Ford 69.8, wind protected, water nearby)

Nights 8-10: -46.36802, -72.43937 (At Puesto? 4.8, flat space for 2 tents, excellent wind protection, no view, water is about 200 m away)

Night 11: -46.26115, -72.40152 (flat spot for 1 tent, water nearby, some wind protection, right on the trail)

Night 12: -46.15244, -72.22080 (Emergency camp, not recommended, no water)

Day 01 - Feb 2nd

We took the bus from Ibáñez to the cruz. The route is well known by the locals and the driver knew the spot. She asked if we were planning to come back via Ibáñez or leaving through Cerro Castillo. (We stayed in Ibáñez at Cabañas Antu, a nice place, we would recommend (+56 9 7996 0067). The owner works for the municipality and confirmed what another report here said, that they will build a road to the port, in part to promote tourism, and they plan to make the Avellanos a protected area. He said they are doing exploration and surveys now, but in about 5 years they will start the road.) The minor road out is easy to follow. There were a couple of locked gates we had to hop. We stopped for lunch near Water 119.9 at the point where Daniel camped. It looked like a good camping spot with easy water access. We met Graham and Gabe headed SOBO and chatted with them for a bit. The road down is steep and sandy. Camp 116.3 had a flattish space but there were the plants with the spikey little balls growing everywhere. We pushed on to Camp 113.9 and were happy with the choice. It was just off the trail (look for the hole in the fence), flat, grassy, and wind protected. We had to go back to the stream about 200 m away for water.

Day 02 - Feb 3rd

The day of ups and downs. For some reason last year we were under the impression that the route went right along cliffs above the water and would be challenging for someone with vertigo (we both have it). We did not find this to be the case at all. There were a few short tricky spots, but nothing particularly bad. This would, however, be very unpleasant to walk in windy or rainy weather. Fortunately it was dry and windless most of the day. As we got closer to the lake there were some BB sections which became tiring. When we got to the lake at one point we put on water shoes and walked the rocky beach to save on the BB. We camped at the Campo Chico península near the east beach. We looked at the area under the willows near the old puesto, but we couldn't see how to put the tent. Many of the branches hung low, the ground was sloped, and there was no good water access. Above the beach we found a spot next to what looked to be another old puesto, there was an old wood stove, a table and some corrugated sheet metal. The wind protection was not great. Camping directly on the beach would probably have been better.

Day 03 - Feb 4th

The last 4 km to the port were mostly easy. Toward the end we switched to water shoes and walked the shore to avoid BB. We walked until we reached a fence built out into the lake. Just up the hill was an open gate and the road to the refugio. It was very windy there. We found a place in the bushes that was wind protected and had lunch. The refugio itself was not that inviting. It looked like a temporary office on a construction site. After lunch we started up the minor road. It was windy and there was a bit of rain on and off. The road and the landscape both felt kind of monotonous. We camped just before Ford 87.2 in the same place Dave and Siyuan camped (and thank you to them for leaving the GPS coordinates in the report, I doubt we would have seen that spot otherwise). It was a flat space big enough for our tent on grass with good wind protection from west winds. Water was about 200 m away at the ford.

Day 04 - Feb 5th

A mild day, no real wind, some sun and some clouds, cool, which we were happy for. We used the open Wi-Fi network at Puesto 81.8 to check the weather again. The network was not password protected and we were able to get signal from the road. We took Var H to only have to cross the river once. The crossing was easier than we expected. We crossed very close to the marked crossing at km 81.2. It was just above the knees at the deepest point (we're both about 165 cm) with decent current but manageable. Shortly after crossing we saw Roberto just as he was taking his ox cart across the river. We waved to each other. No one was around when we passed Maria and Julio's. We took Var E because the RR after the intersection looked like bush bashing through swamp. The trail kept disappearing for the first kilometer or so, but it was in open forest so we just needed to navigate around fallen trees. After a kilometer the trail became much more consistent and easy to follow. We camped at about km 1.4 on the variant. It was a nice, flat grassy spot just after a muddy stream crossing in a clearing that provided good wind protection but with no trees directly overhead, so no risk of falling branches. For water I went up stream a few meters and found an area that was sandy with good flow and ladled the water with my cup, being careful not to stir up sediment. The water tasted surprisingly good, very clean and fresh.

Day 05 - Feb 6th

We got started early to get across the last major ford. The remainder of Var E was in good shape and easy to follow. Ford 71.8 was easy. The two km between it and Ford 69.8 was also in good shape and easy to follow. Ford 69.8 was knee deep for us and actually quite easy. Fortunately there had been several cooler or overcast days without any real rain, so the level was low. The path up to Trailhead 68.5 was very steep for a lot of it. We stopped for lunch at Camp No Water 68.7. It is an old corral. We would not be able to put our tent up there if we wanted to. It was sloped ground, very lumpy, and had lots of shrubs and small trees growing inside of it. At the Trailhead waypoint we followed a dry creek bed down to the river. The level was fairly low, about half calf, and we decided to try walking the river instead of fighting with the forest. For the next three hours we crossed back and forth across the river. I cannot say for certain if it was faster. For us it was a bit easier because our bags are rather heavy which makes going over downfalls cumbersome, and with the water level still relatively low it wasn't too bad. By around 16:00 we got to just before the side valley drainage emptied into the main river and we had to go up into the forest. We were getting tired and as the warm sunny day progressed, the water level and the current both went up. After that we switched between the forest and the river four or five more times before the end of the day. We found a decent place to camp in the woods. It was fairly flat, right near a stream, and had the remains of an old fire ring on the side.

Day 06 - Feb 7th

We took a slow morning. Two other GPTers passed us on their way to the Torres and we had a nice chat. The last 200-300 meters of the route up to the Torres is a steep granite boulder field. It required a bit of scrambling and was quite exhausting. At the campsite there is a short stone wind wall that was too small for our X-Mid 2. We managed to set it up outside the wall, though it was a bit of a challenge. The whole area could accommodate maybe three small tents, one inside the wind wall and two outside of it, but for larger footprint tents it is not so easy. Water is the other issue there. Right as the track reaches the ridge going NOBO, just before it turns right, there was a way to get down to the lake that wasn't too steep. The campsite was another 200 m further on from that point. We had excellent weather for the day, sunny and no wind. The Torres and the other mountains around, which are just as interesting, looked nice after the sun was behind them. The finer details were more visible. The night was surprisingly warm.

Day 07 - Feb 8th

We got up about a half hour before sunrise. We got to see the orange light on the Torres which was very exciting. We stayed for about an hour and a half taking pictures. We found a slightly different way down the boulder field which went quicker. On the way down the hill we found a trail of sorts and followed it as long as we could. Eventually we ended up back in the river crossing back and forth. I used TracBack on the Garmin to look at how we had come up and that took the guess work out of the fording points. It took us about half as long to get down as it did to go up. We were fortunate that the level was relatively low again. The only tricky part was right after the side valley river joined the main one. We decided to camp early and stayed down near Ford (69.8). Just after we set up camp it started to rain a bit.

Day 08 - Feb 9th

We knew that a sistema frontal had been coming, and Tuesday was supposed to be a day of heavy rain and high wind, so we wanted a good place to wait it over. We remembered from last year that the camp at Puesto ? 4.8 was very well wind protected and had flat, grassy space. We started early to get there as early as possible. We arrived around 13:00. The trail was surprisingly good for most of the way. As the flood plain opened up near the swampy area we just followed the river banks, crossing where necessary to avoid BB and trail hunting. The puesto shelter had partially collapsed. We camped in the flat, grassy space just beyond it. There was a short path leading to a small clearing with a log that looked like it had been cut to be a trough.

Day 09 & 10 - Feb 10th & 11th

Took zero days to wait over rain and high wind. The campsite had excellent wind protection.

Day 11 - Feb 12th

A cold but beautiful sunny day. We continued to enjoy the bypass valley. All fords were easy, even after rain and snow up above. On the way up to Puesto 53, 2 guys with a team of horses passed us. After the pass a few of the bridges and wooden culverts had collapsed and we ended up doing several unexpected shoe changes. We camped just off the trail at km 37.

Day 12 - Feb 13th

The MR was in good shape the rest of the way. We passed a group of three hikers going SOBO. Having hiked in on Opt 3B last season, we wanted to hike out on RR. The views of Lago Lapparent, Lago Alto and Lago Verde were very nice. The road gets a bit tiring after a while. Camp 16.9+0.3 would have required a fence jump, and the gate was padlocked from the inside. We didn't know if that meant someone was there and didn't want to risk an issue so we kept on hiking. Camp 9.6+0.2 should be removed from the tracks. On the map it looks as if it is 200 m off the main road and easily accessible via a minor road. In reality there is no road, just a 40 m dropoff, and no access to the campsite or the lake. We ended up climbing through a fence and camping in the woods near an abandoned house in a spot without water. An important note if taking RR there is a 16 km stretch where water is not easily available. We did not find any water between km 19.5 where there was public beach access to Lago Alto until km 3. Despite the number of lakes on the map, the MR goes quite high above them and they are all fenced off, so access is difficult if not impossible. There were some other features on the map that looked like ponds, but they turned out to be seasonal wetlands which were either dry, or muddy, stagnant water. We didn't take enough and ended up camping without water for the night which was not pleasant. Obviously depending on the time of year there might be water here, but in mid-February there wasn't.

Day 13 - Feb 14th

We continued on the road. We walked about 100 m past X 5.5 before realizing that it was beyond a gate and had to walk back to it. The MR is actually nice, starting to disappear and look more like a trail. The views into the surrounding mountains were very nice; there is a panoramic view of Cerro Castillo and the other mountains in the range. We finally found water at (-46.137001, -72.177002) around km 3. There were some pipes going across the trail directing water into three large cisterns. I followed the pipes through the bushes for about 2 m and found enough of a stream to get water. We hiked down to the highway and arrived in Cerro Castillo around noon.

* '''GPT33H / 2026-01-17 to 2026-01-21/ 5 Days / SOBO / Hiking / 3B, RR, 8, 4 / Alex and Aoife.'''

Attractiveness: 5/5
Difficulty: 4 / 5 verging on 5/5 in the overgrown parts of Option 8 (Our day 4).

We chose to backtrack from the Pass to Option 08 and descend into Bahia Murta so we could go and see the Marble Caves.

If we had time, and had known about it before hand we would have also walked up a track to get a view of the Torres from the Northern aspect. The track begins around
Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548]
-46.397340, -72.582010 and ascends a trail following Rio Estero South. We were told you can find the track details/GPX for that particular part on WikiLoc which seems to be like a Chilean 'Alltrails'.

Day 1:
Bus from Coyhaique at 0800. ( Bus Company, Don Carlos), 9k CLP To option 3B Trail Head.

Distance: 22km
Time: 1100- 1800
Water:
Water available at various points where the river passes under bridges. Small stream at eastern edge of campsite clearing.
Camp: -46.26492, -72.41280

Route:
Option 3b MR, easy walk to where it joins to the RR- along a gravel road. Nice views. Didn't see a single car only saw a friendly man on a horse.

Day 2:

Distance: 22km
Time: 07.45- 19.45
Water:
Lots of opportunities for water on the route. Water available on the pass from a stream
(We were there 2 days after heavy rainfall)

Route:
Easy start on MR until you find the TL that takes you through Lenga forrest. We followed cow tracks ( and poo) through the forest. Trail not always clear but easy enough to find.

Slow moving in boggy grassy sections. Crossed multiple streams. Took off shoes once.

Camp:
Plenty of camping options along the way. Upon reaching the pass we decided to camp there as we had a good forecast, good views and tired legs. Would only consider with nil wind forecast. Views were amazing, had a nice sunset.

* We saw a great campsite for maybe 3 tents on a sandy beach next to stream with some plunge pools and very sheltered at -46.409772, -72.498086

Day 3:

Distance: 14.31km
Time: 1100-1940
Water:
Plenty of options along the route. We prefer small clear streams rather than glacial rivers. No small streams at campsite But we had carried enough from earlier.

Route:
We followed the RR back down to the unmarked Puesto we had passed the previous day, near enough to:
Camp {33H} [52.7/953]
(-46.34585, -72.49821)
We then took option 8 all the way to the remains of a Puesto (-46.36573, -72.52865) and camped here. Trail easy enough to follow. Follow the cow poo and hoof prints.

Camp:
The remains of a Puesto (-46.36573, -72.52865) not many flat spots, by a river not a stream. If you continued a few hundred ms more there was a more idyllic location close to a stream.

Day 4:

Distance: 12.3km
Time: 0700- 1700
Water: plenty of water spots along the way.

Route:
Continued on option 8. Not far into this day the trail became a full body workout. An obstacle course requiring lots of maneuvering over many fallen trees, hard to follow path, very slow and tiring day. Track very overgrown in parts.

Camp:
'Camp? {33H-08} [8.1/462]'
(-46.410860, -72.612140) - waterfall not far from camp a bit further down the track at around: (-46.41242, -72.61436)

Day 5:

Distance: 8.45km
Time: 3hrs 20mins
Water: Few options early on, we filled up few km before TL meets the MR when there is a fence and a gate blocking the river.

Route:
Easy day , followed option 8 all the way to the gate at the PR on option 4.
Started early as was hoping to hitch a ride to the marble caves at Rio Tranquilo , we managed to and would recommend.

Upon completion of the cave tour we missed the bus to Chile Chico by only about 20 mins, we decided that was a sign to have some rest so we camped at ‘Bellavista: Hospedaje, Camping y Transporte’ 8k CLP p/p, it was fine. Kitchen access, showers etc. Quite busy.

* '''2026-01-17 to 2026-01-22 / 6 Days / Packrafting & Hiking / SOBO then NOBO / Opt 09, 08, RR, Var D, Opt 03 / Michel & Lisa'''

Summary: Another really beautiful section. It's a bit of a battle to get up to the Torres (either long road waking or bush bashing) but it's actually worth it. We took the packraft down Río Murta in very high flow and stashed things in Cruce Murta before venturing up to the Torres. There are definitely mice here as well so we made sure to always hang our food and had zero problems this way. Option 8 is both nice and deserted but also tough, especially for going in. As others have said it might be a better option to get out with lighter packs, due to the bushwhacking and the elevation gain on this route.

Day 1

We took the bus towards Chile Chico from Coyhaique at 8:00 from the bus terminal and got dropped off at River In {33H-09) [0.0/275] at around 12:15. There's an open, small hut that we used for shelter from the setting in rain. You could sleep in there as well. The river water levels were really high due to rain the previous two days and the flow fast - very different from what the satellite images show. Turbid, brown water instead of crystal clear, blueish. We started paddling and enjoyed the really fast flow (10 km/h and more when completely in the flow). At the same time it meant that we couldn't see much of what was going on below the water surface and we scratched over rocks a couple of times. There were hardly any rock islands visible and we floated over places that on satellite images are just rock - there was that much water. At times we were worried that the river could become dangerous in narrow stretches if there were sunken trees but nothing dangerous happened. We made the 36 km to Bridge (33H-04) [0.2/211] in only 3 h 20 min (excluding breaks). We took close by, at Residencial Patagonia [-46.44156, -72.71190] where the high water levels basically allowed us to float into their back yard. We stayed the night (20000 clp pp in a room, 8000 clp for camping) and stored our packraft in the alojamiento for going to the torres.

Day 2

We hitchhiked to Bahía Murta, bought some additional supplies and started hiking Option 8. The path is clear and easy to travel at first. After Ford {33H-08} [11.5/545] (Estero Sur) the trail becomes harder to follow with boggy sections and lots of fallen trees. There's considerable elevation gain up to Water (33H-08} [14.5/946], where you get the first nice views of the valley and start descending again. We continued to Camp (33H-08} [16.1/703] where we found a spot that's just big enough to put a 2 person tent and not exactly flat but good enough. All in all we did 22.3 km that day in 9 h 25 min, thanks to the bushwhacking which wasn't terrible but not exactly pleasant either.

Day 3

We continued from our camp and were positively surprised that the path actually got better after the first ~3-4 km with less fallen trees, a more visible path and less soggy ground. There are many more potential campsites along this section which are not marked in the track files, some of them I noted here:

* S46.376195° W72.537594°
* S46.354586° W72.516934°
* S46.348093° W72.501339° (camp with some tables and a view over an open (boggy) area with mountains in the background - looks like someone is trying to set something more commercial up here)
* S46.352356° W72.489023°

We got to RR at around 14:00 and continued for a while before taking a well deserved lunch break. We chose to follow Variant D which is more direct and leads to the first lagoon. If you're comfortable with hiking over rocks and boulders we would definitely recommend this over RR since the view of the towering mountains you get once you're at the lagoon is amazing (given good weather I suppose). There are no obvious camp spots at the lagoon itself but you can find level, sandy spots in the vicinity of you wanted to stay here. It can probably get pretty windy down here though. We continued to Camp {33H} [61.1/1167] and went for a swim in the second lagoon (yes, the weather was that good, haha - lucky us!) which is about 10 min walking from the camp. We didn't find a perfectly flat spot here but there are a couple options that are actually more than fine. The advantage of picking this site is that you're really sheltered from the wind, thanks to the trees. Water nearby and soft ground (vegetation) are added benefits. Some parts are quite wet so you might have to search around for a moment to find something suitable.

Day 4

We decided to have a relaxed day and just hiked up to the pass to see the actual Torres, which to be honest we found almost a bit underwhelming. Personally I much preferred the view down the valley from our camp and from the first lagoon. But you might get a better view from down in the valley from the lagoons (i.e. after descending from the pass, which we didn't do). Still, the Torres are impressive and it was definitely worth the walk up. From the valley bottom and the pass it looked like one could potentially climb up to one of the passes to the east to get a view down onto option 02 (-46.40615, -72.48187 or -46.40237, -72.48235) but it would be a scramble - we didn't try. Potentially it could even be possible to go down there to join option 02 with some bushwhacking, but that's really a shot into the blue. Maybe someone wants to try. ;)

Day 5

Since there was some bad weather forecast for the coming days we decided to hike out. Going down we decided to try the RR to be able to compare with variant D. RR was also fine but there was some trail finding through the forest required and some boggy sections as well. However, it might still be slightly faster than Variant D. Still, coming up I would highly recommend Variant D so you get the beautiful view from the lagoon. We came all the way to [-46.28395, -72.44366] in 6 h 50 min, where we camped. The spot is close to the road but invisible from there, nice and flat and wind protected. In the evening a pigmy owl came for a visit and sat in the tree next to us really close before it was detected by another bird and flew away - a pretty special encounter. Lots of mouse holes everywhere so we hung our food like always on this section just to be sure.

Day 6

We continued along the road, first nice and shady in the forest and then in the scorching heat of the sun. We saw a pigmy owl in the forest that allowed us to observe it for quite a while and then we even saw it catch some large insect (a firefly maybe?) which felt like another really special moment along the otherwise rather dull road.
We continued walking along the road until we were lucky to get picked up by one of the settlers who was driving to Villa Cerro Castillo with his wife. They were very friendly and explained a lot about their lifestyle living up in the mountain valley all year. They said that the flow of hikers to the Torres has really increased in the past few years and that some people seem to be setting up some gear for climbing up there with clients. They said that they didn't mind hikers coming to visit. :)

* ''' 2026-01-16 to 2026-01-20 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO 3B, RR, H, K / Daniel.s '''

Not much to add to the previous entries (especially Dave and Siyuan and Emily and Kole)

Day 1 was a roadhike in the rain and cold for me, Camp at 38.5/1020 (-46.26492, -72.41280)

Day 2 started late (noon) due to snow and rain in the morning. Trail in good condition, CC quite wet due to rain. Camped at x with Option 8 (mice in the shelter!)

Day 3 perfect weather day, CC to pass very wet due to previous rain, wet feet again, otherwise straight forward. See D+S recommended exit point after pass. A lot of scrambling over granite blocks. Further down - as E+K mentioned boggy on both sides of the river, from about halfway it's probably better to stay left of the river. Camp at first Ford, like D+S.

Day 4 trail and MR to Puerto Avellano, river crossing where D+S suggested, a braided section, knee deep for me and immediate connection to MR on the other side.

Day 5 trail along the lake is energy consuming, it's 90% loose rock, sand and gravel. MR is steep and dusty in the beginning, great campsite at S 46.40217°, W 071.97845° near water.

* ''' 2025-Dec-13 to 2025-Dec-19 / 7 days / Hiking / SOBO RR, Opt 8 / Massa and Jacicek '''

We did not complete whole trail, but what we saw was really nice. Exit by opt 8 took us 2.5 days. No problems with water or Fords.

Day 1
Hiked from Villa Cerro Castillo to Lago Alto, we had lift for approx 5km.
The Rr from km 1.2 (after you walk off caretera austral) is through nice hills and very pretty, until you reach the minor road.
Camped on a hill alongside Lago Alto at [-46.17655, -72.32639], with a view on Laguna Verde, the spot is not flat and not well wind protected.

Day 2
Hiked through beautiful woods, as noted, camp x is fenced off and there are trespassing sings, however, there is also a ladder over the fence, so no problems there. Walked up to the Ford with Estero Alto and camped approx 200m before the ford km 36 [-46.25544, -72.38370 ] . Several spots with flat spaces there.

Day 3
Forded the Estero Alto river on km 36, ankle deep only. Beautiful section with large meadows. Camped at the end of the meadow alongside the stream on km 51 [-46.33183, -72.48916 ] .

Day 4
This day, we got awful weather, stopped approx 3km before Torres de Avellano. Camped in small spot in the forest, place for one tent, good wind protection [-46.37974, -72.49111 ] .

Day 5
Decided to turn back and head for Bahia Murta using opt 8. Camp at [-46.36514, -72.52866]. Path is recognizable and traversable.

Day 6
Fallen trees in the path, lots of ups and downs. Camped next to a Camp ? [11.6/548]. When we came, there were tents erected there, however nobody was present, we camped near the river, outside of the obvious camp. In the evening a guy came and we asked him if we can camp there and said yes. In the morning a local guide (different guy) came and said that it would be better to camp in the main camp, as there is a toilet, and to give him a heads up beforehand (www.guiasdelavellano.com).

Day 7
The path from Camp ? Is maintained, however parts are muddy.

* '''2025-12-27 to 2026-01-02 / 7 days / Hiking / SOBO / 3B + RR + H / Dave & Siyuan'''

We took 8 days of food with us from Villa Cerro Castillo and hoped we would get lifts at the start and the end. Luckily we did get lifts (32km in total) and spend 7 days on the trail.

Day 1 - 16km - 10:30-17:00
🚌 9.40am bus from Villa Cerro Castillo to start of Option 3B
🥾 Walked 1km, got a lift 🚗 for 6km to the RR, walked on the road for the rest of the day, a couple of gates, one easy ford. The public road ends at a locked gate at -46.26266, -72.35047.
⛺️ Camp at 38.5/1020 (-46.26492, -72.41280) the edge of this large clearing is sheltered from the wind with a stream nearby.

Day 2 - 20km - 09:00-19:00
🥾 Easy road walk and horse trail in the morning, then it gets harder in the forest as the trail isn’t obvious a the time. Many stream crossings and boggy sections but kept feet dry.
⛺️ Camp at 58.8/1020 (-46.39009, -72.49369) one tent spot, away from the wind, as recommended by Emily & Kole - thanks!

Day 3 - 11km - 09:00-20:00
🥾 The pass day. It was raining on and off the whole day and we didn’t get to see all the views. No snow on the way up and walked around one snow patch on the way down. Make sure you follow the RR and head left at the top of the pass (to approx -46.41859, -72.49544) so you descend on the rocky/bouldery patch in between the slippery steep slabs. Once we reached the bottom, we walked on the left bank of the river, 4 km of CC, BB and intermittent animal trails, slow going.
⛺️ Camp at 69.8/634 just before the ford.

Day 4 - 17.5km - 09:00-17:30
🥾 The day of river crossings of Rio Avellano and other side streams. The first main one at camp dropped a little bit overnight. It was up to our crotch deep. Fast current, manageable with careful footing. The second time crossing Rio Avellano, we crossed it here (-46.45641, -72.32730) a braided section. It was at knee deep. The river path probably changes every year as where we crossed didn’t look like what’s on satellite images.
⛺️ Camped at 87.4/454 (-46.46164, -72.24432) one tent tent, partially wind protected. It was 200m after a ford.

Day 5 - 15km 10:00-14:00 and 19:00-20.30
🥾 Easy walking on minor road towards the lake. Very windy and dusty. Spent a few hours at the disused port building at Puerto Avellano to shelter from the afternoon wind. Walked the last few kms after dinner.
⛺️ Campo Chico 102.4/212 (-46.48727, -72.10030) near the lake.

Day 6 - 14km - 08.15-16.15
🥾 A dusty day walking up and down hills along the shore through thorny bushes. Crossing a stream or creek every hour or two. Windy.
⛺️ Campsite 116.3/239 was full of thorns, except one tent spot near a boggy area (-46.42128, -71.98175).

Day 7 - 14km - 09:00-14.00 + hitchhiking
🥾 Walked along the shore then up on a dusty road. 14km to the road intersection between Puerto Ibanez and Levican. We found only two water sources between the lake and the road - both small streams: (-46.40371, -71.97566), and (-46.38677, -71.97407). Both might be dry in drought.
🚗 We waited at a bus stop shelter for 1.5h before the first car passed and picked us up. 🚌 We took a bus back to Coyhaique at night from Puerto Ibanez instead of staying there due to perfect bus timing and cheaper and wider resupply options in Coyhaique.

*'''2025-12-27 to 2026-01-02/ 7 days/ Hiking/ NOBO/ RR, Option 8, RR, Variant D/RR/ Option 3B/ Option 3/ Greg Carter, Tomas Martinec'''

Overall
The Torres de Avellano are spectacular, and it’s well worth the effort to access them.

Attraction: 5
Difficulty: 4

Important note: at Puesto Aguero (Day 1) we encountered an official looking sign requiring registration and payment of CLP 6,000 per person/ night, for Torres del Avellano. However Andre Aguero did not seek to enforce this. In the future this may be enforced regardless of the entry point into the area of the Torres.

Day 1
We got the 7am bus (CLP 10,500) from Cochrane which dropped us off at Cruce Murta at around 11am. From there we walked 3km to the trailhead of Option 8, where a new gate must be climbed.

The trail is steep and when it enters the forest there is a lot of fallen trees and branches, however most have been cleared up to a puesto which has been built at Camp? {33H-08} [11.6, 548]. This puesto is owned by a friendly guide (Andres Aguero), who takes clients on a private trail up to the Torres de Avellano from the puesto, on a 20km round trip. Andres has built a bridge over the Estero Sur, at [11.5, 545], so no ford is necessary there. We camped at the puesto for no cost. My tent had a hole in the morning, as did a number of food bags: hang your food here and all other camps!

Day 2
After the puesto the trail is not used or maintained, and it is very slow going with many fallen trees and branches. We left at 7am, pushed hard with a few quick breaks, and arrived at the intersection with the RR at 2:40pm, a distance of approximately 12km ie less than 2km/h.

There is another abandoned puesto at -46.36573, -72.52865, at approximately 19km.

It was not necessary to ford the Rio Resbalin at [15.6] or [15.8], we stayed on the southern side of the river.

At the RR intersection there is good camping at -46.34573, -72.49709, alongside a stream, near a corral. The nearby puesto was not occupied.

It was nice to meet David Brophy and Siyuan Hong passing through.

That afternoon, knowing that the next 2 days would be rainy, we did a quick return hike up the RR, to see the Torres in perfect visibility.

There is an established sheltered camp on the RR at -46.36762, -72.48672.

Day 3
Zero rest day, as it rained all day.

Day 4
With sunny weather forecast for the following day, we again hiked in light rain up the RR towards the Torres and camped at -46.39020, -72.49375, where there is space for a 2 man and 1 man tent. We could not find the camp others have mentioned at -46.39161, -72.49438.

Note: At about 58km it is easier to go up the slope to follow the cairns around the tree line, rather than follow the GPT eg cairns at -46.38167, -72.49209 and -46.38199, -72.49218.

Day 5
This day was perfect weather from beginning to end. Blue sky and little to no wind. The views of the Torres and the 2 lagunas were amazing, as are the views from the pass. The pass has no snow but there are a few patches of snow on the southern side of the pass, which are easy to avoid or walk across. We tried to get down to the 3rd laguna but went too far right and got stopped by steep slippery rock.

In the afternoon we returned to the previous camp at the RR intersection (-46.34573, -72.49709).

Day 6
We hiked out NOBO along the RR and camped beside a river, near the bridge over the river to the Settler [29.4/537], who wasn’t home. There are nice views on the hike out of snow-capped mountains.

Day 7
Hiked out on Option 3B, and hitched within minutes on Option 3 into Villa Cerro Castillo. There is plenty of tourist traffic on the Carretera Austral.

* ''' 2025-12-14 to 2025-12-15/ 2 days/ Hiking/ NOBO/ Option 1/Tomas Martinec'''

This was my first test with a multiday hike outside the main tourist routes like Torres del Paine and El Chalte. It also served as practical way to get from Chile Chico to Villa Cerro Castillo where I planned to continue with the Cerro Castillo trek.

The hike took me 2 days (about half of day of walking each day).

Challenges:
Lack of drinkable water at the plateau
Difficulty finding a suitable camping spot in the middle section

Day 1
I took the ferry from Chile Chico to Puerto Ibanez Ingeniero (very cheap, around 2500 CLP) and started hike around midday. The first day follows an old gravel road. Cars passed ocasionally and several drivers even offered me the lift.

The route offers some nice scenery, including a wattergall near the beginning and open landscapes in the higher sections.

Finding a place to camp was difficult to me. The Camp {33H-01} [12.5/666] is on private land and in the morning I saw many cows around. In the end, I slept near Settler {33H-01} [13.7/636].

I recommend carrying water from the lower parts of the route. In the upper section there are lagoons, but the water is stagnant. Personally, I wasn't comfortable drinking it, even with water filter.

Day 2
This day follows a proper trail, passing lakes, forests, and open terrain. The views are beautiful- both of surrounding mountains and down into the valley- and I enjoyed this section a lot.

The last 3 kms before entering to Villa Cerro Castillo are on an asphalt road, which is not very enjoyable.

'''2025-Dec-13 to 2025-Dec-18 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, Var D, Var H, Var J, Opt 11, Opt 11G / Emily & Kole'''

Camps (all spots had space for two tents, relatively sheltered, and water nearby):

Day 1: -46.25533, -72.38371

Day 2: -46.39009, -72.49369

Day 3: -46.42604, -72.49970

Day 4: Refuge [98.4+0.2/211] (Puerto Avellano)

Day 5: -46.37248, -71.87165

Attractiveness - 5/5

Difficulty - 4/5

* Joined by Ohad for the roadwalk from Villa Cerro Castillo - thanks for the company! Hope you found your stove. Beautiful views of Cerro Castillo, Laguna Verde and Lago Alto. The camp at 32.0/700 is on private property, so we continued on to a flat spot on the river around 35km. There appeared to be good flat spots in the forest to the left of trail around 1km before 32.0.
* Timed our arrival to the Torres for a clear day. Took the ascent and descent (58.5km to 63.4) of the main pass slowly as it was covered in snow between knee to hip-height. Where possible we scrambled on the uncovered boulders to avoid post-holing. Took significant time. Variant D along the glacial lakes was nice, although it may require a bit more scrambling than RR. We met GPT hikers Bailey and Ed going NOBO on our ascent to the pass - a big thank you for the footsteps!
* The view of the Torres from the main Pass [61.9/1314] was great but the best viewpoint for us was from the lake by the Camp [63.4/995].
* After 64km, Kole followed game trail to the right of the river and Em to the left. Both options were boggy, with intermittent trail and lots of blowdowns. Wet feet. Slow going, but not too difficult. Trail was clear and easy to follow after 68.5km. Ran into settler Julio driving cattle shortly thereafter.
* We forded Rio Avellano 100m downstream of 81.2/490, at 46.45791, -72.31714. Very strong current, upper-thigh height, had to cross slowly, but manageable with careful footing.
* Slept on the floor of the refugio in Puerto Avellano. A table, some chairs, and wood burning stove inside. Didn’t notice any pests. There are a few spots for tents behind in the trees, but very wind exposed. Met the settler that lives nearby the following day.
* From the junction with the road [130.4/311] we took Option 11 into Levican and camped behind some bushes with good wind protection. We didn’t find any good spots on 11G, with the north shore being very windy. Started the road walk to Puerto Ibanez on the final day, but luckily got a hitch 3km out of Levican (around 8am), we rode with them all the way to Coyhaique (he turned out to be Julio’s brother).

'''GPT33 / 2025 Dec 12-16 / NOBO / RR / 5 days/ hiking // Bailey & Ed'''

General notes - another incredibly beautiful section. Had to take a few slow days approaching the pass because of high winds and snow.

Challenges - crossing snow boulder fields at the pass

Costs - paid 70,000 CLP for two people to be dropped off just before bridge [129.3/304], saving about 27 km of road walking. +56982463160

Difficulty - 4/5

Attractiveness - 5/5

Day 1

Caught the ferry from Chile chico, took about three hours leaving at 8 am. We went to the tourist office to ask about a taxi. Mostly on minor roads to camp

Camp 1

Nice campground, wind sheltered with water [116.3/239]

Day 2

Pretty good trail, connects to a minor road. Fords okay

Camp 2

Another nice campground, wind sheltered with water [82.8/479]

Day 3.

Short day mostly on a minor road. Fords okay

Camp 3

Camped next to ford [69.8/634] because the next campsite was noted without water. This campsite was nice, wind sheltered with water. We met Julio returning back after a days work. A lot of deadfall here though

Day 4

Started with walking in the river bed. The snow line started at the campground next to the lake. Previous trip report was useful mentioning stay right of the waterfall on the ascent to the pass. We tried staying in the forest and off the boulder field as long as we could. The snow was waist deep and very soft in areas. Mostly used rocks after the forest to ascend. On the descent we met col from salt lake city also hiking the GPT this season.

Camp 4

Camped at [32.0/700], a lot of cow poo around, but sheltered. Water across the fence

Day 5

Walked down the road to hitch. There's a bus shelter here to sit in and wait, protected from the wind. Waited an hour

==Season 2024/25==

'''2025-Mar-19 to 2025-Mar-23/ 5 days/ Hiking/ NOBO OH 8, RR, OH 3B/ Timothée and Maëlle'''
We started in bahia Murta by option 8 to reach RR. Then we simply went to the lake 63.4 ( viewpoint) SOBO, and then back to Villa Cerro Castillo NOBO. We had light rain on the 2 first days and then sun, but with really cold nights. We have good equipment ( sleeping bags -5, big down jackets...) but without it that section would have not been enjoyable.

Camps:
Camp1: 8.1 : Nice one, some wind protected spots, not perfectly flat, water nearby.

Camp2: 52.7: several possibilities, we slept 300 m ( on OH8) before the waypoint, near wood tables, in the forest so a bit sheltered.

Camp3: S 46° 24.552', W 072° 29.933' below the camp 61.2: we slept on the river sediments: dry but not sheltered. We had absolutely no wind but that was really cold( we think about -5°): we re late in the season and it s high.

Camp4: S 46° 15.319', W 072° 23.019'
There are several other possibilities before this point on the MR. Not really after. Nice spot, quit sheltered, with the river next to it.

Day1:
We were coming from Puerto Rio Tranquillo by hitchhiking, and started from Bahia Murta around 1pm under light rain. We hiked only 8km.

Day2: We reached the RR from our first camp.
Overall, OH 8 was quite exhausting. The trail is maintained, probably by local guides: we found a lot of prints of chainsaws, machettes... but there is a lot of elevation gain ( ups and downs) and there are still a lot of trunks that you need to pass over, around... It was also usually muddy. At least we got a good impression of the rainforest! On OH 8 the trail does not always follow the GPS track really closely, probably because of the constant falling trees and that the trail was recently maintained.

Day3: For day 3 and 4 we decided to stay on RR to enjoy the torres a bit longer. We went to the pass with the viewpoint, and then down to the lack 63.4 with light backpack. We found that going to the lack and then back worthed it as the view feels quite different from the lack. The descent is not so technical, but indeed you need to follow the track, or even a bit more to the left( downward) to avoid the granit slabs.

Day 4: We went back to camp 52.7 and continued on the trail and the MR until camp 4. From camp 3 (61km) to camp 52.7 the trail can be lost, especially in the forest. After that it is quite easy and fast.
Day5: We went down the MR and then took option 3B. After 2 km on that option we caught a lift to cerro castillo. ( so a half day)

In total we hiked for a duration of 4 days spread on 5 days. ( 2 half days in both ends)

Right of way issues:
A guide in Bahia murta told us that we might be asked to pay if we meet the owner of puestos on OH 8 or when arriving in Villa Cerro Castillo.
We met no one on OH8 but we met the settler at 29.4 who was very friendly and never mentionned anything about paying.

For day 3 and 4 we thought about doing à loop woth OH2. We were coming from the south of GPT, and since GPT40, Rio avellano is the first big river with strong current to ford that we met. After heavy rain this option is probably a bit tricky. That is also why we stayed on RR.

'''2025-MAR-13 to 2025-MAR-16 / 3.5 days / Hiking / NOBO / OH (8, partially, then followed the east bank of Estero Sur SOBO up to southwest side of Torres de Avellano) / Joppe O'''

- 13/3: Started around 2:30PM after hitching a ride from Villa Cerro Castillo to Bahia Murta. Walked up to the mentioned camp site 33h/462. The obvious esplanade doesn’t really have a very flat spot, if you go down one ‘level’ there is a truly horizontal spot and it’s a bit more away from the trail.

- 14/3: hiked up to the ford over Rio Estero Sur. The section after the last gate up to the ford is muddy. Met three British students who came back from the Torres. The ford is easy, there is a tree log over the water and a steel cable to help you negotiate it. Lunched at Puesto/Camp at 11.6/548. Then commenced the BB section of option 8 along Resbalin. I made it about 1km into it before giving up. I did not bring a machete but even if I had I would not have pushed through it. It was impossible to make out a trail at this point and because I carried too much stuff it was too arduous and not fun, so I went back to the puesto and read a book in the sun.

- 15/3: I decided to check if I could find the trail up the Estero Sur that the British group told me of. The trail is marked with blue ribbons, pink ribbons, red paint dots, machete cuts on the trees and with cairns (hitos) so it takes some getting used to to follow it. Got lost a couple of times on the way in. There are some trees to climb over but it’s a fun hike. The last section is very steep and partially equipped with ropes to hold on to. Nonetheless would not recommend this section in rain because it would be tricky with the mud etc. Very nice trail though with really pretty forest vegetation and views on the waterfalls coming from the lakes beneath the Torres and the surrounding mountains. Made it to the lower lake around 5PM and camped right next to it at the little ¨beach¨ enjoying the warmth of a small fire made of dead wood. The spot has views of the glacier and you can hear the ice break off now and then. Very cool.

- 16/3 Woke up to rain. Went back the way I came at 10AM, the first part down through the forest is steep and requires full focus. Trail was muddier than the day before after the rain but doable. At the puesto I met Martin Aguëro, the owner, who was there for the first time in almost a year. He told me that his grandson is a guide and is the one who marked the trail and put up the ropes with the intention of taking people there. After lunch I continued the return to Bahia Murta and arrived around 8:40PM. I stayed at the cabaña next to Virginia´s house across from the aerodromo, there are more options down the road but her house is the first one that you come past on the left hand side of the road. (I think there is also a camp ground if you want to save money but at this point I was ready for a night in a proper bed :D).

Other notes:

Both Antonio Quiroz and Martin Aguëro confirmed that the BB section after the puesto along Resbalin is in disuse. They said it was opened/used by the army some decades ago and was indeed used to bring cattle to the Avellano valley, as the manual on Section 33 states.

the next day I got a ride to the bus stop from Antonio Quiroz who is a cattle farmer. He told me that another way to get to the Estero Sur and above it is to take the high route above the tree line right from the mouth of the Resbalin Valley.

For water I had 2x1.5l Nalgenes with me but I just carried a cup on my belt and took a few every time I crossed a stream, carrying .5l just in case to limit weight.

'''2025-02-28 to 2025-03-4 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / Option 3, 3B, RR, E, H, I, partial 06, K / Tyson'''

Really beautiful section bookended by some unfortunate roadwalking. The roadwalk up and down to Puerto Ibanez was especially rough with nasty wind and rain ripping down the valley almost the whole way. But the views in the middle of the section made up for it. Pretty magical up top.

Day 1: [Option 3, 3B, RR] Caught the bus at Cafe Arbolitos in Villa Cerro Castillo. 2x buses (Sao Paulo and Bus Carolina?) show up anywhere from 9:30 - 11AM depending when they leave Coyhaique and road conditions etc). Sat up front with the driver for 2.5K pesos. Started walking the 3B road by 1045. There are a couple of bridges that you cross on the initial MR sections that are probably the easiest places to get water if you need it. Saw two climbers hiking back from the Torres who gave me some info on how best to descend the pass [62.0/1314] at the Torres. Beautiful walk up the valley to the first pass [44.4/1149], and after the pass in the CC section, especially in the evening light. Expect wet feet on the CC section. At [53.0/946] there are 2x puestos. After asking at the second, I set up my tent near the first puesto in time for another arriero to arrive and occupy the first. I asked again if my tent was ok there and he happily said no problema.

Day 2: [RR] To the Torres. Initial CC section took a little longer than expected with blowdown. I caught a little sun, and had probably 80% visibility of the Torres. Hung around the lakes there a bit, then went up the pass [62.0/1314] when it started raining in earnest. NOTE: On the way down the pass, once you are past the boulders, it is best to err on the side of staying too far left. It’s tempting to start crossing on the contour when you see a long ledge beneath you after the rock bald. I got cliffed out there and had to turn back. In better weather you might could scramble down but the GPX track is much better in wet and slippery conditions. In better weather I would have done a short day and stayed at the lakeside camp [63.4/995] (called the English camp by the climbers I met the day before?), but I decided to move on. Initially on the descent down Valle Ventisquero I followed some very nice game trail but it soon dissolved into a wet bushwhack. Thought for sure I would catch sight of a huemul with all the footprints that I was seeing, but nothing. Slept at the Camp Without Water [68.7/766]. It’s a corral that offers a nice opening with enough flat space for one tent, and plenty more not so flat space. Water is accessible down the hill. However, I recommend not stopping here and hiking another half hour to the Ford [69.8/634]. There is tons of flat space there, easy water, and you can check out the condition of the Ford.

Day 3: [RR, Option E] Down Lower Rio Avellano. Water was up with all the rain, but mostly just ~knee-high fords. I took Option E by accident but it was pleasant and very easy to follow. The Ford at [81.2/490] was too deep and fast to manage so I hiked upstream not quite a km where the river branched and found a spot that was about upper-thigh high. Stuck to Option H on the north side of the river to avoid additional fords. I took the cut-through Option I to get off the road a bit and noticed some nice flat gravel spots for camping that were free of prickly bushes. Hoping to take the Option 06 high route the next day, I pushed on past the Ford [89.5/545] but couldn’t find any open spots on the first bit of that option. So I went back to the gravel spots that I saw in Option I and camped there. NOTE as I found out the next day if you continue further up Option 06 to where you start seeing more mature tree stands you can find camp spots (without water) where cows bed down.

Day 4: [Option 06 partial, RR] Tempted by a bit of sun in the morning, I started climbing Option 06. Within an hour though it started raining and blowing, and after climbing halfway to the pass it turned to snow. Reluctantly I turned back but was immediately rewarded by a great big male huemul staring at me from about 10m away! Happily descended and started down the lower RR. After the Bridge [108.1/462] there is an old fallen down puesto [-46.457555, -72.044263] that shows up on OSM and satellite. Decent flat spot there, with water down the hill not too far away; camped there.

Day 5: [RR, Option K] Wind started up again. Got to X [130.4/311] in the afternoon and decided to push through to Puerto Ibanez. Spent the next few hours on a hellish road walk leaning into the wind and rain with not a single car going my way until I was almost to the Rio Claro bridge [147.7/211]. Was thrilled to get a hitch down to Puerto the rest of the way. Though the waterfall at Rio Ibanez is very cool, I think anyone who can figure out a ferry from Playa Levican to Chile Chico would be doing a great service to future hikers. I would gladly have paid to have skipped that bit of road on a day like that.

*'''2025-FEB-28 to 2025-MAR-01 / 1 day / Hiking / SOBO / RR+OH (var. A, 01A, 01) / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''

We chose variants A, 01A and 01, so it was easy section which leads mainly on a paved road. There is a nice view of Cerro Castillo on the beginning and a waterfall of Rio Ibáñez [148.4/212] was also worth it.

From the point X [1.3/328] to the point X [5.5/554] we ascent on the minor road. The rest of this section is on the paved road.

CHALLENGES: Monotonous walk on the paved road.

BIVOUACING: There is a fence along the road most of the time, but it's possible to find some quiet places on the pastures. We spent the only night here:

WATER: Water from the nearby lakes, eventually from Rio Ibáñez. There are almost no small streams close to the road.

RESUPPLY: There is a well stocked store in the center of Villa Cerro Castillo, called 'Janito'. Close to there is a stylish foodtruck made of two old buses. There are more opportunities in Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez (at least 2 stores and even more restaurants).

'''2025-02-19 to 2025-02-23 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / option 3B, RR, variant C,H, / Thijmen Scholten'''</span

* I started hitchiking from Cerro Castillo, but barely any cars passed and Around 10.00 de bus came
* Took option 3 and first day is only road walking , the first part untill the last settler (30.8) is really really really boring ! Hitching did not work. You can get a taxi from Cero de Castillo's it will cost 70.000 pesos.
* Water: On option 3 and the road walks of the RR there is not much water. For the rest water is no problem
* Camping : Many camp places everywhere.
* Option C the Laguna is nice
* I camped at crosspoint to the Laguna (option C), nice place but many dead trees and branches so lookout where you put your tent when it's windy
* Around km 49 I followed the Osmo trail trough the forest instead of the presumely swampy grassland trail (it rained all night)
* It rained all day and also next day so I opted to take option 8 instead. But I am very glad I did continue on the RR because the view on the other side of the pass is beautiful!
* Scrambling down from the pass was ok even in the rain. Just be sure to follow the gpx carefully ! Otherwise you will end up at a ledge
* The camp site at the lake is very wind exposed my tent blew away. Decided to pack it again and camp down in the beautiful forest.
* As for the bushbash part. I followed the right side of the river (looking downstream). There was a trail which I lost often but easy to walk. Even saw campfire traces so probably it's used more often. I don't know if it's easier than the right side. But the BB/CC part took me less than 2 hours this side.
* The first official fjord (69.8) was already above my waist and very difficult (crossed it diagonal as supposed). It rained all night so probably the river is not only affected by glacial melt but also by rain alot.
* Talked to Roberto (he lives around km 80) and he confirmed the river was high due to the rain. He adviced me to cross at his house where the river has 3 arms. I did that and the crossing was just doable the water was untill my waist.
* Roberto also offered me to cross with his horse if it was impossible on foot.
* Took variant H to avoid crossing 2 more times
* The road walk has not alot of nice camping places. Found 1 grassy patch with water around 5km before the lake.
* When the hiking trail next to the lake starts , just go straight to the beach otherwise you have to bushbash.
* The trail next to the lake is sometimes covered by vegetation I break some branches to make a way. Is everyone does this (or with Macheti) the trail will stay walkable (look out for thorns).
* There is internet (Entel) from around halfway the trail.
* I Camped at the end of the trail (km 117.6) close to the lake, there is little stream there as well.
* Road walk to Ibanez is very very very boring as well.
* At water source 135.3 the creek is very small but there is a black hose laying around at the left side of the road which you can use to fill your bottle.
* After 3 hours the first car passed and I got a hitch to town.

'''25-02-19-25-02-23 / 4 days (interrupted)/ SOBO / OH 03B-RR/ Volker'''
Patagonia at its best (and its worst)

Day 0: After gpt32 and resupply in Villa Cerro Castillo too many people hitchhiking on the Carreterra, so I called Pedro Zuleta (+56 993 5786), who drove me for 20k to the start of 03B in the late afternoon. Walked until the pass at S 46.198129° W 72.357921° and camped there (nice place, but very windy).
Day 1: Light rain all the day long. Because of the weather I decided not to take the mountain route (OH07) and continued on the RR (though technically a MR, blocked for cars by fallen trees) and feels like a trail), one non-indicated (very easy) ford. With the rain getting heavier and only few feasible camp spots along the way, early camp at S 46.280118° W 72.435213°. Heavy rain all the night long.
Day 2: The day started with a non-indicated ford 50m behind my camp spot. All further river crossings (including the indicated ford at 52,0: dry feet, broken trees serving as a bridge). Weather better than forecasted, the light rain ceased during the morning and by noon the sun came out. Instead of following the track file and crossing the swampy meadow CC, I stayed on the left side, where a trail leads along the edge of the forest (not without stepping out on the meadow for the scenic view on Cerro los Pumas, which now came out of the clouds). A river bank at the end of the meadow allowed me to dry my tent and cook the warm meal I had skipped the evening before. After the puesto steep down and on the RR very nice along the river. After the steep ascent to the upper valley, though indicated as CC, the trail continues, partly along the river, partly more to the right, avoiding swamps. In the rocky parts, it‘s marked with cairns. My plan was to reach the indicated camp at 63,4, however a storm with hurricane-like blasts made the scrambling across rocks and broken trees very dangerous. Even in easy terrain I could hardly stand it. With a suicidal ford (one blast during the fording: game over) and 2km through wind-exposed rocky terrain ahead I found a flat spot in a wood at S 46.391614° W 72.494383°. Impossible to raise a tent without the protection of the dense wood! And it has to be a wood with young trees (many branches and even some trunks broke that night in forests with older and higher trees). Take this into account, when thinking about OH07 (and read the comments by Alexey, who opened up this route).
Day 3: Though the storm had subsided and the ford was doable, given the overall situation (3km of BB/CC, several fords, bad weather, possibly another storm in the afternoon and 90km ahead with a shortage of food, if slowed down too much by the conditions) I decided to walk back. Rain made the trail very swampy and slippery, 3 creeks, that I crossed dry feet the day before, now to be forded. Camped at the same spot as the day before.
Day 4: Rain the whole night long, not ceasing in the morning. I was very lucky: just arrived at the settler, where the MR gets passable for cars, when the same driver, who drove me to the start of 03B 4 days before, dropped 3 Chileans there (he had offered to drive me there for 70k) and gave me a free ride back to Villa CC.

* '''2025-02-19 to 2025-02-23 / 4,5 days / Hiking / SOBO / option 3B, RR, variant C,H, / Thijmen Scholten'''</span

* I started hitchiking from Cerro Castillo, but barely any cars passed and Around 10.00 de bus came
* Took option 3 and first day is only road walking , the first part untill the last settler (30.8) is really really really boring ! Hitching did not work. You can get a taxi from Cero de Castillo's it will cost 70.000 pesos.
* Water: On option 3 and the road walks of the RR there is not much water. For the rest water is no problem
* Camping : Many camp places everywhere.
* Option C the Laguna is nice
* I camped at crosspoint to the Laguna (option C), nice place but many dead trees and branches so lookout where you put your tent when it's windy
* Around km 49 I followed the Osmo trail trough the forest instead of the presumely swampy grassland trail (it rained all night)
* It rained all day and also next day so I opted to take option 8 instead. But I am very glad I did continue on the RR because the view on the other side of the pass is beautiful!
* Scrambling down from the pass was ok even in the rain. Just be sure to follow the gpx carefully ! Otherwise you will end up at a ledge
* The camp site at the lake is very wind exposed my tent blew away. Decided to pack it again and camp down in the beautiful forest.
* As for the bushbash part. I followed the right side of the river (looking downstream). There was a trail which I lost often but easy to walk. Even saw campfire traces so probably it's used more often. I don't know if it's easier than the right side. But the BB/CC part took me less than 2 hours this side.
* The first official fjord (69.8) was already above my waist and very difficult (crossed it diagonal as supposed). It rained all night so probably the river is not only affected by glacial melt but also by rain alot.
* Talked to Roberto (he lives around km 80) and he confirmed the river was high due to the rain. He adviced me to cross at his house where the river has 3 arms. I did that and the crossing was just doable the water was untill my waist.
* Roberto also offered me to cross with his horse if it was impossible on foot.
* Took variant H to avoid crossing 2 more times
* The road walk has not alot of nice camping places. Found 1 grassy patch with water around 5km before the lake.
* When the hiking trail next to the lake starts , just go straight to the beach otherwise you have to bushbash.
* The trail next to the lake is sometimes covered by vegetation I break some branches to make a way. Is everyone does this (or with Macheti) the trail will stay walkable (look out for thorns).
* There is internet (Entel) from around halfway the trail.
* I Camped at the end of the trail (km 117.6) close to the lake, there is little stream there as well.
* Road walk to Ibanez is very very very boring as well.
* At water source 135.3 the creek is very small but there is a black hose laying around at the left side of the road which you can use to fill your bottle.
* After 3 hours the first car passed and I got a hitch to town.

* ''' 2025-FEV-15 > 19 / 4 jours / Randonnée / SOBO / RR > 33-B > RR > 33-D > RR > 33-H > RR / Pierre-Marie '''

Etape : <strike>GPT31</strike>+GPT32+GPT33
| Meteo : soleil nuages et vent
| Eau : difficile au début
| Neige : non
| Intérêt : 5/5
| Difficulté : 4/5
| Danger : Rivière, éboulis

J'ai fais quelques courses et j'ai mangé au restaurant à Villa Cerro Castillo. Ensuite j'ai repris la randonnée. Attention l'eau est difficilement accessible car les lacs sont clôturés et en contrebas de la route. Sur la gravel road j'ai réussi à faire 4 km d'auto-stop. J'ai mal préparé ma randonnée et j'ai raté la 33-A. Mais je n'avais pas encore dépassé la 33-B alors je l'ai prise. Il y a un petit ruisseau devant le settler du km 0,7. Je n'ai pas pu faire de stop sur la gravel road car je n'ai vu aucun vehicule. Il y a un ford au km 36 quand le sentier traverse la rivière. Au km 52 un arbre permet de passer la rivière. Je suis passé par la 33-D pour aller voir les lacs. Je suis content d'avoir eu du soleil car la descente après le km 62 est vraiment raide sur des pierres lisse et des éboulis. Il n'y a pas de bush-bashing sur cette section du GPT. La descente après le lac se fait bien puis on entre dans un bois ou il n'y a pas de végétation au sol. Ensuite il faut suivre la rivière en marchand dans l'eau jusqu'au km 68,5 où la rivière se transforme en rapide et on trouve un sentier dans le sous-bois. Il faudrait trouver une autre couleur pour les sections de randonnées où on marche dans l'eau. Les fords des km 71,8, 73,5, 78,3 et 89,5 se font sans mettre les pieds dans l'eau. Le chemin est innondé au km 75,5, difficile à éviter car il est entouré de marais. Le ford du km 81,2 était dangereux car le courant était très fort même avec 60cm d'eau. Au km 98,5 il faut aller directement sur la plage. Le chemin le long du lac est parfois envahi par la végétation surtout dans les zones humide. A partir du km 130 c'est la gravel road peu frequentée X-735. J'ai eu du mal à faire de l'auto-stop mais j'ai reussi à faire les 15 derniers km avec un camion. Je n'ai pas pu m'arrêter à la cataracte du km 148,4, c'est mon seul regret car le vent était si violent que j'avais du mal à avancer.
FEV-20: Repos Coyhaique.

''' 2025-FEB-7 to 2025-FEB-15 / 8 hiking days / Hiking / SOBO / option 03B, RR, option 02 / Nimrod & Tamar '''

Good camps for bad weather (more info below): (-46.172528, -72.273827) Hut near km 52. puesto?[4.8/745] (-46.48726, -72.10065)

We think that its worth mentioning that if the weather is bad and you choose option 02 you should expect hard fords and having hard time following the trail until connecting back to RR.

Day 1:

Hitchhiked from Coyhaique - 3 rides 5 hours. Started walking at 17:00, camped at (-46.116414, -72216049). It was a little wind protected.

Day 02:

Rain all night and all day. Got a lift for 5 km by 2 chilean hikers that went to the Torres and back. Camped at: (-46.172528, -72.273827). Rain and wind all night and the camp location was well protected.

Day 03:

Finally sun came out, so we dried our gear. Camped at km 62. Great view and wind protection. The weather became bad again.

Day 04:

Started hailing in the morning and it should have became worse along the day. We climbed to the pass early in the morning. Got a glimpse of the Torres and made our way to camp at km 52. Near the camp there is an abandoned small hut where we stayed until the next day. The hut is well protected from rain and wind, and you can even make a fire inside.

Day 05:

Our Inreach forecast lied us (again...) and the rain didn't stop until evening. Took option 2 - Rio Avalleno. The river was swollen because of the rain and the fords were quite difficult for us. The trail was gone under the water in a lot of parts, and in some parts it was just CC. Track files was irrelevant in many parts. Camped at puesto?[4.8/745]. Like described before - it's actually a wooden built wall which protects from the wind. The wind was crazy and it gave us great wind protection to pitch our tent and to enjoy a fire.

Day 06:

Finally a nice day. Untill we connected to the RR the trail was in bad condition, and again the track files not very helpful. You can skip 2 fords at km 9 if you stick to the nice and visible trail on the east side.

Maria and Julio not at home. Camped at (-46.276123, -72.204873) There was some wind protection and no water.

Day 07:

At (-46.275422, -72.198820) we met Ricardo (we are not sure if he is a settler or a woreke), which kindly suggested to help us cross the Avellano on his horse back. The river was quite swollen from the rain but it's hard for us to say if it was crossable by foot. Camped at (-46.48726, -72.10065) by the small lake. The wind was strong and the campsite was well protected by the big rocks. We filtered water from the small lake/swamp. It might be flooded earlier in the season though.

Day 08:

Walked all the way to X[130.4/311] and camped near the junction. Not wind protected but the weather was good. There were a lot of water at variant N.

Woke up late and took the bus at 9:00. About one hour ride, 1000 clp. Times like MiaimZelt has written.

'''2025-Feb-02 to 2025-Jan-05 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / Hiking / Opt 3B, RR, Opt 8 / Tom'''

Day 1 - Rainy: I hitchhiked from Villa Castillo to the junction at the beginning of 3B. Great views, but if you can afford to pay for transportation to the end of the road, it's worth it. I camped at -46.2647991, -72.41223312025. Due to the rain, there were several streams, and some areas offered wind protection.

Day 2 - Rainy: A simple day, just following the route. Be mindful of the exit point from the road—I was focused on the rain and missed it. The Mallín (wetland) can be challenging at times, but nothing too difficult.

I arrived at Camp 57.2, where four students had waited for a day, hoping for clear skies.

Day 3 - Sunny: I started early, around 6:45 AM. It took about 2.5 hours to reach the viewpoint. Around -46.3870597, -72.4916724, there's a more recent landslide. Nothing too difficult, just loose rocks and fallen trees. Another 2.5 hours to return. On the same day, I started Opt 8 at 1 PM. This section took me 6.5 hours. It's a cattle trail, poorly marked—you really need to follow the GPS carefully, as there are many paths that lead nowhere. I recommend checking the contour lines since there is significant elevation gain. I arrived at Camp ? 11.6, which is Puesto Aguero—it appears to be in use, with sleeping bags and food inside. The camping area isn't ideal, as the ground retains a lot of moisture.

Day 4 - Rain/Sunny: I started at 2 PM when the rain stopped. The river was quite high, so unlike Michael and Kasia, I used the "punte" (a makeshift crossing). It's a fairly slender tree, but there's a rope to help with balance. I had no issues, but if the river were lower, I would have crossed directly through the water. At the beginning, the route is quite muddy but clear. The first half can be a bit more challenging at times, but the trail is well-marked towards the end. It took 4.5 hours to reach Bahía Muerta.

General Notes: From Route 7 to the Torres viewpoint, it's quite straightforward and well-marked. The difficult section is between Camp 57.2 and Camp ? 11.6. I know there's a route from Camp ? 11.6 to another viewpoint of the Torres, which is not included in current GPS tracks. It seems to be a trail that guides from Avellano Bahía Muerta are currently working on.

* '''2025 Jan / 4,5 days / SOBO / hiking/ opt. 3B, RR, opt. E / Al & Bee'''

It’s a beautiful route but it also consists of a considerable amount of road walking. The terrain before and after the Torres and some of the river crossings can be challenging depending on the conditions. This GPS track by Alex Chile on wikiloc was very helpful.

Day 01
We hitched a ride in the late afternoon from Villa Cerro Castillo along the Carretera Austral to the crossing with Camino Lago Lapparent (X at 18.6). From there on it’s a long way of gravel road walking. For camping we would not recommend the camp at 32.0 because it’s located on a fenced-off part of the trail. We camped in proximity to a small river at approximately (-46.25806, -72.38893).

Day 02
Late start, waiting out the rain in the morning. More road walking through the forest until X at 45.5. Then following a path through the forest on to an open valley with some cows. Some parts were boggy, at times it was easier to walk on the left side close to the forest. Some easy fording. Camp at 52.7 looked nice, lots of dead trees in that area. Route along river became more challenging at some point after X at 54.5 but it also started raining quite heavily then. Boulder fields to cross carefully, rocks were slippery in the rain. Behind the first boulder field, a stretch of (former) forest previously devastated by a storm, almost all trees uprooted. Reached the two lagoons as it was getting dark and camped at a beautiful spot close to camp at 61.2.

Day 03
The next morning peaks of the Torres were (still) covered in clouds, yet a beautiful sight. CC up to the pass at 62.0, beautiful views of the lagoon next to camp at 63.4 and the glacier. CC down the pass and through the boulder field required concentration but was fun, the weather was good. We were able to go around the snow field, which was then to our right. A bit further we encountered the same issue as described by MiaimZelt: our trails and the map didn’t match the terrain in the section with the waterfall. We also hiked down left of it. CC-descent close to lagoon and over boulder field. For the stretch along Rio Ventisquero to the trailhead we can really recommend the GPS track mentioned above. Countless (easy) river crossings, some riverbed walking, some boggy stretches. Nice horse trail after trailhead at 68.5. Fording at 69.8 was knee to thigh deep and manageable. After (easy) ford at 71.8 we took variant E because it seemed less overgrown. Easy horsetrail from there. Said hello to a settler. Camped right before ford at 81.2.

Day 04
Fords at 81.2 and particularly 81.4 were quite deep (thigh to hip high) and with strong current but manageable. Soon, easy walking on minor road. The road becomes bigger as you get closer to the lake. At the lake we enjoyed walking at the lake shore in the beginning before the path leads up to the hills. A perfectly windless day, the lake was extremely calm. The walk along and view of the lake was gorgeous and a highlight of the trail. Lots of creeks and beautiful waterfalls. We met two GPT-hikers heading the opposite direction and had a nice chat. Not many campsites available along the path. After a long day of walking we camped at 113.9.

Day 05
Late start, enjoying the lake in the morning. A little more ups and downs along the lake then ascended first on an overgrown minor road and then on one actually in use. Got water up the stream next to settler at 121.8. Along the last part of the dirt road we had a nice chat with local settlers who showed us some Calafate berry shrubs and offered us a ride to the junction with the road to Levican (X at 130.4). From there we had a transport.

'''2025-Jan-17 to 2025-Jan-21 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / OH03B RR + variant D + variant H / Sean & Neele'''

Took the bus at 10 from Villa Cerro Castillo to the start of Option 03B. We'd hope to hitch the dirt road but we literally saw only one car.

Bridge 25.7km - good place to get water

Camped just before junction for option C (46.5km roughly) by the stream in the woods. Great wind protection.

49km to 50.8km - track files go CC but on OSM there's a trail we followed it and it worked well. CC route looked wet and boggy in places.

Ford 52km - lots of downed trees so can cross with dry feet.

Took variant D - easy and beautiful would recommend it.

Pass 60km small patch of snow on South side no problem without spikes

Camped at camp 63.4km - very beautiful but no wind protection, we were lucky the wind was pretty calm.

CC & BB 64.3 + 4.2 - we just stuck with the stream the whole way down worked out well.

Ford 81.2km - about 550m before the waypoint the trail gets close to the river for us it looked easy at this point so we just crossed here. Just over knee deep at 4pm on a hot sunny day, no rain for the past few days.

Took variant H to skip the other 2 fords.

Camped at 93.3km (S 46° 28.690', W 072° 11.674') nice grassy area with a small stream.

98.5km - shortly after leaving the road RR take you through some bushwhacking but it's avoidable just go straight to the beach.

Camped on the beach around 116km

Road walked to 138.5km where we saw the first car of the day and got a hitch to Puerto Ibanez.

* '''2025 Jan 02 to Jan 11 / 10 hiking days / SOBO, NOBO, WEBO / Hiking / Opt 3B, RR, Opt 2, Opt 8 / Michael and Kasia'''

Quick notes:

A nice section with some great views and some good optionals. It is a fairly popular trail up to the Torres; we met 11 other hikers on the RR. Opt 2 is a really pretty and peaceful valley. Opt 8 is an adventurous alternative route, probably better to exit GPT33 than to enter it on full resupply weight.

CAMPS:

Night 01: -46.25532, -72.38365 (good water access, decent wind protection (look up before you set your tent, there were some widow makers), next to the road, no view)

Night 02: -46.34592, -72.49822 (Camp 57.2) (decent view, excellent water access, minimal wind protection, surrounded by dead trees, not safe in windy conditions, a lot of spots to choose from)

Night 03: -46.40655, -72.49601 (amazing view, decent water access, no wind protection)

Night 04: same as night 3

Night 05: -46.35732, -72.45379 (flat space for two tents, wind protected, just off the trail, water is a little ways away)

Night 06: -46.36802, -72.43937 (flat space for 2 tents, excellent wind protection, no view, water is a little ways away, accompanied by the sturdy arrieros shelter)

Night 07: same as night 6

Night 08: same as night 2

Night 09: -46.39734, -72.58201 (Camp ? 11.6) (not much truly flat space, but if you aren't picky there's lots of space, no wind protection, water is down a steep hill,next to the used puesto)

WATER:

On 3B and into RR on the road it was difficult to find at times. On all trail sections it was easy to find.

Day 01 - Jan 2nd

We got the bus from the terminal in Coyhaique. It was a bit of an ordeal. The buses hadn't been running for two days on account of the holiday, and we had not purchased tickets in advance. There was quite a line and it seemed they had been sold out much earlier. We went and talked to the driver after he finished loading most of the luggage. He said to give him a minute to check. He luckily had two empty seats to Cerro Castillo, and we paid him cash at the break point in Cerro Castillo, 8.000 pp, the normal price. He dropped us at the beginning of Opt 3B. There was a bus stop there. Opt 3B is a gravel road. There is some nice scenery, but overall it's a road walk. There isn't much traffic, but hitchhiking is possible. RR from km 24 where Opt 3B meets it is also gravel road until km 45.5. There isn't a huge grade and the road is in good condition, so it's easy if somewhat underwhelming walking. Water is not so easily accessible. All the little side creeks had dried up or were just water trickling through mud. Much of the time we were too high above the water, or it was fenced off. At km 24.9 there is an unmarked bridge. There was good water access there. There was also a very nice campsite there at (-46.21595, -72.34452). It had flat space for at least one tent, maybe two, trees and good water access close by. The next good water spot we found was at Settler 29.4. There was easy water access next to the bridge down to the barn. We didn't find water again until km 35.5 when we camped for the night. Camp 32.0 should be marked “Camp with No Water”. We did not see any water nearby or anything that looked like there is water at another time of year. At km 31.9 there was a locked gate with a No Trespassing sign, but a set of stairs to walk over the fence on the left hand side. The stairs were solid and in good condition. At km 32.9 was an easy open gate with a No Trespassing sign facing the other direction. It looked like someone had been working there recently, lots of fresh wood cuts, but we didn't see anyone. We camped just off the road at km 35.5 in a little clearing, just after a gate. There was access to the estero there.

Day 02 - Jan 3rd

We continued the road walk. The trail in the forest was very nice. The meadows were a little marshy but we moved through them fairly quickly. Ford 52.0 was easy, top of the calf and not much current. There was actually a fallen tree that could work as a bridge to do a dry foot crossing. We camped at Camp 52.7 next to a stream. This would not be a good site if it is windy. Fortunately we had a windless night. No issues finding water this day. We met three other hikers on their way out of Avellanos.

Day 03 - Jan 4th

The trail to the Trailhead 57.0 is easy to follow and, except in a few places, in good shape. There were a few places where it disappeared for a bit. Where they diverged, sometimes GPT track files were better, sometimes OSM, we just chose what seemed the most traveled. After Trailhead 57.0 the track is a little more difficult to follow. The OSM track was a little more accurate for the CC sections. There was only one ford at the end of the valley a little before it goes up into the woods, around km 59.3, just below the knee, not a strong current. The way through the woods at the end was difficult to follow. It is fairly overgrown in parts and we ended up walking a bit above the GPT track pushing through trees until the boulder field. We were trying to make it to Camp 61.2 above the pass. After the Trailhead 57.0 we did not see another suitable place to camp until close to Camp 61.2; everything was wet or on a slope, either covered in rock or trees. We camped at (-46.40655, -72.49601), about 400 m before Camp 61.2 in a flat area. There was no wind protection, but the night was calm. The site has a great view of the mountains and one of the lakes. We met five other hikers heading out over the course of the day.

Day 04 - Jan 5th

We did a packless day trip up to the pass to see the Torres. The weather was good, full sun and light wind. We spent about an hour on the pass. The Torres are nice; the one in the middle looked to us like it had the face of the rock eating monster from Neverending Story. As nice as the Torres were, we actually preferred the view on the mountains on the north side of the pass. On the way back down we looked at the area around Camp 61.2. We didn't really see any spaces suitable for a tent, certainly not for something the size of the X-Mid 2. There seemed to be a few options for bivys. There were strong gusts of wind in the night and part of our tent collapsed. We managed to get it back up and it stayed up for the rest of the night.

Day 05 - Jan 6th

We headed back NOBO on RR. We met Mia who was heading SOBO at the ford. It was nice to cross paths with another GPTer. At the X 54.5 we switched to Opt 2 Avellanos Bypass. We were interested to see the valley. The trail in places is in great shape, especially the higher areas, and in places non-existant, especially in low, wet areas, or where the river has washed it out. At one point we saw a huemul, our first one. It was walking up stream in the river very slowly and pausing often. We watched it for about 15 minutes before it finally got up on the hill on the opposite side and climbed into the trees. A little while later there was a huge waterfall coming down from one of the mountains. We camped in a sandy area under some trees a ways away from the river. All fords were more of a blessing in the scolding sun than a challenge. The riverbed moved in some places into the land where the GPS tracks were but it was very easy to navigate.

Day 06 - Jan 7th

We walked further downriver to Puesto ? 4.9. It is not actually a puesto, but a stopover half-shelter with fire pit for people driving animals. It was a great wind barrier, and a place to hang out on our rest/”waiting rain over” day. Just a few meters away we found a nice flat area with space for two tents that was very well wind protected and we were expecting 90 km/h winds to come next day. We left our packs and went further down river. The valley is really beautiful and has some great views. For a while the trail is in excellent condition, then it starts to disappear. It was not possible to follow the GPT track for all of it, but we found other paths. The river fords got increasingly more challenging as we went down stream. More drainages joined the river and added water. We turned around at Ford 8.2 and we noticed the increase in river level just over those few hours. The most difficult ford was mid-thigh with a good amount of current (at 6pm, earlier around 3 pm it was good 20 cm lower).

Day 07 - Jan 8th

We took a zero day. Rain and high wind all day. The camp site worked very well for inclement weather.

Day 08 - Jan 9th

We backtracked the rest of Opt 2 and arrived midday back at Camp 57.2. We were planning to exit 33H on Opt 8 but didn't want to start it the same day. We enjoyed a half rest day with sun and no wind at the campsite. We passed three other tents during the day.

Day 09 - Jan 10th

We started Opt 8 in the morning. For the first 7 km or so it is actually fairly easy to follow. The GPX tracks aren't always spot on, but we followed them as closely as we could and we managed to find the trail more often than not. The landslide seemed to be quite small and we just walked below it. The two fords at that point are just over a side stream, so probably dry foot crossable a little later in the season. Everything after that until Camp ? 11.6 where we stopped for the night was a bit of a challenge. In areas the trail is in excellent shape and then it just disappears into slopes of grass and blow downs. We would lose the track and CC for a while, finding it again a couple hundred meters on. I just walked with the Garmin in one hand for most of the way since I had to check it so frequently. The last few km to the campsite were very muddy. It ended up being a very long and very exhausting day. We did not see any serviceable campsites for our tent between the beginning and Camp ? 11.6. Camp ? 11.6 is a puesto with a sign saying it is called Puesto Agüero. There is also a sign saying “No Dejar Basura”, which we took to mean that the puesto is used, at least unofficially, for public camping, but just to pack your trash out. The site does not have good wind protection, but we had a windless night.

Day 10 - Jan 11th

Ford 11.5 had the same makeshift bridge that Maggie & Julien reported last season. We decided to ford instead of use the bridge. We forded a little lower than the waypoint. It was above the knee and with a fair amount of current. The path after the ford was generally very easy to follow. In the pastures we kept an eye on the GPS as there are animal trails that go all over, but in the forested areas it was very clear. It was very muddy for the first half and mostly dry for the second half. There are some nice views of the river along the way, and of the valley toward the end of the section. The MR at the end has been extended further up the valley and now starts about 1.5 km sooner than indicated in the track files. We walked into Puerto Murta around 18:30. We had no particular difficulty with Opt 8, and it was not overgrown enough that we wished we had a machete at any point. Though it doesn't look like it from the elevation profile in Gaia, due to the constant ups and downs there is an enormous amount of cumulative elevation gain and loss. For this reason we think that this is a much better option for exiting the section, so the pack can be as light as possible.

* '''2025 Jan 4th to Jan 9th / 5.5 hiking days / SOBO / Hiking / Opt 3B, RR, Opt D & E & H / MiaimZelt'''

This section indeed is a real gem, but also challenging. Weather was hot and sunny, too warm in my opinion.

Day 1: Wanted to hitchhike from Villa Cerro Castillo to the start of Opt 3B, but then a bus came an took me. Mostly boring hiking along a minor road.

Day 2: Continued along the minor road, soon it got smaller and wasn't passable for cars anymore. At -46.254893, -72.381462 is a new fence, theoretically it could be opened, but you need to be strong. I crawled under it... Here -46.260122, -72.397627 is a large rather open field with lot's of flat space to pitch a tent. Water nearby. -46.260547, -72.400255 small building, which was unoccupied. The horsetrail is in good condition. Camped here: -46.352094, -72.488826, but there is only space for small tents.

Day 3: The ascend in the forest was also in good condition. Later you have to sharpen your eyes and look for the cairns. Met Kasia and Michael, was nice to meet other GPT hikers. Option D is marked with cairns, but there is no trail and i had to cross the river 2 more times. Especially the first lake is a real gem.
Hike up to the pass was not difficult, just take your time.
Way down is more challenging. I had to cross a large and steep patch of snow, which was ok without microspikes. Than you have to climb down a steep slope with lots of boulders, but they have good traction. The middle part was the hardest, because both smartphone and Garmin didn't show my correct position and wanted me to hike down a small waterfall. According to the smartphone there had to be a lake, but there was a forest instead, which wasn't shown neither on the Garmin nor on the Smartphone. Hiked down left of the waterfall, which looked much safer. The last part before you arrive at the glacier lagoon, is a large field of XXL-boulders which you have to cross. The views at the lake were awesome!
The bushbashing was mostly easy or at least not difficult. The worst was the stretch along Rio Ventisquero to the Trailhead. In the beginning i tried to walk in the riverbed, which often means to walk in the river, not just crossing the river. But when a 2nd river was added, the water was up to middle thigh and had a stromg current - not a good idea to continue this way. Hiked at the left side in the forest instead. Sometimes there was a vague animal trail, but it disappeared very often. This was really annoying with a lot of bushbashing. Camped at Camp Without Water {33H} [68.7/766].

Day 4: Crossing of Rio Ventisquero was just up to my knees and not diffucult. Enjoyed the horsetrail along Rio Avellano, but i took Option E, because the RR was i overgrown in this area. Option E is in better condition. Didn't met Maria & Julio, later i saw to guys on horseback. Ford {33H} [81.4/492] was up to my crotch (i'm 1.74cm) and had a strong current, but i made it. My feet had traction, but couldn't place my trekkingpoles correctly due to the strong current. You have to cross 3 times here, but the other two were easy.
The Minor road is not like a real road, it's more a 4x4 track used by horses with sandy ground and vegetation in the middle. It's hard to find a camp at this minor road, because of the thorny vegetation. Camped here: -46.478173, -72.19456. It's a patch of flat gras with enough space for several tents, has a small stream and good protection from the wind.

Day 5: According to my Inreach the wind gusts should reach up to 101km/h. Was indeed very windy, but fortunately it came from the back and the wind was warm. The trail along Lago General Carrera is very scenic and mostly visible, but also strenuous. Some (fortunately very short parts) are badly overgrown - a machete would be useful. Almost every plant in this area has thorns. The ups and downs a very steep, which i didn't like in the heat. Lot's of water. Used Camp {33H} [116.3/239] which has a great protection from the wind. But be aware of the thorny plants while searching where to pitch you tent - there are only 2 places without them.

Day 6: The last stretch until the minor road was much faster. The first part of the minor road has vegetation on it and isn't used by cars. Brought all the water from the lake, but it wasn't necessary. Small streams here: -46.403664, -71.975755 and next to the road at Settler {33H} [121.8/643]. The settler wasn't at home and the wooden gates were locked, had to climb over them. There are several minor roads, not just one. Bridge {33H} [129.3/304] is a deep canyon, didn't see a possibility to get water there. Walked two hours along the road between Levican and Puerto Ibañez, until i got a hitch.

* '''Dec 6-11 / 03B + RR SOBO / wiiiim'''

Great route, still early season, weather was sunny but still cold, rivers were low, the infamous crossing of the lower rio Avellano just above knee height.
The crux of the route was the South side of the pass, sections of snow, I crossed later in the day when it was softer, avoided most of the snow on the East rock flank, but around 1200m the rock slabs were wet & the gullies in between were filled with snow. A bit of a maze, it took some time and back tracking, I used micro spikes but its probably okay without, I think knowing how to self arrest on snow with hiking poles is always a good skill to have, lots of videos exist on that.
Laguna la Plaza is a short/easy side trip well worth it, the North side of the pass is fast going & pretty well indicated (ciarns), on the South side section of CC once on the valley floor it seems easier to wade through the (spectacular) river.
I was pleasantly surprised with the walk along the lake, it’s really different and beautiful.
I was lucky to get a ride out from the MR to Puerto Ibáñez quite quickly from around -46.36065, -71.90255 but it’s usually very quiet.

At -46.26604, -72.41735 there is an established rock bivvy that could also fit a medium size tent.

Overall I would probably recommend the regular route NOBO to cut out most of the start/end road sections: organise a ride from Puerto Ibanez to the trail head (it will be worth the money) and on the other end the finish of 03B on the carretera austral will have plenty of traffic to hitch a ride

• '''2024-Dec-09 to 2024-Dec-10 / 2 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Opt.A + Opt.01A + Opt.01/ Julien'''

Following the road to Puerto Ibáñez
Just a little difficulty about finding water because most of lakes and rivers are private now.

* '''2024-Nov-28 to 30 / 3 day / Hiking / Circuit / GPT33H Option 5 and 5A Valle Miller from Puerto Alarcon to Valle Jaramillo and return to Puerto Sanchez / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

The Cordillera de Avallano between Rio Ibanez and Lago General Carrera is one of the hidden treasures of Patagonia. And Valle Miller is one possible entrance into this mountain range.

After packrafting to Puerto Alarcon we packed our packrafting gear and hiked up Valle Miller along the minor road to the bridge over Rio Miller to crossing “X {33H-05} [7.8/611]”. There are numerous possible camp sites and water sources along this minor road.

A few hundred meters after crossing “X {33H-05} [7.8/611]” is the last pasture with suitable camp sites.

Valle Jaramillo is a very scenic side valley of Valle Miller that can be explored in one day.

This side valley has no distinct trail but the forest is reasonably open. Therefore ascending and descending through the forest is not really bush bashing but just a slalom around the numerous fallen trees.

Once the open terrain is reached, hikers can see the very scenic valley with some remaining smaller glaciers.

The cross country walk to the 1679 m high pass is very rewarding in good weather. From an altitude of 1400 m the terrain was in parts covered by snow fields as we visited this early in the season.

We returned to Puerto Sanchez which is the alternative starting Point for hikers.

==Season 2023/24==

* '''2024 Mar 22 to 2024 Mar 28 / 7 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR / Maddi, Tom and Jordan'''

Day 1: Got the public bus from Puerto Ibanez to Levican for about 1000CLP each. We were the only ones on the bus and the driver dropped us at the trailhead. After walking along the road for a while we miraculously got a hitch in the back of a pick up for a couple of kms. Trail down to the lake was a little confusing but just head down and you'll hit the main trail eventually. Trail along the lake has plenty of up and down but nothing too strenuous. We had a perfect, windless day with not too much sun so it was pretty easy going, plenty of spots to get water once down near the lake. The notes said there was some scary exposure but we didn't really encounter any along this section, the path is pretty solid and clearly used by horses. Set up camp on the lake on the small rocky beach at (-46.47634,-72.08138). Just enough room for our Zpacks Triplex and Jordan's free standing tent. Jordan caught a fish that night but chucked it back.

Day 2: Great sunrise over the lake but then it started to rain. Jordan caught another fish which the boys had for breakfast. Walked along the lake in light rain until the old road where we went up the steep hill and started inland. One apple tree along this section but the apples weren't great. Followed the disused road until the end and then started along the track. Hit our first ford at about (-46.46161,-72.24620) which was above the knee on me (174cm tall) and quite fast flowing/muddy from all the rain. Tom slipped climbing up the bank here and fell backwards into the water but somehow avoided getting swept away. Kept walking along until we hit the refugio, unfortunately it was locked. Set up camp next to it so we could use the porch for shelter then went to scout the next ford just past it. This one was way too high and fast to cross so we were hoping it would go down overnight. Rio Avellano also looked impossible but that was a problem for the next day.

Day 3: Luckily the tributary into the Rio Avellano had gone down significantly overnight and we were able to cross without issues, although it was still fairly fast flowing at about knee height. Had a go at crossing the Rio Avellano just after this ford where it is marked on the GPX and others had mentioned it was doable but we had no luck, even employing the three astern. Decided to try the settler's place up on the hill to see if we could get help crossing but noone seemed to be around. Kept following the track along the river, hoping for a place to cross. Jordan somehow manage to cross using the eddies formed by a large tree that had fallen into the river. He had to come back across to help me get over with Tom but it was a near miss. Water level just below hip and quite fast flowing. Massive relief to make it across and get to enjoy the sun a bit. Had lunch near Maria and Julio's but still didn't run into anyone other than sheep. Enjoyed an awesome section walking along through ankle deep water in the autumn colours with snowy peaks in the background. Hit another fairly fast flowing ford, just above the knee, but manageable now we were getting good at crossing 3 astern. Thought we would make it to camp just below the towers but unfortunately hit another ford that even Jordan couldn't cross. Much higher consequence with huge rapids downstream and the water level above the hip. Tried to walk upstream a km or so to see if we could cross but ends up high above the river as it enters a canyon section. Scrambled back down and camped for the night on the track in the forest with the hope of lower water in the morning.

Day 4: Water was much lower in the morning and we were able to cross with no issues. Still over the knee and fast flowing but the group of 3 works wonders. Headed into the forest and up past the old corral then into the swampy section. This was super rough going as the swamp was over the knee in parts. We constantly switched between climbing between the tangle of tree or wading through the swamp. It was raining lightly and getting quite cold by this point. We made it to a clearing along the river at about 11am but the towers were in complete fog and I was shivering hard. Decided to set up camp in the forest and try for the towers the next day in the hope of more visibility. Found a nice camp spot in the forest at (-46.42932,-72.49572) with easy access to the river for water. Snuggled down to try to warm up all afternoon, only emerging for meals.

Day 5: Set off through the forest up towards the towers. Says bush bashing but was actually pretty easy walking up the hill. Towers still in a bit of cloud but made it up there mid morning and spent some time scrambling around the lake to take a look around. Camp site in the rocks was flooded from yesterday so glad we didn't try to get up there to camp. Scramble over the boulder field and up to the pass isn't too bad, although some snow patches made it a bit slippery. Cool granite slabs on the way up. Super windy once we got over the pass so hurried down the valley. No navigation issues but definitely got wet feet walking along the river. Camped at the refugio.

Day 6: Hiked along clear trail until we got to the minor road. Hoped to get a rare hitch but didn't really see anyone. Decided to hike along the river just before the bridge toward Lago Lapparent to find somewhere to camp. Found a few awesome spots along the crystal clear water for our last night.

Day 7: Headed back to the road and followed it back to the Carretera Austral. Got a hitch in about 15 minutes all the way to Coyhaique but there is a bus stop there if you can time it right.

* '''2024-02-23 to 2024-02-27 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / OH03B + RR + OH08 / Maggie & Julian '''

Trail attractiveness: 4/5;
Difficulty: 3/5
(keep in mind that this is our first GPT hike)

Day 1: ‘GPT33H-03B start’ to (-46.2570, -72.3711):

We entered from Carretera Austral at Laguna Verde (Option 03B) after being dropped off by the morning bus from Coyhaique (heading to Cochrane). Arrived at the crossroads at 11:30am with Don Carlos bus.
Whole day was walking on roads and relatively easy to make distance.
At (-46.2671, -72.3561) there was a sign reading "se prohibe la entrada al predio" and a locked gate with a ladder to climb over the side. There is a campsite (Camp, X {33H} [32.0/700]) pinned shortly after, but we decided to keep going because of the sign. At (-46.2621, -72.3613) there is an end to the property (same sign facing opposite direction, no gate). We camped on an area used for chopping wood at (-46.2570, -72.3711). Short scramble down to the river.

Day 2: (-46.2570, -72.3711) to Camp {33H} [52.7/953]:

Large part of the day was also road walking, afterwards trails and some cross country.
Camped by Camp {33H} [52.7/953]. Camping around Puesto {33H} [53.0/946] has better mountain views, Puesto itself was being used, possibly for guided horseback trekking.

Day 3: Camp {33H} [52.7/953] to Pass {33H} [62.0/1314] and back:

We left our tent set up and most things at Camp. The way up was sometimes hard to find. Trail markers made more sense on the return. Had an extended lunch a little after Pass {33H} [62.0/1314] and then returned the way we had come.

Day 4: Camp {33H} [52.7/953] to Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548]:

Probably hardest day in navigation, trail disappeared often, but manageable.
The former landslide section at (-46.3853, -72.5520) did not pose any difficulties for us as the water level was not too high and the main river flow now goes near the northwestern side of the valley. We just had to step over the remaining side stream. With more water some fording might still be necessary, but I imagine you could get away with staying near the southeastern bank for this section.
At Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548] there is a puesto that seems to be in use, but we saw no one and camped a little lower near the river.

Day 5: Camp ? {33H-08} [11.6/548] to ‘GPT33H-08 start’:

Right after camp there was a makeshift bridge to cross the stream (tree and rope, very rickety).
Trail seemed to be used and maintained on this part of option 08.
Shortly before Camp {33H-08} [6.9/435] there was a previously washed-out section with a new path already laid out. In heavy rainfall this could wash out again but should not pose a big hindrance.

Notes:

- RR + option 08 is a great short alternative without much backtracking.

- Our hitch out of Puerto Murta happened to be local members of an association that wants to bring more tourism to their town and the Torres del Avellano. If their plans are fruitful, traffic and trail maintenance may increase on option 08.

- We organized the transport of our non-trekking items from Coyhaique to Puerto Río Tranquilo by encomienda. Ines, the lady working at the Sao Paulo bus office in Coyhaique terminal was kind enough to hold our boxes until we arrived and called her from Puerto Rio Tranquilo. Our things arrived the day after we called at around 1pm. We shipped a rather large quantity of items (enough items to fill 50L bag) for 12000 CLP. Sao Paulo bus Coyhaique telephone: +56 672 255 726

* '''30/01/2024 - 01/02/2024 / 3 days, 78 km / Options 06 and 07 / Alex + Andrey'''
South bound (east bound).
“Mountain route”,

a combination of Options 06 and 07 which are now passed and confirmed.

Difficulty: Difficult/Very Difficult

Most of the route is off-trail
Thanks to Jan for the suggested routes and clues.
Short resume:

This mountain route is a more difficult and demanding alternative to the regular route but can be an interesting option for those looking for a challenge.
The combination with a regular route allows to form a full-fledged “eight”, a trip of 6-10 days.

Option 07 is a shorter, although more difficult, alternative to the regular route in case the Avellano River cannot be forded NOBO.
Notes and recommendations.

Option 07:

All fords do not pose any significant difficulty.
Due to the height and southern exposure the areas between Pass 1 and Pass 2 (Pass {33H-07} [17.0/1755]) and descents from Pass 2 in the early to mid-season have extensive areas of snow where microspikes or crampons may be required.
The main difficulty on the descent is overcoming several side washouts, which are small but deep and steep canyons.

Option 06:

There is no water during the first 4-5 hours of ascent to the valley.
The open area of the upper valley at Camp 2 and beyond throughout the ridge is a resort for very strong winds. Setting up camp may be difficult or impossible. A strong hiker can combine and complete this section in one day.
The predominant wind exposure makes passage from west to east highly recommended.
The last reliable source of water is before reaching High Pass 3. Further east there is no water until the junction with the regular route, except for temporary streams from seasonal snow.

The track and additional information are here:
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/avellano-mountain-route-chilean-patagonia-160489118

* '''2024-Mar-04 to 2024-Mar-08 / 4.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / OH 03B + RR + OH D + K / Joscha'''

Day 1: OH33H-03B + RR [24.2-41.2]

I tried to hitch from Villa Cerro Castillo to the start of OH33H-03B. After 1 hour a Bus arrived and took me to the start for 2000 Pesos. The Bus runs from Cohayique to Chile Chico on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It starts in Coyhaique at 9 am and stopps in Villa Cerro Castillo at around 10:30 am. From the brigde at km 25.7 until km 35.8 there is no water on the RR. You walk close to some rivers but I didn't check if its possible to acces them. After km 35.8 there is plenty of water. At km 38.5 is a big flat field for camping with a creek next to it. I camped just before the crossing of the river at km 41.2.

Day 2: RR [41.2-58.3] + OH33H-D + RR [61.0-63.4]

There was plenty of water all along the trail. Camping possible at -46.291963, -72.470389 just before the Pass (km 44.4), at the start of OH33H-C and along the CC section from km 49.0 to 50.8. I can recommend OH33H-D. I especially liked the first Laguna. Camp 63.4 has awesome views, but is only slightly wind protected and the spots are only good for small tents.

Day 3: RR [63.4-93.2]

I stayed inside the riverbed for the last 2.5 km of the CC&BB section. I had to cross the river about 20 times, but its the fastest and easiest way. The ford at km 83.6 was just below my crotch (I am 191 cm) and the current was pretty strong at around 5 pm. It would have been difficult for smaller persons. All the other fords today were at max. knee hight. There is plenty of water all along the route. I camped next to the RR on a flat, grassy field at km 93.2.

Day 4: RR [93.2-116.3]

Plenty of water along this part of the RR.

Day 5: RR [116.3-119.6] + OH33H-K + RR [122.6-141.0]

OH33H-K is easy to walk but does not offer any great views. If you choose OH33H-K, than there is no water between km 117.5 and 138.5 (at km 135.2 is a water marker, but I didn't see any as I walked by. Maybe I missed it, because I wasn't looking for it). There is water at km 140.3. I got a hitch from km 141.0 to Puerto Ibanez. But there are very few cars on the road, so don't count on getting a hitch.

* '''2024-Feb-12 to 2024-Feb-16 / 4.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / Option 03B, RR, Variant C, E, H, K / Tomáš & Natalie'''
There was a queue of three hitchhiker groups who did not get picked up while we were doing our shopping, so we opted to hire a taxi for 15000 to the start of 03B (Pedro Zuleta: +56 993 5786 68). Somehow, during our arranging of the taxi, all three groups left. Roadwalking to option 07 was uneventful. Tomáš got a hitch (he eats lunch too slowly so Natalie got ahead) for about 5 km from a family which was exploring in a car. About 500 m before the diversion to option 07, there is a locked gate with a sign saying the property is private, but one can go over a ladder. At the gate, we met a local with a key who has a house on Option 07, if we got him right. He gave us a ride of 500 m. The start of option 7 is actually a road.

The MR at 24.2 is in a bad shape due to erosion after ford at about 12 km in. Tomáš made a bridge out of a log but managed to jump into the water while doing it. Enjoy the bridge while it lasts as did a Frenchman we met there. He did the circuit NOBO based on Wikiloc. He said he keeps coming across GPT, but could not figure out how to get the GPS route. We told him to talk to Jan. Maybe he will come back the next season.

On the way to the Torres, we met 3 pairs of Chilean hikers going back. Tomáš went to Laguna La Plaza (option C). Lake is grey but the valley is nice enough to justify the short detour. It is no BB, there is a trail in the forest and above the tree line a vague trail or easy CC. The Torres are indeed magnificent. One can easily walk on the sloped polished slab falling into the far side of the second lake before the pass - it is an exhilirating detour. Going down from the pass, when the GPX turns right, Tomáš actually managed to walk over one of the ledges above the GPX and liked it. Just be extremely careful with moss and water, they can make the stones extremely slippery, but he survived that without falling. About 100 m before the lake, there is a at-least-a-ton heavy swing in the form of a loose boulder. Enjoy if you can find it. Camp 63.4 is literally awesome. We had a very warm almost windless night there.

After the boulder field under camp 63 we loss the rest of the elevation on the right side of the creek and then when the swamp appeared on the right we went to the left and stayed on that side (North) for the entire BB/CC. There is a vague trail most of the way, but is has many many logs over it. It took us 3 hours to walk to the trailhead. We kept our feet dry and were in the shade, but it would have been quicker and far less tiring just following the riverbed and constantly crossing the river.

Ford at 69.8 around noon was slightly above the knees. Ford it diagonally as the trail wants you to - it is shallower that way (ie a little further down than where the trail spits you out). Greeted grandfather, Maria and Julio and their three kids and had a short talk with the grandfather, nice to see the whole family working together on projects. From their place, the trail sort of is wide enough for a car (there is one at their place) but we think it is never or virtually never used by cars. Ford at 81.4 at six in the afternoon was 5 cm under our crotches (we are about 1.70), we forded about 100 upstream of GPX. The river was strong but we did not feel it was dangerous for us. We forded the widest part of the river just before a dead end fence (if you are coming from the other direction, after the grey river and around the dead end ford you will see the widest part of the river).The day was hot and despite not covering even 20 km, we felt superexhausted. Strong sun and spikees got to us!

We camped about 4 km along the road, shortly after the second (both jumpable) ford. It must be a good place to camp, as Tomáš, who went back to the big ford where he left his sandals the previous day, met a GPT hiker going NOBO who apparently slept in a hearing distance from us. The hiker first started to come to Patagonia decades ago, before it was overrun. Tomáš sadly never asked his name. Met the grandfather again, coming back from the port, horses are fast!

The road is not used by cars but stiĺl quite ugly. Around middle, near option 6, there are two shortcuts (400 and 50 metres) to the zigzags, three of which were marked by cairns by Tomáš. Please add the fourth cairn. Puesto 98.3 is a settler. He offered Natalie to come inside and rest but she didn't feel right stopping at that moment and kind of got the "heeby jeebies" from him. Met another pair of GPT hikers, doing just 33. The stretch along the coast is beautiful and very Mediterranean. All day the lake was without waves, even that can happen. Slept at Lake 113.8: nicer, with water and less buggy than camp 200 m earlier (just beware if the wind picks, up the waves can be very loud).

Variant K misses last water but is easy to follow, nicer than a road and involves only three very easy fence hops. Reached the bus stop for Puerto Ibanez around three. Got lucky and received a hitch from two British tourists to Puerto Ibanez. The shops there are larger than expected and stock overpriced pesto and gnocchi, Tomáš is almost as joyful as cherries make him!

Nat's Notes:

- For views I would prefer this NOBO. I suffered a new type of "look back" syndrom on most of the route. Plus, if you are walking the lake shore in the afternoon, the sun should be on your downhills and not your uphills (it was insanely hot when we did it and without a whisper of wind).

