Wikiexplora - Contribuciones del usuario [es]

GPT05 (Rio Colorado)

2024-04-05T22:11:50Z

Mitschu2: /* Season 2023/24 */

GPT05 (Rio Colorado)

2024-04-05T15:50:24Z

Mitschu2: /* Season 2023/24 */

GPT05 (Rio Colorado)

2024-04-05T15:49:28Z

Mitschu2: /* Season 2023/24 */

GPT23 (PN Lago Puelo)

2024-02-26T19:31:05Z

Mitschu2: /* Season 2023/24 */

GPT24H (PN Los Alerces Tierra)

2024-02-26T19:23:16Z

Mitschu2: /* Season 2023/24 */

GPT22 (Cochamo)

2024-02-18T13:40:22Z

Mitschu2: /* Transport to and from Route */

{{Table all GPTs}}

 

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

''*'' 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

Summary with remarks to route that are considered useful for other hikers and packrafters. Include alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties.

Add a sub-chapter by placing two "=" before and after the new sub-chapter heading ('==Sub-Chapter Heading==').

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/26==

==Season 2024/25==

==Season 2023/24==

*2024-Feb-09 to 2024-Feb-16 / 7,5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Gerald

First: I wouldn't do it if there was a lot of rain. Did it after a week of rain in 2019 and it was a mud hell until El Arco. Now it seems at least until junta the trail improved (not sure). For those who don't own a trekking pole, organize a stick early... you won't have mich fun with the muddy situation otherwise.

The bus leaving Puerto Varas at 8:30 (Bus stop at -41.31617, -72.985396) charged 7k. Surprisingly they drove me to the trailhead, last time i had to walk from the bridge, guess it depends on the bus. If you want to get a seat you should probably take the bus in Puerto Montt, had to stay the whole ride. Seems like they will also stop along the way if you wave (check the cochamo insta for an overview of the schedule and route of the bus).
Arrived at the checkpoint at 11:45. After explaining my trip and that i will stay at El Arco they let me pass (without a reservation). They just ask you to register before you go.
Stopped at la junta to make a coffee and enjoy the view. They sell veggies they grow on site.
If i remember rights from Rio Trador on it gets really muddy. It rained 4 days ago and mud was not a big issue until that river.

Anyway, arrived quite late at 8pm at the shelter. There is a path to the right to a place to pitch couple of tents. After Rio Traidor (-41.407173, -72.092915) would also be a nice place to camp

In average only 2 tabano/day annoyed me, what a time we live in... Finally

Dona Luisa has a nice spot on the southern side of the lake Vidal gormaz.
To give you idea, here a short pricelist:
5k camping,
3k for a beer (brahma or Sol),
7k for a bottle of wine,
12k for dinner (meat, salad and bread),
1.5k for cheese

Camping at the settlement Steffen looked nice. Unfortunately i chose a spot next to a way too curious bull...

The camping at the brewery in El Manso is not worth a penny (they charge 5k). It's basically a dry piece of land full of goose shit. Engine on petrol runs untill 10pm. Only wifi is positive. I couldn't find a good spot to camp nearby. I would camp way before. Bus supposed to arrive between 14:30 and 15:00. Luckily a car took me to Puerto Urrutia where i continued. Hostel Puelo Libre looked nice next to the beautiful river. Hiked until the north west side of lago las rocas.

Ricardo (?) offered me a ride for free to the other end of the landslide. But I chose to cross the whole lake by boat. He charged 30k (I was alone). The radio is not anymore at the "port", but you can walk to his house (just continue the MR, first house at around [-42.019089, -71.861245] to your left, if you want to avoid the dogs take the small trail to your left once you see it).

Leaving Chile without the PDI document was not an issue (I requested the paper 5 days in advance and only got an auto response...). They did not even ask. Good views on the lake from now on. Spend an extra day at the camp next to the AR border control. All in all, nice hike!

Missed the bus to El bolson by 5mins. Seems like it's more towards x:30h. I think they run every hour. Got a ride with a car for 1k to the city. If someone is fancying good sourdough bread i can recommend "El Obrador"

The Post office is also doing Westernunion here (check Googlemaps reviews for more Infos)

*2024-Feb-03 to 2024-Feb-09 / Lilian

If you decide stay at Segundo Corral, and take the boat to Argentina.

NO NO NO

NO NO NO

DON'T DON'T DON'T stay at Mari Mari Peni Camping, (or another name) Amancays Camping.

I saved a girl hiker almost RAPED by the campground owner, and I'm pointed by a rifle gun force me to stop helping her at the night on 07/02. About the details, i type it and upload later.

It is already reported to Chile carabineros and Consulate in Chile.