- In the section notes for km24-45 I think what was meant was that from roughly km36-45, "there are many small streams and camping spots", this is indeed true. However, between km 24-36 and option 3 there are NO longer many STREAMS to drink from, I remember only one slightly decent one and both sides of the road are fenced so if you want to camp or drink water from the main river, then you must jump the fences (cow panels or barb) or ask a settler. Also, strange to say, there is very little shade and can get uncomfortably hot...

- Intersection 45 is not hard to miss anymore, it is marked with an orange ribbon around a tree and a large cairn on your left.

- On Trail#9 (ascent before the first two alpine lakes) I took Veronicas advice about going into the woods where the RR is but rather than trying to follow the GPS, I followed what seemed to be a trail along the creek with some cairns here and there. Eventually it ends above the trees but you should be able to make your way back to the RR once the "coast is clear", ie. no more trees. If you want to walk along the lake then you should do the CC up the boulder field on Variant D.

- Going down from the pass was no problem, like everyone says, "just follow the gps". However with that said, it is very tempting to make your own way bcs there are many good looking ledge systems but after reading Wills experience, I backed away from the temptation and followed the GPS. I also slipped on some wet moss on RR.

- So much water everywhere except for the lake camping, if you are smart you will fill up on one of the many streams before getting to the lake...

- When doing the BB/CC section, after the initial elevation loss from the lake, there isn't much drinking water apart from the river until near the end of the BB. I think you could make "makeshift" camps. I was tempted to cross the river early to avoid crossing it at km69 but once again I remembered what Will wrote last year about the thorns and cliffs so I don't think that's a good idea.

- Not a fan of the lakeside gate locking technique (remember how it looks before you open it;)

- I surprisingly really enjoyed the lake stretch, it seemed it is where Pantagonia meets the Mediterranean/Arizona. The trail is in good shape, just a few overgrown roses and thorny bushes here and there (regretted shorts only a little bit). If you are coming from the north and still have your sand gaiters, this will be a good time to reuse them :). No exposure, wish there was more wind the day we were there. I am usually the biggest hater of "PUDs" - thanks for the new word - but these were not annoying. These PUDs are just a few large hills rather than a bunch of steep micro hills like gpt22 or the valley bottoms in Argentina. Water is at pretty much every "notch" in the hillside.

- Water is at the bottom of the MR~117.5 and there is still water at the top 119.9 RR (easier to grab it a little higher up).

* '''2024-Jan-30 to 2024-Feb-4 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Yannick & Nolwenn & Tess & Lukas'''

- Trail condition : gpx easy to follow / between km 63,7 and km 68,5 we mostly stayed on the left of the river
- Water : easy to find plenty of rivers and lagunas
- Camping spot : easy to find and the one at km 68.7 is nice // the refugio near the lake at km 98.5 is perfect - make fire, sleep inside, we even could ask for some bread
- Weather : some rainy and cloudy days but overall the weather was ok
- River crossing :at km 69.8 we crossed the river early in the morning and the current was strong and the water up to the middle of the thighs but manageable // at km 81,2 the river was strong and up to our hips, we crossed it in the rain, it was also manageable for us that already jave a little bit of experience
- Resupply : in Villa Cerro Castillo and in Chile Chico ( a bulk shop just opened in front of the camping Nandu) // at km 76,7 we could buy some bread, cheese and eggs at Maria and Julio's house
- Overall : we absolutely loved this section ! The views are spectacular and really diverse from one day to another // we got a hitchike at the end on the gravel road to go to Puerto Ibanez.

* '''01.27.2024 / 5 days / Hiking / SoBo / RR + Option 8 to Bahía Murta / Milton Cea + 4 more'''

Considering that we would venture to make this route a journey from Villa Cerro Castillo to Bahía Murta, we have decided to pay Pedro Zuleta, who is dedicated to transportation in the surrounding areas (+56 9 9357 8668), to take us to the entrance of the route at the registration booth. There, we encountered a pair of muleteers who did not pay much attention to our passing, however, we spoke with them to ask for their permission and inquire about the condition of the path.

We started with the regular route, a bit late, and for that reason, we camped the first night at Mallín Grande, which is a very good option, as watching the sunrise in this beautiful place is worthwhile.

Starting early the next day, we reached the "Los puestos" sector and from there, leaving our camp set up, we headed towards the towers. We were only able to reach the first lagoon at the base of the massif, as we went a bit late and our conversation with some other hikers we met extended. I would recommend leaving early to take advantage of the views from the portezuelo lookout.

The next day we began the crossing through the "Río Resbalón" Valley, as the locals call it, following an animal trail that sometimes tends to get lost among new vegetation or fallen trees, accompanied by other hikers who decided to join the journey.
It is a part of the route that can be slightly complex if you do not have a good reading of the surroundings, finding the animal traffic trail, and considering that you navigate through a forest that can easily disorient. This changes when you already walk with the "Resbalin/Resbalón" river to your right, as it is quite useful to follow its course. Always on the left side of the river.
On the way, there are some fallen trees and abandoned muleteer posts that can be used as camping space if necessary, although I would not recommend camping in this old forest.
Upon reaching the point of the road collapse, the crossing of the scree can be done at the level of its arrival, but to continue the route, you must climb a few meters up the mountain until you find the entrance to the continuation of the route. This point took some time from us, and we decided to camp near the river, towards the rock beach in the middle of a young forest with a mossy floor, very comfortable and restorative. We also decided to place some pircas at this point, as there was no mark to help resume the path towards Murta, since the difference in height was noticeable and it can be easy to believe that the path continues by the river side, but no, from here the path separates from the river and goes up the mountain.

Finally, after this last abandoned stretch, where the vegetation is abundant in some parts, we ended up arriving at the Puesto de Los Agüeros and decided to spend a night there, as we were very tired from constantly finding the route. It's worth mentioning that we couldn't find a GPS track before the trip.

The next day, after a night of intense rain, we took the official route traced from "Bahía Murta" at opossite direction and arrived in the town at dusk.
If you want the track and the Waypoints of the journey, feel free to write to me at '''milton.1902@gmail.com''' =)

* '''From 2023-01-20 to 2023-01-21 // 1,5 day // Hiking // NOBO // option 1 Valle Ibanez // Quentin Clavel'''

When I arrived in Puerto Ingeniero Ibàñez, I had to make a choice, as the weather window were pretty short. I had only 3 days and a half ahead of nice weather followed by one entire week of rain.

So I made the hard choice to skip Torres del Avelano, and go straight to Cerro Castillo by the OPT1 to explore the NP of CERRO CASTILLO.

This section was not so bad. Even if it was gravel road until the Lago tamango, I had nice views, and was not too bored from this stretch, but well yeah, it's gravel road for 30 km, so of course it was not all the time so funny aha !

Then I went to the small track along Lago tamango. Very quiet, pretty well marked thanks to these sticks with red and white colours on top, and with some scenic views.

You'll end up at the parking of the touristic sendero sitio archeologico de manos pintadas (Paredón de las Manos (1000CLP for children's, 2000CLP for adults. From Tuesday to Sunday 10h00-17h00). Then it's gravel road, following by 1,3 km on the carretera austral to reach Villa cerro castillo.

I was expecting worse for this section. Quite happy about it. That's a nice alternative if, for a reason, you want or have to skip Torres de Avelano

* '''2024-Jan- 14 to 2024-Jan-16/ 3 days/hiking/SOBO/ 33h/ 33h-b/33h-a/ 33h-P/Paulina'''

At first, I wanted to do RR, but as the recent reports about the river crossing where not very encouraging, I decided to play it safelty, so I just mixed some sections.
I started in Villa Cerro Castillo, till X 33h [ 5.5/554] it was a very peaceful, nice trail, with beautiful views on Cerra Castillo. There were some fence crossing, but not very annoying.
After the intersection, so once I joined the road X-725, it was less interesting, walk on a gravel road. I think this part of RR is better to hitch-hike ( it's possible and not very difficult to catch a car on this way).
Once I reached the big lakes ( beautiful views!) and some wanderful camping spots [ S 46.17790 W 072.32049] between Lago Alto and Lago Lapparet, I took 33h-b. At the beginning the trail was l crossing a forest used by locals as wood supply, but later ( around the place where it joined 33h-a), the landscape was amazing! Especially the part with lakes and settlers.

The last section was on 33h-01A. The cannion of Rio Claro and later the waterfall are beautiful, but for some hikers a long distance on gravel road on this section can be annoying so it's probably better to hitch-hike ( not a lot of cars but still possible).

I bought my ticket for ferry from Puerto Ibanez to Chile Chico without any problem 1h30 before the ferry departure.

The mix of these 4 sections + hitch-hiking it's a good option for bad weather or high river level on RR. Some parts are very beautiful, and the less interesting parts ( long distances on gravel roads) it's possible to cover by car.

* '''2024-01-02 to 2024-01-07 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR & Options: 03, 03B, 04C, 04 & Variant E / Roman'''

Route: Hitchhiked along Option 03 to X {33H-03} [18.6/315]. Hiked via Option 03B to X {33H} [24.2/462] and than continued RR to Ford, X {33H} [71.8/602]. Here used Variant E and back to RR all the way to Settler {33H} [85.0/462] (Luis Diaz). Continued on Option 04C to X {33H-04} [73.9/559]. From here used option 04 all to way to Bahía Murta.

Decided to go SoBo to get the tricky parts done with a good weather forecast. Hitchhiked along Option 03 because it's easier to get a lift. Was at X {33H-03} [18.6/315] 12:35 PM. From there it's a super easy to hike street all the way to X {33H} [45.5/1088] via Option 03C and than 03. Sadly there where no cars going in the correct direction. Towards the end (last 5km) there are some rivers crossing the street, nothing bad, you can get over them dry feet if jumping on the rocks. Continued the RR, the trail is clearly visible and easy to hike all the way to Camp {33H} [52.7/953]. Arrived there at 09:30 PM. It's a awsome place to pitch a tent! It was absolutely woth it to go for such a long day. Met 2 locals who went with a truck all the way to this point: -46.26754, -72.419667. Met also Cy & GG (see GPT 23). We continued the next day. Trail was in a good condition and CC was easy no snow up to the pass Pass {33H} [62.0/1314]. Absolutely beautiful view! There is some snow on the south side on the way down. It's mostly melted to you can decide if you want the first 150-200m of elevation go down in snow or trough the boulders. It was a sunny day therefore quite easy to get down to the lake. From there we went down a boulder field to the BB (Bush bashing) section (400m). This is trivial - no macheta required. It's just walking trough the forest. From there the CC&BB is at the beginning easy. We found a animal trail on the southern side of the river. Than the swamp started which was annoying. We started, after finishing the swamp section, to walk in the river bed around here -46.438037, -72.469247 which was fast progress but wet feet. Jumped on the trail and camped at Camp Without Water {33H} [68.7/766]. There is a lot of water at the river and it's just a 10 minute walk so we filled the bottles. The Camp is good, stayed there with 3 tents. Continued the next day (it was moderate rain during the night and at the morning) to the X, Ford {33H} [69.8/634]. This was at the limit what is safely possible. Fast flowing river - hip deep (iam 180). From there on the trail was clearly visible and easy to hike fast. Continued the RR and did Variant E. Check you GPS, we didn’t intend to do it we just followed the most clearly visible trail and ended up at the Puesto {33H-E} [0.8/619] so we continued. The statement from above is still valid all the way to Settler {33H} [85.0/462] (Luis Diaz) for the RR ;). After that is a easy trail, at Settler {33H} [76.7/535] (Maria & Julio) I met Julio and they had a car there to the trail from this point on is even easier. I split up here with Cy & GG because of different plans and it was questionable if the Ford at Ford {33H} [81.2/490] (Rio Avellano) is even possible so I wanted to speed up. Reached the point around 05:00 PM. It was not possible to Ford - way to deep and to much current! So I used my packraft and crossed the river. Got in the water here: -46.456627, -72.320677 and followed than the RR. Ford {33H} [81.4/492] was also impossible by foot. Used the same tactic and crossed it by boat. Got in the water here: -46.453523, -72.316373 and crossed by boat. After that easy trail and continued the RR. Ford {33H} [83.6/467] (Rio Avellano) was also absolutely impossible so also did it by boat. After that I camped here: -46.463767, -72.26597.

interim conclusion: if the weather is not stable (I knew it wasn't [would reccomend checking with meteoblue] go SoBo and be aware that the crossing can be impossible - I would reccomend bringing you packraft so you habe more options even though it's the H route. Otherwise you have to wait, potentially for days or you need the help of a local (this is how Cy & GG managed it).

Next day continued 04C. The trail to the pass is clearly visible and beautiful to hike. From there it's hard to find a few times because of a lot of animal tracks. Follow the GPS. The trail is again visible from this point on: -46.486009, -72.212428. Trail condition generally good with some bushes hanging in the trail. Reached X {33H-04} [73.9/559]. Same here a lot if animal trail - follow the GPS. The trail is clearly visible from this point on: -46.49591, -72.205307 up to Bahía Murta. Condition is good. The Pass {33H-04} [71.5/958] is definetly a highlight. Camped at Camp {33H-04} [66.2/209] - great place. Next day was long no changes on the trail condition - good and easy - hiked to Ford, Camp {33H-04} [37.5/259]. Camping there is a bit tricky to find a good place but manageable. Met a guy at the gosttown Puerto Cristal. The trail is according to him also used by tourists groups. I asked before the trial if there is a ferry connection - there is none only one company goes there by boat for tourist. Maybe you can arrange a transfer ( https://turismopuertocristal.cl/ very fast response time via WhatsApp 10 minutes). The Pass {33H-04} [43.3/840] is also a highlight. The Ford, Camp {33H-04} [37.5/259] is challenging hip deep. After that it's easy road walk to Bahía Murta. Got a lift at -46.520007, -72.636049.

Overall: I would recommend SoBo because the difficult sections are at the beginning and weather dependent. Go if you have a few stable non rainy days. Bring you packraft to have more options for fording. The entry via Option 03 & 03B is in my opinion easy due to hitchhiking & ou find a grop and book a lift The views are amazing at the passes. The BB is trivial. BB&CC is annoying but done within 2 hours. The Option 4 is absolutely beautiful and if you are a bit luckier than me avoids a lot of road walking. Would definitely reccomend the section. The reason for me to go with Option 04 is to easy connect to 82P.

Contact: https://linktr.ee/RundW

* '''2023-12-22 / 3 days / RR / SOBO / Anh'''

Just a quick info: The first part of RR is not marked but very easy to hike. After the pass (km 62) I had a hard time with the 2km CC. At first the snowfields were very steep (60 slope). The snow thickness was only 20-80cm, underneath are very big steep boulders and the melting snow makes the hollows big. Then there are the streams under the snowfields. I was a few times with a foot in it, fortunately not whole body. I had to go up and down in the forest, on the edge, on the rocks... My goal was to be safe, it took me 2 hours to cover the 2km.

==Season 2022/23==
* '''2023-Mar-30 to 2023-Mar-31 / 1.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option 1 / Martin & Helena'''

We started from Villa Cerro Castillo around 11 AM and took ferry from the port the next day at noon. The former RR trail follows path of Sendero de Chile, and starting with no expectations we were quite impressed with what it offers, especially all the amazing views of Cerro Castillo. It's definitely a good short alternative to the Torres del Avellano detour that we were forced to skip. Trail is easy to follow and you can find many camp spots along the way. There are many small shops in Puerto Ibáñez. Knowing the ferry schedule we went directly to the port where were just a few others in this time of the year.

Contact: @martin_hanzelka @helenneka

* '''26/02/2023 - 02/03/2023 / RR SOBO with emergency exit on a boat on Lago General Carrera / Louis, Rémi & Noé :'''

Day 1 - From Lago Verde - 15.5km - +700m/-300m We first hitchiked from Villa Cerro Castillo to Lago Verde on the Carretera Austral. We hiked then the gravel road until the camp next to the free check in point, in the forest.

Day 2 - Laguna La Plazza - 16.5km - +800m/-500m We kept going on the minor road before the well maintained horse trail. We took option to the Laguna La Plazza and we camped there but the weather was quite bad with a lot of wind. Would recommend to camp in the pasture down there in these conditions.

Day 3 - Lagunas before the pass - 17km - +1000m/-900m The trail was still very easy to follow this day. A bit of cross country at the end but nothing difficult as there are kerns. There is a spot to pitch tents next to the second lake, between it and the waypoint "camp" (that we didn't find btw). Very nice there and without the clouds, the view should be incredible.

Day 4 - CC until diversion @km69.8 - 14km - +500m/-1100m The troubles began for us this day. Noé injured his knee just after the pass. With Rémi, we alternated carrying his bag in addition to ours. That's why we hadn't moved a lot. The bush bashing is demanding and under the rain, fording is a real challenge. I would recommend you to be south of the Rio after the diversion/ford. We camped on the north side, a few hundred meters after the div.

Day 5 - Lago General Carrera - 30km - +700m/-1000m As we were a bit late, we decided to walk directly to the lake. We forded the Rio in order to be south of it and we found the horse trail, it was easier then ! We crossed the Rio a last time @km81.2, still manageable with the rain but a bit hard (water until the hips, we are 1m80 tall) with a strong current. Then, the minor road. We didn't leave it until the lake. A bit of ups and downs but the road is nice so it is fast. Here, at the lake. There is mobile coverage and so we contacted numeros given on the PDF on WhatsApp to find a boat to bring us back to civilisation. With the third bag to carry, it was too hard for us to keep hiking. I let you the contact of Jairo, that can bring you back to Puerto Tranquilo... for 400.000 CLP... we didn't had the choice as the settler living just in front of the lake wasn’t there. Jairo : +56 9 6633 9507 He transported us the next day.

* '''2023-Feb-21-27 / NOBO / RR + Option 3B / Ondrej and Bara / Puerto Ibanez - Vila Cerro Castillo / 6.5 days'''

Gorgerous section. Unfortunately, we were struck by bad weather mid-way which took out the joy and brought a few very difficult moments for us.

We went NOBO and on the 3rd day camped in the valley close to Maria & Julio (76.7 km). It started raining early morning and while the rain stopped around midday, it was enough to turn streams into rivers and cross country paths into swamps. We were unable to ford the river at km 69.8 at two different places. To continue, we decided to make a risky choice and bush-bash upstream on the other side of the river, hoping to ford it in an upper section and rejoin the trail. This eventually worked out. We forded the river at -46.43642, -72.45456 and rejoined the trail. This 1.2km diversion took us about 2 hours. Bush-bashing through forest was okay but in the middle of the diversion we struggled through 300m of thorny bushes which took forever to get across.

From around 1000m of altitude, we had fresh snow on the slopes. This made the boulder field more challenging than we wanted (fortunately still manageable). We crossed the exposed pass at km62.0 and continued on the other side, firstly through snow and then again through muddy cross country parts until we joined the trailhead at km 57.0. Afterwards the trail was easy all the way until the end.

We also met Anna and Christopher going the opposite direction - really great to meet fellow hikers!

* '''2023-Feb-20-24 / NOBO / RR shortend on the road sections / Zohar / Road to Levicán - Carterra Austeral / 5 days'''

I tried to shorten the section because of the upcoming bad weather, which hit on the last day, but I was lucky to catch a ride out with a family that came to collect wood from their land.

I arrived on Monday to pureto Ibañez spoke with the van to levicán that left at 17.40 to Levicán got off on the way where the rout leave the main road and walked till the shore of Lago General Carrera. Day 2 I followed the horse trail along the lake, which was very visible and easy to follow. Then, I followed a miner till I found a stable campsite. Day 3 was the hardest. I was determined to sleep at the base of the torres, so I had a lot of trail to cover, and the route was hard to follow, but the direction was clear. Day 4 started with a beautiful sun rise on the clear torres de avellano. The bolder field wasn't as hard as I itentenly thought, but be careful. After the pass, I met 4 young hikers going to the torres and back. Day 5 was wet, but at least on a minor road and about 9 km before the road, I was picked up and taken to Villa Cerro Castillo.

I don't advise doing the section in 5 days thay where long, big days, and it is better to enjoy the surroundings. if the weather was better, I would have taken 7 days. This section is beautiful and highly recommended

* '''20.02. - 24.02.23 / Anna & Christopher / SOBO, Villa Cerro Castillo - Puerto Ibáñez'''

In the afternoon we started hitchhiking the Carretera Austral to where Option 3B starts. There were lots of people trying to hitchhike directly from Villa Cerro Castillo, so we figuered to have a better chance if we walk further up the Carretera Austral. We soon got lucky. That day we walked the dirtroad until km 4.4 and camped there next to a small stream.

The next day was mostly easy walking on dirtroads until the crossing at km 45.5 (which is relatively easy to miss!). We camped at km 49 at the edge of the forest.

The next day the weather turned bad once we reached the section with all the boulders on the ascent to the pass. We did some unnecessary climbing by not sticking to the main route. When descending we lost the main route again and briefly tried to descend without it, which we soon realised is a bad idea, so we climbed back up to where we lost it. We spent the night at the camp at km 63.4.

The next morning we woke up with a clear blue sky and finally saw the Torres del Avellano. Really amazing rock formations. The following bushbashing part seemed ok to us, we had worse ones on the GPT so far ;). First we walked on to the right of the river following a good animal path. Once it ended we changed to the left side and stayed there. About 2/3 of the route is a realtively good path and the rest was some easy BB and climbing over fallen trees. Luckily the ford at km 69.8 was easy to cross. We took variant E from where on the trail was in a great condition and we could walk pretty fast. The river crossing at km 81.1 was more demanding and went almost up to Annas hips (1,63m). We camped soon after that at approx. km 81.5.

We continued on variant H the easy trail on the dirtroad until the lake, where it gets more demanding (we underestimated the continous ups and downs). The views are amazing though. It gets pretty windy next to the lake. We camped at a tiny spot at km 109.3 next to a small stream.

On the final day we walked to the bus station (6 pm) and took the ferry to Chile Chico the same day (8 pm). This section was great :)

* '''11-18 February 2023 / Maks&Gabi / SOBO / RR, 33H-E, 33H-H ( hichhiking from km136 to Puerto Ibanez)'''

We started from Villa Cerro Castillo. If you can, try not to skip the first part of road walking. It's beautiful with the view over Lagunas and Cerro Castillo. The terrain is also different than in later parts of the section.

There are some problems - lot of fences and gates on the first 5 km. Then many aggressive dogs and limited access to water (steep descents and fences around the lakes). The camping spots, marked on track files, can be hard to access (private properties with new fences). We camped by the bridge around 25km (the bridge is not marked).

We than waited half a day for the rain to stop. The rest of the road is also well maintained with occasional river crossing (all easy).

The next trail part (until km 57) is mostly visible. Some problem can occur by the CC part, especially during heavy rain - it was all floded. We weren't exactly expecting it, but it was snowing and the temperature during the night was about -4. Next day we waited until 11 am to dry our stuff, as the sun finally came out.

As Veronica wrote, when going up to the pass try to follow the cairns (33H-D). The part between the lakes and the pass is quite easy.

Going down from the pass we followed the GPS and we found it quite manageable (actually for us it seemed to be much easier going SOBO than NOBO at that point, even though it was slippery and with a lot of small streams going down the rock). We reached the camp at km 63.4 at 4 pm. First 400 m of BB is easy as the forest is not overgrown. It's getting worse in the valley. If possible try to be close to the river. We were fording it multiple times. Finally we stayed at the left side of the river, bushbashing for the next 3 km (that's where the trail starts). We slept next to the ford at km 69.8.

We forded the river in the morning. It's possible, but the current was strong (for us it was the worst ford on this section with water above our knees - I'm 175 cm). After the next ford we followed 33H-E as we couldn't find the entrance to the RR. It's a very well maintained path with a big puesto nearby.

After fords at km 81 we followed 33H-H as we didn't want to cross the river anymore. For those of you, who are planning to go there during the next few days, be carefull - somewhere around km 91 there is a fresh dead cow near to the water.

The lake part's quite exhausting. We were blessed with sunny and windless weather so we found it astonishing and not so dangerous. We started our last day at camp km 113.8 . Ascent on the road (117.5) is ok and there was water on km 119.9 (small stream). The rest of the road walking is easy (with occasional fences) but there's no water on km 135.2 (water on 129.3 is hard to access).

We hitchhiked from km 136 to Puerto Ibanez. During the weekend there is only one ferry a day (Saturday morning and Sunday evening).

* '''8 to 13 of February 2023 / Will / SOBO from Laguna Verde / 6 data'''

This one was an ordeal for me, I don't recommend starting with a week straight of rain in the forecast. At first I appreciated the ambiance after six completely dry weeks in the north, but after a few days it started to get me down. Thankfully to keep my morale up I encountered some kind settlers, a few pairs of GPT hikers, and some sun in the final stretch.

The rains never got too heavy, generally off and on light rain. The temperatures were fairly cold from the nearly constant cloud cover.

To start out I hitched out of Villa Cerro Castillo to Laguna Verde, teaming up with some of the many hitchhikers. The initial road walk was beautiful, some podcasts helped me power through the rest.

The pass was tough in the rain, but manageable. Things were slippery but there's enough to grab onto in the boulder fields to keep you stable, as long as you're focused and moving slowly. The ascent was nice boulder field the whole way, on the decent things looked scarier. Instead of boulders there was a lot of large smooth slab with water flowing down. The gpx route there was good, following boulders and vegetation around the slab. Things only felt dangerous once, when I went slightly off the track and ended up trapped between a cliff and a water slide. After some scary experimentation I found that I could get good traction on the waterslide using a crab walk technique, on my back with hands and feet and butt all resting on the slab. This let me traverse the waterslide back to safety.

The little bush bashing section after the pass was easy, I camped in there. Things got bad again once I got back out to the river and the cross country+bush bashing marker. My feet got worryingly numb after a bunch of river crossings and marshland traversal, I tried to stick to the woods after that.

I then took two big questionable detours from the tracks, staying to the south of the rio avellano and avoiding crossing it all the way until I reached the lake. I'll quickly describe them here but they were both uncomfortable and not worth it unless the river is impassable. The cold and rain seem to damage my decision making quite a bit, I refused to backtrack or to take breaks to think things through.

To skip the crossing at 69.8 I stayed in the woods south of the river starting at around km 67.5. Initially nice cow path, followed by a tricky wooded boulder field, followed by a horrific stretch crawling over thorny bushes. Eventually I made my way up to the base of some cliffs where things got a bit easier. Following the cliffs I reached a cow path, leading to some open woods through which I rejoined the trail around km 70.5. Never thought I'd be so happy to find cow poop.

I dropped a blue and black stone bracelet somewhere before or during the 71.8 river crossing, let me know if you come across it!

Some of the minor streams merging into the river were tough to cross. 71.8 was up to my thighs with a strong current.

To skip the first major crossing of the Rio Avellano at 81.2 I followed some horse trail to the big white rock hill, and climbed to the top. The rock was super grippy even in the rain. I then traversed along the slope to the east, staying between an elevation of 700 and 750m. There was some cow path making it easier to walk, I wonder how they get up there. A few tough bushy sections descending and climbing out of crevasses/streams before I got to a gradual stream at -46.46385, -72.30601 which I scrambled down to the river.

I ran into the settlers Luis and Jaqueline at their house by the river. They generously took me in for the night and gave me a chance to dry out some of my stuff.

From there I followed option 4C down to the lake, hoping that the river crossing there would be less scary with the river fanned out wider. The option was decent trail over some low passes to the lake, though at times it was hard to follow. It's tough to choose where to cross the river because you can't see the bottom through the silt. I decided to cross near the gpx line where it was wide with lots of debris and sand bars to rest in between the channels. At the worst points it was crotch deep and powerful, the rocks under my feet sliding back from the force. Pretty scary.

I camped in the willow grove by campo chico, and the next day (Monday) I raced to the bus stop at 130.4. It turns out that the bus is now at 6pm, I got there just in time. I took the bus to Puerto Ibáñez and got straight on the 8pm ferry to Chile Chico.

A small cut on my ankle ended up getting infected, I'm now in town out of commission with a ton of swelling. Should have been more careful!

* '''Feb 12 Direct Route SOBO 1 day Frank'''

I walked straight from Villa Cerro Castillo to Puerto Ibanez in one long day. A few KM out on a dirt road there is a museum on your left & a short trail on the right which goes to some rock paintings. You pass by a lake with good views of Cerro Castillo. Salto Rio Ibanez waterfall is impressive.

*Helen and Craig + (Caro and Ali)
5th-10th February NoBo<- only direction to do it! So pretty!

almost got stung by the ferry from Chile chico. Make sure when you go to the office as the online booking doesn't seen to be working, that you specify your a foot passenger. And if they refuse ask to be put on the waiting list for the next ferry (which means you'll get on just fine) pretty sure you could probably just turn up and ask very nicely and they would let you across. Looked in to the boats from Carlos and Pascual to join 33 missing the coast section from levican but Carlos is not in the area at the moment and Pascuals boat is currently non functional, sad times but the coastal section I would have been sad to miss!

-Decided to do Torres del avellano northbound. Highly recommend doing it this way and thankyou to the others who pointed out this point before us. Veiws were great and much easier to get over the bolder scramble going up.

-We walked in a group of 4 so payed for a transfere to levican and a pick up from lago lapparent. 60,000 each time.
-Phone signal from Puerto del avellano to levican
-The river valleys of avellano and venti were incredibly beautiful to the south.
-Route was better marked and easier to navigate than exsepted. Very Easy going apart from km 68.7-62. if you've done GPT 40 or 37, then you'll find 33 delightfully a breeze. (We did have good weather, in bad weather even just a little rain I imagine a very diffence and worse exsperience)
-In the BB/CC river valley of Rio avellano walk on the north shore of the river rather than going to the south. The forest is mostly easily passable or can hop out to the river valley to walk more freely. The south side of the river is calf/ knee high swampy bush bashing which leads to very cold feet and frustration.
-keep eyes peeled for humels! We spotted a male humel on the bushbash/cross country section and had the most amazing sighting!

* '''22 to 26 of January 2023 / Véronica / GPT33H RR SOBO / via GPT33H-03B / 4.5 days'''

Route: Villa Cerro Castillo - Laguna Verde (Río Alto valley) - Upper Río Avellano valley - Torres del Avellano viewpoint - Lower Río Avellano valley - Lago General Carrera - Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez

Simply beautiful section. Lots of excellent info is written about it in the Hiker's Manuel too. I only met 4 other hikers, with two of them being northbounding GPT hikers! Great to meet you, Yannic and Mirjam :)

From Villa Cerro Castillo I hitched easily on the Carretera Austral to Laguna Verde, where Option 3B begins. I wanted to cut some of the initial road walking because poor weather was incoming the next day and I wanted to try and beat it to have a chance at seeing the Torres. The road walk in the Río Alto valley was actually quite pleasant and scenic. There is a little self-registration booth across the road from the settler at km 30.8, where hikers are asked to "check in" before proceeding down the private road towards the Río Avellano valley. There is no charge.

The camp at 52.7 km is very nice with a little stream running through, lots of dead wood around to make a fire, and relatively sheltered. There is an old puesto/refuge there too that is open and has a fireplace. Could be a good spot to hole up if the weather is bad.

When you diverge from the Río Avellano valley to head up the pass, don't try and follow the GPS. Instead take the path of least resistance (or the path that looks the clearest) through the woods and across the rocks near the river. There are occasional cairns to mark the way too, although not always obvious to spot. Only the last cross-country section before the pass did I follow closely with the GPS, as it goes across a boulder field and the GPS line seemed to be the easiest way up to the pass.

On the south side of the pass is where you finally see the Torres del Avellano proper. Absolutely incredible, and I managed to get the great views only a couple of hours before the rain started and clouds engulfed everything.

I followed the GPS track closely going down through the granite boulder field, since it guided a safe way around the steeper cliffs. It was slow going down through the boulders, but it didn't feel unsafe as the rocks were grippy and solid.

The initial "bushbashing" segment at km 63.9 was very easy through a mature forest. I didn't follow the GPS here, just followed an old animal trail alongside a creek until it joined with Río Ventisquero. Again, the CC&BB section starting at km 64.4 was quite easy at first. I forded the river multiple times to walk along whichever side looked easier/less swampy. About midway through this section though it got tougher because Río Ventisquero got silty and the flow increased, so that I didn't want to ford it much anymore, so I stuck to the left (north) side of the river, mostly in the forest. There were some areas of unavoidable blowdowns and marshy terrain, and everything was wet from the rain coming down too.

When I reached the waypoint X, Ford at 69.8 km, I camped there for the night because Río Ventisquero was a torrent and looked unsafe to ford. There are a few nice, flat places to pitch a tent in this area, under large mature trees. Early the next morning, it was very cold and still raining, and I couldn't tell if the river had gone down at all or not. There was fresh snow higher on the mountaintops. I ended up fording the river slightly downstream from where the trail crosses it, and the water came up just below my hips (I'm 165 cm). The water is silty so you can't see the bottom, but the rocks underneath had surprisingly good traction, which I was grateful for because the current was strong.

It might be better to take Option 33H-E than the regular route. That trail looked well-maintained and clear, whereas the RR between 71.8 and 73.5 km was hard to follow and overgrown at times. There were no signs of life at the homestead of Maria and Julio when I passed through.

I was strategic when I forded Río Avellano at km 81.2, crossing multiple branches at their shallowest points. The water went midway up my thighs at the deepest point. Afterwards though I didn't want to cross it two more times, so I took Option 33H-H which stayed north of the river.

The refugio at km 98.5+0.2 on the shore of Lago General Carrera is nice and clean. There is a woodstove and some tables and chairs. It was crazy windy when I got there though, and I can't reccomend it as a good place to camp unless you sleep inside the refuge — the wind gusts were coming from all directions and there wasn't a spot that was sheltered outdoors. Further along the path at Campo Chico, there is a grove of mature willow trees that is probably a much better camp spot.

Very beautiful hiking along Lago General Carrera, but it was wildly windy for me that day. At times it was hard to stay on the trail due to the strong gusts trying to blow me off the path. Lots of water sources.

RH-MR&CC-V {33H} [19.5/118.0+4.6] is all minor road, no cross-country involved at all. I met the settler at km 121.8, he kindly let me pass through his property (and many gates) no problem.

I got to the minor road from Levican (waypoint at 130.4) at 7:40 a.m. on a Thursday. There is a little bus shelter there to protect from the wind. It was very cold and windy when I got there, and I waited until almost noon, hoping to hitch a ride. Not a single car passed by that whole time. So I resigned myself to the road walk, walked for about an hour in extremely windy conditions, and then a car finally came by and picked me up and drove me into Puerto Ibáñez :) Very grateful!!!

* '''2023 Jan / Yannic & Mirjam / Northbound'''

From Puerto Ibanez we made the first kilometres to junction 130.4 by car stop. Then we hiked on to Camp 113.4. We didn't stay at the location, but a little further ahead where the river flows into the lake. Along the lake was nice with a lot of ups and downs and then we camped somewhere on the side of the Minor Road. Along the Rio Avellano we stayed on the northern side so that we only had to cross the river once (at 81.2). The water came up to my waist (I am 180 cm). Surprisingly, there was another Ford at 69.8. Again, very strong current and loose ground, so it was difficult to find a good footing. Right after this Ford we spent the night in the forest.

On the climb at the start of the cross country section (at trailhead 68.5) be sure to get the right entry point as there are several small streams coming down the valley. We thought we saw a trail further into the forest that we could follow. Unfortunately, this was a mistake and led to us having to bush bash back onto the trail for a few hundred metres. In general, the trail was mostly better close to the river than deeper in the forest. The camping spot at the Torres was incredible and worth getting up for sunrise. The climb up the pass was very doable with the GPS tracks and not too difficult. On the other side of the pass, the trail got surprisingly good. We met a group of horses that were probably trekking to the lakes. Because the weather got worse, we took option 03 on the Carretera Austral and stopped at Ceroo Castillo.

*GPT section 33 7 days, 84 miles, 14K ft ascent Dec. 21 to 27, 2022 David and Erika NOBO

Ferry from Chili Chico runs just once a week (Mondays at 8:00 am) we missed it by hours and were stuck at the hotel California in Chili Chico for a day. “You can enter any time you like but you can never leave” got to be the feeling after residential bus after residential bus filled with residents and would not take us. Eventually got to Sierra Castillo and then hitched to Puerto Inginiero Ibanez. The tourist office there got her husband to give us a lift further 24 km to the end of the road. Well worth the 25,000 pesos. Road hike from there straightforward but new gates are being installed at the last road (NOBO) before you hit Lago General Carrera. Lots of wind. Last Refugio on the lake is legitimate. Good place to camp. Lower Rio Avellano was fordable. We thought we could avoid the 2nd and 3rd ford by taking the path over the hill. Don’t. It doesn’t go…Don’t worry, it gets worse. Ultimately, you’ll be hiking through the river all the way to Torres de Avellano. Note on that. The route takes you up to the lake. Beautiful, but then you go through a 2 km boulder field. We found the start of a trial before exiting the river that seems to lead right up to the pass. Might go, we don’t know. Instead, we took the boulder route, broke through a snow bridge, and put a deep gauge in Erika’s leg. Could have used stiches but had no sutures. Might be worth investigating.

*'''2022 Nov, NoBo, Option 1, Alice and Florian'''

We chose to do the option 1 taking the sendero de chile from Puerto Ibañez to Cerro castillo. Most of it is a trail road (first 25km, and the last 4) so it is quite tiring for the knees as some point. But it seems quite easy to do hitchhiking at least on the first 25 km if needed. Nevertheless it is quite a nice road. You first arrive to a very nice waterfall after 5km, them walk through a canyon with nice scenic views. The 10km pass through a forest trail near lakes, it is really nice as well.

* '''2022 Nov / GPT33H Option 11 and Parts of Regular Route / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

GPT33H/GPT34P: Northern coast of Lago General Carrera from Puerto Sanchez to Levican (packrafting and hiking)

From 2022-Nov-20 to 2022-Nov-24 we (Meylin Ubilla, Jan Dudeck) packrafted and hiked in 5 days from Puerto Sanchez to Levican along the northern coast of Lago General Carrera.

This lake is infamous for the frequent strong gusty wind, therefore packrafting requires a careful monitoring of the weather to depart only onto the lake when a period with calmer conditions is approaching. Luckily, there is reasonable good mobile phone coverage what facilities checking the weather and wind forecast frequently.

Given the wind conditions any packrafting attempt on Lago General Carrera requires to my opinion:

- decked packraft, a longer tandem is strongly preferable (faster, more stable) - a sail (to get quicker to an exit point) - packrafting experience in the region (to anticipate typical weather and wind patterns) - smartphone with entel SIM card or entel rooming - YR weather App, Windy weather App

The predominant wind is eastbound therefore only eastbound packrafting is advisable.

I’m left with the impression that wind gets generally stonger towards the east (towards Levican and Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez) and that calm periods are more frequent and longer towards the west (Puerto Tranquilo, Puerto Sanchez).

Also, calmer conditions are more likely in the early morning just after sunrise but strong wind all night is also common.

During a previous hike in February 2020 we experienced an entire summer day with barely any wind but such days are as frequent as unicorns and no travel plan should be build on exceptional favorable circumstances.

There is a trail along the northern shore but due to the steep coast there are sections of up to 13 km on the lake without a connection from the shoreline to this trail.

Emergency exits are more frequent along the coast but using such an exit means waiting for the wind to calm down what can take days. Therefore it is generally favorable to exit the water only in a location from where the trail can be reached easily.

We packrafted most of the distance from Puerto Sanchez to the Avellano river delta on 3 mornings in about 9 hours on the water but from there we hiked in two days to Levican because we had no similar promising calm weather windows in following early mornings. In hindsight the wind remained manageable in the morning hours till about noon but there was no point in reversing our decision to hike (and we urgently needed some exercise to get used to hike with heavy backpacks again).

Crossing from Puerto Tranquilo to Puerto Sanchez is reasonable feasible by packraft in calm weather (typically either very early in the morning or later in the evening). The crossing is 3 km wide and best started 1 km north of Puerto Tranquilo in a hidden bay with a nice protected spot to pitch a tent (46.6146°S / 72.6838°W · 210 m). If preparing the packraft at the beach of Puerto Tranquilo officials may stop packrafters as there are numerous restrictions and requirements applicable (in example accompanying motor boat with two licensed boat drivers).

Packrafters should depart in north-eastern direction to compensate for a south-eastern wind drift in case wind increases.

A very nice protected camp site is approximately 8 km from the recommended exit point near Puerto Tranquilo.

GPT33H: Bus Levican - Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez

The last 26 km from Levican to Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez are rather dull road walking. Therefore hikers that arrive at the right day and time can take the subsidized bus.

Monday and Friday only: 08:00 Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez -> Levican 09:00 Levican -> Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez 18:00 Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez -> Levican 19:00 Levican -> Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez Price: 1000 CLP

Transport at other times can be arranged for a substantially higher cost (estimated 40‘000 to 60‘000 CLP per vehicle).

Paty: +56 9 9506 3176

Luis: +56 9 8648 4075

==Season 2021/22==

* '''2022 Feb: 10-14, SoBo, RR, Kris&Stiina'''

Even though the first few days out of town is a road walk, the first part of it is actually really scenic and worth walking, the lakes are just very beautiful one the way. The second part was mostly in the forest and our feet, knees and hips were already hurting from all the road walking but once we got on trail it got better right away. The trail was surprisingly well maintained I would even say better than in Cerro Castillo National Park. Another unexpected surprise was the amount of people that we met on the trail a total of about 25 people in different size groups were hiking to see Torres de Avellano. We really didn’t expect that, there also seemed to be some sort of backpack hauling and guiding service that the local arrieros were offering. We unfortunately didn’t manage to talk to them to find out, but it seems that the place is getting popular. Which is not a surprise because it’s very very beautiful there, probably is correct what the manual says, that it’s going to be the next Torres del Paine, time will tell.

On day 3 about 2-3km before the pass the trail disappeared and the going got tougher and tougher, mostly just bolder hopping up and over the pass. The descent was pretty steep on large granite slabs which offered plenty of good grip but I am not sure how well would it work in wet conditions. I think the pass is doable in not good weather conditions but only if one feels very confident in own abilities on wet rocks. Also it’s a good idea to follow the gps on the way down because otherwise you end up on a cliff edge and have to track back up. The ground finally eases up once you enter the forest, but then starts the bushwhacky part all the way until ford/div at 69,7km.

That was as far as we could make it that day because the river was pretty fast in the evening. So we decided to camp right there and cross it in the morning when the flow would be a bit more manageable and our decision payed off. In the morning the river was about 10cm lower than the evening before, so if you ar a shorter person it could save you. The flow was pretty strong and water was still about hips deep. Both of us crossed it together by standing in a line, me in front and Stiina supporting me from behind, it worked great. After that it was easy cruising for the next 32km, however we had to cross that river once again at 81,2km. It was still challenging but we managed to do it the traditional way one by one, facing upstream. But the current was still very strong and pushing our feet out from under us, challenging our balance. After that we didn’t want to cross it two more times as gps suggested so we just stayed on the left coast all the way to the lake. There were some cow trails to follow and also to bypass the cliffs it was no problem.

The lake is really beautiful with all the islands and it wasn’t too windy when we arrived. We camped about a kilometer from Campo Chico on the rocky stream bed and managed to cook on the fire that night without causing fire hazard. And there were apple, pear and plum trees at the 98,3km, plums were very ripe but the apples and pears still need a week or two to get ready, but it was a very nice treat nevertheless.

Next day was Monday which meant that we could avoid the 26km road walk at the end of the section which we were determined to do. We had 30km to goto get to the road junction were the bus is passing by and according to the manual the bus would pass there some time after 20:00 which is when it starts from Levican. So we pushed the whole day over the steep, sandy, bushy terrain and made it to the junction by 19:00, great, we thought. But after bus didn’t show up we called the phone nr that Janna & Matthias had provided and it turned out that the bus actually leaves Levican at 18:00 and is long gone. But the bus driver was nice enough to offer us a ride to Puerto Ibañez, however for a hefty 45.000 pesos. We were out of food, out of water and pretty spent from getting ourselves there so we accepted the offer. The car ride showed that it would be a pretty dull road walk aswell if we would have had to do it so in the end it all worked out and we got to town just as we wanted.

The town was a bit disappointing, people were somehow not very helpful and also all accommodations were full, but we managed to camp at Las Cabañitas about a km out of town. The next day we went to the port to catch the ferry to Chile Chico, but due to strong winds all ferries were canceled and nobody could even give us a guess of when the ferries would restart. We didn’t want to spend another day in Puerto Ibañez so we hitched back to Villa Cerro Castillo in hopes to get bus or a hitch around the lake. There are definitely daily buses to Cochrane.

In the end our plans changed and we decided that we are content with our experience on GPT this season, so we left it at that. Thanks for kicking our butts GPT and showing us beauty we haven’t seen before! :)

For more stories of the trail, pictures, videos and in case you want to ask us anything you can find us on Instagram: @smallfootprint_bigadventures

* '''GPT 33H Option 4 (Puerto Cristal)/ Torres de Avellano/ Packrafting Route / 2022 Feb-4 / 7 days / Tobias Schorcht and Jonas Grünewald'''

I started Packrafting from Puerto Tranquilo to Puerto Sanches in the calm morning hours. Since Jonas doesn‘t have a Packraft, we booked a full Marvel Caves Tour by boat for him and asked the Captain, to leave him in Puerto Sanches, which was possible without any extra paying. We hiked northbounded along Lago Vidal Gormez and visited the left behind abandoned village Puerto Cristal. It was an impressive experience to see the old facilities of the Mining Company! The good visible trail is partly overgrown with spiky bushes and contains a lot of altitude. We have been rewarded with stunning views on the Lago General Carrera and recommend this option anyway. We went up to the Torres with good weather knowing, that some wind and rain have been predicted for the night. It took us many hours to cross the valley (-46,43300, -72,48867) because we mainly followed the “cow-trails” through the forest and wetland (as an alternative to walk up the river). We reached the camp (-46,42178, -72,50672) late and sheltered the spot with rocks against the wind. You are welcome to use our cozy spot free of charge 😉. Took the trail from the Torres down to Cerro Castillo without difficulties.

We have to say, that this part of the GPT was challenging but absolutely worth the struggle.

Disfrutas las cosas 🙏

* '''NoBo, January 2022, 6.5 days, Participants: Janna & Matthias'''

Day 1: We took the ferry from Chile Chico to Puerto Ibañez (ferry schedule online).There still runs a government-subsidised bus (+56 9 89448847) between Puerto Ibañez and Levicàn on Mondays and Fridays at 8am & 5pm (summer). We decided to spend the afternoon rain relaxing at the pizzeria in Puerto Ibañez and then catch the bus. We called and found out that the bus stop is now in front of the Supermercado Jelvez. The driver let us off at Div 130.4/311 at about 6pm ($1000 per person cash) and we hiked for another hour or so. At bridge 129.3/304 you cannot get water (a kind of gorge), maybe at the marked "Water?" about 15min downstream. We had enough with us and camped sheltered from the wind between the monoculture trees (S 46.377764 W 71.922459).

Day 2: We continued through / over many gates and past empty houses down to the water. Attention if NoBo: at gate 122.6/628 there are two gates - the GPT splits behind the left one, so take that one. The first water before the lake and two good camps at the lake are marked. The path along Lago Carrera was easy to find, sandy and rough in places but we could follow old riders' tracks. We really enjoyed the fantastic view over the lake and had a tábano-free time thanks to the strong wind. About 2 km before Campo Chico (S 46.478295 W 72.086034) we found a west wind-protected and very nice camping spot.

Day 3: Further camping possibilities would be as already described on wikiexplora at Campo Chico and at Puerto Avellano. Along the lake there are streams/rivers for drinking water every 1-2h. There is a wild apple tree on the trail here: S 46.487073 W 72.102247 in case you come by at the right time of year. After Puerto Avellano there is about 15km of a former mine road that is easy to follow. We had a wonderful view of the mountains the whole day. The first two Fords are easy to pass with little water. Water sources again every 1-2h. Our camp 3 was here: S 46.457910 W 72.299412 - beautiful, next to the water, sheltered from the wind.

Day 4: Ford-day - in total we forded rivers more than 20 times, all of them were easy to knee deep except Río Avellano at 81.2/490 which reached almost to our hips and required a lot of effort. We met and chatted with settler Maria who was on her way to have some work done. At Div/Ford 69.7/634 the mountain peaks remained hidden in the clouds and the weather forecast was not so sparkling why we opted for the bypass (option 2) which is also very nice to walk with imposing mountain massifs on both sides, enchanted fairytale forests, a waterfall and easy-to-find cow tracks. Only the large swamp around S 46.386387 W 72.422623 was very unpleasant and foul-smelling, about shin deep. It may be worth looking for a path along the water there. Camp 4: S 46.371434 W 72.432519, quiet and nice under curious observation of two horses on the other side of the river.

Day5: At Div 54.5/841 we checked the weather again but as it still looked bad and everything in the valley further up was already in fog we finally decided against the Torres. At this Div there was an unmarked Ford when coming from option 2. If NoBo hiking directly after this Div take the path higher up the hill and not the marked route directly along the water, because the latter is slipped and to climb. At Puesto 53.0/946 (if NoBo) do not go through the gate but continue on the east side. A Horse Trail runs along the eastern edge of Mallin Grande. Our Camp 5 was here: S 46.281253 W 72.436128.

Day 6: Continued on the gravel road, passing many settlers and pastures. The Estero Alto flows much lower than the road, there is water at Bridge 25.7/454 and otherwise only at the lakes. There is a fence almost everywhere to the left and right of the road. To get to Camp 16.9+0.3/598 you have to climb over a locked gate (S 46.178222 W 72.312583). The two buildings in the pasture are a ruin (S 46.182635 W 72.311414) and a stable (S 46.183119 W 72.310509).

Day 7: Continued along the gravel road we almost missed Div 5.5/554 where a sandy path continues. The path is blocked by a wire fence at S 46.143124 W 72.184071 but a little further to the right you can slip through. No problems to get to Villa Cerro Castillo

==Season 2020/21==

* '''February 2021 from Bahía Murta to Torres del Avellano to Carretera Austral / Northbound, 5 days. Valle Resfalín/Resfalón (Option 8) + Mirador Torres del Avellano + Regular Hike + Escape to Carretera Austral (Option 3B) + Hitchhiking to Villa Cerro Castillo'''

Day 1: Bahia Murta to Camp #5 (Camp ? @33H-08-#005) / 11.5 km / 6 hours

The hike started at Bahía Murta, on a steep hillside. We used the GPS tracks to find the path, and from there on it’s pretty easy to follow the path (when in doubt, we checked the GPS). It’s a very nice hike, and at the end of the day it’s necessary to cross the river. We both had trekking sandals, which came in handy every time we had to cross a river. Just after the river there is a camp option. We found a nice spot on the other side of the wooden fence, but there are many more options up the small hill. It was a perfect place for sleeping, with the soothing sound of the river.

Day 2: Camp #5 (Camp ? @33H-08-#005) to Regular Route at Mallín Quemado (Camp ? @33H-08-#010) / 11.7 km / 8 hours

This was one of the longest days for us, mainly because we underestimated how much time it takes to walk through a path that’s been reclaimed by nature. The day started with a steep uphill, where we lost the path for a while and then had to check the GPS to find it again. There are streams on the way where it’s possible to refill the water bottles. About a third way in, at (-46.38537, -72.55201), the path collapsed, probably washed out by the river. We took a look around and decided it was way safer to cross the river than to continue on the collapsed path (it was late February, so the river was not so full). We crossed to the other side, and 100m ahead crossed back. This is definitively the trickiest part of the day (although a bit farther ahead we found ourselves in the middle of a caterpillar forest...not really pleasant). Just after the crossing the are two camp sites (Camp ? @33H-08-#008 and Camp ? @33H-08-#009), but we would recommend keep going as the second part of the day is definitively easier than the first. Farther ahead we found two more camp site options: at (-46.36768, -72.53116) on this side of the river and at (-46.36722, -72.53088) on the other side of the river. We considered sleeping there, because we were exhausted, but in the end we decided to keep going as we still had some hours of daylight left. This was the right choice, because that way we could sleep at Mallín Quemado and then the next day do the day trip to Torres del Avellano. Mallín Quemado is the name the locals use for the big forest area that was “burned” by the ashes of Volcan Hudson. It’s near (Puesto @33H-53.0) and it’s a perfect place for sleeping. We decided to boil the water from the small stream, because there were some cattle grazing around.

Day 3: Camp #10 (Camp ? @33H-08-#010) to Mirador Laguna y Torres del Avellano and back to Camp #10 / 7.1 km (each way) / 3 hours (each way)

We started early and with a lot of motivation to go and see the Torres del Avellano. Sadly the day was a bit cloudy, but nonetheless it was totally worth it: the views from up there are breathtaking! A lot of glaciers and superstreams with the purest water you can ask for. When we arrived back at the camp, we met the first person in 3 days: Francisco, a teacher from Puerto Aysen. He came up the other way, from Villa Cerro Castillo, and was planning on going to Torres del Avellano on the next day, and then head back to Villa Cerro Castillo.

Day 4: Camp #10 (Camp ? @33H-08-#010) to Camp at (-46.26244, -72.35118) / 21.6 km / 8 hours

Another long day, but without any difficult parts. This section of the hike is way more popular than Valle Resfalín/Resfalón, so the path is way easier to follow. The first section, until the car road, is really beautiful. We even saw some (semi) wild horses! We knew that once the car road started there wouldn’t be so many camp site options, so we kept our eyes open. The car road goes through a narrow valley, and then comes a steep down hill. At the bottom of the hill, on the left side, there is a small meadow, where it’s possible to pitch a tent (-46.26244, 72.35118). Water is available 100m down a steep hill.

Day 5: Camp at (-46.26244, -72.35118) to Carretera Austral / 14.8 km / 4 hours

Following the main car road to Carretera Austral it’s impossible to get lost. We didn’t find any stream on the way, but in case of needing water there are many houses. Just be sure to ask nicely :) Once on the Carretera Austral we hitchhiked to Villa Cerro Castillo. We only had to wait for 30 minutes to get a ride, and considering that we did this during covid times...not too bad. We also had the backup plan of Francisco, who would be driving to Villa Cerro Castillo later that day. Funny enough, we ran into Francisco by chance in Villa Cerro Castillo and he invited us to an ice cream. It was a nice way of ending the trip.

We are extremely grateful to Jan and all the people from wikiexplora for making this adventure possible!

==Season 2019/20==

*'''Section 33: RR(New!) from Ibáñez. Exit via Option 8 to Bahía Murta.'''
Westbound. 11 days. Party (3): Mum, Sis and I.

Ibáñez y Península Levican: Continuing our extended stay in Chile we caught a government subsidised bus from Cerró Castillo to Ibáñez where we learnt after a somewhat lengthy process: talking to the ticket office, boat personnel and then the carabineros (an officer and then his jefe!), everyone passing the buck; that without a certificado de salud (not available in town, and only online) we couldn't board the vessel. The upside was that the Naviera Austral had fantastic baños (yes! they were open!) and the cleaning lady let us have a quick body wash and even do a little laundry before she had to close up. There was also limited WiFi connectivity (only WhatsApp would work) and powerpoints where we could charge our things. It also happens that we bumped into a Zulema Amoroz who was born in Fachinal, most likely a relative of Carloz Amoros who offers the boat service from Fachinal across the lake (we contacted him but no boats were allowed on the lake). If you hang around near where the ferry docks you might find her selling coffee and alfajores.

We quickly decided to walk the new Section 33 Jan recently published, but end in Bahía Murta instead (i.e. explore option 8). Some effort was exhausted trying to organise a lift out to Península Levican. We did find someone for $30k, (it seemed a little steep but that's roughly what to expect), but it wouldn't be till the following day and we needed to get out of town to spend the night. We stocked up on food and started out on foot on the old RR (now Option 1) camping before we reached Río Ibáñez.

I had a little concern about water on the way to Levican, but there are two or three good streams along the way: (-46.31022, -71.97272) (-46.32470, -71.96457) (-46.34091, -71.94069)

In Puerto Ray a lady (also named Zulema!) warmed up to us and let us camp in her fruit orchard. In the morning we bought some eggs and 'bread' from them. Her husband was tanning a chivo hide; he had such a jolly step!

Along Lago General Carrera: We went back to the junction (Div Levican @33H-131.4) where a good emergency shelter exists. The road is still very clear from here, but don't expect any traffic. I think it was a rare sight that we saw an old Mercedes truck full of wood lumbering (pun intended ;) out. The rd deviates a little from the track files maybe due to the pine plantations. There are many new rds., so take care you don't go the wrong way. Taking the RR you will pass through a locked gate (-46.38234, -71.96692), after this keep an eye out for a gate on the left. It's not in the track files and we didn't look for it, so maybe it's not there. The issue we had was that the road continues up the hill, deviating from the RR around (-46.38448, -71.97642). Here you should already be on the small road on the other side of the fence (someone traveling towards Levican/Ibáñez will find this easier to scope I imagine). Though it's not recommended to cross fences, we carefully crossed instead of heading back. A very minor Rd continues down to a dilapidated puesto and a couple of portóns. The road didn't seem to continue as indicated in the track files... but I wasn't following my gps. We CCed across a field until we encountered another road that led back to the RR.

You will finally encounter your first reliable water source since Levican (-46.40196, -71.97831), especially if you are heading towards Ibáñez, make sure you fill up here!

The two camps in the track files at km117 and km114 were the best we saw. The next obvious choice would be around Campo Chico I think, quite a bit further along. Plenty of water along the lake and we had plenty of apples seeing we were walking so late in the walking season. Amazing autumn colours! The track is also in good shape, someone had very recently 'cleaned' the way! The refugio at Los Álamos was a very welcome sight, a great place to spend a night (it's there because of the high winds possible on the lake). The nearby settler was resonably friendly and his dog Puestero even more so! He told us that it was him who 'cleaned' the track along Lago General. It made our walking so much easier! Thanks Armando!

Valle Avellano y Ventisquiero: The old mining road through Valle Avellano was easy to follow. The road actually continues significantly further than indicated in the track files. Taking Variation F to avoid extra crossings of the river we found the road ended about here: (-46.45730, -72.30207). There is an unmarked ford here: (-46.46107, -72.24636)

We took Variation D and just caught Maria and Julio before they headed out with their kids on a horse ride. We bought some bread from them. They called it a tortilla, but I think my Mexican friends would strongly argue the point ;)

Easy walking up into Valle Ventisquiero. Read Jan's track notes. They are quite thorough. The trail to remeet Río Avellano is a little unused (also as mentioned in his write up), but easy to follow. Some good camping before the river. We met some gouchos using the puesto, they were not overly friendly; I think a little scared because of the virus. They pointed out a nearby shelter we could use made from a very old technique using U-shaped logs (I met a carpenter in Murta who told me a little about it).

Option 8: Valle Resbalín/Resfalón(?): It was snowing in the morning. We decided to take Option 8 to Bahía Murta. This meant less road walking and involved a part marked as 'I' (investigation) which would be nice to document. It appears that this route down Valle Resbalín (or "Resfalón" as some locals in Murta told me it was named... anyone know?) is no longer used; quite overgrown, vague and in places difficult to detect at all. Sometimes all we could see was the occasional chainsawed log; and in some chutes: machete marks. Water was plentiful. There was a very old but partially functional puesto en route.

There is a junction ('div') here: (-46.37495, -72.53695). The trail heading up the side valley actually looked quite distinct. I'm not sure what it's name is, or what's up there, but the water was a nice glacier blue and it had a higher flow than the 'main' named river.

The only tricky spot to find the track was where it was washed away by the river, about here: (-46.38527, -72.55201). I cut steps in the bank, crossed, and dropped a rope down for the others. It would be much safer to walk in the river. We explored options to bypass via skirting around in the bosque, but they didn't seem practical. The nearby camp site marked in the track files (Camp ? @33H-08-#008) is not really good. Better to camp 200m upstream If camping around here. We camped at the confluence with Estero Sur, which is the best spot to camp we saw in the entire valley. From this point down the valley, the track is in use: plenty of fresh signs of cattle (maybe they graze in the side valleys?). Ford Estero Sur (-46.39815, -72.58224) and follow the track down the valley with ease. There is camping at (Camp ? @33H-08-#004) but better 300m down the valley near a corral. 50m down valley of (Camp ? @33H-08-#002) camping is possible next to the vague ruins of an old puesto. Further down the valley are several grassy areas good for camping, the most obvious is here (-46.43778, -72.65597) in the vicinity of the old puesto. The track (as opposed to Rd) continues much further than indicated in the track files. The road only starts about here (-46.44697, -72.66655) once you are nearly in Murta. We rested a full day in Murta and I happened to run into Felepé who we'd meet before the trip in Cerró Castillo. Loco!

Thanks Jan for making this trip possible, Tobias Hellwig for recommending the reroute, and all the people on wikiexplora who explored and documented the tracks.

If anyone has any information on the history of Valle Resbalín/Resfalón(?), the mining prospectors in Valle Avellano, or the settlers that abandoned the coast of Lago General Carrera, I'd love to read a bit.

I hope this helps someone. Thanks!

Oh! and we're back in Cochrane now and planning to be in Coyhaique in a week or so. Cheers.

* '''BE AWARE THAT THE BELOW LOGS refer to Option 1 and not to the new Regular Route:'''
Until 2019 the Regular Route followed the Sendero de Chile in the vicinity of Rio Ibañez what is now Option 1. Tobias Hellwig suggested to reroute the GPT via the Torres de Avellano to incorporate this hidden treasure. This proposed new route was investigated and documented in February 2020 by the founders of the GPT. By this time multiple segments of this new route were already published on Wikiexplora by other authors. Only the route from Kilometer 62.2 to 69.9 remained undocumented and had to be researched and ground-proved.

* '''10 Mar 2020 / RH SOBO / Ty / 1 day'''

Super easy in general. I was able to get a hitch for like the last 10 kilometers. There’s a lot of different trail you can wander off on at the start of the sendero de Chile, so just be aware of your navigation at the start. The only good easily accessible water I found was between the two lakes before the intersection where you start walking the road. The ferry to Chile Chico leaves around 8 and takes a couple hours. Otherwise the next ferry leaves at 11 am....but make sure to confirm these times yourself. When arriving in Chile Chico, I climbed up to the viewpoint/mirador close to the ferry landing and found a place protected on the wind and slept on the ground. There is also an abandoned house marked in I-overlander that has an area in a room big enough for a 2 person tent. It’s on your right just before the climb up to the mirador.

* '''Jan 2020 / RH Northbound / Matthieu / 2 days'''

No technical difficulties on this part. However, I was stopped, when the GPT leave the road to go between the two lakes, by a sign : área protegida, ingreso no permitido. For me, it was cristal clear, so I just continued the road, disappointed. I spoke to one of the settler not far, who told me that it was only for cars and it s ok for walkers, and that it is part of the "Sendero de Chile". So the way seems open finally. Anyway, there is another little path just before the lago Ardillas that goes north, and join the GPS tracks above the Valley Ibanez. Well maintained, in the hills, lots of cows, good experience.

* '''2019 Jan/ Olrik / Northbound'''

From Ibanez you walk on a dirt road to the entrance of a Reserva Natural. You are on the Sendero de Chile so it is well marked. In the reserva the trail is easy to follow and there was no one. You end up in Cerro Castillo. We did it in 2.5 days but could be done in 1 day if beginning early.

* '''2019-Nov-28/ Lea Geibel/ 1 day / Northbound / Regular Hiking Route (Puerto Ibañez to Villa Cerro Castillo)'''

After arriving with the ferry at 10.30 a.m., the section can be hiked in one day (around 8 hours of walking). Most of the section is on a dirt road with very little traffic. The part that is following a trail is marked with posts with red / white rings on them. Occasionally the trail is not very visible but numerous animals tracks are usually heading in the right direction before eventually meeting up with a trail marker again.

=Resupply and Accommodation=

==Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns==

*2025 / Michael & Kasia:
If entering or exiting via Opt 8 or Opt 4, Bahía Murta (Puerto Murta) has several places that rent cabañas or camping space. There are at least 5 shops in town. The two largest both had tall skinny gas recharge canisters (Minimercado Gemaniar 3.000, Minimercado Estribo 4.000), but no screw type for backpacking stoves. Minimarket Gemaniar across from the tourist information office had generally the best prices and a good selection. The panadería across from the plaza had good pan amasado.

*Section GPT33H starts in Villa Cerro Castillo and terminates in Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez (Resupply information see GPT34H). Hikers that continue southbound may also resupply in Chile Chico after the ferry crossing of Lago General Carrera (Resupply information see GPT35).

*Several shops sell food and camping gas canisters.

*Restaurants offer filling meals.

*Accommodation is provided by hostels, cabañas and camp sites in these towns.

*Hikers that walk GPT33H and its adjacent sections with continuous footsteps can resupply in Cerro Castillo, Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez and Chile Chico and do not need to leave the route to resupply.

==Resupply and Accommodation along the Route==

*There is no plannable resupply along the entire Regular Route but some food may be obtained at the two homestead farms on the route.

[Settler (Maria & Julio) @33H-76.9]: Maria and Julio are one of the few settlers that still make cheese for sale in such a remote location. If you are short on foot you might also ask if they may sell some bread, milk or meat.

[Settler (Luis Diaz) @33H-85.2]: Luis : When passing his home consider a visit. You may also ask if he has bread or meat to sell.

[Puesto @33H-98.5]: The puesto 250 m north of Puerto Avellano is rarely occupied by their owners but the fruit trees might provide some well desired vitamins in summer and early autumn.

=Transport to and from Route=

*2025 / MiaimZelt
Subsidized bus between Puerto Ibañez and Levican every Monday & Friday: Ibañez/levican 8:15 & 17:00, Levican/ibañez 9:00 & 18:00.
Transportes Freddy Morales (+56 9 9506 2906)

*2023 / Maks&Gabi
We hitchhiked from km 136 near Levican to Puerto Ibanez. During the weekend there is only one ferry a day (Saturday morning and Sunday evening).

*2023 / Louis, Rémi & Noé :
Here, at the lake. There is mobile coverage and so we contacted numerus given on the PDF on WhatsApp to find a boat to bring us back to civilisation. I let you the contact of Jairo, that can bring you back to Puerto Tranquilo... for 400.000 CLP.. Jairo : +56 9 6633 9507

*Most buses to Villa Cerro Castillo leave Coyhaique in the morning around 08:00 and pass Villa Cerro Castillo approximately 1:30 hours later. In the opposite direction buses pass Cerro Castillo in the early afternoon.

*Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez has regular public transportation to Coyhaique (1:45 hour by bus) and Chile Chico (2:15 hour by ferry). The ferry over Lago General Carrera that connects Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez with Chile Chico does two round trips each day, one in the morning and one the evening. Buses to and from Coyhaique operate synchronized to these ferries.
Best Call Buses Alejandro: +56 9 7652 9546

*Subsidized bus from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez to Levicán: Monday and Friday, Approx. 1’000 CLP Morning round trip: Leaving Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez at 08:00, arriving in Levican around 09:00 and returning immediately to Ibañez around 09:00 and arriving at Ibanez around 10:00. Evening round trip: Leaving Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez at 17:00, arriving in Levican around 18:00 and returning to Ibañez at 18:00 arriving at Ibanez at 19:00.

*Private transport from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez to Levicán: Anytime, Approx. 35´000 CLP
Try to call Luis: +56 9 8648 4075

*Combining GPT35 with GPT33H

Northbound hikers may consider connecting GPT35 directly with GPT33H by exiting Parque Patagonia towards Fachinal and crossing Lago General Carrera by motorboat from Fachinal to the Desembocadura Rio Avellano. Here Lago General Carrera is only 3.5 km wide and a motorboat crossing does not take more than 20 minutes. Unfortunately, in summer this requires some patience as the normally strong wind often impedes this. In the morning or the evening the wind occasionally calms down but rarely during the day.

Carlos Amoroz, a settler in Fachinal owns a motorboat and offers this service on request. Pascual Diaz, a tour operator from Mallin Grande, can also provide this service but he must first haul his motorboat the 42 km on trailer from Mallin Grande to Fachinal what makes his service substantially more expensive.

Settler with motorboat in Fachinal (Location: -46.5568°S / -72.2120°W) Name: Carlos Amoroz Mobile: +56-9-76267029 Price: Approx. 30’000 CLP for 2 persons

Tour operator with motorboat in Mallin Grande Name: Pascual Diaz (Company: “Kalem Patagonia”) Mobile: +56-9-7391 7881 Price: Presumably more expensive and advance notice required

This section combination of GPT35 with GPT33H seems more practical in northbound direction as hikers can first talk directly to the settler with the motorboat in Fachinal, resupply in Chile Chico (by taking a motorized transport from Fachinal to Chile Chico and back) and then cross Lago General Carrera with a refilled backpack. While waiting for the wind to calm down hikers can pitch their tent at a nice wind protected camp site on the shore of Lago General Carrera.

Thanks to the reasonably good mobile phone coverage in Fachinal hikers can check the weather and wind forecast and call the settler with the motorboat when approaching Fachinal. This permits hikers to anticipate or discard a motorboat crossing on arrival.

Hikers that attempt a more complicated southbound crossing of Lago General Carrera should make arrangements with the settler with the motorboat at least one or two weeks before arriving at Puerto Avellano, test communication devices (i.e. InReach to mobile phone), agree on the precise pick-up location (Puerto Avellano or Desembocadura Rio Avellano) and carry enough food to wait some time in Puerto Avellano. Hikers should be prepared that the wind may not calm down while waiting several days in Puerto Avellano. In this case the motorboat transfer should canceled, and the hiker should walk out to Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez before the food reserves deplete. There is mobile phone coverage at Puerto Avellano (entel if I recall correctly).

=Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues=

*To my knowledge paddling on Lago General Carrera requires a permit from the Armada de Chile but complying with all requirements might not be possible even for a well equipped packrafter (i.e. distress signal rockets).

=Links to other Resources=

Retired Section Article [[GPT33H - Puerto Ibañez]]

Retired Section Article [[GPT33H - Torres del Avellano]]

For additional information see the Wikiexplora Articles:

[[Península de Levican - El Avellano]]

[[Torres del Avellano]]

[[Laguna La Plaza]]

For more information see the Wikiexplora Article:

[[Puerto Cristal]]

For more information see the Wikiexplora Articles:

[[Valle Miller]]

[[Estero Jaramillo]]

A part of this route is described in the Wikiexplora Article:

[[Mirador Este de las Torres de Avellano]]

=Images=

GPT35 (Parque Patagonia)

2026-01-21T14:38:08Z

MMartinez: /* Resupply and Accommodation along the Route */

'''[[GPTs|List of all GPT sections]]'''

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Add a new log entry always on top in the appropriate season sub-chapter and use format:


<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''Start Date to Finish Date (use Format YYYY-MMM-DD) / Duration in Days / Hiking or Packrafting / Travel Direction (SOBO for Southbound or NOBO Northbound) / Chosen Route and/or Option Name (RR for Regular Route) / Names or Alias'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>

If you are packrafting, put the above info into HTML tags like this (if you follow a hiking route for part of the way, highlight only "packrafting", as above):


<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''YYYY-MMM-DD / X days / Packrafting / SOBO / RP / Your name'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>.

Include remarks about your route useful for other hikers and packrafters, alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties. Try to be specific. Do not be shy to fix obvious mistakes.

=Overview=

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/26==
* '''2026-01-12 to 2026-01-18/ 6 days + 1 zero / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option 3 / Chris & Lotte'''

Wonderful section, challenging weather, routefinding at times difficult but only consequence is loss of time.
At 46.889670S 072.164669W the RR is swept away and OSM detour should be followed.
Refugios 81.8 and 94.7 do not exist anymore and arent well protected. If possible use the inofficial one at 46.940842S 072.156137W.
Too stormy conditions for tabanos or mosquitos.

Day1: Tried to hitchhike to X 8.1, it was tricky. Some taxi stopped at the notario to drop people off. We asked how much it was and he said 5k to the end of the pavement. The pavement ends before the X though, so we had to pay extra. 7-8k seems reasonable price, we gave 10k, because he seemed worried of his shiny cab.

Ascent is easy to follow and a quite nice way to gain altitude. Saw two people at Don Claudios puesto. They waved friendly back, we just passed. Many animaltrails make the CC quite passable, our speed did not decrease too much. The wind picked up and climbing the final ridge was challenging in strong winds. NOBO might be nicer here.
Plateau was super nice, loads of wild guanacos, we probably saw flamingos but they were very fast to escape so we werent 100% sure.
Camping is a challenge.The exposed terrain offers zero protection against the strong winds.
Near Water 23.9 I found a medium good spot at 46.664157S 071.843819W.

We camped near Water 30.6 at 46.713142S 071.885664W which was somewhat sheltered (we pitched the tent as low as possible on the grass).
Since camping was an issue, we were battling a bit over the plateau. Going NOBO might be nicer... camp close to the pass, get up early, enjoy a lot if the plateau, go the MR down in the afternoon and hitchhike to chile chico at the "paved" road.

Day2: easy navigating down, long stretches along the fence (had to cross due to swamp anyhow, might be nice to cross higher). At the MR we had a nice break and as soon as we had our boots on, we instantly got a ride to the laguna (probably usually harder to get one).
Paid using the starlink at the ranger. He told us that weather-ing out at refugio 81.8 would be the best option (strongly disagree!). The fords would ne higher in the afternoon.

Camped at refugio 61.7.

Both the refugios 61.7 and 69.0 are very well sheltered, offer plenty of space and even sheltered common areas. Very good to have a zero due to bad weather.

Day3: as the weather was challenging and the river higher than usual, we tried ti bypass the fords. We went shortly before the fords start/end marking up on the river bank into the woods. Very challenging and slow bush-pushing CC ensued quickly.
The triangle in elevation in which Option H starts (which we wanted to catch) is an impassable swamp.
We pusjed ourselves through the woods at the flank between mountain and swamp, when finally after exhausting 2h we were able to break through towards Option H, just to realize it was all flooded. By that point our boots were already wet, we realized this whole endeavour was a waste of time and energy and we started the inevitable fords from there.
Crossed the bizillion fords during snowfall and light minus degrees. That was quite challenging but comparably quick. highest was approx hip high (181cm tall).
The trail at the pass is hard to follow due to hundreds of fallen trees. Mostly mentally hard to stay on track. There is one official camp space and one unofficial along the trail after the pass (indicated in OSM).
At 46.889670S 072.164669W the RR is swept away. Two detours exist. One indicated in OSM (adds approx 30m altitude and crosses shortly after back to RR in the woods and should be prefered) and one scrambling across the rock. That was sketchy... the beginning (SOBO) is easier than the end. Turning around might be tricky with a heavy pack. We had to slide a meter and jump the last two to the rubble of the river bed. Getting up there could be possible with the tree, but seems overly risky considering the alternative option. Our conditions were very windy, wet and cold, the mud on the rock was slimy.
Arrived exhausted at refugio 81.8 just to realize its just ruins and the tent spot is not well sheltered.
Camped there anyways, the night was rainy but not too windy.
A much better spot is the inofficial one at 46.940842S 072.156137W.

Day4: easy walking to valle chacabuco. Refugio 94.7 is just wkthout a roof. Only space for a very small footprint tent inside, otherwise not flat nor protected. Due to ankle issues decided to not further follow the RR, so hitched a ride from chacabuco campsite to the museum, walked towards camp west wind surprisingly pleasant 2km, despite tourists).

Day5: zero due to ankle issues.

Day6: took option 3 / lagunas altas trail. Beautiful walking. Wonderfully maintained trail. Also the siete lagunas trail looks yummy! A bit more touristic though. Saw 6 other hikers. Camped at indicated official spot at camp 35-03 15.3 together with 11 other hikers who came from cochrane. The laguna is surprisingly warm so we took a short swim.

Day7: decended to cochrane, easy walking. First gate open, second gate easily jumped on the left. Werent able to hitch a ride, so walked to town. Stayed at hostal benito (25k pP, a bit noisy, lovely owner). Supermarked at the square offers even gas. Camping can be as cheap as 7k pP.
Side note: bus cochrane to chile chico is preferably to locals. We were not able to reserve seats. We should drop by and see if a free spot is available, and if, we'd have to pay the double price. Didnt know, this existed in Chile.
Edit: the connection is subsidized by the chilenian gov, we stopped at the police station, where the passenger list was handed over to recieve the subsidies. This is why foreigners pay a different price and cant reserve. The drive was very scenic!

* '''2025/26 Dec 24 to Jan 9 / 13.5 hiking days, 2.5 zero days / NOBO / Hiking / RR, Opt 3, Opt 3C, Opt 3A, Opt 3E, Var L / Michael and Kasia'''

Quick notes: A really amazing section. This was our third time going through the park (twice last season). We opted for NOBO this season, which we were very happy with. Especially after Casa Piedra, the views were nicer going that way. We also discovered that if starting in Cochrane, it is possible to arrange for a resupply drop to Casa Piedra to reduce weight. More information in the Resupply Along the Way section. The park seems to be increasing in popularity, or maybe our timing is different this year, but we saw a lot more people than last year. For the plateau, if you can wait for a low-to-no wind day to cross, it's a much better experience. If you have a windless night, we recommend camping on the plateau. There’s a special kind of silence there on calm nights.

CHALLENGES: Tábanos. While we didn't see many in the Tamango and Chacabuco sectors, in the Jenimeni sector they were really bad. More specific to us, grass allergies. They were the worst on the Jenimeni sector.

WATER: Generally very easy to come by. The exception was the Siete Lagunas trail.

CAMPS:

NIGHT 1: -47.18812, -72.52718 (official campground, nice view of lake, raised cooking box with wind protection, picnic tables, we could only find one space that was level and not on wet ground, no wind protection)

NIGHTS 2&3: -47.18468, -72.52438 (official campground, a couple of benches in poor condition, no wind protection, water access is a ways away, there was more flattish space here than in the other space, and the taller grass helped compensate for the lumpiness)

NIGHT 4: -47.14151, -72.45515 (some wind protection, clean stream nearby, view just up the hill, not visible from the trail)

NIGHT 5: -47.15964, -72.41494 (nice view on the lake, okay wind protection from the north and west, easy water access, easily visible from the road above)

NIGHT 6: -47.13355, -72.31556 (Camp, X {35} 119.1 space for one tent, next to a collapsed stop-over puesto, nice view of the lake, some wind protection but not a lot, easy water access, not that level)

NIGHT 7: -47.07533, -72.25804 (on grass looking over the lake, some wind protection, water is down at the lake)

NIGHT 8: Casa Piedra (10.000 CLP pp, possibility of a hot shower, indoor space for cooking and eating, electricity for charging, mosquitos outside were pretty bad)

NIGHT 9: -46.98407, -72.15984 (decent wind protection, flat enough, a nice view nearby, no good water source close, right on the trail)

NIGHT 10: -46.87214, -72.17639 (some wind protection, flat space for two to three tents, stream about 10 m away, right on the trail)

NIGHTS 11&12: Camp Raleigh (spaces in various places, a few picnic tables and a shelter, outhouse, next to a beautiful lake, popular spot)

NIGHT 13: -46.79026, -71.91166 (Camp (42.9+0.2) near the bridge, good wind protection from the west, flat spaces for a few tents, view of the road, the river is about 200 m away)

NIGHT 14: -46.70956, -71.88111 (flat, grassy space, some protection from western winds, water close by)

NIGHT 15: -46.66455, -71.84387 (flat, some wind protection from the west, water is about 170 m away)

Night 16: -46.606711, -71.809753 (on a bit of an angle, some wind protection from winds coming from the west, water is from a stream about 150 m away)

Day 01: Dec 24th

We organized a resupply delivery to Casa Piedra with Jorge. We met the driver at 09:00 at the tourist center in the plaza to hand the box off. We took Var R to get into the park. We bought tickets online before entering. At El Húngaro we went north on Opt 3 (Sendero 6: Las Lenguas) to Laguna El Cangrejo. The trail up was in good shape and a lot of it was in the forest. This was the first time we had taken this trail and we were really happy with it. We camped at the official camping spot at km 15.3. No one else came that night. There was a family of geese with six or seven goslings hanging around the site which we really enjoyed.

Day 02: Dec 25th

We did an out-and-back day hike along Opt 3C (Sendero 7: Los Guanacos). We had walked it last year and remembered that there is a really nice pebble beach on Laguna Elefantita (-47.18524, -72.49595). It was a nice, leisurely way to spend Christmas Day. When we returned there was another couple camped at the camping spot at km 15.3. We knew from the day prior that there was really only one tent space that was on flat, dry ground, so we went to the site at km 14.8.

Day 03: Dec 26th

Zero day to wait over rain.

Day 04: Dec 27th

We continued on Opt 3 (Sendero 9: Los Cóndores). At around km 13.5 there was a reroute that is not in the GPT track files yet, but is on OSM. It is also heavily marked with flag tape, so hard to miss. This goes around a huge blow-down from last season. It rejoins the GPT track at around km 13.2. Between km 11.5 and 10.5 there are a few areas on a steep slope where the path is on an angle and there is scree on the path. They aren't long sections, but we wouldn’t personally want to be walking it during high winds. After Pass 10.9 we continued on Opt 3A (Lagunas Altas). It was a sunny but rather windy afternoon. At the lake at (-47.13894, -72.47796) we saw a group of guanacos, including one baby guanaco, which was very cute. We took Opt 3E and found a spot to camp about 600 m in, going across the stream and up the hill. It was a decent spot, hidden from the trail and seemed to have good wind protection.

Day 05: Dec 28th

Continued on Opt 3E. Nice views on the valley. The trail is in good shape and easy to follow. The trail is mostly through exposed areas. From km 5.1 until km 1.9 we did not find any water. At km 1.9 (-47.15420, -72.43156) there was a good, clear stream. We camped at km 0 of Opt 3E down at the lake shore.

Day 06: Dec 29th

Cloudy and windy throughout the day, a little rain but not much. Landscape was beautiful though. We saw two huemules as we were walking the two track road along Laguna Adelita. Good water points at km 130.5 (-47.16069, -72.40775), km 125.2 (-47.14270, -72.36498), and okay lake access to Laguna Vizcacha at km 122.8 (-47.14118, -72.34587), but that was it for water until Laguna Gua Gua. Pay special attention to the trail around km (-47.135394, -72.328629). It goes uphill, but a large tree fell across the path. It's not immediately obvious, but if you go up a few meters you see where it continues. There is another path that continues straight ahead, but it leads to a scramble and some unnecessary elevation gain. We camped at Camp, X 119.1. It is somewhat wind protected from the lake, but it was a very gusty night.

Day 07: Dec 30th

Sunny but very windy morning. Shortly before leaving, three other hikers passed us going SOBO. Camp 114.6 did not seem to have any flat space for a tent. The stream near it was also dry. There was running water at km 113.5 (-47.10902, -72.28838). It wasn't a lot, but it was clear and clean. Water (112.3) had a few stagnant pools, but nothing running. At (-47.09787, -72.28558) there was some water running, but it was very shallow. Not water again until the lake. Just before the pass a group of three hikers passed us going SOBO. On the way down watch the GPS, there are a lot of animal trails. We wanted to camp on the beach, but the water level was too high. We camped instead a little ways before the lake in a grassy area a few meters off the trail.

Day 08: Dec 31st

We left very early. We remembered that there was a part toward the end of the lake that was difficult for us last season, largely due to it being very windy, so we wanted to arrive early before the wind picked up. It was a sunny day and the lake and mountains were beautiful in the early morning light. We made it past the steep, slippery part much more easily this time. We arrived in Casa Piedra around 11:00. We got our package, which has already arrived. The person running administration offered to heat water for a shower for us, which we happily accepted. We also took the opportunity to charge everything. Several solo hikers and couples came down from Valle Hermoso. Shortly after the bus left a tour group of 11 arrived, and then a group of ten Chileans who had hiked from Chile Chico. We spent some time with the Chileans which was fun. One of them said they had done the route before and were really surprised at how many more people they saw this time. Despite it being New Years Eve and there being 25 people there, it was a quiet night.

Day 09: Jan 1st

We got a bit of a late start. Full sun day with very little wind. We opted for Var L, on the west side of the river. It has more ascent initially, but there are a couple of long, flat sections. We also suspected, and think we are probably correct, that the views were a little better on that side. Another consideration was that we both have vertigo and did not want to have to take the suspension bridge. We went down to see it and were happy with our choice. A tour group of about 18 headed SOBO passed us on the way out. Ford {35-L} 0.8 was easy, mid-calf. We camped near an OSM marked campsite around RR km 88. There were a few spots there that had been used recently as evidenced by flattened grass. Ours was under a couple of trees which provided decent wind protection. There was a very nice view on the mountains a little ways up the trail. We filled up on water at the estero about 300 m before the campsite. There were two streams closer by, but they were fairly shallow.

Day 10: Jan 2nd

Camp at km 84 has one spot under some trees and a few other spots around in the grass. Camp at 82.7, which many people along the trail refer to as “the camp at km 16”, is a large field with a makeshift picnic table and spots for several tents, some of which are wind protected, others not. There is a path down to the river for water.
Ford (83.4) was above the knee with a fair amount of current. The camp site right after it has spaces for two tents, but not good for trekking pole supported tents as there were too many big roots in the ground. At Refuge (81.8) we didn't see any flat areas to pitch a tent. Ford (80.1) was fairly easy, below the knee and not too much current. The views up the valley were spectacular. The sun came out in the afternoon and lit the mountains up. With all the wind, some of the waterfalls coming down the mountains had the water blown back uphill and they looked like they were steaming. The camp at km 78.2 didn't seem to exist. The camp at km 76.9 was in the forest; there were spaces for two tents, one next to a collapsed shelter, and another back in the woods a bit. At km 76.4 there is an unmarked ford which ironically was the most challenging one by far. We had to choose our crossing points very carefully as there was a lot of current and it was crotch deep at the deepest point (we're both about 165 cm). The water was also very cloudy which made it difficult to see the bottom. We arrived there around 19:00 on a warm day, so an earlier crossing, especially on a cooler day, might be easier. The camp at km 75 had space for two or three tents. It was in the trees and had some wind protection, but the spaces were gravel and wouldn't hold the tent stakes of our X-Mid 2. We camped at the camp at 74.1. It is in the trees, though the trees are low and sparse, so not great wind protection. There are spots for at least 3 tents. There is a stream about 10 meters away. In total we passed 9 hikers going SOBO.

Day 11: Jan 3rd

The Pass 74.9 is a low saddle, not difficult. On the way down there was a section about 500 m long where there were so many fallen trees it was impossible to keep to the trail. After that there were a few fallen trees here and there until the fords, but all easy to step over or go around. The fords until Valle Hermoso were all easy, knee deep at most with moderate current. The last ford before the ascent to Puertzuelo La Gloria was mid-thigh for us, but not a strong current so no problem. The ascent up was a little challenging. We went up in the afternoon on a hot, sunny, windless day and the hillside was in full sun the whole time. There were also a few areas that were fairly steep and had scree on the trail. The way down the other side was thankfully in shade by the time we got there. Fords on the other side were also below knee with more current than the Valle Hermoso side, but nothing difficult. We arrived late to Camp Raleigh. One other couple was there for the night.

Day 12: Jan 4th

We decided to take a rest day. It was supposed to be another hot and mostly windless day. It was nice to sit on the beach in the shade and look at the mountains and the water. I also spent a lot of time killing tábanos. It never seems to make a difference. A few people passed through in the early afternoon. At 16:00 a school group of about 20 16-18 year olds from California came to camp for the night. Fortunately they weren't loud.

Day 13: Jan 5th

Another hot and largely windless day. We got to El Silencio around 13:00. We met Mor, another GPTer, on the way. We wanted to hitch and get to a spot below the plateau for the night, but there were no cars in the parking lot. We started walking the road and didn't see a single car. We decided to camp near the willow trees across the field from the bridge. It was flat and had wind protection from the south-west, but it had a ton of noseeums and tábanos, it's exposed to the road, and the river is about 200 m away. Definitely not our favorite campsite.

Day 14: Jan 6th

We got an early start to make as much distance as possible before the heat hit. It was full sun and hot all day. At (km 38.5) we found a path that corresponded to the OSM track and started on that. As it got closer to the GPT track we switched over. We followed the fence line up on the east side, but had to climb through the fence at one point. We would recommend being on the west side as there is a marshy spot that is difficult to get through. There is a gate at (-46.749383, -71.898336) which could be used to get to the west side. We found a nice spot to camp near Water (30.6) before going up to the pass. It has good wind protection from winds from the south-west. Another spot (-46.710147, -71.883436) was also wind protected from the same direction. It was a little warmer and seemed a bit better sheltered, but we chose the other one because it was flatter and on grass.

Day 15: Jan 7th

Woke up to a silent, sunny morning. The clouds came in as the day went on. At times there were cold breezes, but otherwise windless throughout the day. There were lots of different small wild flowers out. At the large lake there was a flock of about 50 flamingos. Shortly after we met Dave and Siyuan and had a nice chat with them. We found another small group of flamingos at one of the smaller lakes. We decided to camp on the plateau since it was a calm night. We stayed in the same spot we did last season. Had a windless night.

Day 16: Jan 8th

It was a still morning. Clouds rolled in as the afternoon progressed and winds picked up. The wind gets to be pretty tiring. We saw lots of little wildflowers, white and pink, yellow and orange, all different kinds. Lots of lizards skittered about as we walked. Getting closer to the second pass we saw two large herds of guanacos. As we approached the down, the views out over the valley were really great. We followed the OSM track for the descent rather than the GPT track. We met the settler, Claudio, and his son while they were doing a round to look for their sheep. They said we could camp in the vallecito down below and said there was good water there. We camped in the same spot as last season. There were lots of noseeums out so we were in the tent pretty early.

Day 17: Jan 9th

We got up early because it was supposed to be hot. There were some great views out over the lake. We ended up walking the whole way to town.

* '''2026-1-7 to 2026-1-11/ 5 days/ Hiking/ NOBO/ Sendero Rio Chacabuco + RR/Tomas Martinec'''

I already walked some sections of Tamango before, so I started the Parque Patagonia traverse via Sendero Rio Chacabuco, then connected to RR at Casa Piedra.

Overall, I consider it as a diverse section
Beginning: savana like terrrain inside a wide valley
Middle: mountainous terrain with river crossing and lakes
End: pure pampa and plateu walking

What makes this section special is the sense of wildness. It is possible to see a lot of guanacos, flamingos, and many other birds I couldn't identify. If you are lucky, you might even encounter pumas (I had that luck). Unfortunately, there are also a lot of tabanos (horseflies).

Navigation is generally easy and well marked, except for the final plateau section (15-42 km). There are several river fords in the middle (69-72 km), the deepest reaching mid-thigh (I'm 184 cm tall)

Day 1
Sendero Rio Chacabuco is officially closed. At the entrance (Museum), I had to prove that I had offline maps and a powerbank, then sign a document stating that I continued at my own responsibility.

Later I learned the main reason for the closure is a missing bridge across Rio Aseradero Quemado (washed away by the river). However, the main donor is very interested in reopening the trail, and CONAF workers are currently working on reopening it in the coming months.

I spent about 2 hours in the museum (highly recommended), then started hiking around midday.

Despite the official closure, the trail was easy to follow. The missing bridge wasn't problem - the river was low and easy to ford. Still, there are very few hikers using this trail. After about 10 km, I met CONAF worker who took photo of me, saying very unusual seeing tourist here.

Around km 20, I encountered a group of guanacos. A few kilometres later, I unexpectedly passed three pumas sitting next to the trail in the bushes. Two of them run away immediately (probably bigger cubs, I only saw them for a split second). The third one (probably the mama) stayed sitted and looked directly to me. I followed basic safety rules: not showing my back, keeping the eye contact, and slowly walked out of the bushes. The whole encounter lasted only a few seconds and everything was thankfully fine.

I camped about 3 kms from where I saw them
(I didnt sleep well that night). There are several nice shelters along this trail. I camped next to the Refugio Pampa Guanaco.

1st night camp: 47.0548324S, 72.3130370W

Day 2
Unfortunately, the Sendero Rio Chacabuco does not connect directly to Casa Piedra. I had to walk 8km on the road to reach Casa Piedra. From there, I continued along RR.

2nd night camp spot: 46.9408026S, 72.1560413W (protected to the wind, a lot of space)

Day 3
The pass is in the forrest. On the descent, I lost the trail briefly and had to do some bush bashing. Later came the ford section (km 69-72). The deepest crossing reached mid-tigh height (I'm 184 cm tall). After that, there is another pass above Lago Verde, a beautiful lake.

3rd night camp: Refuge {35} [61.7/856] (Camp Raleigh - very nice place)

Day 4
An easy walk brought me to lago Jenimeni and camp El Silencio (there is WiFi), with quite a lot tourists around. I hitched 8 km and started the final section, which is a pure pampa. The beginning is easy to follow. Later, I simply kept a fence on my left side as a navigation aid.

I stopped before reaching the plateau and camped here X. It was still quite windy. A spot about 30 m lower might serve better. Water was not problem.

4th day camp spot: Camp {35} [32.6/1300]

Day 5
No wind in the morning, but the navigation on the plateu was difficult. It is better to keep your general direction and follow it, rather than trying to stay exactly on the track. Progres was slow - 2.5 km/h. Wind picked up again on the plateu. There were many guanacos, and even flamingos in the central part of the plateau.

From Puesto {35} [15.8/1075], navigation becomes easy again. I passed the puesto and greeted Don Claudio and three young men.
Luckily, later the three guys gave me a lift for the last 10 km. It turned out they are cousins from the family that owns the land around the puesto. Don Claudio might be the caretaker.

* ''' 2025-Dec-22 to 2025-Dec-31 / 10(9) Days / Hiking / SOBO RR / Massa and Jacicek '''

Generally the track through the park is maintained and easy to navigate. Water is plentiful.

Day 0
Went by bus from Bahia Murta to Chile Chico, managed to explain to the driver that we want to drop off at crossroads to El Ciprés, the ride took approx 6 hours and we arrived around 7pm. Very short hike just to pass the gates (unlocked) to get to nature, we camped alongside small stream [S 46°33.7889’, W 071°49.6138’], spot for one tent protected by the bushes.

Day 1
Long hike through the NP to the Camp 32.6. We met Claudio mending his fence and one other local on his horse. Beautiful valley and plato, seen a lot of animals. We didn’t encounter any river that needed fording shoes (we followed the OSM track at km 23.9). Camped around 250m downhill from Camp 32.6 (optimistically set up tent when wind was down and had to move it).

Day 2
Hiked downhill, met another local riding his horse with two dogs. For a brief section we followed OH-CC-A at 35-C as the path across meadows seemed nicer, however this than continues along bare hillside, so we went directly back to the RR (there is animal trail there also). Road walking was easy, with nice views but long. Camped at El silencio, met guard on his way home and he went back to log in us even after hours (he was very friendly).

Day 3
Easy walking around the Lago Jeinemeni with nice bridge at camp Raleigh. Both Lagos are beautiful. All fords were easy. Camped at official camp in Valle Hermoso.

Day 4
No walking due to bad weather with better forecast for tomorrow.

Day 5
Nice walk with clear paths, Fords are many but all easy, only obstacles are fallen trees before pass km 74.9 (sobo). Camped at official campsite at km 83.

Day 6
Days walk to Casa Piedra, we took a water from stream running from read mountains, this was highly mineralized and tasted acidic after treatment with micropur (chlorine based) tablets, we discarded this. The bridge over the gorge is beautiful, however, the ongoing path is up and down a lot, the path on the other site seem flatter. Young ranger in casa Piedra, payed 10 000 CLP pp and got a warm shower, no tickets checked and no new ones needed.

Day 7
The SSL trail runs through slightly drier part of the park, 1liter was enough for us between water sources though. The SSL start after casa Piedra was full of bushes, but trail was visible. Camped next to Laguna Guagua [-47.13500, -72.30704] .

Day 8
Nice and recognizable paths, stream at 130.4 had wild mint growing in it :-) , the minor road to Settler at km 136 appears to been restored recently. We camped at OSM free official camp site at CA km 139.

Day 9
Mediterranean feel to the hike to Cochrane, rangers at the station had a lunch break and we signed out without issues.

* '''2026-01-06 to 2026-01-14/ 3+2+4 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option 1 and 2 / Dave & Siyuan'''

Summary: We took 9 days of food leaving Chile Chico. The first 3 days were on the plateau. We decided to go to the Cherry Festival in Los Antiguos (just cross the border in Argentina). We hitched a lift to Chile Chico when we got to the road on day 3 afternoon, then went across the border the following day. Two days later, we got a lift back to the park entrance and continued our hike through Parque Patagonia. Finished with a hitch to Valle Chacabuco. We saw a lot of wildlife on this section.

Day 1: 10km
Got the 8am bus from Chile Chico towards Coyhaique, but it was delayed by an hour and they charged us $4k CLP each. A local taxi would probably be cheaper. Exited the bus after 8km at -46.55736, -71.82521. Dirt road continued for 8km and was easy to follow. Water was available at -46.57576, -71.82803 and -46.59019, -71.81717. The cross country section is easy terrain with many animal trails. We camped after about 2km at -46.61882, -71.81595 at a grassy spot next to the stream. Not totally protected from the wind but flat with water nearby. We saw lots of Guanacos!

Day 2: 12km
Easy cross country terrain all day. We had no wind at all on the plateau but I imaging it would be very windy with the right conditions. If you see flamingos in the lagoons, make sure you take photos early because they all flew off as we approached and we never saw them again. We met GPTers Michael and Kasia who told us about their excellent camp where we camped tonight: -46.70956, -71.88111 (flat, nice stream and slightly protected from westerly wind).

Day 3: 11.3km
Easy cross country across the plateau, and down to the road. We followed variant C (following the fence) but still got wet feet in a few boggy sections. We got a lift back to Chile Chico after waiting an hour at about 17:00.

Day 4-5: Cherry Festival in Los Antiguos

Day 6: 9km
Got a lift from Chile Chico to the Park Entrance. Bought our tickets online with the starlink wifi. Easy and flat walk to Raleigh Campsite.

Day 7: 16.6km
Many river crossings. Walked in our shoes through 20 + fords. All easy below our knees. Camped at Camping el Puesto 78.1/888. However there was no Puesto.

Day 8: 21.4km
Crossed the main river and a couple of other small fords, no issues. An easy long walk down the valley, mostly downhills. Camped at Casa Piedra Camping 99.6/380. 10000 per person, hot showers, wifi, and electricity. Windy but there were sheltered spots to set up tents. The stone hut was awesome to be sheltered from the weather.

Day 9:
We started hiking on the road towards Chacabuco, soon we got a lift and the rain started...

'''2026-Jam-2 to 2026-Jan-7 / 6 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR / Mor'''

All in all a beautiful section with the definite highlight being the plateau for me. Did the whole RR but would recommend Option 3 and finish either in Valle Chacabuco in the very nice visitor center or cross from there to Cochrane. The walk along lago Cochrane is not interesting or too nice while lagunas altas trail is impressive.

I did the hike during a heatwave which made the exposed sections between Lago guagua and up to Valle hermoso tiring and with a constant buzz of the Tabanos.

Attractiveness: 5/5 (for the plateau)
Difficulty: 3.5/5 (extra 0.5 for 35 degrees and no shade)

Day 1: Cochrane -> camp35(119.1, 716)
~ 10.5 hours day
Long day with not so interesting of views besides lake Cochrane in the beginning and the valleys and lagunas towards the end. Water is almost solely at the lagunas once leaving the lake.
Gorgeous camp location, fairly protected from the wind.

Day 2: camp35(119.1,716)->refuge35(94.7,618)
~9.5 hours day
Walk is not too interesting and mostly follows the lake's sides. Makes the walk in poorly maintained trails confusing at times with fallen trees or overgrown thorny vegetation. No water between Laguna guagua and Laguna Gutierrez. No shade after pass35(111.6,1126).
Water at refuge35(94.7,618).
Chatted with the Ranger at Casa del piedra which was mostly caring for the wildfire hazard due to the heatwave.

Day 3: refuge 35(94.7,618) -> refuge 35(69.0,867)
~ 8 hour day
A few new fords which are not marked at -46,94964, -72,15276 and -46,88983, -72,16463.
Plenty of water along the path.
Plenty of fallen tree in section leading to Valle hermoso making finding the trail hard at times.
Fords were at most mid thigh for me(1.80). Watch out for following the trail without checking GPS when fording as it ends in a swampy area.
Valle hermoso truly deserves the name. Camp at refuge is well organised, had a few other hikers with me and along the way as it is a more popular hike.

Day 4: refuge35(69.0,867) -> camp35(34.8,1170)
~ 12 hours day
A long day with easy walking for the most part but 12km along the road after the park as no hitch was to be found. An immediate and welcomed change of scenery from alpine to pampa as you exit the park. Plenty of water all along the day.
From X35(41.4,768) to X35(38.2,916) the walk is on a double tracked road but after roads it turns CC. Have the fence on your east (right I'd you're climbing) and there'll be a horse trail most of the time.

Day 5: camp35(34.8,1170) -> -46,61892, -71,81546
~ 8 hours day
Hands down the highlight of the hike. DO NOT SKIP. herds of guancos and flamingos and the occasional heir make it all worth it with the beautiful views. An easy walking once above 1400m as the vegetation disappears.
Water is no issue at all as entry of lagunas and streams.
Met Siyuan and Dave as I was going down and camped with them for the night.

Day 6: -46,61892, -71,81546 -> Chile Chico
~ 4 hours day
Strolled down to the main road and after half the way to Chile Chico managed to get a. Ride into town. Pretty views of the lake as descending. Did not meet any of the puetsos or settlements occupied as I was passing.

'''2025-Dec-2 to 2025-Dec-7 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Emily & Kole'''

Beautiful section - diversity of landscapes, lots of wildlife and wildflowers, and despite the length not overly difficult. Saw very few people. No issues with water, plentiful. Attractiveness 5/5, difficulty 3/5.

Day 1 -
* Roadwalked for 3km from Chile Chico before getting a hitch to X {35} [8.1/505].
* Gate at Settler {35} [8.9/539], unlocked.
* Spoke with settler briefly at Puesto {35}[15.8/1075] - lovely guy.
* Trail is CC ascent after puesto, but easy walking. Winds at top on plateau very strong.
* Ford at Water {35}[23.9/1586] was mid-low thigh for Em (165cm), but Kole crossed 100m downstream on a snow ridge.
* Camped across the stream to the west of Camp {35} [32.6/1300] - small hills offer some wind protection but still very exposed.

Day 2 -
* Followed the OSM route to the road to avoid multiple river crossings.
* Hitched the final 3km of the roadwalk, but very few cars passing.
* Paid online 11.400 CLP pp for park entry - office was open but no ranger present
* Camped at Raleigh, Refugio {35} [61.7/856]. Several hikers were there when we arrived, but there’s a small sheltered space for 2 tents around 50m to the left after bridge along the OSM trail.

Day 3 -
* Fords after Valle Hermoso were all below knee height.
* Watch for the turnoff back to trail at Ford start/end {35} [72.4/905] - there’s a marker of cairns and sticks.
* Ford {35} [83.4/805] was mid-low thigh height for Em, but not overly strong.
* Camped at -46.94070, -72.15596, just afterward. Below the destroyed refugio, look for a trail leading left. Spots are well sheltered and flat.

Day 4 -
* No ranger at Casa Piedra.
* Water available at [112.3/1108], but difficult to collect. Better flow at Camp {35} [114.6/779].
* We camped here, below trail to the right. Spots aren’t perfectly level but very well sheltered. A more level spot to the left of trail before crossing the stream.

Day 5 -
* Horseflies in the morning drained our souls - not a bad idea to bring repellant or a head net.
* Watch out for turnoff for RR at Laguna Adelita; easy to miss.
* Camped at -47.20055, -72.46699 near the lake shore. Well sheltered and grass very soft.

Day 6 -
* Signed out at ranger station {35} [147.3/165] but rangers didn’t check our tickets.
* No luck hitching into town but it’s an easy walk on paved road.
* Arrived in Cochrane at midday.
* Stayed at “Camping & Laundry Cochrane” next to the plaza. 7.000clp to camp or 10.000clp for a 4 bed shared dorm. Laundry for 5.000clp pp. Hot showers, kitchen, WiFi, close to supermarket for resupply.

'''GPT35 / 2025 Dec 7-11 / NOBO / RR / variant R, Option 3, Option 3A, Option 3E & Option 2 / 5 days (2 half days)/ hiking // Bailey'''

General notes - incredibly beautiful section and quite diverse. Heaps of wildlife. We came across 7 other people walking the other direction. Fairly easy navigation. The high plateau was a highlight

Challenges - none to note

Costs - paid online for a parks pass - 11,400 CLP for foreigners. Walking out of cochrane I didn't pass the rangers hut. No one checked my pass. When I reached the second rangers hut they didn't ask to check, just shook my hand

Campsite Casa dePiedra, night 2 - 10,000 CLP cash

Difficulty - 3/5

Attractiveness - 5/5

Day 1

Started walking after 5 pm out of cochrane up to camp next to Laguna El Cangrejo. Taking variant R and option 3. Pretty steep climb

Camp 1

We camped at camp {35-03} [15.3/995] which was beautiful and protected from the wind by the lake. Mosquitos

Day 2

Today was the longest day. The passes were gorgeous. Took option 3A, good trail down onto option 3E and option 2, linking back onto the main route. No issues. The trail after this was pretty unmaintained but there was a trail. After Lago Gutierrez there were some animal cameras on the trail.

Camp 2

Reached Casa dePiedra camp at 8:30 pm, and paid 10,000 CLP. Hot showers, a place to eat inside away from the mosquitos.

Day 3

Crossed the fords, some were fast moving but nothing above mid thigh (194 cm). No navigation issues

Camp 3

Camp Raleigh [61.7/856]. A very beautiful campsite. There's tables and chairs. A cool looking bridge.

Day 4

Walked past the rangers hut in the morning, there's starlink here. Briefly talked to the ranger, he didn't ask about my parks pass. Walking on the road had some beautiful views. Walking up over the high plateau was incredible. Cross country navigation felt relaxed. Hundreds of guanacos up here. Came across a gaucho herding sheep

Camp 4

Camped at camp [14.1923] just as the minor road begins. This was incredibly windy.

Day 5

Walked down to the main road and got picked up by a local archaeologist

Stayed in chile chico for 20,000 CLP per person at Campamento Ñandú Hostel. Really laid back vibe, just opened today.

Ferry to Puerto Ibáñez, tried booking a ferry for this afternoon but it's not running because of high winds. Below is the website but I couldn't purchase a ticket through it. The office is located here

https://maps.app.goo.gl/mxD1LgMF5s2FPPbH9

Website - https://www.ferrypatagonia.com/horarios-y-tarifas

<big>'''2025-11-8 to 2025-11-13 / 6 days / hiking / NOBO / RR, Opt 3, Opt 3A, Opt 3E, RR / Ohad '''</big>

Beautiful and diverse section! Very glad its my introduction to the GPT.

Sendero 7 Lagunas (RR) is closed, but hikers with inreach/gps that informed the park administration (north of westwind camp) are allowed to walk it. I did not know this, and went without informing. I suppose its possible to contact them prior to arrival to do it by the book. I saw no rangers or other person on trail.

Fees: 11400$
paid 11400 pessos for entry to the NP in the ranger station near Cochrane, did not sleep at any camps that required payment, no ranger in Casa de Piedra and didnt pay for the second entry to the park.

Camping

Day 1: S 47.149459 W 072.434050, unofficial therefore illegal (alt spot, semi protected from wind, a patch of dirt big enough for one tent reletivaly flat. Hidden from the road.

Day 2: Camp {35} [114.6/779], nice spot near little stream in lenga forest.

Day 3: OSM camp at S 46.983453 W 072.160344 No wind protection, very scenic there is a little stream a bit to the south.

Day 4: Camped at Raleigh, wind sheltered and scenic, the outhouse has mice droppings, probably mice around the camp. Very nice spot.

Day 5: slept on the plateau at S 46.715519
W 0.71877977. Semi wind sheltered spot woth little stream behind a small hill. Still had a very windy night. Would not reccomend sleeping on the plateau, crazy wind. But it was beautiful at sunset and early morning.

Challenges: no challanging fords. some snow left on Opt 3 and the plateau, could be annoying if tackeling slush but it was mostly firm.

Water: no problem at all, at the plateau i would recc to filter all water, lots of dead guanaco and goose droppings with still and slow moving water.

Day 1: started from Cochrane, no hitchhike. Waited for the ranger to wake up and open shop (9 am), only after saw the option to pay online. Continued on my way on Sendero Las Aguilas, a trail heading towards Opt3 not on the gpx files. Nice views over the valley, mainly lenga forest, continued to the pass. Decieded to continue on the lagunas altas route (Opt 3A) and connect to RR tommorrow. The pass and Opt3A offer very panoramic views to the valley next over and surrounding mountains. Up to you if its worth the steep uphill. Some of the northface of the pass is an unstable, exposed scree slope. Would not reccomend in snow.

Day 2: shorter day, transioned yesterday to Sendero 7 Lagunas. The trail is not always clear in open terrain as Perrenial plants are starting to grow over it and annuals are in full growth. When entering the lenga forest the trail is clear but there is debree. Beautiful day with amazing yellow orchids, clear lakes and on very not shy huemuul.

Day 3: over the pass, lots of puma prints and droppings, be alert and maybe get a lucky encounter. Over the pass the terrain opens up and for NOBO hikers offers a (usually) nice stroll down. The last 2km of trail coming down to Laguna Guttiérrez is very unclear, i approached it as CC. Casa Piedra was closed, and the gate to the bridge was closed (just a steel rope attached lazely, no problem). The trail becomes clear again after Casa Piedra.

Day 4: very clear day, fallen trees in the forrested parts, the fords never passed my knees (Im 185cm). I saw someone reccomending sandals for the many fords on the river flowing east (couldnt find the name) I disagree, a lot of walking on dry river bed, they would probably get in the sandel and or hit your toes on them. To each their own. There are clear posts every couple hundred meters so its very easy to pathfind. The pass to Lago Verde was steep.

Day 5: easy flat day, nice views over the lakes, saw the first people in 5 days. As i was walking past the ranger station the ranger called me to "sign out"? Was very friendly but just starteled me. Just wanted to ask if I had any information and that everything is OK. No hitch on the road (at around noon). Walked up to the plateau, CC is less challenging as you go up in elevation. At certain point decided to just ascend the plateau for easier CC. Wanted to shorten the next day to get to Chile Chico earlier and ended up dleeping on the plateau. Would not reccomend. Lots of guanacos on the plateau and very interesting ecosystem, geology and views. definatley worth the extra day if youre NOBO.

Day 6: woke up early and traversed the plateau, lots of snow patches, the temp was low and i was early so it wasnt very bad. If there is snow and you expect slush then it will be slower. Lots of mud from the extra water. The southwest wind was extremely harsh, was very happy to walk north. Shared some maté, bread, salami and ciggs with the settler. Lovely man. Said hes there from oct to april give or take. Dropped into the road and got a hitch into town.

Happy GPT Season!

==Season 2024/25==

'''2025-Mar-13 to 2025-Mar-19/ 6 days/ Hiking/ NOBO RR - Oh-Mr-V 35-01 (sendero 7 laguna - valle aviles - valle hermoso- lago jeinimeni) / Emilie '''

Day 1: started in Cochrane around 9:30 and registered at the guardaparque where I paid around 11000CPL and the guard checked if I had 2 gas canister and he even weighed them to make sure they were full. He also asked me if I had an inreach as the trail wasn’t busy and I wouldn’t meet a lot of ppl on the way. I started and had a relatively short day, stopping at (S 47.198824° O 72.449461°) to camp for the night.

Day 2: it was a relatively pleasant and easy day. Walked until laguna guagua to camp on the shore (S 47.134842° O 72.307318°)

Day 3: started in the forest again and after the pass the landscape changed almost drastically, the weather was really nice and it was just so pretty! I saw a few guanacos. Camped at casa piedra for 8000CLP

Day 4: woke up to a herd of guanacos running around on the campground. I also idiotically left my bag on one of the sheltered picnic tables woke up to several of my ziplock bags being eaten trough by a mouse…:( Continued on the valle aviles sendero and camped at km 22 (S 46.893873° O 72.160906°). Not the cutest campground but relatively well protected as it started to rain.

Day 5: woke up under the rain and after 1hr of walking the ford crossing started, crossed the river about 8 times, 4 times out of those were knee high and the rest was below that. After the lago verde pass I had one other shoes-off ford crossing aswell. And camped at (S 46.864410° O 72.048501°) kind of hidden in the bush, definitely not ideal, would recommend sleeping at Raleigh (free campsite) or push to el silencio (I think that one is paying).

Day 6: decided to not do the last ascent of the trek and walked on the Camino laguna jeinimeni trying to hitchhike to Chile Chico. I still had to walk about 17kms before someone finally picked me up. You probably have more chances hitchhiking in the afternoon as people are leaving réserva jeinimeni because it’s a dead end road and people with go there for the day, being able to pick you up on their way back to Chile Chico.

All in all this was a beautiful and relatively easy section. The weather was on and off during the last few days, you can feel the autumn cold air rolling in, but with the two easy exit points (casa piedra and campamento el silencio) you can easily only do parts of it or stop if needed.

'''2025-Mar-10 to 2025-Mar-15/ 6 days/ Hiking/ NOBO RR/ Timothée and Maëlle'''

We managed to hike the full RR in 6 days because we hitchhiked about 20k, otherwise that would have been long days.
Weather: after arriving from villao higgins with the bus, we were lucky to see a really good weather windw of 5 /6 days with sun, relatively warm and few wind except the first day. Forecast were quite accurate ( yr), we checked it again twice with the in reach. It was also quite accurate, a bit less than yr.

Camps:
Camp 1: camp 136.9: 200 m before, we found something more sheltered from wind

Camp 2: camp osm: S 47° 08.017', W 072° 18.115': really nice, not sheltered a lot

Camp 3: 100m after the refuge 93.9, there s à spot for a single tent. We slept in front of the refuge: not really flat ( nice spot was already used by sb).

Camp 4: refugio valle hermoso: Nice camp site sheltered with tables..

Camp 5: camp 32.6 not sheltered from the wind but otherwise it s incredible.

Day 1: We started at 11 from cochrane, hitchhiked 2km, and then took the nice yrail along the lake. There was far less elevation gain than what is sometimes written on tracks when there s a lot of ups and downs ( such as this section :139.1 + 7.7).

Day 2: We saw 3 huemules on the MR above the lago cochrane. The forest is devastated by the caterpillar.

Day3: Nice and huge diversity of landscape. At casa de piedra the camping guy checked that we had a GPS, gas... No fees problems.

Day 4: Nice again, as is the whole section.it was a bit long. On this section it is better to have really good sandals to walk the whole 2km in the river bed or to have wet running shoes.
Day 5: we managed to hitchhike from the park ranger to X 41.5. There were very few cars, but it seem doable if you are early enough. On the cc between 41.5 and 32, we found some good animal tracks that allowed us to avoide walking in thorny bushes. Then you follow fences. We had sometimes to cross it by crawling under. There is no need to follow the track too closely, you would have to cross the fences to often.

Day6: amazing crossing of this plateau full of guanacos, flamingo... CC is easy ( bare ground). We had 2 drops of rain, and a bit of sun, not windy. We hitchhiked the last 8km to chile chico ( they were not many cars).

Overall, we did not found any challenging fords. This is one of the best section we found: quite easy despite the length, huge diversity of landscapes. We saw a lot of different animals. We saw no ones on the first part ( sentier de 7 lagunas), a bit more after casa de piedras, no one on the last 40 k.
It is probably recommended to filter water all along the way as there is a lot of cattles and wild animals everywhere, compared to other sections.

'''2025-03-07 to 2025-03-12 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Tyson'''

Hit some incredible weather. A really beautiful and diverse section. No trouble with water or crossings.

Day 1: [RR] Got a lift out of town to X {35} [8.1/505], and started hiking ~10am. Beautiful views as you ascend the plateau looking back at Lago General Carrera. Tons of guanacos. The ground on the walk up to and in places on top of the plateau has a lot of clay in it. So if it has rained recently, be ready for mud. I stayed near Camp {35} [32.6//1300]. I checked out MiamZelt’s recommended spot, but it lacked the view so I compromised by camping across the stream just west from the Camp. There are some small hills there that provide a bit of protection from west winds.

Day 2: [RR] Continued the valley descent. Hit the road going to the Jinemeini entrance to the park by noon. No hitch so I had to walk the whole thing which was annoying and took a good bit longer than expected. Tried to pay entrance fees but the system was down. Had Raleigh campground to myself that evening. Some nice fishing in Lago Verde there.

Day 3: [RR] Over the pass to Valley Hermosa. Really beautiful. Peaked in at the campsite there, which is nice and well-protected. Crossings in the valley were ankle deep mostly, so easy. There are easy markers for the first ⅔ of the valley, but you need to watch for the turn south. I overshot it and got stuck in a small but thorny bushwhack. Clear trail up and over the pass, crossings on the other side all easy. The trail cuts through a couple of boggy terraces. Camped at OSM Free Unofficial Campsite (-46.98401, -72.16014). Water is easily available at a stream down trail just past the camp spots

Day 4: [RR] Took the RR across the suspension bridge, and down to Casa Piedra. Spoke to the ranger there who said I should just pay at the end in Tamango. On to Sendero 7 Lagunas. Really enjoyed this section. The pass [111.6/1126] kicked my ass more than I expected. But saw two huemules on the other side so worth it. Camped at Laguna Guagua / OSM “Plano sitio para acampar.” Beautiful lake, gorgeous sunset, though the prime camp spot was taken by some other hikers so I ended up in the woods, just NE of there. There are some flat spots tucked away there.

Day 5: [RR] Watch for the RR turnoff at Laguna Adelita. You’re on a dirt road there that continues and becomes Option N. To stick to the RR turn at an easy to miss trail. Camped at OSM ‘Free official camp site” (-47.20052, -72.46710)

Day 6: [RR] Tamango Reserve, another nice section here, but lots of day hikers. The outlet to Rio Cochrane has some nice coves for throwing a line in. Finally was able to pay entrance fees at the Tamango office (11,700). No hitch to Cochrane so had to road walk. Made it town by ~2pm

*'''2025-MAR-02 to 2025-MAR-07 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + OH (Var. L) / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''

A beautiful section through stunning nature, although the presence of a national park comes with an entrance fee and a higher number of people and cars.

We followed the RR almost entirely. The only exceptions were the descent into the Jeinemeni River valley, where we followed the trail marked in OSM rather than the track files from kilometer 32 until reconnecting with the MR at kilometer 38. Second exeprion was Variant L, which seemed like a more logical approach to Casa Piedra. However, if you take this variant, be sure to check out the suspension bridge at [90.9/635] before turning off. Crossing a suspension bridge over a deep gorge is absolutely worth it!

CHALLENGES
The biggest challenge overall was the weather. Strong winds are to be expected, and at higher elevations, we encountered both snow and freezing temperatures.

The river crossings were not deep, but there were many of them. Given the cold and heavy rain we experienced, crossing them was not particularly pleasant.

The trail was often waterlogged and muddy. Don’t expect to keep your feet dry!

FEES
The entrance to Patagonia National Park can be booked and paid online via the CONAF website. Alternatively, rangers at the park entrance [53.0/843] can facilitate payment, as they have internet access via Starlink. The fee is 11,400 CLP per person.

At Casa Piedra, you enter another part of the park where another fee might be required. However, the local ranger didn’t ask for any payment, and since we didn’t use the campsite, we didn’t have to pay anything.

When exiting the park, no additional fees were requested.

BIVOUACING
Our first night, we arrived by ferry after 9 PM and camped just outside the town. We chose a spot among rocks west of town (-46.5397818, -71.7343889). There are several small tent spots among the bushes. It’s a quiet and scenic spot despite its proximity to town.

The second night, we camped on a plateau in a small valley with a water source [23.9/1586]. It’s slightly less windy than higher up, but still quite exposed. If your tents are not highly wind-resistant, we do not recommend following our example.

After entering the national park, camping is only allowed in designated campsites. The available campsites are:

Camp $, Bridge, Lake {35} [53.3/852] – Includes toilets and cold showers, with a few sheltered platforms. We did not have to pay for staying here.

Refuge {35} [61.7+0.2/856] – A simple shelter with several picnic tables and benches. Free of charge.

Refuge {35} [68.1/867] – Slightly off-trail, so we didn’t visit, but it appeared to be maintained.

Other campsites and shelters marked in OSM and track files further along are mostly ruined or unmarked open spaces. The next large managed campsite is Casa Piedra, costing 8,000 CLP per night.

From Casa Piedra onwards, we entered a different section of the national park, where the local ranger gave us no clear instructions on camping, nor did he seem concerned about it.

We camped on the shore of Lago Gutiarrez (-47.07580, -72.24877), and we weren’t the only ones—another group camped further down the shore.

Our final night was spent at the campsite [136.9/162], which was a nice spot.

A few hundred meters further at (-47.19807, -72.45737), there are three surprisingly nice and clean refugias, which could also be used.

WATER
Water is not an issue. The plateau at the start has several small lakes and streams, and for the rest of the section, the trail follows rivers and lakes for the most part.

Even at higher elevations, such as beyond the pass [110.8/1126], small streams were available for water resupply. A good example is at (-47.09787, -72.28568).

RESUPPLY
We resupplied in Puerto Ibáñez at a small minimarket near the lake, so we don’t have information on shopping options in Chile Chico.

In Cochrane, there are several stores. We were recommended Supermercado Rojita, located near the main square at (-47.25330, -72.57560).

Another well-stocked option was Supermercado Emporio Vecino Arno, which is conveniently located as you enter Cochrane at (-47.25089, -72.56108).

For food, we recommend Cumbres Pizzería Artesanal, located above Supermercado Rojita. It’s a small pizzeria, but the lady running it was very friendly, and this was easily the best pizza we had in Chile.

''' 2025 Feb 25 to Mar 7 / 9 hiking days, 1 zero days / NOBO / Hiking / Var R, Var S, RR, Opt 3D, Opt 3C, Opt 3, Opt 3A, Opt 2A, Opt N, Var T / Michael and Kasia '''

Quick notes: This was our second route in Parque Patagonia this season; we really loved this section, we saw a lot of animals, had some great weather and a couple rainy and windy days, and we managed to do a loop from Cochrane to Casa Piedra and back with minimal overlap.

CAMPS:

Night 01: -47.19763, -72.45248 (flat space for two to three tents, excellent water access, nice view, some wind protection, but would be cold if wind were coming from the south)

Night 02: -47.18468, -72.52438 (official campsite, okay view, not much wind protection, water access is about 70 m away)

Night 03: -47.13894, -72.47796 (amazing view, site is fairly flat, water access is about 150 m away, no wind protection)

Night 04: -47.15964, -72.41494 (amazing view, easy water access, good wind protection from the north, right on the trail)

Night 05 and 06: -47.13355, -72.31556 (Refuge, X {35} 118.3, not a refuge but a collapsed stop over puesto, nice view of the lake, some wind protection but not a lot, easy water access)

Night 07: Casa Piedra (8.000 pp, access to bathrooms, running water, electricity and indoor place for cooking and eating, flat places for tents with some wind protection, there are mice in the outdoor covered areas)

Night 08: -47.17285, -72.36981 (nice view, some wind protection, water is about 100 m away)

Night 09: same as night 1

Night 10: -47.22544, -72.53908 (good wind protection, no water)

WATER:

Generally easy to find, however on a new route to create a loop there was an 18 km section with no water.

Day 01: Feb 25

We started from Cochrane around 11:00. Var R was easy to follow. At [Gate {35-R} 13.5] we met a local gaucho named Lionel who happened to be going through the gate right when we arrived. He was very friendly. We chatted for a bit and he told us to just follow the road to the park. [Gate {35-P} 10.6] was a little tricky. The gate is padlocked shut and the center vertical posts are broken, so I think it would not be a good idea to try to climb the gate. On the downhill side, the gate is only attached to the post by some fence wire. We undid the wire and pulled the gate open from the side to get through and then rewired it to the post. This is easier with two people. [Water {35–P} 7.7] was a stream that was flowing clear. [Water 4.9] was also flowing, but [Water 4.1] was just a couple of muddy, stagnant pools. [Camp 4.0] also looked kind of exposed and not that inviting. There was another stream about 120 m further along Var R. We decided to take Var S (Sendero 6: Los Ciruelillos) down to the lake. At km 3.72 of Var R, Var S starts downhill. We did not see a way to continue on Var R. I could barely make out where a trail might have existed in the past, but it would be BB. Var S was very clear and easy to follow, though somewhat steep and hard on the knees. At the bottom we walked RR NOBO to [Camp {35} 137.6]. This was a really great campsite, right near the lake with flat space for two or three tents, and one tent could be under some trees for wind protection. Unfortunately there were already people there, so we continued toward [Camp 136.9]. Close to it at (-47.19763, -72.45248) we found a really nice spot under a couple of trees right near the lake. We had a windless night, so it was very peaceful, however I would recommend checking the weather in advance as this would likely be a cold spot if the wind was coming over the lake.

Day 02 - Feb 26th

We backtracked across the field and back up Var S, then switched to Opt 3D (Sendero 8: Los Pumas). The route was steep in parts, but again very clear and easy to follow. There were some nice views out over the valley. At the end of Opt 3D we switched to Opt 3C (Sendero 7: Los Guanacos) heading west along the south side of the lakes. At (-47.18524, -72.49595) along the southwest side of Laguna Elafantita there was a really nice beach. It was a sunny, windless day when we were there and we stopped for about a half hour to wade in the water and rest in the sun. We highly recommend making time for a stop there if the weather is good. The path after Laguna Elafantita was across wetlands and was swampy in places, however we managed to get through without getting our feet wet. At the trail intersection we started into Opt 3 (Sector Tamango) (Sendero 9: Los Cóndores). We camped at Laguna Cangrejo at the second official camping area, about 450 m further north than [Camp {35-03} 15.3]. It was a clear sky and a windless night. It got cold very quickly and everything was wet from dew quite quickly.

Day 03 - Feb 27th

We woke up to everything being covered in frost. Both the inside and the outside of our tent had a frost layer. Kasia came up with the brilliant idea to use the rubber scraper spatula we have in the kitchen like an ice scraper. We managed to scrape enough frost to make a tiny snowman. We took some time to get everything dried out since it was a sunny morning. We continued on Opt 3. Part way up there was a short section where a huge blow down had covered part of the trail. At km 10.5 we switched to Opt 3A (Lagunas Altas). There was a 400 m or so section of an exposed traverse on a narrow, degrading path that would not be ideal in windy or rainy conditions. Overwise the trail was in good shape and easy to follow. We camped at (-47.13894, -72.47796) just off the trail overlooking the lake. Water access was about 150 m away, having to walk part way around the lake to get to a stone beach. This would not be a good camp if there was wind, but it had an exceptional view.

Day 04 - Feb 28th

We took an alternate trail that Alex had suggested to us. At km 1.47 of Opt 3A, about 35 m from a stream at (-47.14331, -72.46124), on the right hand side there is a trail that goes east-northeast. It is actually a very clear trail that is easy to follow. The route runs largely parallel to GPT Opt 2 (Ruta X83) but entirely on trail. It goes up above and around the southern side of two lakes and provides some excellent views. It makes for some very pleasant hill walking. I will note that there were very few places to collect water on the way, and the hills are quite exposed. It was sunny and hot the day we went and we wished we had taken more water. The trail finally descends to the lake where it is possible to reconnect with RR. At the north end of the lake we found three areas where camping was possible. We camped more to the east end of the north shore at (-47.15964, -72.41494). It was a really nice spot with space for a large tent and another nearby, easy water access, a wonderful view out over the lake, and good wind protection for us (the winds were coming over the hill that night, not across the lake).

Day 05 - Mar 1st

From the lake we headed up the hill and walked down the road just enough to see the Refuge 130.4 from above. It was still intact, but we were very happy with our choice of campsite for the night. We took Var N for about 500m until it connected into RR at km 130.8, then started RR NOBO. It was a cloudy day, often windy. As we headed up there were caterpillars everywhere. We saw a few woodpeckers tapping away at some trees. At km 127.8 the trail connects with a 2 track road and follows it for about 1 km. The trail breaks off the road again, though it was not visible and we accidentally walked past it. By looking at the satellite later however, we could see that the 2 track road continued on and eventually connected to Opt 2A. This became relevant later. At somewhere around km 120.5 on RR we lost the trail and ended up below it. We had to climb up a steep hill and over to reconnect to the track. The [Refuge, X 118.3] site is not that nice in our opinion, though the dense trees between the site and the lake do provide decent wind protection. We had windy conditions and some rain. There is a nice beach that would be very enjoyable in nice weather.

Day 06 - Mar 2nd

We stayed at Laguna Guagua to wait over rain and high winds. Despite the weather report, the morning was calm and pleasant. The afternoon and the night were very windy. We spent part of the day map scrolling and discovered a road visible in the satellite layer that leaves the highway 13 km after Casa Piedra heading toward Chacabuco, and that then connects to Opt 2A. From the map it looked possible to walk that route and then along the road we had accidentally walked too far on the previous day. We decided that we would try to walk back to Cochrane.

Day 07 - Mar 3rd

It was a cold, windy morning, though the sun was out. The trail was generally easy to see and follow. The lack of maintenance is obvious, but enough people seem to walk it that the trail is generally visible. We found water at three points heading up to the pass (-47.11424, -72.29322), (-47.10902, -72.28838), (-47.09787, -72.28558). The pass was easy. On the way down the trail is a little harder to follow, not so much because it's hard to see, but because there are a lot of strips of bare ground that look like paths, but aren't, or at least aren't the correct one. I checked the GPS frequently and we only had two or three places where we had to search a bit. The views over Laguna Gutiérrez were really spectacular. We had sun with interesting cloud formations around the mountains, and the mountains had a dusting of fresh snow. The water in the lake was a really amazing blue. More to the west end of the lake there were places where it was possible to access the beach. It got much harder to do so closer to the east end. We found water without having to go down to the lake at two points along the lake route (-47.07573, -72.24689), (-47.07908, -72.22735), and one on the way out toward Casa Piedra (-47.07480, -72.20466). There were also some very steep, near scrambling areas that we would not have wanted to do in rainy conditions. We had actually thought of camping near the east end of the lake, but there are no trees there, just a lot of spiky bushes, and no clear path to get there. It might be possible to camp directly on the beach if the weather is calm. The weather report for the following day was rain and high winds, so we decided to camp at Casa Piedra. We were the only ones there other than the guardaparque. We stayed near one of the shelters. There was a mouse scampering around inside it so we stored our stuff in the dining hall in the lodge. When we arrived the guardaparque asked us where we were coming from and where we were going. We said we had come from the direction of Argentina and were going to Cochrane, and she didn't ask any other questions. We were able to pay for camping with a credit card.

Day 08 - Mar 4th

It was very windy throughout the night and rained a fair bit. There was sun in the morning so we were able to dry everything out before getting a late start. That made it worth paying for the camping. We walked 13 km on the highway. There was almost no traffic at all, and only one car passed that was going our direction. For the first couple of hours it was sunny in the valley with clouds all around. Around 13:00 it started raining and didn't fully stop until 19:00 that night. The road we were looking for left the highway at (-47.06902, -72.35132). It was not visible on OSM, but is on satellite. The road is a functioning 2 track road with a new looking steel cable stretched between two poles to block vehicle traffic, but otherwise easily accessible and obvious. About 500 m on the was a trailer and a structure of some sort under construction on a hill above the trailer. No one was around when we passed. After 2.6 km the road becomes Opt 2A. At km 6.7 on the Opt 2A track (-47.12185, -72.36911) there was an unmarked ford. A slow moving stream cut across the road. We looked for a way around it, but it seemed too wide to jump. It was top of the calf with very little current. 200 m further (-47.12237, -72.36619) the other end of the road we had walked too far a few days prior broke off and headed toward RR. We reconnected with RR SOBO, then started on Var N, which is an out of use 2 track road. It was actually still in good shape and was easy to follow. There weren't any fallen trees on the road, it's just a little overgrown with tall grass in some places. We camped under a tree about 100 m from a stream (-47.17391, -72.37062). We had a windless night, but just on the other side of the stream was a flat area under more trees that looked like it was better wind protected. (An important note: when leaving Casa Piedra heading west, the road follows the river for the first 3 km, then starts uphill and away from it. We did not find water again until the ford (about 18 km) and then after that not again until the stream (about 7 km). It wasn't an issue for us because it was cold and rainy that day so we weren't that thirsty, but on sunny days it would be important to take sufficient water before leaving the river as the route had very little shade along the way.)

Day 09 - Mar 5th

We finished Var N, then reconnected with RR SOBO. We camped at the same place we had camped our first night.

Day 10 - Mar 6th

We got a late start due to morning rain. We took RR SOBO (Sendero 3: Los Coigües, Sendero 2: Los Carpinteros). The route was clear, but there were several very steep parts that we would not want to do on a windy day. It was tricky enough with it being wet from rain. At km 143.9 we switched to Var T (Sendero 10: Los Ñires) and headed uphill. As we were rounding a corner, there was a huemul standing in the path about 2 m from us. It looked at us for a minute, then walked a wide circle around us to get back on the trail and head down hill. We then connected back to Var R just before El Hungaro. We passed through the wired gate and found camping at (-47.22544, -72.53908). It was a flat, grassy space in the pine trees a little off the road. It was wind protected, but there was no water nearby.

Day 11 - Mar 7th

We walked back into Cochrane. We were having lunch outside of El Rojito in town and had the pleasure to meet Jakub, Ivan and Daniel. It was really nice to meet some other GPTers along the way.

'''25-02-26 - 25-03-02/ 5 days / SOBO / RR-OH3a-OH3 / Volker'''

Very beautiful section with changing landscapes.
Water everywhere, many fords of Estero Ventisquero, all easy), navigation in the CC parts no problem.

I had a bad knee, walked slowly, shortened the section by hitchhiking/taking a bus.

Day 1: I had called Frida (+56 9 4792 9126) the day before, but she was occupied and recommended another driver (+56 9 8464 3768, WhatsApp account is „Sisterna“) and this very nice and funny man drove me at 8 a.m. for 10k eight km along the X265. At the puesto chatted with the arriero, then straightforward CC to the pass, lots of Guanakos, some condors, flamingos and various species of ducks on the lagunas.
After some stormy days no wind at all, so I camped on a pass some 500m away from the RR at S 46.693877° W 71.874276° for the sunset and the sunrise. Nevertheless be careful with the wind!
Day 2: Rejoined the RR at the indicated pass, then down to the small puesto (nobody there), had to climb a fence. After the puesto swampy and another fence. As I walked slowlier than usual with my bad knee, I went the derour (500m) to the next puesto at and asked, if I could buy any food. The very nice arriero asked me to come in and while we drank mate he buke pancitos, which he offered me with some meat. Unfortunately no food to take away. I spent quite a lot of time with him, so I was really lucky, that in the very moment I arrived at the junction with the MR coming from Chile Chico, a Conaf worker passed by with her car and gave me a ride to their check point. If you haven‘t bought a ticket in advance on the Conaf website, you have to do it now (11,5k, they don‘t accept neither cash nor cards, you have to buy it online, using their WIFI). The Lago Jeinemeni is stunning, recommend to make the 1km detour for the mirador. Camped on a nice river bank 1km before Lago Verde.
Day 3: Very pittoresque, many easy fords (2 additional shortly before the indicated one, as Rio Aviles has destroyed the path on the left side of the valley. Camped at the (destroyed) ‚refuge‘ together with two Chileans, who gave me a practical lesson in fishing.
Day 4: Easy and nice on RR down to Casa Piedra. Ibuprofen made it possible, dimming the pain in my knee. However, I had walked too slowly and during too many rests consumed too much of my supplies to continue as planned. So I waited for a bus at 16.30. It stopped for 15 min at Museo/Los West Winds; unfortunately too late for the museum, but a Cafeteria for some resupply! Sandwiches, chocolate, power bars (goes without saying, that not at supermarket prices) - and a better knee allowed for continuing. So I walked in direction of the Los West Winds camping and after some hundred meters went back into the mountains on the Las Lagunas Altas trail. Camp at S 47.127889° W 72.468457°, great spot with view on the distant ridges in the evening sun.
Day 5: The Las Lagunas Altas Trail joins the gpt OH 3a and passes by the lagunas. Without knowing the RR and other options, I very much recommend this trail! After the lagunas at the pass heavy wind and rain started, so instead of walking all the way to Cochrane, together with Thijmen, whom I met 200m after the pass, we went down on OH3 (sector Tamango) to Los West Winds, visited the museum (recommended!) and went to Cochrane with the bus at 5 p.m.

'''2025-02-25 to 2025-03-02 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, variant R,S. Leaving trough option 3,/ Thijmen Scholten'''

* I stayed in Hospedaje Rio Baker in Chile Chico it's cheap and very friendly, recommended.
* The pass/Platform very weather exposed, so check the weather forecast before you go.
* You can camp sheltered just before the pass
* Besides all the guanacos There are also Some nice oyster like stones
* I could not really find a trail on the first part but it's a easy CC at which you do not have to be perfectly on the indicated trail. Just more or less in the same direction.
* I found a truly beautiful stone but forgot it and it's at the source of water source 30.6. it's heavy but I wanted to give it to the people who would take me hitchhiking or at the park entrance office. So if you want this beautiful stone you can take it !
* Camped somewhere next to the river on the way down. Took CC shortcut to bridge at 42.7
* next day hitchhiked , pay entrance , easy walk.
* After camp valley Hermosa there were many river crossings (ankle to knee deep). Best to keep your sandals or (non gortex) shoes on and just accept you will have cold feet in the next hour.
* Camped: 100m before refuge 94.7 at an nice little windfree spot next to the river.
* 7 Laguna's trail. About 1km before end of lake and about 1 and 4km after pass are decent streams to get water from. For the rest only water from the lakes.
* Trail fairly easy to follow in forest because of sawn trunks and in grassland because one plant species grows everywhere expect on the trail.
* Trail is not maintained anymore. Therefore would be nice if everyone did some trail maintenance (remove some branches from trail, break some branches , indicate wrong trail with row of stones etc.
* Internet entell at end of the pass 111.6
* Look out that you don't miss the junction at the last lake.
* Option R: is badly overgrown with spiky Plants and seeds! I went 1/3 of the way and turned back. I would not take it
* Variant 3: is nice and clear. At Valle Chacabuco there is a very nice Museum! And a bus to Cocrane @17.00 cost 15.00 CLP.

''' 2025-FEV-21 > 25 / 4,5 jours / Randonnée / SOBO / RR > 35-02 > 35-03A > 35-03 > 35-R > RR / Pierre-Marie '''

Etape : (GPT34)+GPT35
| Meteo : soleil
| Eau : parfois difficile
| Neige : non
| Intérêt : 5/5
| Difficulté : 3/5
| Danger : chenilles urticantes, rivière

J'ai laissé ma machette à Coyhaique pour m'alléger. J'ai dormi à l'hostel Ayékan à Chile Chico puis j'ai commencé la randonnée à 9h. J'ai eu du mal à faire de l'auto-stop mais après 4 km de marche une voiture m'a emmenée au km 8. Il y a pas mal d'eau sur le plateau, bien plus qu'indiqué sur le GPS. Il y avait beaucoup de vent sur le plateau mais il faisait beau alors ça s'est bien passé. J'ai campé au km 36 mais il y avait de petites mouches qui piquent, pas super pour se laver. Malheureusement le vent s'est levé et il a pas mal plu dès 20h alors j'ai passé une nuit difficile. J'ai eu beaucoup de chance et j'ai pu faire du stop du km 45 au km 53. Très peu de voitures sur cette gravel road. Les arbres n'ont plus de feuilles car des chenilles ravagent tout dans le parc (https://laderasur.com/articulo/cuncunas-espinosas-a-la-vista-los-impactos-de-una-especie-que-ha-defoliado-miles-de-hectareas-de-lenga-en-chile/). Comme il a bien plu pendant la nuit, toutes les rivières sont en crues. C'est bien car les sentiers sont désert, mais les ford sont très dangereux. Le ranger et un monsieur du coin m'a dit que je pouvais tout franchir en faisant attention. Il n'y a pas de refuges aux km 81,8, 94,7 et 119,1. A partir du km 98, il n'y a plus de rivière, juste de petits ruisseau vaseux et les lacs bien sûr. Au km 10,4 du 35-R, le bâtiment peu servir de refuge. Il est très propre et je n'ai pas vu de rongeurs malgré la mise en garde. Le seul problème c'est qu'il n'y a pas d'eau. Il a neigé au dessus de 1000m. Je suis arrivé à 10h à Cochrane alors j'ai pris un hotel pour y passer la journée.

'''2025-FEB-16 to 2025-FEB-22 / 7 hiking days / Hiking / SOBO / RR/ Nimrod & Tamar
'''
Beautiful section! Very special for us, and we were lucky to have good weather! first part had a lot of animals. second part had many tourquize lakes and snowy mountains around+ black caterpillars. third part had pampa terrain and 8 beautiful blue lakes.

Day 1- started walking at noon from Chile Chico. There were a lot of hichhikers, so decided to walk the PR. A dog followed us and slept the night with us at camp (14.1/923).

Day 2- started walking with the dog (even though we tried getting rid of him he was very stubborn). Got to puesto (15.8/1075) and asked Claudio the settler if he would like to adopt the sweet dog, which he happily agreed to. Claudio invited us to watch him slaughter a sheep and for breakfast.
Continued walking, saw many guanacos (they make such silly sounds!), and some flamingos as well. Camped at (-46.722612, -71.904105) like Miamzelt-thanks!. Was a long day for us.

Day 3- walked to national park. Until the MR it can be a bit swampy a times- best to keep near fence for dry feet. Saw many dead guanacos near the fence - was interesting to see their anatomy but also sad because it looks like they get traped in the fence and die miserably.
On MR got a ride for last 10k.
In national park payed online for entrance fee- 11,000 each, free wifi. We asked about whether as well and figured we'll have only 2 more days until it will start raining for many days. We decided we would not want to walk in the rain and try to walk longer days then planed to try and finish before the rain and from Casa Piedra take a hitch. Walked up to valle hermoso camp site- great views on the way a few fords before the campsite- easy but cold.

Day 4- after valle hermoso many fords in the morning- more then written in gps files, easy but cold.
Lovely scenary.
Very high and cool bridge at the end of the day. Shelter 94.7 was a bit dirty, we found a nice cozy spot between the trees sheltered from the wind. About 100 meters before the shelter.

Day 5-: thought this will be our last day- but when we got to Casa Piedra we checked the wether again and no rain for the next few days! Decided to continue as planed at first. The first lake we passed had a lot of rip calafate- delicious and juicy! Slept in (-47.09768, -72.28546) as suggested below. Small stream, wind sheltered by the trees, and flat. Thank you!

Day 6- walked though many lakes. Crazy wind! A tree fell 20 meters from us right on the trail- be alert while walking for sounds of cracking trees! Maybe not a good time for airpods. Slept near the lake in camp 138.4. We later discovered that there are two wood shelters a few meters from where we slept. Was not locked and looked pretty clean.

Day 7- walked to Cochrane. Last kms where with many day hikers. Were Many comfortable places to take a dip in the lake.

'''2025 Feb 02 to Feb 14 / 10 hiking days, 3 zero days / SOBO, NOBO / Hiking / RR, Opt 6 Fachinal / Michael and Kasia'''

Quick notes: The plateau at the beginning of RR is best done in good weather, but definitely worth it; the park is beautiful, though in summer there were a fair amount of people, though less than Cerro Castillo; Opt 6 Fachinal is a really beautiful and adventurous optional route and well worth it, though in our opinion better as an exit than an entrance to the section.

CAMPS:

Night 01: -46.60658, -71.80980 (nice views, water is about 150 m away, can be semi-protected by the hill depending on which way the winds come from)

Night 02: -46.66455, -71.84387 (some wind protection from the hill if the winds come from the west, water is about 170 m away, only really good in good weather)

Night 03: -46.73523, -71.89404 (water is close, not wind protected)

Night 04: El Silencio campground

Night 05 and 06 : Camp Raleigh

Night 07 to 09: Camp Valle Hermoso

Night 10: -46.75834, -72.22028 (good water access, not that wind protected, ground is difficult to get tent stakes into)

Night 11: -46.69923, -72.22451 (some wind protection, water not close)

Night 12: -46.62948, -72.27663 (some wind protection, water about 200 m away)

WATER: water was generally easy to find throughout the section, even on the plateau

Day 01 - Feb 02

We took the bus from Chile Chico. The company was Buses Interlagos, +56 9 9038 6338. We made a reservation. There is a sign in the terminal in Chile Chico that says they leave at 09:00, but when I messaged to make the reservation they said they would leave at 08:00. It is due to regular road closures for road work, so it is recommended to message in advance to get the correct time if you take the bus. Also, the bus driver knew about a trail to Parque Patagonia, but it wasn't the GPT track, so it's good to watch the map to not overshoot. He charged us 2.000 each for the 8 km ride. The route up initially was just a road so easy going. There were multiple places to get water. At Puesto 15.8 we met Claudio who invited us in. His wife and son had passed us going the opposite way as we hiked up. We stayed and talked with Claudio for about an hour. He was very friendly and hospitable. He said a lot of backpackers go through there, some to the park, but a lot for a rock climbing area nearby. We camped at (-46.60658, -71.80980), water was a little ways away. It snowed briefly just before we set up the tent, then cleared up and was sunny for the rest of the day. The night was completely calm.

Day 02 - Feb 03

We headed up to the pass. We followed the OSM track more than the GPT track which worked well. The landscape on the way up was very impressive and we saw our first guanacos. On the plateau it was pretty windy, but as others have said, there are spots where the topography shields you from the wind and you can get a break from it. We had seen on Windy before leaving that the next day on the plateau was supposed to be essentially windless and with full sun, so we wanted to stay for the night. We found a spot that was protected from the prevailing winds which were from the west that day and had a peaceful night.

Day 03 - Feb 04

We woke up to a silent morning that was quite warm. We took the whole day to walk across the plateau, carefully observed by guanacos the whole way. They seemed to work in shifts with at least one acting as lookout at all times. We found it very endearing. We stopped at a lake for lunch and watched 8 flamingos there as well as other birds. We also came across a curious hill that appeared to be made largely of giant ancient seashells. They looked like oyster shells, and some still looked like they had bits of mother of pearl on the inside. It was just the one hill. The descent was easy, gradual and with nice views. We found camping a little below camp 32.6 in a grassy area near the stream. It was not wind protected but we had a quiet night.

Day 04 - Feb 05

We wrapped up camp quickly, just before it started raining. We went under a fence and did CC between the GPT track and the OSM track. Around km 36.6, just before where the OSM and GPT tracks join, we found a well maintained trail that was not on the map that led down to a puesto. The man who lives there, Leopoldo, was friendly. He opened the gate for us and took us to another gate close by and pointed us to a 2 track road that rejoined with the GPT track after about 500 m. On the main road to the park, few cars passed and they were all full. We had lunch at the Bridge 42.7. The Camp 42.9 looked reasonably good, but it was visible from the road, so not that private. We walked about 1 km before we finally caught a hitch to the park entrance. The park office had an open StarLink wifi network. We bought tickets, 11.400 each. Camping 53.3, Camping El Silencio, was free. Each site had a covered area with tables and benches. Water spigots at the sites were not working so we took water from the outflow of the lake next to the bridge. The caterpillar apocalypse was definitely not overstated. Live, dead, dying, they were everywhere, most ominously in some places as enormous mounds of dead ones, like something out of a horror movie. The park office had to close the main bathrooms due to them and opened a temporary one at the office. They let us charge our devices in the office overnight and pick them up in the morning.

Day 05 - Feb 06

We had a short day just hiking to Camp Raleigh. We stopped and had lunch on the beach of Lago Jenimeni. We passed several groups of day hikers on the way, but were the only ones called for the night. The caterpillars were not as bad there.

Day 06 - Feb 07

We took a zero day to wait out an all day rain event. Two other groups showed up part way through the day, one going either direction. Both intended to keep moving but after two hours of waiting and no break in the rain, they both decided to stay and move the next day.

Day 07 - Feb 08

The hike to Valle Hermoso was fairly easy. All fords were below the knee. At the last ford we went a little higher up and towards a small beach as the direct crossing to the trail marker was quite deep. Up to the pass was easy. On the way down the other side there were a few areas where it was steep and the trail was covered in scree, and a few places where the trail had been washed out, but nothing very difficult. There were some amazing views on the way down. All the fords until the camp were knee deep or below. Four other groups were staying at Valle Hermoso camp that night.

Day 08 - Feb 09

We took another zero day to wait out another all day rain event. All but one of the other groups stayed as well. The river went up about 15 cm over the course of the day and turned completely brown from all the sediment.

Day 09 - Feb 10

We had intended to do some exploration toward Opt 7 Mallin Grande because Garmin weather report said it was supposed to be partly sunny for the day. It turned out to be very cloudy with high winds and very cold, alternating light rain and some snow. The valley was also mostly covered in clouds and fog so we decided to just take another zero day.

Day 10 - Feb 11

We had good weather in the morning. We left for Opt 6 Fachinal. It was a really beautiful walk up. We were in water shoes until the first lake as there were many stream crossings. The first lake is a popular side trip from Valle Hermoso. One of the Chileans at the campsite mentioned that the valley was called Valle de los Glaciers. I'm not sure if that's an official name or just a common name, but we did see three huge glaciers, one above Ventisquero, and the other above the second lake. We passed a private refuge (-46.79249, -72.20797) that was locked, however they had prepped camp sites and an outhouse with running water, so it was possible to use the outdoor facilities if no one was there (if you use the toilet or sink, the water gate is down on the floor to the left of the toilet). It was too early to stop so we continued on. The trail around the bowl above the lake was faint but we were able to follow it. Over the pass the next valley opens up and is mostly flat. A lot of it was wetland, but we were able to find dry foot crossings by staying more on the west side. Occasionally we would come across a bit of trail and then it would disappear again. Around (-46.76362, -72.22212) where the track turns sharply east before heading north again, we switched to water shoes to cross the river. After that point we just left them on. As the track goes north again it enters a shallow canyon and we had to cross back and forth several times. We found a place to set up the tent near the stream at (-46.75834, -72.22028). A very short distance away (-46.75795, -72.22048) was a spot under some trees that was too small for an X-Mid 2, but would be nice for a 1-person tent or a smaller 2-person tent. It was fairly flat with nothing spikey and had great wind protection.

Day 11 - Feb 12

We started the day in water shoes. All the way to the pass we crossed back and forth across the stream. It was never deeper than half-calf, and no serious current. There is a really beautiful lake at the top just before they pass. There is a trail along the west side, but it was so overgrown and muddy that we just walked in the water along the edge of the lake. The pass is a low pass. Going down the other side we struggled through a lot of it. We would find what looked like a good trail and follow it, and then it would just abruptly end leaving us to bushwack for some distance before finding another piece of it. It was strange how some sections would look almost meticulously maintained and then suddenly it would look as if there had never been a trail at all. The track files were very helpful, especially since there were other trail sections that led in different directions. At (-46.69923, -72.22451) there was an abandoned puesto with a single grave next to it. We camped inside the corral of the puesto. Just before it we had passed by the second private refuge. That one did not have as good of quality campsites and the toilet was a latrine with no water. Water access was further down the trail in the direction of the first Tyrolean traverse. That last 400 m is currently marked as CC in the track files, however a trail now exists there and is very easy to follow.

Day 12 - Feb 13

We got up early to do the first ford. Water was crotch height (we're both about 165 cm) and with a good amount of current. The water was icy cold, milky and so hard to see through, and the bottom of the river had very large rocks so it was very uneven. It was one of the more challenging fords we've done. There is a second ford point listed in the track files, but we would not recommend using that point. It looks like a much easier ford, however in the far side there is a rock slide with very large rocks between it and the way to go forward on the trail. It looked to us like the area around the Tyrolean traverse was the only suitable place to cross. After the cross the trail follows the river for a couple hundred meters then heads very steeply up for a few hundred meters. Once up it was fairly easy to follow the trails, but we recommend again keeping an eye on the GPS as there were several trails, and while they often reconnected, sometimes they didn't. The second ford was just above the knee and with less current than the first, much easier for us. There was a flat area that would be good for camping on the far side. The trail then passed through open forest with a fairly clear trail, and through a few pastures where the trail disappeared. There seems to be less trail maintenance than in previous reports with a lot of downed trees not cleared. At around km 31 the trail heads downhill along a fence. There is a path that goes left to stay on the trail or goes right. We went right about 100 m and found an old puesto that has been completely broken down, but that has a nice flat area (-46.62948, -72.27663). We camped there for the night. Water was back out along the track through the fence. There was a side stream feeding into the river.

Day 13 - Feb 14

We had to use water shoes to ford the side stream as even in the morning we couldn't find a suitable place to cross dry foot. The day was warm and sunny and the trail was very pleasant. In a few places other trails showed up. They usually rejoined later. A section of the GPT track had been washed out by the river, so there were a few CC areas. Towards the end the trail passes through an area where a fire has gone through a few years prior. We made it down to the road around 14:00. Hitching was not easy. Very few cars passed by and nearly all of them were full. After about two and a half hours someone picked us up and dropped us off in Puerto Guadal.

We really enjoyed Opt 6 Fachinal and were very happy we chose to walk it. It was beautiful and had a varied landscape, and it felt very “GPT” compared to the park routes. We didn't see anyone else while we were on it. However we would recommend it as an exit since there is a lot of up and down and BB in parts that would be much easier without a full resupply. We would also recommend, if going NOBO, knowing the schedule for buses that pass along the road as it did seem that hitchhiking was not easy, and it was about 45 km or so of rather unpleasant, exposed and dusty road walking in either direction to the nearest towns. During the 24/25 season there were supposedly buses passing one direction or the other at least once during the day every day except Saturday.

''' 2025-Jan-28 to 2025-Jan-30/3 days / Hiking / SOBO / RH / Davide Materia '''

I pretty much had the same experience of MiamZelt, with same camping locations as him.
Details:
1- day. I would probably camp either a bit up than were he suggested, or a bit further down, as there are spots of grass created by dried pond, which if dry enough are perfect location for a tent, in general the location of the first camp is not ideal, many rocks and not that easy to find a spot. This mountain can get pretty windy, I would in general restrain myself from starting the section in bad weather, as even in good weather the wind is really strong, this also suggest why good care must be paid for the location of the tent.
2 trail is next to impossible to keep without gps, I doubt it even exist a real single trail. One good trick here is to jump over the fence and stay always on the right but following the fence until the gpx track and the former diverge. At that point there is a bit more of "grass-bashing" but you are getting closer to the off-track road. For the rest, I hitchhiked to the park once I reached the road and went to camping valle Hermosa, and damn Hermosa it was!!! Resting next to the river under the sun was the best moment in this section.
3 I kept following the track. Many fordings, more than the 2nd day. Luckily I restrained myself from the temptation of packrafting the river beside the trail as ~15km before Casa Piedra it gets inside canyons and becomes a deathtrap, there's a reason if Jan didn't do it by packraft, as always.
Camping Casa Piedra actually has hot shower if the stove warming up the water has been turned on quite in advance, no such luck for me...

4-The next day after deciding to not do Rio chacabuco given all the bad reports of previous years I hiked around 2 hours on the road until some locals picked me up to cochrane.

Awesome section, one I will remember for a long time

'''2025-Jan-23 to 2025-Jan-28 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Sean & Neele'''

Took the bus at 9am to skip the paved road walk.

After puesto 15.8km the gpx files are CC but there's a trail on OSM which we loosely followed to pass 20.8km, worked out well.

Very exposed and windy from 19km to 32km.

Camp 32.6km was wet, we camped about 500m further.

Got a hitch around 43.5km to park ranger 53km. Paid 11,400 each entrance.

Camp 53.3km and 61.7km have been taken over by caterpillars.

Ford 66.4km about knee deep at about 6pm on a rainy day.

Camped at valle hermosa 68.1km - well sheltered in the forest but lots of people.

Fords 68.4 - 71.6km, 79.3, 82.6, 86.2 all below the knee and easy in the morning after a rainy day.

Camped at 88.6km - slight protected from the wind.

Camped at 98.9km Casa Piedra to wait out some bad weather. 8k pp. WiFi, cooking room, warm showers.

Camped at Refuge 118.3km some wind protection but not great.

Easy walk out, camp 136.9km looked nice we debated staying but walked out instead.
Trail condition is really good after 139.1km so is pretty fast

*'''2025 Jan / 5 days / SOBO / RR + 35-06 alternative to Fachinal / Al & Bee'''

The alternative route to Fachinal is a beautiful and adventurous route, the glacier lakes are particularly stunning. However, the bushbashing part is quite demanding and time-consuming.

Day 01
Transport from Chile Chico to trailhead (X at 8.1) with Pamela. At the settler's property, we passed through a closed iron gate. Easy walking on MR to the Puesto with beautiful views of the lake when looking back. Hiked up through hills past sheep, horses and cattle to the pass. On the plateau it was extremely windy but stunning, with CC being easy due to minimal vegetation. Saw numerous curious guanacos and gorgeous flamingos on a lagoon. Followed OSM rather than GPT track. The marked camp spot was very exposed, so we continued downhill to find a relatively protected flat spot by the riverbed. Met a fellow GPT hiker which was great.

Day 02
CC down the hill to MR, encountering a fence and following a small trail to an empty puesto. Many areas were boggy. Spotted ibis and numerous other birds. Reached the road in the afternoon with no cars heading our direction. Walked to the park entrance, but the ranger station was already closed (open until 6pm). Caterpillars abounded. Walking along the shore of Lago Jeinimeni instead of the trail is often more interesting.

Day 03
Hiked on good trails through the national park. The view from the pass, which we ascended quickly, of the turquoise Lago Verde was beautiful. The caterpillar situation improved somewhat on the other side of the pass. Descended to Lago Verde and hiked up the broad river valley of Vallehermoso. All river fords were easily manageable. Weather was poor - rainy, windy and cold. After Refugio Vallehermoso, we left the RR for the optional route in a north-west direction. The valley was extremely windy at first, but we found a relatively protected campsite at the forest edge in a kind of recess of the valley (close to -46.82125, -72.17825).

Day 04
Hiked up the beautiful valley in north-west direction towards the two beautiful glacier lakes. River crossings were easy, at one the water was thigh-high. At the second lake there’s a mountain hut (-46.79241, -72.20793). Rocky path next to lake up to beginning of high plateau valley. Parts are boggy, otherwise easy CC. Potential wind sheltered campsite with flat spots at -46.76511, -072.21924. Hiked up along (and in) creek to third lagoon and the pass at 15.0 (on 35-6), lots of suitable campsites there. Hiked down from the pass into a forest. Trail finding was initially manageable but became very difficult, with the path extremely overgrown or non-existent. Sometimes there were cow tracks, sometimes broken off branches to indicate the direction. Don’t underestimate the amount of time you will need for this part. Hut at -46.69930, -72.22469 right before the first river crossing. Some suitable campsites in vicinity to hut. Crossing was easy right next to the zipline at 19.9, water about knee high. We camped at a camp without water in old corral ca. 20 minutes before second zipline at 24.0, carried water from river crossing at 19.9.

Day 05
Crossing was easy right next to the second zipline at 24.0, water was even lower than at the first. The trail continued up and down, often well above the beautiful turquoise Río Aviles, which flows through the valley, sometimes between narrow rocks, sometimes in a wider valley. The environment became drier and warmer, with evidence of past forest fires in some areas. We reached the road at the Río Aviles bridge. Initially no cars stopped, with little traffic passing. Eventually a small bus from Coyhaique heading to Chile Chico picked us up.

*'''2025-Jan-13 to 2025-Jan-17 / 5 days Hiking / SOBO/ RR + Variant L / MiaimZelt'''

I very much enjoyed this lovely section. Took the bus to skip the first 6.5km of Roadwalk. CC was indeed easy, on the way up i didn't follow the Track very closely. Crazy windy between km 19-30. Surprinsingly there were some small areas that had way less wind. Guess it should be possible to find a campspot somehow sheltered by the curves of the landscape, when you can't make it further. Camp {35} [32.6/1300] is exposed and has no shelter besides from the tiny stonewall. Camped here: -46.722612, -71.904105. Was sheltered by the valley and fits a 1 person tent, wind was ok. 100m below there is a spot which can fit a 2 person tent. While sitting in the tent 2 german GPT hikers arrived and took the spot below. I very much enjoyed their company.

Day 2 i could follow animal trails very often. Walked 4km on the road until i got a hitch. Entrance fee was 11400 for foreigner. You have to pay online, but they have WiFi. Tons of black caterpillars everywhere, gets better after Laguna Verde. Trail was in very good shape. Ford {35} [67.0/877] was up to the knees. Stayed at Camp Valle Hermoso, which is very good sheltered by the forest.

Day 3 i met no one, until i reached the camp. Trail was 99% in good shape, few meters overgrown with young beech trees. -46.89382, -72.161099 campspots with shelter from the forest. All fords were easy. Stayed at Camping Casa Piedra. 8000 per person, can pay cash or card. They have WiFi, Room to cook inside and a shower (not hot). Most campspots are sheltered by trees or buildings. Spots next to buildings were occupied by carcampers. Trees provided good protection, although 80km/h winds according to Windy.

Sendero 7 Lagunas was mostly in good to ok shape,
only in few parts the trail isn't visible at all. -47.094236, -72.286568 near pass has lots of flat space and is sheltered by the forest. Small stream here: -47.097866, -72.285581. Also flat areas nearby to create a makeshift campsite. Later the only sources for water were the lakes. Refuge, X {35} [119.1/716] is collapsed, but flat space protected by trees and bushes for one bigger tent. Water from the lake. Stayed at small flat space with very little wind here -47.140176, -72.372035 and listened to the birds.

Day 5 was mostly straight forward. Saw 2 Huemuls near the Minor Road. Lago Cochrane is a real gem. Open and abandoned huts here: -47.198091, -72.457465. There was a sign, saying danger becaus of rodents. Maybe not good to sleep in, but would be a good shelter in heavy rain. 1km later i saw the first dayhikers. Lot's of steep ups and downs at Sendero Carpinteros, but very beautiful. Got a hitch to Cochrane after 1.5km on the paved road.

*'''GPT 35 SOBO RR // hiking, hitchhiking // 4 days 1-4.01.2025 Maks & Gabi'''

Simply magical section with lots of guanacos, birds and beautiful landscapes. We hitchhiked the first 8 km and then from Casa de Piedra to Cochrane.
CC parts were quite easy and visible, later on when entering the park by Lago Jeinimeni the trail is incredibly well maintained. You can buy a ticket by the entrance because the is a wi-fi.

One thing that is worth taking into account when planning the hike, are insects - there are tons of mosquitos and quite a lot of horseflies. Furthermore the ranger (Jeinimeni entrance) warned us about black worms that are in the forests (not sure what is the name in eng). For that reason we did not sleep at the camping by the lake (see pictures), choosing a camp spot by the bridge at 50.0 km instead. It is better not to camp by the trees.
If you have a spare moment we really recommend the visitors center near Casa de Piedra as they have a really nice museum. If you already bought a ticket to the park it is free of charge.

About trail itself it's hard to say something new compare to the previous notes. There was no snow, all ford's easy to cross.

*'''2024-Nov-08 to 2024-Nov-16 / 8.5 / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Jonas'''
Day 01: 08.11.2024
Arrived by ferry from Puerto Ibanez in Chile Chico at 1430. Started walking right away. Caught a ride for about 3 km. After street, needed to open fence and door.
Dog kept following all day. Couldn't make him leave.
Settlers (mother & daughter) offered a ride but kept walking. Camp spot at 14.1 was too wet to stay there. Looked for another spot. Nothing was good, wanted to look after puesto at 15.8. settlers offered me mate and asked if I wanna pitch my tent here since it got late. Stayed close to their place. Same settler family who offered me a ride.

Day 02: 09.11.2024
Starting from the settlers puesto CC had light snow when packing my tent. Didn't follow the route exactly. On the way to the first pass, saw the first guanacos. Started snowing stronger. Didn't follow the track or the OSM path to avoid snowfields. Tried to follow the trails but not always possible. Stronger snow and windy. After the first pass went too far to the east to avoid snowfields, thought it'd be easy to come back to the trail but took a longer detour. At least saw the first flamingos! In the plateau it was crazy windy. Sometimes followed track, sometimes OSM. Often in between because of snowfields. Snowfields were not steep, just wanted to avoid them. More guanacos only on the way down. Camp at 32.6 was too wet. ~250 m further down found a protected spot close to a small river/creek.

Day 03: 10.11.2024
Woke up late. Water in pot was frozen about 1 cm thick. Walked down, saw a lot of bones. Followed not the OSM track. Crossed the fence relatively far to the west. CC walking was nice. Maybe as others mentioned there is a path sooner if you cross/stay further east. Hit the dirt road and walked to the main dirt road. Already afternoon. First Pick Up stopped and gave me a ride to the park entrance. Didn't book the ticket before. You can book it at the CONAF station with their WiFi for the same day. 11.400 CLP for the entrance. Camping is free. Walked to camp Raleigh (about two hours) and found a nice spot there.

Day04: 11.11.2024
Short day. Started late, trail easy to follow. In the beginning keep left if other trails are there. First fording section is well marked in the track files. Keep your shoes off until Ford Stop. Climb to pass is sometimes steep but easy. Climb down is ready with stunning view of Valle Hermoso. Some parts with some rock slides. After descend two rivers to ford. Until camp Valle Hermoso some stretches in wind protected first in the river bed, some stretches in open river bed. Easy to follow. Camp Valle Hermoso has two roofed areas.

Day 05 12.11.2024
Started from camp Valle Hermoso. If you keep south you can avoid all the fords. At least at this time of the year.
Trail is easy walking, landscape is stunning! Did a detour to Laguna Escondida. Nice and windy up there. To get there keep close to the track files.
Only needed to take the boots off for the ford at 79.3. The rest was easy to navigate around or enough rocks/trees in the river.
Camped at refuge 81.0 at the broken down cabin.

Day 06: 13.11.2024
Easy walking all day. Trail was easy to follow. Needed to ford once.
The bridge at 90.9 is something if you're afraid of heights.
Arrived early at Casa Piedra. Could use the infrastructure including warmish water. Since I said I won't pass the ranger station it was fine without paying.

Day 07: 14.11.2024
Trail is easy to follow. Lago Gutierrez looks amazing and quite windy. Some beach walking off track is nice. After Lago Gutierrez the trail is mainly easy to follow. Checked the GPS every now and then. Climb to the pass takes some time. Filled water up at a stream at the end of Lago Gutierrez. There was on running stream in the middle of the stretch to the pass. Not sure if it has water all year. Way down is through a beautiful forest. Nice views of the valley along the way. Some trees on the path but easy enough to climb them or walk around them.
Stayed at the collapsed refuge. Enough wind protection even though it was quite windy.

Day 08: 15.11.2024
Trail was easy to follow in the forest. Outside the forest check your GPS when you think you might be off trail.
Water in the beginning mainly from the lakes, later streams existed as well. Took the MR on the RR easy fast walking, no GPS checking necessary. Settler at 138.7 wasn't there passed by his house and followed the RR on a horse trail. Camped at around 142 at Lago Cochrane. Beautiful lake with clear water.

Day 09: 16.11.2024
For the last 12 km it was easy to follow the trail. Quite some up and down. Nice views on the lake. Arrived the CONAF office at lunch time. Did a self checkout. Stayed in Cochrane for two nights before the next bus to Villa O'Higgins left.

Really nice hike! Due to the time of the year I only met one other hiker. It snowed a bit in the first days but not too much. Trails were generally easy to follow. Fording was not too much, might be different at another time.

* '''2024-Dec-14 to 2024-Dec-18 / 4.5 / Hiking / SOBO/ RR + Variant J, L / Roman'''

Route: Hitchhiked from Chile Chico to X {35} [8.1/505]. Hiked to X {35} [41.5/768]. Hitchhiked from there to Park Ranger {35} [53.0/843] and hiked from there to -47.244414, -72.529165 and hitchhiked from there to Cochrane.

Started in the Morning in Chile Chico and and started hiking at X {35} [8.1/505]. It's a small easy hiking road up to Puesto {35} [15.8/1075]. It's easy CC. I camped at Camp {35} [32.6/1300]. The next day was a easy hike to X {35} [41.5/768]. I was waiting 25 minutes for the first car to come by which picked me up around 11:30 AM - so prepared to either walk or wait quite some time. At the Ranger Station (Park Ranger {35} [53.0/843]) is fesh water, a toilet. There you have free internet via starlink. I have heard multiple stories and read multiple prices for entry. I would recommend to just show up. You will scan the QR code and buy the ticket online. I said that I hike to "Casa Piedra camping". I had to buy the ticket "Parque Nacional Patagonia - Sector Chacabuco" for 5.200 CLP. Link here: https://tickets.pasesparques.cl/events/parque-nacional-patagonia-sector-chacabuco . From there i hiked to Camped at Refuge {35} [69.0/867] there are multiple fordings (river bed walking) which had a few banks and tables and a shelter hut. The next day hiked to Camp $, Refuge {35} [99.8/379] (Casa dePiedra). The Camp has electricity and a warm (not hot ;)) shower and toilets and 3 rooms with benches and tables for cooking etc. I was staying there with 2 other people and the Ranger. Apparently the Ranger doesn't collect/want money - i/we didn't needed to pay. There is Apparently a lady coming from time to time to collect a fee - so we were lucky. The trail was maintained and easy to hike. At the beginning there was some fording.

The next day I camped at Refuge {35} [131.2/556] which is only a emergency shelter but has some flat spots to pich a tent. The trail is not maintained and is sometimes very good or not visible at all - you need you GPS! Overall good easy to hike with some fallen trees. There is a bridge at -47.160823, -72.407796 also with water which makes the Refuge a great place to say. Picture of bridge https://imgur.com/a/ZydIQ7f and Refuge: https://imgur.com/a/NDMT0FP . After that it's a easy hike all the way to -47.244414, -72.529165 where I hitchhiked to Cochrane. I haven't camped there but this location looked like the best stay you could get in the trail here: https://imgur.com/a/rtak82Q. -47.198106, -72.457406 close to Camp {35} [138.4/173].

Stayed at Camping, Refugio ,Cabaña y HostelCochrane which i can highly recommend (camping 7k, dorm 9k, laundry 5k and a supermarket across the street)

Contact: https://linktr.ee/RundW

* ''' 2024-Dec-13 to 2024-Dec-17 / 5 days / GPT35 SOBO RR / wiiiim
Relatively uncomplicated & fast section, lots of info exists so just a summary here. In essence it feels like 3 parts

- part 1 Chile Chico to the park entrance: mostly cross country over a barren plateau with lots of animals. I arranged a taxi out of Chile Chico to skip the first 9km of road walk at 7am for an early start - Alexis +56 9 7971 5823. Surprisingly lots of water on this section.

- part 2 Park entrance to Casa de Piedra, park fee is 11400, very easy going, well marked trail, lots of water

- part 3 Casa de piedra to Cochrane, somewhat overgrown, less water, mostly from the lagunas so good to have a filter

I took the bus from Cochrane to Villa O’Higgins, it runs every Monday, Wednesday & Saturday at 8:30am (returning the next day), it’s a small publicly funded bus (8400 pesos) with about 25 seats, they typically want you to buy a ticket in person in Cochrane in the bus terminal upstairs (I believe the company is Gardy?), I got a ticket the afternoon before and it had 5 seats left.

* ''' 2024-Dec-12 to 2024-Dec-14 / 3 days go and back / GPT35 SOBO option 1 by car and Regular Road with a little part of option D and OH-CC-A-{35-06} to the first laguna/ Julien Mamari

All the way to the Releigh Camp is really easy and try with bridges.
Into the Releigh Camp and the 3rd camp you have 2 rivers to cross with the Gloria pass but it's really easy with sandals... Water to the knees maximum (on my time)
If you go to the first Laguna (option 6) on the right sise of valley better beguin on the left side for around 1km then you have obligation to cross and the best its to keep always on de right side, it's dry.

* '''2024-Nov-07 to 2024-Nov-10 / 4 days with one day of rest at home of Daniel “Huemul” / GPT35 Regular Route SOBO from Kilometer 100 to 150 / Sendero 7 Lagunas / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

This scenic route inside Parque Patagonia is officially closed due to lack of trail maintenance but still easily traversable. As we entered from the north we did not speak with any Conaf personnel and learned about the closure when exiting this route in Cochrane.

The GPT track file 2024 precisely documents the official route of Sendero 7 Lagunas from Kilometer 37 to Kilometer 5 (GPT35 Regular Route) where the Regular Route connects on other trails to Cochrane. Note that the OSM data is in large parts incorrect. OSM is showing a now partially overgrown and less attractive routing on disused trails and minor roads. So all topographic maps based on OSM data are unreliable in this respect.

About 30% of the trail is clearly visible, about 60% of the trail is vaguely visible and 10% of the trail are invisible as trail. There is just a trail mark every kilometer but no other visual aids to follow the official trail. This makes frequent GPS verifications essential. Without a GPS and without the correct tracks loaded to the GPS hikers get inevitably lost numerous times and it would be very time consuming to find the correct trail just based on visual references. But with a GPS it’s easy to stay on the trail.

There was no snow left on the 1126 m high pass.

In the forest numerous fallen trees block the trail but there is always an easy way around.

There are no noteworthy river crossings and the trail is dry. Water can be obtained regularly at smaller streams or at the lakes.

There are numerous potential camp sites except from the northern trail head and the 1126 m high pass. This northern end is mostly wind exposed with very little shelter to pitch a tent.

* '''2024-Nov-02 to 2024-Nov-05 / 4 days (but 50 km hitchhiked) / Hiking / SOBO / Option 4 (Ruta RP41 in Argentina) / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

This option provides an alternative to the weather-exposed regular route of GPT35. Therefore this option should be considered early or late in the season (October, November or April) or whenever poor weather makes the regular route of GPT35 unsafe. This option is east of the Andes main mountain chain in Argentina and the clouds that typically come from the west unload most snow and rain while crossing the higher peaks in Chile. Anyway, the maximum altitude of just under 1500 m should not be undermined. Up on the pass area, weather can become unpleasant all year around.

This road walking option is certainly not as attractive as the regular route but the insignificant traffic and the scenic scenery makes it a worthwhile hiking choice. The landscape is that attractive that one tour company in Los Antiguos offers guided excursions along this route.

This option connects back to regular route of GPT35 at the trailhead of “Sendero 7 Lagunas” that becomes also traversable early in the season (October or November).

Route description:

The border crossing from Chile to Argentina is a 13 km hike or hitchhike as there is not organized public transport. Argentines rarely check luggage of backpackers, therefore bringing all supplies from Chile should not cause problems. Don’t be surprised when Argentine border controls don’t stamp your passport on entry. It’s not any more a given, that all travelers with passports receive an entry stamp when crossing into Argentina.

Before starting on RP41 consider a good meal in Los Antiguos.

The first 43 km on RP41 from Los Antiguos to Estancia Los Alamos are wind-exposed and dry. We were lucky to ride most of this stretch on the back of a pickups truck. From the road we could only see one more reliable water source at kilometer 39.5. And descending 100 to 200 m into gorge of Rio Jenimeni just to refill water supplies seams an ordeal that should be avoided.

The owners of Estancia Los Alamos are welcoming and helpful. We were invited for lunch and offered a bed for a night. But to get moving we opted to start hiking in the afternoon.

Estancia La Frontera at kilometer 46 of RP41 just after the bridge over Rio Zaballos seams also to offer accommodation on request. And here starts the more scenic part with patches of forest and more regular water streams crossing the road.

At kilometer 54 of RP41 by-passes are welcome to camp just next to Rio Lincoln. Here we spend our first night.

At kilometer 64 of RP41 the last patches of forest are left behind and exposed but scenic landscape is crossed.

The highest point of RP41 (“portezuelo”) is reached at kilometer 76 with just under 1500 m. The last snowmelt washed a part of road away stopping currently most transit traffic but hikers and bikers can cross this damaged road section without problems.

While walking from Rio Lincoln up to the “portezuelo” the wind and the light snowfall increased. But compared to the weather in Chile at the same time our conditions where quite manageable. The lack of wind-sheltered places keep us moving to kilometer 79 of RP41. Here, an unlocked puesto with a wood stove provided a surprisingly convenient shelter for our second night en route. We just had to seal some gaps in the walls to reduce the wind and snow from entering our temporary refuge. When getting up on the next morning a thin layer of fresh snow covered everything around us.

The descent to Paso Roballos at kilometer 96 of RP41 traverses open but scenic landscape with little natural shelter.

The best places to camp after the pass are:
Kilometer 79: unlocked puesto
Kilometer 87: maybe near puesto at 47°06'47"S 71°50'00"W
Kilometer 96: the crossing to Paso Roballos 2 km before the Argentine border control

At the Argentine border control camping is not permitted.

When exiting Argentina make sure to get an exit stamp. This stamp is required to enter into Chile.

Another good option is the abandoned Chilean military post 4 km after the Argentine border control. Most buildings of this small compound are sealed closed but one shelter is open and one mostly closed veranda provided good shelter for us for one night while rain and snow made pitching a tent less pleasant.

The Chilean border control is 11 km inland from the border.

From the Chilean border control it’s another 26 km to the trail head of “Sendero 7 Lagunas” with a brilliant camp site halfway (“camping alto valle”).

* '''Note:''' The RR was changed between Lago Jeinemeni and Lago Verge in October 2024, so numbering of options in the reports below might be slightly off.

==Season 2023/24==

* '''2024 Mar 14 to 2024 Mar 19 / 5.5 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR / Maddi and Tom'''

Day 1: Hiked out of Cochrane after lunch in light rain. Hiked up Sendero Las Aguilas then Las Lengas, easy trail and well defined. Rain got heavier as we approached Laguna El Cangrejo. Camped on the west side of the lake, started snowing lightly as we set up. One of the colder nights and we considered turning back and taking the lower route as we weren't sure how passable Laguna Altas would be in the snow.

Day 2: Woke up to a snowy morning so decided to wait it out in the tent. Packed up once it stopped around 11am and followed Sendero Los Condores. Luckily had a bit of sun as we went over the pass but as we were coming down the other side the rain and wind picked up. Abandoned our plans to hike the Lagunas Altas circuit and instead followed it straight down to Westwind campsite. Sat there for a bit hoping to see a puma but only guanaco in sight. Hiked towards Valle Chacabuco hoping for a hitch but no cars came past. Kept walking along Paso Roballos trying for a hitch, eventually a couple from the UK picked us up and dropped us at Casa Piedra. Spent the night there and got a hot shower which was excellent after all the rain and snow. Didn't end up paying any entry fees for the park or the camping as noone asked.

Day 3: Got up fairly early to overcast day but no rain. Followed the eastern branch of the Sendero Aviles which was clearly marked and easy to follow. The bridge over the canyon is fun to rejoin the west branch of the trail. Kept following the track along, easy going until you hit the river bed and then there are many crossings back and forth. We did a bit of dodgy scrambling up the banks to avoid getting wet feet. We were going to push on but it started raining lightly about 4pm so we set up camp in the trees along the river. Another group joined us later that night as it was raining heavily and it was the first flat and clear spot.

Day 4: Started along the track, excellent views as you pass Cerro Jeinimeni. Fairly easy track down to the next river, followed by a lot of walking in the river bed. Gave in and just walked through the water to Lago Verde. Crossings were never really over ankle deep. Track around Lago Verde is fine to follow with excellent views. Very windy as we got over the pass and the path down is quite eroded (but manageable). Hiked around to Raleigh. There is a new suspension bridge over the river at Raleigh that connects to Sendero Laguna Esmerelda. It isn't marked on Gaia or Maps Me so a group behind us went around the other way and had to do a hip deep river crossing. Going via Raleigh and Sendero Esmerelda avoids all river crossings and is an easy track to follow. Hiked all the way to El Silencio for the night, noone there so didn't pay any fees.

Day 5: Started the hike out along the road hoping for a hitch but no cars went by. Headed up the plateau following a minor road, then relying on GPS and animal tracks. Lots of guanaco. Kept hiking up the hill as the wind picked up. Found a camp spot somewhat out of the wind towards the top of the plateau with a small river passing by for water. Started snowing as we went to sleep.

Day 6: Woke up to a few cms of snow on the ground and tent and started a very frosty walk up and over the plateau. Lots of guanaco around but not much else other than snow. Luckily the sun came out as we were coming back down the other side as it was freezing up the top and was difficult navigating with the snow cover. Once it cleared we had awesome views of the Torres de Avellano and the lake. The descent track is pretty eroded and very slippery in parts where mud is hidden under small stones. Eventually joined up to the minor road and followed it down to Ruta 265. I had a weird phenomenon with my shoes picking up enormous amounts of sticky mud on the minor road, making my feet a few kgs heavier and having to scrape it off every 100m. Got a hitch to Chile Chico from Ruta 265.

* '''2024-Mar-12 to 2024-Mar-17 / 4 + 2×0.5 = 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + OH D + F / Joscha'''

Day 1: RR [0.0-16.7]

I startet around 2 pm and did not try to hitch the first 8 km on the primary road. There is a good flowing stream at the water marker (km 12.2) and at the camp (km 14.1). The flat spot that is camp 14.1 is swampy and therefore not ideal for camping. I camped at -46.60658, -71.80980 which is at least a little bit wind protected. There is also a stream on the other side of the RR close to this spot.

Day 2: RR [16.7-48.2]

There was plenty of water. The RR was covered in snow from about km 23 to 28. I took a CC shortcut from km 40.8 to 42.7. I camped at -46.810258, -71.965073.

Day 3: RR [48.2-59.1] + OSM trail to Laguna Verde + OH35-D + RR [62.4-88.9] + OH35-F + RR [70.3-78.9]

The park gate at km 50.1 is open from 9 am to 5 pm. But the ranger didn't mind, that I entered before 9 am. I paid 17000 Pesos at the ranger station (km 53). This fee allows camping at all the Campgrounds in the park. I followed the official park trail which branches off at km 59,1 to Laguna Verde. From there it returns via OH35-D to the RR. All fords today were below my knees. After km 75.5 the RR was partially flooded and you had to walk through some branches. Therefore I sometimes walked in the river bed on the eastern side of Rio Aviles. I camped at km 78.9. Its an official campground of the park, but there is nothing. But its flat and wind protected.

Day 4: RR [78.9-106.3]

The roof of the refuge at km 93.9 is collapsed. Casa de Piedra is a real house with bathrooms and some common rooms to hang out and probably sleep. I camped on the lakeshore at -47.074614, -72.25701. I would not recommend this spot for windy nights.

Day 5: RR [106.3-137.6]

The next reliable water source after Lago Gutierrez (km 106.3) is a stream at km 113.8. Its possible to camp just south of the pass (km 110.8). I did a shortcut from km 129.1 to 130.3. I had to cross a small swampy area for that. Camping at km 137.6 is nice.

Day 6: RR [137.6-150.4]

Nice campsite at km 146.0 (RN Tamango) with sheltered tables and spots for camping. I stayed at camping calafate in Cochrane (-47.254013, -72.568419). It has a kitchen with common area (heated by wood oven), wifi and hot showers for 7000 pp.

* '''2024-Feb-24 to 2024-Mar-01 / 6.5 days / Packrafting / SOBO / RR+RP / Lauren & Seb'''

Much has been said about this section, so we will share only our impressions.

Day 1: After reaching wp Settler {35} [8.9/539] by taxi in the early evening, we hiked a short distance and camped at wp Camp {35} [14.1/923]. On a windy day it’s basically unprotected in a narrow valley. There was no wind that day, making it a spot with a great view.

Day 2: Upon reaching the plateau, it felt like a guanaco/flamencos safari as previously described. To get up there, you have to CC on one manageable steep stretch. Follow the dotted line in OSM relatively far to the left and not the GPT files. We camped north of wp Water {35} [28.1/1579].

Day 3: We headed across the pass and amazing views opened up before us. On the downhill, follow the GPT line until you reach a fence. Go through the fence on the left end and follow the fence line towards wp Puesto {35} [34.6/1191]. From the side of the puesto, you can easily follow well trodded horse tracks along the fence line until -46.75064, -71.89899. Follow the trails along the river towards the south until you hit the MR. We stopped for the night at wp Camp {35} [42.9+0.2/713].

Day 4: Cars did not appear until after 10am but we eventually got a ride to the park entrance. From here, the more touristy part begins. Once inside the park we decided to walk the MR around Lago Jeinemeni and only inflated the packraft at Lago Verde. This was an absolutely great paddle on the most turquoise waters and we were lucky with the afternoon wind. We stayed the night at Refuge {35} [68.1/867].

Day 5: The next part has lots of fording so expect slow progress. We left our crocs on for the next 3 km. Well marked trail through the forest and across the pass. On the other side, however there is a new official route which starts here -46.87696, -72.17213 and requires more fording. The old trail still exists and no fording was necessary. Stick to the GPS here if you want to save time taking your shoes off! The rest of the way down the valley was enjoyable and we stayed the night just before wp Ford {35} [82.6/805].

Day 6: Easy hiking down to Camp Piedra where we stayed and camped early.

Day 7: We started paddling Rio Chacabuco the next morning, but I would advise packrafters against doing so (at least in the late season). Conditions of the river included low water levels with frequent ground contact and many trees in the water. The river splits often, making the already low water even lower and obstacles in the tightly winding corners become even more tricky. First time that we hit a tree since we are on the GPT. As if that wasn’t enough, wind picked up early and forced us out of the water. We decided to water-out here -47.05177, -72.29040 and hiked up the road, where a car took us towards Cochrane after 2 hours.

* '''2024-Feb-27 to 2024-Mar-04 / 5.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR - {35-S} - {35-D} - RR - {35-J} - RR - {35-L} - RR / Lilian & Rainbow '''

Safari = GPT35, we saw foxes, bunny, flamingos, ostrich, owl, woodpecker, and more than 100 guanacos at this section!

We standing at the end of town more than 1 hour and found that it is really difficult to hitch out by low traffic. So we go to tourist information ask for help maybe a ride, a man at there said he can take us to x[8.1/505] for 10k CLP, but lastly he just took us to the junction at km5.9, and said he don't want to drive on a non paved road, then don't wait us to respond and throw our backpacks out from his car immediately, and ask for the money.

So, DON'T ask any ride in tourist information at Chile Chico, they cheated our trust.

Km12 : flat spot (-46.57669, -71.82779) can fit some tents at other side of a stream, the stream is flowing good and dry feet crossable by rock hopping.

Km12.75 : viewpoint(-46.58294, -71.82549) of a valley with sky blue colour, super beautiful, don't miss it!

Camp[14.1/923] : grassland spot, a small stream is flowing low beside it.

Km16.6 : flat spot(-46.60658, -71.80980), have some covers can stay away from the wind tunnel in valley at north.(wind from north)

After this spot, no more camping spot or flat spot have wind protection until camp[32.6/1300]. Wind is crazy at the plateau.

Camp[32.6/1300] : tiny wind protection from a rock wall, just fit 1 tent for it. Better wind protection nearby camp[42.9/713].

Short cut CC from 38.2 to 42.7, it doesn't save much time, better follow GPX track, MR is completely finished and super easy to walk. It also walk beside some beautiful meadows that are nice to camp(no wind protection).

Camp[42.9/713] : spots at a wet muddy road. Better spots nearby at (-46.79053, -71.91127), dry and 2-3 sides wind protection by bushes, can fit many tents there.

Didn't see any cars going south at morning, so road walking all the way to entrance. 11k CLP for entrance fee, 6k CLP for camping fee, total 17k CLP, can pay by credit card.

Camp,$,bridge,lake[53.3/852] : El Silencio campsite and Lago Jeinemeni. This campsite is a little bit crown with car camping, and the lake is amazing beautiful!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND walking on the shore of lake from km56.65 - km57.75(from the junction of viewpoint, to the point that trail met the beach), easy, dry feet and excellent beautiful!

Bridge[58.9/856] : after this bridge, follow south route ( {35-S} & RP{35} ) to Lago Verde, then take the bridge(-46.86056, -72.07982) to cross the river. Lastly follow {35-D} rejoin RR. Dry feet.

Lake [59.2/840] : Laguna Esmeralda. Didn't find any camping possibilities. Better views at trail.

Refuge[61.7/856] : beside Laguna Esmeralda, a super blue lake. This refuge is not a cabin, just a shelter with 3 side wooden wall, good wind protection, but I'm not sure about heavy rain, because i saw many holes at the wall. Better camping spot with views beside the lake(not much wind protection).

Ford start/end[63.4/896] : late season, all the way easy dry feet crossing, walking on log or rock hopping.

Pass[64.5/1132] : no camping spot here, the spot shown on OSM, is already covered by many blowdowns. Nice viewpoint(-46.84093, -72.10324) of Lago Verde just SW of here.

Ford[66.1/877] : better river crossing point at (-46.83741, -72.11991), there is a sign at another side of river. Below knee, easy.

Ford[66.4/859] : river breaks into some parts, below knee, easy.

Refuge[68.1/867] : shelter with 2 walls, nice weather protection. Refuge with 4 walls, but huge air tunnel at ceiling, so just wind protection. A sign book inside refuge too. Camping spots at here can fit lot of tents, mostly have some wind protection, but not much, because trees are too tall, and just 1 spot behind a blowdowns have well wind protection.

Fords[68.4/869] - [71.6/905] : lot of river crossing, some trail can go around the river, but not much help and they are overgrown, so finally you need to be crossing and crossing then wet feet.

Km74.7 : camping spot(-46.87204, -72.17630), can fit 3-4 tents with some weather protection by the forest. Have a shelter made by logs here, can squat 1-2 hiker inside for emergency, but not much help, because it is really small and too many holes on it.

Km75.7 : camping spot(-46.87886, -72.16954), can fit 3-4 tents with some weather protection by the forest.

Km78.9 :camping spot(-46.90498, -72.15591), and some more spots nearby, total can fit 4-6 tents with some weather protection by the forest.

Ford[79.3/846] : Below knee, easy.

Refuge[81.0/819] : no refuge, no shelter. Camping spot with views can fit 2 tents but no protection.

Ford[82.6/805] : Below knee. Camping spot(-46.93485, -72.15869), can fit 2 tents with not much weather protection by the bushes, before the crossing.

Km83.3 : camping spot(-46.94089, -72.15600), can fit 2-3 tents with some weather protection by some trees. Also one spot at south but not much protection.

Km84.7 : camping spot(-46.95268, -72.15123), can fit 1 tent with some weather protection by some brushes.

Km88.6 : camping spot(-46.98397, -72.15988), can fit 2 tents with weather protection by some trees and brushes. Flat area nearby can fit many tents with good views but no protection.

Bridge[90.9/635] : classic bridge! Worth to take a look and walk on it!

We took {35-J} instead RR here, because less puds, also walking on a plateau looks like more scenic.

{35-J} Km5 : viewpoint(-47.03902, -72.19077) of the whole valley, very beautiful! Don't miss it!

Camp,$,refuge[98.9/379] : Casa de Piedra campground. Have some shelters with picnic table for cooking, and a refuge with hot(warm) shower, toilet and some tables for meals. If you decide to camp here, please expect sleep late. This spot mostly are campers and tourists. They'll speaking and cooking until 10 or 11 or midnight.

You can take a shuttle form here to Cochrane(30k CLP per person) or Camping Los West Wind(15k CLP per person)

Time schedule: 9am Cochrane - 9.45am Museo, 10am Museo - 10.15am Camping Los West Wind, 10.30am Camping Los West Wind - 10.45am Museo, 12noon Museo - 1pm Camping Casa de Piedra, 4.30pm Camping Casa de Piedra - 5.15pm Museo, 5.30pm Museo - 6.30pm Cochrane

Start from here, the trail is not maintained anymore, but still in good condition.

Km103 : Lago Gutierrez, amazing beautiful lake, have some minutes i thought back to Norway again.

Km103.85 : a small stream(-47.07911, -72.22738) flowing good with clear water, easy to collect.

Pass[110.8/1126] : some fresh snow remain at here.

Km112.45 : emergency camping spot(-47.10718, -72.28893), the ground is a little soft, but is flat and some wind protection, can fit many tents here.

Km116.9 : Laguna Guagua. Camping spot(-47.13350, -72.30170), can fit 2-3 tents with some wind protection from west by bushes, SW of the spot have a side trail to lake. BUT, DON'T go for {35-02A} back to RR, it is completely CC and BB with spike plants, not fun. Better CC climbing up to RR from camping spot directly.

Refuge,X[118.3/716] : no refuge, it is collapsed. The woods becomes a super small shelter here. If you lost your backpack, crawling inside maybe can save your life. Otherwise just for photos snapping function.

From here to km125.0, you will walk beside 3 lakes, didn't see any wind protection camping spots there, but if you have good luck at a no wind night, you maybe find some spots at the last lake.

Km125.0 : road walking start. Flat spot with some wind protection on the road can fit 1-2 tents at here too.

Km125.9 : junction of RR and {35-L}, because the road is too easy to walk and follow, we completely miss this junction and walk a long time then realised RR is a different way, so we keep going on {35-L} and rejoin RR later.