GPT22 2024-01-31 to 2024-02-05 / 5,5 days days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Cochamó options/ Tomáš & Natalie

After a month and a half, we finally did something standard! From Puerto Varras (the bus stop on Avenida Vicente Perez Rosales just after Antonio Varras street) we took a bus at 8:38 going from Puerto Mont that went all the way to the end of MR to the Road end waypoint. At our hostel, they told us it would arrive at 8:45. Not sure if this is the same bus that others said would pass Puerto Varras at 8:15 or if it just goes to the road end only in high season. It was 7000 per person - I think they might charge double for backpacks, unless they screwed us.

We were at the entrance at 11 AM and were let through for free when we told them we were going to El Arco. The way to the campsites is really busy (met maybe 50 people and about ten horses), easy and without many views as it goes through a forest. When we reached the campsites, we decided that the valley is really pretty and that we want to take some sidetrips. We asked all the campsites and only La Junta let us stay, 8000 per person. It is important not to spread the word as they did us a favor even though they are not supposed to allow people without reservations. So, do not tell anyone or expect to be let in. We had a numbered site so I think they genuinely had some places free. If nobody had places, after ford 98.9, there is a maze of paths and mini-meadows on the left where I saw somebody camp illegaly. If you hide your packs well for the day and then camp from dusk till dawn, you would probably get away with it. Alternatively there are some flat spots in Trinidad valley two hours up - if you start so that you would arrive by dusk, you should meet nobody.

The side trips are steep but not challenging, many people take them. We went to Paloma (not in GPT trackfiles as of early 2024) in the evening, it can be done in three hours there and back if you do not stop (we did). We started going up at 1715 and saw last person going down at 1830 or so. It is quite splendid. OSM says there is a route to Cerro La Junta. It is probably an exit route for climbers, I did not see any traces of it but it looked like it were possible. If it is, one could probably continue all the way to Cerro Capicua.

Arco Iris is still closed. If it were open I think one could follow the ridge, which is not very steep or outcroppy, all the way north to above GPT21 - only there is probably no way down.

The next morning I went to the Trinidad Valley and all the way up to Cerro Bella Vista and Nat went ahead to escape the approaching rain the next day. The roundtrip takes about 7-8 hours. There is a marked travelled trail to the pass ("El Paso"), the last 300 vertical meters or so are marked by cairns. You will need your hands occasionally, but it is not exposed or particularly hard - SAC 4. The views are well worth it. It seemed most people only go to La Laguna (lake just under the pass). We started at 6 AM and I met the first people on the way down around noon at La Laguna. Both La Laguna and Cerro Bella Vista are not in GPT trackfiles as of early 2024. The way up through Camping Vista Hermosa (the current GPT track) is not supposed to be used by people not staying at the campsite. The proper way up seems to be the more western trail that is marked on OSM. Going back down trough camping Bella Vista was without issues though. They told Natalie you are not supposed to use their cable car (the one more upstream). Tomáš thinks you should use it as it is the only one that you can use without going through either of the campsites (the downstream one goes directly from La Junta campsite). No horseflies by now!

I left the camping at 1530, and met only one group of hikers all the way up to the second Camp waypoint at Lago Grande. It is a nice camp, bigger than the first but no good water sources. Wild legal camping, if I get it right. Refuge El Arco is unmanned, it is just a simple wooden hut. I would only use it in case of severe rain. The way up was almost all dry after two weeks of no rain. Mostly through forest, with some nice views of the valley, a few more fords then indicated but they could all be jumped.

The next day it rained (5mm?) from 4 AM till 11 AM but it was not enough to make the trails substantially muddy. The bridge before Lago Vidal is not there but there was a nice log. There are some pre-european rock paintings after Lago Vidal, one probably needs to make a sidetrip to see them based on the information signs near Torrentoso (trail 22-10 was signposted; trails in the valley are well maintained so I assume the option is good to go). On the last meadow before the gone bridge at 51.8, there was a cherry tree that still had very tasty miniature cherries in the beginning of February. It is behind the house to the left of the trail, maybe 40 m from it. I discovered it by going south of the house (nobody seemed to be in it). Do not miss the turnoff of the trail from the meadow - I went straight, there was initially a trail but petered out into a landslide. Camp at 45.2 is nice (reach it by turning left from the trail cca 50-100 m beyond the sjoetest route, that way you avoid any vegetation). Finally met Natalie after two days of escaping rain. Shop in El Manso is better than expected (has good veges and fruit) but not as good as the one in Llanada Grande. El Manso also is besides a cerveceria with wifi. The bus only came at 1530 despite being told it comes at 1pm. In almost three hours of waiting, we did not manage to hitch a car.