{35-L} km3.6 : a small stream(-47.17383, -72.37063) flowing good with clear water, easy to collect. Flat spot can fit 1-2 tents after the crossing.

We walked the whole way{35-L} and rejoin RR at km130.8.

RR Km132.4 : flat spot(-47.17220, -72.42231) can fit 1 tent at the end of lake. With some wind protection by forest.

Camp[136.9/162] : can fit 2-4 tents with weather protection by forest, but if the wind is come from south, it is not much help. Excellent views on the beach.

Camp[137.6/173] : can fit 2-3 tents with wind protection from east and north by trees. Excellent views on the beach. Just beside a port, looks like can take a boat to here.

Km138.3 : camping spot(-47.20064, -72.46718), total can fit 3-5 tents at several stage, some spots have good wind protection by trees and bushes.

From here to km146.0, lot of up and down beside some cliffs (maybe slippery in rain), but it is a trail with lot of amazing views, we are really enjoyed it.

Km139.77 : a tiny stream(-47.20803, -72.47813) flowing good with clear water, easy to collect.

Km141.73 : side trail to viewpoint(-47.21986, -72.49280) and cell service for Movistar.

Km142.15 : flat grassland(-47.22231, -72.49623) can fit 4 tents just beside the beautiful lake, some wind protection by valley itself.

X[143.9/244] : cell service for Entel(-47.23128, -72.50780)

Km146.0 : RN Tamango campground, some shelters for cooking, large arae for camping, hot shower and trash can, 7k CLP per person.

Km146.5 : the last flat spot(-47.24353, -72.53067) before Cochrane, some wind protection by brushes, can fit 1-3 tents with nice sunrise, you can arrive there by a clear trail beside ranger station, the trail is shown on OSM map.

Cochrane :

Lot of accommodation, markets and restaurants, and 2 outdoor gear shops.

230g gas canisters, power bank, chargers and tent stakes at Supermercado Melero(-47.25386, -72.57414).

Sunglasses, micro spikes, snow shoes and some clothes at La Ruta 7 Patagonia(-47.25591, -72.57320).

Sleeping bag, tents, boots(just 1 trail runner), socks, base layer, warm clothes and pants at Kalfu Patagonia(-47.25474, -72.57018).

Clothes at Vansy(-47.25417, -72.57431), not a outdoor gear shop, but some sporty clothes and pants for a low price at here.

Some campground and lot of indoor stays at Cochrane. The only hostel is Camping, Refugio ,Cabaña y Hostel(a long name) (-47.25446, -72.57497). And most of the rooms here include breakfast(without kitchen), 20k CLP per person. The only one we found with kitchen(but no breakfast) is Casa Raíces Hostal(-47.25113, -72.56848).

Bus terminal to Coyhaique, Villa Cerro Castillo, Villa O' Higgins, Chile Chico, Puerto Rio Tranquilo and Tortel at (-47.25137, -72.57317).

Tourist information(-47.25439, -72.57283).

I recommend La Martica(-47.25112, -72.57266), local restaurant with nice food in a good price.

* '''24-Feb-17 to 2024-Feb-22 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, Variant L / Tomáš & Natalie'''

There were several hitchhiker groups out of Chile Chico so we took a taxi (990250968) to the settler at 8.9 for 10,000 CLP. Nobody was there, but there is a locked gate so it would not be possible to take a taxi further up. For pedestrians, there is an unlocked door. One can shortcut the first zigzag of the road thereafter and several others, it is open terrain. We camped in a dry lakebed (for windprotection) about 1 km after the first pass. Despite strong wind in Chile Chico and a forecast of wind gusts over 60km/hr, the night was largely peaceful with just one hour of wind. The plateau has terrain features and it seemed to us it is not that impossible to camp there, but maybe we were just lucky.

The next day was like a safari, lots of animals and little wind. Pawprints on lake bed turned out to be a big dog and not a puma according to the rangers though. Going down from the plateau, it is possible to shortcut the GPX track to the SE and end near the puesto at 34.6. Trail starts above the puesto but is not so easy to follow and the GPX does not seem to be the most precise. It is advisable to take a CC shortcut to bridge at 42.7 as mentioned by Adrien Kunzli: about 1 km before the end of MR 38.2, veer right aiming for a black outcrop on the mountain on the other side of the valley and you will pop out above the bridge. We got lucky and got a ride at around 16:30 to the parkoffice. We paid 15000 CLP only for one person - they forget to charge the other one. They were friendly and told us the weather forecast. We did not get any receipt or pass though. Walked two hours to campsite Raleigh, there were two other foreign tents there. The new trail is technically the old "laguna Esmeralda" (RP 59.2) trail with a new bridge, so keep left to avoid fords, combined with variant D it seems preferable to RR even when not intending to camp [November 20224: this is not RR].

From Raleigh, the first fords were possible to cross without fording thanks to logs and stones. The next valley is indeed beautiful, especially Lago Verde. There were about ten tents but no people near the refugio at 67.6. Tomáš tried to go around the second fords through the forest on the left and he eventually reached variant F, which exists but partially goes through a marsh and does not avoid fording anyway: it is pointless, just ford. Initially the start of the fords seem like a marsh, go around it from the right through the river, it is a nice riverbed thereafter. Rio Aviles was kneedeep and ok. Ford 71.2 is mighty - go downstream about 200 m, it splits and is easy there (there is a cairn in the middle). We camped at a camping site marked on OSM about 2 km further down from there. There is a place for one tent about 20 m from a creek. Very nice spot. Having a headstart to people starting from the park office, we only met three groups of foreigners all day.

Variant J does not avoid any substabtial fords, water at 96.1 is easily jumpable and the river is bridged on both J and RR.
Casa de Piedra is a nice spot with resident guanacos (and some tourists). Tomáš had a hot shower! We were asked for our passes - we explained we were not given them and it was ok. We went on. The Siete Lagunas trail is surprisingly in a rather good shape. It is little used but not much overgrown and generally easy to follow, needing a GPS only occasionally. Tomáš liked it tremendeously. Did not meet anyone on it.

We slept near the pass next to a marsh. It rained most of the night but stopped before morning, luckily the trail was not too wet the next day. The first stream after the pass is very weak (not flowing if not raining?); it flows from the marsh by which we slept and is about 500 m after the pass waypoint. The next stream is about 1 km further down, it had more water. After that, water is only in the lakes. Tomáš cleaned a lot of the logs and branches from the trail, if you can spare a moment, please do likewise. We could not see any traces of option 02A or option K. We took option L near km 129.9 - we were confused by other reports because we thought people were taking the much longer part of L that follows a MR. RR leaves the Siete lagunas trail at the end of option L after 29 km. The trail probably goes to Valle Chacabuco. [OSM has Variant F and L marked as "Sendero 7 Lagunas", this is wrong. Variant K looks to be indeed CC and variant L looks to be an unnecessary detour on a MR (overgrown and with logs at first when RR is on this MR - when you cross the MR again after four km on RR, it no longer looks that overgrown). November 2024: OSM has been corrected.] On L, one can easily take a CC shortcut from top of the hill to MR. We found two shortcutting trails to the MR. We met Daniel who was coming back from cutting invasive pines with his chainsaw, he had a friendly and humorous attitude. Camped at the lake at the wind protected camp.

The night brought surprisingly strong wind and rain - try to camp deeper in the forest. We followed a faint trail tracing the shore of the lake instead of CC 137.6, in the middle of it there was an apple tree that will be ripe in March probably. Did not meet anybody until the viewpoint above the lake that says "signal Movistar" (we have Entel, which has a sign 2 km further on but it did not work, just wait one hour until Cochrane proper), from then on, there were daytrippers. CONAF had a lunch break so we passed unnoticed. Cochrane as a town is ok.

Nat's Notes:
The Bulk shop in Chile Chico (Güenta Emporio) is not open on weekends, they have weird hours and sometimes need to call before; Andrea +56 9 9540 1708. I recommend the hospedaje Rio Baker, 15mil pp which is the general price here.
The plateau
- Besides Descabezado, this area was one of the most visually interesting sections for me. I haven't had that much fun taking photos in a long time. At first the guanacos scared me a little, I felt like I was surrounded by ninjas, eventually I warmed up to them. A good place for a zoom camera.
-For me the going was slow, besides being tired and equipped with rash-covered feet I found the navigation tricky. I kept aiming for the wrong pass because there are many rolling hills. However I found things got better near and after pass km28.8.
- Water in the plateau is still frequent. If one wants to camp as close to the plateau as possible (SOBO) I suggest this spot:-46.62397, -71.81920. Also there is a nice grassy and fairly sheltered spot near water km23.9: -46.66437, -71.84393 and a big flat grass patch at water 30.6. There is a huge boulder for wind protection if needed here; -46.65469, -71.83997. In the valley bottom near the puesto, there are less/no camping spots. I did not like all the dogs at puesto 34.6, so I purposely avoided it.
- When finishing the plateau section, I filled up on water at the last stream that wasn't the main river here: -46.72842, -71.89633, as I didn't think we would get a hitch to the park office.

Sendero Avilés
- The descent from pass km64.5 is nothing, just a bit of dirt dust that makes traction hard. The only part on this track that I would worry about safety-wise (apart from the two river crossings) is a new steep traverse 2ish kms after pass km74.1: -46.88996, -72.16428. I decided to throw my bag down 5m instead of walking down the "free fall". (Alternatively you could ford rio Aviles twice.)
- The series of mini river crossings were all fine, there is a nice water source before pass km74 in the forest once you finish all the fords, it comes from a waterfall not far away.
- Near the end I took Variant J bcs I thought it avoided a river crossing (no rivers to cross but RR doesn't either). If you do this option I recommend still going to the hanging bridge at the X of J and RR bcs it is a fun and unique bridge!
- Cassandra at Case Piedra was nice and easy to get along with.

Siete Lagunas
- The water we took from the marsh was probably the grossest water I have had to drink, lots of algae and oil, I filtered and boiled. (The second stream was much better.)
- As noted the trail is not hard to follow at this moment, only a handful of times I lost it. That being said it could be because we were walking near the end of the season and therefore it was obvious where ppl had been walking (pushed down grass), I think it would be a lot harder at the beginning of the season. Another bonus was that most spikees were gone.
- Near to camp 136.9, there is a water source. It is at the end of the beach, 200-300m west of camp. There are two or three more water sources on the first part of the trail but after the look-out, there are no more.

* '''2024-Feb-6 to 2024-Feb-11 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + option L / Yannick & Nolwenn & Tess & Lukas'''

- Trail condition : really nice overall // the trail is sometimes overgrown and easy to loose from km 113,5 to km 122, so just keep an eye on the gps
- Water : easy to find plenty of rivers and lagunas
- Camping spot : we camped at km 32,6 and it was a bad idea, too exposed and we got snow and a lot of wind during the night, would really recommend to go down more // we camped near the lago Gutiérrez at km 106,15 there is place for 2 tents
- Weather : windy, sunny, snow, rain
- River crossing : easy
- Resupply : in Chile Chico (a bulk shop just opened in front of the camping Nandu) // in Cochrane everything you need
- Entrance fee : for park Patagonia 11 000 pesos per pp + 6 000 pesos for camping per pp
- Overall : really nice section, we were happy to encounter 3 huemuls

*'''2024-Jan- 18 to 2024-Jan-24/ 7 days/hiking/SOBO/ 35/ 35-02a( from 47.1567357S, 72.4154650W)/ 35-02 ( from S 47.12123, W 072.46099) /35-03 ( from S 47.11712 W072.48494)/35-03c ( from Laguna El Cangrejo)/35-03d/ 35 from Lago Cochrane/ Paulina'''
Long, beautiful tour in Parque Patagonia, as I mixed different variants, it allowed me to see all the divercity of the park. Almost no people, a lot of guanacos, a really beautiful section!

Day 1 The way from Chile Chico to Lago Jeinimeni. I was prepared to walk all the way, but as some cars stoped and it was a very hot day, I took a lift ( I have walked maybe 8 km in total ). I stopped at 46.7304997S, 71.7415019W, to do the loop of about 7 km in the first reserve of Jeinimeni. The entrance is paid 6000 CLP but the ticket is valid later, at the main entrance at Lago Jeinimeni ( the next 2 days). It's really worth to walk on this place. The rock formations are amasing. It takes about 3h and you can leave your backpack at the park reception After that, another car stoped and took me to the main entrance of Lago Jeinimeni. The views from the road are really scenic, it's a pity not to walk some parts of this road, lucky my car was old and slow so I could admire the views.

Day 2 From Lago Jeinimeni to the refugio and camping at 46.8406732S, 72.1409082W. The first part of the trail to Portezuelo La Gloria is rather easy, it stays mostly in the valley, the ascent to the pass is not very difficult and rather short. On the way down from the pass there are some steeper moments and there are some places where the trail is distroyed by a kind of stone avalanche so you have to find your way thru the stones. Amasing views on Laguna Verde. Once you are down at Laguna, there are some fords, when I was there, the highest one was till knees.

Day 3 A lot of fords all the way in Valle Hermoso, there were all easy to cross. Also, you can't clearly see the path but anyway, you have to follow the valley. Sometimes there are signes so you will always find the way. This day, the only a bit more difficult place you can find around S 46.89032 W 072.16461. Going SOBO it's a steep descent, it's very short but steep. Can be dangerous after the rain. Later the views on the canyon on Aviles river became really amasing, it was for me one of the most beautiful part in all the park.

Day 4/5 I had 6 km till Casa de Piedra ( there was a tiny spot for one tent with a stream at this distance) and I started the part Siete Lagunas. At Casa de Piedra I asked the ranger if the trail was walkable and he confirmed that it was ok and I could go. But, as the others already mentioned , the trail is not maintained anymore. Till the end of Laguna Gutierrez it's rather easy to find the way without gps, but later, there are some places where the path is not at all visible. With trail on gps is not very difficult to find the way, but without this, can be very difficult to follow this trail. There are also a lot of fallen trees, some BB. If they do nothing, I think in 2 years the path will completely disapear. But it's a beautiful trail, wild, you meet nobody, a pure and intacked nature. Just take enough water, the first day of this sendero the water was at Lago Gutierrez and later about 1h after the pass.

Day 6 Instead to continue on RR I went to Valle Chacabuco to discoverer also this sector. I started with the trail Lagunas Atlas. Well marked, beautiful, various views, it was the most frequented part of the park, but still I can't say it was crowded. Beautiful camp on Laguna el Cangrejo.

Day 7 The views on Lago Cochrane are really amasing. The landscapes and the vegetation are in this part different than before.

To conclude, I did not encontered really difficult places on this long hike. As I walked through all sections of the park, it allowed me to see all the divercity of the area. Except maybe 3 h in Valle Chacabuco, I did not really meet people in the park. It was a beautiful section! In Cochrane, you will find a lot of shops where you can find everything you need for next section. There are several campings ( I liked a lot Camping Lorenzo not crowded, nice place to cook with gaz, friendly owner, spots with twin protection

* '''2023-Dec-28 to 2024-Jan-04 / 8 days / RR / SOBO / Roshi'''

I hitchhiked from Chile Chico to X{35}[8.1/505] and did not see the settler at El Ciprés. It was very windy and I decided to cross the plateau at midday which was maybe not the best idea. The cross country I found very challenging and the extreme head wind across the plateau was in relentless. Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed the amazing landscape and the challenge, although a less windy day or starting earlier would have made it more enjoyable. I camped close to Camp 32.6/1300 at a dry spot and the next day followed the fence down to the road and walked to the Park entrance at Jenimeni. The park rangers told me of an alternative route to the start of the Avilés trail to Casa de Piedra and gave me some maps and info, they were very friendly. I paid 3000 pesos for park entry. I camped at Valle Hermoso which lives up to its name and then did a day hike to the glacial lake leaving my tent at the Refugio Valle Hermoso and following Estero Ventisquero or part of OH-CC-A {35-06} After packing up I then hiked a couple of kms down to a next campsite (there are a couple of established places to set up your tent on the way to Casa de Piedra). From Casa de Piedra I followed the Site Laguna's trail which was overgrown and difficult to follow and navigate and for me probably my least favourite part. The kms are marked but you really have to follow the GPS me there aren't many places to pitch if you don't feel like hiking anymore. I think going down into Chacobuco (which I had done previously) would have been nicer. I loved the Lago Cochrane and Tamango reserve the views and colours were amazing and the trails very easy to follow and not very busy. I got a lift into Cochrane halfway from the entrance but the road walk is not long anyway and I was not actively hitching.

Annoyances were horse flies but I got good advice to "out Zen" them and to be honest once you let it go and enjoy the views and being in nature generally they are easy to deal with. Just don't stop between 2 and 8 PM ;)
And from Jenimeni to Casa de Piedra is lots of river crossings so just accept wet feet :) and try do river crossings in the morning especially on hot days ( esp Avilés) Be safe and sensible obviously!
I would have maybe even liked to stay longer on this part of the trail, there were lots of little day hikes and alternative routes I'd have loved to explore, but I didn't have enough food. It's a beautiful part of the world, enjoy it!

* '''From 2023-01-15 to 2023-01-19 // 5 days // Hiking // NOBO // VARIANT P + OPT3 + OPT3A + RR + VARIANT J + VARIANT I + VARIANT D + Sendero Laguna Esmeralda (no variant on that one yet) + RR // Quentin Clavel'''

From Cochrane, I thought it was sad to go straight along the Lago Cochrane without checking what's going up there, and have a view over the vallee Chacabuco. So that's what I did.

I just took the beginning of Variant P, you have to pass threw a gate saying "no passar" then you have to bifurcate to the option 3 (tamango) to reach the pass between vallée tamango and chacabuco. Very nice views. Then instead of going down into vallée Chacabuco, I went straight, and continue on the sendero de las siete lagunas, wich is an old track, sometimes hard to guess, so check the GPS, but mostly easy to folllow (you still have the mark every kilometers).

Really loved the colours at the end of Lago guitterrez !

Main difficulties on the section are these horrible horseflies, and the no less terrible little spiky plants that stay sticks in your shoes and socks.

Then you reach casa de piedras. I took the variant J to don't have to put my crocs for the river crossing (yeah, I'm a lazy walker aha).

Then follow the river until the vallée hermoso, wich lives up to its name. And at this time it's just a mix between walking and crossing rivers. No need to ask, I putted my crocs on aha !

The pass up to Lago Verde was steep but the view so outstanding and the colours .. same amazing colours on Lago jeinemeni !

Didn't stayed at, but the Raleigh camp is very nice if you may choose a camp around !

Second part of NP was CC, and that was so cool ! Just have the directions and go straight to this point. Passing from mountains to others, surrounded by an unnumerable number of curious guanacos !

Hardest part is to deal with the strong wind during the ascend and at the highest point. And the descent is quite unstable, stay close to the GPX tracks, I tried to shorttrack but it led me down to slippery slopes, so I had to backtrack to find again the GPX.

Then it's 15 km down to reach Chile Chico (8km on the asphalt). Settler wasn't angry against me and saluate me kindly when I passed threw his land.

Very nice stretch. Very diversificate, great landscapes, wildlife. I loved it !

And about the entrance fees, It was not my intention, but I haven't paid for as I entered by variant P which is not a porper enter. And haven't seen any guardaparque at all.

* '''2023-Dec-30 / 1 day / Packrafting / SOBO / Option 10 C / Tom Pieper'''

I attempted this option as an alternative starting point for section 36G. Hitchhiked to the bridge of Carreterra Austral over Rio Chacabuco. I scouted rapid {35-10C} [2.3/121] from 100 m above and it looked feasible. This was not true when I approached on the river after entering just before the bridge. The rapid was impassable (late afternoon) which brought me into serious troubles. The canyon is pretty steep here and there is no way back. It was not fun to climb the steep slopes cliffs to escape the 100 m deep canyon. Its really dangerous. The rapid is pretty hard to investigate from above. I would recommend to only go later in the season and only in the morning or at least with company.

* '''2023-Dec-21 / 8 day / Hiking + Packrafting / SOBO / RR + Option 10 + Old and new tracks to Administration Parque Patagonia Valle Chacabuco / Tom Pieper'''

Most have been described by Kris and Stina. The plateau and the entire track is awesome. After the kind Arriero at the puesto {35} [15.8/1075] (actually its his house) I found it a little bit tricky to find a good route first but then just ascended and found a nice cross country route. Camped before the plateau. There are nice spots just before 1400 m, after that its just rocky until you descend to the Water {35} [23.9/1586]. Camp {35} [32.6/1300] was a little bit swampy. Found a better spot 300 m south. Try to be early at the road if you want to hitchhike. I was lucky and got the last car passing at 14.00 to the park at day. On the 25/12 the park entrance (but only the entrance) is always closed! Keep in mind if you come around christmas. At the park entrance you must disinfect your packrafting gear due to Didymo algae. I could not packraft lago jenimeni and verde due to wind but its still stunning. Between Water {35} [75.5/937] and Ford {35} [79.3/846] there is a approx. 3-4 steep bluff. I felt really uncomfortable with my heavy backpack as a lot of erosion happened to the steep ‘steps’. Maybe exploring an additional bush bashing route is feasible here. The ford was rather deep and could be a problem for shorter persons but I crossed in the evening, so in the morning it should be fine. Collapsed Refuge {35} [81.0/819] makes a nice camp spot. The other forts were fine. Stayed one night at Casa Piedra were I met Tobi and Fangwen and spend dinner and breakfast together the next day. CONAF first denied to packraft Rio Chacabuco due to conservation reasons, but after I mentioned that I came along all the track with my gear and rangers et sector jenimeni they were fine with me going on that river. The river is a bit unspectacular. I left at the River Out {35} [119.8/277] and I followed the old trail/road to Park Ranger, Refuge, Camp {35} [123.2/263]. There is a new picknick hut and I spend the night in there with a spectacular view of the valle chacabuco to the rims of campo hielo norte. The next day I continued the old track right side of the river (not in the GPT track files) until the bridge {35-10} [4.7/265]. Track is still in good conditions and occasionally used by the horses and guanacos there. A wonderful hike with massive views. I than continued on the CONAF trail (also not in the GPT track files) to Park administracion at Lodging $$$ {35-03} [1.9/340]. Would not recommend the restaurant. 65 $ for a 3 course meal but nothing fancy. Better spend for dinner in Cochrane. But for a post hike drink at the bar it is a lovely place and staff is kind. Also liked the museum and stayed the night at the campsite approximately 2 km away. The puma still seems to be there occasionally. Next day I hitchhiked out to Cochrane.

* '''2023-Dec-18 to 2023-Dec-23/ 5.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Stiina & Kris'''

Got a taxi for the first 8 kilometers of the roadwalk. Nobody present at the farm where the dirtroad starts to go uphill, gates easy to get through, friendly dog. We hiked just 6km and made camp by a stream.

The next day passed the puesto at km15.8, owner seemed friendly and waved. Slowly climbed up to the plateau, lots of water everywhere, very few snowpatches en route. Perfect day - not much wind. Saw lots of guanacos, hares, flamingos. Moving cross-country was ok throughout. Climbed a few barbed-wire fences. Finally found the dirt road, hiked to camp at km42.9.

In the morning hitched a ride to the park entry with a ranger. We had no online booking as we didn't know when we'd arrive, they had us make one on site. Super friendly guys, said that there is currently fewer visitors than normally at this time. The route between Rio San Antonio crossing and Camp Raleigh has been changed, partially new trail built; follows mainly the Lago Esmeralda trail. There is now a brand new hanging bridge over Rio San Antonio right next to Camp Raleigh, avoiding all the needless crossings.

After the camp there trail seems new in places, but then resorts to many rivercrossings again. The way up and down the Puertozuela La Gloria is steep and loose. After Lago Verde there are a million more crossings until you turn South. Here the trail is not much maintained, lots of fallen trees. The next 25km to Casa Piedra the trail is a bit harder to see at first but then gets much better. The guy (not a ranger) at Casa Piedra informed us that the Siete Lagos trail is closed but couldn't say why. It's definitely overgrown in parts, lots of fallen trees - need to keep track on the gpx at all times. After settler at km135.2 the trail has been recently maintained and bushes cut.

For photos and stories, you can follow us on Instagram: @smallfootprint_bigadventures

==Season 2022/23==

* '''2023-Mar-31 to 2023-Apr-06 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option J / Martin & Helena'''

We enjoyed this section a lot, especially with all the beautiful autumn colors in early April and basically without people until the last part before Cochrane. PN Patagonia closed some sectors on the first Monday in April, so we were the last ones to get a permission and do this section ‘legally’. Be prepared for this if you want to do this part in April or later. The problem is they close Casa Del Piedra and probably won’t let you pass to that sector from Lago Jeinemeni, where the entrance stays open for longer time. Sneaking around the guards house early in the morning or just not be specific about your plans might work if needed, its very unlikely you would meet anyone on the way from the main entrance.

Just like others we found the plateau between km 20-28 very very windy. Definitely don’t count with camping there. We found a good spot right after the secound pass, aprox. 500m down the hill where you can find a wind protected place. The descent down is a little slow but with nice views, guanacos, horses.. simply amazing. Once back on the road, it’s not too far to the PN entrance where we met a guard, but fortunately were able to get a permission as described above. The trail from Lago Jeinemeni was one of our favorites. All the fords were easy, but expect quite slow progress in the CC parts. We camped in a forrest at km 81 where is a destroyed refugio but still a good spot for camping. The rest of the trail to Casa Del Piedra is again straightforward and the landscape is somehow more dry. We didn’t cross the first bridge but went with the J option which turned out to be a good decision as we met a xx of guanacos that let us come really close to them. Closed and locked refugio still provides a good shelter, but when open it must be a perfect stop in the middle of this long section. Water was turned off as well but there is a stream behind the house.

We spent the next night on the beach of Lago Gutierrez where is enough space to build a tent - bushes around the trail are otherwise very thorny and sharp. After the ascent to the pass was a good stream of water, probably the last place to safely take unfiltered water for the next couple of kms. The trail from there leads around all the lakes and is nice and easy. We spent the night in a refugio at km 134. This one was the only one standing from what we have seen and its a good shelter when it rains, however we decided to stay in our tent anyway. You can make fire inside. Closest water is actually the one in a lake uphill, the stream on the other side of the path was very dirty and hard to gather anyway.

From there its a one more day until the finish with a good pace. We haven’t met the settler Daniel, but he’s definitely still living there. Beautiful beach of Lago Cochrane and from there we started to meet more and more tourists, doing just a day hike or some circuit around the lake - might be a good option as well in this beautiful region. The last kms felt a little long for us as we were looking forward to have some rest and enjoy all the fun in town. At the official campsite were a few people but no one asked us about anything. There are nice toilets and shower. From there its around 30m to Cochrane. Good to remember they celebrate Easter holidays in Chile as well, but we still managed to find some shop and bakery open.

Contact: @martin_hanzelka @helenneka

* '''12/03/2023 - 18/03/2023 / RR SOBO / Jakub+Veronika:'''

Doing section 35 was due to closure of the Patagonia NP caused by heavy rains with helicopter rescue of several tourists from Valle Hermoso quite complicated, we did walk all we could in Tamango reserve and later (when it was opened) in Chacabuco valley. Be sure not to miss the museum. It's really worth it. The northern part was opened as the last one, that's why we've skipped it and hitchhiked back to Caretera. All paths in great condition. When going from Tamango to Chacabuco there's one suggestion:

It seems that on RR (35, km 141) ends new 11km long track ”Huemules” which starts at the parking in Chacabuco valley on RP (35, km 132.5). That trail might be a nice alternative to RR (mud road) leading over private land of settler David Huemul.

*8.02. - 05.03.23 / Anna & Christopher / SOBO, Chile Chico - Cochrane

We started in Chile Chico around 5 pm walking the first km on the road. After a while we got a ride to the Bahía Jara cross and camped a few hundred meters further near the street (we carried water from Chile Chico).

The ascent to the plateau is mostly easy dirtroad walking and the last CC part easy to navigate. The whole stretch on the plateau until the street at km 41.5 we had extreme wind, which made walking super tiring and nearly blew us away a few times. We found a tiny and steep, but wind protected place to set up our tent at around km 28 in the ridge dug by the river. We had to get a bit inventive to set it up and to be able to sleep properly there. There were almost no other places that were protected by the wind until you get off the plateau. As almost all previous entries say, it's better to camp off the plateau. But it's really worth doing it because you can see Guanacos and flamingos on it :)

When we reached the street at km 41.5 we were lucky and a car passed by a few minutes later, which brought us to the entrance of Parque Patagonia. We payed 15k CLP p.p. and walked to the camp Raleigh at Lago verde. There are some sheltered places to set up the tent, with an unfamiliar amount of people for the GPT. Lago Verde is beautiful though.

The next day involves lots of river- and stream crossings and it started to rain not particularly heavy, but after some hours we were completely wet. Therefore the rivercrossing at km 82.6 was really hard for Anna (1,63 m) but we managed by inertlocking our arms and doing it step by step slowly. After that the trails get really good and you can walk way faster. We camped at the unofficial camp site at km 84.7.

We had good weather the next day and the trail was really good until Lago Gutierrez. Up to the pass the trail gets a bit worse with some navigation issues, but you always find a good path again. As the others wrote there are only some tiny streams within the first km after the pass until the next Laguna, so we filled up our bottles there and camped somewhere in the forest soon afterwards once it started to rain again.

The next day there were still not too much water sources and we fetched the first water at the first Laguna which wasn't super easy to access. The trail until Lago Cochrane wasn't in bad condition neither. We also took Option L, which follows the 'regular' siete lagunas trail. The stretch from Lago Cochrane until the Conaf office at the end of the lake is absolutely amazing with great views of one of the clearest lakes in the world. We camped at km 145.7 and took a bath in the lake.

The last 8 km to Cochrane went super fast on an easy trail until Conaf and 4 km road walking to the town, so happily we could escape from the starting rain.

* '''20 to 24 of February 2023 / Silke & Hans / Loop - Fachinal -> Chile Chico'''

We didn't do the regular route, but read about an intresting loop starting in Fachinal and entering the normal route at Valley Hermoso. We then continued along the regular route to the entrance at Laguna Jeinimeni, and back to Chile Chico. The first 3 days from Fachinal we didn't see any other hikers, but it was pretty clear why. The trail was completely overgrown, full of fallen trees and a lot of the time there is no trail at all. But we managed our way through pretty good, and is was an awesome alternative to enter the Park. We recorded our GPX for others, waypointed some POI's and added some photo's to it: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/114121493

DAY 1 / 18km / +740m /
Although we heard of a bus to Fachinal from Chile Chico, nobody really appeared to know any information about it.. In the terminal the people we spoke said there were none. So we started hitchhiking the following morning. But after 3-4h of no luck we went back to the terminal, and all of a sudden there was a bus leaving at 11:30. 10.000 pesos pp, a little expensive but being unsuccesfull hitchhiking we took it. We had lunch at the turnoff, and starting hiking around 13:00. The first part is on a clear double track, but soons turns into a clear singletrack. We took the wrong intersection twice (waypointed on our GPX). We camped right before the first big river crossing. There is one steel cable, so if you bring a harness you could tiroller across.

DAY 2 / 22km / +1100m /
First up, we crossed the river. The water level didn't seem a lot lower than the day before, and at the deepest part it was about halfway our thighs. After taking another wrong intersection and backtracking, we reach the second river crossing. Again a steel cable is provided but the crossing was pretty straightforward, and the water level was only slighty above our knees. Just across the river is a an old cabin, and then short after a very new refugio (locked, used by a trekking agency). The trail gets super dense after this, climbs steeply on the mountain side and dissapears completely on numerous occasions. After the climb it flattens out, opens up and you reach a laguna. After the laguna it's the easiest to just follow the river bed down to the open valley floor (possible sheltered campsite in the forest). Follow the valley floor to another amazing laguna where you can camp near a second locked refugio.

DAY 3 / 14km / +440m /
We started the day with a side-trip to a mirador looking over the glacier high above. Takes about 1,5-2 hours return. We then packed up camp and headed for Valley Hermoso. You pass another beautiful laguna and follow the river down to the main valley. Lots of river crossing here. We camped at the Refugio Valley Hermoso, arriving earlier than expected.

DAY 4 / 15km / +200m /
Very short and easy daytrip to another laguna. About 3 hours return. We just chilled the rest of the day.

DAY 5 / 36km / +830m /
Final day along the normal route to the entrance of Laguna Jeinimeni. The day started off with some heavy rain for a couple of hours, but all the river crossings were still very doable. We arrived at the entrance around 13:00, and there was no sign of anybody leaving soon. So we decided to continue hiking untill we could find a ride along the way. We ended up hiking an extra 19km before finally a car was willing to take us along. There is an established campsite at the entrance for 3000 pesos pp.

* '''19 to 24 of February 2023 / Will / SOBO, regular route'''

Not too much to add on this one. I had a good time but the section felt long.

On the way up to the first plateau there were a few somewhat sheltered places to camp past the puesto. I camped around km 19, just before the last steep climb up to the plateau. Lots of streams around there.

None of the river crossings went above my knees, after a dry week.

I liked the detour up to the Lago Jeinemeni mirador. I also took variant I out and back to a glacier lake, I'm less sure whether that was worth it. I couldn't find any real trail, it was nice easy cross country walking through the woods followed by some open rocky ground. The glacial lake was cool, but not as spectacular as some of the ones I've seen in other sections.

I camped at the casa de piedras and took a luxurious warm shower. The ranger said you're supposed to pay at the office in valle Chacabuco, but since our route doesn't go there she just let me stay for free. She also said that sendero de siete lagunas (our route) was closed, but that I could do it since I had my gps and satellite communicator. She made it sound tough/dangerous though it turned out to be fairly quick trail.

Not much water or campsites along the siete lagunas. There's a nice campsite at the tip of the pencil lake just after the (still intact!) refugio at 133.9.

* '''2023-Feb-12-19 / NOBO / RR + Option 35-L / Ondrej and Bara / Cochrane - Chile Chico / 7.5 days'''

We really enjoyed this section! We went from Cochrane to Chile Chico. Our favourite parts were the descent through Valle Hermoso and the descent on the cross country section to Chile Chico. We spent 7.5 days on this section, taking a relaxed pace and including a half day break.

We only had to pay 9,000 CLP per person entrance fee at the Cochrane park gate (sector Tamango). We then showed the pass three days later to a ranger at Casa de Piedras and he let us go. The final checkpoint for us was the CONAF park exit/entrance at Lago Jeinemeni. The ranger there didn’t want to see our pass at all, he just asked from where we hiked (we said Casa de Piedras).

Some details: - Starting from Cochrane, the trail is easy walking up until km 144.9. As you leave Lago Cochrane, the trail is harder to follow. Fortunately this lasts only up to km 138, where the trail becomes easy to follow again. We camped next to the refuge on km133.9. The refuge has a good roof and can serve as an emergency shelter. There is no good water next to it though - we needed to climb the hill to the laguna to refill. - From roughly km 125 to km 99, the RR follows the old Siete Lagunas trail, which is not maintained anymore. Expect some fallen trees and slightly overgrown parts but the trail is beautiful and easy to navigate in general. - We took Option L to cut some overgrown road walking as recommended by others. We really liked it. - We camped next to the destroyed refuge at Laguna Guagua (km 118.3) and really loved the place - there is an amazing pebble beach at the laguna. - If you don’t want to camp at Casa de Piedras, there is a place for a small tent and a stream at roughly km 97 (-47.07463, -72.20439). We camped there. - The river crossings in Valle Aviles and Vale Hermoso were maximum to our knees. The deepest one was at Lago Verde (km 66.1). However, the river levels can change rapidly when it rains the days before - do check the weather. - We camped at the eastern shore of Lago Verde (km 61.7; campsite Raleigh) and really loved it - it has picnic tables and a spacious cooking/eating shelter. - We hitchhiked the part on the road between km 53 and 41.5. Few cars go by but the hitch was easy - we stopped the first car. - The cross country section from km 41.5 is very different from the rest - semi-desert like and lots of animals. We saw llamas, flamimgos, condors and hares (among sheep, cows and horses). - Between km 38 and 33 the path goes along a fence. We had to get over the fence once (we scrambled below it without problems). - If you are going NOBO, expect stunning views of the General Carrera Lake and Torres del Avelano when coming from the last pass (km 20.8) down to Chile Chico.

A ranger in Casa de Piedras wanted to prevent us to walk the RR NOBO from Casa de Piedras to Valle Hermoso. He claimed that route is closed now as the rivers are too high to cross. To avoid conflict, we said that we will only do the “loop trail” which is basically the RR from Casa de Piedras up until the bridge where the RR joins Option J. The Option J is then used to return back to Casa de Piedras. When doing the loop, we met several hikers in the opposite direction who confirmed that all river crossings are fine. In light of this we decided to continue on the RR and indeed the deepest ford was to our knees. Therefore if faced with a ranger claiming that the rivers are too high, we suggest to start with the loop trail (rangers should be okay with that) and get more info on the river levels from the hikers going the opposite direction.

*2023 last week January NoBo (6 days but could have very easily been done in less) / Helen and Craig + (Caro, Ali and Gabby)

>Such lovely camp sites. Beautiful places to stay the night the whole way around

>Very very easy trails. River crossing section isn't bad at all and the Valle hermosa lives up to its name.

>1st and last camp site particularly lovely

>Keep eyes peeled for pumas! I would have easily missed the sighting if I hadn't been looking the right way at the right time. They were super close. 10m or less away. Two cubs outside the refugio at casa peidra. Not where they are commonly seen in the park at all Aparently around west winds camp they are more commenly seen.

>Museum in the middle of the section worth checking out. Very visual and quite hard hitting environmental museum

> Can hitch easy enough to Chile Chico but leave last camp early in the morning. There's often a driver with a 4x4 who drives hikers in to the park and will take you back for 10,000p/p. Hikers who were a few hours behind us had no luck hitching as demand can often overtake spaces.

* '''27 of January to 1 of February 2023 / Véronica & Zach / GPT35 RR SOBO / 5.5 days '''

Route: Chile Chico - Lago Jeinimeni - Valle Hermoso - Casa de Piedra - Lago Cochrane - Cochrane

What a beautiful and diverse stretch of the GPT! I hiked half of this section with Zach, up to Casa de Piedras at km 98.9. We were unable to get a hitch out of Chile Chico, so we ended up walking the road to where the trail begins. No navigation issues, but the entire cross-country section to Río de las Nieves (waypoint at 42.7 km) is very exposed and was very windy when we crossed. We ended up camping at the water at 23.9 km, but the wind blew very strongly all night and I was worried it might take my tent. If you can, it is better to camp off this plateau unless the weather is calm. Lots of guanaco trails to follow :)

At the CONAF office at km 53.0, we each paid 9,000 clp for entry to the national park, plus 6,000 clp for passage/camping along the trail to Casa de Piedras in the Valles Hermoso and Aviles. Beautiful trail the whole way, popular and well-maintained, with cairns and markers to follow. There is an awesome shelter and camping area with picnic tables on the eastern shore of Lago Verde, at the end of Option D. In my opinion it was nicer than the popular refugio in Valle Hermoso (km 68.1) that everyone talks about.

We had no issues with fords, except the one at km 82.6 which flows into Río Aviles. It was the end of a warm sunny day, so the flow was quite high and strong. Had I been on my own I would have camped on the north side and waited till morning to cross. However, this time I was able to cross by linking arms with Zach as he is much taller than me and was more stable in the current.

At Casa de Piedras, Zach and I parted ways as he wanted to packraft down the Río Chacabuco. The ranger at the Casa told me the Sendero de las Siete Lagunas (which begins at km 99.5) was no longer maintained. This is true, there were stretches in the desertlike brush that were hard to follow, and I checked the GPS frequently. Generally it was better when the trail went into wooded areas. I also found this trail to be dry — the only water I found was the water from the lagunas and a tiny trickle about a kilometer south of the pass. Lots of spiky plants that get stuck in your socks and shoes. I took Option L to cut out some overgrown minor road walking. It's sad that this trail is being neglected and left to be swallowed up by nature, because otherwise it is quite scenic.

The horse trail that goes from the puesto of Daniel Huemul (km 143.3) to Lago Cochrane was also rough and overgrown. Everything gets easier once you reach Lago Cochrane though, nice, maintained trails all the way to Cochrane with beautiful places to camp along the lake.

* '''GPT35 / Yannic & Mirjam / 2022-Dec-13'''

Much is already detailed below, so we will keep it short

1 day: from Chile Chico to the entrance of the National Park. We camped one night before the pass at S 46.61639 W 71.81632. Water right next to the camp. Pass is very windy.

2 days: from the National Park to the Refugio. Nice refugio with small house where you can make a fire inside to dry things. From the Refugio to Casa Piedra is possible in one day. But it is a long day with many kilometres.

2.5 days: Casa Piedra to Cochrane. Leaving Casa Piedra, after a few hundred metres the trail leaves the Minor Road and enters the trail (where there is a large stone marker). The trail is officially closed and partly in bad condition. There are many fallen trees on the trail, some of it is overgrown and not completely clear. We therefore checked the GPS regularly. We took OH-TL-V{35-L}, which saves a few kilometres of (overgrown) minor road.
We spent one night at Laguna Guagua (Refugio is completely destroyed) and one at Lago Cochrane.
When we left the national park, no one was at the office. We therefore simply went through...

* '''GPT35 Variant P, Option 3, 3C, 3D / Meylin Ubilla, Jan Dudeck / 2022-Dec-12 and 13 / 1.5 days'''

While waiting in the village Cochrane for our friends to catch up, we did a little 1.5 day hike higher up next to Lago Cochrane that we visited at least 3 times by packraft in past years. For the first time this year we waked with a light backpack without packrafting gear.

We took Variant P eastbound that slowly climbs on a gravel road to an altitude of 500 m and then continues as a panorama trail in this altitude.

Apparently, this is not authorized access to Parque Patagonia (Sector Tamango) and two gates need to be climbed but there was nobody to be seen on this route. The normal access to the park is down next Rio Cochrane and Lago Cochrane.

Nearly the entire route was scenic and worth the effort.

The settler “El Húngaro” apparently sold the land and became part of the national park. There is an open building that might be used as a refuge in case of emergency but camping is probably more comfortable.

The refuge at {35-P} [4.0/501] is collapsed but camping is pleasant on this pasture.

The trail section OH-TL-V {35-03} [0.0+5.2] is not maintained for several years making this route inconvenient to walk. The route south of both lakes is easy walking.

As long as Parque Patagonia does not challenge hikers to make a full traverse from Cochrane to Chile Chico it is prudent to take the official route which is the current regular route and pay the entrance fee near Cochrane when hiking northbound.

But should longer multi-day traverses be denied, then it might be less bothersome to take Variant P which avoids the entrance.

Packrafters can travel east and westbound on Lago Cochrane and will not pass any park entrance.

* '''Alice & Florian / 4 to 10 November-2022 / Regular Hiking Northbound'''

Here's our story of our GPT35. We really enjoyed this section, it is really diverse, beautiful landscapes and we saw heaps of animals.

As we wanted to do the trail in the northbound direction, we took the bus from chile chico to Cochrane, arriving in chile chico from argentina from the south (border o'higgins closed...). It tales 4 hours and leaves on sunday at 14 (return Monday 7 Am), Monday 16 (return Tuesday 7 AM),Wednesday and Friday 7 Am (return 16).

We took the option north of Cochrane because we were not sure if they would allow us to sleep in the tamango reserve. But, indeed you have to pass a no entry sign, a gate and a sign saying that entering the park that way is prohibited so we do not recommend it when it is written on the conaf website that it is allowed to sleep in tamango section.

We took the sendero de los huemules and slept at camp 1 waypoint. There was plenty of water at that time and a beautiful view.

After that we took the option OH-TL-V 35-P to avoid going downhill. The entry of this trail is about 150m before what is indicated on the GPT so be aware. I don't think the trail is an official one from the park so you have to fight your way through some bushes. But apart from that, it is clear. Then we joined the regular route, which since the 2022 version does follow the siete lagunas trail. You will join the siete lagunas trail at the kilometer 11 more or less. We then camped around the km 13 of the 7 lagunas trail.

We found water just before climbing at the pass at S47°06.0856' W072°17.592' and there is more at the top. However, it is true that it is drier on the other side of the pass, so if you are going Southbound, pack enough water from Lago Gutierrez to climb the pass.

We spent the third night at casa de Piedra where you have all facilities (electricity, hot shower, kitchen). Unfortunately for us they were on strike so they wouldn't allow us to go further on the trail. We did anyway as going out to jeiminini or through the road to chacabuco would take the same time.
By the way various national parks - including Torres del Paine were on strike at the moment.

The second part in the aviles valley is really clear, the trail is really nice and easy and with a lot of water available. Exiting the casa de piedra you should take the option OH-TI-V 35-J instead of the regular route, it will save you 600 m and two river crossings, and the view is similar. Starting at km 20, you will have to reduce your pace because the trail is busy with a lot of fallen trees, bushes and rocks. Between the km 22 and 23 of the valle aviles trail, the trail has been swept away by the river this winter so you have to cross the river two more times to go around. The kilometers indications disappear more or less after the pass, at km 25.

After that you enter the valle Hermoso. We camped at the waypoint 17/Camp Valle Hermoso but we do not recommend it. It was really small and close to the river, so if there is a sudden level rise because of heavy rain or a flooding because of a glaciar outburst (GLOF), you might get wet... Better sleep st the small caban near km23 if you don't think you will reach the refugio in valle Hermoso.

Once you reach Lago Verde, follow the GPT track and not the trail that leads to the lake, or you will have to turn back. After the pass it's more river crossings but you can save some kilometers in the river bed by taking the option OH-TI-V 35-E and then OH-TI-V 35-D until the rio jeimenini (the first part of the option OH-TI-V 35-D does not exist anymore). We did not have any trouble to cross the Rio between the 2 lakes even though we were in the middle of the afternoon. It was about thigh deep for me but I'm tall.

After that it's really easy to the Parc entrance. We went back to Chile Chico walking on the road instead of taking the cross country option, because0 there were still snow on the mountain. The first part is still pretty until the intersection, once you enter the valley of the Rio it is a bit more monotonous. Halfway there is an access to an annex of the national park, to go see the Cueva de las manos and valle lunar.

* '''Adrien Kunzli / 31-Oct-2022-04-November-2022 / Regular Hiking Northbound'''

All rivers crossing are easy to pass at this time of year. One tricky passage on the snow at the entrance of lago verde, very steep, but it was to avoid walking in the lake (frozen feet early in the morning).

No guards at the entrance at Tamango so i didnt pay the fee but didnt get my pass. Tamara gently gave me one at the camping of casa del piedra (apparently if i didnt have this pass i could not be admitted at Jeinimeni.) At Jeinimeni pass, again, nobody. So i were to the houses near and finaly find the guy. He took my pass and i get no fee in this NOBO direction.
Nice shortcut after the bridge of Rio de las Nieves (S 46° 47.274', W 071° 54.665') that can avoid you a little bit of the 4x4 unfinshing road and get you directly into the heart of this amazing and beautifull last part. So:
In front of the end of the bridge, you go up the big hill and go diagonally (or directly if you feel better) to join the path (pretty wild) of the gps (S 46° 45.843', W 071° 54.359'). Small stretches of paths are drawn rather well along this shortcut.

Not much good water between the bridge (brown water) and the puesto but the the puesto's water is of much better quality.

==Season 2021/22==

* '''GPT 35: Parque Patagonia/ Exploration Route via Valle Maullín Grande/ 2022 March-12/ 4 days / Tobias Schorcht, Jonas Grünewald '''

We hiked from Maullín Grande to Cochrane by chance. I always wanted to do the stretch from Chile Chico to Cochrane, but we had just 4 days left… When we hitchhiked northbounded from Villa O’Higgins, we luckily got picked up by Pascual Diaz, who is a experienced Mountain Guide (company Kalem) and took us all the way to his refugio in Maullín Grande. He also explained us, how to reach Cochrane on time while doing that crossing. The next day he took us to the end of the Road, where we started hiking around midday (-46,80390, -72,42001). It was a easy walk to the end of the Valley where we camped (-46,87872, -72,34138). The following day was hard, but we went up to the pass (1430m) in perfect sunshine. At (-46,87234, -72,30906) you will face a waterfall in a steep canyon. We recommend to walk on the left side (northwest) through the forest until you meet the riverbed again. The other side is also possible (we went there), but you have to climb higher in difficult terrain. From that point you can easily do a cross country walk up to the pass, where you have to cross the Glaciar (without cracks). It was absolutely stunning! Going down to the laguna is quite steep. I would not do it in bad weather conditions. When you meet the laguna, you can either walk on the left or right side. Both options are not easy. We crossed on the right (southern) side, which is ok in good weather conditions. There is one river crossing in between, which could be impossible with more water. Now we think it would have been easier to walk on the left (northern) side, although we would have had needed to cross the river before and after the laguna. Packrafting is an option as well, but since it only 1.5 km we don’t think it is worth it. Camped in a forest close to the regular trail dry and save. All in all we recommend this option to experienced hikers in good weather conditions. The hike to Cochrane was hard, because we had just 2 days for 80km. So we hitchhiked to the museum of Parque Patagonia and we even saw a puma at the Westwind Campsite! It seems like this puma shows up there regularly. I waited for that moment almost 5 months. My dream came true on my very last evening in nature. Thank you Patagonia for this great gift. 🙏

* '''2022-Feb / Packrafting / Mikhail Bogdanov&Masha Ovchinnikova'''

See for Rio Chacabuco and picturesamd discussion of the canyons.

https://web.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/posts/1319249015247648/

* '''Christmas2021 / GPT 35, NOBO, participants Janna & Matthias, dec 2021, duration 6 days from Cochrane to Conaf center at Lago Jeinimeni, then hitchhiked to Chile Chico'''

As recommended by a friend we opted for the following route through the Parque Nacional de Patagonia which is highly recommendable (first two days mainly GPT variants and options, afterwards GPT regular routes. There are several marked senderos in the beginning as 5 Los Huemules, 8 los Pumas, 7 los Guanacos, sendero 9, sendero Lagunas Altas etc.) as you can see in our attached tracking file.

All in all the trails were easy to find, some seemed to be still unhiked this year. To enter the park from Cochrane we had to pass a prohibition sign and climb over a no entrar gate. We didn't meet anyone on the first day, the settler didn't seem to be around. The following days we met two to three other hikers per day, but no rangers until the end at Conaf Center near Lago Jeinimeni, where we easily paid the park fees in arrears (8000 pp park entrance fee and an additional 6000 pp overnight stays in the park). We deliberately skipped the Conaf center in Valle Chacabuco on the advice of our friend.

Good to know:
- There is no water anymore at S 47.198557, W 72.474927 near the camping site but instead at S 47.203460, W 72.480747 and S 47.179332, W 72.465807
- There were many lagoons on our day 3 that weren't visibly well marked neither on our apps nor on the Garmin GPS.
- All the marked refugios along the trail are heavily damaged except Casa de Piedra
(closed on the 24th of dec) and Refugio Valle Hermoso (where we could even dry our
soaked shoes from the many river crossings next to the fireplace).
- From the refugio Valle Hermoso we did a side trip to the first glacier lake in the Valle
Estero Ventisquero without all the luggage.
- The río Jeinimeni water level was up to our waists and strong (note it had rained the
night before). According to others it was supposed to be knee-deep.
- Hitchhiking from Conaf center Jeinimeni to Chile Chico is possible when camping or day guests are leaving. As we arrived later in the afternoon we spent an extra night there.
- The supermercado sur in Chile Chico sells gas.

Track files and waypoints: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-98Ou9jk0porCVRp7CSFZ-KciXQ2PBzD

*'''30 Nov RR 5 days SOBO Frank'''

From Chile Chico I got the Bahia Jara bus & got off at the junction, saves a 6KM roadwalk. Walked 2KM up the road then on trail to the high plateau. The settler before the pass wasn't there but his dogs were a bit territorial so I avoided the puesto. I went across the high plateau & camped a bit before the second puesto in one long day. Camp marked on track file below the pass was not very good (boggy & sloping) so I continued down to camp near the stream. The second puesto is above the RR & not visible from it. Camping on the high plateau definitely not recommended. It is very exposed & the wind can & will knock tents. On day 2 I got to CONAF, they said a puma had been there every day the week before. Continued with many river crossings to the hut. There are trails marked with ribbons on LHS of the river SOBO, they go in on small loops which avoid some of the river crossings. Nearing the hut there is a stream flowing into the lake. At the lake it was too deep to cross. Bush bashed for about 40 metres to reach the ford. Camped outside the hut. Several river crossings on the third day. The double crossing is the crux. I avoided it by going over the bluff on LHS of river with a bit of tree bashing but I don't recommend that. The bluff descent is cliffed off with only a narrow breach where you can downclimb on trees. The breach is not obvious from above. Better to ford the river - it was running high but I met several hikers who had crossed it. Got to Casa de Pidera in 1 long day from the hut. You can cook in the Casa (they have a gas stove, electricity & showers) but have to camp outside. There are some trees to shelter from the wind. On the fourth day I started walking Sendero de Siete Lagunas (SSL) but I was using the 2019 track file which doesn't show the SSL. It had not been walked much recently & the route was not obvious. At the lake I lost the SSL in guanaco tracks. I continued around the lake & walked out about 2KM to the road. The descent to the road was cliffed off but I found a way down in a gully. Then I walked out the road past a meadow where hundreds of guanaco were grazing. Past the meadow I went in left on a side road to rejoin the RR. On the fifth day I walked past Daniel Huemul's puesto & was lucky to meet Daniel who was riding out & he showed me the way. He said the direct RR which goes right from the puesto is now overgrown & disused. Instead we went out to the left. There is a small road which goes in a loop & turns towards Lago Cochrane but with his directions I was able to shortcut it. I paid 15,000 CLP for entry & camping at CONAF Lago Jeinemeni & they didn't charge me anything at Casa de Piedra.

==Season 2020/21==

==Season 2019/20==

*'''2020-Mar-18 , Tyler Wood, 7 Days Sobo'''

Amazing section to end my season with. I got a couple short hitches on the way up past Chile Chico. Up past the last puesto are some great areas to camp along a big boulder field. Maybe 2 km more. Beautiful and surrounded by Guanacos. Plenty of water too. Up near the top of the pass was very cold, but very beautiful, and even saw a bunch of flamingoes in the lakes.

On the way down the pass I tried to find the fore-mentioned route to the puesto to take the road the rest of the way down and didn’t really have any luck...found my way anyways and camped down by Rio sucio under a willow.

Into Jenimeni I got another little hitch. Once you cross the deeper river by Laguna esmeralda just keep those water shoes on, you’ll be crossing many more times.

I also was told by a ranger that sendero siete Lagunas wasn’t habilitado, but went for it anyways. Water is Not after Laguna Gutiérrez for a while, so make sure you fill up around there. After the pass there are a few more small
Streams to fill up.

The road walking to Tmango reserve seemed to take forever, but Walking/camping by Lago Cochrane was all worth it. At puesto Huemul Is when I got my first advice that the corona virus was a big deal. The woman told me there were 3 confirmed cases in Cochrane, I went there and booked my tickets straight home. Hasta le vista baby!!!

* '''2020-February-08 / 7 days / Southbound'''

Long and beautiful section. No major difficulties. Great diversity. Without hitchhiking, it took me 173 kilometers.

1st part / 2 days / Chile Chico to Div 217
At the beginning of the cross country, valley full of Guanacos. I camped just after the puesto, about 2 kilometers after the beginning of the cross country, before the pass, where there are still rocks to protect from the wind.
As related in previous reports, after camp 279, you will stumbled upon a fence. Go on the East along the fence, cross it, and you will find a trail to the next Puesto and then the trail goes down from the puesto to the dirt road. You will avoid cross country this way.

2nd part / 2,5 days to Casa de Piedra
Popular part. Groups of hikers along the way. 8000CLP entrance fee + 6000 CLP for 2 nights sleeping inside the park.

3rd part / 2,5 days / Sendero de las 7 lagunas
After Casa de Piedra, I followed the GPS regular route which took me to the beginning of the Sendero of 7 lagunas. CONAF said it was not "habilitado" but it is actually well marked. The good thing is that there will be no hikers on this part, except when you approach the end, along the lago Cochrane. The trail is very different from the GPS tracks but no difficulties to find it. So, don't worry not having the GPS tracks.
At S 47º08.015' W 72º18.948', there is a nice place to camp and also, the trail will merge with the optional route OH-TL-V@35-02F-#001 You can then follow this track and then go back to the Regular Route to reach Cochrane.

* Martin Lizondo / 28-Jan-2020 / Regular Hiking Southbound

The section took me 6 days. Some tips:

The first part from Chile Chico has a +20 km cross country walk. The wind is extremly strong and the route very high, with no forest protection. I recommend spending the first night behind the trees of El Ciprés (the settler Orlando Vazquez allows people to pass and is very kind) or near to the puesto at the end of the minor road at 46º 36' 5,3" S, 71º 48' 45,05" O (Miguel Pacheco is very kind too). Enough water all along the route.

The Jeinimeni section of Parque Patagonia is very easy and well marked. Entrance to foreigners costs CLP 8000 plus 6000 if spending the night. There’s a shelter with place for fire and tents after 18 km.

Valley Aviles to Casa de Piedra is also easy and beautifull, with many free camping spots. Casa de Piedra costs CLP 8000 per night.

The rest of the gps track is very different from the actual trail, called “Sendero de las Siete Lagunas”. I recommend taking this route instead of the old gps track, as it’s very well maintained. At Lago la Pepa ( 47º 7' 45,19" S, 72º 18' 41,54" O ) the trail crosses an old overgrown minor road, which coincides with the gps track and takes to Puesto Huemul (47º 11' 25,31" S, 72º 26' 6,98" O). If going to the left, you’ll reach the puesto, if going up to the right you’ll end the official “Sendero de las Siete Lagunas” near to the main park center. Other hiking options are possible from that point, but the regular route to Puesto Huemul is the shortest.

From Puesto Huemul, the trail goes down near to the lake Cochrane through Sendero “Coigües” and “Carpinteros”. Well marked and signed, this trails will take you to the start of Tamango section, very near to Cochrane.

* '''2020-Jan-27 / GPT35 New Route: Lago General Carrera (Fachinal) to Parque Patagonia (Lago Jenimeni or “Casa de Piedra”) / 5 days / Meylin Meylin Elisabeth Ubilla González and Jan Dudeck'''

Based on a recommendation from Tobias Hellwig W and Daniel Mahn Borkowsky we investigated a new route that I did no had on my radar until a few weeks ago. This route provides an alternative access from the southern coast of Lago General Carrera into the Parque Patagonia and is of interest for packrafters and hikers.

The route is a traditional animal trail that was used by the settlers of Fachinal to drive cattle to a large summer pasture that is now part of Parque Patagonia (sector Jenimeni). With the enforcement of keeping domestic animals out of the protected park area a 5 km trail section inside Parque Patagonia lacks maintenance but is still quite well traversable for GPT standards. Apart from this short trail section most of the route is very scenic and nice to walk but practically unknown. Only one tourism company runs guided hiking trips along this route about once per months. Apart from this occasionally use the full traverse seams not to be done anymore.

Due to lack of trail markings we spend about one extra day in searching and following the poorly maintained 5 km trail section but with our GPS record other hikers should struggle much less than we did and will be able to walk in 4 to 5 moderate hiking days from Fachinal at the southern shore of Lago General Carrera to “Casa de Piedra” in the center of Parque Patagonia in the Valle Chacabuco.

We hiked the route northbound as we considered the option to cross Lago General Carretera at its shortest narrow by packraft. Here the lake is only 3.2 km wide but we finally did not cross this rather dangerous lake due to suboptimal wind conditions.

Fachinal to Rio Aviles River Crossing:

A well maintained “cattle highway” leads from Fachinal from the road bridge of Rio Aviles along the western/southern side of Rio Aviles to the limit of Parque Patagonia. This roughly 20 km long trail section gets regularly cleaned with chain saws to facilitate access to the pastures along Rio Aviles for free-rooming cattle. Most of the trees that have fallen on the trail have been cut to keep the trail easily traversable. Some hikers might find the “pointless up and down” annoying but this trail was created by men that move on horses that did not had to ascent and descent themself. About 1 km before crossing the Rio Aviles two signs indicate the limit of Parque Patagonia (Sector Jenimeni) and ban access for unauthorized people and domestic animals (without providing any clue who might be authorized and who not ;-). From the park limit the trail descents steep to Rio Aviles but remain well maintained to ford.

This trail section requires two possibly demanding river crossings that can become impossible during snow melt in spring, after heavy rain or on the afternoon or evening of hot days (melting water from glaciers!). To keep the route traversable in such circlesumstances the tourism company has installed in both locations steel ropes (to cross these two rivers hooked up in harness to the steel rope without even touching the water).

Rio Aviles River Crossing to the Pass (1150 m above Sea Level):

After the river crossing the trail condition suddenly changes. Fallen trees don’t get cut anymore and undergrowth is not cleaned by machete. It’s mainly the remaining path on the ground that indicates the former animal trail. Advance is slow and in various locations care must be taken to not loose the trail. Here you will need to climb over fall trees and push occasionally through dense vegetation until reaching an altitude of 950 m. At this altitude the forest floor opens up (no dense undergrowth any more) and the trail disappears completely. Here walking becomes easy again. Walk the following kilometer through the open forest following roughly the GPS track until reaching the end of the forest and the small lake after the 1150 m high pass.

An advise for northbound hikers:

Finding the first signs of the trail in the open forest was a struggle as we had no information where exactly the trail starts to descent. I searched at least 3 or 4 hours in a 400 m wide and 1200 m long section of open forest till I found a first old machete mark on a tree that indicated the location of the trail. Carefully searching and following similar marks I finally found the descending trail.

Searching northbound we lost the trail again when reaching Rio Aviles at the bottom of the valley and searched half a day for the correct continuation. A well visible and noticeably used trail next to Rio Aviles leads directly to an suitable river ford but from there a well maintained trail continues 1 km in the wrong direction (upstream). Only after bushbashing 1 km along the river shore downstream we recognized with surprise a second river ford (now the correct river ford) which connects to the well maintained trail section in the correct direction. In hindsight we understood that the well maintained trail simply continues upstream along Rio Aviles and that this trail crosses twice the Rio Aviles. Due to a partially not evident trail section on the other side of we did not recognize this when hitting this trail on the bottom of the valley and took the wrong direction to the wrong river ford.

Now hikers with our GPS record and a GPS should not struggle to find and follow this trail as we did.

Pass (1150 m above Sea Level) to Valle Hermoso Refugio:

After leaving the forest at the 1150 m high pass the most scenic part of this route starts. A roughly 15 km long cross country route leads over pastures and river sediments past 3 lakes and two glaciers to the Refugio Valle Hermoso. Occasionally signs of a trail are visible but due to the open landscape a continuous trail neither exists nor is needed.

Near the Refuge Valle Hermoso this route connects with regular route that leads along Valle Aviles (diffrent river with the same name!) to “Casa de Piedra” in the center of Parque Patagonia.

Access to Trail Head at Fachinal:

There are multiple buses per week from Chile Chico to Puerto Tranquilo on the Carretera Austral that pass Fachinal.

Monday and Friday runs a subsidized bus from Chile Chico to Fachinal and back to Chile Chico (One round trip in the morning and a second one in the evening).
8:30 leaving Chile Chico
9:30 in Fachinal
11:00 returning to Chile Chico
17:30 leaving Chile Chico
18:30 in Fachinal
20:00 returning to Chile Chico

If you wish to cross Lago General Carrera to continue hiking in the Cordillera Avellano North of the lake speak to Carloz Amoros in Fachinal (mobile: +56 9 76267029 / price around 30‘000 CLP) or Pascual Diaz de Mallin Grande.

* '''2020-January 23 / Oreste Marquis/ Northbound : 8 days '''

Going northbound. I followed the route until the second settler at the puesto Tejuela. From there, until the optional route @35-02e#001,
I could not find the approximate trail in the files. I manage to find another one which is call siete Lagunas. It is really easy to follow and really beautiful! I find it near km 18 and keep walking on it until km 38. It is the end of it and is at the campground near Lago Gutiérrez. For more informations go reed Martin post in recent alerts and suggestion. I met him on the trail and he updated the wikiexplora before me. From the beginning to Casa Piedra took me 3 days. Then I hiked to the end of the reserve in an other 3 days. Lots of rivers to cross but felt pretty safe for all of them even the one higher between Lagos Jeinimeni and Verde. The cross country part the next day was my favorite of the hole trip! Awesome views, a lot of wildlife, just need to check a little bit more the gps! Last day, I headed to Chile Chico without any problem. Overall, I love it! Enjoyed it as much as GPT40.

* '''2020-January / Matthieu / Northbound : 7.5 days "tranquilito"'''
Incredible trekk, lots of different type of views and soil, my favorite since El Chalten. Money required for passing by the reserves !!
I hitchhiked 10 km on the road to Casa Piedra, and 12 km between Jeinemini qnd the beginning of the trail that goes north in the mountain to join Chile Chico.

'''1st part : Reserve Tamango''' : 6000 CLP the entry
I took the old "Huemul trail" in the Tamango reserve, taking the left route at the "Camp 284" It is an old trail for 4x4, so very easy, and closed to vehicles now.

'''2nd part : The road to Casa Piedra :''' the rangers I crossed were all agreed that it was not permitted to camp aside of the road (so the information is different that in Nov). One officiql camping at the end of Tamango reserve (WestWind) and one at Casa Piedra 26 km after. 8000 CLP each. At Westwind (not verified, only inforñqtions for guardaparques): no accomodations, only baño. At Casa Piedra . real big house, hot shower, electricity, place to cook.

'''3rd part : Reserve Jenemeni :''' Entry 8000 CLP. For the camping, the ranger told me that it was permitted to camp wherever I wanted, so the information differs too from november. And at the exit, I told the ranger about my "savage" camping in the conversation, and he didnt tic at all, so no stress. The rangers are very nice !
Good trekk, easy to follow. One very good refuge in the valle Hermoso where fire is possible. a more open refuge/camping site by the east shore of Lago Verde.
Many river crossing, all safe except one, before the Laguna Esmeralda. Strong current, and people choose many different way with different profundness. Better do it in the morning, being a glaciar river (I could effectively compare between late in the afternoon and the morning and it is very different).

'''Last part, to Chile Chico by the mountain :''' Amazing views, totaly different climate, more dry and with only bushes.
At the beginning of the Cross country after the 4x4 road, I would advise to go a few meters west from the GPS tracks, to the east side of the river. There is effectively a fence on the west ridge, and a good trail on the east ridge that can avoid you the difficult crossing of many bushes, and that goes directly to the puesto.
Two puestos, The 135 of metal being used by the locals (real bed inside), so just putted the tent outside. The second one 134 is actually a real house. Two mens were here when I arrived, working with the animals. I could put the tent near the house and take water from the sink outside. Many dogs, all nice.

* '''Mum, Sis and I / Southbound / 11 days '''

Well. What an interesting and varied section. Also the longest walk I think we'd all done. It took us 11 days in the end with a couple of longer side trips. Interestingly, when we emerged from the park it was closed, there was martial law in effect, a curfew in place. Borders closed. Only a week to get back to Santiago to catch the last flights back to Australia... Anyway. We're heading back now. Got temperature tested as we reentered Chili Chico this morning. Waiting for the boat across the lake mañana in la mañana. No buses out of town. Enough rambling...

As always, thanks to the others before us that have taken the time to comment and provide feedback. Here's my two cents.

Firstly here are some landmarks to make it easier for others to orient themselves:

El Ciprés
http://ge0.me/oGvL0ey6_7/El_Ciprés
ge0://oGvL0ey6_7/El_Ciprés
Casa Piedra
http://ge0.me/4GvJGSxqPH/Casa_Piedra_%28Stone_House%29
ge0://4GvJGSxqPH/Casa_Piedra_%28Stone_House%29
Westwind
http://ge0.me/wGvC_gnJaX/Westwind
ge0://wGvC_gnJaX/Westwind

Camping in Chile Chico:
El Carro is supposed to be the cheapest place to stay in town. Though if you want a hot shower it's the same as Kon-aiken next door. We stayed at neither so can't really comment, but there were a lot of people staying at Kon-aiken and next to none at El Carro which might be indicitive of value for money or just the fact they are a little closer to the centre of town.
El Carro however was the only one willing to look after some things for us.
We also visited a hostel, but the owner was unfortunately very rude.

El carro
4k frío
5k caliente
1k por día por mochila

Kon-aiken
5k pp / noche
No baggage service

Part 1: Chili Chico to Jeinemeni
In the end we decided to cache things in the bushes just outside of town. Mum and my sister got a lift to the Bahía Jara cruz whist I was caching. Unfortunately I had to walk all the way to El Ciprés where my mum and sister had been enjoying a nice conversation with Orlando Vazquez who allowed us to pass but emphasised the dangers and didn't really recommend crossing.
Passing through the gate a couple of utes were exiting. Apparently there is a new mine up in the mountains and they didn't really want us to walk up. They admitted they just worked there.
Turn off the main rd that assumably heads to the mine about here: -46.57775, -71.82666
Goucho Miguel Pacheco passed us on the way up herding some cattle and we talked to him at the puesto for a while. We also gave him one of the Australian coins we'd been carrying around. He seemed to believe it was everyone's right to pass. "People pass through here all the time "."Just yesterday a lad passed by "."It's the shortest route across the mountains "
Anyway. We camped in the rocks just outside the park boundaries (as mentioned by??).
We then camped two nights up on the windy plateau. Our side trip to Valle Lunes was amazing. I'd recommend it. But be careful with wind. Oh and did anyone mention the guanacos?
Unfortunately I think the water wasn't very clean on this part. Sheep, cows, guanacos, birds... It's the first time in Chile I've wished I took my water filter along. We had some sore stomachs.
Dropping down the other side we hit the mentioned fence (about here -46.72574, -71.90211). We crossed, but would recommend following it to the left until you get to a corner. I'm not sure where it starts, but there is a trail running on the outside of the fence to the puesto. We then followed a sheep trail that ran high on the left (east) of the valley. Very good but it bypassed Las Abutardas completely and seemed to be heading towards Laguna los Flamencos instead. We ended up cutting down to the road where León passed us heading into town, a little confused why we hadn't taken the 'proper trail'.
We camped the night at the Río El Sucio camp. Not really recommended.
We walked the road and stayed at Río Las Vacas for a bit which is at the border of the park and a nicer place to camp. (There is a good stream between the two).

Part 2: Jeinemeni to Casa Piedra
It was 8k to enter the park (for foreigners) and an additional 6k for camping in Valle Hermoso. The section to the refugio (-46.84092, -72.14078) was very nice. This is the only shelter still standing. The others included in the track files were not really enterable.
Heading to the refugio (where everyone seems to camp) you cross the small ankle deep creek exiting Laguna Esmeralda and then the deeper river between Lago Verde and Jeinemeni. This might have been the trickiest but when we crossed it wasn't really bad. We then had two more smaller crossings before passing through Portezuela La Gloria (1100m) to cross Estero Ventisquero and the other river running down the main valley.
The next day we did the popular side trip to the glacier in this valley: -46.80924, -72.20116
We wondered if it was the same way Jan et al entered recently?
From the refugio to Valle Avilés there are no compulsory river crossings if you stick to the somewhat scrubby trail to the left (south) of the valley. The first crossing we did was Río Avilés shortly followed by the tributary. So only 8 crossings (wet feet) on the RR.

We walked from the refugio to Casa Piedra in a day. It was closed so we camped on the other side of the Rd.

Part 3: Casa Piedra to Cochrane
From casa piedra we took the aforementioned Sendero las Siete Lagunas. It is not it the track files but indeed very well marked with numbered markers every kilometre. I'll upload a kml with the markers I recorded as well as some of the water bodies I sketched.
After the stream running into Lago Gutiérrez there wasn't much water until Lago la Pepa.
You will briefly intersect with a road here: -47.14006, -72.37138. The road seems to run down to Puesto Tejuela coinciding with OH-TL-V@35-02F-#001 which I think is incorrectly labelled as TL. Part of RH-TL-I@35-99.0+30.0 too should be marked as MR. You'll intersect this road before taking it down to Lago Cochrane.
We passed the occupied dwelling (Daniel Huemul?) but the man wearing a shirt emblazoned with Parque Patagonia seemed afraid to approach us (another hint the world had gone Corona crazy). He wouldn't let us take the RR so we followed the road for a bit before taking another newly made trail also not in the track files.
Everything after that was very easy to follow.
Everything was abandoned at the entrance and the gate locked. People avoided us on the streets and covered their face when passing us.
We grabbed some needed food (we were very short after 11 days!) and got on the WiFi. Wow! How things had changed! Martial law in place and a curfew in place, we slept under a bridge with some Colombians and caught a bus back to Chili Chico in the morning. Waiting for the boat across the lake tomorrow now.

Links to files :
Kilometre markers: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fuzt4xacxjjvvg4/kms.kmz?dl=0
Water bodies: https://www.dropbox.com/s/uz1ei95s1913xvb/water.bodies.kmz?dl=0
Other planning:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uk9ym56gufwk4zq/planning.kmz?dl=0

* '''2019 Dec / Olrik/ Northbound '''

Amazing part of the GPT, from Cochrane ou enter in the Tamango national reserve and pay 6000CLP for the entrance. We took several trails to get to Valle Chacabuco : Las Aguilas, Las Lengasm Los Condores, Laguna Altas. Great views. We had a snow storm at the pass though. There you end up in a paid campground. From there we walked the dirt road to Casa Piedras in Valle Chacabuco, it was beautiful with lots of guanacos. Then we took the Las Aviles sendero. We camped near the first river crossing as it was late and waited for the morning to cross. It is normally not possible to wild camp in the park but the guardaparque told us to camp there if the river crossing is not sage. The rest of the trail is easy to follow next to the river. There is a pass then you descend to Valle Hermoso and to lago Jeinimeni. It was just gorgeous and easy to follow with great weather. Be aware of the numerous river crossings. In lago Jeinimeni there is a paid campground. From there you can hitchhike, walk, or pay a transportation at the entrance of the park (15000Clp pp) but I'm not sure if this is a regular thing. We ended up hitchhiking to get to Chile Chico.

* '''2019-Nov-28/ Lea Geibel, Kevin Moe/ 5.5days/ Northbound / Regular Hiking Route (Cochrane to Chile Chico) with OH-32-2-#003/'''

This section might have been our favorite out of the whole Group H, where the diversity of the landscape was our favorite part (also including weather and trail conditions). The NP was entered at Tamango just outside of Cochrane. Registration is mandatory, the entrance fee is at 8000 CLP. The ranger asked us to explain our route and since the regular Hiking route did not seem familiar to them, they told us to take the optionals route going north over the pass to WestWinds campground and then do the road walk Eastwards.
The pass had some snow patches on the Southern side but was easy to traverse. At the Valley Chacabuco (another entrance to the national park) we got asked for our permits and the route we plan on taking. We heard different information on if it is allowed to camp at the road or not (there were signs that told us not to do it but the ranger said it is okay). After the roadwalk, we passed another ranger station where we had to register and sign a responsibility form telling that we plan to leave at Lago Jeinimeni (and telling that we're only allowed to stay at designated campsites). The hike from there is extremely beautiful and super diverse, the trail well maintained. The rivers were at higher flow but all fords were doable.
We camped next to the Refugio because we still weren't sure about the camping rules (other hikers we met said they were told that it's okay to camp everywhere along the river). Leaving the NP at Lago Jeinimeni was straightforward, but it's mandatory to check out at the rangers office. The cross-country section after the road walk was a bit slow on the way up due to many bushes and hilly terrain. We found a nice trail next to the fence leading up to the puesto when going up the ridge on the Eastern side. From the puesto we took a short steep uphill after which the terrain became more open and easier to travel on. It was very windy and snowy in the mountains, which made it difficult to walk at times and it felt like the temperatures were rather low.
The lagoons on the way up are filled with exciting birds (flamingos!) and guanacos are running around on the whole plain. Once reaching the plateau we headed down in a pretty straight line which was easier than the uphill until we reached the road

=Resupply and Accommodation=

==Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns==

*2024/25 Michael and Kasia
Chile Chico has two main supermarkets, but also lots and lots of smaller shops. J&D gave a 15% discount if you paid in cash (discount does not extend to gas canisters). We found had in a few places. The ATM is BancoEstado, just off the main plaza. There is a Chilexpress for sending and receiving things.

*Chile Chico has two supermarkets. Sell gas.

*2024/25 Michael and Kasia
There are more than a dozen stores in Cochrane. Rojita a block off the square is the most popular, and generally had good prices. We stayed at Ana Luz, 15.000 pp for a room. She also has one cabaña. It is possible to use the kitchen there for simple cooking. We also had a pair of boots repaired at the zapatero and had a very good experience. It was fast, high quality work and not expensive. He also repairs backpacks.

Regarding planning ahead for Villa O'Higgins, the cash thing is no longer such a problem. All six of the grocery stores and the hardware store there accepted credit cards. We were also able to pay for our accommodation and for the boat with a card as well. There is still no ATM, so it would be smart to have some cash (not all the panaderías take cards for example, and sometimes network issues prevent card machines from working), but it shouldn't be necessary to bring a huge stack of cash.

*Cochrane is a decently sized town with three mid-range supermarkets. The largest one, which is a grocery and department store, is located adjacent to the town square. There are many lodging and restaurant options. Be sure to withdraw an ample amount of money here because most of the businesses in the next town, Villa O’Higgins, only take cash and there is no ATM.

==Resupply and Accommodation along the Route==
* '''Michael & Kasia 2025/26'''
If traveling NOBO and interested in a resupply drop at Casa Piedra, you can contact Jorge Garrido (+56 933 765 989), he prefers contact through WhatsApp. Jorge runs the concession that operates the four campgrounds in the southern part of PN Patagonia (Tamango, West Wind, Casa Piedra, and Alto Valle) as well as the bus that does a daily round from Cochrane to Alto Valle and back, stopping at West Wind, the museum, and Casa Piedra along the way. We got his number from the tourist information center in the plaza in Cochrane. He was very friendly and agreed to take an "encomienda" for us for 5.000 CLP. We got an empty box from the grocery store and made sure it was securely taped shut with our names, the date for the delivery, and the location clearly written on multiple sides. We gave the package and the money to the bus driver, meeting him in the plaza near the tourist info center on a pre-arranged, just before 09:00 when he leaves to start the round. When we arrived in Casa Piedra a week later, the package was already there. Jorge happened to be there that day and said he had it left a day early just in case we arrived earlier than we expected, which was very thoughtful. Just be aware if using this option that Casa Piedra DOES NOT allow you to leave trash, so you have to pack out everything. They will let you leave the cardboard box without the tape since they make fires regularly.

=Transport to and from Route=

*2025 / MiaimZelt
Buses (starting at Terminal de buses in Chile Chico) that enable you to skip the first 7-8km of Roadwalk when hiking SoBo:

Turismo Tramal. Chile Chico - Bahia Jara. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 8:30 & 16:30.
WhatsApp: +56 9 7538 0178

Buses Interlagos from Chile Chico to Puerto Rio Tranquilo: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday 9:00.

=Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues=

*2023-Mar-31 to 2023-Apr-06 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option J / Martin & Helena

PN Patagonia closed some sectors on the first Monday in April, so we were the last ones to get a permission and do this section ‘legally’. Be prepared for this if you want to do this part in April or later. The problem is they close Casa Del Piedra and probably won’t let you pass to that sector from Lago Jeinemeni, where the entrance stays open for longer time. Sneaking around the guards house early in the morning or just not be specific about your plans might work if needed, its very unlikely you would meet anyone on the way from the main entrance.

=Links to other Resources=

Retired Section Article [[GPT35 - RN Lago Jeinimeni]]

=Images=
[[file:Greater Patagonian Trail (7).jpg|left|GPT35 - RN Lago Jeinimeni]]

GPT35 (Parque Patagonia)

2026-01-21T14:33:26Z

MMartinez: /* Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions */

'''[[GPTs|List of all GPT sections]]'''

= How to a add new entry =
You need to be logged in to save your edits (and on mobile view, you need to be logged in to start editing).

Add a new log entry always on top in the appropriate season sub-chapter and use format:


<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''Start Date to Finish Date (use Format YYYY-MMM-DD) / Duration in Days / Hiking or Packrafting / Travel Direction (SOBO for Southbound or NOBO Northbound) / Chosen Route and/or Option Name (RR for Regular Route) / Names or Alias'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>

If you are packrafting, put the above info into HTML tags like this (if you follow a hiking route for part of the way, highlight only "packrafting", as above):


<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''YYYY-MMM-DD / X days / Packrafting / SOBO / RP / Your name'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>.

Include remarks about your route useful for other hikers and packrafters, alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties. Try to be specific. Do not be shy to fix obvious mistakes.

=Overview=

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/26==
* '''2026-01-12 to 2026-01-18/ 6 days + 1 zero / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option 3 / Chris & Lotte'''

Wonderful section, challenging weather, routefinding at times difficult but only consequence is loss of time.
At 46.889670S 072.164669W the RR is swept away and OSM detour should be followed.
Refugios 81.8 and 94.7 do not exist anymore and arent well protected. If possible use the inofficial one at 46.940842S 072.156137W.
Too stormy conditions for tabanos or mosquitos.

Day1: Tried to hitchhike to X 8.1, it was tricky. Some taxi stopped at the notario to drop people off. We asked how much it was and he said 5k to the end of the pavement. The pavement ends before the X though, so we had to pay extra. 7-8k seems reasonable price, we gave 10k, because he seemed worried of his shiny cab.

Ascent is easy to follow and a quite nice way to gain altitude. Saw two people at Don Claudios puesto. They waved friendly back, we just passed. Many animaltrails make the CC quite passable, our speed did not decrease too much. The wind picked up and climbing the final ridge was challenging in strong winds. NOBO might be nicer here.
Plateau was super nice, loads of wild guanacos, we probably saw flamingos but they were very fast to escape so we werent 100% sure.
Camping is a challenge.The exposed terrain offers zero protection against the strong winds.
Near Water 23.9 I found a medium good spot at 46.664157S 071.843819W.

We camped near Water 30.6 at 46.713142S 071.885664W which was somewhat sheltered (we pitched the tent as low as possible on the grass).
Since camping was an issue, we were battling a bit over the plateau. Going NOBO might be nicer... camp close to the pass, get up early, enjoy a lot if the plateau, go the MR down in the afternoon and hitchhike to chile chico at the "paved" road.

Day2: easy navigating down, long stretches along the fence (had to cross due to swamp anyhow, might be nice to cross higher). At the MR we had a nice break and as soon as we had our boots on, we instantly got a ride to the laguna (probably usually harder to get one).
Paid using the starlink at the ranger. He told us that weather-ing out at refugio 81.8 would be the best option (strongly disagree!). The fords would ne higher in the afternoon.

Camped at refugio 61.7.

Both the refugios 61.7 and 69.0 are very well sheltered, offer plenty of space and even sheltered common areas. Very good to have a zero due to bad weather.

Day3: as the weather was challenging and the river higher than usual, we tried ti bypass the fords. We went shortly before the fords start/end marking up on the river bank into the woods. Very challenging and slow bush-pushing CC ensued quickly.
The triangle in elevation in which Option H starts (which we wanted to catch) is an impassable swamp.
We pusjed ourselves through the woods at the flank between mountain and swamp, when finally after exhausting 2h we were able to break through towards Option H, just to realize it was all flooded. By that point our boots were already wet, we realized this whole endeavour was a waste of time and energy and we started the inevitable fords from there.
Crossed the bizillion fords during snowfall and light minus degrees. That was quite challenging but comparably quick. highest was approx hip high (181cm tall).
The trail at the pass is hard to follow due to hundreds of fallen trees. Mostly mentally hard to stay on track. There is one official camp space and one unofficial along the trail after the pass (indicated in OSM).
At 46.889670S 072.164669W the RR is swept away. Two detours exist. One indicated in OSM (adds approx 30m altitude and crosses shortly after back to RR in the woods and should be prefered) and one scrambling across the rock. That was sketchy... the beginning (SOBO) is easier than the end. Turning around might be tricky with a heavy pack. We had to slide a meter and jump the last two to the rubble of the river bed. Getting up there could be possible with the tree, but seems overly risky considering the alternative option. Our conditions were very windy, wet and cold, the mud on the rock was slimy.
Arrived exhausted at refugio 81.8 just to realize its just ruins and the tent spot is not well sheltered.
Camped there anyways, the night was rainy but not too windy.
A much better spot is the inofficial one at 46.940842S 072.156137W.

Day4: easy walking to valle chacabuco. Refugio 94.7 is just wkthout a roof. Only space for a very small footprint tent inside, otherwise not flat nor protected. Due to ankle issues decided to not further follow the RR, so hitched a ride from chacabuco campsite to the museum, walked towards camp west wind surprisingly pleasant 2km, despite tourists).

Day5: zero due to ankle issues.

Day6: took option 3 / lagunas altas trail. Beautiful walking. Wonderfully maintained trail. Also the siete lagunas trail looks yummy! A bit more touristic though. Saw 6 other hikers. Camped at indicated official spot at camp 35-03 15.3 together with 11 other hikers who came from cochrane. The laguna is surprisingly warm so we took a short swim.

Day7: decended to cochrane, easy walking. First gate open, second gate easily jumped on the left. Werent able to hitch a ride, so walked to town. Stayed at hostal benito (25k pP, a bit noisy, lovely owner). Supermarked at the square offers even gas. Camping can be as cheap as 7k pP.
Side note: bus cochrane to chile chico is preferably to locals. We were not able to reserve seats. We should drop by and see if a free spot is available, and if, we'd have to pay the double price. Didnt know, this existed in Chile.
Edit: the connection is subsidized by the chilenian gov, we stopped at the police station, where the passenger list was handed over to recieve the subsidies. This is why foreigners pay a different price and cant reserve. The drive was very scenic!

* '''2025/26 Dec 24 to Jan 9 / 13.5 hiking days, 2.5 zero days / NOBO / Hiking / RR, Opt 3, Opt 3C, Opt 3A, Opt 3E, Var L / Michael and Kasia'''

Quick notes: A really amazing section. This was our third time going through the park (twice last season). We opted for NOBO this season, which we were very happy with. Especially after Casa Piedra, the views were nicer going that way. We also discovered that if starting in Cochrane, it is possible to arrange for a resupply drop to Casa Piedra to reduce weight. More information in the Resupply Along the Way section. The park seems to be increasing in popularity, or maybe our timing is different this year, but we saw a lot more people than last year. For the plateau, if you can wait for a low-to-no wind day to cross, it's a much better experience. If you have a windless night, we recommend camping on the plateau. There’s a special kind of silence there on calm nights.

CHALLENGES: Tábanos. While we didn't see many in the Tamango and Chacabuco sectors, in the Jenimeni sector they were really bad. More specific to us, grass allergies. They were the worst on the Jenimeni sector.

WATER: Generally very easy to come by. The exception was the Siete Lagunas trail.

CAMPS:

NIGHT 1: -47.18812, -72.52718 (official campground, nice view of lake, raised cooking box with wind protection, picnic tables, we could only find one space that was level and not on wet ground, no wind protection)

NIGHTS 2&3: -47.18468, -72.52438 (official campground, a couple of benches in poor condition, no wind protection, water access is a ways away, there was more flattish space here than in the other space, and the taller grass helped compensate for the lumpiness)

NIGHT 4: -47.14151, -72.45515 (some wind protection, clean stream nearby, view just up the hill, not visible from the trail)

NIGHT 5: -47.15964, -72.41494 (nice view on the lake, okay wind protection from the north and west, easy water access, easily visible from the road above)

NIGHT 6: -47.13355, -72.31556 (Camp, X {35} 119.1 space for one tent, next to a collapsed stop-over puesto, nice view of the lake, some wind protection but not a lot, easy water access, not that level)

NIGHT 7: -47.07533, -72.25804 (on grass looking over the lake, some wind protection, water is down at the lake)

NIGHT 8: Casa Piedra (10.000 CLP pp, possibility of a hot shower, indoor space for cooking and eating, electricity for charging, mosquitos outside were pretty bad)

NIGHT 9: -46.98407, -72.15984 (decent wind protection, flat enough, a nice view nearby, no good water source close, right on the trail)

NIGHT 10: -46.87214, -72.17639 (some wind protection, flat space for two to three tents, stream about 10 m away, right on the trail)

NIGHTS 11&12: Camp Raleigh (spaces in various places, a few picnic tables and a shelter, outhouse, next to a beautiful lake, popular spot)

NIGHT 13: -46.79026, -71.91166 (Camp (42.9+0.2) near the bridge, good wind protection from the west, flat spaces for a few tents, view of the road, the river is about 200 m away)

NIGHT 14: -46.70956, -71.88111 (flat, grassy space, some protection from western winds, water close by)

NIGHT 15: -46.66455, -71.84387 (flat, some wind protection from the west, water is about 170 m away)

Night 16: -46.606711, -71.809753 (on a bit of an angle, some wind protection from winds coming from the west, water is from a stream about 150 m away)

Day 01: Dec 24th

We organized a resupply delivery to Casa Piedra with Jorge. We met the driver at 09:00 at the tourist center in the plaza to hand the box off. We took Var R to get into the park. We bought tickets online before entering. At El Húngaro we went north on Opt 3 (Sendero 6: Las Lenguas) to Laguna El Cangrejo. The trail up was in good shape and a lot of it was in the forest. This was the first time we had taken this trail and we were really happy with it. We camped at the official camping spot at km 15.3. No one else came that night. There was a family of geese with six or seven goslings hanging around the site which we really enjoyed.

Day 02: Dec 25th

We did an out-and-back day hike along Opt 3C (Sendero 7: Los Guanacos). We had walked it last year and remembered that there is a really nice pebble beach on Laguna Elefantita (-47.18524, -72.49595). It was a nice, leisurely way to spend Christmas Day. When we returned there was another couple camped at the camping spot at km 15.3. We knew from the day prior that there was really only one tent space that was on flat, dry ground, so we went to the site at km 14.8.

Day 03: Dec 26th

Zero day to wait over rain.

Day 04: Dec 27th

We continued on Opt 3 (Sendero 9: Los Cóndores). At around km 13.5 there was a reroute that is not in the GPT track files yet, but is on OSM. It is also heavily marked with flag tape, so hard to miss. This goes around a huge blow-down from last season. It rejoins the GPT track at around km 13.2. Between km 11.5 and 10.5 there are a few areas on a steep slope where the path is on an angle and there is scree on the path. They aren't long sections, but we wouldn’t personally want to be walking it during high winds. After Pass 10.9 we continued on Opt 3A (Lagunas Altas). It was a sunny but rather windy afternoon. At the lake at (-47.13894, -72.47796) we saw a group of guanacos, including one baby guanaco, which was very cute. We took Opt 3E and found a spot to camp about 600 m in, going across the stream and up the hill. It was a decent spot, hidden from the trail and seemed to have good wind protection.

Day 05: Dec 28th

Continued on Opt 3E. Nice views on the valley. The trail is in good shape and easy to follow. The trail is mostly through exposed areas. From km 5.1 until km 1.9 we did not find any water. At km 1.9 (-47.15420, -72.43156) there was a good, clear stream. We camped at km 0 of Opt 3E down at the lake shore.

Day 06: Dec 29th

Cloudy and windy throughout the day, a little rain but not much. Landscape was beautiful though. We saw two huemules as we were walking the two track road along Laguna Adelita. Good water points at km 130.5 (-47.16069, -72.40775), km 125.2 (-47.14270, -72.36498), and okay lake access to Laguna Vizcacha at km 122.8 (-47.14118, -72.34587), but that was it for water until Laguna Gua Gua. Pay special attention to the trail around km (-47.135394, -72.328629). It goes uphill, but a large tree fell across the path. It's not immediately obvious, but if you go up a few meters you see where it continues. There is another path that continues straight ahead, but it leads to a scramble and some unnecessary elevation gain. We camped at Camp, X 119.1. It is somewhat wind protected from the lake, but it was a very gusty night.

Day 07: Dec 30th

Sunny but very windy morning. Shortly before leaving, three other hikers passed us going SOBO. Camp 114.6 did not seem to have any flat space for a tent. The stream near it was also dry. There was running water at km 113.5 (-47.10902, -72.28838). It wasn't a lot, but it was clear and clean. Water (112.3) had a few stagnant pools, but nothing running. At (-47.09787, -72.28558) there was some water running, but it was very shallow. Not water again until the lake. Just before the pass a group of three hikers passed us going SOBO. On the way down watch the GPS, there are a lot of animal trails. We wanted to camp on the beach, but the water level was too high. We camped instead a little ways before the lake in a grassy area a few meters off the trail.

Day 08: Dec 31st

We left very early. We remembered that there was a part toward the end of the lake that was difficult for us last season, largely due to it being very windy, so we wanted to arrive early before the wind picked up. It was a sunny day and the lake and mountains were beautiful in the early morning light. We made it past the steep, slippery part much more easily this time. We arrived in Casa Piedra around 11:00. We got our package, which has already arrived. The person running administration offered to heat water for a shower for us, which we happily accepted. We also took the opportunity to charge everything. Several solo hikers and couples came down from Valle Hermoso. Shortly after the bus left a tour group of 11 arrived, and then a group of ten Chileans who had hiked from Chile Chico. We spent some time with the Chileans which was fun. One of them said they had done the route before and were really surprised at how many more people they saw this time. Despite it being New Years Eve and there being 25 people there, it was a quiet night.

Day 09: Jan 1st

We got a bit of a late start. Full sun day with very little wind. We opted for Var L, on the west side of the river. It has more ascent initially, but there are a couple of long, flat sections. We also suspected, and think we are probably correct, that the views were a little better on that side. Another consideration was that we both have vertigo and did not want to have to take the suspension bridge. We went down to see it and were happy with our choice. A tour group of about 18 headed SOBO passed us on the way out. Ford {35-L} 0.8 was easy, mid-calf. We camped near an OSM marked campsite around RR km 88. There were a few spots there that had been used recently as evidenced by flattened grass. Ours was under a couple of trees which provided decent wind protection. There was a very nice view on the mountains a little ways up the trail. We filled up on water at the estero about 300 m before the campsite. There were two streams closer by, but they were fairly shallow.

Day 10: Jan 2nd

Camp at km 84 has one spot under some trees and a few other spots around in the grass. Camp at 82.7, which many people along the trail refer to as “the camp at km 16”, is a large field with a makeshift picnic table and spots for several tents, some of which are wind protected, others not. There is a path down to the river for water.
Ford (83.4) was above the knee with a fair amount of current. The camp site right after it has spaces for two tents, but not good for trekking pole supported tents as there were too many big roots in the ground. At Refuge (81.8) we didn't see any flat areas to pitch a tent. Ford (80.1) was fairly easy, below the knee and not too much current. The views up the valley were spectacular. The sun came out in the afternoon and lit the mountains up. With all the wind, some of the waterfalls coming down the mountains had the water blown back uphill and they looked like they were steaming. The camp at km 78.2 didn't seem to exist. The camp at km 76.9 was in the forest; there were spaces for two tents, one next to a collapsed shelter, and another back in the woods a bit. At km 76.4 there is an unmarked ford which ironically was the most challenging one by far. We had to choose our crossing points very carefully as there was a lot of current and it was crotch deep at the deepest point (we're both about 165 cm). The water was also very cloudy which made it difficult to see the bottom. We arrived there around 19:00 on a warm day, so an earlier crossing, especially on a cooler day, might be easier. The camp at km 75 had space for two or three tents. It was in the trees and had some wind protection, but the spaces were gravel and wouldn't hold the tent stakes of our X-Mid 2. We camped at the camp at 74.1. It is in the trees, though the trees are low and sparse, so not great wind protection. There are spots for at least 3 tents. There is a stream about 10 meters away. In total we passed 9 hikers going SOBO.

Day 11: Jan 3rd

The Pass 74.9 is a low saddle, not difficult. On the way down there was a section about 500 m long where there were so many fallen trees it was impossible to keep to the trail. After that there were a few fallen trees here and there until the fords, but all easy to step over or go around. The fords until Valle Hermoso were all easy, knee deep at most with moderate current. The last ford before the ascent to Puertzuelo La Gloria was mid-thigh for us, but not a strong current so no problem. The ascent up was a little challenging. We went up in the afternoon on a hot, sunny, windless day and the hillside was in full sun the whole time. There were also a few areas that were fairly steep and had scree on the trail. The way down the other side was thankfully in shade by the time we got there. Fords on the other side were also below knee with more current than the Valle Hermoso side, but nothing difficult. We arrived late to Camp Raleigh. One other couple was there for the night.

Day 12: Jan 4th

We decided to take a rest day. It was supposed to be another hot and mostly windless day. It was nice to sit on the beach in the shade and look at the mountains and the water. I also spent a lot of time killing tábanos. It never seems to make a difference. A few people passed through in the early afternoon. At 16:00 a school group of about 20 16-18 year olds from California came to camp for the night. Fortunately they weren't loud.

Day 13: Jan 5th

Another hot and largely windless day. We got to El Silencio around 13:00. We met Mor, another GPTer, on the way. We wanted to hitch and get to a spot below the plateau for the night, but there were no cars in the parking lot. We started walking the road and didn't see a single car. We decided to camp near the willow trees across the field from the bridge. It was flat and had wind protection from the south-west, but it had a ton of noseeums and tábanos, it's exposed to the road, and the river is about 200 m away. Definitely not our favorite campsite.

Day 14: Jan 6th

We got an early start to make as much distance as possible before the heat hit. It was full sun and hot all day. At (km 38.5) we found a path that corresponded to the OSM track and started on that. As it got closer to the GPT track we switched over. We followed the fence line up on the east side, but had to climb through the fence at one point. We would recommend being on the west side as there is a marshy spot that is difficult to get through. There is a gate at (-46.749383, -71.898336) which could be used to get to the west side. We found a nice spot to camp near Water (30.6) before going up to the pass. It has good wind protection from winds from the south-west. Another spot (-46.710147, -71.883436) was also wind protected from the same direction. It was a little warmer and seemed a bit better sheltered, but we chose the other one because it was flatter and on grass.

Day 15: Jan 7th

Woke up to a silent, sunny morning. The clouds came in as the day went on. At times there were cold breezes, but otherwise windless throughout the day. There were lots of different small wild flowers out. At the large lake there was a flock of about 50 flamingos. Shortly after we met Dave and Siyuan and had a nice chat with them. We found another small group of flamingos at one of the smaller lakes. We decided to camp on the plateau since it was a calm night. We stayed in the same spot we did last season. Had a windless night.

Day 16: Jan 8th

It was a still morning. Clouds rolled in as the afternoon progressed and winds picked up. The wind gets to be pretty tiring. We saw lots of little wildflowers, white and pink, yellow and orange, all different kinds. Lots of lizards skittered about as we walked. Getting closer to the second pass we saw two large herds of guanacos. As we approached the down, the views out over the valley were really great. We followed the OSM track for the descent rather than the GPT track. We met the settler, Claudio, and his son while they were doing a round to look for their sheep. They said we could camp in the vallecito down below and said there was good water there. We camped in the same spot as last season. There were lots of noseeums out so we were in the tent pretty early.

Day 17: Jan 9th

We got up early because it was supposed to be hot. There were some great views out over the lake. We ended up walking the whole way to town.

* '''2026-1-7 to 2026-1-11/ 5 days/ Hiking/ NOBO/ Sendero Rio Chacabuco + RR/Tomas Martinec'''

I already walked some sections of Tamango before, so I started the Parque Patagonia traverse via Sendero Rio Chacabuco, then connected to RR at Casa Piedra.

Overall, I consider it as a diverse section
Beginning: savana like terrrain inside a wide valley
Middle: mountainous terrain with river crossing and lakes
End: pure pampa and plateu walking

What makes this section special is the sense of wildness. It is possible to see a lot of guanacos, flamingos, and many other birds I couldn't identify. If you are lucky, you might even encounter pumas (I had that luck). Unfortunately, there are also a lot of tabanos (horseflies).

Navigation is generally easy and well marked, except for the final plateau section (15-42 km). There are several river fords in the middle (69-72 km), the deepest reaching mid-thigh (I'm 184 cm tall)

Day 1
Sendero Rio Chacabuco is officially closed. At the entrance (Museum), I had to prove that I had offline maps and a powerbank, then sign a document stating that I continued at my own responsibility.

Later I learned the main reason for the closure is a missing bridge across Rio Aseradero Quemado (washed away by the river). However, the main donor is very interested in reopening the trail, and CONAF workers are currently working on reopening it in the coming months.

I spent about 2 hours in the museum (highly recommended), then started hiking around midday.

Despite the official closure, the trail was easy to follow. The missing bridge wasn't problem - the river was low and easy to ford. Still, there are very few hikers using this trail. After about 10 km, I met CONAF worker who took photo of me, saying very unusual seeing tourist here.

Around km 20, I encountered a group of guanacos. A few kilometres later, I unexpectedly passed three pumas sitting next to the trail in the bushes. Two of them run away immediately (probably bigger cubs, I only saw them for a split second). The third one (probably the mama) stayed sitted and looked directly to me. I followed basic safety rules: not showing my back, keeping the eye contact, and slowly walked out of the bushes. The whole encounter lasted only a few seconds and everything was thankfully fine.

I camped about 3 kms from where I saw them
(I didnt sleep well that night). There are several nice shelters along this trail. I camped next to the Refugio Pampa Guanaco.

1st night camp: 47.0548324S, 72.3130370W

Day 2
Unfortunately, the Sendero Rio Chacabuco does not connect directly to Casa Piedra. I had to walk 8km on the road to reach Casa Piedra. From there, I continued along RR.

2nd night camp spot: 46.9408026S, 72.1560413W (protected to the wind, a lot of space)

Day 3
The pass is in the forrest. On the descent, I lost the trail briefly and had to do some bush bashing. Later came the ford section (km 69-72). The deepest crossing reached mid-tigh height (I'm 184 cm tall). After that, there is another pass above Lago Verde, a beautiful lake.

3rd night camp: Refuge {35} [61.7/856] (Camp Raleigh - very nice place)

Day 4
An easy walk brought me to lago Jenimeni and camp El Silencio (there is WiFi), with quite a lot tourists around. I hitched 8 km and started the final section, which is a pure pampa. The beginning is easy to follow. Later, I simply kept a fence on my left side as a navigation aid.

I stopped before reaching the plateau and camped here X. It was still quite windy. A spot about 30 m lower might serve better. Water was not problem.

4th day camp spot: Camp {35} [32.6/1300]

Day 5
No wind in the morning, but the navigation on the plateu was difficult. It is better to keep your general direction and follow it, rather than trying to stay exactly on the track. Progres was slow - 2.5 km/h. Wind picked up again on the plateu. There were many guanacos, and even flamingos in the central part of the plateau.

From Puesto {35} [15.8/1075], navigation becomes easy again. I passed the puesto and greeted Don Claudio and three young men.
Luckily, later the three guys gave me a lift for the last 10 km. It turned out they are cousins from the family that owns the land around the puesto. Don Claudio might be the caretaker.

* ''' 2025-Dec-22 to 2025-Dec-31 / 10(9) Days / Hiking / SOBO RR / Massa and Jacicek '''

Generally the track through the park is maintained and easy to navigate. Water is plentiful.

Day 0
Went by bus from Bahia Murta to Chile Chico, managed to explain to the driver that we want to drop off at crossroads to El Ciprés, the ride took approx 6 hours and we arrived around 7pm. Very short hike just to pass the gates (unlocked) to get to nature, we camped alongside small stream [S 46°33.7889’, W 071°49.6138’], spot for one tent protected by the bushes.

Day 1
Long hike through the NP to the Camp 32.6. We met Claudio mending his fence and one other local on his horse. Beautiful valley and plato, seen a lot of animals. We didn’t encounter any river that needed fording shoes (we followed the OSM track at km 23.9). Camped around 250m downhill from Camp 32.6 (optimistically set up tent when wind was down and had to move it).

Day 2
Hiked downhill, met another local riding his horse with two dogs. For a brief section we followed OH-CC-A at 35-C as the path across meadows seemed nicer, however this than continues along bare hillside, so we went directly back to the RR (there is animal trail there also). Road walking was easy, with nice views but long. Camped at El silencio, met guard on his way home and he went back to log in us even after hours (he was very friendly).

Day 3
Easy walking around the Lago Jeinemeni with nice bridge at camp Raleigh. Both Lagos are beautiful. All fords were easy. Camped at official camp in Valle Hermoso.

Day 4
No walking due to bad weather with better forecast for tomorrow.

Day 5
Nice walk with clear paths, Fords are many but all easy, only obstacles are fallen trees before pass km 74.9 (sobo). Camped at official campsite at km 83.

Day 6
Days walk to Casa Piedra, we took a water from stream running from read mountains, this was highly mineralized and tasted acidic after treatment with micropur (chlorine based) tablets, we discarded this. The bridge over the gorge is beautiful, however, the ongoing path is up and down a lot, the path on the other site seem flatter. Young ranger in casa Piedra, payed 10 000 CLP pp and got a warm shower, no tickets checked and no new ones needed.

Day 7
The SSL trail runs through slightly drier part of the park, 1liter was enough for us between water sources though. The SSL start after casa Piedra was full of bushes, but trail was visible. Camped next to Laguna Guagua [-47.13500, -72.30704] .

Day 8
Nice and recognizable paths, stream at 130.4 had wild mint growing in it :-) , the minor road to Settler at km 136 appears to been restored recently. We camped at OSM free official camp site at CA km 139.

Day 9
Mediterranean feel to the hike to Cochrane, rangers at the station had a lunch break and we signed out without issues.

* '''2026-01-06 to 2026-01-14/ 3+2+4 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option 1 and 2 / Dave & Siyuan'''

Summary: We took 9 days of food leaving Chile Chico. The first 3 days were on the plateau. We decided to go to the Cherry Festival in Los Antiguos (just cross the border in Argentina). We hitched a lift to Chile Chico when we got to the road on day 3 afternoon, then went across the border the following day. Two days later, we got a lift back to the park entrance and continued our hike through Parque Patagonia. Finished with a hitch to Valle Chacabuco. We saw a lot of wildlife on this section.

Day 1: 10km
Got the 8am bus from Chile Chico towards Coyhaique, but it was delayed by an hour and they charged us $4k CLP each. A local taxi would probably be cheaper. Exited the bus after 8km at -46.55736, -71.82521. Dirt road continued for 8km and was easy to follow. Water was available at -46.57576, -71.82803 and -46.59019, -71.81717. The cross country section is easy terrain with many animal trails. We camped after about 2km at -46.61882, -71.81595 at a grassy spot next to the stream. Not totally protected from the wind but flat with water nearby. We saw lots of Guanacos!

Day 2: 12km
Easy cross country terrain all day. We had no wind at all on the plateau but I imaging it would be very windy with the right conditions. If you see flamingos in the lagoons, make sure you take photos early because they all flew off as we approached and we never saw them again. We met GPTers Michael and Kasia who told us about their excellent camp where we camped tonight: -46.70956, -71.88111 (flat, nice stream and slightly protected from westerly wind).

Day 3: 11.3km
Easy cross country across the plateau, and down to the road. We followed variant C (following the fence) but still got wet feet in a few boggy sections. We got a lift back to Chile Chico after waiting an hour at about 17:00.

Day 4-5: Cherry Festival in Los Antiguos

Day 6: 9km
Got a lift from Chile Chico to the Park Entrance. Bought our tickets online with the starlink wifi. Easy and flat walk to Raleigh Campsite.

Day 7: 16.6km
Many river crossings. Walked in our shoes through 20 + fords. All easy below our knees. Camped at Camping el Puesto 78.1/888. However there was no Puesto.

Day 8: 21.4km
Crossed the main river and a couple of other small fords, no issues. An easy long walk down the valley, mostly downhills. Camped at Casa Piedra Camping 99.6/380. 10000 per person, hot showers, wifi, and electricity. Windy but there were sheltered spots to set up tents. The stone hut was awesome to be sheltered from the weather.

Day 9:
We started hiking on the road towards Chacabuco, soon we got a lift and the rain started...

'''2026-Jam-2 to 2026-Jan-7 / 6 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR / Mor'''

All in all a beautiful section with the definite highlight being the plateau for me. Did the whole RR but would recommend Option 3 and finish either in Valle Chacabuco in the very nice visitor center or cross from there to Cochrane. The walk along lago Cochrane is not interesting or too nice while lagunas altas trail is impressive.

I did the hike during a heatwave which made the exposed sections between Lago guagua and up to Valle hermoso tiring and with a constant buzz of the Tabanos.

Attractiveness: 5/5 (for the plateau)
Difficulty: 3.5/5 (extra 0.5 for 35 degrees and no shade)

Day 1: Cochrane -> camp35(119.1, 716)
~ 10.5 hours day
Long day with not so interesting of views besides lake Cochrane in the beginning and the valleys and lagunas towards the end. Water is almost solely at the lagunas once leaving the lake.
Gorgeous camp location, fairly protected from the wind.

Day 2: camp35(119.1,716)->refuge35(94.7,618)
~9.5 hours day
Walk is not too interesting and mostly follows the lake's sides. Makes the walk in poorly maintained trails confusing at times with fallen trees or overgrown thorny vegetation. No water between Laguna guagua and Laguna Gutierrez. No shade after pass35(111.6,1126).
Water at refuge35(94.7,618).
Chatted with the Ranger at Casa del piedra which was mostly caring for the wildfire hazard due to the heatwave.

Day 3: refuge 35(94.7,618) -> refuge 35(69.0,867)
~ 8 hour day
A few new fords which are not marked at -46,94964, -72,15276 and -46,88983, -72,16463.
Plenty of water along the path.
Plenty of fallen tree in section leading to Valle hermoso making finding the trail hard at times.
Fords were at most mid thigh for me(1.80). Watch out for following the trail without checking GPS when fording as it ends in a swampy area.
Valle hermoso truly deserves the name. Camp at refuge is well organised, had a few other hikers with me and along the way as it is a more popular hike.

Day 4: refuge35(69.0,867) -> camp35(34.8,1170)
~ 12 hours day
A long day with easy walking for the most part but 12km along the road after the park as no hitch was to be found. An immediate and welcomed change of scenery from alpine to pampa as you exit the park. Plenty of water all along the day.
From X35(41.4,768) to X35(38.2,916) the walk is on a double tracked road but after roads it turns CC. Have the fence on your east (right I'd you're climbing) and there'll be a horse trail most of the time.

Day 5: camp35(34.8,1170) -> -46,61892, -71,81546
~ 8 hours day
Hands down the highlight of the hike. DO NOT SKIP. herds of guancos and flamingos and the occasional heir make it all worth it with the beautiful views. An easy walking once above 1400m as the vegetation disappears.
Water is no issue at all as entry of lagunas and streams.
Met Siyuan and Dave as I was going down and camped with them for the night.

Day 6: -46,61892, -71,81546 -> Chile Chico
~ 4 hours day
Strolled down to the main road and after half the way to Chile Chico managed to get a. Ride into town. Pretty views of the lake as descending. Did not meet any of the puetsos or settlements occupied as I was passing.

'''2025-Dec-2 to 2025-Dec-7 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Emily & Kole'''

Beautiful section - diversity of landscapes, lots of wildlife and wildflowers, and despite the length not overly difficult. Saw very few people. No issues with water, plentiful. Attractiveness 5/5, difficulty 3/5.

Day 1 -
* Roadwalked for 3km from Chile Chico before getting a hitch to X {35} [8.1/505].
* Gate at Settler {35} [8.9/539], unlocked.
* Spoke with settler briefly at Puesto {35}[15.8/1075] - lovely guy.
* Trail is CC ascent after puesto, but easy walking. Winds at top on plateau very strong.
* Ford at Water {35}[23.9/1586] was mid-low thigh for Em (165cm), but Kole crossed 100m downstream on a snow ridge.
* Camped across the stream to the west of Camp {35} [32.6/1300] - small hills offer some wind protection but still very exposed.

Day 2 -
* Followed the OSM route to the road to avoid multiple river crossings.
* Hitched the final 3km of the roadwalk, but very few cars passing.
* Paid online 11.400 CLP pp for park entry - office was open but no ranger present
* Camped at Raleigh, Refugio {35} [61.7/856]. Several hikers were there when we arrived, but there’s a small sheltered space for 2 tents around 50m to the left after bridge along the OSM trail.

Day 3 -
* Fords after Valle Hermoso were all below knee height.
* Watch for the turnoff back to trail at Ford start/end {35} [72.4/905] - there’s a marker of cairns and sticks.
* Ford {35} [83.4/805] was mid-low thigh height for Em, but not overly strong.
* Camped at -46.94070, -72.15596, just afterward. Below the destroyed refugio, look for a trail leading left. Spots are well sheltered and flat.

Day 4 -
* No ranger at Casa Piedra.
* Water available at [112.3/1108], but difficult to collect. Better flow at Camp {35} [114.6/779].
* We camped here, below trail to the right. Spots aren’t perfectly level but very well sheltered. A more level spot to the left of trail before crossing the stream.

Day 5 -
* Horseflies in the morning drained our souls - not a bad idea to bring repellant or a head net.
* Watch out for turnoff for RR at Laguna Adelita; easy to miss.
* Camped at -47.20055, -72.46699 near the lake shore. Well sheltered and grass very soft.

Day 6 -
* Signed out at ranger station {35} [147.3/165] but rangers didn’t check our tickets.
* No luck hitching into town but it’s an easy walk on paved road.
* Arrived in Cochrane at midday.
* Stayed at “Camping & Laundry Cochrane” next to the plaza. 7.000clp to camp or 10.000clp for a 4 bed shared dorm. Laundry for 5.000clp pp. Hot showers, kitchen, WiFi, close to supermarket for resupply.

'''GPT35 / 2025 Dec 7-11 / NOBO / RR / variant R, Option 3, Option 3A, Option 3E & Option 2 / 5 days (2 half days)/ hiking // Bailey'''

General notes - incredibly beautiful section and quite diverse. Heaps of wildlife. We came across 7 other people walking the other direction. Fairly easy navigation. The high plateau was a highlight

Challenges - none to note

Costs - paid online for a parks pass - 11,400 CLP for foreigners. Walking out of cochrane I didn't pass the rangers hut. No one checked my pass. When I reached the second rangers hut they didn't ask to check, just shook my hand

Campsite Casa dePiedra, night 2 - 10,000 CLP cash

Difficulty - 3/5

Attractiveness - 5/5

Day 1

Started walking after 5 pm out of cochrane up to camp next to Laguna El Cangrejo. Taking variant R and option 3. Pretty steep climb

Camp 1

We camped at camp {35-03} [15.3/995] which was beautiful and protected from the wind by the lake. Mosquitos

Day 2

Today was the longest day. The passes were gorgeous. Took option 3A, good trail down onto option 3E and option 2, linking back onto the main route. No issues. The trail after this was pretty unmaintained but there was a trail. After Lago Gutierrez there were some animal cameras on the trail.

Camp 2

Reached Casa dePiedra camp at 8:30 pm, and paid 10,000 CLP. Hot showers, a place to eat inside away from the mosquitos.

Day 3

Crossed the fords, some were fast moving but nothing above mid thigh (194 cm). No navigation issues

Camp 3

Camp Raleigh [61.7/856]. A very beautiful campsite. There's tables and chairs. A cool looking bridge.

Day 4

Walked past the rangers hut in the morning, there's starlink here. Briefly talked to the ranger, he didn't ask about my parks pass. Walking on the road had some beautiful views. Walking up over the high plateau was incredible. Cross country navigation felt relaxed. Hundreds of guanacos up here. Came across a gaucho herding sheep

Camp 4

Camped at camp [14.1923] just as the minor road begins. This was incredibly windy.

Day 5

Walked down to the main road and got picked up by a local archaeologist

Stayed in chile chico for 20,000 CLP per person at Campamento Ñandú Hostel. Really laid back vibe, just opened today.

Ferry to Puerto Ibáñez, tried booking a ferry for this afternoon but it's not running because of high winds. Below is the website but I couldn't purchase a ticket through it. The office is located here

https://maps.app.goo.gl/mxD1LgMF5s2FPPbH9

Website - https://www.ferrypatagonia.com/horarios-y-tarifas

<big>'''2025-11-8 to 2025-11-13 / 6 days / hiking / NOBO / RR, Opt 3, Opt 3A, Opt 3E, RR / Ohad '''</big>

Beautiful and diverse section! Very glad its my introduction to the GPT.

Sendero 7 Lagunas (RR) is closed, but hikers with inreach/gps that informed the park administration (north of westwind camp) are allowed to walk it. I did not know this, and went without informing. I suppose its possible to contact them prior to arrival to do it by the book. I saw no rangers or other person on trail.

Fees: 11400$
paid 11400 pessos for entry to the NP in the ranger station near Cochrane, did not sleep at any camps that required payment, no ranger in Casa de Piedra and didnt pay for the second entry to the park.

Camping

Day 1: S 47.149459 W 072.434050, unofficial therefore illegal (alt spot, semi protected from wind, a patch of dirt big enough for one tent reletivaly flat. Hidden from the road.

Day 2: Camp {35} [114.6/779], nice spot near little stream in lenga forest.

Day 3: OSM camp at S 46.983453 W 072.160344 No wind protection, very scenic there is a little stream a bit to the south.

Day 4: Camped at Raleigh, wind sheltered and scenic, the outhouse has mice droppings, probably mice around the camp. Very nice spot.

Day 5: slept on the plateau at S 46.715519
W 0.71877977. Semi wind sheltered spot woth little stream behind a small hill. Still had a very windy night. Would not reccomend sleeping on the plateau, crazy wind. But it was beautiful at sunset and early morning.

Challenges: no challanging fords. some snow left on Opt 3 and the plateau, could be annoying if tackeling slush but it was mostly firm.

Water: no problem at all, at the plateau i would recc to filter all water, lots of dead guanaco and goose droppings with still and slow moving water.

Day 1: started from Cochrane, no hitchhike. Waited for the ranger to wake up and open shop (9 am), only after saw the option to pay online. Continued on my way on Sendero Las Aguilas, a trail heading towards Opt3 not on the gpx files. Nice views over the valley, mainly lenga forest, continued to the pass. Decieded to continue on the lagunas altas route (Opt 3A) and connect to RR tommorrow. The pass and Opt3A offer very panoramic views to the valley next over and surrounding mountains. Up to you if its worth the steep uphill. Some of the northface of the pass is an unstable, exposed scree slope. Would not reccomend in snow.

Day 2: shorter day, transioned yesterday to Sendero 7 Lagunas. The trail is not always clear in open terrain as Perrenial plants are starting to grow over it and annuals are in full growth. When entering the lenga forest the trail is clear but there is debree. Beautiful day with amazing yellow orchids, clear lakes and on very not shy huemuul.

Day 3: over the pass, lots of puma prints and droppings, be alert and maybe get a lucky encounter. Over the pass the terrain opens up and for NOBO hikers offers a (usually) nice stroll down. The last 2km of trail coming down to Laguna Guttiérrez is very unclear, i approached it as CC. Casa Piedra was closed, and the gate to the bridge was closed (just a steel rope attached lazely, no problem). The trail becomes clear again after Casa Piedra.

Day 4: very clear day, fallen trees in the forrested parts, the fords never passed my knees (Im 185cm). I saw someone reccomending sandals for the many fords on the river flowing east (couldnt find the name) I disagree, a lot of walking on dry river bed, they would probably get in the sandel and or hit your toes on them. To each their own. There are clear posts every couple hundred meters so its very easy to pathfind. The pass to Lago Verde was steep.

Day 5: easy flat day, nice views over the lakes, saw the first people in 5 days. As i was walking past the ranger station the ranger called me to "sign out"? Was very friendly but just starteled me. Just wanted to ask if I had any information and that everything is OK. No hitch on the road (at around noon). Walked up to the plateau, CC is less challenging as you go up in elevation. At certain point decided to just ascend the plateau for easier CC. Wanted to shorten the next day to get to Chile Chico earlier and ended up dleeping on the plateau. Would not reccomend. Lots of guanacos on the plateau and very interesting ecosystem, geology and views. definatley worth the extra day if youre NOBO.

Day 6: woke up early and traversed the plateau, lots of snow patches, the temp was low and i was early so it wasnt very bad. If there is snow and you expect slush then it will be slower. Lots of mud from the extra water. The southwest wind was extremely harsh, was very happy to walk north. Shared some maté, bread, salami and ciggs with the settler. Lovely man. Said hes there from oct to april give or take. Dropped into the road and got a hitch into town.

Happy GPT Season!

==Season 2024/25==

'''2025-Mar-13 to 2025-Mar-19/ 6 days/ Hiking/ NOBO RR - Oh-Mr-V 35-01 (sendero 7 laguna - valle aviles - valle hermoso- lago jeinimeni) / Emilie '''

Day 1: started in Cochrane around 9:30 and registered at the guardaparque where I paid around 11000CPL and the guard checked if I had 2 gas canister and he even weighed them to make sure they were full. He also asked me if I had an inreach as the trail wasn’t busy and I wouldn’t meet a lot of ppl on the way. I started and had a relatively short day, stopping at (S 47.198824° O 72.449461°) to camp for the night.

Day 2: it was a relatively pleasant and easy day. Walked until laguna guagua to camp on the shore (S 47.134842° O 72.307318°)

Day 3: started in the forest again and after the pass the landscape changed almost drastically, the weather was really nice and it was just so pretty! I saw a few guanacos. Camped at casa piedra for 8000CLP

Day 4: woke up to a herd of guanacos running around on the campground. I also idiotically left my bag on one of the sheltered picnic tables woke up to several of my ziplock bags being eaten trough by a mouse…:( Continued on the valle aviles sendero and camped at km 22 (S 46.893873° O 72.160906°). Not the cutest campground but relatively well protected as it started to rain.

Day 5: woke up under the rain and after 1hr of walking the ford crossing started, crossed the river about 8 times, 4 times out of those were knee high and the rest was below that. After the lago verde pass I had one other shoes-off ford crossing aswell. And camped at (S 46.864410° O 72.048501°) kind of hidden in the bush, definitely not ideal, would recommend sleeping at Raleigh (free campsite) or push to el silencio (I think that one is paying).

Day 6: decided to not do the last ascent of the trek and walked on the Camino laguna jeinimeni trying to hitchhike to Chile Chico. I still had to walk about 17kms before someone finally picked me up. You probably have more chances hitchhiking in the afternoon as people are leaving réserva jeinimeni because it’s a dead end road and people with go there for the day, being able to pick you up on their way back to Chile Chico.

All in all this was a beautiful and relatively easy section. The weather was on and off during the last few days, you can feel the autumn cold air rolling in, but with the two easy exit points (casa piedra and campamento el silencio) you can easily only do parts of it or stop if needed.

'''2025-Mar-10 to 2025-Mar-15/ 6 days/ Hiking/ NOBO RR/ Timothée and Maëlle'''

We managed to hike the full RR in 6 days because we hitchhiked about 20k, otherwise that would have been long days.
Weather: after arriving from villao higgins with the bus, we were lucky to see a really good weather windw of 5 /6 days with sun, relatively warm and few wind except the first day. Forecast were quite accurate ( yr), we checked it again twice with the in reach. It was also quite accurate, a bit less than yr.

Camps:
Camp 1: camp 136.9: 200 m before, we found something more sheltered from wind

Camp 2: camp osm: S 47° 08.017', W 072° 18.115': really nice, not sheltered a lot

Camp 3: 100m after the refuge 93.9, there s à spot for a single tent. We slept in front of the refuge: not really flat ( nice spot was already used by sb).

Camp 4: refugio valle hermoso: Nice camp site sheltered with tables..

Camp 5: camp 32.6 not sheltered from the wind but otherwise it s incredible.

Day 1: We started at 11 from cochrane, hitchhiked 2km, and then took the nice yrail along the lake. There was far less elevation gain than what is sometimes written on tracks when there s a lot of ups and downs ( such as this section :139.1 + 7.7).

Day 2: We saw 3 huemules on the MR above the lago cochrane. The forest is devastated by the caterpillar.

Day3: Nice and huge diversity of landscape. At casa de piedra the camping guy checked that we had a GPS, gas... No fees problems.

Day 4: Nice again, as is the whole section.it was a bit long. On this section it is better to have really good sandals to walk the whole 2km in the river bed or to have wet running shoes.
Day 5: we managed to hitchhike from the park ranger to X 41.5. There were very few cars, but it seem doable if you are early enough. On the cc between 41.5 and 32, we found some good animal tracks that allowed us to avoide walking in thorny bushes. Then you follow fences. We had sometimes to cross it by crawling under. There is no need to follow the track too closely, you would have to cross the fences to often.

Day6: amazing crossing of this plateau full of guanacos, flamingo... CC is easy ( bare ground). We had 2 drops of rain, and a bit of sun, not windy. We hitchhiked the last 8km to chile chico ( they were not many cars).

Overall, we did not found any challenging fords. This is one of the best section we found: quite easy despite the length, huge diversity of landscapes. We saw a lot of different animals. We saw no ones on the first part ( sentier de 7 lagunas), a bit more after casa de piedras, no one on the last 40 k.
It is probably recommended to filter water all along the way as there is a lot of cattles and wild animals everywhere, compared to other sections.

'''2025-03-07 to 2025-03-12 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Tyson'''

Hit some incredible weather. A really beautiful and diverse section. No trouble with water or crossings.

Day 1: [RR] Got a lift out of town to X {35} [8.1/505], and started hiking ~10am. Beautiful views as you ascend the plateau looking back at Lago General Carrera. Tons of guanacos. The ground on the walk up to and in places on top of the plateau has a lot of clay in it. So if it has rained recently, be ready for mud. I stayed near Camp {35} [32.6//1300]. I checked out MiamZelt’s recommended spot, but it lacked the view so I compromised by camping across the stream just west from the Camp. There are some small hills there that provide a bit of protection from west winds.

Day 2: [RR] Continued the valley descent. Hit the road going to the Jinemeini entrance to the park by noon. No hitch so I had to walk the whole thing which was annoying and took a good bit longer than expected. Tried to pay entrance fees but the system was down. Had Raleigh campground to myself that evening. Some nice fishing in Lago Verde there.

Day 3: [RR] Over the pass to Valley Hermosa. Really beautiful. Peaked in at the campsite there, which is nice and well-protected. Crossings in the valley were ankle deep mostly, so easy. There are easy markers for the first ⅔ of the valley, but you need to watch for the turn south. I overshot it and got stuck in a small but thorny bushwhack. Clear trail up and over the pass, crossings on the other side all easy. The trail cuts through a couple of boggy terraces. Camped at OSM Free Unofficial Campsite (-46.98401, -72.16014). Water is easily available at a stream down trail just past the camp spots

Day 4: [RR] Took the RR across the suspension bridge, and down to Casa Piedra. Spoke to the ranger there who said I should just pay at the end in Tamango. On to Sendero 7 Lagunas. Really enjoyed this section. The pass [111.6/1126] kicked my ass more than I expected. But saw two huemules on the other side so worth it. Camped at Laguna Guagua / OSM “Plano sitio para acampar.” Beautiful lake, gorgeous sunset, though the prime camp spot was taken by some other hikers so I ended up in the woods, just NE of there. There are some flat spots tucked away there.

Day 5: [RR] Watch for the RR turnoff at Laguna Adelita. You’re on a dirt road there that continues and becomes Option N. To stick to the RR turn at an easy to miss trail. Camped at OSM ‘Free official camp site” (-47.20052, -72.46710)

Day 6: [RR] Tamango Reserve, another nice section here, but lots of day hikers. The outlet to Rio Cochrane has some nice coves for throwing a line in. Finally was able to pay entrance fees at the Tamango office (11,700). No hitch to Cochrane so had to road walk. Made it town by ~2pm

*'''2025-MAR-02 to 2025-MAR-07 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + OH (Var. L) / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''

A beautiful section through stunning nature, although the presence of a national park comes with an entrance fee and a higher number of people and cars.

We followed the RR almost entirely. The only exceptions were the descent into the Jeinemeni River valley, where we followed the trail marked in OSM rather than the track files from kilometer 32 until reconnecting with the MR at kilometer 38. Second exeprion was Variant L, which seemed like a more logical approach to Casa Piedra. However, if you take this variant, be sure to check out the suspension bridge at [90.9/635] before turning off. Crossing a suspension bridge over a deep gorge is absolutely worth it!

CHALLENGES
The biggest challenge overall was the weather. Strong winds are to be expected, and at higher elevations, we encountered both snow and freezing temperatures.

The river crossings were not deep, but there were many of them. Given the cold and heavy rain we experienced, crossing them was not particularly pleasant.

The trail was often waterlogged and muddy. Don’t expect to keep your feet dry!

FEES
The entrance to Patagonia National Park can be booked and paid online via the CONAF website. Alternatively, rangers at the park entrance [53.0/843] can facilitate payment, as they have internet access via Starlink. The fee is 11,400 CLP per person.

At Casa Piedra, you enter another part of the park where another fee might be required. However, the local ranger didn’t ask for any payment, and since we didn’t use the campsite, we didn’t have to pay anything.

When exiting the park, no additional fees were requested.

BIVOUACING
Our first night, we arrived by ferry after 9 PM and camped just outside the town. We chose a spot among rocks west of town (-46.5397818, -71.7343889). There are several small tent spots among the bushes. It’s a quiet and scenic spot despite its proximity to town.

The second night, we camped on a plateau in a small valley with a water source [23.9/1586]. It’s slightly less windy than higher up, but still quite exposed. If your tents are not highly wind-resistant, we do not recommend following our example.

After entering the national park, camping is only allowed in designated campsites. The available campsites are:

Camp $, Bridge, Lake {35} [53.3/852] – Includes toilets and cold showers, with a few sheltered platforms. We did not have to pay for staying here.

Refuge {35} [61.7+0.2/856] – A simple shelter with several picnic tables and benches. Free of charge.

Refuge {35} [68.1/867] – Slightly off-trail, so we didn’t visit, but it appeared to be maintained.

Other campsites and shelters marked in OSM and track files further along are mostly ruined or unmarked open spaces. The next large managed campsite is Casa Piedra, costing 8,000 CLP per night.

From Casa Piedra onwards, we entered a different section of the national park, where the local ranger gave us no clear instructions on camping, nor did he seem concerned about it.

We camped on the shore of Lago Gutiarrez (-47.07580, -72.24877), and we weren’t the only ones—another group camped further down the shore.

Our final night was spent at the campsite [136.9/162], which was a nice spot.

A few hundred meters further at (-47.19807, -72.45737), there are three surprisingly nice and clean refugias, which could also be used.

WATER
Water is not an issue. The plateau at the start has several small lakes and streams, and for the rest of the section, the trail follows rivers and lakes for the most part.

Even at higher elevations, such as beyond the pass [110.8/1126], small streams were available for water resupply. A good example is at (-47.09787, -72.28568).

RESUPPLY
We resupplied in Puerto Ibáñez at a small minimarket near the lake, so we don’t have information on shopping options in Chile Chico.

In Cochrane, there are several stores. We were recommended Supermercado Rojita, located near the main square at (-47.25330, -72.57560).

Another well-stocked option was Supermercado Emporio Vecino Arno, which is conveniently located as you enter Cochrane at (-47.25089, -72.56108).

For food, we recommend Cumbres Pizzería Artesanal, located above Supermercado Rojita. It’s a small pizzeria, but the lady running it was very friendly, and this was easily the best pizza we had in Chile.

''' 2025 Feb 25 to Mar 7 / 9 hiking days, 1 zero days / NOBO / Hiking / Var R, Var S, RR, Opt 3D, Opt 3C, Opt 3, Opt 3A, Opt 2A, Opt N, Var T / Michael and Kasia '''

Quick notes: This was our second route in Parque Patagonia this season; we really loved this section, we saw a lot of animals, had some great weather and a couple rainy and windy days, and we managed to do a loop from Cochrane to Casa Piedra and back with minimal overlap.

CAMPS:

Night 01: -47.19763, -72.45248 (flat space for two to three tents, excellent water access, nice view, some wind protection, but would be cold if wind were coming from the south)

Night 02: -47.18468, -72.52438 (official campsite, okay view, not much wind protection, water access is about 70 m away)

Night 03: -47.13894, -72.47796 (amazing view, site is fairly flat, water access is about 150 m away, no wind protection)

Night 04: -47.15964, -72.41494 (amazing view, easy water access, good wind protection from the north, right on the trail)

Night 05 and 06: -47.13355, -72.31556 (Refuge, X {35} 118.3, not a refuge but a collapsed stop over puesto, nice view of the lake, some wind protection but not a lot, easy water access)

Night 07: Casa Piedra (8.000 pp, access to bathrooms, running water, electricity and indoor place for cooking and eating, flat places for tents with some wind protection, there are mice in the outdoor covered areas)

Night 08: -47.17285, -72.36981 (nice view, some wind protection, water is about 100 m away)

Night 09: same as night 1

Night 10: -47.22544, -72.53908 (good wind protection, no water)

WATER:

Generally easy to find, however on a new route to create a loop there was an 18 km section with no water.

Day 01: Feb 25

We started from Cochrane around 11:00. Var R was easy to follow. At [Gate {35-R} 13.5] we met a local gaucho named Lionel who happened to be going through the gate right when we arrived. He was very friendly. We chatted for a bit and he told us to just follow the road to the park. [Gate {35-P} 10.6] was a little tricky. The gate is padlocked shut and the center vertical posts are broken, so I think it would not be a good idea to try to climb the gate. On the downhill side, the gate is only attached to the post by some fence wire. We undid the wire and pulled the gate open from the side to get through and then rewired it to the post. This is easier with two people. [Water {35–P} 7.7] was a stream that was flowing clear. [Water 4.9] was also flowing, but [Water 4.1] was just a couple of muddy, stagnant pools. [Camp 4.0] also looked kind of exposed and not that inviting. There was another stream about 120 m further along Var R. We decided to take Var S (Sendero 6: Los Ciruelillos) down to the lake. At km 3.72 of Var R, Var S starts downhill. We did not see a way to continue on Var R. I could barely make out where a trail might have existed in the past, but it would be BB. Var S was very clear and easy to follow, though somewhat steep and hard on the knees. At the bottom we walked RR NOBO to [Camp {35} 137.6]. This was a really great campsite, right near the lake with flat space for two or three tents, and one tent could be under some trees for wind protection. Unfortunately there were already people there, so we continued toward [Camp 136.9]. Close to it at (-47.19763, -72.45248) we found a really nice spot under a couple of trees right near the lake. We had a windless night, so it was very peaceful, however I would recommend checking the weather in advance as this would likely be a cold spot if the wind was coming over the lake.

Day 02 - Feb 26th

We backtracked across the field and back up Var S, then switched to Opt 3D (Sendero 8: Los Pumas). The route was steep in parts, but again very clear and easy to follow. There were some nice views out over the valley. At the end of Opt 3D we switched to Opt 3C (Sendero 7: Los Guanacos) heading west along the south side of the lakes. At (-47.18524, -72.49595) along the southwest side of Laguna Elafantita there was a really nice beach. It was a sunny, windless day when we were there and we stopped for about a half hour to wade in the water and rest in the sun. We highly recommend making time for a stop there if the weather is good. The path after Laguna Elafantita was across wetlands and was swampy in places, however we managed to get through without getting our feet wet. At the trail intersection we started into Opt 3 (Sector Tamango) (Sendero 9: Los Cóndores). We camped at Laguna Cangrejo at the second official camping area, about 450 m further north than [Camp {35-03} 15.3]. It was a clear sky and a windless night. It got cold very quickly and everything was wet from dew quite quickly.

Day 03 - Feb 27th

We woke up to everything being covered in frost. Both the inside and the outside of our tent had a frost layer. Kasia came up with the brilliant idea to use the rubber scraper spatula we have in the kitchen like an ice scraper. We managed to scrape enough frost to make a tiny snowman. We took some time to get everything dried out since it was a sunny morning. We continued on Opt 3. Part way up there was a short section where a huge blow down had covered part of the trail. At km 10.5 we switched to Opt 3A (Lagunas Altas). There was a 400 m or so section of an exposed traverse on a narrow, degrading path that would not be ideal in windy or rainy conditions. Overwise the trail was in good shape and easy to follow. We camped at (-47.13894, -72.47796) just off the trail overlooking the lake. Water access was about 150 m away, having to walk part way around the lake to get to a stone beach. This would not be a good camp if there was wind, but it had an exceptional view.

Day 04 - Feb 28th

We took an alternate trail that Alex had suggested to us. At km 1.47 of Opt 3A, about 35 m from a stream at (-47.14331, -72.46124), on the right hand side there is a trail that goes east-northeast. It is actually a very clear trail that is easy to follow. The route runs largely parallel to GPT Opt 2 (Ruta X83) but entirely on trail. It goes up above and around the southern side of two lakes and provides some excellent views. It makes for some very pleasant hill walking. I will note that there were very few places to collect water on the way, and the hills are quite exposed. It was sunny and hot the day we went and we wished we had taken more water. The trail finally descends to the lake where it is possible to reconnect with RR. At the north end of the lake we found three areas where camping was possible. We camped more to the east end of the north shore at (-47.15964, -72.41494). It was a really nice spot with space for a large tent and another nearby, easy water access, a wonderful view out over the lake, and good wind protection for us (the winds were coming over the hill that night, not across the lake).

Day 05 - Mar 1st

From the lake we headed up the hill and walked down the road just enough to see the Refuge 130.4 from above. It was still intact, but we were very happy with our choice of campsite for the night. We took Var N for about 500m until it connected into RR at km 130.8, then started RR NOBO. It was a cloudy day, often windy. As we headed up there were caterpillars everywhere. We saw a few woodpeckers tapping away at some trees. At km 127.8 the trail connects with a 2 track road and follows it for about 1 km. The trail breaks off the road again, though it was not visible and we accidentally walked past it. By looking at the satellite later however, we could see that the 2 track road continued on and eventually connected to Opt 2A. This became relevant later. At somewhere around km 120.5 on RR we lost the trail and ended up below it. We had to climb up a steep hill and over to reconnect to the track. The [Refuge, X 118.3] site is not that nice in our opinion, though the dense trees between the site and the lake do provide decent wind protection. We had windy conditions and some rain. There is a nice beach that would be very enjoyable in nice weather.

Day 06 - Mar 2nd

We stayed at Laguna Guagua to wait over rain and high winds. Despite the weather report, the morning was calm and pleasant. The afternoon and the night were very windy. We spent part of the day map scrolling and discovered a road visible in the satellite layer that leaves the highway 13 km after Casa Piedra heading toward Chacabuco, and that then connects to Opt 2A. From the map it looked possible to walk that route and then along the road we had accidentally walked too far on the previous day. We decided that we would try to walk back to Cochrane.

Day 07 - Mar 3rd

It was a cold, windy morning, though the sun was out. The trail was generally easy to see and follow. The lack of maintenance is obvious, but enough people seem to walk it that the trail is generally visible. We found water at three points heading up to the pass (-47.11424, -72.29322), (-47.10902, -72.28838), (-47.09787, -72.28558). The pass was easy. On the way down the trail is a little harder to follow, not so much because it's hard to see, but because there are a lot of strips of bare ground that look like paths, but aren't, or at least aren't the correct one. I checked the GPS frequently and we only had two or three places where we had to search a bit. The views over Laguna Gutiérrez were really spectacular. We had sun with interesting cloud formations around the mountains, and the mountains had a dusting of fresh snow. The water in the lake was a really amazing blue. More to the west end of the lake there were places where it was possible to access the beach. It got much harder to do so closer to the east end. We found water without having to go down to the lake at two points along the lake route (-47.07573, -72.24689), (-47.07908, -72.22735), and one on the way out toward Casa Piedra (-47.07480, -72.20466). There were also some very steep, near scrambling areas that we would not have wanted to do in rainy conditions. We had actually thought of camping near the east end of the lake, but there are no trees there, just a lot of spiky bushes, and no clear path to get there. It might be possible to camp directly on the beach if the weather is calm. The weather report for the following day was rain and high winds, so we decided to camp at Casa Piedra. We were the only ones there other than the guardaparque. We stayed near one of the shelters. There was a mouse scampering around inside it so we stored our stuff in the dining hall in the lodge. When we arrived the guardaparque asked us where we were coming from and where we were going. We said we had come from the direction of Argentina and were going to Cochrane, and she didn't ask any other questions. We were able to pay for camping with a credit card.

Day 08 - Mar 4th

It was very windy throughout the night and rained a fair bit. There was sun in the morning so we were able to dry everything out before getting a late start. That made it worth paying for the camping. We walked 13 km on the highway. There was almost no traffic at all, and only one car passed that was going our direction. For the first couple of hours it was sunny in the valley with clouds all around. Around 13:00 it started raining and didn't fully stop until 19:00 that night. The road we were looking for left the highway at (-47.06902, -72.35132). It was not visible on OSM, but is on satellite. The road is a functioning 2 track road with a new looking steel cable stretched between two poles to block vehicle traffic, but otherwise easily accessible and obvious. About 500 m on the was a trailer and a structure of some sort under construction on a hill above the trailer. No one was around when we passed. After 2.6 km the road becomes Opt 2A. At km 6.7 on the Opt 2A track (-47.12185, -72.36911) there was an unmarked ford. A slow moving stream cut across the road. We looked for a way around it, but it seemed too wide to jump. It was top of the calf with very little current. 200 m further (-47.12237, -72.36619) the other end of the road we had walked too far a few days prior broke off and headed toward RR. We reconnected with RR SOBO, then started on Var N, which is an out of use 2 track road. It was actually still in good shape and was easy to follow. There weren't any fallen trees on the road, it's just a little overgrown with tall grass in some places. We camped under a tree about 100 m from a stream (-47.17391, -72.37062). We had a windless night, but just on the other side of the stream was a flat area under more trees that looked like it was better wind protected. (An important note: when leaving Casa Piedra heading west, the road follows the river for the first 3 km, then starts uphill and away from it. We did not find water again until the ford (about 18 km) and then after that not again until the stream (about 7 km). It wasn't an issue for us because it was cold and rainy that day so we weren't that thirsty, but on sunny days it would be important to take sufficient water before leaving the river as the route had very little shade along the way.)

Day 09 - Mar 5th

We finished Var N, then reconnected with RR SOBO. We camped at the same place we had camped our first night.

Day 10 - Mar 6th

We got a late start due to morning rain. We took RR SOBO (Sendero 3: Los Coigües, Sendero 2: Los Carpinteros). The route was clear, but there were several very steep parts that we would not want to do on a windy day. It was tricky enough with it being wet from rain. At km 143.9 we switched to Var T (Sendero 10: Los Ñires) and headed uphill. As we were rounding a corner, there was a huemul standing in the path about 2 m from us. It looked at us for a minute, then walked a wide circle around us to get back on the trail and head down hill. We then connected back to Var R just before El Hungaro. We passed through the wired gate and found camping at (-47.22544, -72.53908). It was a flat, grassy space in the pine trees a little off the road. It was wind protected, but there was no water nearby.

Day 11 - Mar 7th

We walked back into Cochrane. We were having lunch outside of El Rojito in town and had the pleasure to meet Jakub, Ivan and Daniel. It was really nice to meet some other GPTers along the way.

'''25-02-26 - 25-03-02/ 5 days / SOBO / RR-OH3a-OH3 / Volker'''

Very beautiful section with changing landscapes.
Water everywhere, many fords of Estero Ventisquero, all easy), navigation in the CC parts no problem.

I had a bad knee, walked slowly, shortened the section by hitchhiking/taking a bus.

Day 1: I had called Frida (+56 9 4792 9126) the day before, but she was occupied and recommended another driver (+56 9 8464 3768, WhatsApp account is „Sisterna“) and this very nice and funny man drove me at 8 a.m. for 10k eight km along the X265. At the puesto chatted with the arriero, then straightforward CC to the pass, lots of Guanakos, some condors, flamingos and various species of ducks on the lagunas.
After some stormy days no wind at all, so I camped on a pass some 500m away from the RR at S 46.693877° W 71.874276° for the sunset and the sunrise. Nevertheless be careful with the wind!
Day 2: Rejoined the RR at the indicated pass, then down to the small puesto (nobody there), had to climb a fence. After the puesto swampy and another fence. As I walked slowlier than usual with my bad knee, I went the derour (500m) to the next puesto at and asked, if I could buy any food. The very nice arriero asked me to come in and while we drank mate he buke pancitos, which he offered me with some meat. Unfortunately no food to take away. I spent quite a lot of time with him, so I was really lucky, that in the very moment I arrived at the junction with the MR coming from Chile Chico, a Conaf worker passed by with her car and gave me a ride to their check point. If you haven‘t bought a ticket in advance on the Conaf website, you have to do it now (11,5k, they don‘t accept neither cash nor cards, you have to buy it online, using their WIFI). The Lago Jeinemeni is stunning, recommend to make the 1km detour for the mirador. Camped on a nice river bank 1km before Lago Verde.
Day 3: Very pittoresque, many easy fords (2 additional shortly before the indicated one, as Rio Aviles has destroyed the path on the left side of the valley. Camped at the (destroyed) ‚refuge‘ together with two Chileans, who gave me a practical lesson in fishing.
Day 4: Easy and nice on RR down to Casa Piedra. Ibuprofen made it possible, dimming the pain in my knee. However, I had walked too slowly and during too many rests consumed too much of my supplies to continue as planned. So I waited for a bus at 16.30. It stopped for 15 min at Museo/Los West Winds; unfortunately too late for the museum, but a Cafeteria for some resupply! Sandwiches, chocolate, power bars (goes without saying, that not at supermarket prices) - and a better knee allowed for continuing. So I walked in direction of the Los West Winds camping and after some hundred meters went back into the mountains on the Las Lagunas Altas trail. Camp at S 47.127889° W 72.468457°, great spot with view on the distant ridges in the evening sun.
Day 5: The Las Lagunas Altas Trail joins the gpt OH 3a and passes by the lagunas. Without knowing the RR and other options, I very much recommend this trail! After the lagunas at the pass heavy wind and rain started, so instead of walking all the way to Cochrane, together with Thijmen, whom I met 200m after the pass, we went down on OH3 (sector Tamango) to Los West Winds, visited the museum (recommended!) and went to Cochrane with the bus at 5 p.m.

'''2025-02-25 to 2025-03-02 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, variant R,S. Leaving trough option 3,/ Thijmen Scholten'''

* I stayed in Hospedaje Rio Baker in Chile Chico it's cheap and very friendly, recommended.
* The pass/Platform very weather exposed, so check the weather forecast before you go.
* You can camp sheltered just before the pass
* Besides all the guanacos There are also Some nice oyster like stones
* I could not really find a trail on the first part but it's a easy CC at which you do not have to be perfectly on the indicated trail. Just more or less in the same direction.
* I found a truly beautiful stone but forgot it and it's at the source of water source 30.6. it's heavy but I wanted to give it to the people who would take me hitchhiking or at the park entrance office. So if you want this beautiful stone you can take it !
* Camped somewhere next to the river on the way down. Took CC shortcut to bridge at 42.7
* next day hitchhiked , pay entrance , easy walk.
* After camp valley Hermosa there were many river crossings (ankle to knee deep). Best to keep your sandals or (non gortex) shoes on and just accept you will have cold feet in the next hour.
* Camped: 100m before refuge 94.7 at an nice little windfree spot next to the river.
* 7 Laguna's trail. About 1km before end of lake and about 1 and 4km after pass are decent streams to get water from. For the rest only water from the lakes.
* Trail fairly easy to follow in forest because of sawn trunks and in grassland because one plant species grows everywhere expect on the trail.
* Trail is not maintained anymore. Therefore would be nice if everyone did some trail maintenance (remove some branches from trail, break some branches , indicate wrong trail with row of stones etc.
* Internet entell at end of the pass 111.6
* Look out that you don't miss the junction at the last lake.
* Option R: is badly overgrown with spiky Plants and seeds! I went 1/3 of the way and turned back. I would not take it
* Variant 3: is nice and clear. At Valle Chacabuco there is a very nice Museum! And a bus to Cocrane @17.00 cost 15.00 CLP.

''' 2025-FEV-21 > 25 / 4,5 jours / Randonnée / SOBO / RR > 35-02 > 35-03A > 35-03 > 35-R > RR / Pierre-Marie '''

Etape : (GPT34)+GPT35
| Meteo : soleil
| Eau : parfois difficile
| Neige : non
| Intérêt : 5/5
| Difficulté : 3/5
| Danger : chenilles urticantes, rivière

J'ai laissé ma machette à Coyhaique pour m'alléger. J'ai dormi à l'hostel Ayékan à Chile Chico puis j'ai commencé la randonnée à 9h. J'ai eu du mal à faire de l'auto-stop mais après 4 km de marche une voiture m'a emmenée au km 8. Il y a pas mal d'eau sur le plateau, bien plus qu'indiqué sur le GPS. Il y avait beaucoup de vent sur le plateau mais il faisait beau alors ça s'est bien passé. J'ai campé au km 36 mais il y avait de petites mouches qui piquent, pas super pour se laver. Malheureusement le vent s'est levé et il a pas mal plu dès 20h alors j'ai passé une nuit difficile. J'ai eu beaucoup de chance et j'ai pu faire du stop du km 45 au km 53. Très peu de voitures sur cette gravel road. Les arbres n'ont plus de feuilles car des chenilles ravagent tout dans le parc (https://laderasur.com/articulo/cuncunas-espinosas-a-la-vista-los-impactos-de-una-especie-que-ha-defoliado-miles-de-hectareas-de-lenga-en-chile/). Comme il a bien plu pendant la nuit, toutes les rivières sont en crues. C'est bien car les sentiers sont désert, mais les ford sont très dangereux. Le ranger et un monsieur du coin m'a dit que je pouvais tout franchir en faisant attention. Il n'y a pas de refuges aux km 81,8, 94,7 et 119,1. A partir du km 98, il n'y a plus de rivière, juste de petits ruisseau vaseux et les lacs bien sûr. Au km 10,4 du 35-R, le bâtiment peu servir de refuge. Il est très propre et je n'ai pas vu de rongeurs malgré la mise en garde. Le seul problème c'est qu'il n'y a pas d'eau. Il a neigé au dessus de 1000m. Je suis arrivé à 10h à Cochrane alors j'ai pris un hotel pour y passer la journée.

'''2025-FEB-16 to 2025-FEB-22 / 7 hiking days / Hiking / SOBO / RR/ Nimrod & Tamar
'''
Beautiful section! Very special for us, and we were lucky to have good weather! first part had a lot of animals. second part had many tourquize lakes and snowy mountains around+ black caterpillars. third part had pampa terrain and 8 beautiful blue lakes.

Day 1- started walking at noon from Chile Chico. There were a lot of hichhikers, so decided to walk the PR. A dog followed us and slept the night with us at camp (14.1/923).

Day 2- started walking with the dog (even though we tried getting rid of him he was very stubborn). Got to puesto (15.8/1075) and asked Claudio the settler if he would like to adopt the sweet dog, which he happily agreed to. Claudio invited us to watch him slaughter a sheep and for breakfast.
Continued walking, saw many guanacos (they make such silly sounds!), and some flamingos as well. Camped at (-46.722612, -71.904105) like Miamzelt-thanks!. Was a long day for us.

Day 3- walked to national park. Until the MR it can be a bit swampy a times- best to keep near fence for dry feet. Saw many dead guanacos near the fence - was interesting to see their anatomy but also sad because it looks like they get traped in the fence and die miserably.
On MR got a ride for last 10k.
In national park payed online for entrance fee- 11,000 each, free wifi. We asked about whether as well and figured we'll have only 2 more days until it will start raining for many days. We decided we would not want to walk in the rain and try to walk longer days then planed to try and finish before the rain and from Casa Piedra take a hitch. Walked up to valle hermoso camp site- great views on the way a few fords before the campsite- easy but cold.

Day 4- after valle hermoso many fords in the morning- more then written in gps files, easy but cold.
Lovely scenary.
Very high and cool bridge at the end of the day. Shelter 94.7 was a bit dirty, we found a nice cozy spot between the trees sheltered from the wind. About 100 meters before the shelter.

Day 5-: thought this will be our last day- but when we got to Casa Piedra we checked the wether again and no rain for the next few days! Decided to continue as planed at first. The first lake we passed had a lot of rip calafate- delicious and juicy! Slept in (-47.09768, -72.28546) as suggested below. Small stream, wind sheltered by the trees, and flat. Thank you!

Day 6- walked though many lakes. Crazy wind! A tree fell 20 meters from us right on the trail- be alert while walking for sounds of cracking trees! Maybe not a good time for airpods. Slept near the lake in camp 138.4. We later discovered that there are two wood shelters a few meters from where we slept. Was not locked and looked pretty clean.

Day 7- walked to Cochrane. Last kms where with many day hikers. Were Many comfortable places to take a dip in the lake.

'''2025 Feb 02 to Feb 14 / 10 hiking days, 3 zero days / SOBO, NOBO / Hiking / RR, Opt 6 Fachinal / Michael and Kasia'''

Quick notes: The plateau at the beginning of RR is best done in good weather, but definitely worth it; the park is beautiful, though in summer there were a fair amount of people, though less than Cerro Castillo; Opt 6 Fachinal is a really beautiful and adventurous optional route and well worth it, though in our opinion better as an exit than an entrance to the section.

CAMPS:

Night 01: -46.60658, -71.80980 (nice views, water is about 150 m away, can be semi-protected by the hill depending on which way the winds come from)

Night 02: -46.66455, -71.84387 (some wind protection from the hill if the winds come from the west, water is about 170 m away, only really good in good weather)

Night 03: -46.73523, -71.89404 (water is close, not wind protected)

Night 04: El Silencio campground

Night 05 and 06 : Camp Raleigh

Night 07 to 09: Camp Valle Hermoso

Night 10: -46.75834, -72.22028 (good water access, not that wind protected, ground is difficult to get tent stakes into)

Night 11: -46.69923, -72.22451 (some wind protection, water not close)

Night 12: -46.62948, -72.27663 (some wind protection, water about 200 m away)

WATER: water was generally easy to find throughout the section, even on the plateau

Day 01 - Feb 02

We took the bus from Chile Chico. The company was Buses Interlagos, +56 9 9038 6338. We made a reservation. There is a sign in the terminal in Chile Chico that says they leave at 09:00, but when I messaged to make the reservation they said they would leave at 08:00. It is due to regular road closures for road work, so it is recommended to message in advance to get the correct time if you take the bus. Also, the bus driver knew about a trail to Parque Patagonia, but it wasn't the GPT track, so it's good to watch the map to not overshoot. He charged us 2.000 each for the 8 km ride. The route up initially was just a road so easy going. There were multiple places to get water. At Puesto 15.8 we met Claudio who invited us in. His wife and son had passed us going the opposite way as we hiked up. We stayed and talked with Claudio for about an hour. He was very friendly and hospitable. He said a lot of backpackers go through there, some to the park, but a lot for a rock climbing area nearby. We camped at (-46.60658, -71.80980), water was a little ways away. It snowed briefly just before we set up the tent, then cleared up and was sunny for the rest of the day. The night was completely calm.

Day 02 - Feb 03

We headed up to the pass. We followed the OSM track more than the GPT track which worked well. The landscape on the way up was very impressive and we saw our first guanacos. On the plateau it was pretty windy, but as others have said, there are spots where the topography shields you from the wind and you can get a break from it. We had seen on Windy before leaving that the next day on the plateau was supposed to be essentially windless and with full sun, so we wanted to stay for the night. We found a spot that was protected from the prevailing winds which were from the west that day and had a peaceful night.

Day 03 - Feb 04

We woke up to a silent morning that was quite warm. We took the whole day to walk across the plateau, carefully observed by guanacos the whole way. They seemed to work in shifts with at least one acting as lookout at all times. We found it very endearing. We stopped at a lake for lunch and watched 8 flamingos there as well as other birds. We also came across a curious hill that appeared to be made largely of giant ancient seashells. They looked like oyster shells, and some still looked like they had bits of mother of pearl on the inside. It was just the one hill. The descent was easy, gradual and with nice views. We found camping a little below camp 32.6 in a grassy area near the stream. It was not wind protected but we had a quiet night.

Day 04 - Feb 05

We wrapped up camp quickly, just before it started raining. We went under a fence and did CC between the GPT track and the OSM track. Around km 36.6, just before where the OSM and GPT tracks join, we found a well maintained trail that was not on the map that led down to a puesto. The man who lives there, Leopoldo, was friendly. He opened the gate for us and took us to another gate close by and pointed us to a 2 track road that rejoined with the GPT track after about 500 m. On the main road to the park, few cars passed and they were all full. We had lunch at the Bridge 42.7. The Camp 42.9 looked reasonably good, but it was visible from the road, so not that private. We walked about 1 km before we finally caught a hitch to the park entrance. The park office had an open StarLink wifi network. We bought tickets, 11.400 each. Camping 53.3, Camping El Silencio, was free. Each site had a covered area with tables and benches. Water spigots at the sites were not working so we took water from the outflow of the lake next to the bridge. The caterpillar apocalypse was definitely not overstated. Live, dead, dying, they were everywhere, most ominously in some places as enormous mounds of dead ones, like something out of a horror movie. The park office had to close the main bathrooms due to them and opened a temporary one at the office. They let us charge our devices in the office overnight and pick them up in the morning.

Day 05 - Feb 06

We had a short day just hiking to Camp Raleigh. We stopped and had lunch on the beach of Lago Jenimeni. We passed several groups of day hikers on the way, but were the only ones called for the night. The caterpillars were not as bad there.

Day 06 - Feb 07

We took a zero day to wait out an all day rain event. Two other groups showed up part way through the day, one going either direction. Both intended to keep moving but after two hours of waiting and no break in the rain, they both decided to stay and move the next day.

Day 07 - Feb 08

The hike to Valle Hermoso was fairly easy. All fords were below the knee. At the last ford we went a little higher up and towards a small beach as the direct crossing to the trail marker was quite deep. Up to the pass was easy. On the way down the other side there were a few areas where it was steep and the trail was covered in scree, and a few places where the trail had been washed out, but nothing very difficult. There were some amazing views on the way down. All the fords until the camp were knee deep or below. Four other groups were staying at Valle Hermoso camp that night.

Day 08 - Feb 09

We took another zero day to wait out another all day rain event. All but one of the other groups stayed as well. The river went up about 15 cm over the course of the day and turned completely brown from all the sediment.

Day 09 - Feb 10

We had intended to do some exploration toward Opt 7 Mallin Grande because Garmin weather report said it was supposed to be partly sunny for the day. It turned out to be very cloudy with high winds and very cold, alternating light rain and some snow. The valley was also mostly covered in clouds and fog so we decided to just take another zero day.

Day 10 - Feb 11

We had good weather in the morning. We left for Opt 6 Fachinal. It was a really beautiful walk up. We were in water shoes until the first lake as there were many stream crossings. The first lake is a popular side trip from Valle Hermoso. One of the Chileans at the campsite mentioned that the valley was called Valle de los Glaciers. I'm not sure if that's an official name or just a common name, but we did see three huge glaciers, one above Ventisquero, and the other above the second lake. We passed a private refuge (-46.79249, -72.20797) that was locked, however they had prepped camp sites and an outhouse with running water, so it was possible to use the outdoor facilities if no one was there (if you use the toilet or sink, the water gate is down on the floor to the left of the toilet). It was too early to stop so we continued on. The trail around the bowl above the lake was faint but we were able to follow it. Over the pass the next valley opens up and is mostly flat. A lot of it was wetland, but we were able to find dry foot crossings by staying more on the west side. Occasionally we would come across a bit of trail and then it would disappear again. Around (-46.76362, -72.22212) where the track turns sharply east before heading north again, we switched to water shoes to cross the river. After that point we just left them on. As the track goes north again it enters a shallow canyon and we had to cross back and forth several times. We found a place to set up the tent near the stream at (-46.75834, -72.22028). A very short distance away (-46.75795, -72.22048) was a spot under some trees that was too small for an X-Mid 2, but would be nice for a 1-person tent or a smaller 2-person tent. It was fairly flat with nothing spikey and had great wind protection.

Day 11 - Feb 12

We started the day in water shoes. All the way to the pass we crossed back and forth across the stream. It was never deeper than half-calf, and no serious current. There is a really beautiful lake at the top just before they pass. There is a trail along the west side, but it was so overgrown and muddy that we just walked in the water along the edge of the lake. The pass is a low pass. Going down the other side we struggled through a lot of it. We would find what looked like a good trail and follow it, and then it would just abruptly end leaving us to bushwack for some distance before finding another piece of it. It was strange how some sections would look almost meticulously maintained and then suddenly it would look as if there had never been a trail at all. The track files were very helpful, especially since there were other trail sections that led in different directions. At (-46.69923, -72.22451) there was an abandoned puesto with a single grave next to it. We camped inside the corral of the puesto. Just before it we had passed by the second private refuge. That one did not have as good of quality campsites and the toilet was a latrine with no water. Water access was further down the trail in the direction of the first Tyrolean traverse. That last 400 m is currently marked as CC in the track files, however a trail now exists there and is very easy to follow.

Day 12 - Feb 13

We got up early to do the first ford. Water was crotch height (we're both about 165 cm) and with a good amount of current. The water was icy cold, milky and so hard to see through, and the bottom of the river had very large rocks so it was very uneven. It was one of the more challenging fords we've done. There is a second ford point listed in the track files, but we would not recommend using that point. It looks like a much easier ford, however in the far side there is a rock slide with very large rocks between it and the way to go forward on the trail. It looked to us like the area around the Tyrolean traverse was the only suitable place to cross. After the cross the trail follows the river for a couple hundred meters then heads very steeply up for a few hundred meters. Once up it was fairly easy to follow the trails, but we recommend again keeping an eye on the GPS as there were several trails, and while they often reconnected, sometimes they didn't. The second ford was just above the knee and with less current than the first, much easier for us. There was a flat area that would be good for camping on the far side. The trail then passed through open forest with a fairly clear trail, and through a few pastures where the trail disappeared. There seems to be less trail maintenance than in previous reports with a lot of downed trees not cleared. At around km 31 the trail heads downhill along a fence. There is a path that goes left to stay on the trail or goes right. We went right about 100 m and found an old puesto that has been completely broken down, but that has a nice flat area (-46.62948, -72.27663). We camped there for the night. Water was back out along the track through the fence. There was a side stream feeding into the river.

Day 13 - Feb 14

We had to use water shoes to ford the side stream as even in the morning we couldn't find a suitable place to cross dry foot. The day was warm and sunny and the trail was very pleasant. In a few places other trails showed up. They usually rejoined later. A section of the GPT track had been washed out by the river, so there were a few CC areas. Towards the end the trail passes through an area where a fire has gone through a few years prior. We made it down to the road around 14:00. Hitching was not easy. Very few cars passed by and nearly all of them were full. After about two and a half hours someone picked us up and dropped us off in Puerto Guadal.

We really enjoyed Opt 6 Fachinal and were very happy we chose to walk it. It was beautiful and had a varied landscape, and it felt very “GPT” compared to the park routes. We didn't see anyone else while we were on it. However we would recommend it as an exit since there is a lot of up and down and BB in parts that would be much easier without a full resupply. We would also recommend, if going NOBO, knowing the schedule for buses that pass along the road as it did seem that hitchhiking was not easy, and it was about 45 km or so of rather unpleasant, exposed and dusty road walking in either direction to the nearest towns. During the 24/25 season there were supposedly buses passing one direction or the other at least once during the day every day except Saturday.

''' 2025-Jan-28 to 2025-Jan-30/3 days / Hiking / SOBO / RH / Davide Materia '''

I pretty much had the same experience of MiamZelt, with same camping locations as him.
Details:
1- day. I would probably camp either a bit up than were he suggested, or a bit further down, as there are spots of grass created by dried pond, which if dry enough are perfect location for a tent, in general the location of the first camp is not ideal, many rocks and not that easy to find a spot. This mountain can get pretty windy, I would in general restrain myself from starting the section in bad weather, as even in good weather the wind is really strong, this also suggest why good care must be paid for the location of the tent.
2 trail is next to impossible to keep without gps, I doubt it even exist a real single trail. One good trick here is to jump over the fence and stay always on the right but following the fence until the gpx track and the former diverge. At that point there is a bit more of "grass-bashing" but you are getting closer to the off-track road. For the rest, I hitchhiked to the park once I reached the road and went to camping valle Hermosa, and damn Hermosa it was!!! Resting next to the river under the sun was the best moment in this section.
3 I kept following the track. Many fordings, more than the 2nd day. Luckily I restrained myself from the temptation of packrafting the river beside the trail as ~15km before Casa Piedra it gets inside canyons and becomes a deathtrap, there's a reason if Jan didn't do it by packraft, as always.
Camping Casa Piedra actually has hot shower if the stove warming up the water has been turned on quite in advance, no such luck for me...

4-The next day after deciding to not do Rio chacabuco given all the bad reports of previous years I hiked around 2 hours on the road until some locals picked me up to cochrane.

Awesome section, one I will remember for a long time

'''2025-Jan-23 to 2025-Jan-28 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Sean & Neele'''

Took the bus at 9am to skip the paved road walk.

After puesto 15.8km the gpx files are CC but there's a trail on OSM which we loosely followed to pass 20.8km, worked out well.

Very exposed and windy from 19km to 32km.

Camp 32.6km was wet, we camped about 500m further.

Got a hitch around 43.5km to park ranger 53km. Paid 11,400 each entrance.

Camp 53.3km and 61.7km have been taken over by caterpillars.

Ford 66.4km about knee deep at about 6pm on a rainy day.

Camped at valle hermosa 68.1km - well sheltered in the forest but lots of people.

Fords 68.4 - 71.6km, 79.3, 82.6, 86.2 all below the knee and easy in the morning after a rainy day.

Camped at 88.6km - slight protected from the wind.

Camped at 98.9km Casa Piedra to wait out some bad weather. 8k pp. WiFi, cooking room, warm showers.

Camped at Refuge 118.3km some wind protection but not great.

Easy walk out, camp 136.9km looked nice we debated staying but walked out instead.
Trail condition is really good after 139.1km so is pretty fast

*'''2025 Jan / 5 days / SOBO / RR + 35-06 alternative to Fachinal / Al & Bee'''

The alternative route to Fachinal is a beautiful and adventurous route, the glacier lakes are particularly stunning. However, the bushbashing part is quite demanding and time-consuming.

Day 01
Transport from Chile Chico to trailhead (X at 8.1) with Pamela. At the settler's property, we passed through a closed iron gate. Easy walking on MR to the Puesto with beautiful views of the lake when looking back. Hiked up through hills past sheep, horses and cattle to the pass. On the plateau it was extremely windy but stunning, with CC being easy due to minimal vegetation. Saw numerous curious guanacos and gorgeous flamingos on a lagoon. Followed OSM rather than GPT track. The marked camp spot was very exposed, so we continued downhill to find a relatively protected flat spot by the riverbed. Met a fellow GPT hiker which was great.

Day 02
CC down the hill to MR, encountering a fence and following a small trail to an empty puesto. Many areas were boggy. Spotted ibis and numerous other birds. Reached the road in the afternoon with no cars heading our direction. Walked to the park entrance, but the ranger station was already closed (open until 6pm). Caterpillars abounded. Walking along the shore of Lago Jeinimeni instead of the trail is often more interesting.

Day 03
Hiked on good trails through the national park. The view from the pass, which we ascended quickly, of the turquoise Lago Verde was beautiful. The caterpillar situation improved somewhat on the other side of the pass. Descended to Lago Verde and hiked up the broad river valley of Vallehermoso. All river fords were easily manageable. Weather was poor - rainy, windy and cold. After Refugio Vallehermoso, we left the RR for the optional route in a north-west direction. The valley was extremely windy at first, but we found a relatively protected campsite at the forest edge in a kind of recess of the valley (close to -46.82125, -72.17825).

Day 04
Hiked up the beautiful valley in north-west direction towards the two beautiful glacier lakes. River crossings were easy, at one the water was thigh-high. At the second lake there’s a mountain hut (-46.79241, -72.20793). Rocky path next to lake up to beginning of high plateau valley. Parts are boggy, otherwise easy CC. Potential wind sheltered campsite with flat spots at -46.76511, -072.21924. Hiked up along (and in) creek to third lagoon and the pass at 15.0 (on 35-6), lots of suitable campsites there. Hiked down from the pass into a forest. Trail finding was initially manageable but became very difficult, with the path extremely overgrown or non-existent. Sometimes there were cow tracks, sometimes broken off branches to indicate the direction. Don’t underestimate the amount of time you will need for this part. Hut at -46.69930, -72.22469 right before the first river crossing. Some suitable campsites in vicinity to hut. Crossing was easy right next to the zipline at 19.9, water about knee high. We camped at a camp without water in old corral ca. 20 minutes before second zipline at 24.0, carried water from river crossing at 19.9.

Day 05
Crossing was easy right next to the second zipline at 24.0, water was even lower than at the first. The trail continued up and down, often well above the beautiful turquoise Río Aviles, which flows through the valley, sometimes between narrow rocks, sometimes in a wider valley. The environment became drier and warmer, with evidence of past forest fires in some areas. We reached the road at the Río Aviles bridge. Initially no cars stopped, with little traffic passing. Eventually a small bus from Coyhaique heading to Chile Chico picked us up.

*'''2025-Jan-13 to 2025-Jan-17 / 5 days Hiking / SOBO/ RR + Variant L / MiaimZelt'''

I very much enjoyed this lovely section. Took the bus to skip the first 6.5km of Roadwalk. CC was indeed easy, on the way up i didn't follow the Track very closely. Crazy windy between km 19-30. Surprinsingly there were some small areas that had way less wind. Guess it should be possible to find a campspot somehow sheltered by the curves of the landscape, when you can't make it further. Camp {35} [32.6/1300] is exposed and has no shelter besides from the tiny stonewall. Camped here: -46.722612, -71.904105. Was sheltered by the valley and fits a 1 person tent, wind was ok. 100m below there is a spot which can fit a 2 person tent. While sitting in the tent 2 german GPT hikers arrived and took the spot below. I very much enjoyed their company.

Day 2 i could follow animal trails very often. Walked 4km on the road until i got a hitch. Entrance fee was 11400 for foreigner. You have to pay online, but they have WiFi. Tons of black caterpillars everywhere, gets better after Laguna Verde. Trail was in very good shape. Ford {35} [67.0/877] was up to the knees. Stayed at Camp Valle Hermoso, which is very good sheltered by the forest.

Day 3 i met no one, until i reached the camp. Trail was 99% in good shape, few meters overgrown with young beech trees. -46.89382, -72.161099 campspots with shelter from the forest. All fords were easy. Stayed at Camping Casa Piedra. 8000 per person, can pay cash or card. They have WiFi, Room to cook inside and a shower (not hot). Most campspots are sheltered by trees or buildings. Spots next to buildings were occupied by carcampers. Trees provided good protection, although 80km/h winds according to Windy.

Sendero 7 Lagunas was mostly in good to ok shape,
only in few parts the trail isn't visible at all. -47.094236, -72.286568 near pass has lots of flat space and is sheltered by the forest. Small stream here: -47.097866, -72.285581. Also flat areas nearby to create a makeshift campsite. Later the only sources for water were the lakes. Refuge, X {35} [119.1/716] is collapsed, but flat space protected by trees and bushes for one bigger tent. Water from the lake. Stayed at small flat space with very little wind here -47.140176, -72.372035 and listened to the birds.

Day 5 was mostly straight forward. Saw 2 Huemuls near the Minor Road. Lago Cochrane is a real gem. Open and abandoned huts here: -47.198091, -72.457465. There was a sign, saying danger becaus of rodents. Maybe not good to sleep in, but would be a good shelter in heavy rain. 1km later i saw the first dayhikers. Lot's of steep ups and downs at Sendero Carpinteros, but very beautiful. Got a hitch to Cochrane after 1.5km on the paved road.

*'''GPT 35 SOBO RR // hiking, hitchhiking // 4 days 1-4.01.2025 Maks & Gabi'''

Simply magical section with lots of guanacos, birds and beautiful landscapes. We hitchhiked the first 8 km and then from Casa de Piedra to Cochrane.
CC parts were quite easy and visible, later on when entering the park by Lago Jeinimeni the trail is incredibly well maintained. You can buy a ticket by the entrance because the is a wi-fi.

One thing that is worth taking into account when planning the hike, are insects - there are tons of mosquitos and quite a lot of horseflies. Furthermore the ranger (Jeinimeni entrance) warned us about black worms that are in the forests (not sure what is the name in eng). For that reason we did not sleep at the camping by the lake (see pictures), choosing a camp spot by the bridge at 50.0 km instead. It is better not to camp by the trees.
If you have a spare moment we really recommend the visitors center near Casa de Piedra as they have a really nice museum. If you already bought a ticket to the park it is free of charge.

About trail itself it's hard to say something new compare to the previous notes. There was no snow, all ford's easy to cross.

*'''2024-Nov-08 to 2024-Nov-16 / 8.5 / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Jonas'''
Day 01: 08.11.2024
Arrived by ferry from Puerto Ibanez in Chile Chico at 1430. Started walking right away. Caught a ride for about 3 km. After street, needed to open fence and door.
Dog kept following all day. Couldn't make him leave.
Settlers (mother & daughter) offered a ride but kept walking. Camp spot at 14.1 was too wet to stay there. Looked for another spot. Nothing was good, wanted to look after puesto at 15.8. settlers offered me mate and asked if I wanna pitch my tent here since it got late. Stayed close to their place. Same settler family who offered me a ride.

Day 02: 09.11.2024
Starting from the settlers puesto CC had light snow when packing my tent. Didn't follow the route exactly. On the way to the first pass, saw the first guanacos. Started snowing stronger. Didn't follow the track or the OSM path to avoid snowfields. Tried to follow the trails but not always possible. Stronger snow and windy. After the first pass went too far to the east to avoid snowfields, thought it'd be easy to come back to the trail but took a longer detour. At least saw the first flamingos! In the plateau it was crazy windy. Sometimes followed track, sometimes OSM. Often in between because of snowfields. Snowfields were not steep, just wanted to avoid them. More guanacos only on the way down. Camp at 32.6 was too wet. ~250 m further down found a protected spot close to a small river/creek.

Day 03: 10.11.2024
Woke up late. Water in pot was frozen about 1 cm thick. Walked down, saw a lot of bones. Followed not the OSM track. Crossed the fence relatively far to the west. CC walking was nice. Maybe as others mentioned there is a path sooner if you cross/stay further east. Hit the dirt road and walked to the main dirt road. Already afternoon. First Pick Up stopped and gave me a ride to the park entrance. Didn't book the ticket before. You can book it at the CONAF station with their WiFi for the same day. 11.400 CLP for the entrance. Camping is free. Walked to camp Raleigh (about two hours) and found a nice spot there.

Day04: 11.11.2024
Short day. Started late, trail easy to follow. In the beginning keep left if other trails are there. First fording section is well marked in the track files. Keep your shoes off until Ford Stop. Climb to pass is sometimes steep but easy. Climb down is ready with stunning view of Valle Hermoso. Some parts with some rock slides. After descend two rivers to ford. Until camp Valle Hermoso some stretches in wind protected first in the river bed, some stretches in open river bed. Easy to follow. Camp Valle Hermoso has two roofed areas.

Day 05 12.11.2024
Started from camp Valle Hermoso. If you keep south you can avoid all the fords. At least at this time of the year.
Trail is easy walking, landscape is stunning! Did a detour to Laguna Escondida. Nice and windy up there. To get there keep close to the track files.
Only needed to take the boots off for the ford at 79.3. The rest was easy to navigate around or enough rocks/trees in the river.
Camped at refuge 81.0 at the broken down cabin.

Day 06: 13.11.2024
Easy walking all day. Trail was easy to follow. Needed to ford once.
The bridge at 90.9 is something if you're afraid of heights.
Arrived early at Casa Piedra. Could use the infrastructure including warmish water. Since I said I won't pass the ranger station it was fine without paying.

Day 07: 14.11.2024
Trail is easy to follow. Lago Gutierrez looks amazing and quite windy. Some beach walking off track is nice. After Lago Gutierrez the trail is mainly easy to follow. Checked the GPS every now and then. Climb to the pass takes some time. Filled water up at a stream at the end of Lago Gutierrez. There was on running stream in the middle of the stretch to the pass. Not sure if it has water all year. Way down is through a beautiful forest. Nice views of the valley along the way. Some trees on the path but easy enough to climb them or walk around them.
Stayed at the collapsed refuge. Enough wind protection even though it was quite windy.

Day 08: 15.11.2024
Trail was easy to follow in the forest. Outside the forest check your GPS when you think you might be off trail.
Water in the beginning mainly from the lakes, later streams existed as well. Took the MR on the RR easy fast walking, no GPS checking necessary. Settler at 138.7 wasn't there passed by his house and followed the RR on a horse trail. Camped at around 142 at Lago Cochrane. Beautiful lake with clear water.

Day 09: 16.11.2024
For the last 12 km it was easy to follow the trail. Quite some up and down. Nice views on the lake. Arrived the CONAF office at lunch time. Did a self checkout. Stayed in Cochrane for two nights before the next bus to Villa O'Higgins left.

Really nice hike! Due to the time of the year I only met one other hiker. It snowed a bit in the first days but not too much. Trails were generally easy to follow. Fording was not too much, might be different at another time.

* '''2024-Dec-14 to 2024-Dec-18 / 4.5 / Hiking / SOBO/ RR + Variant J, L / Roman'''

Route: Hitchhiked from Chile Chico to X {35} [8.1/505]. Hiked to X {35} [41.5/768]. Hitchhiked from there to Park Ranger {35} [53.0/843] and hiked from there to -47.244414, -72.529165 and hitchhiked from there to Cochrane.

Started in the Morning in Chile Chico and and started hiking at X {35} [8.1/505]. It's a small easy hiking road up to Puesto {35} [15.8/1075]. It's easy CC. I camped at Camp {35} [32.6/1300]. The next day was a easy hike to X {35} [41.5/768]. I was waiting 25 minutes for the first car to come by which picked me up around 11:30 AM - so prepared to either walk or wait quite some time. At the Ranger Station (Park Ranger {35} [53.0/843]) is fesh water, a toilet. There you have free internet via starlink. I have heard multiple stories and read multiple prices for entry. I would recommend to just show up. You will scan the QR code and buy the ticket online. I said that I hike to "Casa Piedra camping". I had to buy the ticket "Parque Nacional Patagonia - Sector Chacabuco" for 5.200 CLP. Link here: https://tickets.pasesparques.cl/events/parque-nacional-patagonia-sector-chacabuco . From there i hiked to Camped at Refuge {35} [69.0/867] there are multiple fordings (river bed walking) which had a few banks and tables and a shelter hut. The next day hiked to Camp $, Refuge {35} [99.8/379] (Casa dePiedra). The Camp has electricity and a warm (not hot ;)) shower and toilets and 3 rooms with benches and tables for cooking etc. I was staying there with 2 other people and the Ranger. Apparently the Ranger doesn't collect/want money - i/we didn't needed to pay. There is Apparently a lady coming from time to time to collect a fee - so we were lucky. The trail was maintained and easy to hike. At the beginning there was some fording.

The next day I camped at Refuge {35} [131.2/556] which is only a emergency shelter but has some flat spots to pich a tent. The trail is not maintained and is sometimes very good or not visible at all - you need you GPS! Overall good easy to hike with some fallen trees. There is a bridge at -47.160823, -72.407796 also with water which makes the Refuge a great place to say. Picture of bridge https://imgur.com/a/ZydIQ7f and Refuge: https://imgur.com/a/NDMT0FP . After that it's a easy hike all the way to -47.244414, -72.529165 where I hitchhiked to Cochrane. I haven't camped there but this location looked like the best stay you could get in the trail here: https://imgur.com/a/rtak82Q. -47.198106, -72.457406 close to Camp {35} [138.4/173].

Stayed at Camping, Refugio ,Cabaña y HostelCochrane which i can highly recommend (camping 7k, dorm 9k, laundry 5k and a supermarket across the street)

Contact: https://linktr.ee/RundW

* ''' 2024-Dec-13 to 2024-Dec-17 / 5 days / GPT35 SOBO RR / wiiiim
Relatively uncomplicated & fast section, lots of info exists so just a summary here. In essence it feels like 3 parts

- part 1 Chile Chico to the park entrance: mostly cross country over a barren plateau with lots of animals. I arranged a taxi out of Chile Chico to skip the first 9km of road walk at 7am for an early start - Alexis +56 9 7971 5823. Surprisingly lots of water on this section.

- part 2 Park entrance to Casa de Piedra, park fee is 11400, very easy going, well marked trail, lots of water

- part 3 Casa de piedra to Cochrane, somewhat overgrown, less water, mostly from the lagunas so good to have a filter

I took the bus from Cochrane to Villa O’Higgins, it runs every Monday, Wednesday & Saturday at 8:30am (returning the next day), it’s a small publicly funded bus (8400 pesos) with about 25 seats, they typically want you to buy a ticket in person in Cochrane in the bus terminal upstairs (I believe the company is Gardy?), I got a ticket the afternoon before and it had 5 seats left.

* ''' 2024-Dec-12 to 2024-Dec-14 / 3 days go and back / GPT35 SOBO option 1 by car and Regular Road with a little part of option D and OH-CC-A-{35-06} to the first laguna/ Julien Mamari

All the way to the Releigh Camp is really easy and try with bridges.
Into the Releigh Camp and the 3rd camp you have 2 rivers to cross with the Gloria pass but it's really easy with sandals... Water to the knees maximum (on my time)
If you go to the first Laguna (option 6) on the right sise of valley better beguin on the left side for around 1km then you have obligation to cross and the best its to keep always on de right side, it's dry.

* '''2024-Nov-07 to 2024-Nov-10 / 4 days with one day of rest at home of Daniel “Huemul” / GPT35 Regular Route SOBO from Kilometer 100 to 150 / Sendero 7 Lagunas / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

This scenic route inside Parque Patagonia is officially closed due to lack of trail maintenance but still easily traversable. As we entered from the north we did not speak with any Conaf personnel and learned about the closure when exiting this route in Cochrane.

The GPT track file 2024 precisely documents the official route of Sendero 7 Lagunas from Kilometer 37 to Kilometer 5 (GPT35 Regular Route) where the Regular Route connects on other trails to Cochrane. Note that the OSM data is in large parts incorrect. OSM is showing a now partially overgrown and less attractive routing on disused trails and minor roads. So all topographic maps based on OSM data are unreliable in this respect.

About 30% of the trail is clearly visible, about 60% of the trail is vaguely visible and 10% of the trail are invisible as trail. There is just a trail mark every kilometer but no other visual aids to follow the official trail. This makes frequent GPS verifications essential. Without a GPS and without the correct tracks loaded to the GPS hikers get inevitably lost numerous times and it would be very time consuming to find the correct trail just based on visual references. But with a GPS it’s easy to stay on the trail.

There was no snow left on the 1126 m high pass.

In the forest numerous fallen trees block the trail but there is always an easy way around.

There are no noteworthy river crossings and the trail is dry. Water can be obtained regularly at smaller streams or at the lakes.

There are numerous potential camp sites except from the northern trail head and the 1126 m high pass. This northern end is mostly wind exposed with very little shelter to pitch a tent.

* '''2024-Nov-02 to 2024-Nov-05 / 4 days (but 50 km hitchhiked) / Hiking / SOBO / Option 4 (Ruta RP41 in Argentina) / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

This option provides an alternative to the weather-exposed regular route of GPT35. Therefore this option should be considered early or late in the season (October, November or April) or whenever poor weather makes the regular route of GPT35 unsafe. This option is east of the Andes main mountain chain in Argentina and the clouds that typically come from the west unload most snow and rain while crossing the higher peaks in Chile. Anyway, the maximum altitude of just under 1500 m should not be undermined. Up on the pass area, weather can become unpleasant all year around.

This road walking option is certainly not as attractive as the regular route but the insignificant traffic and the scenic scenery makes it a worthwhile hiking choice. The landscape is that attractive that one tour company in Los Antiguos offers guided excursions along this route.

This option connects back to regular route of GPT35 at the trailhead of “Sendero 7 Lagunas” that becomes also traversable early in the season (October or November).

Route description:

The border crossing from Chile to Argentina is a 13 km hike or hitchhike as there is not organized public transport. Argentines rarely check luggage of backpackers, therefore bringing all supplies from Chile should not cause problems. Don’t be surprised when Argentine border controls don’t stamp your passport on entry. It’s not any more a given, that all travelers with passports receive an entry stamp when crossing into Argentina.

Before starting on RP41 consider a good meal in Los Antiguos.

The first 43 km on RP41 from Los Antiguos to Estancia Los Alamos are wind-exposed and dry. We were lucky to ride most of this stretch on the back of a pickups truck. From the road we could only see one more reliable water source at kilometer 39.5. And descending 100 to 200 m into gorge of Rio Jenimeni just to refill water supplies seams an ordeal that should be avoided.

The owners of Estancia Los Alamos are welcoming and helpful. We were invited for lunch and offered a bed for a night. But to get moving we opted to start hiking in the afternoon.

Estancia La Frontera at kilometer 46 of RP41 just after the bridge over Rio Zaballos seams also to offer accommodation on request. And here starts the more scenic part with patches of forest and more regular water streams crossing the road.

At kilometer 54 of RP41 by-passes are welcome to camp just next to Rio Lincoln. Here we spend our first night.

At kilometer 64 of RP41 the last patches of forest are left behind and exposed but scenic landscape is crossed.

The highest point of RP41 (“portezuelo”) is reached at kilometer 76 with just under 1500 m. The last snowmelt washed a part of road away stopping currently most transit traffic but hikers and bikers can cross this damaged road section without problems.

While walking from Rio Lincoln up to the “portezuelo” the wind and the light snowfall increased. But compared to the weather in Chile at the same time our conditions where quite manageable. The lack of wind-sheltered places keep us moving to kilometer 79 of RP41. Here, an unlocked puesto with a wood stove provided a surprisingly convenient shelter for our second night en route. We just had to seal some gaps in the walls to reduce the wind and snow from entering our temporary refuge. When getting up on the next morning a thin layer of fresh snow covered everything around us.

The descent to Paso Roballos at kilometer 96 of RP41 traverses open but scenic landscape with little natural shelter.

The best places to camp after the pass are:
Kilometer 79: unlocked puesto
Kilometer 87: maybe near puesto at 47°06'47"S 71°50'00"W
Kilometer 96: the crossing to Paso Roballos 2 km before the Argentine border control

At the Argentine border control camping is not permitted.

When exiting Argentina make sure to get an exit stamp. This stamp is required to enter into Chile.

Another good option is the abandoned Chilean military post 4 km after the Argentine border control. Most buildings of this small compound are sealed closed but one shelter is open and one mostly closed veranda provided good shelter for us for one night while rain and snow made pitching a tent less pleasant.

The Chilean border control is 11 km inland from the border.

From the Chilean border control it’s another 26 km to the trail head of “Sendero 7 Lagunas” with a brilliant camp site halfway (“camping alto valle”).

* '''Note:''' The RR was changed between Lago Jeinemeni and Lago Verge in October 2024, so numbering of options in the reports below might be slightly off.

==Season 2023/24==

* '''2024 Mar 14 to 2024 Mar 19 / 5.5 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR / Maddi and Tom'''

Day 1: Hiked out of Cochrane after lunch in light rain. Hiked up Sendero Las Aguilas then Las Lengas, easy trail and well defined. Rain got heavier as we approached Laguna El Cangrejo. Camped on the west side of the lake, started snowing lightly as we set up. One of the colder nights and we considered turning back and taking the lower route as we weren't sure how passable Laguna Altas would be in the snow.

Day 2: Woke up to a snowy morning so decided to wait it out in the tent. Packed up once it stopped around 11am and followed Sendero Los Condores. Luckily had a bit of sun as we went over the pass but as we were coming down the other side the rain and wind picked up. Abandoned our plans to hike the Lagunas Altas circuit and instead followed it straight down to Westwind campsite. Sat there for a bit hoping to see a puma but only guanaco in sight. Hiked towards Valle Chacabuco hoping for a hitch but no cars came past. Kept walking along Paso Roballos trying for a hitch, eventually a couple from the UK picked us up and dropped us at Casa Piedra. Spent the night there and got a hot shower which was excellent after all the rain and snow. Didn't end up paying any entry fees for the park or the camping as noone asked.

Day 3: Got up fairly early to overcast day but no rain. Followed the eastern branch of the Sendero Aviles which was clearly marked and easy to follow. The bridge over the canyon is fun to rejoin the west branch of the trail. Kept following the track along, easy going until you hit the river bed and then there are many crossings back and forth. We did a bit of dodgy scrambling up the banks to avoid getting wet feet. We were going to push on but it started raining lightly about 4pm so we set up camp in the trees along the river. Another group joined us later that night as it was raining heavily and it was the first flat and clear spot.

Day 4: Started along the track, excellent views as you pass Cerro Jeinimeni. Fairly easy track down to the next river, followed by a lot of walking in the river bed. Gave in and just walked through the water to Lago Verde. Crossings were never really over ankle deep. Track around Lago Verde is fine to follow with excellent views. Very windy as we got over the pass and the path down is quite eroded (but manageable). Hiked around to Raleigh. There is a new suspension bridge over the river at Raleigh that connects to Sendero Laguna Esmerelda. It isn't marked on Gaia or Maps Me so a group behind us went around the other way and had to do a hip deep river crossing. Going via Raleigh and Sendero Esmerelda avoids all river crossings and is an easy track to follow. Hiked all the way to El Silencio for the night, noone there so didn't pay any fees.

Day 5: Started the hike out along the road hoping for a hitch but no cars went by. Headed up the plateau following a minor road, then relying on GPS and animal tracks. Lots of guanaco. Kept hiking up the hill as the wind picked up. Found a camp spot somewhat out of the wind towards the top of the plateau with a small river passing by for water. Started snowing as we went to sleep.

Day 6: Woke up to a few cms of snow on the ground and tent and started a very frosty walk up and over the plateau. Lots of guanaco around but not much else other than snow. Luckily the sun came out as we were coming back down the other side as it was freezing up the top and was difficult navigating with the snow cover. Once it cleared we had awesome views of the Torres de Avellano and the lake. The descent track is pretty eroded and very slippery in parts where mud is hidden under small stones. Eventually joined up to the minor road and followed it down to Ruta 265. I had a weird phenomenon with my shoes picking up enormous amounts of sticky mud on the minor road, making my feet a few kgs heavier and having to scrape it off every 100m. Got a hitch to Chile Chico from Ruta 265.

* '''2024-Mar-12 to 2024-Mar-17 / 4 + 2×0.5 = 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + OH D + F / Joscha'''

Day 1: RR [0.0-16.7]

I startet around 2 pm and did not try to hitch the first 8 km on the primary road. There is a good flowing stream at the water marker (km 12.2) and at the camp (km 14.1). The flat spot that is camp 14.1 is swampy and therefore not ideal for camping. I camped at -46.60658, -71.80980 which is at least a little bit wind protected. There is also a stream on the other side of the RR close to this spot.

Day 2: RR [16.7-48.2]

There was plenty of water. The RR was covered in snow from about km 23 to 28. I took a CC shortcut from km 40.8 to 42.7. I camped at -46.810258, -71.965073.

Day 3: RR [48.2-59.1] + OSM trail to Laguna Verde + OH35-D + RR [62.4-88.9] + OH35-F + RR [70.3-78.9]

The park gate at km 50.1 is open from 9 am to 5 pm. But the ranger didn't mind, that I entered before 9 am. I paid 17000 Pesos at the ranger station (km 53). This fee allows camping at all the Campgrounds in the park. I followed the official park trail which branches off at km 59,1 to Laguna Verde. From there it returns via OH35-D to the RR. All fords today were below my knees. After km 75.5 the RR was partially flooded and you had to walk through some branches. Therefore I sometimes walked in the river bed on the eastern side of Rio Aviles. I camped at km 78.9. Its an official campground of the park, but there is nothing. But its flat and wind protected.

Day 4: RR [78.9-106.3]

The roof of the refuge at km 93.9 is collapsed. Casa de Piedra is a real house with bathrooms and some common rooms to hang out and probably sleep. I camped on the lakeshore at -47.074614, -72.25701. I would not recommend this spot for windy nights.

Day 5: RR [106.3-137.6]

The next reliable water source after Lago Gutierrez (km 106.3) is a stream at km 113.8. Its possible to camp just south of the pass (km 110.8). I did a shortcut from km 129.1 to 130.3. I had to cross a small swampy area for that. Camping at km 137.6 is nice.

Day 6: RR [137.6-150.4]

Nice campsite at km 146.0 (RN Tamango) with sheltered tables and spots for camping. I stayed at camping calafate in Cochrane (-47.254013, -72.568419). It has a kitchen with common area (heated by wood oven), wifi and hot showers for 7000 pp.

* '''2024-Feb-24 to 2024-Mar-01 / 6.5 days / Packrafting / SOBO / RR+RP / Lauren & Seb'''

Much has been said about this section, so we will share only our impressions.

Day 1: After reaching wp Settler {35} [8.9/539] by taxi in the early evening, we hiked a short distance and camped at wp Camp {35} [14.1/923]. On a windy day it’s basically unprotected in a narrow valley. There was no wind that day, making it a spot with a great view.