The bus indeed stops at Llanada Grande for 10 minutes or so - it is not really enough to orientate yourself and buy lots of supplies. The supermarket had lots of nectarines! Should you want to go to Puerto Urutia, the bus does not go there so you need to get off and walk the minor road there. We could not get reliable Entel internet reception anywhere in the valley (calls were fine) along the bus route.

We went to Primer Corral to do 22-08. The first few km are not a pleasant road to walk on. We decided to turn back as bad weather was coming in two days and it did not seem worth it. Not sure how far the road for cars goes. There seems to be regular but sparse traffic on it.

We walked back for about an hour on the main road before getting a hitch for the last 3 km to turnoff to 22-02, as others indicated the RR is badly passable due to a landslide. The MR section is aesthetically dreadful and supersteep. We had to climb a locked gate right at the start. We found a miniature camping spot about 200 m before the signposted trail turnoff. In the morning a lorry driver waved at us so probably no issues with climbing the gate. Luckily the trail is much nicer than the road. We met the settler at the lake Azul, he let us walk through his property. The few km to the first very small lake are actually an undriven MR, but very pleasant, it does not seem to be connected to the road network. After 2 km, one turns left onto a trail. Until the pass, it is very clear. After the pass, the visibility deteriorates somewhat but no bush bashing is involved. Soon after that, there is a gate saying there is no trail afer a harsh winter. We went further and it turned out there is a trail. There were some trees on it, but not too much and we lost it only for about 50 m. From setler at 11.4, the trail is much more clear. Met a seemingly lonely girl from the next homestead with whom we had a lovely chat. The trail to the border control was easy, we came there at 1530 and were let through. They told us that it would be ok to reach the Argentinian border control the next day. They too had a very ripe cherry tree but did not pick up on my appraisal of it and did not suggest I get some fruit.

We met several people on the way to Argentina border. We camped there (wild permitted numbered camping sites with numbers - there was about twenty other Argentinians, the functioning toilets are unsigned immediately next to the Police building). The next day we had no issues with getting a stamp and going down. The last CC part is a trail. We forded the second ford a bit earlier than suggested, it was waist deep but very slow moving. Took a bus at 1340 to El Bolson - seems to run regularly.

2024-Jan-19 to 2024-Jan-24 / 6 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR + day trip / Lotti & Alex

We did this section mostly as described by Fangwen and Tobi (El Manso to Cochamo base camp), so there is not much to add. We stayed at La Junta for 2 nights and did a very nice day trip to Cerro Bellavista (see description further down). The trails were very well maintained all the way. The only minor problems were mud and lots of horse flies. Like Fangwen and Tobi, we were happy we did the section NOBO, because the landscape gets more and more spectacular. This way it is also much easier to get to camp at La Junta without reservation, because they always reserve some space for hikers coming from the south.
It was a beautiful hike and especially the area around La Junta is really spectacular and worth visiting. We even met a fellow GPT hiker there, which was great!

Transportation:

To start:
Bus "Rio Puelo" from Puerto Varas to Lago Tagua-Tagua at 8:20am, then ferry to Puerto Maldonado, then bus to El Manso. We arrived at the trailhead around 1pm.

after hike:
Bus from end of trailhead ("Cochamo base camp") to Cochamo/Puerto Montt at 1pm.

Day trip to Cerro Bellavista:

Start at La Junta on GPT Variant G, following the signs to "Trinidad". It starts by crossing the river with the little cable car. After the walls of Trinidad, stay on the trail and follow the signs to "Laguna". The official trail ends there, but there are stone cairns and ribbons marking a trail that goes up to the pass. The laguna is crowded, but we didn't meet anyone further up. The view at the pass is already great, but you can go up even further. Turn to the left and follow the stone cairns until the summit. It is not difficult, just walking and easy scrambling, and the view is absolutely spectacular.
The whole tour has about 1300m of altitude difference. It took us around 5h to go up, and 3-4h down.

2024-01-07 to 2024-01-14: Fangwen and Tobi / 2.5 days Ventisquero Valley (Option 08 + more), 4 days El Manso to Cochamo RR / NOBO hiking.

We did two parts along this enjoyable section, connecting them by hitchhiking and resupplying in between in Llanada Grande.