Day 2: Upon reaching the plateau, it felt like a guanaco/flamencos safari as previously described. To get up there, you have to CC on one manageable steep stretch. Follow the dotted line in OSM relatively far to the left and not the GPT files. We camped north of wp Water {35} [28.1/1579].

Day 3: We headed across the pass and amazing views opened up before us. On the downhill, follow the GPT line until you reach a fence. Go through the fence on the left end and follow the fence line towards wp Puesto {35} [34.6/1191]. From the side of the puesto, you can easily follow well trodded horse tracks along the fence line until -46.75064, -71.89899. Follow the trails along the river towards the south until you hit the MR. We stopped for the night at wp Camp {35} [42.9+0.2/713].

Day 4: Cars did not appear until after 10am but we eventually got a ride to the park entrance. From here, the more touristy part begins. Once inside the park we decided to walk the MR around Lago Jeinemeni and only inflated the packraft at Lago Verde. This was an absolutely great paddle on the most turquoise waters and we were lucky with the afternoon wind. We stayed the night at Refuge {35} [68.1/867].

Day 5: The next part has lots of fording so expect slow progress. We left our crocs on for the next 3 km. Well marked trail through the forest and across the pass. On the other side, however there is a new official route which starts here -46.87696, -72.17213 and requires more fording. The old trail still exists and no fording was necessary. Stick to the GPS here if you want to save time taking your shoes off! The rest of the way down the valley was enjoyable and we stayed the night just before wp Ford {35} [82.6/805].

Day 6: Easy hiking down to Camp Piedra where we stayed and camped early.

Day 7: We started paddling Rio Chacabuco the next morning, but I would advise packrafters against doing so (at least in the late season). Conditions of the river included low water levels with frequent ground contact and many trees in the water. The river splits often, making the already low water even lower and obstacles in the tightly winding corners become even more tricky. First time that we hit a tree since we are on the GPT. As if that wasn’t enough, wind picked up early and forced us out of the water. We decided to water-out here -47.05177, -72.29040 and hiked up the road, where a car took us towards Cochrane after 2 hours.

* '''2024-Feb-27 to 2024-Mar-04 / 5.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR - {35-S} - {35-D} - RR - {35-J} - RR - {35-L} - RR / Lilian & Rainbow '''

Safari = GPT35, we saw foxes, bunny, flamingos, ostrich, owl, woodpecker, and more than 100 guanacos at this section!

We standing at the end of town more than 1 hour and found that it is really difficult to hitch out by low traffic. So we go to tourist information ask for help maybe a ride, a man at there said he can take us to x[8.1/505] for 10k CLP, but lastly he just took us to the junction at km5.9, and said he don't want to drive on a non paved road, then don't wait us to respond and throw our backpacks out from his car immediately, and ask for the money.

So, DON'T ask any ride in tourist information at Chile Chico, they cheated our trust.

Km12 : flat spot (-46.57669, -71.82779) can fit some tents at other side of a stream, the stream is flowing good and dry feet crossable by rock hopping.

Km12.75 : viewpoint(-46.58294, -71.82549) of a valley with sky blue colour, super beautiful, don't miss it!

Camp[14.1/923] : grassland spot, a small stream is flowing low beside it.

Km16.6 : flat spot(-46.60658, -71.80980), have some covers can stay away from the wind tunnel in valley at north.(wind from north)

After this spot, no more camping spot or flat spot have wind protection until camp[32.6/1300]. Wind is crazy at the plateau.

Camp[32.6/1300] : tiny wind protection from a rock wall, just fit 1 tent for it. Better wind protection nearby camp[42.9/713].

Short cut CC from 38.2 to 42.7, it doesn't save much time, better follow GPX track, MR is completely finished and super easy to walk. It also walk beside some beautiful meadows that are nice to camp(no wind protection).

Camp[42.9/713] : spots at a wet muddy road. Better spots nearby at (-46.79053, -71.91127), dry and 2-3 sides wind protection by bushes, can fit many tents there.

Didn't see any cars going south at morning, so road walking all the way to entrance. 11k CLP for entrance fee, 6k CLP for camping fee, total 17k CLP, can pay by credit card.

Camp,$,bridge,lake[53.3/852] : El Silencio campsite and Lago Jeinemeni. This campsite is a little bit crown with car camping, and the lake is amazing beautiful!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND walking on the shore of lake from km56.65 - km57.75(from the junction of viewpoint, to the point that trail met the beach), easy, dry feet and excellent beautiful!

Bridge[58.9/856] : after this bridge, follow south route ( {35-S} & RP{35} ) to Lago Verde, then take the bridge(-46.86056, -72.07982) to cross the river. Lastly follow {35-D} rejoin RR. Dry feet.

Lake [59.2/840] : Laguna Esmeralda. Didn't find any camping possibilities. Better views at trail.

Refuge[61.7/856] : beside Laguna Esmeralda, a super blue lake. This refuge is not a cabin, just a shelter with 3 side wooden wall, good wind protection, but I'm not sure about heavy rain, because i saw many holes at the wall. Better camping spot with views beside the lake(not much wind protection).

Ford start/end[63.4/896] : late season, all the way easy dry feet crossing, walking on log or rock hopping.

Pass[64.5/1132] : no camping spot here, the spot shown on OSM, is already covered by many blowdowns. Nice viewpoint(-46.84093, -72.10324) of Lago Verde just SW of here.

Ford[66.1/877] : better river crossing point at (-46.83741, -72.11991), there is a sign at another side of river. Below knee, easy.

Ford[66.4/859] : river breaks into some parts, below knee, easy.

Refuge[68.1/867] : shelter with 2 walls, nice weather protection. Refuge with 4 walls, but huge air tunnel at ceiling, so just wind protection. A sign book inside refuge too. Camping spots at here can fit lot of tents, mostly have some wind protection, but not much, because trees are too tall, and just 1 spot behind a blowdowns have well wind protection.

Fords[68.4/869] - [71.6/905] : lot of river crossing, some trail can go around the river, but not much help and they are overgrown, so finally you need to be crossing and crossing then wet feet.

Km74.7 : camping spot(-46.87204, -72.17630), can fit 3-4 tents with some weather protection by the forest. Have a shelter made by logs here, can squat 1-2 hiker inside for emergency, but not much help, because it is really small and too many holes on it.

Km75.7 : camping spot(-46.87886, -72.16954), can fit 3-4 tents with some weather protection by the forest.

Km78.9 :camping spot(-46.90498, -72.15591), and some more spots nearby, total can fit 4-6 tents with some weather protection by the forest.

Ford[79.3/846] : Below knee, easy.

Refuge[81.0/819] : no refuge, no shelter. Camping spot with views can fit 2 tents but no protection.

Ford[82.6/805] : Below knee. Camping spot(-46.93485, -72.15869), can fit 2 tents with not much weather protection by the bushes, before the crossing.

Km83.3 : camping spot(-46.94089, -72.15600), can fit 2-3 tents with some weather protection by some trees. Also one spot at south but not much protection.

Km84.7 : camping spot(-46.95268, -72.15123), can fit 1 tent with some weather protection by some brushes.

Km88.6 : camping spot(-46.98397, -72.15988), can fit 2 tents with weather protection by some trees and brushes. Flat area nearby can fit many tents with good views but no protection.

Bridge[90.9/635] : classic bridge! Worth to take a look and walk on it!

We took {35-J} instead RR here, because less puds, also walking on a plateau looks like more scenic.

{35-J} Km5 : viewpoint(-47.03902, -72.19077) of the whole valley, very beautiful! Don't miss it!

Camp,$,refuge[98.9/379] : Casa de Piedra campground. Have some shelters with picnic table for cooking, and a refuge with hot(warm) shower, toilet and some tables for meals. If you decide to camp here, please expect sleep late. This spot mostly are campers and tourists. They'll speaking and cooking until 10 or 11 or midnight.

You can take a shuttle form here to Cochrane(30k CLP per person) or Camping Los West Wind(15k CLP per person)

Time schedule: 9am Cochrane - 9.45am Museo, 10am Museo - 10.15am Camping Los West Wind, 10.30am Camping Los West Wind - 10.45am Museo, 12noon Museo - 1pm Camping Casa de Piedra, 4.30pm Camping Casa de Piedra - 5.15pm Museo, 5.30pm Museo - 6.30pm Cochrane

Start from here, the trail is not maintained anymore, but still in good condition.

Km103 : Lago Gutierrez, amazing beautiful lake, have some minutes i thought back to Norway again.

Km103.85 : a small stream(-47.07911, -72.22738) flowing good with clear water, easy to collect.

Pass[110.8/1126] : some fresh snow remain at here.

Km112.45 : emergency camping spot(-47.10718, -72.28893), the ground is a little soft, but is flat and some wind protection, can fit many tents here.

Km116.9 : Laguna Guagua. Camping spot(-47.13350, -72.30170), can fit 2-3 tents with some wind protection from west by bushes, SW of the spot have a side trail to lake. BUT, DON'T go for {35-02A} back to RR, it is completely CC and BB with spike plants, not fun. Better CC climbing up to RR from camping spot directly.

Refuge,X[118.3/716] : no refuge, it is collapsed. The woods becomes a super small shelter here. If you lost your backpack, crawling inside maybe can save your life. Otherwise just for photos snapping function.

From here to km125.0, you will walk beside 3 lakes, didn't see any wind protection camping spots there, but if you have good luck at a no wind night, you maybe find some spots at the last lake.

Km125.0 : road walking start. Flat spot with some wind protection on the road can fit 1-2 tents at here too.

Km125.9 : junction of RR and {35-L}, because the road is too easy to walk and follow, we completely miss this junction and walk a long time then realised RR is a different way, so we keep going on {35-L} and rejoin RR later.

{35-L} km3.6 : a small stream(-47.17383, -72.37063) flowing good with clear water, easy to collect. Flat spot can fit 1-2 tents after the crossing.

We walked the whole way{35-L} and rejoin RR at km130.8.

RR Km132.4 : flat spot(-47.17220, -72.42231) can fit 1 tent at the end of lake. With some wind protection by forest.

Camp[136.9/162] : can fit 2-4 tents with weather protection by forest, but if the wind is come from south, it is not much help. Excellent views on the beach.

Camp[137.6/173] : can fit 2-3 tents with wind protection from east and north by trees. Excellent views on the beach. Just beside a port, looks like can take a boat to here.

Km138.3 : camping spot(-47.20064, -72.46718), total can fit 3-5 tents at several stage, some spots have good wind protection by trees and bushes.

From here to km146.0, lot of up and down beside some cliffs (maybe slippery in rain), but it is a trail with lot of amazing views, we are really enjoyed it.

Km139.77 : a tiny stream(-47.20803, -72.47813) flowing good with clear water, easy to collect.

Km141.73 : side trail to viewpoint(-47.21986, -72.49280) and cell service for Movistar.

Km142.15 : flat grassland(-47.22231, -72.49623) can fit 4 tents just beside the beautiful lake, some wind protection by valley itself.

X[143.9/244] : cell service for Entel(-47.23128, -72.50780)

Km146.0 : RN Tamango campground, some shelters for cooking, large arae for camping, hot shower and trash can, 7k CLP per person.

Km146.5 : the last flat spot(-47.24353, -72.53067) before Cochrane, some wind protection by brushes, can fit 1-3 tents with nice sunrise, you can arrive there by a clear trail beside ranger station, the trail is shown on OSM map.

Cochrane :

Lot of accommodation, markets and restaurants, and 2 outdoor gear shops.

230g gas canisters, power bank, chargers and tent stakes at Supermercado Melero(-47.25386, -72.57414).

Sunglasses, micro spikes, snow shoes and some clothes at La Ruta 7 Patagonia(-47.25591, -72.57320).

Sleeping bag, tents, boots(just 1 trail runner), socks, base layer, warm clothes and pants at Kalfu Patagonia(-47.25474, -72.57018).

Clothes at Vansy(-47.25417, -72.57431), not a outdoor gear shop, but some sporty clothes and pants for a low price at here.

Some campground and lot of indoor stays at Cochrane. The only hostel is Camping, Refugio ,Cabaña y Hostel(a long name) (-47.25446, -72.57497). And most of the rooms here include breakfast(without kitchen), 20k CLP per person. The only one we found with kitchen(but no breakfast) is Casa Raíces Hostal(-47.25113, -72.56848).

Bus terminal to Coyhaique, Villa Cerro Castillo, Villa O' Higgins, Chile Chico, Puerto Rio Tranquilo and Tortel at (-47.25137, -72.57317).

Tourist information(-47.25439, -72.57283).

I recommend La Martica(-47.25112, -72.57266), local restaurant with nice food in a good price.

* '''24-Feb-17 to 2024-Feb-22 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, Variant L / Tomáš & Natalie'''

There were several hitchhiker groups out of Chile Chico so we took a taxi (990250968) to the settler at 8.9 for 10,000 CLP. Nobody was there, but there is a locked gate so it would not be possible to take a taxi further up. For pedestrians, there is an unlocked door. One can shortcut the first zigzag of the road thereafter and several others, it is open terrain. We camped in a dry lakebed (for windprotection) about 1 km after the first pass. Despite strong wind in Chile Chico and a forecast of wind gusts over 60km/hr, the night was largely peaceful with just one hour of wind. The plateau has terrain features and it seemed to us it is not that impossible to camp there, but maybe we were just lucky.

The next day was like a safari, lots of animals and little wind. Pawprints on lake bed turned out to be a big dog and not a puma according to the rangers though. Going down from the plateau, it is possible to shortcut the GPX track to the SE and end near the puesto at 34.6. Trail starts above the puesto but is not so easy to follow and the GPX does not seem to be the most precise. It is advisable to take a CC shortcut to bridge at 42.7 as mentioned by Adrien Kunzli: about 1 km before the end of MR 38.2, veer right aiming for a black outcrop on the mountain on the other side of the valley and you will pop out above the bridge. We got lucky and got a ride at around 16:30 to the parkoffice. We paid 15000 CLP only for one person - they forget to charge the other one. They were friendly and told us the weather forecast. We did not get any receipt or pass though. Walked two hours to campsite Raleigh, there were two other foreign tents there. The new trail is technically the old "laguna Esmeralda" (RP 59.2) trail with a new bridge, so keep left to avoid fords, combined with variant D it seems preferable to RR even when not intending to camp [November 20224: this is not RR].

From Raleigh, the first fords were possible to cross without fording thanks to logs and stones. The next valley is indeed beautiful, especially Lago Verde. There were about ten tents but no people near the refugio at 67.6. Tomáš tried to go around the second fords through the forest on the left and he eventually reached variant F, which exists but partially goes through a marsh and does not avoid fording anyway: it is pointless, just ford. Initially the start of the fords seem like a marsh, go around it from the right through the river, it is a nice riverbed thereafter. Rio Aviles was kneedeep and ok. Ford 71.2 is mighty - go downstream about 200 m, it splits and is easy there (there is a cairn in the middle). We camped at a camping site marked on OSM about 2 km further down from there. There is a place for one tent about 20 m from a creek. Very nice spot. Having a headstart to people starting from the park office, we only met three groups of foreigners all day.

Variant J does not avoid any substabtial fords, water at 96.1 is easily jumpable and the river is bridged on both J and RR.
Casa de Piedra is a nice spot with resident guanacos (and some tourists). Tomáš had a hot shower! We were asked for our passes - we explained we were not given them and it was ok. We went on. The Siete Lagunas trail is surprisingly in a rather good shape. It is little used but not much overgrown and generally easy to follow, needing a GPS only occasionally. Tomáš liked it tremendeously. Did not meet anyone on it.

We slept near the pass next to a marsh. It rained most of the night but stopped before morning, luckily the trail was not too wet the next day. The first stream after the pass is very weak (not flowing if not raining?); it flows from the marsh by which we slept and is about 500 m after the pass waypoint. The next stream is about 1 km further down, it had more water. After that, water is only in the lakes. Tomáš cleaned a lot of the logs and branches from the trail, if you can spare a moment, please do likewise. We could not see any traces of option 02A or option K. We took option L near km 129.9 - we were confused by other reports because we thought people were taking the much longer part of L that follows a MR. RR leaves the Siete lagunas trail at the end of option L after 29 km. The trail probably goes to Valle Chacabuco. [OSM has Variant F and L marked as "Sendero 7 Lagunas", this is wrong. Variant K looks to be indeed CC and variant L looks to be an unnecessary detour on a MR (overgrown and with logs at first when RR is on this MR - when you cross the MR again after four km on RR, it no longer looks that overgrown). November 2024: OSM has been corrected.] On L, one can easily take a CC shortcut from top of the hill to MR. We found two shortcutting trails to the MR. We met Daniel who was coming back from cutting invasive pines with his chainsaw, he had a friendly and humorous attitude. Camped at the lake at the wind protected camp.

The night brought surprisingly strong wind and rain - try to camp deeper in the forest. We followed a faint trail tracing the shore of the lake instead of CC 137.6, in the middle of it there was an apple tree that will be ripe in March probably. Did not meet anybody until the viewpoint above the lake that says "signal Movistar" (we have Entel, which has a sign 2 km further on but it did not work, just wait one hour until Cochrane proper), from then on, there were daytrippers. CONAF had a lunch break so we passed unnoticed. Cochrane as a town is ok.

Nat's Notes:
The Bulk shop in Chile Chico (Güenta Emporio) is not open on weekends, they have weird hours and sometimes need to call before; Andrea +56 9 9540 1708. I recommend the hospedaje Rio Baker, 15mil pp which is the general price here.
The plateau
- Besides Descabezado, this area was one of the most visually interesting sections for me. I haven't had that much fun taking photos in a long time. At first the guanacos scared me a little, I felt like I was surrounded by ninjas, eventually I warmed up to them. A good place for a zoom camera.
-For me the going was slow, besides being tired and equipped with rash-covered feet I found the navigation tricky. I kept aiming for the wrong pass because there are many rolling hills. However I found things got better near and after pass km28.8.
- Water in the plateau is still frequent. If one wants to camp as close to the plateau as possible (SOBO) I suggest this spot:-46.62397, -71.81920. Also there is a nice grassy and fairly sheltered spot near water km23.9: -46.66437, -71.84393 and a big flat grass patch at water 30.6. There is a huge boulder for wind protection if needed here; -46.65469, -71.83997. In the valley bottom near the puesto, there are less/no camping spots. I did not like all the dogs at puesto 34.6, so I purposely avoided it.
- When finishing the plateau section, I filled up on water at the last stream that wasn't the main river here: -46.72842, -71.89633, as I didn't think we would get a hitch to the park office.

Sendero Avilés
- The descent from pass km64.5 is nothing, just a bit of dirt dust that makes traction hard. The only part on this track that I would worry about safety-wise (apart from the two river crossings) is a new steep traverse 2ish kms after pass km74.1: -46.88996, -72.16428. I decided to throw my bag down 5m instead of walking down the "free fall". (Alternatively you could ford rio Aviles twice.)
- The series of mini river crossings were all fine, there is a nice water source before pass km74 in the forest once you finish all the fords, it comes from a waterfall not far away.
- Near the end I took Variant J bcs I thought it avoided a river crossing (no rivers to cross but RR doesn't either). If you do this option I recommend still going to the hanging bridge at the X of J and RR bcs it is a fun and unique bridge!
- Cassandra at Case Piedra was nice and easy to get along with.

Siete Lagunas
- The water we took from the marsh was probably the grossest water I have had to drink, lots of algae and oil, I filtered and boiled. (The second stream was much better.)
- As noted the trail is not hard to follow at this moment, only a handful of times I lost it. That being said it could be because we were walking near the end of the season and therefore it was obvious where ppl had been walking (pushed down grass), I think it would be a lot harder at the beginning of the season. Another bonus was that most spikees were gone.
- Near to camp 136.9, there is a water source. It is at the end of the beach, 200-300m west of camp. There are two or three more water sources on the first part of the trail but after the look-out, there are no more.

* '''2024-Feb-6 to 2024-Feb-11 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + option L / Yannick & Nolwenn & Tess & Lukas'''

- Trail condition : really nice overall // the trail is sometimes overgrown and easy to loose from km 113,5 to km 122, so just keep an eye on the gps
- Water : easy to find plenty of rivers and lagunas
- Camping spot : we camped at km 32,6 and it was a bad idea, too exposed and we got snow and a lot of wind during the night, would really recommend to go down more // we camped near the lago Gutiérrez at km 106,15 there is place for 2 tents
- Weather : windy, sunny, snow, rain
- River crossing : easy
- Resupply : in Chile Chico (a bulk shop just opened in front of the camping Nandu) // in Cochrane everything you need
- Entrance fee : for park Patagonia 11 000 pesos per pp + 6 000 pesos for camping per pp
- Overall : really nice section, we were happy to encounter 3 huemuls

*'''2024-Jan- 18 to 2024-Jan-24/ 7 days/hiking/SOBO/ 35/ 35-02a( from 47.1567357S, 72.4154650W)/ 35-02 ( from S 47.12123, W 072.46099) /35-03 ( from S 47.11712 W072.48494)/35-03c ( from Laguna El Cangrejo)/35-03d/ 35 from Lago Cochrane/ Paulina'''
Long, beautiful tour in Parque Patagonia, as I mixed different variants, it allowed me to see all the divercity of the park. Almost no people, a lot of guanacos, a really beautiful section!

Day 1 The way from Chile Chico to Lago Jeinimeni. I was prepared to walk all the way, but as some cars stoped and it was a very hot day, I took a lift ( I have walked maybe 8 km in total ). I stopped at 46.7304997S, 71.7415019W, to do the loop of about 7 km in the first reserve of Jeinimeni. The entrance is paid 6000 CLP but the ticket is valid later, at the main entrance at Lago Jeinimeni ( the next 2 days). It's really worth to walk on this place. The rock formations are amasing. It takes about 3h and you can leave your backpack at the park reception After that, another car stoped and took me to the main entrance of Lago Jeinimeni. The views from the road are really scenic, it's a pity not to walk some parts of this road, lucky my car was old and slow so I could admire the views.

Day 2 From Lago Jeinimeni to the refugio and camping at 46.8406732S, 72.1409082W. The first part of the trail to Portezuelo La Gloria is rather easy, it stays mostly in the valley, the ascent to the pass is not very difficult and rather short. On the way down from the pass there are some steeper moments and there are some places where the trail is distroyed by a kind of stone avalanche so you have to find your way thru the stones. Amasing views on Laguna Verde. Once you are down at Laguna, there are some fords, when I was there, the highest one was till knees.

Day 3 A lot of fords all the way in Valle Hermoso, there were all easy to cross. Also, you can't clearly see the path but anyway, you have to follow the valley. Sometimes there are signes so you will always find the way. This day, the only a bit more difficult place you can find around S 46.89032 W 072.16461. Going SOBO it's a steep descent, it's very short but steep. Can be dangerous after the rain. Later the views on the canyon on Aviles river became really amasing, it was for me one of the most beautiful part in all the park.

Day 4/5 I had 6 km till Casa de Piedra ( there was a tiny spot for one tent with a stream at this distance) and I started the part Siete Lagunas. At Casa de Piedra I asked the ranger if the trail was walkable and he confirmed that it was ok and I could go. But, as the others already mentioned , the trail is not maintained anymore. Till the end of Laguna Gutierrez it's rather easy to find the way without gps, but later, there are some places where the path is not at all visible. With trail on gps is not very difficult to find the way, but without this, can be very difficult to follow this trail. There are also a lot of fallen trees, some BB. If they do nothing, I think in 2 years the path will completely disapear. But it's a beautiful trail, wild, you meet nobody, a pure and intacked nature. Just take enough water, the first day of this sendero the water was at Lago Gutierrez and later about 1h after the pass.

Day 6 Instead to continue on RR I went to Valle Chacabuco to discoverer also this sector. I started with the trail Lagunas Atlas. Well marked, beautiful, various views, it was the most frequented part of the park, but still I can't say it was crowded. Beautiful camp on Laguna el Cangrejo.

Day 7 The views on Lago Cochrane are really amasing. The landscapes and the vegetation are in this part different than before.

To conclude, I did not encontered really difficult places on this long hike. As I walked through all sections of the park, it allowed me to see all the divercity of the area. Except maybe 3 h in Valle Chacabuco, I did not really meet people in the park. It was a beautiful section! In Cochrane, you will find a lot of shops where you can find everything you need for next section. There are several campings ( I liked a lot Camping Lorenzo not crowded, nice place to cook with gaz, friendly owner, spots with twin protection

* '''2023-Dec-28 to 2024-Jan-04 / 8 days / RR / SOBO / Roshi'''

I hitchhiked from Chile Chico to X{35}[8.1/505] and did not see the settler at El Ciprés. It was very windy and I decided to cross the plateau at midday which was maybe not the best idea. The cross country I found very challenging and the extreme head wind across the plateau was in relentless. Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed the amazing landscape and the challenge, although a less windy day or starting earlier would have made it more enjoyable. I camped close to Camp 32.6/1300 at a dry spot and the next day followed the fence down to the road and walked to the Park entrance at Jenimeni. The park rangers told me of an alternative route to the start of the Avilés trail to Casa de Piedra and gave me some maps and info, they were very friendly. I paid 3000 pesos for park entry. I camped at Valle Hermoso which lives up to its name and then did a day hike to the glacial lake leaving my tent at the Refugio Valle Hermoso and following Estero Ventisquero or part of OH-CC-A {35-06} After packing up I then hiked a couple of kms down to a next campsite (there are a couple of established places to set up your tent on the way to Casa de Piedra). From Casa de Piedra I followed the Site Laguna's trail which was overgrown and difficult to follow and navigate and for me probably my least favourite part. The kms are marked but you really have to follow the GPS me there aren't many places to pitch if you don't feel like hiking anymore. I think going down into Chacobuco (which I had done previously) would have been nicer. I loved the Lago Cochrane and Tamango reserve the views and colours were amazing and the trails very easy to follow and not very busy. I got a lift into Cochrane halfway from the entrance but the road walk is not long anyway and I was not actively hitching.

Annoyances were horse flies but I got good advice to "out Zen" them and to be honest once you let it go and enjoy the views and being in nature generally they are easy to deal with. Just don't stop between 2 and 8 PM ;)
And from Jenimeni to Casa de Piedra is lots of river crossings so just accept wet feet :) and try do river crossings in the morning especially on hot days ( esp Avilés) Be safe and sensible obviously!
I would have maybe even liked to stay longer on this part of the trail, there were lots of little day hikes and alternative routes I'd have loved to explore, but I didn't have enough food. It's a beautiful part of the world, enjoy it!

* '''From 2023-01-15 to 2023-01-19 // 5 days // Hiking // NOBO // VARIANT P + OPT3 + OPT3A + RR + VARIANT J + VARIANT I + VARIANT D + Sendero Laguna Esmeralda (no variant on that one yet) + RR // Quentin Clavel'''

From Cochrane, I thought it was sad to go straight along the Lago Cochrane without checking what's going up there, and have a view over the vallee Chacabuco. So that's what I did.

I just took the beginning of Variant P, you have to pass threw a gate saying "no passar" then you have to bifurcate to the option 3 (tamango) to reach the pass between vallée tamango and chacabuco. Very nice views. Then instead of going down into vallée Chacabuco, I went straight, and continue on the sendero de las siete lagunas, wich is an old track, sometimes hard to guess, so check the GPS, but mostly easy to folllow (you still have the mark every kilometers).

Really loved the colours at the end of Lago guitterrez !

Main difficulties on the section are these horrible horseflies, and the no less terrible little spiky plants that stay sticks in your shoes and socks.

Then you reach casa de piedras. I took the variant J to don't have to put my crocs for the river crossing (yeah, I'm a lazy walker aha).

Then follow the river until the vallée hermoso, wich lives up to its name. And at this time it's just a mix between walking and crossing rivers. No need to ask, I putted my crocs on aha !

The pass up to Lago Verde was steep but the view so outstanding and the colours .. same amazing colours on Lago jeinemeni !

Didn't stayed at, but the Raleigh camp is very nice if you may choose a camp around !

Second part of NP was CC, and that was so cool ! Just have the directions and go straight to this point. Passing from mountains to others, surrounded by an unnumerable number of curious guanacos !

Hardest part is to deal with the strong wind during the ascend and at the highest point. And the descent is quite unstable, stay close to the GPX tracks, I tried to shorttrack but it led me down to slippery slopes, so I had to backtrack to find again the GPX.

Then it's 15 km down to reach Chile Chico (8km on the asphalt). Settler wasn't angry against me and saluate me kindly when I passed threw his land.

Very nice stretch. Very diversificate, great landscapes, wildlife. I loved it !

And about the entrance fees, It was not my intention, but I haven't paid for as I entered by variant P which is not a porper enter. And haven't seen any guardaparque at all.

* '''2023-Dec-30 / 1 day / Packrafting / SOBO / Option 10 C / Tom Pieper'''

I attempted this option as an alternative starting point for section 36G. Hitchhiked to the bridge of Carreterra Austral over Rio Chacabuco. I scouted rapid {35-10C} [2.3/121] from 100 m above and it looked feasible. This was not true when I approached on the river after entering just before the bridge. The rapid was impassable (late afternoon) which brought me into serious troubles. The canyon is pretty steep here and there is no way back. It was not fun to climb the steep slopes cliffs to escape the 100 m deep canyon. Its really dangerous. The rapid is pretty hard to investigate from above. I would recommend to only go later in the season and only in the morning or at least with company.

* '''2023-Dec-21 / 8 day / Hiking + Packrafting / SOBO / RR + Option 10 + Old and new tracks to Administration Parque Patagonia Valle Chacabuco / Tom Pieper'''

Most have been described by Kris and Stina. The plateau and the entire track is awesome. After the kind Arriero at the puesto {35} [15.8/1075] (actually its his house) I found it a little bit tricky to find a good route first but then just ascended and found a nice cross country route. Camped before the plateau. There are nice spots just before 1400 m, after that its just rocky until you descend to the Water {35} [23.9/1586]. Camp {35} [32.6/1300] was a little bit swampy. Found a better spot 300 m south. Try to be early at the road if you want to hitchhike. I was lucky and got the last car passing at 14.00 to the park at day. On the 25/12 the park entrance (but only the entrance) is always closed! Keep in mind if you come around christmas. At the park entrance you must disinfect your packrafting gear due to Didymo algae. I could not packraft lago jenimeni and verde due to wind but its still stunning. Between Water {35} [75.5/937] and Ford {35} [79.3/846] there is a approx. 3-4 steep bluff. I felt really uncomfortable with my heavy backpack as a lot of erosion happened to the steep ‘steps’. Maybe exploring an additional bush bashing route is feasible here. The ford was rather deep and could be a problem for shorter persons but I crossed in the evening, so in the morning it should be fine. Collapsed Refuge {35} [81.0/819] makes a nice camp spot. The other forts were fine. Stayed one night at Casa Piedra were I met Tobi and Fangwen and spend dinner and breakfast together the next day. CONAF first denied to packraft Rio Chacabuco due to conservation reasons, but after I mentioned that I came along all the track with my gear and rangers et sector jenimeni they were fine with me going on that river. The river is a bit unspectacular. I left at the River Out {35} [119.8/277] and I followed the old trail/road to Park Ranger, Refuge, Camp {35} [123.2/263]. There is a new picknick hut and I spend the night in there with a spectacular view of the valle chacabuco to the rims of campo hielo norte. The next day I continued the old track right side of the river (not in the GPT track files) until the bridge {35-10} [4.7/265]. Track is still in good conditions and occasionally used by the horses and guanacos there. A wonderful hike with massive views. I than continued on the CONAF trail (also not in the GPT track files) to Park administracion at Lodging $$$ {35-03} [1.9/340]. Would not recommend the restaurant. 65 $ for a 3 course meal but nothing fancy. Better spend for dinner in Cochrane. But for a post hike drink at the bar it is a lovely place and staff is kind. Also liked the museum and stayed the night at the campsite approximately 2 km away. The puma still seems to be there occasionally. Next day I hitchhiked out to Cochrane.

* '''2023-Dec-18 to 2023-Dec-23/ 5.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Stiina & Kris'''

Got a taxi for the first 8 kilometers of the roadwalk. Nobody present at the farm where the dirtroad starts to go uphill, gates easy to get through, friendly dog. We hiked just 6km and made camp by a stream.

The next day passed the puesto at km15.8, owner seemed friendly and waved. Slowly climbed up to the plateau, lots of water everywhere, very few snowpatches en route. Perfect day - not much wind. Saw lots of guanacos, hares, flamingos. Moving cross-country was ok throughout. Climbed a few barbed-wire fences. Finally found the dirt road, hiked to camp at km42.9.

In the morning hitched a ride to the park entry with a ranger. We had no online booking as we didn't know when we'd arrive, they had us make one on site. Super friendly guys, said that there is currently fewer visitors than normally at this time. The route between Rio San Antonio crossing and Camp Raleigh has been changed, partially new trail built; follows mainly the Lago Esmeralda trail. There is now a brand new hanging bridge over Rio San Antonio right next to Camp Raleigh, avoiding all the needless crossings.

After the camp there trail seems new in places, but then resorts to many rivercrossings again. The way up and down the Puertozuela La Gloria is steep and loose. After Lago Verde there are a million more crossings until you turn South. Here the trail is not much maintained, lots of fallen trees. The next 25km to Casa Piedra the trail is a bit harder to see at first but then gets much better. The guy (not a ranger) at Casa Piedra informed us that the Siete Lagos trail is closed but couldn't say why. It's definitely overgrown in parts, lots of fallen trees - need to keep track on the gpx at all times. After settler at km135.2 the trail has been recently maintained and bushes cut.

For photos and stories, you can follow us on Instagram: @smallfootprint_bigadventures

==Season 2022/23==

* '''2023-Mar-31 to 2023-Apr-06 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option J / Martin & Helena'''

We enjoyed this section a lot, especially with all the beautiful autumn colors in early April and basically without people until the last part before Cochrane. PN Patagonia closed some sectors on the first Monday in April, so we were the last ones to get a permission and do this section ‘legally’. Be prepared for this if you want to do this part in April or later. The problem is they close Casa Del Piedra and probably won’t let you pass to that sector from Lago Jeinemeni, where the entrance stays open for longer time. Sneaking around the guards house early in the morning or just not be specific about your plans might work if needed, its very unlikely you would meet anyone on the way from the main entrance.

Just like others we found the plateau between km 20-28 very very windy. Definitely don’t count with camping there. We found a good spot right after the secound pass, aprox. 500m down the hill where you can find a wind protected place. The descent down is a little slow but with nice views, guanacos, horses.. simply amazing. Once back on the road, it’s not too far to the PN entrance where we met a guard, but fortunately were able to get a permission as described above. The trail from Lago Jeinemeni was one of our favorites. All the fords were easy, but expect quite slow progress in the CC parts. We camped in a forrest at km 81 where is a destroyed refugio but still a good spot for camping. The rest of the trail to Casa Del Piedra is again straightforward and the landscape is somehow more dry. We didn’t cross the first bridge but went with the J option which turned out to be a good decision as we met a xx of guanacos that let us come really close to them. Closed and locked refugio still provides a good shelter, but when open it must be a perfect stop in the middle of this long section. Water was turned off as well but there is a stream behind the house.

We spent the next night on the beach of Lago Gutierrez where is enough space to build a tent - bushes around the trail are otherwise very thorny and sharp. After the ascent to the pass was a good stream of water, probably the last place to safely take unfiltered water for the next couple of kms. The trail from there leads around all the lakes and is nice and easy. We spent the night in a refugio at km 134. This one was the only one standing from what we have seen and its a good shelter when it rains, however we decided to stay in our tent anyway. You can make fire inside. Closest water is actually the one in a lake uphill, the stream on the other side of the path was very dirty and hard to gather anyway.

From there its a one more day until the finish with a good pace. We haven’t met the settler Daniel, but he’s definitely still living there. Beautiful beach of Lago Cochrane and from there we started to meet more and more tourists, doing just a day hike or some circuit around the lake - might be a good option as well in this beautiful region. The last kms felt a little long for us as we were looking forward to have some rest and enjoy all the fun in town. At the official campsite were a few people but no one asked us about anything. There are nice toilets and shower. From there its around 30m to Cochrane. Good to remember they celebrate Easter holidays in Chile as well, but we still managed to find some shop and bakery open.

Contact: @martin_hanzelka @helenneka

* '''12/03/2023 - 18/03/2023 / RR SOBO / Jakub+Veronika:'''

Doing section 35 was due to closure of the Patagonia NP caused by heavy rains with helicopter rescue of several tourists from Valle Hermoso quite complicated, we did walk all we could in Tamango reserve and later (when it was opened) in Chacabuco valley. Be sure not to miss the museum. It's really worth it. The northern part was opened as the last one, that's why we've skipped it and hitchhiked back to Caretera. All paths in great condition. When going from Tamango to Chacabuco there's one suggestion:

It seems that on RR (35, km 141) ends new 11km long track ”Huemules” which starts at the parking in Chacabuco valley on RP (35, km 132.5). That trail might be a nice alternative to RR (mud road) leading over private land of settler David Huemul.

*8.02. - 05.03.23 / Anna & Christopher / SOBO, Chile Chico - Cochrane

We started in Chile Chico around 5 pm walking the first km on the road. After a while we got a ride to the Bahía Jara cross and camped a few hundred meters further near the street (we carried water from Chile Chico).

The ascent to the plateau is mostly easy dirtroad walking and the last CC part easy to navigate. The whole stretch on the plateau until the street at km 41.5 we had extreme wind, which made walking super tiring and nearly blew us away a few times. We found a tiny and steep, but wind protected place to set up our tent at around km 28 in the ridge dug by the river. We had to get a bit inventive to set it up and to be able to sleep properly there. There were almost no other places that were protected by the wind until you get off the plateau. As almost all previous entries say, it's better to camp off the plateau. But it's really worth doing it because you can see Guanacos and flamingos on it :)

When we reached the street at km 41.5 we were lucky and a car passed by a few minutes later, which brought us to the entrance of Parque Patagonia. We payed 15k CLP p.p. and walked to the camp Raleigh at Lago verde. There are some sheltered places to set up the tent, with an unfamiliar amount of people for the GPT. Lago Verde is beautiful though.

The next day involves lots of river- and stream crossings and it started to rain not particularly heavy, but after some hours we were completely wet. Therefore the rivercrossing at km 82.6 was really hard for Anna (1,63 m) but we managed by inertlocking our arms and doing it step by step slowly. After that the trails get really good and you can walk way faster. We camped at the unofficial camp site at km 84.7.

We had good weather the next day and the trail was really good until Lago Gutierrez. Up to the pass the trail gets a bit worse with some navigation issues, but you always find a good path again. As the others wrote there are only some tiny streams within the first km after the pass until the next Laguna, so we filled up our bottles there and camped somewhere in the forest soon afterwards once it started to rain again.

The next day there were still not too much water sources and we fetched the first water at the first Laguna which wasn't super easy to access. The trail until Lago Cochrane wasn't in bad condition neither. We also took Option L, which follows the 'regular' siete lagunas trail. The stretch from Lago Cochrane until the Conaf office at the end of the lake is absolutely amazing with great views of one of the clearest lakes in the world. We camped at km 145.7 and took a bath in the lake.

The last 8 km to Cochrane went super fast on an easy trail until Conaf and 4 km road walking to the town, so happily we could escape from the starting rain.

* '''20 to 24 of February 2023 / Silke & Hans / Loop - Fachinal -> Chile Chico'''

We didn't do the regular route, but read about an intresting loop starting in Fachinal and entering the normal route at Valley Hermoso. We then continued along the regular route to the entrance at Laguna Jeinimeni, and back to Chile Chico. The first 3 days from Fachinal we didn't see any other hikers, but it was pretty clear why. The trail was completely overgrown, full of fallen trees and a lot of the time there is no trail at all. But we managed our way through pretty good, and is was an awesome alternative to enter the Park. We recorded our GPX for others, waypointed some POI's and added some photo's to it: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/114121493

DAY 1 / 18km / +740m /
Although we heard of a bus to Fachinal from Chile Chico, nobody really appeared to know any information about it.. In the terminal the people we spoke said there were none. So we started hitchhiking the following morning. But after 3-4h of no luck we went back to the terminal, and all of a sudden there was a bus leaving at 11:30. 10.000 pesos pp, a little expensive but being unsuccesfull hitchhiking we took it. We had lunch at the turnoff, and starting hiking around 13:00. The first part is on a clear double track, but soons turns into a clear singletrack. We took the wrong intersection twice (waypointed on our GPX). We camped right before the first big river crossing. There is one steel cable, so if you bring a harness you could tiroller across.

DAY 2 / 22km / +1100m /
First up, we crossed the river. The water level didn't seem a lot lower than the day before, and at the deepest part it was about halfway our thighs. After taking another wrong intersection and backtracking, we reach the second river crossing. Again a steel cable is provided but the crossing was pretty straightforward, and the water level was only slighty above our knees. Just across the river is a an old cabin, and then short after a very new refugio (locked, used by a trekking agency). The trail gets super dense after this, climbs steeply on the mountain side and dissapears completely on numerous occasions. After the climb it flattens out, opens up and you reach a laguna. After the laguna it's the easiest to just follow the river bed down to the open valley floor (possible sheltered campsite in the forest). Follow the valley floor to another amazing laguna where you can camp near a second locked refugio.

DAY 3 / 14km / +440m /
We started the day with a side-trip to a mirador looking over the glacier high above. Takes about 1,5-2 hours return. We then packed up camp and headed for Valley Hermoso. You pass another beautiful laguna and follow the river down to the main valley. Lots of river crossing here. We camped at the Refugio Valley Hermoso, arriving earlier than expected.

DAY 4 / 15km / +200m /
Very short and easy daytrip to another laguna. About 3 hours return. We just chilled the rest of the day.

DAY 5 / 36km / +830m /
Final day along the normal route to the entrance of Laguna Jeinimeni. The day started off with some heavy rain for a couple of hours, but all the river crossings were still very doable. We arrived at the entrance around 13:00, and there was no sign of anybody leaving soon. So we decided to continue hiking untill we could find a ride along the way. We ended up hiking an extra 19km before finally a car was willing to take us along. There is an established campsite at the entrance for 3000 pesos pp.

* '''19 to 24 of February 2023 / Will / SOBO, regular route'''

Not too much to add on this one. I had a good time but the section felt long.

On the way up to the first plateau there were a few somewhat sheltered places to camp past the puesto. I camped around km 19, just before the last steep climb up to the plateau. Lots of streams around there.

None of the river crossings went above my knees, after a dry week.

I liked the detour up to the Lago Jeinemeni mirador. I also took variant I out and back to a glacier lake, I'm less sure whether that was worth it. I couldn't find any real trail, it was nice easy cross country walking through the woods followed by some open rocky ground. The glacial lake was cool, but not as spectacular as some of the ones I've seen in other sections.

I camped at the casa de piedras and took a luxurious warm shower. The ranger said you're supposed to pay at the office in valle Chacabuco, but since our route doesn't go there she just let me stay for free. She also said that sendero de siete lagunas (our route) was closed, but that I could do it since I had my gps and satellite communicator. She made it sound tough/dangerous though it turned out to be fairly quick trail.

Not much water or campsites along the siete lagunas. There's a nice campsite at the tip of the pencil lake just after the (still intact!) refugio at 133.9.

* '''2023-Feb-12-19 / NOBO / RR + Option 35-L / Ondrej and Bara / Cochrane - Chile Chico / 7.5 days'''

We really enjoyed this section! We went from Cochrane to Chile Chico. Our favourite parts were the descent through Valle Hermoso and the descent on the cross country section to Chile Chico. We spent 7.5 days on this section, taking a relaxed pace and including a half day break.

We only had to pay 9,000 CLP per person entrance fee at the Cochrane park gate (sector Tamango). We then showed the pass three days later to a ranger at Casa de Piedras and he let us go. The final checkpoint for us was the CONAF park exit/entrance at Lago Jeinemeni. The ranger there didn’t want to see our pass at all, he just asked from where we hiked (we said Casa de Piedras).

Some details: - Starting from Cochrane, the trail is easy walking up until km 144.9. As you leave Lago Cochrane, the trail is harder to follow. Fortunately this lasts only up to km 138, where the trail becomes easy to follow again. We camped next to the refuge on km133.9. The refuge has a good roof and can serve as an emergency shelter. There is no good water next to it though - we needed to climb the hill to the laguna to refill. - From roughly km 125 to km 99, the RR follows the old Siete Lagunas trail, which is not maintained anymore. Expect some fallen trees and slightly overgrown parts but the trail is beautiful and easy to navigate in general. - We took Option L to cut some overgrown road walking as recommended by others. We really liked it. - We camped next to the destroyed refuge at Laguna Guagua (km 118.3) and really loved the place - there is an amazing pebble beach at the laguna. - If you don’t want to camp at Casa de Piedras, there is a place for a small tent and a stream at roughly km 97 (-47.07463, -72.20439). We camped there. - The river crossings in Valle Aviles and Vale Hermoso were maximum to our knees. The deepest one was at Lago Verde (km 66.1). However, the river levels can change rapidly when it rains the days before - do check the weather. - We camped at the eastern shore of Lago Verde (km 61.7; campsite Raleigh) and really loved it - it has picnic tables and a spacious cooking/eating shelter. - We hitchhiked the part on the road between km 53 and 41.5. Few cars go by but the hitch was easy - we stopped the first car. - The cross country section from km 41.5 is very different from the rest - semi-desert like and lots of animals. We saw llamas, flamimgos, condors and hares (among sheep, cows and horses). - Between km 38 and 33 the path goes along a fence. We had to get over the fence once (we scrambled below it without problems). - If you are going NOBO, expect stunning views of the General Carrera Lake and Torres del Avelano when coming from the last pass (km 20.8) down to Chile Chico.

A ranger in Casa de Piedras wanted to prevent us to walk the RR NOBO from Casa de Piedras to Valle Hermoso. He claimed that route is closed now as the rivers are too high to cross. To avoid conflict, we said that we will only do the “loop trail” which is basically the RR from Casa de Piedras up until the bridge where the RR joins Option J. The Option J is then used to return back to Casa de Piedras. When doing the loop, we met several hikers in the opposite direction who confirmed that all river crossings are fine. In light of this we decided to continue on the RR and indeed the deepest ford was to our knees. Therefore if faced with a ranger claiming that the rivers are too high, we suggest to start with the loop trail (rangers should be okay with that) and get more info on the river levels from the hikers going the opposite direction.

*2023 last week January NoBo (6 days but could have very easily been done in less) / Helen and Craig + (Caro, Ali and Gabby)

>Such lovely camp sites. Beautiful places to stay the night the whole way around

>Very very easy trails. River crossing section isn't bad at all and the Valle hermosa lives up to its name.

>1st and last camp site particularly lovely

>Keep eyes peeled for pumas! I would have easily missed the sighting if I hadn't been looking the right way at the right time. They were super close. 10m or less away. Two cubs outside the refugio at casa peidra. Not where they are commonly seen in the park at all Aparently around west winds camp they are more commenly seen.

>Museum in the middle of the section worth checking out. Very visual and quite hard hitting environmental museum

> Can hitch easy enough to Chile Chico but leave last camp early in the morning. There's often a driver with a 4x4 who drives hikers in to the park and will take you back for 10,000p/p. Hikers who were a few hours behind us had no luck hitching as demand can often overtake spaces.

* '''27 of January to 1 of February 2023 / Véronica & Zach / GPT35 RR SOBO / 5.5 days '''

Route: Chile Chico - Lago Jeinimeni - Valle Hermoso - Casa de Piedra - Lago Cochrane - Cochrane

What a beautiful and diverse stretch of the GPT! I hiked half of this section with Zach, up to Casa de Piedras at km 98.9. We were unable to get a hitch out of Chile Chico, so we ended up walking the road to where the trail begins. No navigation issues, but the entire cross-country section to Río de las Nieves (waypoint at 42.7 km) is very exposed and was very windy when we crossed. We ended up camping at the water at 23.9 km, but the wind blew very strongly all night and I was worried it might take my tent. If you can, it is better to camp off this plateau unless the weather is calm. Lots of guanaco trails to follow :)

At the CONAF office at km 53.0, we each paid 9,000 clp for entry to the national park, plus 6,000 clp for passage/camping along the trail to Casa de Piedras in the Valles Hermoso and Aviles. Beautiful trail the whole way, popular and well-maintained, with cairns and markers to follow. There is an awesome shelter and camping area with picnic tables on the eastern shore of Lago Verde, at the end of Option D. In my opinion it was nicer than the popular refugio in Valle Hermoso (km 68.1) that everyone talks about.

We had no issues with fords, except the one at km 82.6 which flows into Río Aviles. It was the end of a warm sunny day, so the flow was quite high and strong. Had I been on my own I would have camped on the north side and waited till morning to cross. However, this time I was able to cross by linking arms with Zach as he is much taller than me and was more stable in the current.

At Casa de Piedras, Zach and I parted ways as he wanted to packraft down the Río Chacabuco. The ranger at the Casa told me the Sendero de las Siete Lagunas (which begins at km 99.5) was no longer maintained. This is true, there were stretches in the desertlike brush that were hard to follow, and I checked the GPS frequently. Generally it was better when the trail went into wooded areas. I also found this trail to be dry — the only water I found was the water from the lagunas and a tiny trickle about a kilometer south of the pass. Lots of spiky plants that get stuck in your socks and shoes. I took Option L to cut out some overgrown minor road walking. It's sad that this trail is being neglected and left to be swallowed up by nature, because otherwise it is quite scenic.

The horse trail that goes from the puesto of Daniel Huemul (km 143.3) to Lago Cochrane was also rough and overgrown. Everything gets easier once you reach Lago Cochrane though, nice, maintained trails all the way to Cochrane with beautiful places to camp along the lake.

* '''GPT35 / Yannic & Mirjam / 2022-Dec-13'''

Much is already detailed below, so we will keep it short

1 day: from Chile Chico to the entrance of the National Park. We camped one night before the pass at S 46.61639 W 71.81632. Water right next to the camp. Pass is very windy.

2 days: from the National Park to the Refugio. Nice refugio with small house where you can make a fire inside to dry things. From the Refugio to Casa Piedra is possible in one day. But it is a long day with many kilometres.

2.5 days: Casa Piedra to Cochrane. Leaving Casa Piedra, after a few hundred metres the trail leaves the Minor Road and enters the trail (where there is a large stone marker). The trail is officially closed and partly in bad condition. There are many fallen trees on the trail, some of it is overgrown and not completely clear. We therefore checked the GPS regularly. We took OH-TL-V{35-L}, which saves a few kilometres of (overgrown) minor road.
We spent one night at Laguna Guagua (Refugio is completely destroyed) and one at Lago Cochrane.
When we left the national park, no one was at the office. We therefore simply went through...

* '''GPT35 Variant P, Option 3, 3C, 3D / Meylin Ubilla, Jan Dudeck / 2022-Dec-12 and 13 / 1.5 days'''

While waiting in the village Cochrane for our friends to catch up, we did a little 1.5 day hike higher up next to Lago Cochrane that we visited at least 3 times by packraft in past years. For the first time this year we waked with a light backpack without packrafting gear.

We took Variant P eastbound that slowly climbs on a gravel road to an altitude of 500 m and then continues as a panorama trail in this altitude.

Apparently, this is not authorized access to Parque Patagonia (Sector Tamango) and two gates need to be climbed but there was nobody to be seen on this route. The normal access to the park is down next Rio Cochrane and Lago Cochrane.

Nearly the entire route was scenic and worth the effort.

The settler “El Húngaro” apparently sold the land and became part of the national park. There is an open building that might be used as a refuge in case of emergency but camping is probably more comfortable.

The refuge at {35-P} [4.0/501] is collapsed but camping is pleasant on this pasture.

The trail section OH-TL-V {35-03} [0.0+5.2] is not maintained for several years making this route inconvenient to walk. The route south of both lakes is easy walking.

As long as Parque Patagonia does not challenge hikers to make a full traverse from Cochrane to Chile Chico it is prudent to take the official route which is the current regular route and pay the entrance fee near Cochrane when hiking northbound.

But should longer multi-day traverses be denied, then it might be less bothersome to take Variant P which avoids the entrance.

Packrafters can travel east and westbound on Lago Cochrane and will not pass any park entrance.

* '''Alice & Florian / 4 to 10 November-2022 / Regular Hiking Northbound'''

Here's our story of our GPT35. We really enjoyed this section, it is really diverse, beautiful landscapes and we saw heaps of animals.

As we wanted to do the trail in the northbound direction, we took the bus from chile chico to Cochrane, arriving in chile chico from argentina from the south (border o'higgins closed...). It tales 4 hours and leaves on sunday at 14 (return Monday 7 Am), Monday 16 (return Tuesday 7 AM),Wednesday and Friday 7 Am (return 16).

We took the option north of Cochrane because we were not sure if they would allow us to sleep in the tamango reserve. But, indeed you have to pass a no entry sign, a gate and a sign saying that entering the park that way is prohibited so we do not recommend it when it is written on the conaf website that it is allowed to sleep in tamango section.

We took the sendero de los huemules and slept at camp 1 waypoint. There was plenty of water at that time and a beautiful view.

After that we took the option OH-TL-V 35-P to avoid going downhill. The entry of this trail is about 150m before what is indicated on the GPT so be aware. I don't think the trail is an official one from the park so you have to fight your way through some bushes. But apart from that, it is clear. Then we joined the regular route, which since the 2022 version does follow the siete lagunas trail. You will join the siete lagunas trail at the kilometer 11 more or less. We then camped around the km 13 of the 7 lagunas trail.

We found water just before climbing at the pass at S47°06.0856' W072°17.592' and there is more at the top. However, it is true that it is drier on the other side of the pass, so if you are going Southbound, pack enough water from Lago Gutierrez to climb the pass.

We spent the third night at casa de Piedra where you have all facilities (electricity, hot shower, kitchen). Unfortunately for us they were on strike so they wouldn't allow us to go further on the trail. We did anyway as going out to jeiminini or through the road to chacabuco would take the same time.
By the way various national parks - including Torres del Paine were on strike at the moment.

The second part in the aviles valley is really clear, the trail is really nice and easy and with a lot of water available. Exiting the casa de piedra you should take the option OH-TI-V 35-J instead of the regular route, it will save you 600 m and two river crossings, and the view is similar. Starting at km 20, you will have to reduce your pace because the trail is busy with a lot of fallen trees, bushes and rocks. Between the km 22 and 23 of the valle aviles trail, the trail has been swept away by the river this winter so you have to cross the river two more times to go around. The kilometers indications disappear more or less after the pass, at km 25.

After that you enter the valle Hermoso. We camped at the waypoint 17/Camp Valle Hermoso but we do not recommend it. It was really small and close to the river, so if there is a sudden level rise because of heavy rain or a flooding because of a glaciar outburst (GLOF), you might get wet... Better sleep st the small caban near km23 if you don't think you will reach the refugio in valle Hermoso.

Once you reach Lago Verde, follow the GPT track and not the trail that leads to the lake, or you will have to turn back. After the pass it's more river crossings but you can save some kilometers in the river bed by taking the option OH-TI-V 35-E and then OH-TI-V 35-D until the rio jeimenini (the first part of the option OH-TI-V 35-D does not exist anymore). We did not have any trouble to cross the Rio between the 2 lakes even though we were in the middle of the afternoon. It was about thigh deep for me but I'm tall.

After that it's really easy to the Parc entrance. We went back to Chile Chico walking on the road instead of taking the cross country option, because0 there were still snow on the mountain. The first part is still pretty until the intersection, once you enter the valley of the Rio it is a bit more monotonous. Halfway there is an access to an annex of the national park, to go see the Cueva de las manos and valle lunar.

* '''Adrien Kunzli / 31-Oct-2022-04-November-2022 / Regular Hiking Northbound'''

All rivers crossing are easy to pass at this time of year. One tricky passage on the snow at the entrance of lago verde, very steep, but it was to avoid walking in the lake (frozen feet early in the morning).

No guards at the entrance at Tamango so i didnt pay the fee but didnt get my pass. Tamara gently gave me one at the camping of casa del piedra (apparently if i didnt have this pass i could not be admitted at Jeinimeni.) At Jeinimeni pass, again, nobody. So i were to the houses near and finaly find the guy. He took my pass and i get no fee in this NOBO direction.
Nice shortcut after the bridge of Rio de las Nieves (S 46° 47.274', W 071° 54.665') that can avoid you a little bit of the 4x4 unfinshing road and get you directly into the heart of this amazing and beautifull last part. So:
In front of the end of the bridge, you go up the big hill and go diagonally (or directly if you feel better) to join the path (pretty wild) of the gps (S 46° 45.843', W 071° 54.359'). Small stretches of paths are drawn rather well along this shortcut.

Not much good water between the bridge (brown water) and the puesto but the the puesto's water is of much better quality.

==Season 2021/22==

* '''GPT 35: Parque Patagonia/ Exploration Route via Valle Maullín Grande/ 2022 March-12/ 4 days / Tobias Schorcht, Jonas Grünewald '''

We hiked from Maullín Grande to Cochrane by chance. I always wanted to do the stretch from Chile Chico to Cochrane, but we had just 4 days left… When we hitchhiked northbounded from Villa O’Higgins, we luckily got picked up by Pascual Diaz, who is a experienced Mountain Guide (company Kalem) and took us all the way to his refugio in Maullín Grande. He also explained us, how to reach Cochrane on time while doing that crossing. The next day he took us to the end of the Road, where we started hiking around midday (-46,80390, -72,42001). It was a easy walk to the end of the Valley where we camped (-46,87872, -72,34138). The following day was hard, but we went up to the pass (1430m) in perfect sunshine. At (-46,87234, -72,30906) you will face a waterfall in a steep canyon. We recommend to walk on the left side (northwest) through the forest until you meet the riverbed again. The other side is also possible (we went there), but you have to climb higher in difficult terrain. From that point you can easily do a cross country walk up to the pass, where you have to cross the Glaciar (without cracks). It was absolutely stunning! Going down to the laguna is quite steep. I would not do it in bad weather conditions. When you meet the laguna, you can either walk on the left or right side. Both options are not easy. We crossed on the right (southern) side, which is ok in good weather conditions. There is one river crossing in between, which could be impossible with more water. Now we think it would have been easier to walk on the left (northern) side, although we would have had needed to cross the river before and after the laguna. Packrafting is an option as well, but since it only 1.5 km we don’t think it is worth it. Camped in a forest close to the regular trail dry and save. All in all we recommend this option to experienced hikers in good weather conditions. The hike to Cochrane was hard, because we had just 2 days for 80km. So we hitchhiked to the museum of Parque Patagonia and we even saw a puma at the Westwind Campsite! It seems like this puma shows up there regularly. I waited for that moment almost 5 months. My dream came true on my very last evening in nature. Thank you Patagonia for this great gift. 🙏

* '''2022-Feb / Packrafting / Mikhail Bogdanov&Masha Ovchinnikova'''

See for Rio Chacabuco and picturesamd discussion of the canyons.

https://web.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/posts/1319249015247648/

* '''Christmas2021 / GPT 35, NOBO, participants Janna & Matthias, dec 2021, duration 6 days from Cochrane to Conaf center at Lago Jeinimeni, then hitchhiked to Chile Chico'''

As recommended by a friend we opted for the following route through the Parque Nacional de Patagonia which is highly recommendable (first two days mainly GPT variants and options, afterwards GPT regular routes. There are several marked senderos in the beginning as 5 Los Huemules, 8 los Pumas, 7 los Guanacos, sendero 9, sendero Lagunas Altas etc.) as you can see in our attached tracking file.

All in all the trails were easy to find, some seemed to be still unhiked this year. To enter the park from Cochrane we had to pass a prohibition sign and climb over a no entrar gate. We didn't meet anyone on the first day, the settler didn't seem to be around. The following days we met two to three other hikers per day, but no rangers until the end at Conaf Center near Lago Jeinimeni, where we easily paid the park fees in arrears (8000 pp park entrance fee and an additional 6000 pp overnight stays in the park). We deliberately skipped the Conaf center in Valle Chacabuco on the advice of our friend.

Good to know:
- There is no water anymore at S 47.198557, W 72.474927 near the camping site but instead at S 47.203460, W 72.480747 and S 47.179332, W 72.465807
- There were many lagoons on our day 3 that weren't visibly well marked neither on our apps nor on the Garmin GPS.
- All the marked refugios along the trail are heavily damaged except Casa de Piedra
(closed on the 24th of dec) and Refugio Valle Hermoso (where we could even dry our
soaked shoes from the many river crossings next to the fireplace).
- From the refugio Valle Hermoso we did a side trip to the first glacier lake in the Valle
Estero Ventisquero without all the luggage.
- The río Jeinimeni water level was up to our waists and strong (note it had rained the
night before). According to others it was supposed to be knee-deep.
- Hitchhiking from Conaf center Jeinimeni to Chile Chico is possible when camping or day guests are leaving. As we arrived later in the afternoon we spent an extra night there.
- The supermercado sur in Chile Chico sells gas.

Track files and waypoints: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-98Ou9jk0porCVRp7CSFZ-KciXQ2PBzD

*'''30 Nov RR 5 days SOBO Frank'''

From Chile Chico I got the Bahia Jara bus & got off at the junction, saves a 6KM roadwalk. Walked 2KM up the road then on trail to the high plateau. The settler before the pass wasn't there but his dogs were a bit territorial so I avoided the puesto. I went across the high plateau & camped a bit before the second puesto in one long day. Camp marked on track file below the pass was not very good (boggy & sloping) so I continued down to camp near the stream. The second puesto is above the RR & not visible from it. Camping on the high plateau definitely not recommended. It is very exposed & the wind can & will knock tents. On day 2 I got to CONAF, they said a puma had been there every day the week before. Continued with many river crossings to the hut. There are trails marked with ribbons on LHS of the river SOBO, they go in on small loops which avoid some of the river crossings. Nearing the hut there is a stream flowing into the lake. At the lake it was too deep to cross. Bush bashed for about 40 metres to reach the ford. Camped outside the hut. Several river crossings on the third day. The double crossing is the crux. I avoided it by going over the bluff on LHS of river with a bit of tree bashing but I don't recommend that. The bluff descent is cliffed off with only a narrow breach where you can downclimb on trees. The breach is not obvious from above. Better to ford the river - it was running high but I met several hikers who had crossed it. Got to Casa de Pidera in 1 long day from the hut. You can cook in the Casa (they have a gas stove, electricity & showers) but have to camp outside. There are some trees to shelter from the wind. On the fourth day I started walking Sendero de Siete Lagunas (SSL) but I was using the 2019 track file which doesn't show the SSL. It had not been walked much recently & the route was not obvious. At the lake I lost the SSL in guanaco tracks. I continued around the lake & walked out about 2KM to the road. The descent to the road was cliffed off but I found a way down in a gully. Then I walked out the road past a meadow where hundreds of guanaco were grazing. Past the meadow I went in left on a side road to rejoin the RR. On the fifth day I walked past Daniel Huemul's puesto & was lucky to meet Daniel who was riding out & he showed me the way. He said the direct RR which goes right from the puesto is now overgrown & disused. Instead we went out to the left. There is a small road which goes in a loop & turns towards Lago Cochrane but with his directions I was able to shortcut it. I paid 15,000 CLP for entry & camping at CONAF Lago Jeinemeni & they didn't charge me anything at Casa de Piedra.

==Season 2020/21==

==Season 2019/20==

*'''2020-Mar-18 , Tyler Wood, 7 Days Sobo'''

Amazing section to end my season with. I got a couple short hitches on the way up past Chile Chico. Up past the last puesto are some great areas to camp along a big boulder field. Maybe 2 km more. Beautiful and surrounded by Guanacos. Plenty of water too. Up near the top of the pass was very cold, but very beautiful, and even saw a bunch of flamingoes in the lakes.

On the way down the pass I tried to find the fore-mentioned route to the puesto to take the road the rest of the way down and didn’t really have any luck...found my way anyways and camped down by Rio sucio under a willow.

Into Jenimeni I got another little hitch. Once you cross the deeper river by Laguna esmeralda just keep those water shoes on, you’ll be crossing many more times.

I also was told by a ranger that sendero siete Lagunas wasn’t habilitado, but went for it anyways. Water is Not after Laguna Gutiérrez for a while, so make sure you fill up around there. After the pass there are a few more small
Streams to fill up.

The road walking to Tmango reserve seemed to take forever, but Walking/camping by Lago Cochrane was all worth it. At puesto Huemul Is when I got my first advice that the corona virus was a big deal. The woman told me there were 3 confirmed cases in Cochrane, I went there and booked my tickets straight home. Hasta le vista baby!!!

* '''2020-February-08 / 7 days / Southbound'''

Long and beautiful section. No major difficulties. Great diversity. Without hitchhiking, it took me 173 kilometers.

1st part / 2 days / Chile Chico to Div 217
At the beginning of the cross country, valley full of Guanacos. I camped just after the puesto, about 2 kilometers after the beginning of the cross country, before the pass, where there are still rocks to protect from the wind.
As related in previous reports, after camp 279, you will stumbled upon a fence. Go on the East along the fence, cross it, and you will find a trail to the next Puesto and then the trail goes down from the puesto to the dirt road. You will avoid cross country this way.

2nd part / 2,5 days to Casa de Piedra
Popular part. Groups of hikers along the way. 8000CLP entrance fee + 6000 CLP for 2 nights sleeping inside the park.

3rd part / 2,5 days / Sendero de las 7 lagunas
After Casa de Piedra, I followed the GPS regular route which took me to the beginning of the Sendero of 7 lagunas. CONAF said it was not "habilitado" but it is actually well marked. The good thing is that there will be no hikers on this part, except when you approach the end, along the lago Cochrane. The trail is very different from the GPS tracks but no difficulties to find it. So, don't worry not having the GPS tracks.
At S 47º08.015' W 72º18.948', there is a nice place to camp and also, the trail will merge with the optional route OH-TL-V@35-02F-#001 You can then follow this track and then go back to the Regular Route to reach Cochrane.

* Martin Lizondo / 28-Jan-2020 / Regular Hiking Southbound

The section took me 6 days. Some tips:

The first part from Chile Chico has a +20 km cross country walk. The wind is extremly strong and the route very high, with no forest protection. I recommend spending the first night behind the trees of El Ciprés (the settler Orlando Vazquez allows people to pass and is very kind) or near to the puesto at the end of the minor road at 46º 36' 5,3" S, 71º 48' 45,05" O (Miguel Pacheco is very kind too). Enough water all along the route.

The Jeinimeni section of Parque Patagonia is very easy and well marked. Entrance to foreigners costs CLP 8000 plus 6000 if spending the night. There’s a shelter with place for fire and tents after 18 km.

Valley Aviles to Casa de Piedra is also easy and beautifull, with many free camping spots. Casa de Piedra costs CLP 8000 per night.

The rest of the gps track is very different from the actual trail, called “Sendero de las Siete Lagunas”. I recommend taking this route instead of the old gps track, as it’s very well maintained. At Lago la Pepa ( 47º 7' 45,19" S, 72º 18' 41,54" O ) the trail crosses an old overgrown minor road, which coincides with the gps track and takes to Puesto Huemul (47º 11' 25,31" S, 72º 26' 6,98" O). If going to the left, you’ll reach the puesto, if going up to the right you’ll end the official “Sendero de las Siete Lagunas” near to the main park center. Other hiking options are possible from that point, but the regular route to Puesto Huemul is the shortest.

From Puesto Huemul, the trail goes down near to the lake Cochrane through Sendero “Coigües” and “Carpinteros”. Well marked and signed, this trails will take you to the start of Tamango section, very near to Cochrane.

* '''2020-Jan-27 / GPT35 New Route: Lago General Carrera (Fachinal) to Parque Patagonia (Lago Jenimeni or “Casa de Piedra”) / 5 days / Meylin Meylin Elisabeth Ubilla González and Jan Dudeck'''

Based on a recommendation from Tobias Hellwig W and Daniel Mahn Borkowsky we investigated a new route that I did no had on my radar until a few weeks ago. This route provides an alternative access from the southern coast of Lago General Carrera into the Parque Patagonia and is of interest for packrafters and hikers.

The route is a traditional animal trail that was used by the settlers of Fachinal to drive cattle to a large summer pasture that is now part of Parque Patagonia (sector Jenimeni). With the enforcement of keeping domestic animals out of the protected park area a 5 km trail section inside Parque Patagonia lacks maintenance but is still quite well traversable for GPT standards. Apart from this short trail section most of the route is very scenic and nice to walk but practically unknown. Only one tourism company runs guided hiking trips along this route about once per months. Apart from this occasionally use the full traverse seams not to be done anymore.

Due to lack of trail markings we spend about one extra day in searching and following the poorly maintained 5 km trail section but with our GPS record other hikers should struggle much less than we did and will be able to walk in 4 to 5 moderate hiking days from Fachinal at the southern shore of Lago General Carrera to “Casa de Piedra” in the center of Parque Patagonia in the Valle Chacabuco.

We hiked the route northbound as we considered the option to cross Lago General Carretera at its shortest narrow by packraft. Here the lake is only 3.2 km wide but we finally did not cross this rather dangerous lake due to suboptimal wind conditions.

Fachinal to Rio Aviles River Crossing:

A well maintained “cattle highway” leads from Fachinal from the road bridge of Rio Aviles along the western/southern side of Rio Aviles to the limit of Parque Patagonia. This roughly 20 km long trail section gets regularly cleaned with chain saws to facilitate access to the pastures along Rio Aviles for free-rooming cattle. Most of the trees that have fallen on the trail have been cut to keep the trail easily traversable. Some hikers might find the “pointless up and down” annoying but this trail was created by men that move on horses that did not had to ascent and descent themself. About 1 km before crossing the Rio Aviles two signs indicate the limit of Parque Patagonia (Sector Jenimeni) and ban access for unauthorized people and domestic animals (without providing any clue who might be authorized and who not ;-). From the park limit the trail descents steep to Rio Aviles but remain well maintained to ford.

This trail section requires two possibly demanding river crossings that can become impossible during snow melt in spring, after heavy rain or on the afternoon or evening of hot days (melting water from glaciers!). To keep the route traversable in such circlesumstances the tourism company has installed in both locations steel ropes (to cross these two rivers hooked up in harness to the steel rope without even touching the water).

Rio Aviles River Crossing to the Pass (1150 m above Sea Level):

After the river crossing the trail condition suddenly changes. Fallen trees don’t get cut anymore and undergrowth is not cleaned by machete. It’s mainly the remaining path on the ground that indicates the former animal trail. Advance is slow and in various locations care must be taken to not loose the trail. Here you will need to climb over fall trees and push occasionally through dense vegetation until reaching an altitude of 950 m. At this altitude the forest floor opens up (no dense undergrowth any more) and the trail disappears completely. Here walking becomes easy again. Walk the following kilometer through the open forest following roughly the GPS track until reaching the end of the forest and the small lake after the 1150 m high pass.

An advise for northbound hikers:

Finding the first signs of the trail in the open forest was a struggle as we had no information where exactly the trail starts to descent. I searched at least 3 or 4 hours in a 400 m wide and 1200 m long section of open forest till I found a first old machete mark on a tree that indicated the location of the trail. Carefully searching and following similar marks I finally found the descending trail.

Searching northbound we lost the trail again when reaching Rio Aviles at the bottom of the valley and searched half a day for the correct continuation. A well visible and noticeably used trail next to Rio Aviles leads directly to an suitable river ford but from there a well maintained trail continues 1 km in the wrong direction (upstream). Only after bushbashing 1 km along the river shore downstream we recognized with surprise a second river ford (now the correct river ford) which connects to the well maintained trail section in the correct direction. In hindsight we understood that the well maintained trail simply continues upstream along Rio Aviles and that this trail crosses twice the Rio Aviles. Due to a partially not evident trail section on the other side of we did not recognize this when hitting this trail on the bottom of the valley and took the wrong direction to the wrong river ford.

Now hikers with our GPS record and a GPS should not struggle to find and follow this trail as we did.

Pass (1150 m above Sea Level) to Valle Hermoso Refugio:

After leaving the forest at the 1150 m high pass the most scenic part of this route starts. A roughly 15 km long cross country route leads over pastures and river sediments past 3 lakes and two glaciers to the Refugio Valle Hermoso. Occasionally signs of a trail are visible but due to the open landscape a continuous trail neither exists nor is needed.

Near the Refuge Valle Hermoso this route connects with regular route that leads along Valle Aviles (diffrent river with the same name!) to “Casa de Piedra” in the center of Parque Patagonia.

Access to Trail Head at Fachinal:

There are multiple buses per week from Chile Chico to Puerto Tranquilo on the Carretera Austral that pass Fachinal.

Monday and Friday runs a subsidized bus from Chile Chico to Fachinal and back to Chile Chico (One round trip in the morning and a second one in the evening).
8:30 leaving Chile Chico
9:30 in Fachinal
11:00 returning to Chile Chico
17:30 leaving Chile Chico
18:30 in Fachinal
20:00 returning to Chile Chico

If you wish to cross Lago General Carrera to continue hiking in the Cordillera Avellano North of the lake speak to Carloz Amoros in Fachinal (mobile: +56 9 76267029 / price around 30‘000 CLP) or Pascual Diaz de Mallin Grande.

* '''2020-January 23 / Oreste Marquis/ Northbound : 8 days '''

Going northbound. I followed the route until the second settler at the puesto Tejuela. From there, until the optional route @35-02e#001,
I could not find the approximate trail in the files. I manage to find another one which is call siete Lagunas. It is really easy to follow and really beautiful! I find it near km 18 and keep walking on it until km 38. It is the end of it and is at the campground near Lago Gutiérrez. For more informations go reed Martin post in recent alerts and suggestion. I met him on the trail and he updated the wikiexplora before me. From the beginning to Casa Piedra took me 3 days. Then I hiked to the end of the reserve in an other 3 days. Lots of rivers to cross but felt pretty safe for all of them even the one higher between Lagos Jeinimeni and Verde. The cross country part the next day was my favorite of the hole trip! Awesome views, a lot of wildlife, just need to check a little bit more the gps! Last day, I headed to Chile Chico without any problem. Overall, I love it! Enjoyed it as much as GPT40.

* '''2020-January / Matthieu / Northbound : 7.5 days "tranquilito"'''
Incredible trekk, lots of different type of views and soil, my favorite since El Chalten. Money required for passing by the reserves !!
I hitchhiked 10 km on the road to Casa Piedra, and 12 km between Jeinemini qnd the beginning of the trail that goes north in the mountain to join Chile Chico.

'''1st part : Reserve Tamango''' : 6000 CLP the entry
I took the old "Huemul trail" in the Tamango reserve, taking the left route at the "Camp 284" It is an old trail for 4x4, so very easy, and closed to vehicles now.

'''2nd part : The road to Casa Piedra :''' the rangers I crossed were all agreed that it was not permitted to camp aside of the road (so the information is different that in Nov). One officiql camping at the end of Tamango reserve (WestWind) and one at Casa Piedra 26 km after. 8000 CLP each. At Westwind (not verified, only inforñqtions for guardaparques): no accomodations, only baño. At Casa Piedra . real big house, hot shower, electricity, place to cook.

'''3rd part : Reserve Jenemeni :''' Entry 8000 CLP. For the camping, the ranger told me that it was permitted to camp wherever I wanted, so the information differs too from november. And at the exit, I told the ranger about my "savage" camping in the conversation, and he didnt tic at all, so no stress. The rangers are very nice !
Good trekk, easy to follow. One very good refuge in the valle Hermoso where fire is possible. a more open refuge/camping site by the east shore of Lago Verde.
Many river crossing, all safe except one, before the Laguna Esmeralda. Strong current, and people choose many different way with different profundness. Better do it in the morning, being a glaciar river (I could effectively compare between late in the afternoon and the morning and it is very different).

'''Last part, to Chile Chico by the mountain :''' Amazing views, totaly different climate, more dry and with only bushes.
At the beginning of the Cross country after the 4x4 road, I would advise to go a few meters west from the GPS tracks, to the east side of the river. There is effectively a fence on the west ridge, and a good trail on the east ridge that can avoid you the difficult crossing of many bushes, and that goes directly to the puesto.
Two puestos, The 135 of metal being used by the locals (real bed inside), so just putted the tent outside. The second one 134 is actually a real house. Two mens were here when I arrived, working with the animals. I could put the tent near the house and take water from the sink outside. Many dogs, all nice.

* '''Mum, Sis and I / Southbound / 11 days '''

Well. What an interesting and varied section. Also the longest walk I think we'd all done. It took us 11 days in the end with a couple of longer side trips. Interestingly, when we emerged from the park it was closed, there was martial law in effect, a curfew in place. Borders closed. Only a week to get back to Santiago to catch the last flights back to Australia... Anyway. We're heading back now. Got temperature tested as we reentered Chili Chico this morning. Waiting for the boat across the lake mañana in la mañana. No buses out of town. Enough rambling...

As always, thanks to the others before us that have taken the time to comment and provide feedback. Here's my two cents.

Firstly here are some landmarks to make it easier for others to orient themselves:

El Ciprés
http://ge0.me/oGvL0ey6_7/El_Ciprés
ge0://oGvL0ey6_7/El_Ciprés
Casa Piedra
http://ge0.me/4GvJGSxqPH/Casa_Piedra_%28Stone_House%29
ge0://4GvJGSxqPH/Casa_Piedra_%28Stone_House%29
Westwind
http://ge0.me/wGvC_gnJaX/Westwind
ge0://wGvC_gnJaX/Westwind

Camping in Chile Chico:
El Carro is supposed to be the cheapest place to stay in town. Though if you want a hot shower it's the same as Kon-aiken next door. We stayed at neither so can't really comment, but there were a lot of people staying at Kon-aiken and next to none at El Carro which might be indicitive of value for money or just the fact they are a little closer to the centre of town.
El Carro however was the only one willing to look after some things for us.
We also visited a hostel, but the owner was unfortunately very rude.

El carro
4k frío
5k caliente
1k por día por mochila

Kon-aiken
5k pp / noche
No baggage service

Part 1: Chili Chico to Jeinemeni
In the end we decided to cache things in the bushes just outside of town. Mum and my sister got a lift to the Bahía Jara cruz whist I was caching. Unfortunately I had to walk all the way to El Ciprés where my mum and sister had been enjoying a nice conversation with Orlando Vazquez who allowed us to pass but emphasised the dangers and didn't really recommend crossing.
Passing through the gate a couple of utes were exiting. Apparently there is a new mine up in the mountains and they didn't really want us to walk up. They admitted they just worked there.
Turn off the main rd that assumably heads to the mine about here: -46.57775, -71.82666
Goucho Miguel Pacheco passed us on the way up herding some cattle and we talked to him at the puesto for a while. We also gave him one of the Australian coins we'd been carrying around. He seemed to believe it was everyone's right to pass. "People pass through here all the time "."Just yesterday a lad passed by "."It's the shortest route across the mountains "
Anyway. We camped in the rocks just outside the park boundaries (as mentioned by??).
We then camped two nights up on the windy plateau. Our side trip to Valle Lunes was amazing. I'd recommend it. But be careful with wind. Oh and did anyone mention the guanacos?
Unfortunately I think the water wasn't very clean on this part. Sheep, cows, guanacos, birds... It's the first time in Chile I've wished I took my water filter along. We had some sore stomachs.
Dropping down the other side we hit the mentioned fence (about here -46.72574, -71.90211). We crossed, but would recommend following it to the left until you get to a corner. I'm not sure where it starts, but there is a trail running on the outside of the fence to the puesto. We then followed a sheep trail that ran high on the left (east) of the valley. Very good but it bypassed Las Abutardas completely and seemed to be heading towards Laguna los Flamencos instead. We ended up cutting down to the road where León passed us heading into town, a little confused why we hadn't taken the 'proper trail'.
We camped the night at the Río El Sucio camp. Not really recommended.
We walked the road and stayed at Río Las Vacas for a bit which is at the border of the park and a nicer place to camp. (There is a good stream between the two).

Part 2: Jeinemeni to Casa Piedra
It was 8k to enter the park (for foreigners) and an additional 6k for camping in Valle Hermoso. The section to the refugio (-46.84092, -72.14078) was very nice. This is the only shelter still standing. The others included in the track files were not really enterable.
Heading to the refugio (where everyone seems to camp) you cross the small ankle deep creek exiting Laguna Esmeralda and then the deeper river between Lago Verde and Jeinemeni. This might have been the trickiest but when we crossed it wasn't really bad. We then had two more smaller crossings before passing through Portezuela La Gloria (1100m) to cross Estero Ventisquero and the other river running down the main valley.
The next day we did the popular side trip to the glacier in this valley: -46.80924, -72.20116
We wondered if it was the same way Jan et al entered recently?
From the refugio to Valle Avilés there are no compulsory river crossings if you stick to the somewhat scrubby trail to the left (south) of the valley. The first crossing we did was Río Avilés shortly followed by the tributary. So only 8 crossings (wet feet) on the RR.

We walked from the refugio to Casa Piedra in a day. It was closed so we camped on the other side of the Rd.

Part 3: Casa Piedra to Cochrane
From casa piedra we took the aforementioned Sendero las Siete Lagunas. It is not it the track files but indeed very well marked with numbered markers every kilometre. I'll upload a kml with the markers I recorded as well as some of the water bodies I sketched.
After the stream running into Lago Gutiérrez there wasn't much water until Lago la Pepa.
You will briefly intersect with a road here: -47.14006, -72.37138. The road seems to run down to Puesto Tejuela coinciding with OH-TL-V@35-02F-#001 which I think is incorrectly labelled as TL. Part of RH-TL-I@35-99.0+30.0 too should be marked as MR. You'll intersect this road before taking it down to Lago Cochrane.
We passed the occupied dwelling (Daniel Huemul?) but the man wearing a shirt emblazoned with Parque Patagonia seemed afraid to approach us (another hint the world had gone Corona crazy). He wouldn't let us take the RR so we followed the road for a bit before taking another newly made trail also not in the track files.
Everything after that was very easy to follow.
Everything was abandoned at the entrance and the gate locked. People avoided us on the streets and covered their face when passing us.
We grabbed some needed food (we were very short after 11 days!) and got on the WiFi. Wow! How things had changed! Martial law in place and a curfew in place, we slept under a bridge with some Colombians and caught a bus back to Chili Chico in the morning. Waiting for the boat across the lake tomorrow now.

Links to files :
Kilometre markers: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fuzt4xacxjjvvg4/kms.kmz?dl=0
Water bodies: https://www.dropbox.com/s/uz1ei95s1913xvb/water.bodies.kmz?dl=0
Other planning:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uk9ym56gufwk4zq/planning.kmz?dl=0

* '''2019 Dec / Olrik/ Northbound '''

Amazing part of the GPT, from Cochrane ou enter in the Tamango national reserve and pay 6000CLP for the entrance. We took several trails to get to Valle Chacabuco : Las Aguilas, Las Lengasm Los Condores, Laguna Altas. Great views. We had a snow storm at the pass though. There you end up in a paid campground. From there we walked the dirt road to Casa Piedras in Valle Chacabuco, it was beautiful with lots of guanacos. Then we took the Las Aviles sendero. We camped near the first river crossing as it was late and waited for the morning to cross. It is normally not possible to wild camp in the park but the guardaparque told us to camp there if the river crossing is not sage. The rest of the trail is easy to follow next to the river. There is a pass then you descend to Valle Hermoso and to lago Jeinimeni. It was just gorgeous and easy to follow with great weather. Be aware of the numerous river crossings. In lago Jeinimeni there is a paid campground. From there you can hitchhike, walk, or pay a transportation at the entrance of the park (15000Clp pp) but I'm not sure if this is a regular thing. We ended up hitchhiking to get to Chile Chico.

* '''2019-Nov-28/ Lea Geibel, Kevin Moe/ 5.5days/ Northbound / Regular Hiking Route (Cochrane to Chile Chico) with OH-32-2-#003/'''

This section might have been our favorite out of the whole Group H, where the diversity of the landscape was our favorite part (also including weather and trail conditions). The NP was entered at Tamango just outside of Cochrane. Registration is mandatory, the entrance fee is at 8000 CLP. The ranger asked us to explain our route and since the regular Hiking route did not seem familiar to them, they told us to take the optionals route going north over the pass to WestWinds campground and then do the road walk Eastwards.
The pass had some snow patches on the Southern side but was easy to traverse. At the Valley Chacabuco (another entrance to the national park) we got asked for our permits and the route we plan on taking. We heard different information on if it is allowed to camp at the road or not (there were signs that told us not to do it but the ranger said it is okay). After the roadwalk, we passed another ranger station where we had to register and sign a responsibility form telling that we plan to leave at Lago Jeinimeni (and telling that we're only allowed to stay at designated campsites). The hike from there is extremely beautiful and super diverse, the trail well maintained. The rivers were at higher flow but all fords were doable.
We camped next to the Refugio because we still weren't sure about the camping rules (other hikers we met said they were told that it's okay to camp everywhere along the river). Leaving the NP at Lago Jeinimeni was straightforward, but it's mandatory to check out at the rangers office. The cross-country section after the road walk was a bit slow on the way up due to many bushes and hilly terrain. We found a nice trail next to the fence leading up to the puesto when going up the ridge on the Eastern side. From the puesto we took a short steep uphill after which the terrain became more open and easier to travel on. It was very windy and snowy in the mountains, which made it difficult to walk at times and it felt like the temperatures were rather low.
The lagoons on the way up are filled with exciting birds (flamingos!) and guanacos are running around on the whole plain. Once reaching the plateau we headed down in a pretty straight line which was easier than the uphill until we reached the road

=Resupply and Accommodation=

==Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns==

*2024/25 Michael and Kasia
Chile Chico has two main supermarkets, but also lots and lots of smaller shops. J&D gave a 15% discount if you paid in cash (discount does not extend to gas canisters). We found had in a few places. The ATM is BancoEstado, just off the main plaza. There is a Chilexpress for sending and receiving things.

*Chile Chico has two supermarkets. Sell gas.

*2024/25 Michael and Kasia
There are more than a dozen stores in Cochrane. Rojita a block off the square is the most popular, and generally had good prices. We stayed at Ana Luz, 15.000 pp for a room. She also has one cabaña. It is possible to use the kitchen there for simple cooking. We also had a pair of boots repaired at the zapatero and had a very good experience. It was fast, high quality work and not expensive. He also repairs backpacks.

Regarding planning ahead for Villa O'Higgins, the cash thing is no longer such a problem. All six of the grocery stores and the hardware store there accepted credit cards. We were also able to pay for our accommodation and for the boat with a card as well. There is still no ATM, so it would be smart to have some cash (not all the panaderías take cards for example, and sometimes network issues prevent card machines from working), but it shouldn't be necessary to bring a huge stack of cash.

*Cochrane is a decently sized town with three mid-range supermarkets. The largest one, which is a grocery and department store, is located adjacent to the town square. There are many lodging and restaurant options. Be sure to withdraw an ample amount of money here because most of the businesses in the next town, Villa O’Higgins, only take cash and there is no ATM.

==Resupply and Accommodation along the Route==

=Transport to and from Route=

*2025 / MiaimZelt
Buses (starting at Terminal de buses in Chile Chico) that enable you to skip the first 7-8km of Roadwalk when hiking SoBo:

Turismo Tramal. Chile Chico - Bahia Jara. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 8:30 & 16:30.
WhatsApp: +56 9 7538 0178

Buses Interlagos from Chile Chico to Puerto Rio Tranquilo: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday 9:00.

=Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues=

*2023-Mar-31 to 2023-Apr-06 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option J / Martin & Helena

PN Patagonia closed some sectors on the first Monday in April, so we were the last ones to get a permission and do this section ‘legally’. Be prepared for this if you want to do this part in April or later. The problem is they close Casa Del Piedra and probably won’t let you pass to that sector from Lago Jeinemeni, where the entrance stays open for longer time. Sneaking around the guards house early in the morning or just not be specific about your plans might work if needed, its very unlikely you would meet anyone on the way from the main entrance.

=Links to other Resources=

Retired Section Article [[GPT35 - RN Lago Jeinimeni]]

=Images=
[[file:Greater Patagonian Trail (7).jpg|left|GPT35 - RN Lago Jeinimeni]]

GPT35 (Parque Patagonia)

2026-01-21T14:31:38Z

MMartinez: /* Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions */

'''[[GPTs|List of all GPT sections]]'''

= How to a add new entry =
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Add a new log entry always on top in the appropriate season sub-chapter and use format:


<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''Start Date to Finish Date (use Format YYYY-MMM-DD) / Duration in Days / Hiking or Packrafting / Travel Direction (SOBO for Southbound or NOBO Northbound) / Chosen Route and/or Option Name (RR for Regular Route) / Names or Alias'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>

If you are packrafting, put the above info into HTML tags like this (if you follow a hiking route for part of the way, highlight only "packrafting", as above):


<nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''YYYY-MMM-DD / X days / Packrafting / SOBO / RP / Your name'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>.

Include remarks about your route useful for other hikers and packrafters, alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties. Try to be specific. Do not be shy to fix obvious mistakes.

=Overview=

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/26==
* '''2026-01-12 to 2026-01-18/ 6 days + 1 zero / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option 3 / Chris & Lotte'''

Wonderful section, challenging weather, routefinding at times difficult but only consequence is loss of time.
At 46.889670S 072.164669W the RR is swept away and OSM detour should be followed.
Refugios 81.8 and 94.7 do not exist anymore and arent well protected. If possible use the inofficial one at 46.940842S 072.156137W.
Too stormy conditions for tabanos or mosquitos.

Day1: Tried to hitchhike to X 8.1, it was tricky. Some taxi stopped at the notario to drop people off. We asked how much it was and he said 5k to the end of the pavement. The pavement ends before the X though, so we had to pay extra. 7-8k seems reasonable price, we gave 10k, because he seemed worried of his shiny cab.

Ascent is easy to follow and a quite nice way to gain altitude. Saw two people at Don Claudios puesto. They waved friendly back, we just passed. Many animaltrails make the CC quite passable, our speed did not decrease too much. The wind picked up and climbing the final ridge was challenging in strong winds. NOBO might be nicer here.
Plateau was super nice, loads of wild guanacos, we probably saw flamingos but they were very fast to escape so we werent 100% sure.
Camping is a challenge.The exposed terrain offers zero protection against the strong winds.
Near Water 23.9 I found a medium good spot at 46.664157S 071.843819W.

We camped near Water 30.6 at 46.713142S 071.885664W which was somewhat sheltered (we pitched the tent as low as possible on the grass).
Since camping was an issue, we were battling a bit over the plateau. Going NOBO might be nicer... camp close to the pass, get up early, enjoy a lot if the plateau, go the MR down in the afternoon and hitchhike to chile chico at the "paved" road.

Day2: easy navigating down, long stretches along the fence (had to cross due to swamp anyhow, might be nice to cross higher). At the MR we had a nice break and as soon as we had our boots on, we instantly got a ride to the laguna (probably usually harder to get one).
Paid using the starlink at the ranger. He told us that weather-ing out at refugio 81.8 would be the best option (strongly disagree!). The fords would ne higher in the afternoon.

Camped at refugio 61.7.

Both the refugios 61.7 and 69.0 are very well sheltered, offer plenty of space and even sheltered common areas. Very good to have a zero due to bad weather.

Day3: as the weather was challenging and the river higher than usual, we tried ti bypass the fords. We went shortly before the fords start/end marking up on the river bank into the woods. Very challenging and slow bush-pushing CC ensued quickly.
The triangle in elevation in which Option H starts (which we wanted to catch) is an impassable swamp.
We pusjed ourselves through the woods at the flank between mountain and swamp, when finally after exhausting 2h we were able to break through towards Option H, just to realize it was all flooded. By that point our boots were already wet, we realized this whole endeavour was a waste of time and energy and we started the inevitable fords from there.
Crossed the bizillion fords during snowfall and light minus degrees. That was quite challenging but comparably quick. highest was approx hip high (181cm tall).
The trail at the pass is hard to follow due to hundreds of fallen trees. Mostly mentally hard to stay on track. There is one official camp space and one unofficial along the trail after the pass (indicated in OSM).
At 46.889670S 072.164669W the RR is swept away. Two detours exist. One indicated in OSM (adds approx 30m altitude and crosses shortly after back to RR in the woods and should be prefered) and one scrambling across the rock. That was sketchy... the beginning (SOBO) is easier than the end. Turning around might be tricky with a heavy pack. We had to slide a meter and jump the last two to the rubble of the river bed. Getting up there could be possible with the tree, but seems overly risky considering the alternative option. Our conditions were very windy, wet and cold, the mud on the rock was slimy.
Arrived exhausted at refugio 81.8 just to realize its just ruins and the tent spot is not well sheltered.
Camped there anyways, the night was rainy but not too windy.
A much better spot is the inofficial one at 46.940842S 072.156137W.

Day4: easy walking to valle chacabuco. Refugio 94.7 is just wkthout a roof. Only space for a very small footprint tent inside, otherwise not flat nor protected. Due to ankle issues decided to not further follow the RR, so hitched a ride from chacabuco campsite to the museum, walked towards camp west wind surprisingly pleasant 2km, despite tourists).

Day5: zero due to ankle issues.

Day6: took option 3 / lagunas altas trail. Beautiful walking. Wonderfully maintained trail. Also the siete lagunas trail looks yummy! A bit more touristic though. Saw 6 other hikers. Camped at indicated official spot at camp 35-03 15.3 together with 11 other hikers who came from cochrane. The laguna is surprisingly warm so we took a short swim.

Day7: decended to cochrane, easy walking. First gate open, second gate easily jumped on the left. Werent able to hitch a ride, so walked to town. Stayed at hostal benito (25k pP, a bit noisy, lovely owner). Supermarked at the square offers even gas. Camping can be as cheap as 7k pP.
Side note: bus cochrane to chile chico is preferably to locals. We were not able to reserve seats. We should drop by and see if a free spot is available, and if, we'd have to pay the double price. Didnt know, this existed in Chile.
Edit: the connection is subsidized by the chilenian gov, we stopped at the police station, where the passenger list was handed over to recieve the subsidies. This is why foreigners pay a different price and cant reserve. The drive was very scenic!

*’’’2025/26 Dec 24 to Jan 9 / 13.5 hiking days, 2.5 zero days / NOBO / Hiking / RR, Opt 3, Opt 3C, Opt 3A, Opt 3E, Var L / Michael and Kasia’’’

Quick notes: A really amazing section. This was our third time going through the park (twice last season). We opted for NOBO this season, which we were very happy with. Especially after Casa Piedra, the views were nicer going that way. We also discovered that if starting in Cochrane, it is possible to arrange for a resupply drop to Casa Piedra to reduce weight. More information in the Resupply Along the Way section. The park seems to be increasing in popularity, or maybe our timing is different this year, but we saw a lot more people than last year. For the plateau, if you can wait for a low-to-no wind day to cross, it's a much better experience. If you have a windless night, we recommend camping on the plateau. There’s a special kind of silence there on calm nights.

CHALLENGES: Tábanos. While we didn't see many in the Tamango and Chacabuco sectors, in the Jenimeni sector they were really bad. More specific to us, grass allergies. They were the worst on the Jenimeni sector.

WATER: Generally very easy to come by. The exception was the Siete Lagunas trail.

CAMPS:

NIGHT 1: -47.18812, -72.52718 (official campground, nice view of lake, raised cooking box with wind protection, picnic tables, we could only find one space that was level and not on wet ground, no wind protection)

NIGHTS 2&3: -47.18468, -72.52438 (official campground, a couple of benches in poor condition, no wind protection, water access is a ways away, there was more flattish space here than in the other space, and the taller grass helped compensate for the lumpiness)

NIGHT 4: -47.14151, -72.45515 (some wind protection, clean stream nearby, view just up the hill, not visible from the trail)

NIGHT 5: -47.15964, -72.41494 (nice view on the lake, okay wind protection from the north and west, easy water access, easily visible from the road above)

NIGHT 6: -47.13355, -72.31556 (Camp, X {35} 119.1 space for one tent, next to a collapsed stop-over puesto, nice view of the lake, some wind protection but not a lot, easy water access, not that level)

NIGHT 7: -47.07533, -72.25804 (on grass looking over the lake, some wind protection, water is down at the lake)

NIGHT 8: Casa Piedra (10.000 CLP pp, possibility of a hot shower, indoor space for cooking and eating, electricity for charging, mosquitos outside were pretty bad)

NIGHT 9: -46.98407, -72.15984 (decent wind protection, flat enough, a nice view nearby, no good water source close, right on the trail)

NIGHT 10: -46.87214, -72.17639 (some wind protection, flat space for two to three tents, stream about 10 m away, right on the trail)

NIGHTS 11&12: Camp Raleigh (spaces in various places, a few picnic tables and a shelter, outhouse, next to a beautiful lake, popular spot)

NIGHT 13: -46.79026, -71.91166 (Camp (42.9+0.2) near the bridge, good wind protection from the west, flat spaces for a few tents, view of the road, the river is about 200 m away)

NIGHT 14: -46.70956, -71.88111 (flat, grassy space, some protection from western winds, water close by)

NIGHT 15: -46.66455, -71.84387 (flat, some wind protection from the west, water is about 170 m away)

Night 16: -46.606711, -71.809753 (on a bit of an angle, some wind protection from winds coming from the west, water is from a stream about 150 m away)

Day 01: Dec 24th

We organized a resupply delivery to Casa Piedra with Jorge. We met the driver at 09:00 at the tourist center in the plaza to hand the box off. We took Var R to get into the park. We bought tickets online before entering. At El Húngaro we went north on Opt 3 (Sendero 6: Las Lenguas) to Laguna El Cangrejo. The trail up was in good shape and a lot of it was in the forest. This was the first time we had taken this trail and we were really happy with it. We camped at the official camping spot at km 15.3. No one else came that night. There was a family of geese with six or seven goslings hanging around the site which we really enjoyed.

Day 02: Dec 25th

We did an out-and-back day hike along Opt 3C (Sendero 7: Los Guanacos). We had walked it last year and remembered that there is a really nice pebble beach on Laguna Elefantita (-47.18524, -72.49595). It was a nice, leisurely way to spend Christmas Day. When we returned there was another couple camped at the camping spot at km 15.3. We knew from the day prior that there was really only one tent space that was on flat, dry ground, so we went to the site at km 14.8.

Day 03: Dec 26th

Zero day to wait over rain.

Day 04: Dec 27th

We continued on Opt 3 (Sendero 9: Los Cóndores). At around km 13.5 there was a reroute that is not in the GPT track files yet, but is on OSM. It is also heavily marked with flag tape, so hard to miss. This goes around a huge blow-down from last season. It rejoins the GPT track at around km 13.2. Between km 11.5 and 10.5 there are a few areas on a steep slope where the path is on an angle and there is scree on the path. They aren't long sections, but we wouldn’t personally want to be walking it during high winds. After Pass 10.9 we continued on Opt 3A (Lagunas Altas). It was a sunny but rather windy afternoon. At the lake at (-47.13894, -72.47796) we saw a group of guanacos, including one baby guanaco, which was very cute. We took Opt 3E and found a spot to camp about 600 m in, going across the stream and up the hill. It was a decent spot, hidden from the trail and seemed to have good wind protection.

Day 05: Dec 28th

Continued on Opt 3E. Nice views on the valley. The trail is in good shape and easy to follow. The trail is mostly through exposed areas. From km 5.1 until km 1.9 we did not find any water. At km 1.9 (-47.15420, -72.43156) there was a good, clear stream. We camped at km 0 of Opt 3E down at the lake shore.

Day 06: Dec 29th

Cloudy and windy throughout the day, a little rain but not much. Landscape was beautiful though. We saw two huemules as we were walking the two track road along Laguna Adelita. Good water points at km 130.5 (-47.16069, -72.40775), km 125.2 (-47.14270, -72.36498), and okay lake access to Laguna Vizcacha at km 122.8 (-47.14118, -72.34587), but that was it for water until Laguna Gua Gua. Pay special attention to the trail around km (-47.135394, -72.328629). It goes uphill, but a large tree fell across the path. It's not immediately obvious, but if you go up a few meters you see where it continues. There is another path that continues straight ahead, but it leads to a scramble and some unnecessary elevation gain. We camped at Camp, X 119.1. It is somewhat wind protected from the lake, but it was a very gusty night.

Day 07: Dec 30th

Sunny but very windy morning. Shortly before leaving, three other hikers passed us going SOBO. Camp 114.6 did not seem to have any flat space for a tent. The stream near it was also dry. There was running water at km 113.5 (-47.10902, -72.28838). It wasn't a lot, but it was clear and clean. Water (112.3) had a few stagnant pools, but nothing running. At (-47.09787, -72.28558) there was some water running, but it was very shallow. Not water again until the lake. Just before the pass a group of three hikers passed us going SOBO. On the way down watch the GPS, there are a lot of animal trails. We wanted to camp on the beach, but the water level was too high. We camped instead a little ways before the lake in a grassy area a few meters off the trail.

Day 08: Dec 31st

We left very early. We remembered that there was a part toward the end of the lake that was difficult for us last season, largely due to it being very windy, so we wanted to arrive early before the wind picked up. It was a sunny day and the lake and mountains were beautiful in the early morning light. We made it past the steep, slippery part much more easily this time. We arrived in Casa Piedra around 11:00. We got our package, which has already arrived. The person running administration offered to heat water for a shower for us, which we happily accepted. We also took the opportunity to charge everything. Several solo hikers and couples came down from Valle Hermoso. Shortly after the bus left a tour group of 11 arrived, and then a group of ten Chileans who had hiked from Chile Chico. We spent some time with the Chileans which was fun. One of them said they had done the route before and were really surprised at how many more people they saw this time. Despite it being New Years Eve and there being 25 people there, it was a quiet night.

Day 09: Jan 1st

We got a bit of a late start. Full sun day with very little wind. We opted for Var L, on the west side of the river. It has more ascent initially, but there are a couple of long, flat sections. We also suspected, and think we are probably correct, that the views were a little better on that side. Another consideration was that we both have vertigo and did not want to have to take the suspension bridge. We went down to see it and were happy with our choice. A tour group of about 18 headed SOBO passed us on the way out. Ford {35-L} 0.8 was easy, mid-calf. We camped near an OSM marked campsite around RR km 88. There were a few spots there that had been used recently as evidenced by flattened grass. Ours was under a couple of trees which provided decent wind protection. There was a very nice view on the mountains a little ways up the trail. We filled up on water at the estero about 300 m before the campsite. There were two streams closer by, but they were fairly shallow.

Day 10: Jan 2nd

Camp at km 84 has one spot under some trees and a few other spots around in the grass. Camp at 82.7, which many people along the trail refer to as “the camp at km 16”, is a large field with a makeshift picnic table and spots for several tents, some of which are wind protected, others not. There is a path down to the river for water.
Ford (83.4) was above the knee with a fair amount of current. The camp site right after it has spaces for two tents, but not good for trekking pole supported tents as there were too many big roots in the ground. At Refuge (81.8) we didn't see any flat areas to pitch a tent. Ford (80.1) was fairly easy, below the knee and not too much current. The views up the valley were spectacular. The sun came out in the afternoon and lit the mountains up. With all the wind, some of the waterfalls coming down the mountains had the water blown back uphill and they looked like they were steaming. The camp at km 78.2 didn't seem to exist. The camp at km 76.9 was in the forest; there were spaces for two tents, one next to a collapsed shelter, and another back in the woods a bit. At km 76.4 there is an unmarked ford which ironically was the most challenging one by far. We had to choose our crossing points very carefully as there was a lot of current and it was crotch deep at the deepest point (we're both about 165 cm). The water was also very cloudy which made it difficult to see the bottom. We arrived there around 19:00 on a warm day, so an earlier crossing, especially on a cooler day, might be easier. The camp at km 75 had space for two or three tents. It was in the trees and had some wind protection, but the spaces were gravel and wouldn't hold the tent stakes of our X-Mid 2. We camped at the camp at 74.1. It is in the trees, though the trees are low and sparse, so not great wind protection. There are spots for at least 3 tents. There is a stream about 10 meters away. In total we passed 9 hikers going SOBO.

Day 11: Jan 3rd

The Pass 74.9 is a low saddle, not difficult. On the way down there was a section about 500 m long where there were so many fallen trees it was impossible to keep to the trail. After that there were a few fallen trees here and there until the fords, but all easy to step over or go around. The fords until Valle Hermoso were all easy, knee deep at most with moderate current. The last ford before the ascent to Puertzuelo La Gloria was mid-thigh for us, but not a strong current so no problem. The ascent up was a little challenging. We went up in the afternoon on a hot, sunny, windless day and the hillside was in full sun the whole time. There were also a few areas that were fairly steep and had scree on the trail. The way down the other side was thankfully in shade by the time we got there. Fords on the other side were also below knee with more current than the Valle Hermoso side, but nothing difficult. We arrived late to Camp Raleigh. One other couple was there for the night.

Day 12: Jan 4th

We decided to take a rest day. It was supposed to be another hot and mostly windless day. It was nice to sit on the beach in the shade and look at the mountains and the water. I also spent a lot of time killing tábanos. It never seems to make a difference. A few people passed through in the early afternoon. At 16:00 a school group of about 20 16-18 year olds from California came to camp for the night. Fortunately they weren't loud.

Day 13: Jan 5th

Another hot and largely windless day. We got to El Silencio around 13:00. We met Mor, another GPTer, on the way. We wanted to hitch and get to a spot below the plateau for the night, but there were no cars in the parking lot. We started walking the road and didn't see a single car. We decided to camp near the willow trees across the field from the bridge. It was flat and had wind protection from the south-west, but it had a ton of noseeums and tábanos, it's exposed to the road, and the river is about 200 m away. Definitely not our favorite campsite.

Day 14: Jan 6th

We got an early start to make as much distance as possible before the heat hit. It was full sun and hot all day. At (km 38.5) we found a path that corresponded to the OSM track and started on that. As it got closer to the GPT track we switched over. We followed the fence line up on the east side, but had to climb through the fence at one point. We would recommend being on the west side as there is a marshy spot that is difficult to get through. There is a gate at (-46.749383, -71.898336) which could be used to get to the west side. We found a nice spot to camp near Water (30.6) before going up to the pass. It has good wind protection from winds from the south-west. Another spot (-46.710147, -71.883436) was also wind protected from the same direction. It was a little warmer and seemed a bit better sheltered, but we chose the other one because it was flatter and on grass.

Day 15: Jan 7th

Woke up to a silent, sunny morning. The clouds came in as the day went on. At times there were cold breezes, but otherwise windless throughout the day. There were lots of different small wild flowers out. At the large lake there was a flock of about 50 flamingos. Shortly after we met Dave and Siyuan and had a nice chat with them. We found another small group of flamingos at one of the smaller lakes. We decided to camp on the plateau since it was a calm night. We stayed in the same spot we did last season. Had a windless night.

Day 16: Jan 8th

It was a still morning. Clouds rolled in as the afternoon progressed and winds picked up. The wind gets to be pretty tiring. We saw lots of little wildflowers, white and pink, yellow and orange, all different kinds. Lots of lizards skittered about as we walked. Getting closer to the second pass we saw two large herds of guanacos. As we approached the down, the views out over the valley were really great. We followed the OSM track for the descent rather than the GPT track. We met the settler, Claudio, and his son while they were doing a round to look for their sheep. They said we could camp in the vallecito down below and said there was good water there. We camped in the same spot as last season. There were lots of noseeums out so we were in the tent pretty early.

Day 17: Jan 9th

We got up early because it was supposed to be hot. There were some great views out over the lake. We ended up walking the whole way to town.

* '''2026-1-7 to 2026-1-11/ 5 days/ Hiking/ NOBO/ Sendero Rio Chacabuco + RR/Tomas Martinec'''

I already walked some sections of Tamango before, so I started the Parque Patagonia traverse via Sendero Rio Chacabuco, then connected to RR at Casa Piedra.

Overall, I consider it as a diverse section
Beginning: savana like terrrain inside a wide valley
Middle: mountainous terrain with river crossing and lakes
End: pure pampa and plateu walking

What makes this section special is the sense of wildness. It is possible to see a lot of guanacos, flamingos, and many other birds I couldn't identify. If you are lucky, you might even encounter pumas (I had that luck). Unfortunately, there are also a lot of tabanos (horseflies).

Navigation is generally easy and well marked, except for the final plateau section (15-42 km). There are several river fords in the middle (69-72 km), the deepest reaching mid-thigh (I'm 184 cm tall)

Day 1
Sendero Rio Chacabuco is officially closed. At the entrance (Museum), I had to prove that I had offline maps and a powerbank, then sign a document stating that I continued at my own responsibility.

Later I learned the main reason for the closure is a missing bridge across Rio Aseradero Quemado (washed away by the river). However, the main donor is very interested in reopening the trail, and CONAF workers are currently working on reopening it in the coming months.

I spent about 2 hours in the museum (highly recommended), then started hiking around midday.

Despite the official closure, the trail was easy to follow. The missing bridge wasn't problem - the river was low and easy to ford. Still, there are very few hikers using this trail. After about 10 km, I met CONAF worker who took photo of me, saying very unusual seeing tourist here.

Around km 20, I encountered a group of guanacos. A few kilometres later, I unexpectedly passed three pumas sitting next to the trail in the bushes. Two of them run away immediately (probably bigger cubs, I only saw them for a split second). The third one (probably the mama) stayed sitted and looked directly to me. I followed basic safety rules: not showing my back, keeping the eye contact, and slowly walked out of the bushes. The whole encounter lasted only a few seconds and everything was thankfully fine.

I camped about 3 kms from where I saw them
(I didnt sleep well that night). There are several nice shelters along this trail. I camped next to the Refugio Pampa Guanaco.

1st night camp: 47.0548324S, 72.3130370W

Day 2
Unfortunately, the Sendero Rio Chacabuco does not connect directly to Casa Piedra. I had to walk 8km on the road to reach Casa Piedra. From there, I continued along RR.

2nd night camp spot: 46.9408026S, 72.1560413W (protected to the wind, a lot of space)

Day 3
The pass is in the forrest. On the descent, I lost the trail briefly and had to do some bush bashing. Later came the ford section (km 69-72). The deepest crossing reached mid-tigh height (I'm 184 cm tall). After that, there is another pass above Lago Verde, a beautiful lake.

3rd night camp: Refuge {35} [61.7/856] (Camp Raleigh - very nice place)

Day 4
An easy walk brought me to lago Jenimeni and camp El Silencio (there is WiFi), with quite a lot tourists around. I hitched 8 km and started the final section, which is a pure pampa. The beginning is easy to follow. Later, I simply kept a fence on my left side as a navigation aid.

I stopped before reaching the plateau and camped here X. It was still quite windy. A spot about 30 m lower might serve better. Water was not problem.

4th day camp spot: Camp {35} [32.6/1300]

Day 5
No wind in the morning, but the navigation on the plateu was difficult. It is better to keep your general direction and follow it, rather than trying to stay exactly on the track. Progres was slow - 2.5 km/h. Wind picked up again on the plateu. There were many guanacos, and even flamingos in the central part of the plateau.

From Puesto {35} [15.8/1075], navigation becomes easy again. I passed the puesto and greeted Don Claudio and three young men.
Luckily, later the three guys gave me a lift for the last 10 km. It turned out they are cousins from the family that owns the land around the puesto. Don Claudio might be the caretaker.

* ''' 2025-Dec-22 to 2025-Dec-31 / 10(9) Days / Hiking / SOBO RR / Massa and Jacicek '''

Generally the track through the park is maintained and easy to navigate. Water is plentiful.

Day 0
Went by bus from Bahia Murta to Chile Chico, managed to explain to the driver that we want to drop off at crossroads to El Ciprés, the ride took approx 6 hours and we arrived around 7pm. Very short hike just to pass the gates (unlocked) to get to nature, we camped alongside small stream [S 46°33.7889’, W 071°49.6138’], spot for one tent protected by the bushes.

Day 1
Long hike through the NP to the Camp 32.6. We met Claudio mending his fence and one other local on his horse. Beautiful valley and plato, seen a lot of animals. We didn’t encounter any river that needed fording shoes (we followed the OSM track at km 23.9). Camped around 250m downhill from Camp 32.6 (optimistically set up tent when wind was down and had to move it).

Day 2
Hiked downhill, met another local riding his horse with two dogs. For a brief section we followed OH-CC-A at 35-C as the path across meadows seemed nicer, however this than continues along bare hillside, so we went directly back to the RR (there is animal trail there also). Road walking was easy, with nice views but long. Camped at El silencio, met guard on his way home and he went back to log in us even after hours (he was very friendly).

Day 3
Easy walking around the Lago Jeinemeni with nice bridge at camp Raleigh. Both Lagos are beautiful. All fords were easy. Camped at official camp in Valle Hermoso.

Day 4
No walking due to bad weather with better forecast for tomorrow.

Day 5
Nice walk with clear paths, Fords are many but all easy, only obstacles are fallen trees before pass km 74.9 (sobo). Camped at official campsite at km 83.

Day 6
Days walk to Casa Piedra, we took a water from stream running from read mountains, this was highly mineralized and tasted acidic after treatment with micropur (chlorine based) tablets, we discarded this. The bridge over the gorge is beautiful, however, the ongoing path is up and down a lot, the path on the other site seem flatter. Young ranger in casa Piedra, payed 10 000 CLP pp and got a warm shower, no tickets checked and no new ones needed.

Day 7
The SSL trail runs through slightly drier part of the park, 1liter was enough for us between water sources though. The SSL start after casa Piedra was full of bushes, but trail was visible. Camped next to Laguna Guagua [-47.13500, -72.30704] .

Day 8
Nice and recognizable paths, stream at 130.4 had wild mint growing in it :-) , the minor road to Settler at km 136 appears to been restored recently. We camped at OSM free official camp site at CA km 139.

Day 9
Mediterranean feel to the hike to Cochrane, rangers at the station had a lunch break and we signed out without issues.

* '''2026-01-06 to 2026-01-14/ 3+2+4 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option 1 and 2 / Dave & Siyuan'''

Summary: We took 9 days of food leaving Chile Chico. The first 3 days were on the plateau. We decided to go to the Cherry Festival in Los Antiguos (just cross the border in Argentina). We hitched a lift to Chile Chico when we got to the road on day 3 afternoon, then went across the border the following day. Two days later, we got a lift back to the park entrance and continued our hike through Parque Patagonia. Finished with a hitch to Valle Chacabuco. We saw a lot of wildlife on this section.

Day 1: 10km
Got the 8am bus from Chile Chico towards Coyhaique, but it was delayed by an hour and they charged us $4k CLP each. A local taxi would probably be cheaper. Exited the bus after 8km at -46.55736, -71.82521. Dirt road continued for 8km and was easy to follow. Water was available at -46.57576, -71.82803 and -46.59019, -71.81717. The cross country section is easy terrain with many animal trails. We camped after about 2km at -46.61882, -71.81595 at a grassy spot next to the stream. Not totally protected from the wind but flat with water nearby. We saw lots of Guanacos!

Day 2: 12km
Easy cross country terrain all day. We had no wind at all on the plateau but I imaging it would be very windy with the right conditions. If you see flamingos in the lagoons, make sure you take photos early because they all flew off as we approached and we never saw them again. We met GPTers Michael and Kasia who told us about their excellent camp where we camped tonight: -46.70956, -71.88111 (flat, nice stream and slightly protected from westerly wind).

Day 3: 11.3km
Easy cross country across the plateau, and down to the road. We followed variant C (following the fence) but still got wet feet in a few boggy sections. We got a lift back to Chile Chico after waiting an hour at about 17:00.

Day 4-5: Cherry Festival in Los Antiguos

Day 6: 9km
Got a lift from Chile Chico to the Park Entrance. Bought our tickets online with the starlink wifi. Easy and flat walk to Raleigh Campsite.

Day 7: 16.6km
Many river crossings. Walked in our shoes through 20 + fords. All easy below our knees. Camped at Camping el Puesto 78.1/888. However there was no Puesto.

Day 8: 21.4km
Crossed the main river and a couple of other small fords, no issues. An easy long walk down the valley, mostly downhills. Camped at Casa Piedra Camping 99.6/380. 10000 per person, hot showers, wifi, and electricity. Windy but there were sheltered spots to set up tents. The stone hut was awesome to be sheltered from the weather.

Day 9:
We started hiking on the road towards Chacabuco, soon we got a lift and the rain started...

'''2026-Jam-2 to 2026-Jan-7 / 6 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR / Mor'''

All in all a beautiful section with the definite highlight being the plateau for me. Did the whole RR but would recommend Option 3 and finish either in Valle Chacabuco in the very nice visitor center or cross from there to Cochrane. The walk along lago Cochrane is not interesting or too nice while lagunas altas trail is impressive.

I did the hike during a heatwave which made the exposed sections between Lago guagua and up to Valle hermoso tiring and with a constant buzz of the Tabanos.

Attractiveness: 5/5 (for the plateau)
Difficulty: 3.5/5 (extra 0.5 for 35 degrees and no shade)

Day 1: Cochrane -> camp35(119.1, 716)
~ 10.5 hours day
Long day with not so interesting of views besides lake Cochrane in the beginning and the valleys and lagunas towards the end. Water is almost solely at the lagunas once leaving the lake.
Gorgeous camp location, fairly protected from the wind.

Day 2: camp35(119.1,716)->refuge35(94.7,618)
~9.5 hours day
Walk is not too interesting and mostly follows the lake's sides. Makes the walk in poorly maintained trails confusing at times with fallen trees or overgrown thorny vegetation. No water between Laguna guagua and Laguna Gutierrez. No shade after pass35(111.6,1126).
Water at refuge35(94.7,618).
Chatted with the Ranger at Casa del piedra which was mostly caring for the wildfire hazard due to the heatwave.

Day 3: refuge 35(94.7,618) -> refuge 35(69.0,867)
~ 8 hour day
A few new fords which are not marked at -46,94964, -72,15276 and -46,88983, -72,16463.
Plenty of water along the path.
Plenty of fallen tree in section leading to Valle hermoso making finding the trail hard at times.
Fords were at most mid thigh for me(1.80). Watch out for following the trail without checking GPS when fording as it ends in a swampy area.
Valle hermoso truly deserves the name. Camp at refuge is well organised, had a few other hikers with me and along the way as it is a more popular hike.

Day 4: refuge35(69.0,867) -> camp35(34.8,1170)
~ 12 hours day
A long day with easy walking for the most part but 12km along the road after the park as no hitch was to be found. An immediate and welcomed change of scenery from alpine to pampa as you exit the park. Plenty of water all along the day.
From X35(41.4,768) to X35(38.2,916) the walk is on a double tracked road but after roads it turns CC. Have the fence on your east (right I'd you're climbing) and there'll be a horse trail most of the time.

Day 5: camp35(34.8,1170) -> -46,61892, -71,81546
~ 8 hours day
Hands down the highlight of the hike. DO NOT SKIP. herds of guancos and flamingos and the occasional heir make it all worth it with the beautiful views. An easy walking once above 1400m as the vegetation disappears.
Water is no issue at all as entry of lagunas and streams.
Met Siyuan and Dave as I was going down and camped with them for the night.

Day 6: -46,61892, -71,81546 -> Chile Chico
~ 4 hours day
Strolled down to the main road and after half the way to Chile Chico managed to get a. Ride into town. Pretty views of the lake as descending. Did not meet any of the puetsos or settlements occupied as I was passing.

'''2025-Dec-2 to 2025-Dec-7 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Emily & Kole'''

Beautiful section - diversity of landscapes, lots of wildlife and wildflowers, and despite the length not overly difficult. Saw very few people. No issues with water, plentiful. Attractiveness 5/5, difficulty 3/5.

Day 1 -
* Roadwalked for 3km from Chile Chico before getting a hitch to X {35} [8.1/505].
* Gate at Settler {35} [8.9/539], unlocked.
* Spoke with settler briefly at Puesto {35}[15.8/1075] - lovely guy.
* Trail is CC ascent after puesto, but easy walking. Winds at top on plateau very strong.
* Ford at Water {35}[23.9/1586] was mid-low thigh for Em (165cm), but Kole crossed 100m downstream on a snow ridge.
* Camped across the stream to the west of Camp {35} [32.6/1300] - small hills offer some wind protection but still very exposed.

Day 2 -
* Followed the OSM route to the road to avoid multiple river crossings.
* Hitched the final 3km of the roadwalk, but very few cars passing.
* Paid online 11.400 CLP pp for park entry - office was open but no ranger present
* Camped at Raleigh, Refugio {35} [61.7/856]. Several hikers were there when we arrived, but there’s a small sheltered space for 2 tents around 50m to the left after bridge along the OSM trail.

Day 3 -
* Fords after Valle Hermoso were all below knee height.
* Watch for the turnoff back to trail at Ford start/end {35} [72.4/905] - there’s a marker of cairns and sticks.
* Ford {35} [83.4/805] was mid-low thigh height for Em, but not overly strong.
* Camped at -46.94070, -72.15596, just afterward. Below the destroyed refugio, look for a trail leading left. Spots are well sheltered and flat.

Day 4 -
* No ranger at Casa Piedra.
* Water available at [112.3/1108], but difficult to collect. Better flow at Camp {35} [114.6/779].
* We camped here, below trail to the right. Spots aren’t perfectly level but very well sheltered. A more level spot to the left of trail before crossing the stream.

Day 5 -
* Horseflies in the morning drained our souls - not a bad idea to bring repellant or a head net.
* Watch out for turnoff for RR at Laguna Adelita; easy to miss.
* Camped at -47.20055, -72.46699 near the lake shore. Well sheltered and grass very soft.

Day 6 -
* Signed out at ranger station {35} [147.3/165] but rangers didn’t check our tickets.
* No luck hitching into town but it’s an easy walk on paved road.
* Arrived in Cochrane at midday.
* Stayed at “Camping & Laundry Cochrane” next to the plaza. 7.000clp to camp or 10.000clp for a 4 bed shared dorm. Laundry for 5.000clp pp. Hot showers, kitchen, WiFi, close to supermarket for resupply.

'''GPT35 / 2025 Dec 7-11 / NOBO / RR / variant R, Option 3, Option 3A, Option 3E & Option 2 / 5 days (2 half days)/ hiking // Bailey'''

General notes - incredibly beautiful section and quite diverse. Heaps of wildlife. We came across 7 other people walking the other direction. Fairly easy navigation. The high plateau was a highlight

Challenges - none to note

Costs - paid online for a parks pass - 11,400 CLP for foreigners. Walking out of cochrane I didn't pass the rangers hut. No one checked my pass. When I reached the second rangers hut they didn't ask to check, just shook my hand

Campsite Casa dePiedra, night 2 - 10,000 CLP cash

Difficulty - 3/5

Attractiveness - 5/5

Day 1

Started walking after 5 pm out of cochrane up to camp next to Laguna El Cangrejo. Taking variant R and option 3. Pretty steep climb

Camp 1

We camped at camp {35-03} [15.3/995] which was beautiful and protected from the wind by the lake. Mosquitos

Day 2

Today was the longest day. The passes were gorgeous. Took option 3A, good trail down onto option 3E and option 2, linking back onto the main route. No issues. The trail after this was pretty unmaintained but there was a trail. After Lago Gutierrez there were some animal cameras on the trail.

Camp 2

Reached Casa dePiedra camp at 8:30 pm, and paid 10,000 CLP. Hot showers, a place to eat inside away from the mosquitos.

Day 3

Crossed the fords, some were fast moving but nothing above mid thigh (194 cm). No navigation issues

Camp 3

Camp Raleigh [61.7/856]. A very beautiful campsite. There's tables and chairs. A cool looking bridge.

Day 4

Walked past the rangers hut in the morning, there's starlink here. Briefly talked to the ranger, he didn't ask about my parks pass. Walking on the road had some beautiful views. Walking up over the high plateau was incredible. Cross country navigation felt relaxed. Hundreds of guanacos up here. Came across a gaucho herding sheep

Camp 4

Camped at camp [14.1923] just as the minor road begins. This was incredibly windy.

Day 5

Walked down to the main road and got picked up by a local archaeologist

Stayed in chile chico for 20,000 CLP per person at Campamento Ñandú Hostel. Really laid back vibe, just opened today.

Ferry to Puerto Ibáñez, tried booking a ferry for this afternoon but it's not running because of high winds. Below is the website but I couldn't purchase a ticket through it. The office is located here

https://maps.app.goo.gl/mxD1LgMF5s2FPPbH9

Website - https://www.ferrypatagonia.com/horarios-y-tarifas

<big>'''2025-11-8 to 2025-11-13 / 6 days / hiking / NOBO / RR, Opt 3, Opt 3A, Opt 3E, RR / Ohad '''</big>

Beautiful and diverse section! Very glad its my introduction to the GPT.

Sendero 7 Lagunas (RR) is closed, but hikers with inreach/gps that informed the park administration (north of westwind camp) are allowed to walk it. I did not know this, and went without informing. I suppose its possible to contact them prior to arrival to do it by the book. I saw no rangers or other person on trail.

Fees: 11400$
paid 11400 pessos for entry to the NP in the ranger station near Cochrane, did not sleep at any camps that required payment, no ranger in Casa de Piedra and didnt pay for the second entry to the park.

Camping

Day 1: S 47.149459 W 072.434050, unofficial therefore illegal (alt spot, semi protected from wind, a patch of dirt big enough for one tent reletivaly flat. Hidden from the road.

Day 2: Camp {35} [114.6/779], nice spot near little stream in lenga forest.

Day 3: OSM camp at S 46.983453 W 072.160344 No wind protection, very scenic there is a little stream a bit to the south.

Day 4: Camped at Raleigh, wind sheltered and scenic, the outhouse has mice droppings, probably mice around the camp. Very nice spot.

Day 5: slept on the plateau at S 46.715519
W 0.71877977. Semi wind sheltered spot woth little stream behind a small hill. Still had a very windy night. Would not reccomend sleeping on the plateau, crazy wind. But it was beautiful at sunset and early morning.

Challenges: no challanging fords. some snow left on Opt 3 and the plateau, could be annoying if tackeling slush but it was mostly firm.

Water: no problem at all, at the plateau i would recc to filter all water, lots of dead guanaco and goose droppings with still and slow moving water.

Day 1: started from Cochrane, no hitchhike. Waited for the ranger to wake up and open shop (9 am), only after saw the option to pay online. Continued on my way on Sendero Las Aguilas, a trail heading towards Opt3 not on the gpx files. Nice views over the valley, mainly lenga forest, continued to the pass. Decieded to continue on the lagunas altas route (Opt 3A) and connect to RR tommorrow. The pass and Opt3A offer very panoramic views to the valley next over and surrounding mountains. Up to you if its worth the steep uphill. Some of the northface of the pass is an unstable, exposed scree slope. Would not reccomend in snow.

Day 2: shorter day, transioned yesterday to Sendero 7 Lagunas. The trail is not always clear in open terrain as Perrenial plants are starting to grow over it and annuals are in full growth. When entering the lenga forest the trail is clear but there is debree. Beautiful day with amazing yellow orchids, clear lakes and on very not shy huemuul.

Day 3: over the pass, lots of puma prints and droppings, be alert and maybe get a lucky encounter. Over the pass the terrain opens up and for NOBO hikers offers a (usually) nice stroll down. The last 2km of trail coming down to Laguna Guttiérrez is very unclear, i approached it as CC. Casa Piedra was closed, and the gate to the bridge was closed (just a steel rope attached lazely, no problem). The trail becomes clear again after Casa Piedra.

Day 4: very clear day, fallen trees in the forrested parts, the fords never passed my knees (Im 185cm). I saw someone reccomending sandals for the many fords on the river flowing east (couldnt find the name) I disagree, a lot of walking on dry river bed, they would probably get in the sandel and or hit your toes on them. To each their own. There are clear posts every couple hundred meters so its very easy to pathfind. The pass to Lago Verde was steep.

Day 5: easy flat day, nice views over the lakes, saw the first people in 5 days. As i was walking past the ranger station the ranger called me to "sign out"? Was very friendly but just starteled me. Just wanted to ask if I had any information and that everything is OK. No hitch on the road (at around noon). Walked up to the plateau, CC is less challenging as you go up in elevation. At certain point decided to just ascend the plateau for easier CC. Wanted to shorten the next day to get to Chile Chico earlier and ended up dleeping on the plateau. Would not reccomend. Lots of guanacos on the plateau and very interesting ecosystem, geology and views. definatley worth the extra day if youre NOBO.

Day 6: woke up early and traversed the plateau, lots of snow patches, the temp was low and i was early so it wasnt very bad. If there is snow and you expect slush then it will be slower. Lots of mud from the extra water. The southwest wind was extremely harsh, was very happy to walk north. Shared some maté, bread, salami and ciggs with the settler. Lovely man. Said hes there from oct to april give or take. Dropped into the road and got a hitch into town.

Happy GPT Season!

==Season 2024/25==

'''2025-Mar-13 to 2025-Mar-19/ 6 days/ Hiking/ NOBO RR - Oh-Mr-V 35-01 (sendero 7 laguna - valle aviles - valle hermoso- lago jeinimeni) / Emilie '''

Day 1: started in Cochrane around 9:30 and registered at the guardaparque where I paid around 11000CPL and the guard checked if I had 2 gas canister and he even weighed them to make sure they were full. He also asked me if I had an inreach as the trail wasn’t busy and I wouldn’t meet a lot of ppl on the way. I started and had a relatively short day, stopping at (S 47.198824° O 72.449461°) to camp for the night.

Day 2: it was a relatively pleasant and easy day. Walked until laguna guagua to camp on the shore (S 47.134842° O 72.307318°)

Day 3: started in the forest again and after the pass the landscape changed almost drastically, the weather was really nice and it was just so pretty! I saw a few guanacos. Camped at casa piedra for 8000CLP

Day 4: woke up to a herd of guanacos running around on the campground. I also idiotically left my bag on one of the sheltered picnic tables woke up to several of my ziplock bags being eaten trough by a mouse…:( Continued on the valle aviles sendero and camped at km 22 (S 46.893873° O 72.160906°). Not the cutest campground but relatively well protected as it started to rain.

Day 5: woke up under the rain and after 1hr of walking the ford crossing started, crossed the river about 8 times, 4 times out of those were knee high and the rest was below that. After the lago verde pass I had one other shoes-off ford crossing aswell. And camped at (S 46.864410° O 72.048501°) kind of hidden in the bush, definitely not ideal, would recommend sleeping at Raleigh (free campsite) or push to el silencio (I think that one is paying).

Day 6: decided to not do the last ascent of the trek and walked on the Camino laguna jeinimeni trying to hitchhike to Chile Chico. I still had to walk about 17kms before someone finally picked me up. You probably have more chances hitchhiking in the afternoon as people are leaving réserva jeinimeni because it’s a dead end road and people with go there for the day, being able to pick you up on their way back to Chile Chico.

All in all this was a beautiful and relatively easy section. The weather was on and off during the last few days, you can feel the autumn cold air rolling in, but with the two easy exit points (casa piedra and campamento el silencio) you can easily only do parts of it or stop if needed.

'''2025-Mar-10 to 2025-Mar-15/ 6 days/ Hiking/ NOBO RR/ Timothée and Maëlle'''

We managed to hike the full RR in 6 days because we hitchhiked about 20k, otherwise that would have been long days.
Weather: after arriving from villao higgins with the bus, we were lucky to see a really good weather windw of 5 /6 days with sun, relatively warm and few wind except the first day. Forecast were quite accurate ( yr), we checked it again twice with the in reach. It was also quite accurate, a bit less than yr.

Camps:
Camp 1: camp 136.9: 200 m before, we found something more sheltered from wind

Camp 2: camp osm: S 47° 08.017', W 072° 18.115': really nice, not sheltered a lot

Camp 3: 100m after the refuge 93.9, there s à spot for a single tent. We slept in front of the refuge: not really flat ( nice spot was already used by sb).

Camp 4: refugio valle hermoso: Nice camp site sheltered with tables..

Camp 5: camp 32.6 not sheltered from the wind but otherwise it s incredible.

Day 1: We started at 11 from cochrane, hitchhiked 2km, and then took the nice yrail along the lake. There was far less elevation gain than what is sometimes written on tracks when there s a lot of ups and downs ( such as this section :139.1 + 7.7).

Day 2: We saw 3 huemules on the MR above the lago cochrane. The forest is devastated by the caterpillar.

Day3: Nice and huge diversity of landscape. At casa de piedra the camping guy checked that we had a GPS, gas... No fees problems.

Day 4: Nice again, as is the whole section.it was a bit long. On this section it is better to have really good sandals to walk the whole 2km in the river bed or to have wet running shoes.
Day 5: we managed to hitchhike from the park ranger to X 41.5. There were very few cars, but it seem doable if you are early enough. On the cc between 41.5 and 32, we found some good animal tracks that allowed us to avoide walking in thorny bushes. Then you follow fences. We had sometimes to cross it by crawling under. There is no need to follow the track too closely, you would have to cross the fences to often.

Day6: amazing crossing of this plateau full of guanacos, flamingo... CC is easy ( bare ground). We had 2 drops of rain, and a bit of sun, not windy. We hitchhiked the last 8km to chile chico ( they were not many cars).

Overall, we did not found any challenging fords. This is one of the best section we found: quite easy despite the length, huge diversity of landscapes. We saw a lot of different animals. We saw no ones on the first part ( sentier de 7 lagunas), a bit more after casa de piedras, no one on the last 40 k.
It is probably recommended to filter water all along the way as there is a lot of cattles and wild animals everywhere, compared to other sections.

'''2025-03-07 to 2025-03-12 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Tyson'''

Hit some incredible weather. A really beautiful and diverse section. No trouble with water or crossings.

Day 1: [RR] Got a lift out of town to X {35} [8.1/505], and started hiking ~10am. Beautiful views as you ascend the plateau looking back at Lago General Carrera. Tons of guanacos. The ground on the walk up to and in places on top of the plateau has a lot of clay in it. So if it has rained recently, be ready for mud. I stayed near Camp {35} [32.6//1300]. I checked out MiamZelt’s recommended spot, but it lacked the view so I compromised by camping across the stream just west from the Camp. There are some small hills there that provide a bit of protection from west winds.

Day 2: [RR] Continued the valley descent. Hit the road going to the Jinemeini entrance to the park by noon. No hitch so I had to walk the whole thing which was annoying and took a good bit longer than expected. Tried to pay entrance fees but the system was down. Had Raleigh campground to myself that evening. Some nice fishing in Lago Verde there.

Day 3: [RR] Over the pass to Valley Hermosa. Really beautiful. Peaked in at the campsite there, which is nice and well-protected. Crossings in the valley were ankle deep mostly, so easy. There are easy markers for the first ⅔ of the valley, but you need to watch for the turn south. I overshot it and got stuck in a small but thorny bushwhack. Clear trail up and over the pass, crossings on the other side all easy. The trail cuts through a couple of boggy terraces. Camped at OSM Free Unofficial Campsite (-46.98401, -72.16014). Water is easily available at a stream down trail just past the camp spots

Day 4: [RR] Took the RR across the suspension bridge, and down to Casa Piedra. Spoke to the ranger there who said I should just pay at the end in Tamango. On to Sendero 7 Lagunas. Really enjoyed this section. The pass [111.6/1126] kicked my ass more than I expected. But saw two huemules on the other side so worth it. Camped at Laguna Guagua / OSM “Plano sitio para acampar.” Beautiful lake, gorgeous sunset, though the prime camp spot was taken by some other hikers so I ended up in the woods, just NE of there. There are some flat spots tucked away there.

Day 5: [RR] Watch for the RR turnoff at Laguna Adelita. You’re on a dirt road there that continues and becomes Option N. To stick to the RR turn at an easy to miss trail. Camped at OSM ‘Free official camp site” (-47.20052, -72.46710)

Day 6: [RR] Tamango Reserve, another nice section here, but lots of day hikers. The outlet to Rio Cochrane has some nice coves for throwing a line in. Finally was able to pay entrance fees at the Tamango office (11,700). No hitch to Cochrane so had to road walk. Made it town by ~2pm

*'''2025-MAR-02 to 2025-MAR-07 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + OH (Var. L) / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''

A beautiful section through stunning nature, although the presence of a national park comes with an entrance fee and a higher number of people and cars.

We followed the RR almost entirely. The only exceptions were the descent into the Jeinemeni River valley, where we followed the trail marked in OSM rather than the track files from kilometer 32 until reconnecting with the MR at kilometer 38. Second exeprion was Variant L, which seemed like a more logical approach to Casa Piedra. However, if you take this variant, be sure to check out the suspension bridge at [90.9/635] before turning off. Crossing a suspension bridge over a deep gorge is absolutely worth it!

CHALLENGES
The biggest challenge overall was the weather. Strong winds are to be expected, and at higher elevations, we encountered both snow and freezing temperatures.

The river crossings were not deep, but there were many of them. Given the cold and heavy rain we experienced, crossing them was not particularly pleasant.

The trail was often waterlogged and muddy. Don’t expect to keep your feet dry!

FEES
The entrance to Patagonia National Park can be booked and paid online via the CONAF website. Alternatively, rangers at the park entrance [53.0/843] can facilitate payment, as they have internet access via Starlink. The fee is 11,400 CLP per person.

At Casa Piedra, you enter another part of the park where another fee might be required. However, the local ranger didn’t ask for any payment, and since we didn’t use the campsite, we didn’t have to pay anything.

When exiting the park, no additional fees were requested.

BIVOUACING
Our first night, we arrived by ferry after 9 PM and camped just outside the town. We chose a spot among rocks west of town (-46.5397818, -71.7343889). There are several small tent spots among the bushes. It’s a quiet and scenic spot despite its proximity to town.

The second night, we camped on a plateau in a small valley with a water source [23.9/1586]. It’s slightly less windy than higher up, but still quite exposed. If your tents are not highly wind-resistant, we do not recommend following our example.

After entering the national park, camping is only allowed in designated campsites. The available campsites are:

Camp $, Bridge, Lake {35} [53.3/852] – Includes toilets and cold showers, with a few sheltered platforms. We did not have to pay for staying here.

Refuge {35} [61.7+0.2/856] – A simple shelter with several picnic tables and benches. Free of charge.

Refuge {35} [68.1/867] – Slightly off-trail, so we didn’t visit, but it appeared to be maintained.

Other campsites and shelters marked in OSM and track files further along are mostly ruined or unmarked open spaces. The next large managed campsite is Casa Piedra, costing 8,000 CLP per night.

From Casa Piedra onwards, we entered a different section of the national park, where the local ranger gave us no clear instructions on camping, nor did he seem concerned about it.

We camped on the shore of Lago Gutiarrez (-47.07580, -72.24877), and we weren’t the only ones—another group camped further down the shore.

Our final night was spent at the campsite [136.9/162], which was a nice spot.

A few hundred meters further at (-47.19807, -72.45737), there are three surprisingly nice and clean refugias, which could also be used.

WATER
Water is not an issue. The plateau at the start has several small lakes and streams, and for the rest of the section, the trail follows rivers and lakes for the most part.

Even at higher elevations, such as beyond the pass [110.8/1126], small streams were available for water resupply. A good example is at (-47.09787, -72.28568).

RESUPPLY
We resupplied in Puerto Ibáñez at a small minimarket near the lake, so we don’t have information on shopping options in Chile Chico.

In Cochrane, there are several stores. We were recommended Supermercado Rojita, located near the main square at (-47.25330, -72.57560).

Another well-stocked option was Supermercado Emporio Vecino Arno, which is conveniently located as you enter Cochrane at (-47.25089, -72.56108).

For food, we recommend Cumbres Pizzería Artesanal, located above Supermercado Rojita. It’s a small pizzeria, but the lady running it was very friendly, and this was easily the best pizza we had in Chile.

''' 2025 Feb 25 to Mar 7 / 9 hiking days, 1 zero days / NOBO / Hiking / Var R, Var S, RR, Opt 3D, Opt 3C, Opt 3, Opt 3A, Opt 2A, Opt N, Var T / Michael and Kasia '''

Quick notes: This was our second route in Parque Patagonia this season; we really loved this section, we saw a lot of animals, had some great weather and a couple rainy and windy days, and we managed to do a loop from Cochrane to Casa Piedra and back with minimal overlap.

CAMPS:

Night 01: -47.19763, -72.45248 (flat space for two to three tents, excellent water access, nice view, some wind protection, but would be cold if wind were coming from the south)

Night 02: -47.18468, -72.52438 (official campsite, okay view, not much wind protection, water access is about 70 m away)

Night 03: -47.13894, -72.47796 (amazing view, site is fairly flat, water access is about 150 m away, no wind protection)

Night 04: -47.15964, -72.41494 (amazing view, easy water access, good wind protection from the north, right on the trail)

Night 05 and 06: -47.13355, -72.31556 (Refuge, X {35} 118.3, not a refuge but a collapsed stop over puesto, nice view of the lake, some wind protection but not a lot, easy water access)

Night 07: Casa Piedra (8.000 pp, access to bathrooms, running water, electricity and indoor place for cooking and eating, flat places for tents with some wind protection, there are mice in the outdoor covered areas)

Night 08: -47.17285, -72.36981 (nice view, some wind protection, water is about 100 m away)

Night 09: same as night 1

Night 10: -47.22544, -72.53908 (good wind protection, no water)

WATER:

Generally easy to find, however on a new route to create a loop there was an 18 km section with no water.

Day 01: Feb 25

We started from Cochrane around 11:00. Var R was easy to follow. At [Gate {35-R} 13.5] we met a local gaucho named Lionel who happened to be going through the gate right when we arrived. He was very friendly. We chatted for a bit and he told us to just follow the road to the park. [Gate {35-P} 10.6] was a little tricky. The gate is padlocked shut and the center vertical posts are broken, so I think it would not be a good idea to try to climb the gate. On the downhill side, the gate is only attached to the post by some fence wire. We undid the wire and pulled the gate open from the side to get through and then rewired it to the post. This is easier with two people. [Water {35–P} 7.7] was a stream that was flowing clear. [Water 4.9] was also flowing, but [Water 4.1] was just a couple of muddy, stagnant pools. [Camp 4.0] also looked kind of exposed and not that inviting. There was another stream about 120 m further along Var R. We decided to take Var S (Sendero 6: Los Ciruelillos) down to the lake. At km 3.72 of Var R, Var S starts downhill. We did not see a way to continue on Var R. I could barely make out where a trail might have existed in the past, but it would be BB. Var S was very clear and easy to follow, though somewhat steep and hard on the knees. At the bottom we walked RR NOBO to [Camp {35} 137.6]. This was a really great campsite, right near the lake with flat space for two or three tents, and one tent could be under some trees for wind protection. Unfortunately there were already people there, so we continued toward [Camp 136.9]. Close to it at (-47.19763, -72.45248) we found a really nice spot under a couple of trees right near the lake. We had a windless night, so it was very peaceful, however I would recommend checking the weather in advance as this would likely be a cold spot if the wind was coming over the lake.

Day 02 - Feb 26th

We backtracked across the field and back up Var S, then switched to Opt 3D (Sendero 8: Los Pumas). The route was steep in parts, but again very clear and easy to follow. There were some nice views out over the valley. At the end of Opt 3D we switched to Opt 3C (Sendero 7: Los Guanacos) heading west along the south side of the lakes. At (-47.18524, -72.49595) along the southwest side of Laguna Elafantita there was a really nice beach. It was a sunny, windless day when we were there and we stopped for about a half hour to wade in the water and rest in the sun. We highly recommend making time for a stop there if the weather is good. The path after Laguna Elafantita was across wetlands and was swampy in places, however we managed to get through without getting our feet wet. At the trail intersection we started into Opt 3 (Sector Tamango) (Sendero 9: Los Cóndores). We camped at Laguna Cangrejo at the second official camping area, about 450 m further north than [Camp {35-03} 15.3]. It was a clear sky and a windless night. It got cold very quickly and everything was wet from dew quite quickly.

Day 03 - Feb 27th

We woke up to everything being covered in frost. Both the inside and the outside of our tent had a frost layer. Kasia came up with the brilliant idea to use the rubber scraper spatula we have in the kitchen like an ice scraper. We managed to scrape enough frost to make a tiny snowman. We took some time to get everything dried out since it was a sunny morning. We continued on Opt 3. Part way up there was a short section where a huge blow down had covered part of the trail. At km 10.5 we switched to Opt 3A (Lagunas Altas). There was a 400 m or so section of an exposed traverse on a narrow, degrading path that would not be ideal in windy or rainy conditions. Overwise the trail was in good shape and easy to follow. We camped at (-47.13894, -72.47796) just off the trail overlooking the lake. Water access was about 150 m away, having to walk part way around the lake to get to a stone beach. This would not be a good camp if there was wind, but it had an exceptional view.

Day 04 - Feb 28th

We took an alternate trail that Alex had suggested to us. At km 1.47 of Opt 3A, about 35 m from a stream at (-47.14331, -72.46124), on the right hand side there is a trail that goes east-northeast. It is actually a very clear trail that is easy to follow. The route runs largely parallel to GPT Opt 2 (Ruta X83) but entirely on trail. It goes up above and around the southern side of two lakes and provides some excellent views. It makes for some very pleasant hill walking. I will note that there were very few places to collect water on the way, and the hills are quite exposed. It was sunny and hot the day we went and we wished we had taken more water. The trail finally descends to the lake where it is possible to reconnect with RR. At the north end of the lake we found three areas where camping was possible. We camped more to the east end of the north shore at (-47.15964, -72.41494). It was a really nice spot with space for a large tent and another nearby, easy water access, a wonderful view out over the lake, and good wind protection for us (the winds were coming over the hill that night, not across the lake).

Day 05 - Mar 1st

From the lake we headed up the hill and walked down the road just enough to see the Refuge 130.4 from above. It was still intact, but we were very happy with our choice of campsite for the night. We took Var N for about 500m until it connected into RR at km 130.8, then started RR NOBO. It was a cloudy day, often windy. As we headed up there were caterpillars everywhere. We saw a few woodpeckers tapping away at some trees. At km 127.8 the trail connects with a 2 track road and follows it for about 1 km. The trail breaks off the road again, though it was not visible and we accidentally walked past it. By looking at the satellite later however, we could see that the 2 track road continued on and eventually connected to Opt 2A. This became relevant later. At somewhere around km 120.5 on RR we lost the trail and ended up below it. We had to climb up a steep hill and over to reconnect to the track. The [Refuge, X 118.3] site is not that nice in our opinion, though the dense trees between the site and the lake do provide decent wind protection. We had windy conditions and some rain. There is a nice beach that would be very enjoyable in nice weather.

Day 06 - Mar 2nd

We stayed at Laguna Guagua to wait over rain and high winds. Despite the weather report, the morning was calm and pleasant. The afternoon and the night were very windy. We spent part of the day map scrolling and discovered a road visible in the satellite layer that leaves the highway 13 km after Casa Piedra heading toward Chacabuco, and that then connects to Opt 2A. From the map it looked possible to walk that route and then along the road we had accidentally walked too far on the previous day. We decided that we would try to walk back to Cochrane.

Day 07 - Mar 3rd

It was a cold, windy morning, though the sun was out. The trail was generally easy to see and follow. The lack of maintenance is obvious, but enough people seem to walk it that the trail is generally visible. We found water at three points heading up to the pass (-47.11424, -72.29322), (-47.10902, -72.28838), (-47.09787, -72.28558). The pass was easy. On the way down the trail is a little harder to follow, not so much because it's hard to see, but because there are a lot of strips of bare ground that look like paths, but aren't, or at least aren't the correct one. I checked the GPS frequently and we only had two or three places where we had to search a bit. The views over Laguna Gutiérrez were really spectacular. We had sun with interesting cloud formations around the mountains, and the mountains had a dusting of fresh snow. The water in the lake was a really amazing blue. More to the west end of the lake there were places where it was possible to access the beach. It got much harder to do so closer to the east end. We found water without having to go down to the lake at two points along the lake route (-47.07573, -72.24689), (-47.07908, -72.22735), and one on the way out toward Casa Piedra (-47.07480, -72.20466). There were also some very steep, near scrambling areas that we would not have wanted to do in rainy conditions. We had actually thought of camping near the east end of the lake, but there are no trees there, just a lot of spiky bushes, and no clear path to get there. It might be possible to camp directly on the beach if the weather is calm. The weather report for the following day was rain and high winds, so we decided to camp at Casa Piedra. We were the only ones there other than the guardaparque. We stayed near one of the shelters. There was a mouse scampering around inside it so we stored our stuff in the dining hall in the lodge. When we arrived the guardaparque asked us where we were coming from and where we were going. We said we had come from the direction of Argentina and were going to Cochrane, and she didn't ask any other questions. We were able to pay for camping with a credit card.

Day 08 - Mar 4th

It was very windy throughout the night and rained a fair bit. There was sun in the morning so we were able to dry everything out before getting a late start. That made it worth paying for the camping. We walked 13 km on the highway. There was almost no traffic at all, and only one car passed that was going our direction. For the first couple of hours it was sunny in the valley with clouds all around. Around 13:00 it started raining and didn't fully stop until 19:00 that night. The road we were looking for left the highway at (-47.06902, -72.35132). It was not visible on OSM, but is on satellite. The road is a functioning 2 track road with a new looking steel cable stretched between two poles to block vehicle traffic, but otherwise easily accessible and obvious. About 500 m on the was a trailer and a structure of some sort under construction on a hill above the trailer. No one was around when we passed. After 2.6 km the road becomes Opt 2A. At km 6.7 on the Opt 2A track (-47.12185, -72.36911) there was an unmarked ford. A slow moving stream cut across the road. We looked for a way around it, but it seemed too wide to jump. It was top of the calf with very little current. 200 m further (-47.12237, -72.36619) the other end of the road we had walked too far a few days prior broke off and headed toward RR. We reconnected with RR SOBO, then started on Var N, which is an out of use 2 track road. It was actually still in good shape and was easy to follow. There weren't any fallen trees on the road, it's just a little overgrown with tall grass in some places. We camped under a tree about 100 m from a stream (-47.17391, -72.37062). We had a windless night, but just on the other side of the stream was a flat area under more trees that looked like it was better wind protected. (An important note: when leaving Casa Piedra heading west, the road follows the river for the first 3 km, then starts uphill and away from it. We did not find water again until the ford (about 18 km) and then after that not again until the stream (about 7 km). It wasn't an issue for us because it was cold and rainy that day so we weren't that thirsty, but on sunny days it would be important to take sufficient water before leaving the river as the route had very little shade along the way.)

Day 09 - Mar 5th

We finished Var N, then reconnected with RR SOBO. We camped at the same place we had camped our first night.

Day 10 - Mar 6th

We got a late start due to morning rain. We took RR SOBO (Sendero 3: Los Coigües, Sendero 2: Los Carpinteros). The route was clear, but there were several very steep parts that we would not want to do on a windy day. It was tricky enough with it being wet from rain. At km 143.9 we switched to Var T (Sendero 10: Los Ñires) and headed uphill. As we were rounding a corner, there was a huemul standing in the path about 2 m from us. It looked at us for a minute, then walked a wide circle around us to get back on the trail and head down hill. We then connected back to Var R just before El Hungaro. We passed through the wired gate and found camping at (-47.22544, -72.53908). It was a flat, grassy space in the pine trees a little off the road. It was wind protected, but there was no water nearby.

Day 11 - Mar 7th

We walked back into Cochrane. We were having lunch outside of El Rojito in town and had the pleasure to meet Jakub, Ivan and Daniel. It was really nice to meet some other GPTers along the way.

'''25-02-26 - 25-03-02/ 5 days / SOBO / RR-OH3a-OH3 / Volker'''

Very beautiful section with changing landscapes.
Water everywhere, many fords of Estero Ventisquero, all easy), navigation in the CC parts no problem.

I had a bad knee, walked slowly, shortened the section by hitchhiking/taking a bus.

Day 1: I had called Frida (+56 9 4792 9126) the day before, but she was occupied and recommended another driver (+56 9 8464 3768, WhatsApp account is „Sisterna“) and this very nice and funny man drove me at 8 a.m. for 10k eight km along the X265. At the puesto chatted with the arriero, then straightforward CC to the pass, lots of Guanakos, some condors, flamingos and various species of ducks on the lagunas.
After some stormy days no wind at all, so I camped on a pass some 500m away from the RR at S 46.693877° W 71.874276° for the sunset and the sunrise. Nevertheless be careful with the wind!
Day 2: Rejoined the RR at the indicated pass, then down to the small puesto (nobody there), had to climb a fence. After the puesto swampy and another fence. As I walked slowlier than usual with my bad knee, I went the derour (500m) to the next puesto at and asked, if I could buy any food. The very nice arriero asked me to come in and while we drank mate he buke pancitos, which he offered me with some meat. Unfortunately no food to take away. I spent quite a lot of time with him, so I was really lucky, that in the very moment I arrived at the junction with the MR coming from Chile Chico, a Conaf worker passed by with her car and gave me a ride to their check point. If you haven‘t bought a ticket in advance on the Conaf website, you have to do it now (11,5k, they don‘t accept neither cash nor cards, you have to buy it online, using their WIFI). The Lago Jeinemeni is stunning, recommend to make the 1km detour for the mirador. Camped on a nice river bank 1km before Lago Verde.
Day 3: Very pittoresque, many easy fords (2 additional shortly before the indicated one, as Rio Aviles has destroyed the path on the left side of the valley. Camped at the (destroyed) ‚refuge‘ together with two Chileans, who gave me a practical lesson in fishing.
Day 4: Easy and nice on RR down to Casa Piedra. Ibuprofen made it possible, dimming the pain in my knee. However, I had walked too slowly and during too many rests consumed too much of my supplies to continue as planned. So I waited for a bus at 16.30. It stopped for 15 min at Museo/Los West Winds; unfortunately too late for the museum, but a Cafeteria for some resupply! Sandwiches, chocolate, power bars (goes without saying, that not at supermarket prices) - and a better knee allowed for continuing. So I walked in direction of the Los West Winds camping and after some hundred meters went back into the mountains on the Las Lagunas Altas trail. Camp at S 47.127889° W 72.468457°, great spot with view on the distant ridges in the evening sun.
Day 5: The Las Lagunas Altas Trail joins the gpt OH 3a and passes by the lagunas. Without knowing the RR and other options, I very much recommend this trail! After the lagunas at the pass heavy wind and rain started, so instead of walking all the way to Cochrane, together with Thijmen, whom I met 200m after the pass, we went down on OH3 (sector Tamango) to Los West Winds, visited the museum (recommended!) and went to Cochrane with the bus at 5 p.m.

'''2025-02-25 to 2025-03-02 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, variant R,S. Leaving trough option 3,/ Thijmen Scholten'''

* I stayed in Hospedaje Rio Baker in Chile Chico it's cheap and very friendly, recommended.
* The pass/Platform very weather exposed, so check the weather forecast before you go.
* You can camp sheltered just before the pass
* Besides all the guanacos There are also Some nice oyster like stones
* I could not really find a trail on the first part but it's a easy CC at which you do not have to be perfectly on the indicated trail. Just more or less in the same direction.
* I found a truly beautiful stone but forgot it and it's at the source of water source 30.6. it's heavy but I wanted to give it to the people who would take me hitchhiking or at the park entrance office. So if you want this beautiful stone you can take it !
* Camped somewhere next to the river on the way down. Took CC shortcut to bridge at 42.7
* next day hitchhiked , pay entrance , easy walk.
* After camp valley Hermosa there were many river crossings (ankle to knee deep). Best to keep your sandals or (non gortex) shoes on and just accept you will have cold feet in the next hour.
* Camped: 100m before refuge 94.7 at an nice little windfree spot next to the river.
* 7 Laguna's trail. About 1km before end of lake and about 1 and 4km after pass are decent streams to get water from. For the rest only water from the lakes.
* Trail fairly easy to follow in forest because of sawn trunks and in grassland because one plant species grows everywhere expect on the trail.
* Trail is not maintained anymore. Therefore would be nice if everyone did some trail maintenance (remove some branches from trail, break some branches , indicate wrong trail with row of stones etc.
* Internet entell at end of the pass 111.6
* Look out that you don't miss the junction at the last lake.
* Option R: is badly overgrown with spiky Plants and seeds! I went 1/3 of the way and turned back. I would not take it
* Variant 3: is nice and clear. At Valle Chacabuco there is a very nice Museum! And a bus to Cocrane @17.00 cost 15.00 CLP.

''' 2025-FEV-21 > 25 / 4,5 jours / Randonnée / SOBO / RR > 35-02 > 35-03A > 35-03 > 35-R > RR / Pierre-Marie '''

Etape : (GPT34)+GPT35
| Meteo : soleil
| Eau : parfois difficile
| Neige : non
| Intérêt : 5/5
| Difficulté : 3/5
| Danger : chenilles urticantes, rivière

J'ai laissé ma machette à Coyhaique pour m'alléger. J'ai dormi à l'hostel Ayékan à Chile Chico puis j'ai commencé la randonnée à 9h. J'ai eu du mal à faire de l'auto-stop mais après 4 km de marche une voiture m'a emmenée au km 8. Il y a pas mal d'eau sur le plateau, bien plus qu'indiqué sur le GPS. Il y avait beaucoup de vent sur le plateau mais il faisait beau alors ça s'est bien passé. J'ai campé au km 36 mais il y avait de petites mouches qui piquent, pas super pour se laver. Malheureusement le vent s'est levé et il a pas mal plu dès 20h alors j'ai passé une nuit difficile. J'ai eu beaucoup de chance et j'ai pu faire du stop du km 45 au km 53. Très peu de voitures sur cette gravel road. Les arbres n'ont plus de feuilles car des chenilles ravagent tout dans le parc (https://laderasur.com/articulo/cuncunas-espinosas-a-la-vista-los-impactos-de-una-especie-que-ha-defoliado-miles-de-hectareas-de-lenga-en-chile/). Comme il a bien plu pendant la nuit, toutes les rivières sont en crues. C'est bien car les sentiers sont désert, mais les ford sont très dangereux. Le ranger et un monsieur du coin m'a dit que je pouvais tout franchir en faisant attention. Il n'y a pas de refuges aux km 81,8, 94,7 et 119,1. A partir du km 98, il n'y a plus de rivière, juste de petits ruisseau vaseux et les lacs bien sûr. Au km 10,4 du 35-R, le bâtiment peu servir de refuge. Il est très propre et je n'ai pas vu de rongeurs malgré la mise en garde. Le seul problème c'est qu'il n'y a pas d'eau. Il a neigé au dessus de 1000m. Je suis arrivé à 10h à Cochrane alors j'ai pris un hotel pour y passer la journée.

'''2025-FEB-16 to 2025-FEB-22 / 7 hiking days / Hiking / SOBO / RR/ Nimrod & Tamar
'''
Beautiful section! Very special for us, and we were lucky to have good weather! first part had a lot of animals. second part had many tourquize lakes and snowy mountains around+ black caterpillars. third part had pampa terrain and 8 beautiful blue lakes.

Day 1- started walking at noon from Chile Chico. There were a lot of hichhikers, so decided to walk the PR. A dog followed us and slept the night with us at camp (14.1/923).

Day 2- started walking with the dog (even though we tried getting rid of him he was very stubborn). Got to puesto (15.8/1075) and asked Claudio the settler if he would like to adopt the sweet dog, which he happily agreed to. Claudio invited us to watch him slaughter a sheep and for breakfast.
Continued walking, saw many guanacos (they make such silly sounds!), and some flamingos as well. Camped at (-46.722612, -71.904105) like Miamzelt-thanks!. Was a long day for us.

Day 3- walked to national park. Until the MR it can be a bit swampy a times- best to keep near fence for dry feet. Saw many dead guanacos near the fence - was interesting to see their anatomy but also sad because it looks like they get traped in the fence and die miserably.
On MR got a ride for last 10k.
In national park payed online for entrance fee- 11,000 each, free wifi. We asked about whether as well and figured we'll have only 2 more days until it will start raining for many days. We decided we would not want to walk in the rain and try to walk longer days then planed to try and finish before the rain and from Casa Piedra take a hitch. Walked up to valle hermoso camp site- great views on the way a few fords before the campsite- easy but cold.

Day 4- after valle hermoso many fords in the morning- more then written in gps files, easy but cold.
Lovely scenary.
Very high and cool bridge at the end of the day. Shelter 94.7 was a bit dirty, we found a nice cozy spot between the trees sheltered from the wind. About 100 meters before the shelter.

Day 5-: thought this will be our last day- but when we got to Casa Piedra we checked the wether again and no rain for the next few days! Decided to continue as planed at first. The first lake we passed had a lot of rip calafate- delicious and juicy! Slept in (-47.09768, -72.28546) as suggested below. Small stream, wind sheltered by the trees, and flat. Thank you!

Day 6- walked though many lakes. Crazy wind! A tree fell 20 meters from us right on the trail- be alert while walking for sounds of cracking trees! Maybe not a good time for airpods. Slept near the lake in camp 138.4. We later discovered that there are two wood shelters a few meters from where we slept. Was not locked and looked pretty clean.

Day 7- walked to Cochrane. Last kms where with many day hikers. Were Many comfortable places to take a dip in the lake.

'''2025 Feb 02 to Feb 14 / 10 hiking days, 3 zero days / SOBO, NOBO / Hiking / RR, Opt 6 Fachinal / Michael and Kasia'''

Quick notes: The plateau at the beginning of RR is best done in good weather, but definitely worth it; the park is beautiful, though in summer there were a fair amount of people, though less than Cerro Castillo; Opt 6 Fachinal is a really beautiful and adventurous optional route and well worth it, though in our opinion better as an exit than an entrance to the section.

CAMPS:

Night 01: -46.60658, -71.80980 (nice views, water is about 150 m away, can be semi-protected by the hill depending on which way the winds come from)

Night 02: -46.66455, -71.84387 (some wind protection from the hill if the winds come from the west, water is about 170 m away, only really good in good weather)

Night 03: -46.73523, -71.89404 (water is close, not wind protected)

Night 04: El Silencio campground

Night 05 and 06 : Camp Raleigh

Night 07 to 09: Camp Valle Hermoso

Night 10: -46.75834, -72.22028 (good water access, not that wind protected, ground is difficult to get tent stakes into)

Night 11: -46.69923, -72.22451 (some wind protection, water not close)

Night 12: -46.62948, -72.27663 (some wind protection, water about 200 m away)

WATER: water was generally easy to find throughout the section, even on the plateau

Day 01 - Feb 02

We took the bus from Chile Chico. The company was Buses Interlagos, +56 9 9038 6338. We made a reservation. There is a sign in the terminal in Chile Chico that says they leave at 09:00, but when I messaged to make the reservation they said they would leave at 08:00. It is due to regular road closures for road work, so it is recommended to message in advance to get the correct time if you take the bus. Also, the bus driver knew about a trail to Parque Patagonia, but it wasn't the GPT track, so it's good to watch the map to not overshoot. He charged us 2.000 each for the 8 km ride. The route up initially was just a road so easy going. There were multiple places to get water. At Puesto 15.8 we met Claudio who invited us in. His wife and son had passed us going the opposite way as we hiked up. We stayed and talked with Claudio for about an hour. He was very friendly and hospitable. He said a lot of backpackers go through there, some to the park, but a lot for a rock climbing area nearby. We camped at (-46.60658, -71.80980), water was a little ways away. It snowed briefly just before we set up the tent, then cleared up and was sunny for the rest of the day. The night was completely calm.

Day 02 - Feb 03

We headed up to the pass. We followed the OSM track more than the GPT track which worked well. The landscape on the way up was very impressive and we saw our first guanacos. On the plateau it was pretty windy, but as others have said, there are spots where the topography shields you from the wind and you can get a break from it. We had seen on Windy before leaving that the next day on the plateau was supposed to be essentially windless and with full sun, so we wanted to stay for the night. We found a spot that was protected from the prevailing winds which were from the west that day and had a peaceful night.

Day 03 - Feb 04

We woke up to a silent morning that was quite warm. We took the whole day to walk across the plateau, carefully observed by guanacos the whole way. They seemed to work in shifts with at least one acting as lookout at all times. We found it very endearing. We stopped at a lake for lunch and watched 8 flamingos there as well as other birds. We also came across a curious hill that appeared to be made largely of giant ancient seashells. They looked like oyster shells, and some still looked like they had bits of mother of pearl on the inside. It was just the one hill. The descent was easy, gradual and with nice views. We found camping a little below camp 32.6 in a grassy area near the stream. It was not wind protected but we had a quiet night.

Day 04 - Feb 05

We wrapped up camp quickly, just before it started raining. We went under a fence and did CC between the GPT track and the OSM track. Around km 36.6, just before where the OSM and GPT tracks join, we found a well maintained trail that was not on the map that led down to a puesto. The man who lives there, Leopoldo, was friendly. He opened the gate for us and took us to another gate close by and pointed us to a 2 track road that rejoined with the GPT track after about 500 m. On the main road to the park, few cars passed and they were all full. We had lunch at the Bridge 42.7. The Camp 42.9 looked reasonably good, but it was visible from the road, so not that private. We walked about 1 km before we finally caught a hitch to the park entrance. The park office had an open StarLink wifi network. We bought tickets, 11.400 each. Camping 53.3, Camping El Silencio, was free. Each site had a covered area with tables and benches. Water spigots at the sites were not working so we took water from the outflow of the lake next to the bridge. The caterpillar apocalypse was definitely not overstated. Live, dead, dying, they were everywhere, most ominously in some places as enormous mounds of dead ones, like something out of a horror movie. The park office had to close the main bathrooms due to them and opened a temporary one at the office. They let us charge our devices in the office overnight and pick them up in the morning.

Day 05 - Feb 06

We had a short day just hiking to Camp Raleigh. We stopped and had lunch on the beach of Lago Jenimeni. We passed several groups of day hikers on the way, but were the only ones called for the night. The caterpillars were not as bad there.

Day 06 - Feb 07

We took a zero day to wait out an all day rain event. Two other groups showed up part way through the day, one going either direction. Both intended to keep moving but after two hours of waiting and no break in the rain, they both decided to stay and move the next day.

Day 07 - Feb 08

The hike to Valle Hermoso was fairly easy. All fords were below the knee. At the last ford we went a little higher up and towards a small beach as the direct crossing to the trail marker was quite deep. Up to the pass was easy. On the way down the other side there were a few areas where it was steep and the trail was covered in scree, and a few places where the trail had been washed out, but nothing very difficult. There were some amazing views on the way down. All the fords until the camp were knee deep or below. Four other groups were staying at Valle Hermoso camp that night.

Day 08 - Feb 09

We took another zero day to wait out another all day rain event. All but one of the other groups stayed as well. The river went up about 15 cm over the course of the day and turned completely brown from all the sediment.

Day 09 - Feb 10

We had intended to do some exploration toward Opt 7 Mallin Grande because Garmin weather report said it was supposed to be partly sunny for the day. It turned out to be very cloudy with high winds and very cold, alternating light rain and some snow. The valley was also mostly covered in clouds and fog so we decided to just take another zero day.

Day 10 - Feb 11

We had good weather in the morning. We left for Opt 6 Fachinal. It was a really beautiful walk up. We were in water shoes until the first lake as there were many stream crossings. The first lake is a popular side trip from Valle Hermoso. One of the Chileans at the campsite mentioned that the valley was called Valle de los Glaciers. I'm not sure if that's an official name or just a common name, but we did see three huge glaciers, one above Ventisquero, and the other above the second lake. We passed a private refuge (-46.79249, -72.20797) that was locked, however they had prepped camp sites and an outhouse with running water, so it was possible to use the outdoor facilities if no one was there (if you use the toilet or sink, the water gate is down on the floor to the left of the toilet). It was too early to stop so we continued on. The trail around the bowl above the lake was faint but we were able to follow it. Over the pass the next valley opens up and is mostly flat. A lot of it was wetland, but we were able to find dry foot crossings by staying more on the west side. Occasionally we would come across a bit of trail and then it would disappear again. Around (-46.76362, -72.22212) where the track turns sharply east before heading north again, we switched to water shoes to cross the river. After that point we just left them on. As the track goes north again it enters a shallow canyon and we had to cross back and forth several times. We found a place to set up the tent near the stream at (-46.75834, -72.22028). A very short distance away (-46.75795, -72.22048) was a spot under some trees that was too small for an X-Mid 2, but would be nice for a 1-person tent or a smaller 2-person tent. It was fairly flat with nothing spikey and had great wind protection.

Day 11 - Feb 12

We started the day in water shoes. All the way to the pass we crossed back and forth across the stream. It was never deeper than half-calf, and no serious current. There is a really beautiful lake at the top just before they pass. There is a trail along the west side, but it was so overgrown and muddy that we just walked in the water along the edge of the lake. The pass is a low pass. Going down the other side we struggled through a lot of it. We would find what looked like a good trail and follow it, and then it would just abruptly end leaving us to bushwack for some distance before finding another piece of it. It was strange how some sections would look almost meticulously maintained and then suddenly it would look as if there had never been a trail at all. The track files were very helpful, especially since there were other trail sections that led in different directions. At (-46.69923, -72.22451) there was an abandoned puesto with a single grave next to it. We camped inside the corral of the puesto. Just before it we had passed by the second private refuge. That one did not have as good of quality campsites and the toilet was a latrine with no water. Water access was further down the trail in the direction of the first Tyrolean traverse. That last 400 m is currently marked as CC in the track files, however a trail now exists there and is very easy to follow.

Day 12 - Feb 13

We got up early to do the first ford. Water was crotch height (we're both about 165 cm) and with a good amount of current. The water was icy cold, milky and so hard to see through, and the bottom of the river had very large rocks so it was very uneven. It was one of the more challenging fords we've done. There is a second ford point listed in the track files, but we would not recommend using that point. It looks like a much easier ford, however in the far side there is a rock slide with very large rocks between it and the way to go forward on the trail. It looked to us like the area around the Tyrolean traverse was the only suitable place to cross. After the cross the trail follows the river for a couple hundred meters then heads very steeply up for a few hundred meters. Once up it was fairly easy to follow the trails, but we recommend again keeping an eye on the GPS as there were several trails, and while they often reconnected, sometimes they didn't. The second ford was just above the knee and with less current than the first, much easier for us. There was a flat area that would be good for camping on the far side. The trail then passed through open forest with a fairly clear trail, and through a few pastures where the trail disappeared. There seems to be less trail maintenance than in previous reports with a lot of downed trees not cleared. At around km 31 the trail heads downhill along a fence. There is a path that goes left to stay on the trail or goes right. We went right about 100 m and found an old puesto that has been completely broken down, but that has a nice flat area (-46.62948, -72.27663). We camped there for the night. Water was back out along the track through the fence. There was a side stream feeding into the river.

Day 13 - Feb 14

We had to use water shoes to ford the side stream as even in the morning we couldn't find a suitable place to cross dry foot. The day was warm and sunny and the trail was very pleasant. In a few places other trails showed up. They usually rejoined later. A section of the GPT track had been washed out by the river, so there were a few CC areas. Towards the end the trail passes through an area where a fire has gone through a few years prior. We made it down to the road around 14:00. Hitching was not easy. Very few cars passed by and nearly all of them were full. After about two and a half hours someone picked us up and dropped us off in Puerto Guadal.

We really enjoyed Opt 6 Fachinal and were very happy we chose to walk it. It was beautiful and had a varied landscape, and it felt very “GPT” compared to the park routes. We didn't see anyone else while we were on it. However we would recommend it as an exit since there is a lot of up and down and BB in parts that would be much easier without a full resupply. We would also recommend, if going NOBO, knowing the schedule for buses that pass along the road as it did seem that hitchhiking was not easy, and it was about 45 km or so of rather unpleasant, exposed and dusty road walking in either direction to the nearest towns. During the 24/25 season there were supposedly buses passing one direction or the other at least once during the day every day except Saturday.

''' 2025-Jan-28 to 2025-Jan-30/3 days / Hiking / SOBO / RH / Davide Materia '''

I pretty much had the same experience of MiamZelt, with same camping locations as him.
Details:
1- day. I would probably camp either a bit up than were he suggested, or a bit further down, as there are spots of grass created by dried pond, which if dry enough are perfect location for a tent, in general the location of the first camp is not ideal, many rocks and not that easy to find a spot. This mountain can get pretty windy, I would in general restrain myself from starting the section in bad weather, as even in good weather the wind is really strong, this also suggest why good care must be paid for the location of the tent.
2 trail is next to impossible to keep without gps, I doubt it even exist a real single trail. One good trick here is to jump over the fence and stay always on the right but following the fence until the gpx track and the former diverge. At that point there is a bit more of "grass-bashing" but you are getting closer to the off-track road. For the rest, I hitchhiked to the park once I reached the road and went to camping valle Hermosa, and damn Hermosa it was!!! Resting next to the river under the sun was the best moment in this section.
3 I kept following the track. Many fordings, more than the 2nd day. Luckily I restrained myself from the temptation of packrafting the river beside the trail as ~15km before Casa Piedra it gets inside canyons and becomes a deathtrap, there's a reason if Jan didn't do it by packraft, as always.
Camping Casa Piedra actually has hot shower if the stove warming up the water has been turned on quite in advance, no such luck for me...

4-The next day after deciding to not do Rio chacabuco given all the bad reports of previous years I hiked around 2 hours on the road until some locals picked me up to cochrane.

Awesome section, one I will remember for a long time

'''2025-Jan-23 to 2025-Jan-28 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Sean & Neele'''

Took the bus at 9am to skip the paved road walk.

After puesto 15.8km the gpx files are CC but there's a trail on OSM which we loosely followed to pass 20.8km, worked out well.

Very exposed and windy from 19km to 32km.

Camp 32.6km was wet, we camped about 500m further.

Got a hitch around 43.5km to park ranger 53km. Paid 11,400 each entrance.

Camp 53.3km and 61.7km have been taken over by caterpillars.

Ford 66.4km about knee deep at about 6pm on a rainy day.

Camped at valle hermosa 68.1km - well sheltered in the forest but lots of people.

Fords 68.4 - 71.6km, 79.3, 82.6, 86.2 all below the knee and easy in the morning after a rainy day.

Camped at 88.6km - slight protected from the wind.

Camped at 98.9km Casa Piedra to wait out some bad weather. 8k pp. WiFi, cooking room, warm showers.

Camped at Refuge 118.3km some wind protection but not great.

Easy walk out, camp 136.9km looked nice we debated staying but walked out instead.
Trail condition is really good after 139.1km so is pretty fast

*'''2025 Jan / 5 days / SOBO / RR + 35-06 alternative to Fachinal / Al & Bee'''

The alternative route to Fachinal is a beautiful and adventurous route, the glacier lakes are particularly stunning. However, the bushbashing part is quite demanding and time-consuming.

Day 01
Transport from Chile Chico to trailhead (X at 8.1) with Pamela. At the settler's property, we passed through a closed iron gate. Easy walking on MR to the Puesto with beautiful views of the lake when looking back. Hiked up through hills past sheep, horses and cattle to the pass. On the plateau it was extremely windy but stunning, with CC being easy due to minimal vegetation. Saw numerous curious guanacos and gorgeous flamingos on a lagoon. Followed OSM rather than GPT track. The marked camp spot was very exposed, so we continued downhill to find a relatively protected flat spot by the riverbed. Met a fellow GPT hiker which was great.

Day 02
CC down the hill to MR, encountering a fence and following a small trail to an empty puesto. Many areas were boggy. Spotted ibis and numerous other birds. Reached the road in the afternoon with no cars heading our direction. Walked to the park entrance, but the ranger station was already closed (open until 6pm). Caterpillars abounded. Walking along the shore of Lago Jeinimeni instead of the trail is often more interesting.

Day 03
Hiked on good trails through the national park. The view from the pass, which we ascended quickly, of the turquoise Lago Verde was beautiful. The caterpillar situation improved somewhat on the other side of the pass. Descended to Lago Verde and hiked up the broad river valley of Vallehermoso. All river fords were easily manageable. Weather was poor - rainy, windy and cold. After Refugio Vallehermoso, we left the RR for the optional route in a north-west direction. The valley was extremely windy at first, but we found a relatively protected campsite at the forest edge in a kind of recess of the valley (close to -46.82125, -72.17825).

Day 04
Hiked up the beautiful valley in north-west direction towards the two beautiful glacier lakes. River crossings were easy, at one the water was thigh-high. At the second lake there’s a mountain hut (-46.79241, -72.20793). Rocky path next to lake up to beginning of high plateau valley. Parts are boggy, otherwise easy CC. Potential wind sheltered campsite with flat spots at -46.76511, -072.21924. Hiked up along (and in) creek to third lagoon and the pass at 15.0 (on 35-6), lots of suitable campsites there. Hiked down from the pass into a forest. Trail finding was initially manageable but became very difficult, with the path extremely overgrown or non-existent. Sometimes there were cow tracks, sometimes broken off branches to indicate the direction. Don’t underestimate the amount of time you will need for this part. Hut at -46.69930, -72.22469 right before the first river crossing. Some suitable campsites in vicinity to hut. Crossing was easy right next to the zipline at 19.9, water about knee high. We camped at a camp without water in old corral ca. 20 minutes before second zipline at 24.0, carried water from river crossing at 19.9.

Day 05
Crossing was easy right next to the second zipline at 24.0, water was even lower than at the first. The trail continued up and down, often well above the beautiful turquoise Río Aviles, which flows through the valley, sometimes between narrow rocks, sometimes in a wider valley. The environment became drier and warmer, with evidence of past forest fires in some areas. We reached the road at the Río Aviles bridge. Initially no cars stopped, with little traffic passing. Eventually a small bus from Coyhaique heading to Chile Chico picked us up.

*'''2025-Jan-13 to 2025-Jan-17 / 5 days Hiking / SOBO/ RR + Variant L / MiaimZelt'''

I very much enjoyed this lovely section. Took the bus to skip the first 6.5km of Roadwalk. CC was indeed easy, on the way up i didn't follow the Track very closely. Crazy windy between km 19-30. Surprinsingly there were some small areas that had way less wind. Guess it should be possible to find a campspot somehow sheltered by the curves of the landscape, when you can't make it further. Camp {35} [32.6/1300] is exposed and has no shelter besides from the tiny stonewall. Camped here: -46.722612, -71.904105. Was sheltered by the valley and fits a 1 person tent, wind was ok. 100m below there is a spot which can fit a 2 person tent. While sitting in the tent 2 german GPT hikers arrived and took the spot below. I very much enjoyed their company.

Day 2 i could follow animal trails very often. Walked 4km on the road until i got a hitch. Entrance fee was 11400 for foreigner. You have to pay online, but they have WiFi. Tons of black caterpillars everywhere, gets better after Laguna Verde. Trail was in very good shape. Ford {35} [67.0/877] was up to the knees. Stayed at Camp Valle Hermoso, which is very good sheltered by the forest.

Day 3 i met no one, until i reached the camp. Trail was 99% in good shape, few meters overgrown with young beech trees. -46.89382, -72.161099 campspots with shelter from the forest. All fords were easy. Stayed at Camping Casa Piedra. 8000 per person, can pay cash or card. They have WiFi, Room to cook inside and a shower (not hot). Most campspots are sheltered by trees or buildings. Spots next to buildings were occupied by carcampers. Trees provided good protection, although 80km/h winds according to Windy.

Sendero 7 Lagunas was mostly in good to ok shape,
only in few parts the trail isn't visible at all. -47.094236, -72.286568 near pass has lots of flat space and is sheltered by the forest. Small stream here: -47.097866, -72.285581. Also flat areas nearby to create a makeshift campsite. Later the only sources for water were the lakes. Refuge, X {35} [119.1/716] is collapsed, but flat space protected by trees and bushes for one bigger tent. Water from the lake. Stayed at small flat space with very little wind here -47.140176, -72.372035 and listened to the birds.

Day 5 was mostly straight forward. Saw 2 Huemuls near the Minor Road. Lago Cochrane is a real gem. Open and abandoned huts here: -47.198091, -72.457465. There was a sign, saying danger becaus of rodents. Maybe not good to sleep in, but would be a good shelter in heavy rain. 1km later i saw the first dayhikers. Lot's of steep ups and downs at Sendero Carpinteros, but very beautiful. Got a hitch to Cochrane after 1.5km on the paved road.

*'''GPT 35 SOBO RR // hiking, hitchhiking // 4 days 1-4.01.2025 Maks & Gabi'''

Simply magical section with lots of guanacos, birds and beautiful landscapes. We hitchhiked the first 8 km and then from Casa de Piedra to Cochrane.
CC parts were quite easy and visible, later on when entering the park by Lago Jeinimeni the trail is incredibly well maintained. You can buy a ticket by the entrance because the is a wi-fi.

One thing that is worth taking into account when planning the hike, are insects - there are tons of mosquitos and quite a lot of horseflies. Furthermore the ranger (Jeinimeni entrance) warned us about black worms that are in the forests (not sure what is the name in eng). For that reason we did not sleep at the camping by the lake (see pictures), choosing a camp spot by the bridge at 50.0 km instead. It is better not to camp by the trees.
If you have a spare moment we really recommend the visitors center near Casa de Piedra as they have a really nice museum. If you already bought a ticket to the park it is free of charge.

About trail itself it's hard to say something new compare to the previous notes. There was no snow, all ford's easy to cross.

*'''2024-Nov-08 to 2024-Nov-16 / 8.5 / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Jonas'''
Day 01: 08.11.2024
Arrived by ferry from Puerto Ibanez in Chile Chico at 1430. Started walking right away. Caught a ride for about 3 km. After street, needed to open fence and door.
Dog kept following all day. Couldn't make him leave.
Settlers (mother & daughter) offered a ride but kept walking. Camp spot at 14.1 was too wet to stay there. Looked for another spot. Nothing was good, wanted to look after puesto at 15.8. settlers offered me mate and asked if I wanna pitch my tent here since it got late. Stayed close to their place. Same settler family who offered me a ride.

Day 02: 09.11.2024
Starting from the settlers puesto CC had light snow when packing my tent. Didn't follow the route exactly. On the way to the first pass, saw the first guanacos. Started snowing stronger. Didn't follow the track or the OSM path to avoid snowfields. Tried to follow the trails but not always possible. Stronger snow and windy. After the first pass went too far to the east to avoid snowfields, thought it'd be easy to come back to the trail but took a longer detour. At least saw the first flamingos! In the plateau it was crazy windy. Sometimes followed track, sometimes OSM. Often in between because of snowfields. Snowfields were not steep, just wanted to avoid them. More guanacos only on the way down. Camp at 32.6 was too wet. ~250 m further down found a protected spot close to a small river/creek.

Day 03: 10.11.2024
Woke up late. Water in pot was frozen about 1 cm thick. Walked down, saw a lot of bones. Followed not the OSM track. Crossed the fence relatively far to the west. CC walking was nice. Maybe as others mentioned there is a path sooner if you cross/stay further east. Hit the dirt road and walked to the main dirt road. Already afternoon. First Pick Up stopped and gave me a ride to the park entrance. Didn't book the ticket before. You can book it at the CONAF station with their WiFi for the same day. 11.400 CLP for the entrance. Camping is free. Walked to camp Raleigh (about two hours) and found a nice spot there.

Day04: 11.11.2024
Short day. Started late, trail easy to follow. In the beginning keep left if other trails are there. First fording section is well marked in the track files. Keep your shoes off until Ford Stop. Climb to pass is sometimes steep but easy. Climb down is ready with stunning view of Valle Hermoso. Some parts with some rock slides. After descend two rivers to ford. Until camp Valle Hermoso some stretches in wind protected first in the river bed, some stretches in open river bed. Easy to follow. Camp Valle Hermoso has two roofed areas.

Day 05 12.11.2024
Started from camp Valle Hermoso. If you keep south you can avoid all the fords. At least at this time of the year.
Trail is easy walking, landscape is stunning! Did a detour to Laguna Escondida. Nice and windy up there. To get there keep close to the track files.
Only needed to take the boots off for the ford at 79.3. The rest was easy to navigate around or enough rocks/trees in the river.
Camped at refuge 81.0 at the broken down cabin.

Day 06: 13.11.2024
Easy walking all day. Trail was easy to follow. Needed to ford once.
The bridge at 90.9 is something if you're afraid of heights.
Arrived early at Casa Piedra. Could use the infrastructure including warmish water. Since I said I won't pass the ranger station it was fine without paying.

Day 07: 14.11.2024
Trail is easy to follow. Lago Gutierrez looks amazing and quite windy. Some beach walking off track is nice. After Lago Gutierrez the trail is mainly easy to follow. Checked the GPS every now and then. Climb to the pass takes some time. Filled water up at a stream at the end of Lago Gutierrez. There was on running stream in the middle of the stretch to the pass. Not sure if it has water all year. Way down is through a beautiful forest. Nice views of the valley along the way. Some trees on the path but easy enough to climb them or walk around them.
Stayed at the collapsed refuge. Enough wind protection even though it was quite windy.

Day 08: 15.11.2024
Trail was easy to follow in the forest. Outside the forest check your GPS when you think you might be off trail.
Water in the beginning mainly from the lakes, later streams existed as well. Took the MR on the RR easy fast walking, no GPS checking necessary. Settler at 138.7 wasn't there passed by his house and followed the RR on a horse trail. Camped at around 142 at Lago Cochrane. Beautiful lake with clear water.

Day 09: 16.11.2024
For the last 12 km it was easy to follow the trail. Quite some up and down. Nice views on the lake. Arrived the CONAF office at lunch time. Did a self checkout. Stayed in Cochrane for two nights before the next bus to Villa O'Higgins left.

Really nice hike! Due to the time of the year I only met one other hiker. It snowed a bit in the first days but not too much. Trails were generally easy to follow. Fording was not too much, might be different at another time.

* '''2024-Dec-14 to 2024-Dec-18 / 4.5 / Hiking / SOBO/ RR + Variant J, L / Roman'''

Route: Hitchhiked from Chile Chico to X {35} [8.1/505]. Hiked to X {35} [41.5/768]. Hitchhiked from there to Park Ranger {35} [53.0/843] and hiked from there to -47.244414, -72.529165 and hitchhiked from there to Cochrane.

Started in the Morning in Chile Chico and and started hiking at X {35} [8.1/505]. It's a small easy hiking road up to Puesto {35} [15.8/1075]. It's easy CC. I camped at Camp {35} [32.6/1300]. The next day was a easy hike to X {35} [41.5/768]. I was waiting 25 minutes for the first car to come by which picked me up around 11:30 AM - so prepared to either walk or wait quite some time. At the Ranger Station (Park Ranger {35} [53.0/843]) is fesh water, a toilet. There you have free internet via starlink. I have heard multiple stories and read multiple prices for entry. I would recommend to just show up. You will scan the QR code and buy the ticket online. I said that I hike to "Casa Piedra camping". I had to buy the ticket "Parque Nacional Patagonia - Sector Chacabuco" for 5.200 CLP. Link here: https://tickets.pasesparques.cl/events/parque-nacional-patagonia-sector-chacabuco . From there i hiked to Camped at Refuge {35} [69.0/867] there are multiple fordings (river bed walking) which had a few banks and tables and a shelter hut. The next day hiked to Camp $, Refuge {35} [99.8/379] (Casa dePiedra). The Camp has electricity and a warm (not hot ;)) shower and toilets and 3 rooms with benches and tables for cooking etc. I was staying there with 2 other people and the Ranger. Apparently the Ranger doesn't collect/want money - i/we didn't needed to pay. There is Apparently a lady coming from time to time to collect a fee - so we were lucky. The trail was maintained and easy to hike. At the beginning there was some fording.

The next day I camped at Refuge {35} [131.2/556] which is only a emergency shelter but has some flat spots to pich a tent. The trail is not maintained and is sometimes very good or not visible at all - you need you GPS! Overall good easy to hike with some fallen trees. There is a bridge at -47.160823, -72.407796 also with water which makes the Refuge a great place to say. Picture of bridge https://imgur.com/a/ZydIQ7f and Refuge: https://imgur.com/a/NDMT0FP . After that it's a easy hike all the way to -47.244414, -72.529165 where I hitchhiked to Cochrane. I haven't camped there but this location looked like the best stay you could get in the trail here: https://imgur.com/a/rtak82Q. -47.198106, -72.457406 close to Camp {35} [138.4/173].

Stayed at Camping, Refugio ,Cabaña y HostelCochrane which i can highly recommend (camping 7k, dorm 9k, laundry 5k and a supermarket across the street)

Contact: https://linktr.ee/RundW

* ''' 2024-Dec-13 to 2024-Dec-17 / 5 days / GPT35 SOBO RR / wiiiim
Relatively uncomplicated & fast section, lots of info exists so just a summary here. In essence it feels like 3 parts

- part 1 Chile Chico to the park entrance: mostly cross country over a barren plateau with lots of animals. I arranged a taxi out of Chile Chico to skip the first 9km of road walk at 7am for an early start - Alexis +56 9 7971 5823. Surprisingly lots of water on this section.

- part 2 Park entrance to Casa de Piedra, park fee is 11400, very easy going, well marked trail, lots of water

- part 3 Casa de piedra to Cochrane, somewhat overgrown, less water, mostly from the lagunas so good to have a filter

I took the bus from Cochrane to Villa O’Higgins, it runs every Monday, Wednesday & Saturday at 8:30am (returning the next day), it’s a small publicly funded bus (8400 pesos) with about 25 seats, they typically want you to buy a ticket in person in Cochrane in the bus terminal upstairs (I believe the company is Gardy?), I got a ticket the afternoon before and it had 5 seats left.

* ''' 2024-Dec-12 to 2024-Dec-14 / 3 days go and back / GPT35 SOBO option 1 by car and Regular Road with a little part of option D and OH-CC-A-{35-06} to the first laguna/ Julien Mamari

All the way to the Releigh Camp is really easy and try with bridges.
Into the Releigh Camp and the 3rd camp you have 2 rivers to cross with the Gloria pass but it's really easy with sandals... Water to the knees maximum (on my time)
If you go to the first Laguna (option 6) on the right sise of valley better beguin on the left side for around 1km then you have obligation to cross and the best its to keep always on de right side, it's dry.

* '''2024-Nov-07 to 2024-Nov-10 / 4 days with one day of rest at home of Daniel “Huemul” / GPT35 Regular Route SOBO from Kilometer 100 to 150 / Sendero 7 Lagunas / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

This scenic route inside Parque Patagonia is officially closed due to lack of trail maintenance but still easily traversable. As we entered from the north we did not speak with any Conaf personnel and learned about the closure when exiting this route in Cochrane.

The GPT track file 2024 precisely documents the official route of Sendero 7 Lagunas from Kilometer 37 to Kilometer 5 (GPT35 Regular Route) where the Regular Route connects on other trails to Cochrane. Note that the OSM data is in large parts incorrect. OSM is showing a now partially overgrown and less attractive routing on disused trails and minor roads. So all topographic maps based on OSM data are unreliable in this respect.

About 30% of the trail is clearly visible, about 60% of the trail is vaguely visible and 10% of the trail are invisible as trail. There is just a trail mark every kilometer but no other visual aids to follow the official trail. This makes frequent GPS verifications essential. Without a GPS and without the correct tracks loaded to the GPS hikers get inevitably lost numerous times and it would be very time consuming to find the correct trail just based on visual references. But with a GPS it’s easy to stay on the trail.

There was no snow left on the 1126 m high pass.

In the forest numerous fallen trees block the trail but there is always an easy way around.

There are no noteworthy river crossings and the trail is dry. Water can be obtained regularly at smaller streams or at the lakes.

There are numerous potential camp sites except from the northern trail head and the 1126 m high pass. This northern end is mostly wind exposed with very little shelter to pitch a tent.

* '''2024-Nov-02 to 2024-Nov-05 / 4 days (but 50 km hitchhiked) / Hiking / SOBO / Option 4 (Ruta RP41 in Argentina) / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''

This option provides an alternative to the weather-exposed regular route of GPT35. Therefore this option should be considered early or late in the season (October, November or April) or whenever poor weather makes the regular route of GPT35 unsafe. This option is east of the Andes main mountain chain in Argentina and the clouds that typically come from the west unload most snow and rain while crossing the higher peaks in Chile. Anyway, the maximum altitude of just under 1500 m should not be undermined. Up on the pass area, weather can become unpleasant all year around.

This road walking option is certainly not as attractive as the regular route but the insignificant traffic and the scenic scenery makes it a worthwhile hiking choice. The landscape is that attractive that one tour company in Los Antiguos offers guided excursions along this route.

This option connects back to regular route of GPT35 at the trailhead of “Sendero 7 Lagunas” that becomes also traversable early in the season (October or November).

Route description:

The border crossing from Chile to Argentina is a 13 km hike or hitchhike as there is not organized public transport. Argentines rarely check luggage of backpackers, therefore bringing all supplies from Chile should not cause problems. Don’t be surprised when Argentine border controls don’t stamp your passport on entry. It’s not any more a given, that all travelers with passports receive an entry stamp when crossing into Argentina.

Before starting on RP41 consider a good meal in Los Antiguos.

The first 43 km on RP41 from Los Antiguos to Estancia Los Alamos are wind-exposed and dry. We were lucky to ride most of this stretch on the back of a pickups truck. From the road we could only see one more reliable water source at kilometer 39.5. And descending 100 to 200 m into gorge of Rio Jenimeni just to refill water supplies seams an ordeal that should be avoided.

The owners of Estancia Los Alamos are welcoming and helpful. We were invited for lunch and offered a bed for a night. But to get moving we opted to start hiking in the afternoon.

Estancia La Frontera at kilometer 46 of RP41 just after the bridge over Rio Zaballos seams also to offer accommodation on request. And here starts the more scenic part with patches of forest and more regular water streams crossing the road.

At kilometer 54 of RP41 by-passes are welcome to camp just next to Rio Lincoln. Here we spend our first night.

At kilometer 64 of RP41 the last patches of forest are left behind and exposed but scenic landscape is crossed.

The highest point of RP41 (“portezuelo”) is reached at kilometer 76 with just under 1500 m. The last snowmelt washed a part of road away stopping currently most transit traffic but hikers and bikers can cross this damaged road section without problems.

While walking from Rio Lincoln up to the “portezuelo” the wind and the light snowfall increased. But compared to the weather in Chile at the same time our conditions where quite manageable. The lack of wind-sheltered places keep us moving to kilometer 79 of RP41. Here, an unlocked puesto with a wood stove provided a surprisingly convenient shelter for our second night en route. We just had to seal some gaps in the walls to reduce the wind and snow from entering our temporary refuge. When getting up on the next morning a thin layer of fresh snow covered everything around us.

The descent to Paso Roballos at kilometer 96 of RP41 traverses open but scenic landscape with little natural shelter.

The best places to camp after the pass are:
Kilometer 79: unlocked puesto
Kilometer 87: maybe near puesto at 47°06'47"S 71°50'00"W
Kilometer 96: the crossing to Paso Roballos 2 km before the Argentine border control

At the Argentine border control camping is not permitted.

When exiting Argentina make sure to get an exit stamp. This stamp is required to enter into Chile.

Another good option is the abandoned Chilean military post 4 km after the Argentine border control. Most buildings of this small compound are sealed closed but one shelter is open and one mostly closed veranda provided good shelter for us for one night while rain and snow made pitching a tent less pleasant.

The Chilean border control is 11 km inland from the border.

From the Chilean border control it’s another 26 km to the trail head of “Sendero 7 Lagunas” with a brilliant camp site halfway (“camping alto valle”).

* '''Note:''' The RR was changed between Lago Jeinemeni and Lago Verge in October 2024, so numbering of options in the reports below might be slightly off.

==Season 2023/24==

* '''2024 Mar 14 to 2024 Mar 19 / 5.5 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR / Maddi and Tom'''

Day 1: Hiked out of Cochrane after lunch in light rain. Hiked up Sendero Las Aguilas then Las Lengas, easy trail and well defined. Rain got heavier as we approached Laguna El Cangrejo. Camped on the west side of the lake, started snowing lightly as we set up. One of the colder nights and we considered turning back and taking the lower route as we weren't sure how passable Laguna Altas would be in the snow.

Day 2: Woke up to a snowy morning so decided to wait it out in the tent. Packed up once it stopped around 11am and followed Sendero Los Condores. Luckily had a bit of sun as we went over the pass but as we were coming down the other side the rain and wind picked up. Abandoned our plans to hike the Lagunas Altas circuit and instead followed it straight down to Westwind campsite. Sat there for a bit hoping to see a puma but only guanaco in sight. Hiked towards Valle Chacabuco hoping for a hitch but no cars came past. Kept walking along Paso Roballos trying for a hitch, eventually a couple from the UK picked us up and dropped us at Casa Piedra. Spent the night there and got a hot shower which was excellent after all the rain and snow. Didn't end up paying any entry fees for the park or the camping as noone asked.

Day 3: Got up fairly early to overcast day but no rain. Followed the eastern branch of the Sendero Aviles which was clearly marked and easy to follow. The bridge over the canyon is fun to rejoin the west branch of the trail. Kept following the track along, easy going until you hit the river bed and then there are many crossings back and forth. We did a bit of dodgy scrambling up the banks to avoid getting wet feet. We were going to push on but it started raining lightly about 4pm so we set up camp in the trees along the river. Another group joined us later that night as it was raining heavily and it was the first flat and clear spot.

Day 4: Started along the track, excellent views as you pass Cerro Jeinimeni. Fairly easy track down to the next river, followed by a lot of walking in the river bed. Gave in and just walked through the water to Lago Verde. Crossings were never really over ankle deep. Track around Lago Verde is fine to follow with excellent views. Very windy as we got over the pass and the path down is quite eroded (but manageable). Hiked around to Raleigh. There is a new suspension bridge over the river at Raleigh that connects to Sendero Laguna Esmerelda. It isn't marked on Gaia or Maps Me so a group behind us went around the other way and had to do a hip deep river crossing. Going via Raleigh and Sendero Esmerelda avoids all river crossings and is an easy track to follow. Hiked all the way to El Silencio for the night, noone there so didn't pay any fees.

Day 5: Started the hike out along the road hoping for a hitch but no cars went by. Headed up the plateau following a minor road, then relying on GPS and animal tracks. Lots of guanaco. Kept hiking up the hill as the wind picked up. Found a camp spot somewhat out of the wind towards the top of the plateau with a small river passing by for water. Started snowing as we went to sleep.

Day 6: Woke up to a few cms of snow on the ground and tent and started a very frosty walk up and over the plateau. Lots of guanaco around but not much else other than snow. Luckily the sun came out as we were coming back down the other side as it was freezing up the top and was difficult navigating with the snow cover. Once it cleared we had awesome views of the Torres de Avellano and the lake. The descent track is pretty eroded and very slippery in parts where mud is hidden under small stones. Eventually joined up to the minor road and followed it down to Ruta 265. I had a weird phenomenon with my shoes picking up enormous amounts of sticky mud on the minor road, making my feet a few kgs heavier and having to scrape it off every 100m. Got a hitch to Chile Chico from Ruta 265.

* '''2024-Mar-12 to 2024-Mar-17 / 4 + 2×0.5 = 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + OH D + F / Joscha'''

Day 1: RR [0.0-16.7]

I startet around 2 pm and did not try to hitch the first 8 km on the primary road. There is a good flowing stream at the water marker (km 12.2) and at the camp (km 14.1). The flat spot that is camp 14.1 is swampy and therefore not ideal for camping. I camped at -46.60658, -71.80980 which is at least a little bit wind protected. There is also a stream on the other side of the RR close to this spot.

Day 2: RR [16.7-48.2]

There was plenty of water. The RR was covered in snow from about km 23 to 28. I took a CC shortcut from km 40.8 to 42.7. I camped at -46.810258, -71.965073.

Day 3: RR [48.2-59.1] + OSM trail to Laguna Verde + OH35-D + RR [62.4-88.9] + OH35-F + RR [70.3-78.9]

The park gate at km 50.1 is open from 9 am to 5 pm. But the ranger didn't mind, that I entered before 9 am. I paid 17000 Pesos at the ranger station (km 53). This fee allows camping at all the Campgrounds in the park. I followed the official park trail which branches off at km 59,1 to Laguna Verde. From there it returns via OH35-D to the RR. All fords today were below my knees. After km 75.5 the RR was partially flooded and you had to walk through some branches. Therefore I sometimes walked in the river bed on the eastern side of Rio Aviles. I camped at km 78.9. Its an official campground of the park, but there is nothing. But its flat and wind protected.

Day 4: RR [78.9-106.3]

The roof of the refuge at km 93.9 is collapsed. Casa de Piedra is a real house with bathrooms and some common rooms to hang out and probably sleep. I camped on the lakeshore at -47.074614, -72.25701. I would not recommend this spot for windy nights.

Day 5: RR [106.3-137.6]

The next reliable water source after Lago Gutierrez (km 106.3) is a stream at km 113.8. Its possible to camp just south of the pass (km 110.8). I did a shortcut from km 129.1 to 130.3. I had to cross a small swampy area for that. Camping at km 137.6 is nice.

Day 6: RR [137.6-150.4]

Nice campsite at km 146.0 (RN Tamango) with sheltered tables and spots for camping. I stayed at camping calafate in Cochrane (-47.254013, -72.568419). It has a kitchen with common area (heated by wood oven), wifi and hot showers for 7000 pp.

* '''2024-Feb-24 to 2024-Mar-01 / 6.5 days / Packrafting / SOBO / RR+RP / Lauren & Seb'''

Much has been said about this section, so we will share only our impressions.

Day 1: After reaching wp Settler {35} [8.9/539] by taxi in the early evening, we hiked a short distance and camped at wp Camp {35} [14.1/923]. On a windy day it’s basically unprotected in a narrow valley. There was no wind that day, making it a spot with a great view.

Day 2: Upon reaching the plateau, it felt like a guanaco/flamencos safari as previously described. To get up there, you have to CC on one manageable steep stretch. Follow the dotted line in OSM relatively far to the left and not the GPT files. We camped north of wp Water {35} [28.1/1579].

Day 3: We headed across the pass and amazing views opened up before us. On the downhill, follow the GPT line until you reach a fence. Go through the fence on the left end and follow the fence line towards wp Puesto {35} [34.6/1191]. From the side of the puesto, you can easily follow well trodded horse tracks along the fence line until -46.75064, -71.89899. Follow the trails along the river towards the south until you hit the MR. We stopped for the night at wp Camp {35} [42.9+0.2/713].

Day 4: Cars did not appear until after 10am but we eventually got a ride to the park entrance. From here, the more touristy part begins. Once inside the park we decided to walk the MR around Lago Jeinemeni and only inflated the packraft at Lago Verde. This was an absolutely great paddle on the most turquoise waters and we were lucky with the afternoon wind. We stayed the night at Refuge {35} [68.1/867].

Day 5: The next part has lots of fording so expect slow progress. We left our crocs on for the next 3 km. Well marked trail through the forest and across the pass. On the other side, however there is a new official route which starts here -46.87696, -72.17213 and requires more fording. The old trail still exists and no fording was necessary. Stick to the GPS here if you want to save time taking your shoes off! The rest of the way down the valley was enjoyable and we stayed the night just before wp Ford {35} [82.6/805].

Day 6: Easy hiking down to Camp Piedra where we stayed and camped early.

Day 7: We started paddling Rio Chacabuco the next morning, but I would advise packrafters against doing so (at least in the late season). Conditions of the river included low water levels with frequent ground contact and many trees in the water. The river splits often, making the already low water even lower and obstacles in the tightly winding corners become even more tricky. First time that we hit a tree since we are on the GPT. As if that wasn’t enough, wind picked up early and forced us out of the water. We decided to water-out here -47.05177, -72.29040 and hiked up the road, where a car took us towards Cochrane after 2 hours.

* '''2024-Feb-27 to 2024-Mar-04 / 5.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR - {35-S} - {35-D} - RR - {35-J} - RR - {35-L} - RR / Lilian & Rainbow '''

Safari = GPT35, we saw foxes, bunny, flamingos, ostrich, owl, woodpecker, and more than 100 guanacos at this section!

We standing at the end of town more than 1 hour and found that it is really difficult to hitch out by low traffic. So we go to tourist information ask for help maybe a ride, a man at there said he can take us to x[8.1/505] for 10k CLP, but lastly he just took us to the junction at km5.9, and said he don't want to drive on a non paved road, then don't wait us to respond and throw our backpacks out from his car immediately, and ask for the money.

So, DON'T ask any ride in tourist information at Chile Chico, they cheated our trust.

Km12 : flat spot (-46.57669, -71.82779) can fit some tents at other side of a stream, the stream is flowing good and dry feet crossable by rock hopping.

Km12.75 : viewpoint(-46.58294, -71.82549) of a valley with sky blue colour, super beautiful, don't miss it!

Camp[14.1/923] : grassland spot, a small stream is flowing low beside it.

Km16.6 : flat spot(-46.60658, -71.80980), have some covers can stay away from the wind tunnel in valley at north.(wind from north)

After this spot, no more camping spot or flat spot have wind protection until camp[32.6/1300]. Wind is crazy at the plateau.

Camp[32.6/1300] : tiny wind protection from a rock wall, just fit 1 tent for it. Better wind protection nearby camp[42.9/713].

Short cut CC from 38.2 to 42.7, it doesn't save much time, better follow GPX track, MR is completely finished and super easy to walk. It also walk beside some beautiful meadows that are nice to camp(no wind protection).

Camp[42.9/713] : spots at a wet muddy road. Better spots nearby at (-46.79053, -71.91127), dry and 2-3 sides wind protection by bushes, can fit many tents there.

Didn't see any cars going south at morning, so road walking all the way to entrance. 11k CLP for entrance fee, 6k CLP for camping fee, total 17k CLP, can pay by credit card.

Camp,$,bridge,lake[53.3/852] : El Silencio campsite and Lago Jeinemeni. This campsite is a little bit crown with car camping, and the lake is amazing beautiful!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND walking on the shore of lake from km56.65 - km57.75(from the junction of viewpoint, to the point that trail met the beach), easy, dry feet and excellent beautiful!

Bridge[58.9/856] : after this bridge, follow south route ( {35-S} & RP{35} ) to Lago Verde, then take the bridge(-46.86056, -72.07982) to cross the river. Lastly follow {35-D} rejoin RR. Dry feet.

Lake [59.2/840] : Laguna Esmeralda. Didn't find any camping possibilities. Better views at trail.

Refuge[61.7/856] : beside Laguna Esmeralda, a super blue lake. This refuge is not a cabin, just a shelter with 3 side wooden wall, good wind protection, but I'm not sure about heavy rain, because i saw many holes at the wall. Better camping spot with views beside the lake(not much wind protection).

Ford start/end[63.4/896] : late season, all the way easy dry feet crossing, walking on log or rock hopping.

Pass[64.5/1132] : no camping spot here, the spot shown on OSM, is already covered by many blowdowns. Nice viewpoint(-46.84093, -72.10324) of Lago Verde just SW of here.

Ford[66.1/877] : better river crossing point at (-46.83741, -72.11991), there is a sign at another side of river. Below knee, easy.

Ford[66.4/859] : river breaks into some parts, below knee, easy.

Refuge[68.1/867] : shelter with 2 walls, nice weather protection. Refuge with 4 walls, but huge air tunnel at ceiling, so just wind protection. A sign book inside refuge too. Camping spots at here can fit lot of tents, mostly have some wind protection, but not much, because trees are too tall, and just 1 spot behind a blowdowns have well wind protection.

Fords[68.4/869] - [71.6/905] : lot of river crossing, some trail can go around the river, but not much help and they are overgrown, so finally you need to be crossing and crossing then wet feet.

Km74.7 : camping spot(-46.87204, -72.17630), can fit 3-4 tents with some weather protection by the forest. Have a shelter made by logs here, can squat 1-2 hiker inside for emergency, but not much help, because it is really small and too many holes on it.

Km75.7 : camping spot(-46.87886, -72.16954), can fit 3-4 tents with some weather protection by the forest.

Km78.9 :camping spot(-46.90498, -72.15591), and some more spots nearby, total can fit 4-6 tents with some weather protection by the forest.

Ford[79.3/846] : Below knee, easy.

Refuge[81.0/819] : no refuge, no shelter. Camping spot with views can fit 2 tents but no protection.

Ford[82.6/805] : Below knee. Camping spot(-46.93485, -72.15869), can fit 2 tents with not much weather protection by the bushes, before the crossing.

Km83.3 : camping spot(-46.94089, -72.15600), can fit 2-3 tents with some weather protection by some trees. Also one spot at south but not much protection.

Km84.7 : camping spot(-46.95268, -72.15123), can fit 1 tent with some weather protection by some brushes.

Km88.6 : camping spot(-46.98397, -72.15988), can fit 2 tents with weather protection by some trees and brushes. Flat area nearby can fit many tents with good views but no protection.

Bridge[90.9/635] : classic bridge! Worth to take a look and walk on it!

We took {35-J} instead RR here, because less puds, also walking on a plateau looks like more scenic.

{35-J} Km5 : viewpoint(-47.03902, -72.19077) of the whole valley, very beautiful! Don't miss it!

Camp,$,refuge[98.9/379] : Casa de Piedra campground. Have some shelters with picnic table for cooking, and a refuge with hot(warm) shower, toilet and some tables for meals. If you decide to camp here, please expect sleep late. This spot mostly are campers and tourists. They'll speaking and cooking until 10 or 11 or midnight.

You can take a shuttle form here to Cochrane(30k CLP per person) or Camping Los West Wind(15k CLP per person)

Time schedule: 9am Cochrane - 9.45am Museo, 10am Museo - 10.15am Camping Los West Wind, 10.30am Camping Los West Wind - 10.45am Museo, 12noon Museo - 1pm Camping Casa de Piedra, 4.30pm Camping Casa de Piedra - 5.15pm Museo, 5.30pm Museo - 6.30pm Cochrane

Start from here, the trail is not maintained anymore, but still in good condition.

Km103 : Lago Gutierrez, amazing beautiful lake, have some minutes i thought back to Norway again.

Km103.85 : a small stream(-47.07911, -72.22738) flowing good with clear water, easy to collect.

Pass[110.8/1126] : some fresh snow remain at here.

Km112.45 : emergency camping spot(-47.10718, -72.28893), the ground is a little soft, but is flat and some wind protection, can fit many tents here.

Km116.9 : Laguna Guagua. Camping spot(-47.13350, -72.30170), can fit 2-3 tents with some wind protection from west by bushes, SW of the spot have a side trail to lake. BUT, DON'T go for {35-02A} back to RR, it is completely CC and BB with spike plants, not fun. Better CC climbing up to RR from camping spot directly.

Refuge,X[118.3/716] : no refuge, it is collapsed. The woods becomes a super small shelter here. If you lost your backpack, crawling inside maybe can save your life. Otherwise just for photos snapping function.

From here to km125.0, you will walk beside 3 lakes, didn't see any wind protection camping spots there, but if you have good luck at a no wind night, you maybe find some spots at the last lake.

Km125.0 : road walking start. Flat spot with some wind protection on the road can fit 1-2 tents at here too.

Km125.9 : junction of RR and {35-L}, because the road is too easy to walk and follow, we completely miss this junction and walk a long time then realised RR is a different way, so we keep going on {35-L} and rejoin RR later.

{35-L} km3.6 : a small stream(-47.17383, -72.37063) flowing good with clear water, easy to collect. Flat spot can fit 1-2 tents after the crossing.

We walked the whole way{35-L} and rejoin RR at km130.8.

RR Km132.4 : flat spot(-47.17220, -72.42231) can fit 1 tent at the end of lake. With some wind protection by forest.

Camp[136.9/162] : can fit 2-4 tents with weather protection by forest, but if the wind is come from south, it is not much help. Excellent views on the beach.

Camp[137.6/173] : can fit 2-3 tents with wind protection from east and north by trees. Excellent views on the beach. Just beside a port, looks like can take a boat to here.

Km138.3 : camping spot(-47.20064, -72.46718), total can fit 3-5 tents at several stage, some spots have good wind protection by trees and bushes.

From here to km146.0, lot of up and down beside some cliffs (maybe slippery in rain), but it is a trail with lot of amazing views, we are really enjoyed it.

Km139.77 : a tiny stream(-47.20803, -72.47813) flowing good with clear water, easy to collect.

Km141.73 : side trail to viewpoint(-47.21986, -72.49280) and cell service for Movistar.

Km142.15 : flat grassland(-47.22231, -72.49623) can fit 4 tents just beside the beautiful lake, some wind protection by valley itself.

X[143.9/244] : cell service for Entel(-47.23128, -72.50780)

Km146.0 : RN Tamango campground, some shelters for cooking, large arae for camping, hot shower and trash can, 7k CLP per person.

Km146.5 : the last flat spot(-47.24353, -72.53067) before Cochrane, some wind protection by brushes, can fit 1-3 tents with nice sunrise, you can arrive there by a clear trail beside ranger station, the trail is shown on OSM map.

Cochrane :

Lot of accommodation, markets and restaurants, and 2 outdoor gear shops.

230g gas canisters, power bank, chargers and tent stakes at Supermercado Melero(-47.25386, -72.57414).

Sunglasses, micro spikes, snow shoes and some clothes at La Ruta 7 Patagonia(-47.25591, -72.57320).

Sleeping bag, tents, boots(just 1 trail runner), socks, base layer, warm clothes and pants at Kalfu Patagonia(-47.25474, -72.57018).

Clothes at Vansy(-47.25417, -72.57431), not a outdoor gear shop, but some sporty clothes and pants for a low price at here.

Some campground and lot of indoor stays at Cochrane. The only hostel is Camping, Refugio ,Cabaña y Hostel(a long name) (-47.25446, -72.57497). And most of the rooms here include breakfast(without kitchen), 20k CLP per person. The only one we found with kitchen(but no breakfast) is Casa Raíces Hostal(-47.25113, -72.56848).

Bus terminal to Coyhaique, Villa Cerro Castillo, Villa O' Higgins, Chile Chico, Puerto Rio Tranquilo and Tortel at (-47.25137, -72.57317).

Tourist information(-47.25439, -72.57283).

I recommend La Martica(-47.25112, -72.57266), local restaurant with nice food in a good price.

* '''24-Feb-17 to 2024-Feb-22 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, Variant L / Tomáš & Natalie'''

There were several hitchhiker groups out of Chile Chico so we took a taxi (990250968) to the settler at 8.9 for 10,000 CLP. Nobody was there, but there is a locked gate so it would not be possible to take a taxi further up. For pedestrians, there is an unlocked door. One can shortcut the first zigzag of the road thereafter and several others, it is open terrain. We camped in a dry lakebed (for windprotection) about 1 km after the first pass. Despite strong wind in Chile Chico and a forecast of wind gusts over 60km/hr, the night was largely peaceful with just one hour of wind. The plateau has terrain features and it seemed to us it is not that impossible to camp there, but maybe we were just lucky.

The next day was like a safari, lots of animals and little wind. Pawprints on lake bed turned out to be a big dog and not a puma according to the rangers though. Going down from the plateau, it is possible to shortcut the GPX track to the SE and end near the puesto at 34.6. Trail starts above the puesto but is not so easy to follow and the GPX does not seem to be the most precise. It is advisable to take a CC shortcut to bridge at 42.7 as mentioned by Adrien Kunzli: about 1 km before the end of MR 38.2, veer right aiming for a black outcrop on the mountain on the other side of the valley and you will pop out above the bridge. We got lucky and got a ride at around 16:30 to the parkoffice. We paid 15000 CLP only for one person - they forget to charge the other one. They were friendly and told us the weather forecast. We did not get any receipt or pass though. Walked two hours to campsite Raleigh, there were two other foreign tents there. The new trail is technically the old "laguna Esmeralda" (RP 59.2) trail with a new bridge, so keep left to avoid fords, combined with variant D it seems preferable to RR even when not intending to camp [November 20224: this is not RR].

From Raleigh, the first fords were possible to cross without fording thanks to logs and stones. The next valley is indeed beautiful, especially Lago Verde. There were about ten tents but no people near the refugio at 67.6. Tomáš tried to go around the second fords through the forest on the left and he eventually reached variant F, which exists but partially goes through a marsh and does not avoid fording anyway: it is pointless, just ford. Initially the start of the fords seem like a marsh, go around it from the right through the river, it is a nice riverbed thereafter. Rio Aviles was kneedeep and ok. Ford 71.2 is mighty - go downstream about 200 m, it splits and is easy there (there is a cairn in the middle). We camped at a camping site marked on OSM about 2 km further down from there. There is a place for one tent about 20 m from a creek. Very nice spot. Having a headstart to people starting from the park office, we only met three groups of foreigners all day.

Variant J does not avoid any substabtial fords, water at 96.1 is easily jumpable and the river is bridged on both J and RR.
Casa de Piedra is a nice spot with resident guanacos (and some tourists). Tomáš had a hot shower! We were asked for our passes - we explained we were not given them and it was ok. We went on. The Siete Lagunas trail is surprisingly in a rather good shape. It is little used but not much overgrown and generally easy to follow, needing a GPS only occasionally. Tomáš liked it tremendeously. Did not meet anyone on it.

We slept near the pass next to a marsh. It rained most of the night but stopped before morning, luckily the trail was not too wet the next day. The first stream after the pass is very weak (not flowing if not raining?); it flows from the marsh by which we slept and is about 500 m after the pass waypoint. The next stream is about 1 km further down, it had more water. After that, water is only in the lakes. Tomáš cleaned a lot of the logs and branches from the trail, if you can spare a moment, please do likewise. We could not see any traces of option 02A or option K. We took option L near km 129.9 - we were confused by other reports because we thought people were taking the much longer part of L that follows a MR. RR leaves the Siete lagunas trail at the end of option L after 29 km. The trail probably goes to Valle Chacabuco. [OSM has Variant F and L marked as "Sendero 7 Lagunas", this is wrong. Variant K looks to be indeed CC and variant L looks to be an unnecessary detour on a MR (overgrown and with logs at first when RR is on this MR - when you cross the MR again after four km on RR, it no longer looks that overgrown). November 2024: OSM has been corrected.] On L, one can easily take a CC shortcut from top of the hill to MR. We found two shortcutting trails to the MR. We met Daniel who was coming back from cutting invasive pines with his chainsaw, he had a friendly and humorous attitude. Camped at the lake at the wind protected camp.

The night brought surprisingly strong wind and rain - try to camp deeper in the forest. We followed a faint trail tracing the shore of the lake instead of CC 137.6, in the middle of it there was an apple tree that will be ripe in March probably. Did not meet anybody until the viewpoint above the lake that says "signal Movistar" (we have Entel, which has a sign 2 km further on but it did not work, just wait one hour until Cochrane proper), from then on, there were daytrippers. CONAF had a lunch break so we passed unnoticed. Cochrane as a town is ok.

Nat's Notes:
The Bulk shop in Chile Chico (Güenta Emporio) is not open on weekends, they have weird hours and sometimes need to call before; Andrea +56 9 9540 1708. I recommend the hospedaje Rio Baker, 15mil pp which is the general price here.
The plateau
- Besides Descabezado, this area was one of the most visually interesting sections for me. I haven't had that much fun taking photos in a long time. At first the guanacos scared me a little, I felt like I was surrounded by ninjas, eventually I warmed up to them. A good place for a zoom camera.
-For me the going was slow, besides being tired and equipped with rash-covered feet I found the navigation tricky. I kept aiming for the wrong pass because there are many rolling hills. However I found things got better near and after pass km28.8.
- Water in the plateau is still frequent. If one wants to camp as close to the plateau as possible (SOBO) I suggest this spot:-46.62397, -71.81920. Also there is a nice grassy and fairly sheltered spot near water km23.9: -46.66437, -71.84393 and a big flat grass patch at water 30.6. There is a huge boulder for wind protection if needed here; -46.65469, -71.83997. In the valley bottom near the puesto, there are less/no camping spots. I did not like all the dogs at puesto 34.6, so I purposely avoided it.
- When finishing the plateau section, I filled up on water at the last stream that wasn't the main river here: -46.72842, -71.89633, as I didn't think we would get a hitch to the park office.

Sendero Avilés
- The descent from pass km64.5 is nothing, just a bit of dirt dust that makes traction hard. The only part on this track that I would worry about safety-wise (apart from the two river crossings) is a new steep traverse 2ish kms after pass km74.1: -46.88996, -72.16428. I decided to throw my bag down 5m instead of walking down the "free fall". (Alternatively you could ford rio Aviles twice.)
- The series of mini river crossings were all fine, there is a nice water source before pass km74 in the forest once you finish all the fords, it comes from a waterfall not far away.
- Near the end I took Variant J bcs I thought it avoided a river crossing (no rivers to cross but RR doesn't either). If you do this option I recommend still going to the hanging bridge at the X of J and RR bcs it is a fun and unique bridge!
- Cassandra at Case Piedra was nice and easy to get along with.

Siete Lagunas
- The water we took from the marsh was probably the grossest water I have had to drink, lots of algae and oil, I filtered and boiled. (The second stream was much better.)
- As noted the trail is not hard to follow at this moment, only a handful of times I lost it. That being said it could be because we were walking near the end of the season and therefore it was obvious where ppl had been walking (pushed down grass), I think it would be a lot harder at the beginning of the season. Another bonus was that most spikees were gone.
- Near to camp 136.9, there is a water source. It is at the end of the beach, 200-300m west of camp. There are two or three more water sources on the first part of the trail but after the look-out, there are no more.

* '''2024-Feb-6 to 2024-Feb-11 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + option L / Yannick & Nolwenn & Tess & Lukas'''

- Trail condition : really nice overall // the trail is sometimes overgrown and easy to loose from km 113,5 to km 122, so just keep an eye on the gps
- Water : easy to find plenty of rivers and lagunas
- Camping spot : we camped at km 32,6 and it was a bad idea, too exposed and we got snow and a lot of wind during the night, would really recommend to go down more // we camped near the lago Gutiérrez at km 106,15 there is place for 2 tents
- Weather : windy, sunny, snow, rain
- River crossing : easy
- Resupply : in Chile Chico (a bulk shop just opened in front of the camping Nandu) // in Cochrane everything you need
- Entrance fee : for park Patagonia 11 000 pesos per pp + 6 000 pesos for camping per pp
- Overall : really nice section, we were happy to encounter 3 huemuls

*'''2024-Jan- 18 to 2024-Jan-24/ 7 days/hiking/SOBO/ 35/ 35-02a( from 47.1567357S, 72.4154650W)/ 35-02 ( from S 47.12123, W 072.46099) /35-03 ( from S 47.11712 W072.48494)/35-03c ( from Laguna El Cangrejo)/35-03d/ 35 from Lago Cochrane/ Paulina'''
Long, beautiful tour in Parque Patagonia, as I mixed different variants, it allowed me to see all the divercity of the park. Almost no people, a lot of guanacos, a really beautiful section!

Day 1 The way from Chile Chico to Lago Jeinimeni. I was prepared to walk all the way, but as some cars stoped and it was a very hot day, I took a lift ( I have walked maybe 8 km in total ). I stopped at 46.7304997S, 71.7415019W, to do the loop of about 7 km in the first reserve of Jeinimeni. The entrance is paid 6000 CLP but the ticket is valid later, at the main entrance at Lago Jeinimeni ( the next 2 days). It's really worth to walk on this place. The rock formations are amasing. It takes about 3h and you can leave your backpack at the park reception After that, another car stoped and took me to the main entrance of Lago Jeinimeni. The views from the road are really scenic, it's a pity not to walk some parts of this road, lucky my car was old and slow so I could admire the views.

Day 2 From Lago Jeinimeni to the refugio and camping at 46.8406732S, 72.1409082W. The first part of the trail to Portezuelo La Gloria is rather easy, it stays mostly in the valley, the ascent to the pass is not very difficult and rather short. On the way down from the pass there are some steeper moments and there are some places where the trail is distroyed by a kind of stone avalanche so you have to find your way thru the stones. Amasing views on Laguna Verde. Once you are down at Laguna, there are some fords, when I was there, the highest one was till knees.

Day 3 A lot of fords all the way in Valle Hermoso, there were all easy to cross. Also, you can't clearly see the path but anyway, you have to follow the valley. Sometimes there are signes so you will always find the way. This day, the only a bit more difficult place you can find around S 46.89032 W 072.16461. Going SOBO it's a steep descent, it's very short but steep. Can be dangerous after the rain. Later the views on the canyon on Aviles river became really amasing, it was for me one of the most beautiful part in all the park.

Day 4/5 I had 6 km till Casa de Piedra ( there was a tiny spot for one tent with a stream at this distance) and I started the part Siete Lagunas. At Casa de Piedra I asked the ranger if the trail was walkable and he confirmed that it was ok and I could go. But, as the others already mentioned , the trail is not maintained anymore. Till the end of Laguna Gutierrez it's rather easy to find the way without gps, but later, there are some places where the path is not at all visible. With trail on gps is not very difficult to find the way, but without this, can be very difficult to follow this trail. There are also a lot of fallen trees, some BB. If they do nothing, I think in 2 years the path will completely disapear. But it's a beautiful trail, wild, you meet nobody, a pure and intacked nature. Just take enough water, the first day of this sendero the water was at Lago Gutierrez and later about 1h after the pass.

Day 6 Instead to continue on RR I went to Valle Chacabuco to discoverer also this sector. I started with the trail Lagunas Atlas. Well marked, beautiful, various views, it was the most frequented part of the park, but still I can't say it was crowded. Beautiful camp on Laguna el Cangrejo.

Day 7 The views on Lago Cochrane are really amasing. The landscapes and the vegetation are in this part different than before.

To conclude, I did not encontered really difficult places on this long hike. As I walked through all sections of the park, it allowed me to see all the divercity of the area. Except maybe 3 h in Valle Chacabuco, I did not really meet people in the park. It was a beautiful section! In Cochrane, you will find a lot of shops where you can find everything you need for next section. There are several campings ( I liked a lot Camping Lorenzo not crowded, nice place to cook with gaz, friendly owner, spots with twin protection

* '''2023-Dec-28 to 2024-Jan-04 / 8 days / RR / SOBO / Roshi'''

I hitchhiked from Chile Chico to X{35}[8.1/505] and did not see the settler at El Ciprés. It was very windy and I decided to cross the plateau at midday which was maybe not the best idea. The cross country I found very challenging and the extreme head wind across the plateau was in relentless. Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed the amazing landscape and the challenge, although a less windy day or starting earlier would have made it more enjoyable. I camped close to Camp 32.6/1300 at a dry spot and the next day followed the fence down to the road and walked to the Park entrance at Jenimeni. The park rangers told me of an alternative route to the start of the Avilés trail to Casa de Piedra and gave me some maps and info, they were very friendly. I paid 3000 pesos for park entry. I camped at Valle Hermoso which lives up to its name and then did a day hike to the glacial lake leaving my tent at the Refugio Valle Hermoso and following Estero Ventisquero or part of OH-CC-A {35-06} After packing up I then hiked a couple of kms down to a next campsite (there are a couple of established places to set up your tent on the way to Casa de Piedra). From Casa de Piedra I followed the Site Laguna's trail which was overgrown and difficult to follow and navigate and for me probably my least favourite part. The kms are marked but you really have to follow the GPS me there aren't many places to pitch if you don't feel like hiking anymore. I think going down into Chacobuco (which I had done previously) would have been nicer. I loved the Lago Cochrane and Tamango reserve the views and colours were amazing and the trails very easy to follow and not very busy. I got a lift into Cochrane halfway from the entrance but the road walk is not long anyway and I was not actively hitching.

Annoyances were horse flies but I got good advice to "out Zen" them and to be honest once you let it go and enjoy the views and being in nature generally they are easy to deal with. Just don't stop between 2 and 8 PM ;)
And from Jenimeni to Casa de Piedra is lots of river crossings so just accept wet feet :) and try do river crossings in the morning especially on hot days ( esp Avilés) Be safe and sensible obviously!
I would have maybe even liked to stay longer on this part of the trail, there were lots of little day hikes and alternative routes I'd have loved to explore, but I didn't have enough food. It's a beautiful part of the world, enjoy it!

* '''From 2023-01-15 to 2023-01-19 // 5 days // Hiking // NOBO // VARIANT P + OPT3 + OPT3A + RR + VARIANT J + VARIANT I + VARIANT D + Sendero Laguna Esmeralda (no variant on that one yet) + RR // Quentin Clavel'''

From Cochrane, I thought it was sad to go straight along the Lago Cochrane without checking what's going up there, and have a view over the vallee Chacabuco. So that's what I did.

I just took the beginning of Variant P, you have to pass threw a gate saying "no passar" then you have to bifurcate to the option 3 (tamango) to reach the pass between vallée tamango and chacabuco. Very nice views. Then instead of going down into vallée Chacabuco, I went straight, and continue on the sendero de las siete lagunas, wich is an old track, sometimes hard to guess, so check the GPS, but mostly easy to folllow (you still have the mark every kilometers).

Really loved the colours at the end of Lago guitterrez !

Main difficulties on the section are these horrible horseflies, and the no less terrible little spiky plants that stay sticks in your shoes and socks.

Then you reach casa de piedras. I took the variant J to don't have to put my crocs for the river crossing (yeah, I'm a lazy walker aha).

Then follow the river until the vallée hermoso, wich lives up to its name. And at this time it's just a mix between walking and crossing rivers. No need to ask, I putted my crocs on aha !

The pass up to Lago Verde was steep but the view so outstanding and the colours .. same amazing colours on Lago jeinemeni !

Didn't stayed at, but the Raleigh camp is very nice if you may choose a camp around !

Second part of NP was CC, and that was so cool ! Just have the directions and go straight to this point. Passing from mountains to others, surrounded by an unnumerable number of curious guanacos !

Hardest part is to deal with the strong wind during the ascend and at the highest point. And the descent is quite unstable, stay close to the GPX tracks, I tried to shorttrack but it led me down to slippery slopes, so I had to backtrack to find again the GPX.

Then it's 15 km down to reach Chile Chico (8km on the asphalt). Settler wasn't angry against me and saluate me kindly when I passed threw his land.

Very nice stretch. Very diversificate, great landscapes, wildlife. I loved it !

And about the entrance fees, It was not my intention, but I haven't paid for as I entered by variant P which is not a porper enter. And haven't seen any guardaparque at all.

* '''2023-Dec-30 / 1 day / Packrafting / SOBO / Option 10 C / Tom Pieper'''

I attempted this option as an alternative starting point for section 36G. Hitchhiked to the bridge of Carreterra Austral over Rio Chacabuco. I scouted rapid {35-10C} [2.3/121] from 100 m above and it looked feasible. This was not true when I approached on the river after entering just before the bridge. The rapid was impassable (late afternoon) which brought me into serious troubles. The canyon is pretty steep here and there is no way back. It was not fun to climb the steep slopes cliffs to escape the 100 m deep canyon. Its really dangerous. The rapid is pretty hard to investigate from above. I would recommend to only go later in the season and only in the morning or at least with company.

* '''2023-Dec-21 / 8 day / Hiking + Packrafting / SOBO / RR + Option 10 + Old and new tracks to Administration Parque Patagonia Valle Chacabuco / Tom Pieper'''

Most have been described by Kris and Stina. The plateau and the entire track is awesome. After the kind Arriero at the puesto {35} [15.8/1075] (actually its his house) I found it a little bit tricky to find a good route first but then just ascended and found a nice cross country route. Camped before the plateau. There are nice spots just before 1400 m, after that its just rocky until you descend to the Water {35} [23.9/1586]. Camp {35} [32.6/1300] was a little bit swampy. Found a better spot 300 m south. Try to be early at the road if you want to hitchhike. I was lucky and got the last car passing at 14.00 to the park at day. On the 25/12 the park entrance (but only the entrance) is always closed! Keep in mind if you come around christmas. At the park entrance you must disinfect your packrafting gear due to Didymo algae. I could not packraft lago jenimeni and verde due to wind but its still stunning. Between Water {35} [75.5/937] and Ford {35} [79.3/846] there is a approx. 3-4 steep bluff. I felt really uncomfortable with my heavy backpack as a lot of erosion happened to the steep ‘steps’. Maybe exploring an additional bush bashing route is feasible here. The ford was rather deep and could be a problem for shorter persons but I crossed in the evening, so in the morning it should be fine. Collapsed Refuge {35} [81.0/819] makes a nice camp spot. The other forts were fine. Stayed one night at Casa Piedra were I met Tobi and Fangwen and spend dinner and breakfast together the next day. CONAF first denied to packraft Rio Chacabuco due to conservation reasons, but after I mentioned that I came along all the track with my gear and rangers et sector jenimeni they were fine with me going on that river. The river is a bit unspectacular. I left at the River Out {35} [119.8/277] and I followed the old trail/road to Park Ranger, Refuge, Camp {35} [123.2/263]. There is a new picknick hut and I spend the night in there with a spectacular view of the valle chacabuco to the rims of campo hielo norte. The next day I continued the old track right side of the river (not in the GPT track files) until the bridge {35-10} [4.7/265]. Track is still in good conditions and occasionally used by the horses and guanacos there. A wonderful hike with massive views. I than continued on the CONAF trail (also not in the GPT track files) to Park administracion at Lodging $$$ {35-03} [1.9/340]. Would not recommend the restaurant. 65 $ for a 3 course meal but nothing fancy. Better spend for dinner in Cochrane. But for a post hike drink at the bar it is a lovely place and staff is kind. Also liked the museum and stayed the night at the campsite approximately 2 km away. The puma still seems to be there occasionally. Next day I hitchhiked out to Cochrane.

* '''2023-Dec-18 to 2023-Dec-23/ 5.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Stiina & Kris'''

Got a taxi for the first 8 kilometers of the roadwalk. Nobody present at the farm where the dirtroad starts to go uphill, gates easy to get through, friendly dog. We hiked just 6km and made camp by a stream.

The next day passed the puesto at km15.8, owner seemed friendly and waved. Slowly climbed up to the plateau, lots of water everywhere, very few snowpatches en route. Perfect day - not much wind. Saw lots of guanacos, hares, flamingos. Moving cross-country was ok throughout. Climbed a few barbed-wire fences. Finally found the dirt road, hiked to camp at km42.9.

In the morning hitched a ride to the park entry with a ranger. We had no online booking as we didn't know when we'd arrive, they had us make one on site. Super friendly guys, said that there is currently fewer visitors than normally at this time. The route between Rio San Antonio crossing and Camp Raleigh has been changed, partially new trail built; follows mainly the Lago Esmeralda trail. There is now a brand new hanging bridge over Rio San Antonio right next to Camp Raleigh, avoiding all the needless crossings.

After the camp there trail seems new in places, but then resorts to many rivercrossings again. The way up and down the Puertozuela La Gloria is steep and loose. After Lago Verde there are a million more crossings until you turn South. Here the trail is not much maintained, lots of fallen trees. The next 25km to Casa Piedra the trail is a bit harder to see at first but then gets much better. The guy (not a ranger) at Casa Piedra informed us that the Siete Lagos trail is closed but couldn't say why. It's definitely overgrown in parts, lots of fallen trees - need to keep track on the gpx at all times. After settler at km135.2 the trail has been recently maintained and bushes cut.

For photos and stories, you can follow us on Instagram: @smallfootprint_bigadventures

==Season 2022/23==

* '''2023-Mar-31 to 2023-Apr-06 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option J / Martin & Helena'''

We enjoyed this section a lot, especially with all the beautiful autumn colors in early April and basically without people until the last part before Cochrane. PN Patagonia closed some sectors on the first Monday in April, so we were the last ones to get a permission and do this section ‘legally’. Be prepared for this if you want to do this part in April or later. The problem is they close Casa Del Piedra and probably won’t let you pass to that sector from Lago Jeinemeni, where the entrance stays open for longer time. Sneaking around the guards house early in the morning or just not be specific about your plans might work if needed, its very unlikely you would meet anyone on the way from the main entrance.

Just like others we found the plateau between km 20-28 very very windy. Definitely don’t count with camping there. We found a good spot right after the secound pass, aprox. 500m down the hill where you can find a wind protected place. The descent down is a little slow but with nice views, guanacos, horses.. simply amazing. Once back on the road, it’s not too far to the PN entrance where we met a guard, but fortunately were able to get a permission as described above. The trail from Lago Jeinemeni was one of our favorites. All the fords were easy, but expect quite slow progress in the CC parts. We camped in a forrest at km 81 where is a destroyed refugio but still a good spot for camping. The rest of the trail to Casa Del Piedra is again straightforward and the landscape is somehow more dry. We didn’t cross the first bridge but went with the J option which turned out to be a good decision as we met a xx of guanacos that let us come really close to them. Closed and locked refugio still provides a good shelter, but when open it must be a perfect stop in the middle of this long section. Water was turned off as well but there is a stream behind the house.

We spent the next night on the beach of Lago Gutierrez where is enough space to build a tent - bushes around the trail are otherwise very thorny and sharp. After the ascent to the pass was a good stream of water, probably the last place to safely take unfiltered water for the next couple of kms. The trail from there leads around all the lakes and is nice and easy. We spent the night in a refugio at km 134. This one was the only one standing from what we have seen and its a good shelter when it rains, however we decided to stay in our tent anyway. You can make fire inside. Closest water is actually the one in a lake uphill, the stream on the other side of the path was very dirty and hard to gather anyway.

From there its a one more day until the finish with a good pace. We haven’t met the settler Daniel, but he’s definitely still living there. Beautiful beach of Lago Cochrane and from there we started to meet more and more tourists, doing just a day hike or some circuit around the lake - might be a good option as well in this beautiful region. The last kms felt a little long for us as we were looking forward to have some rest and enjoy all the fun in town. At the official campsite were a few people but no one asked us about anything. There are nice toilets and shower. From there its around 30m to Cochrane. Good to remember they celebrate Easter holidays in Chile as well, but we still managed to find some shop and bakery open.

Contact: @martin_hanzelka @helenneka

* '''12/03/2023 - 18/03/2023 / RR SOBO / Jakub+Veronika:'''

Doing section 35 was due to closure of the Patagonia NP caused by heavy rains with helicopter rescue of several tourists from Valle Hermoso quite complicated, we did walk all we could in Tamango reserve and later (when it was opened) in Chacabuco valley. Be sure not to miss the museum. It's really worth it. The northern part was opened as the last one, that's why we've skipped it and hitchhiked back to Caretera. All paths in great condition. When going from Tamango to Chacabuco there's one suggestion:

It seems that on RR (35, km 141) ends new 11km long track ”Huemules” which starts at the parking in Chacabuco valley on RP (35, km 132.5). That trail might be a nice alternative to RR (mud road) leading over private land of settler David Huemul.

*8.02. - 05.03.23 / Anna & Christopher / SOBO, Chile Chico - Cochrane

We started in Chile Chico around 5 pm walking the first km on the road. After a while we got a ride to the Bahía Jara cross and camped a few hundred meters further near the street (we carried water from Chile Chico).

The ascent to the plateau is mostly easy dirtroad walking and the last CC part easy to navigate. The whole stretch on the plateau until the street at km 41.5 we had extreme wind, which made walking super tiring and nearly blew us away a few times. We found a tiny and steep, but wind protected place to set up our tent at around km 28 in the ridge dug by the river. We had to get a bit inventive to set it up and to be able to sleep properly there. There were almost no other places that were protected by the wind until you get off the plateau. As almost all previous entries say, it's better to camp off the plateau. But it's really worth doing it because you can see Guanacos and flamingos on it :)

When we reached the street at km 41.5 we were lucky and a car passed by a few minutes later, which brought us to the entrance of Parque Patagonia. We payed 15k CLP p.p. and walked to the camp Raleigh at Lago verde. There are some sheltered places to set up the tent, with an unfamiliar amount of people for the GPT. Lago Verde is beautiful though.

The next day involves lots of river- and stream crossings and it started to rain not particularly heavy, but after some hours we were completely wet. Therefore the rivercrossing at km 82.6 was really hard for Anna (1,63 m) but we managed by inertlocking our arms and doing it step by step slowly. After that the trails get really good and you can walk way faster. We camped at the unofficial camp site at km 84.7.

We had good weather the next day and the trail was really good until Lago Gutierrez. Up to the pass the trail gets a bit worse with some navigation issues, but you always find a good path again. As the others wrote there are only some tiny streams within the first km after the pass until the next Laguna, so we filled up our bottles there and camped somewhere in the forest soon afterwards once it started to rain again.

The next day there were still not too much water sources and we fetched the first water at the first Laguna which wasn't super easy to access. The trail until Lago Cochrane wasn't in bad condition neither. We also took Option L, which follows the 'regular' siete lagunas trail. The stretch from Lago Cochrane until the Conaf office at the end of the lake is absolutely amazing with great views of one of the clearest lakes in the world. We camped at km 145.7 and took a bath in the lake.

The last 8 km to Cochrane went super fast on an easy trail until Conaf and 4 km road walking to the town, so happily we could escape from the starting rain.

* '''20 to 24 of February 2023 / Silke & Hans / Loop - Fachinal -> Chile Chico'''

We didn't do the regular route, but read about an intresting loop starting in Fachinal and entering the normal route at Valley Hermoso. We then continued along the regular route to the entrance at Laguna Jeinimeni, and back to Chile Chico. The first 3 days from Fachinal we didn't see any other hikers, but it was pretty clear why. The trail was completely overgrown, full of fallen trees and a lot of the time there is no trail at all. But we managed our way through pretty good, and is was an awesome alternative to enter the Park. We recorded our GPX for others, waypointed some POI's and added some photo's to it: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/114121493

DAY 1 / 18km / +740m /
Although we heard of a bus to Fachinal from Chile Chico, nobody really appeared to know any information about it.. In the terminal the people we spoke said there were none. So we started hitchhiking the following morning. But after 3-4h of no luck we went back to the terminal, and all of a sudden there was a bus leaving at 11:30. 10.000 pesos pp, a little expensive but being unsuccesfull hitchhiking we took it. We had lunch at the turnoff, and starting hiking around 13:00. The first part is on a clear double track, but soons turns into a clear singletrack. We took the wrong intersection twice (waypointed on our GPX). We camped right before the first big river crossing. There is one steel cable, so if you bring a harness you could tiroller across.

DAY 2 / 22km / +1100m /
First up, we crossed the river. The water level didn't seem a lot lower than the day before, and at the deepest part it was about halfway our thighs. After taking another wrong intersection and backtracking, we reach the second river crossing. Again a steel cable is provided but the crossing was pretty straightforward, and the water level was only slighty above our knees. Just across the river is a an old cabin, and then short after a very new refugio (locked, used by a trekking agency). The trail gets super dense after this, climbs steeply on the mountain side and dissapears completely on numerous occasions. After the climb it flattens out, opens up and you reach a laguna. After the laguna it's the easiest to just follow the river bed down to the open valley floor (possible sheltered campsite in the forest). Follow the valley floor to another amazing laguna where you can camp near a second locked refugio.

DAY 3 / 14km / +440m /
We started the day with a side-trip to a mirador looking over the glacier high above. Takes about 1,5-2 hours return. We then packed up camp and headed for Valley Hermoso. You pass another beautiful laguna and follow the river down to the main valley. Lots of river crossing here. We camped at the Refugio Valley Hermoso, arriving earlier than expected.

DAY 4 / 15km / +200m /
Very short and easy daytrip to another laguna. About 3 hours return. We just chilled the rest of the day.

DAY 5 / 36km / +830m /
Final day along the normal route to the entrance of Laguna Jeinimeni. The day started off with some heavy rain for a couple of hours, but all the river crossings were still very doable. We arrived at the entrance around 13:00, and there was no sign of anybody leaving soon. So we decided to continue hiking untill we could find a ride along the way. We ended up hiking an extra 19km before finally a car was willing to take us along. There is an established campsite at the entrance for 3000 pesos pp.

* '''19 to 24 of February 2023 / Will / SOBO, regular route'''

Not too much to add on this one. I had a good time but the section felt long.

On the way up to the first plateau there were a few somewhat sheltered places to camp past the puesto. I camped around km 19, just before the last steep climb up to the plateau. Lots of streams around there.

None of the river crossings went above my knees, after a dry week.

I liked the detour up to the Lago Jeinemeni mirador. I also took variant I out and back to a glacier lake, I'm less sure whether that was worth it. I couldn't find any real trail, it was nice easy cross country walking through the woods followed by some open rocky ground. The glacial lake was cool, but not as spectacular as some of the ones I've seen in other sections.

I camped at the casa de piedras and took a luxurious warm shower. The ranger said you're supposed to pay at the office in valle Chacabuco, but since our route doesn't go there she just let me stay for free. She also said that sendero de siete lagunas (our route) was closed, but that I could do it since I had my gps and satellite communicator. She made it sound tough/dangerous though it turned out to be fairly quick trail.

Not much water or campsites along the siete lagunas. There's a nice campsite at the tip of the pencil lake just after the (still intact!) refugio at 133.9.

* '''2023-Feb-12-19 / NOBO / RR + Option 35-L / Ondrej and Bara / Cochrane - Chile Chico / 7.5 days'''

We really enjoyed this section! We went from Cochrane to Chile Chico. Our favourite parts were the descent through Valle Hermoso and the descent on the cross country section to Chile Chico. We spent 7.5 days on this section, taking a relaxed pace and including a half day break.

We only had to pay 9,000 CLP per person entrance fee at the Cochrane park gate (sector Tamango). We then showed the pass three days later to a ranger at Casa de Piedras and he let us go. The final checkpoint for us was the CONAF park exit/entrance at Lago Jeinemeni. The ranger there didn’t want to see our pass at all, he just asked from where we hiked (we said Casa de Piedras).

Some details: - Starting from Cochrane, the trail is easy walking up until km 144.9. As you leave Lago Cochrane, the trail is harder to follow. Fortunately this lasts only up to km 138, where the trail becomes easy to follow again. We camped next to the refuge on km133.9. The refuge has a good roof and can serve as an emergency shelter. There is no good water next to it though - we needed to climb the hill to the laguna to refill. - From roughly km 125 to km 99, the RR follows the old Siete Lagunas trail, which is not maintained anymore. Expect some fallen trees and slightly overgrown parts but the trail is beautiful and easy to navigate in general. - We took Option L to cut some overgrown road walking as recommended by others. We really liked it. - We camped next to the destroyed refuge at Laguna Guagua (km 118.3) and really loved the place - there is an amazing pebble beach at the laguna. - If you don’t want to camp at Casa de Piedras, there is a place for a small tent and a stream at roughly km 97 (-47.07463, -72.20439). We camped there. - The river crossings in Valle Aviles and Vale Hermoso were maximum to our knees. The deepest one was at Lago Verde (km 66.1). However, the river levels can change rapidly when it rains the days before - do check the weather. - We camped at the eastern shore of Lago Verde (km 61.7; campsite Raleigh) and really loved it - it has picnic tables and a spacious cooking/eating shelter. - We hitchhiked the part on the road between km 53 and 41.5. Few cars go by but the hitch was easy - we stopped the first car. - The cross country section from km 41.5 is very different from the rest - semi-desert like and lots of animals. We saw llamas, flamimgos, condors and hares (among sheep, cows and horses). - Between km 38 and 33 the path goes along a fence. We had to get over the fence once (we scrambled below it without problems). - If you are going NOBO, expect stunning views of the General Carrera Lake and Torres del Avelano when coming from the last pass (km 20.8) down to Chile Chico.

A ranger in Casa de Piedras wanted to prevent us to walk the RR NOBO from Casa de Piedras to Valle Hermoso. He claimed that route is closed now as the rivers are too high to cross. To avoid conflict, we said that we will only do the “loop trail” which is basically the RR from Casa de Piedras up until the bridge where the RR joins Option J. The Option J is then used to return back to Casa de Piedras. When doing the loop, we met several hikers in the opposite direction who confirmed that all river crossings are fine. In light of this we decided to continue on the RR and indeed the deepest ford was to our knees. Therefore if faced with a ranger claiming that the rivers are too high, we suggest to start with the loop trail (rangers should be okay with that) and get more info on the river levels from the hikers going the opposite direction.

*2023 last week January NoBo (6 days but could have very easily been done in less) / Helen and Craig + (Caro, Ali and Gabby)

>Such lovely camp sites. Beautiful places to stay the night the whole way around

>Very very easy trails. River crossing section isn't bad at all and the Valle hermosa lives up to its name.

>1st and last camp site particularly lovely

>Keep eyes peeled for pumas! I would have easily missed the sighting if I hadn't been looking the right way at the right time. They were super close. 10m or less away. Two cubs outside the refugio at casa peidra. Not where they are commonly seen in the park at all Aparently around west winds camp they are more commenly seen.

>Museum in the middle of the section worth checking out. Very visual and quite hard hitting environmental museum

> Can hitch easy enough to Chile Chico but leave last camp early in the morning. There's often a driver with a 4x4 who drives hikers in to the park and will take you back for 10,000p/p. Hikers who were a few hours behind us had no luck hitching as demand can often overtake spaces.

* '''27 of January to 1 of February 2023 / Véronica & Zach / GPT35 RR SOBO / 5.5 days '''

Route: Chile Chico - Lago Jeinimeni - Valle Hermoso - Casa de Piedra - Lago Cochrane - Cochrane

What a beautiful and diverse stretch of the GPT! I hiked half of this section with Zach, up to Casa de Piedras at km 98.9. We were unable to get a hitch out of Chile Chico, so we ended up walking the road to where the trail begins. No navigation issues, but the entire cross-country section to Río de las Nieves (waypoint at 42.7 km) is very exposed and was very windy when we crossed. We ended up camping at the water at 23.9 km, but the wind blew very strongly all night and I was worried it might take my tent. If you can, it is better to camp off this plateau unless the weather is calm. Lots of guanaco trails to follow :)

At the CONAF office at km 53.0, we each paid 9,000 clp for entry to the national park, plus 6,000 clp for passage/camping along the trail to Casa de Piedras in the Valles Hermoso and Aviles. Beautiful trail the whole way, popular and well-maintained, with cairns and markers to follow. There is an awesome shelter and camping area with picnic tables on the eastern shore of Lago Verde, at the end of Option D. In my opinion it was nicer than the popular refugio in Valle Hermoso (km 68.1) that everyone talks about.

We had no issues with fords, except the one at km 82.6 which flows into Río Aviles. It was the end of a warm sunny day, so the flow was quite high and strong. Had I been on my own I would have camped on the north side and waited till morning to cross. However, this time I was able to cross by linking arms with Zach as he is much taller than me and was more stable in the current.

At Casa de Piedras, Zach and I parted ways as he wanted to packraft down the Río Chacabuco. The ranger at the Casa told me the Sendero de las Siete Lagunas (which begins at km 99.5) was no longer maintained. This is true, there were stretches in the desertlike brush that were hard to follow, and I checked the GPS frequently. Generally it was better when the trail went into wooded areas. I also found this trail to be dry — the only water I found was the water from the lagunas and a tiny trickle about a kilometer south of the pass. Lots of spiky plants that get stuck in your socks and shoes. I took Option L to cut out some overgrown minor road walking. It's sad that this trail is being neglected and left to be swallowed up by nature, because otherwise it is quite scenic.

The horse trail that goes from the puesto of Daniel Huemul (km 143.3) to Lago Cochrane was also rough and overgrown. Everything gets easier once you reach Lago Cochrane though, nice, maintained trails all the way to Cochrane with beautiful places to camp along the lake.

* '''GPT35 / Yannic & Mirjam / 2022-Dec-13'''

Much is already detailed below, so we will keep it short

1 day: from Chile Chico to the entrance of the National Park. We camped one night before the pass at S 46.61639 W 71.81632. Water right next to the camp. Pass is very windy.

2 days: from the National Park to the Refugio. Nice refugio with small house where you can make a fire inside to dry things. From the Refugio to Casa Piedra is possible in one day. But it is a long day with many kilometres.

2.5 days: Casa Piedra to Cochrane. Leaving Casa Piedra, after a few hundred metres the trail leaves the Minor Road and enters the trail (where there is a large stone marker). The trail is officially closed and partly in bad condition. There are many fallen trees on the trail, some of it is overgrown and not completely clear. We therefore checked the GPS regularly. We took OH-TL-V{35-L}, which saves a few kilometres of (overgrown) minor road.
We spent one night at Laguna Guagua (Refugio is completely destroyed) and one at Lago Cochrane.
When we left the national park, no one was at the office. We therefore simply went through...

* '''GPT35 Variant P, Option 3, 3C, 3D / Meylin Ubilla, Jan Dudeck / 2022-Dec-12 and 13 / 1.5 days'''

While waiting in the village Cochrane for our friends to catch up, we did a little 1.5 day hike higher up next to Lago Cochrane that we visited at least 3 times by packraft in past years. For the first time this year we waked with a light backpack without packrafting gear.

We took Variant P eastbound that slowly climbs on a gravel road to an altitude of 500 m and then continues as a panorama trail in this altitude.

Apparently, this is not authorized access to Parque Patagonia (Sector Tamango) and two gates need to be climbed but there was nobody to be seen on this route. The normal access to the park is down next Rio Cochrane and Lago Cochrane.

Nearly the entire route was scenic and worth the effort.

The settler “El Húngaro” apparently sold the land and became part of the national park. There is an open building that might be used as a refuge in case of emergency but camping is probably more comfortable.

The refuge at {35-P} [4.0/501] is collapsed but camping is pleasant on this pasture.

The trail section OH-TL-V {35-03} [0.0+5.2] is not maintained for several years making this route inconvenient to walk. The route south of both lakes is easy walking.

As long as Parque Patagonia does not challenge hikers to make a full traverse from Cochrane to Chile Chico it is prudent to take the official route which is the current regular route and pay the entrance fee near Cochrane when hiking northbound.

But should longer multi-day traverses be denied, then it might be less bothersome to take Variant P which avoids the entrance.

Packrafters can travel east and westbound on Lago Cochrane and will not pass any park entrance.

* '''Alice & Florian / 4 to 10 November-2022 / Regular Hiking Northbound'''

Here's our story of our GPT35. We really enjoyed this section, it is really diverse, beautiful landscapes and we saw heaps of animals.

As we wanted to do the trail in the northbound direction, we took the bus from chile chico to Cochrane, arriving in chile chico from argentina from the south (border o'higgins closed...). It tales 4 hours and leaves on sunday at 14 (return Monday 7 Am), Monday 16 (return Tuesday 7 AM),Wednesday and Friday 7 Am (return 16).

We took the option north of Cochrane because we were not sure if they would allow us to sleep in the tamango reserve. But, indeed you have to pass a no entry sign, a gate and a sign saying that entering the park that way is prohibited so we do not recommend it when it is written on the conaf website that it is allowed to sleep in tamango section.

We took the sendero de los huemules and slept at camp 1 waypoint. There was plenty of water at that time and a beautiful view.

After that we took the option OH-TL-V 35-P to avoid going downhill. The entry of this trail is about 150m before what is indicated on the GPT so be aware. I don't think the trail is an official one from the park so you have to fight your way through some bushes. But apart from that, it is clear. Then we joined the regular route, which since the 2022 version does follow the siete lagunas trail. You will join the siete lagunas trail at the kilometer 11 more or less. We then camped around the km 13 of the 7 lagunas trail.

We found water just before climbing at the pass at S47°06.0856' W072°17.592' and there is more at the top. However, it is true that it is drier on the other side of the pass, so if you are going Southbound, pack enough water from Lago Gutierrez to climb the pass.

We spent the third night at casa de Piedra where you have all facilities (electricity, hot shower, kitchen). Unfortunately for us they were on strike so they wouldn't allow us to go further on the trail. We did anyway as going out to jeiminini or through the road to chacabuco would take the same time.
By the way various national parks - including Torres del Paine were on strike at the moment.

The second part in the aviles valley is really clear, the trail is really nice and easy and with a lot of water available. Exiting the casa de piedra you should take the option OH-TI-V 35-J instead of the regular route, it will save you 600 m and two river crossings, and the view is similar. Starting at km 20, you will have to reduce your pace because the trail is busy with a lot of fallen trees, bushes and rocks. Between the km 22 and 23 of the valle aviles trail, the trail has been swept away by the river this winter so you have to cross the river two more times to go around. The kilometers indications disappear more or less after the pass, at km 25.

After that you enter the valle Hermoso. We camped at the waypoint 17/Camp Valle Hermoso but we do not recommend it. It was really small and close to the river, so if there is a sudden level rise because of heavy rain or a flooding because of a glaciar outburst (GLOF), you might get wet... Better sleep st the small caban near km23 if you don't think you will reach the refugio in valle Hermoso.

Once you reach Lago Verde, follow the GPT track and not the trail that leads to the lake, or you will have to turn back. After the pass it's more river crossings but you can save some kilometers in the river bed by taking the option OH-TI-V 35-E and then OH-TI-V 35-D until the rio jeimenini (the first part of the option OH-TI-V 35-D does not exist anymore). We did not have any trouble to cross the Rio between the 2 lakes even though we were in the middle of the afternoon. It was about thigh deep for me but I'm tall.

After that it's really easy to the Parc entrance. We went back to Chile Chico walking on the road instead of taking the cross country option, because0 there were still snow on the mountain. The first part is still pretty until the intersection, once you enter the valley of the Rio it is a bit more monotonous. Halfway there is an access to an annex of the national park, to go see the Cueva de las manos and valle lunar.

* '''Adrien Kunzli / 31-Oct-2022-04-November-2022 / Regular Hiking Northbound'''

All rivers crossing are easy to pass at this time of year. One tricky passage on the snow at the entrance of lago verde, very steep, but it was to avoid walking in the lake (frozen feet early in the morning).

No guards at the entrance at Tamango so i didnt pay the fee but didnt get my pass. Tamara gently gave me one at the camping of casa del piedra (apparently if i didnt have this pass i could not be admitted at Jeinimeni.) At Jeinimeni pass, again, nobody. So i were to the houses near and finaly find the guy. He took my pass and i get no fee in this NOBO direction.
Nice shortcut after the bridge of Rio de las Nieves (S 46° 47.274', W 071° 54.665') that can avoid you a little bit of the 4x4 unfinshing road and get you directly into the heart of this amazing and beautifull last part. So:
In front of the end of the bridge, you go up the big hill and go diagonally (or directly if you feel better) to join the path (pretty wild) of the gps (S 46° 45.843', W 071° 54.359'). Small stretches of paths are drawn rather well along this shortcut.

Not much good water between the bridge (brown water) and the puesto but the the puesto's water is of much better quality.

==Season 2021/22==

* '''GPT 35: Parque Patagonia/ Exploration Route via Valle Maullín Grande/ 2022 March-12/ 4 days / Tobias Schorcht, Jonas Grünewald '''

We hiked from Maullín Grande to Cochrane by chance. I always wanted to do the stretch from Chile Chico to Cochrane, but we had just 4 days left… When we hitchhiked northbounded from Villa O’Higgins, we luckily got picked up by Pascual Diaz, who is a experienced Mountain Guide (company Kalem) and took us all the way to his refugio in Maullín Grande. He also explained us, how to reach Cochrane on time while doing that crossing. The next day he took us to the end of the Road, where we started hiking around midday (-46,80390, -72,42001). It was a easy walk to the end of the Valley where we camped (-46,87872, -72,34138). The following day was hard, but we went up to the pass (1430m) in perfect sunshine. At (-46,87234, -72,30906) you will face a waterfall in a steep canyon. We recommend to walk on the left side (northwest) through the forest until you meet the riverbed again. The other side is also possible (we went there), but you have to climb higher in difficult terrain. From that point you can easily do a cross country walk up to the pass, where you have to cross the Glaciar (without cracks). It was absolutely stunning! Going down to the laguna is quite steep. I would not do it in bad weather conditions. When you meet the laguna, you can either walk on the left or right side. Both options are not easy. We crossed on the right (southern) side, which is ok in good weather conditions. There is one river crossing in between, which could be impossible with more water. Now we think it would have been easier to walk on the left (northern) side, although we would have had needed to cross the river before and after the laguna. Packrafting is an option as well, but since it only 1.5 km we don’t think it is worth it. Camped in a forest close to the regular trail dry and save. All in all we recommend this option to experienced hikers in good weather conditions. The hike to Cochrane was hard, because we had just 2 days for 80km. So we hitchhiked to the museum of Parque Patagonia and we even saw a puma at the Westwind Campsite! It seems like this puma shows up there regularly. I waited for that moment almost 5 months. My dream came true on my very last evening in nature. Thank you Patagonia for this great gift. 🙏

* '''2022-Feb / Packrafting / Mikhail Bogdanov&Masha Ovchinnikova'''

See for Rio Chacabuco and picturesamd discussion of the canyons.

https://web.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/posts/1319249015247648/

* '''Christmas2021 / GPT 35, NOBO, participants Janna & Matthias, dec 2021, duration 6 days from Cochrane to Conaf center at Lago Jeinimeni, then hitchhiked to Chile Chico'''

As recommended by a friend we opted for the following route through the Parque Nacional de Patagonia which is highly recommendable (first two days mainly GPT variants and options, afterwards GPT regular routes. There are several marked senderos in the beginning as 5 Los Huemules, 8 los Pumas, 7 los Guanacos, sendero 9, sendero Lagunas Altas etc.) as you can see in our attached tracking file.

All in all the trails were easy to find, some seemed to be still unhiked this year. To enter the park from Cochrane we had to pass a prohibition sign and climb over a no entrar gate. We didn't meet anyone on the first day, the settler didn't seem to be around. The following days we met two to three other hikers per day, but no rangers until the end at Conaf Center near Lago Jeinimeni, where we easily paid the park fees in arrears (8000 pp park entrance fee and an additional 6000 pp overnight stays in the park). We deliberately skipped the Conaf center in Valle Chacabuco on the advice of our friend.

Good to know:
- There is no water anymore at S 47.198557, W 72.474927 near the camping site but instead at S 47.203460, W 72.480747 and S 47.179332, W 72.465807
- There were many lagoons on our day 3 that weren't visibly well marked neither on our apps nor on the Garmin GPS.
- All the marked refugios along the trail are heavily damaged except Casa de Piedra
(closed on the 24th of dec) and Refugio Valle Hermoso (where we could even dry our
soaked shoes from the many river crossings next to the fireplace).
- From the refugio Valle Hermoso we did a side trip to the first glacier lake in the Valle
Estero Ventisquero without all the luggage.
- The río Jeinimeni water level was up to our waists and strong (note it had rained the
night before). According to others it was supposed to be knee-deep.
- Hitchhiking from Conaf center Jeinimeni to Chile Chico is possible when camping or day guests are leaving. As we arrived later in the afternoon we spent an extra night there.
- The supermercado sur in Chile Chico sells gas.

Track files and waypoints: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-98Ou9jk0porCVRp7CSFZ-KciXQ2PBzD

*'''30 Nov RR 5 days SOBO Frank'''

From Chile Chico I got the Bahia Jara bus & got off at the junction, saves a 6KM roadwalk. Walked 2KM up the road then on trail to the high plateau. The settler before the pass wasn't there but his dogs were a bit territorial so I avoided the puesto. I went across the high plateau & camped a bit before the second puesto in one long day. Camp marked on track file below the pass was not very good (boggy & sloping) so I continued down to camp near the stream. The second puesto is above the RR & not visible from it. Camping on the high plateau definitely not recommended. It is very exposed & the wind can & will knock tents. On day 2 I got to CONAF, they said a puma had been there every day the week before. Continued with many river crossings to the hut. There are trails marked with ribbons on LHS of the river SOBO, they go in on small loops which avoid some of the river crossings. Nearing the hut there is a stream flowing into the lake. At the lake it was too deep to cross. Bush bashed for about 40 metres to reach the ford. Camped outside the hut. Several river crossings on the third day. The double crossing is the crux. I avoided it by going over the bluff on LHS of river with a bit of tree bashing but I don't recommend that. The bluff descent is cliffed off with only a narrow breach where you can downclimb on trees. The breach is not obvious from above. Better to ford the river - it was running high but I met several hikers who had crossed it. Got to Casa de Pidera in 1 long day from the hut. You can cook in the Casa (they have a gas stove, electricity & showers) but have to camp outside. There are some trees to shelter from the wind. On the fourth day I started walking Sendero de Siete Lagunas (SSL) but I was using the 2019 track file which doesn't show the SSL. It had not been walked much recently & the route was not obvious. At the lake I lost the SSL in guanaco tracks. I continued around the lake & walked out about 2KM to the road. The descent to the road was cliffed off but I found a way down in a gully. Then I walked out the road past a meadow where hundreds of guanaco were grazing. Past the meadow I went in left on a side road to rejoin the RR. On the fifth day I walked past Daniel Huemul's puesto & was lucky to meet Daniel who was riding out & he showed me the way. He said the direct RR which goes right from the puesto is now overgrown & disused. Instead we went out to the left. There is a small road which goes in a loop & turns towards Lago Cochrane but with his directions I was able to shortcut it. I paid 15,000 CLP for entry & camping at CONAF Lago Jeinemeni & they didn't charge me anything at Casa de Piedra.

==Season 2020/21==

==Season 2019/20==

*'''2020-Mar-18 , Tyler Wood, 7 Days Sobo'''

Amazing section to end my season with. I got a couple short hitches on the way up past Chile Chico. Up past the last puesto are some great areas to camp along a big boulder field. Maybe 2 km more. Beautiful and surrounded by Guanacos. Plenty of water too. Up near the top of the pass was very cold, but very beautiful, and even saw a bunch of flamingoes in the lakes.

On the way down the pass I tried to find the fore-mentioned route to the puesto to take the road the rest of the way down and didn’t really have any luck...found my way anyways and camped down by Rio sucio under a willow.

Into Jenimeni I got another little hitch. Once you cross the deeper river by Laguna esmeralda just keep those water shoes on, you’ll be crossing many more times.

I also was told by a ranger that sendero siete Lagunas wasn’t habilitado, but went for it anyways. Water is Not after Laguna Gutiérrez for a while, so make sure you fill up around there. After the pass there are a few more small
Streams to fill up.

The road walking to Tmango reserve seemed to take forever, but Walking/camping by Lago Cochrane was all worth it. At puesto Huemul Is when I got my first advice that the corona virus was a big deal. The woman told me there were 3 confirmed cases in Cochrane, I went there and booked my tickets straight home. Hasta le vista baby!!!

* '''2020-February-08 / 7 days / Southbound'''

Long and beautiful section. No major difficulties. Great diversity. Without hitchhiking, it took me 173 kilometers.

1st part / 2 days / Chile Chico to Div 217
At the beginning of the cross country, valley full of Guanacos. I camped just after the puesto, about 2 kilometers after the beginning of the cross country, before the pass, where there are still rocks to protect from the wind.
As related in previous reports, after camp 279, you will stumbled upon a fence. Go on the East along the fence, cross it, and you will find a trail to the next Puesto and then the trail goes down from the puesto to the dirt road. You will avoid cross country this way.

2nd part / 2,5 days to Casa de Piedra
Popular part. Groups of hikers along the way. 8000CLP entrance fee + 6000 CLP for 2 nights sleeping inside the park.

3rd part / 2,5 days / Sendero de las 7 lagunas
After Casa de Piedra, I followed the GPS regular route which took me to the beginning of the Sendero of 7 lagunas. CONAF said it was not "habilitado" but it is actually well marked. The good thing is that there will be no hikers on this part, except when you approach the end, along the lago Cochrane. The trail is very different from the GPS tracks but no difficulties to find it. So, don't worry not having the GPS tracks.
At S 47º08.015' W 72º18.948', there is a nice place to camp and also, the trail will merge with the optional route OH-TL-V@35-02F-#001 You can then follow this track and then go back to the Regular Route to reach Cochrane.

* Martin Lizondo / 28-Jan-2020 / Regular Hiking Southbound

The section took me 6 days. Some tips:

The first part from Chile Chico has a +20 km cross country walk. The wind is extremly strong and the route very high, with no forest protection. I recommend spending the first night behind the trees of El Ciprés (the settler Orlando Vazquez allows people to pass and is very kind) or near to the puesto at the end of the minor road at 46º 36' 5,3" S, 71º 48' 45,05" O (Miguel Pacheco is very kind too). Enough water all along the route.

The Jeinimeni section of Parque Patagonia is very easy and well marked. Entrance to foreigners costs CLP 8000 plus 6000 if spending the night. There’s a shelter with place for fire and tents after 18 km.

Valley Aviles to Casa de Piedra is also easy and beautifull, with many free camping spots. Casa de Piedra costs CLP 8000 per night.

The rest of the gps track is very different from the actual trail, called “Sendero de las Siete Lagunas”. I recommend taking this route instead of the old gps track, as it’s very well maintained. At Lago la Pepa ( 47º 7' 45,19" S, 72º 18' 41,54" O ) the trail crosses an old overgrown minor road, which coincides with the gps track and takes to Puesto Huemul (47º 11' 25,31" S, 72º 26' 6,98" O). If going to the left, you’ll reach the puesto, if going up to the right you’ll end the official “Sendero de las Siete Lagunas” near to the main park center. Other hiking options are possible from that point, but the regular route to Puesto Huemul is the shortest.

From Puesto Huemul, the trail goes down near to the lake Cochrane through Sendero “Coigües” and “Carpinteros”. Well marked and signed, this trails will take you to the start of Tamango section, very near to Cochrane.

* '''2020-Jan-27 / GPT35 New Route: Lago General Carrera (Fachinal) to Parque Patagonia (Lago Jenimeni or “Casa de Piedra”) / 5 days / Meylin Meylin Elisabeth Ubilla González and Jan Dudeck'''

Based on a recommendation from Tobias Hellwig W and Daniel Mahn Borkowsky we investigated a new route that I did no had on my radar until a few weeks ago. This route provides an alternative access from the southern coast of Lago General Carrera into the Parque Patagonia and is of interest for packrafters and hikers.

The route is a traditional animal trail that was used by the settlers of Fachinal to drive cattle to a large summer pasture that is now part of Parque Patagonia (sector Jenimeni). With the enforcement of keeping domestic animals out of the protected park area a 5 km trail section inside Parque Patagonia lacks maintenance but is still quite well traversable for GPT standards. Apart from this short trail section most of the route is very scenic and nice to walk but practically unknown. Only one tourism company runs guided hiking trips along this route about once per months. Apart from this occasionally use the full traverse seams not to be done anymore.

Due to lack of trail markings we spend about one extra day in searching and following the poorly maintained 5 km trail section but with our GPS record other hikers should struggle much less than we did and will be able to walk in 4 to 5 moderate hiking days from Fachinal at the southern shore of Lago General Carrera to “Casa de Piedra” in the center of Parque Patagonia in the Valle Chacabuco.

We hiked the route northbound as we considered the option to cross Lago General Carretera at its shortest narrow by packraft. Here the lake is only 3.2 km wide but we finally did not cross this rather dangerous lake due to suboptimal wind conditions.

Fachinal to Rio Aviles River Crossing:

A well maintained “cattle highway” leads from Fachinal from the road bridge of Rio Aviles along the western/southern side of Rio Aviles to the limit of Parque Patagonia. This roughly 20 km long trail section gets regularly cleaned with chain saws to facilitate access to the pastures along Rio Aviles for free-rooming cattle. Most of the trees that have fallen on the trail have been cut to keep the trail easily traversable. Some hikers might find the “pointless up and down” annoying but this trail was created by men that move on horses that did not had to ascent and descent themself. About 1 km before crossing the Rio Aviles two signs indicate the limit of Parque Patagonia (Sector Jenimeni) and ban access for unauthorized people and domestic animals (without providing any clue who might be authorized and who not ;-). From the park limit the trail descents steep to Rio Aviles but remain well maintained to ford.

This trail section requires two possibly demanding river crossings that can become impossible during snow melt in spring, after heavy rain or on the afternoon or evening of hot days (melting water from glaciers!). To keep the route traversable in such circlesumstances the tourism company has installed in both locations steel ropes (to cross these two rivers hooked up in harness to the steel rope without even touching the water).

Rio Aviles River Crossing to the Pass (1150 m above Sea Level):

After the river crossing the trail condition suddenly changes. Fallen trees don’t get cut anymore and undergrowth is not cleaned by machete. It’s mainly the remaining path on the ground that indicates the former animal trail. Advance is slow and in various locations care must be taken to not loose the trail. Here you will need to climb over fall trees and push occasionally through dense vegetation until reaching an altitude of 950 m. At this altitude the forest floor opens up (no dense undergrowth any more) and the trail disappears completely. Here walking becomes easy again. Walk the following kilometer through the open forest following roughly the GPS track until reaching the end of the forest and the small lake after the 1150 m high pass.

An advise for northbound hikers:

Finding the first signs of the trail in the open forest was a struggle as we had no information where exactly the trail starts to descent. I searched at least 3 or 4 hours in a 400 m wide and 1200 m long section of open forest till I found a first old machete mark on a tree that indicated the location of the trail. Carefully searching and following similar marks I finally found the descending trail.

Searching northbound we lost the trail again when reaching Rio Aviles at the bottom of the valley and searched half a day for the correct continuation. A well visible and noticeably used trail next to Rio Aviles leads directly to an suitable river ford but from there a well maintained trail continues 1 km in the wrong direction (upstream). Only after bushbashing 1 km along the river shore downstream we recognized with surprise a second river ford (now the correct river ford) which connects to the well maintained trail section in the correct direction. In hindsight we understood that the well maintained trail simply continues upstream along Rio Aviles and that this trail crosses twice the Rio Aviles. Due to a partially not evident trail section on the other side of we did not recognize this when hitting this trail on the bottom of the valley and took the wrong direction to the wrong river ford.

Now hikers with our GPS record and a GPS should not struggle to find and follow this trail as we did.

Pass (1150 m above Sea Level) to Valle Hermoso Refugio:

After leaving the forest at the 1150 m high pass the most scenic part of this route starts. A roughly 15 km long cross country route leads over pastures and river sediments past 3 lakes and two glaciers to the Refugio Valle Hermoso. Occasionally signs of a trail are visible but due to the open landscape a continuous trail neither exists nor is needed.

Near the Refuge Valle Hermoso this route connects with regular route that leads along Valle Aviles (diffrent river with the same name!) to “Casa de Piedra” in the center of Parque Patagonia.

Access to Trail Head at Fachinal:

There are multiple buses per week from Chile Chico to Puerto Tranquilo on the Carretera Austral that pass Fachinal.

Monday and Friday runs a subsidized bus from Chile Chico to Fachinal and back to Chile Chico (One round trip in the morning and a second one in the evening).
8:30 leaving Chile Chico
9:30 in Fachinal
11:00 returning to Chile Chico
17:30 leaving Chile Chico
18:30 in Fachinal
20:00 returning to Chile Chico

If you wish to cross Lago General Carrera to continue hiking in the Cordillera Avellano North of the lake speak to Carloz Amoros in Fachinal (mobile: +56 9 76267029 / price around 30‘000 CLP) or Pascual Diaz de Mallin Grande.

* '''2020-January 23 / Oreste Marquis/ Northbound : 8 days '''

Going northbound. I followed the route until the second settler at the puesto Tejuela. From there, until the optional route @35-02e#001,
I could not find the approximate trail in the files. I manage to find another one which is call siete Lagunas. It is really easy to follow and really beautiful! I find it near km 18 and keep walking on it until km 38. It is the end of it and is at the campground near Lago Gutiérrez. For more informations go reed Martin post in recent alerts and suggestion. I met him on the trail and he updated the wikiexplora before me. From the beginning to Casa Piedra took me 3 days. Then I hiked to the end of the reserve in an other 3 days. Lots of rivers to cross but felt pretty safe for all of them even the one higher between Lagos Jeinimeni and Verde. The cross country part the next day was my favorite of the hole trip! Awesome views, a lot of wildlife, just need to check a little bit more the gps! Last day, I headed to Chile Chico without any problem. Overall, I love it! Enjoyed it as much as GPT40.

* '''2020-January / Matthieu / Northbound : 7.5 days "tranquilito"'''
Incredible trekk, lots of different type of views and soil, my favorite since El Chalten. Money required for passing by the reserves !!
I hitchhiked 10 km on the road to Casa Piedra, and 12 km between Jeinemini qnd the beginning of the trail that goes north in the mountain to join Chile Chico.

'''1st part : Reserve Tamango''' : 6000 CLP the entry
I took the old "Huemul trail" in the Tamango reserve, taking the left route at the "Camp 284" It is an old trail for 4x4, so very easy, and closed to vehicles now.

'''2nd part : The road to Casa Piedra :''' the rangers I crossed were all agreed that it was not permitted to camp aside of the road (so the information is different that in Nov). One officiql camping at the end of Tamango reserve (WestWind) and one at Casa Piedra 26 km after. 8000 CLP each. At Westwind (not verified, only inforñqtions for guardaparques): no accomodations, only baño. At Casa Piedra . real big house, hot shower, electricity, place to cook.

'''3rd part : Reserve Jenemeni :''' Entry 8000 CLP. For the camping, the ranger told me that it was permitted to camp wherever I wanted, so the information differs too from november. And at the exit, I told the ranger about my "savage" camping in the conversation, and he didnt tic at all, so no stress. The rangers are very nice !
Good trekk, easy to follow. One very good refuge in the valle Hermoso where fire is possible. a more open refuge/camping site by the east shore of Lago Verde.
Many river crossing, all safe except one, before the Laguna Esmeralda. Strong current, and people choose many different way with different profundness. Better do it in the morning, being a glaciar river (I could effectively compare between late in the afternoon and the morning and it is very different).

'''Last part, to Chile Chico by the mountain :''' Amazing views, totaly different climate, more dry and with only bushes.
At the beginning of the Cross country after the 4x4 road, I would advise to go a few meters west from the GPS tracks, to the east side of the river. There is effectively a fence on the west ridge, and a good trail on the east ridge that can avoid you the difficult crossing of many bushes, and that goes directly to the puesto.
Two puestos, The 135 of metal being used by the locals (real bed inside), so just putted the tent outside. The second one 134 is actually a real house. Two mens were here when I arrived, working with the animals. I could put the tent near the house and take water from the sink outside. Many dogs, all nice.

* '''Mum, Sis and I / Southbound / 11 days '''

Well. What an interesting and varied section. Also the longest walk I think we'd all done. It took us 11 days in the end with a couple of longer side trips. Interestingly, when we emerged from the park it was closed, there was martial law in effect, a curfew in place. Borders closed. Only a week to get back to Santiago to catch the last flights back to Australia... Anyway. We're heading back now. Got temperature tested as we reentered Chili Chico this morning. Waiting for the boat across the lake mañana in la mañana. No buses out of town. Enough rambling...

As always, thanks to the others before us that have taken the time to comment and provide feedback. Here's my two cents.

Firstly here are some landmarks to make it easier for others to orient themselves:

El Ciprés
http://ge0.me/oGvL0ey6_7/El_Ciprés
ge0://oGvL0ey6_7/El_Ciprés
Casa Piedra
http://ge0.me/4GvJGSxqPH/Casa_Piedra_%28Stone_House%29
ge0://4GvJGSxqPH/Casa_Piedra_%28Stone_House%29
Westwind
http://ge0.me/wGvC_gnJaX/Westwind
ge0://wGvC_gnJaX/Westwind

Camping in Chile Chico:
El Carro is supposed to be the cheapest place to stay in town. Though if you want a hot shower it's the same as Kon-aiken next door. We stayed at neither so can't really comment, but there were a lot of people staying at Kon-aiken and next to none at El Carro which might be indicitive of value for money or just the fact they are a little closer to the centre of town.
El Carro however was the only one willing to look after some things for us.
We also visited a hostel, but the owner was unfortunately very rude.

El carro
4k frío
5k caliente
1k por día por mochila

Kon-aiken
5k pp / noche
No baggage service

Part 1: Chili Chico to Jeinemeni
In the end we decided to cache things in the bushes just outside of town. Mum and my sister got a lift to the Bahía Jara cruz whist I was caching. Unfortunately I had to walk all the way to El Ciprés where my mum and sister had been enjoying a nice conversation with Orlando Vazquez who allowed us to pass but emphasised the dangers and didn't really recommend crossing.
Passing through the gate a couple of utes were exiting. Apparently there is a new mine up in the mountains and they didn't really want us to walk up. They admitted they just worked there.
Turn off the main rd that assumably heads to the mine about here: -46.57775, -71.82666
Goucho Miguel Pacheco passed us on the way up herding some cattle and we talked to him at the puesto for a while. We also gave him one of the Australian coins we'd been carrying around. He seemed to believe it was everyone's right to pass. "People pass through here all the time "."Just yesterday a lad passed by "."It's the shortest route across the mountains "
Anyway. We camped in the rocks just outside the park boundaries (as mentioned by??).
We then camped two nights up on the windy plateau. Our side trip to Valle Lunes was amazing. I'd recommend it. But be careful with wind. Oh and did anyone mention the guanacos?
Unfortunately I think the water wasn't very clean on this part. Sheep, cows, guanacos, birds... It's the first time in Chile I've wished I took my water filter along. We had some sore stomachs.
Dropping down the other side we hit the mentioned fence (about here -46.72574, -71.90211). We crossed, but would recommend following it to the left until you get to a corner. I'm not sure where it starts, but there is a trail running on the outside of the fence to the puesto. We then followed a sheep trail that ran high on the left (east) of the valley. Very good but it bypassed Las Abutardas completely and seemed to be heading towards Laguna los Flamencos instead. We ended up cutting down to the road where León passed us heading into town, a little confused why we hadn't taken the 'proper trail'.
We camped the night at the Río El Sucio camp. Not really recommended.
We walked the road and stayed at Río Las Vacas for a bit which is at the border of the park and a nicer place to camp. (There is a good stream between the two).

Part 2: Jeinemeni to Casa Piedra
It was 8k to enter the park (for foreigners) and an additional 6k for camping in Valle Hermoso. The section to the refugio (-46.84092, -72.14078) was very nice. This is the only shelter still standing. The others included in the track files were not really enterable.
Heading to the refugio (where everyone seems to camp) you cross the small ankle deep creek exiting Laguna Esmeralda and then the deeper river between Lago Verde and Jeinemeni. This might have been the trickiest but when we crossed it wasn't really bad. We then had two more smaller crossings before passing through Portezuela La Gloria (1100m) to cross Estero Ventisquero and the other river running down the main valley.
The next day we did the popular side trip to the glacier in this valley: -46.80924, -72.20116
We wondered if it was the same way Jan et al entered recently?
From the refugio to Valle Avilés there are no compulsory river crossings if you stick to the somewhat scrubby trail to the left (south) of the valley. The first crossing we did was Río Avilés shortly followed by the tributary. So only 8 crossings (wet feet) on the RR.

We walked from the refugio to Casa Piedra in a day. It was closed so we camped on the other side of the Rd.

Part 3: Casa Piedra to Cochrane
From casa piedra we took the aforementioned Sendero las Siete Lagunas. It is not it the track files but indeed very well marked with numbered markers every kilometre. I'll upload a kml with the markers I recorded as well as some of the water bodies I sketched.
After the stream running into Lago Gutiérrez there wasn't much water until Lago la Pepa.
You will briefly intersect with a road here: -47.14006, -72.37138. The road seems to run down to Puesto Tejuela coinciding with OH-TL-V@35-02F-#001 which I think is incorrectly labelled as TL. Part of RH-TL-I@35-99.0+30.0 too should be marked as MR. You'll intersect this road before taking it down to Lago Cochrane.
We passed the occupied dwelling (Daniel Huemul?) but the man wearing a shirt emblazoned with Parque Patagonia seemed afraid to approach us (another hint the world had gone Corona crazy). He wouldn't let us take the RR so we followed the road for a bit before taking another newly made trail also not in the track files.
Everything after that was very easy to follow.
Everything was abandoned at the entrance and the gate locked. People avoided us on the streets and covered their face when passing us.
We grabbed some needed food (we were very short after 11 days!) and got on the WiFi. Wow! How things had changed! Martial law in place and a curfew in place, we slept under a bridge with some Colombians and caught a bus back to Chili Chico in the morning. Waiting for the boat across the lake tomorrow now.

Links to files :
Kilometre markers: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fuzt4xacxjjvvg4/kms.kmz?dl=0
Water bodies: https://www.dropbox.com/s/uz1ei95s1913xvb/water.bodies.kmz?dl=0
Other planning:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uk9ym56gufwk4zq/planning.kmz?dl=0

* '''2019 Dec / Olrik/ Northbound '''

Amazing part of the GPT, from Cochrane ou enter in the Tamango national reserve and pay 6000CLP for the entrance. We took several trails to get to Valle Chacabuco : Las Aguilas, Las Lengasm Los Condores, Laguna Altas. Great views. We had a snow storm at the pass though. There you end up in a paid campground. From there we walked the dirt road to Casa Piedras in Valle Chacabuco, it was beautiful with lots of guanacos. Then we took the Las Aviles sendero. We camped near the first river crossing as it was late and waited for the morning to cross. It is normally not possible to wild camp in the park but the guardaparque told us to camp there if the river crossing is not sage. The rest of the trail is easy to follow next to the river. There is a pass then you descend to Valle Hermoso and to lago Jeinimeni. It was just gorgeous and easy to follow with great weather. Be aware of the numerous river crossings. In lago Jeinimeni there is a paid campground. From there you can hitchhike, walk, or pay a transportation at the entrance of the park (15000Clp pp) but I'm not sure if this is a regular thing. We ended up hitchhiking to get to Chile Chico.

* '''2019-Nov-28/ Lea Geibel, Kevin Moe/ 5.5days/ Northbound / Regular Hiking Route (Cochrane to Chile Chico) with OH-32-2-#003/'''

This section might have been our favorite out of the whole Group H, where the diversity of the landscape was our favorite part (also including weather and trail conditions). The NP was entered at Tamango just outside of Cochrane. Registration is mandatory, the entrance fee is at 8000 CLP. The ranger asked us to explain our route and since the regular Hiking route did not seem familiar to them, they told us to take the optionals route going north over the pass to WestWinds campground and then do the road walk Eastwards.
The pass had some snow patches on the Southern side but was easy to traverse. At the Valley Chacabuco (another entrance to the national park) we got asked for our permits and the route we plan on taking. We heard different information on if it is allowed to camp at the road or not (there were signs that told us not to do it but the ranger said it is okay). After the roadwalk, we passed another ranger station where we had to register and sign a responsibility form telling that we plan to leave at Lago Jeinimeni (and telling that we're only allowed to stay at designated campsites). The hike from there is extremely beautiful and super diverse, the trail well maintained. The rivers were at higher flow but all fords were doable.
We camped next to the Refugio because we still weren't sure about the camping rules (other hikers we met said they were told that it's okay to camp everywhere along the river). Leaving the NP at Lago Jeinimeni was straightforward, but it's mandatory to check out at the rangers office. The cross-country section after the road walk was a bit slow on the way up due to many bushes and hilly terrain. We found a nice trail next to the fence leading up to the puesto when going up the ridge on the Eastern side. From the puesto we took a short steep uphill after which the terrain became more open and easier to travel on. It was very windy and snowy in the mountains, which made it difficult to walk at times and it felt like the temperatures were rather low.
The lagoons on the way up are filled with exciting birds (flamingos!) and guanacos are running around on the whole plain. Once reaching the plateau we headed down in a pretty straight line which was easier than the uphill until we reached the road

=Resupply and Accommodation=

==Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns==

*2024/25 Michael and Kasia
Chile Chico has two main supermarkets, but also lots and lots of smaller shops. J&D gave a 15% discount if you paid in cash (discount does not extend to gas canisters). We found had in a few places. The ATM is BancoEstado, just off the main plaza. There is a Chilexpress for sending and receiving things.

*Chile Chico has two supermarkets. Sell gas.

*2024/25 Michael and Kasia
There are more than a dozen stores in Cochrane. Rojita a block off the square is the most popular, and generally had good prices. We stayed at Ana Luz, 15.000 pp for a room. She also has one cabaña. It is possible to use the kitchen there for simple cooking. We also had a pair of boots repaired at the zapatero and had a very good experience. It was fast, high quality work and not expensive. He also repairs backpacks.

Regarding planning ahead for Villa O'Higgins, the cash thing is no longer such a problem. All six of the grocery stores and the hardware store there accepted credit cards. We were also able to pay for our accommodation and for the boat with a card as well. There is still no ATM, so it would be smart to have some cash (not all the panaderías take cards for example, and sometimes network issues prevent card machines from working), but it shouldn't be necessary to bring a huge stack of cash.

*Cochrane is a decently sized town with three mid-range supermarkets. The largest one, which is a grocery and department store, is located adjacent to the town square. There are many lodging and restaurant options. Be sure to withdraw an ample amount of money here because most of the businesses in the next town, Villa O’Higgins, only take cash and there is no ATM.

==Resupply and Accommodation along the Route==

=Transport to and from Route=

*2025 / MiaimZelt
Buses (starting at Terminal de buses in Chile Chico) that enable you to skip the first 7-8km of Roadwalk when hiking SoBo:

Turismo Tramal. Chile Chico - Bahia Jara. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 8:30 & 16:30.
WhatsApp: +56 9 7538 0178

Buses Interlagos from Chile Chico to Puerto Rio Tranquilo: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday 9:00.

=Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues=

*2023-Mar-31 to 2023-Apr-06 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option J / Martin & Helena

PN Patagonia closed some sectors on the first Monday in April, so we were the last ones to get a permission and do this section ‘legally’. Be prepared for this if you want to do this part in April or later. The problem is they close Casa Del Piedra and probably won’t let you pass to that sector from Lago Jeinemeni, where the entrance stays open for longer time. Sneaking around the guards house early in the morning or just not be specific about your plans might work if needed, its very unlikely you would meet anyone on the way from the main entrance.

=Links to other Resources=

Retired Section Article [[GPT35 - RN Lago Jeinimeni]]

=Images=
[[file:Greater Patagonian Trail (7).jpg|left|GPT35 - RN Lago Jeinimeni]]

GPT28H (La Tapera)

2025-12-10T14:43:56Z

MMartinez: /* Transport to and from Route */

GPT28H (La Tapera)

2025-12-10T14:43:37Z

MMartinez: /* Transport to and from Route */