The first part was hiking ~20km into the scenic Ventisquero valley (Option 08), alongside a wonderful river on an enjoyable and easy hiking trail through farms and rainforest that mostly follows an old minor road. It's often better to follow the well-marked trail rather than the GPT track files. A highlight of our trip was hiking up to a fantastic viewpoint at 1100m with a view of the whole valley, its remote side valleys and glaciated mountain peaks. The trail (900m elevation gain, 4.5km) through the thick rainforest is steep but excellent in quality and easy to follow (but the turnoff at S 42° 01.737', W 072° 05.643' is easy to miss). This and other trails in the valley are not part of the GPT files yet, but GPX files can be found on the website of Rincon Bonito (glamping accommodation for groups) that presumably created the trail. We camped by the viewpoint; what a wonderful experience! There are plenty of places to pitch up a tent, but little protection from wind. We found a wind protected camp in a dried-out puddle at (S 42° 02.705', W 072° 06.193'). Make sure to bring water, since the last reliable water source is in the valley, just before the turnoff onto the steep trail. From the viewpoint, we attempted to climb the local mountain, but beyond 1500m, it appears to require bush bashing. Our track: [[Media:GPT 22 Ventisquero Viewpoint.gpx]].
The viewpoint is within the Pumalin National Park, but the whole valley seems to be private property and camping is forbidden outside official campsites, which begin quite far into the valley. There are plenty of spots to pitch up a tent nonetheless (which is what we did).
For packrafters, going down the river must surely be a highlight! Rincon Bonito offers packrafting (maybe only for their guests?), they describe it as class II+.

Our second part followed the regular route 22N from El Manso to the Cochamo trailhead. This was an enjoyable hike and we found the trail to be in good condition, although it gets pretty muddy around El Arco (and that's after one week of sunny weather). There is quite a bit of pointless up and down between km45 and km79. Additionally, our hiking distance was often 20-25% longer than expected, as there are many switchbacks too small to be represented on the track files. We liked hiking this section northbound, as the rainforest and the views get more and more impressive as you go along. La Junta has a lot of local hiking options (e.g. hiking into the Anfiteatro valley or on top of Cerro Trinidad), but we didn't spend any extra days because the weather was turning.

Logistics: to get to the start of section 22, take the daily bus that leaves at 7.45am from Puerto Montt (stops at 8.15 in Puerto Varas at intersection el Salvador/San Pedro S 41° 19.081', W 072° 59.038', and later in Cochamo). The bus company Río Puelo has a ticket office in Puerto Montt, their WhatsApp number is +56 9 7408 9199. From there, take the ferry across Lago Tagua Tagua and the connecting bus down the valley to your respective trailhead (El Manso for the Cochamo valley, Primer Corral for the Ventisquiero valley). Note that travel is slow... We arrived at the Primer Corral at 4pm. We left a bag of food for the second half of our trip. Unfortunately it was visible from the parking lot and got stolen, so we resupplied at the Llanada Grande supermarket. The bus makes a stop there for ~15min, if you want a quick resupply there (it's a bit bigger than in El Manso). We hitchhiked to El Manso, which worked after two hours of waiting/walking (not a lot of traffic).

If you are in the Llanada Grande area, go to Camping Reflejo Azul. The campsite itself is average, but it has the most beautiful river we have ever seen in our lives. Visit this truly special place before Instagram influencers find out about it and it becomes overrun by hordes of tourists. Day access is possible also for 5.000 CLP.

Photos: https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/permalink/1732098767296002/?app=fbl

*2024-Jan-4 / 7.5 days / Packrafting / SOBO / RH + OP-LK-2 + RP / Lauren & Sebastian

Note: We were told a reservation is needed for a camp site at La Junta to be allowed into the valley from Cochamo side, so we did that. However, one of the wikiexplora entry mentioned that they were allowed in when mentioning that they wanted to camp at El Arco Refuge but we read it too late. Camp Trawen is the most expensive (15k per person), which is the reason why it’s been available on short notice. There are several other sold-out camps around for 8k-10k.

Day 1: We hitchhiked to Cochamo Base Camp at 9am and reached Camp Trawen by 2pm. It would have been better to go on the El Arco Refuge straight away and camp there. It’s a touristy stretch and in our view not really worth doing, if you like the general quiet nature of the GPT.

Day 2: Camped at the beach at Lago Vidal. Easy hike but lots of ups and downs.

Day 3: We packrafted Lago Vidal and had a good lunch at Luisa’s place (make sure to drop by!), before continuing on to Torrentoso (not the paid camp, but on the meadow a few hundred meters after the official camp).

Day 4: The bridge at wp Bridge {22N} [51.8/146] (Rio Steffen) does not exist anymore. It’s not a demanding ford but there are short steep ups and downs on both sides. We stayed near wp Settler {22N} [50.1/307].

Day 5: We rivered in at wp Rio Manso. The ride was super scenic and beautiful and there were no rapids, just a bit of boiling water but nothing difficult, which might be due to different water levels compared to previous accounts. It’s 45 minutes from there to the bridge at wp Bridge {22N} [40.8+0.2/36]. We rivered out behind the bridge on the right side. There is a nice flat beach which leads to the cabin of Harv and Veronica. They let us camp on their land and even offered a hot (wood fired) shower for 2.5k per person. There is a cervezeria and shop across the road for resupply.

Day 6: We took the bus at 1 pm to intersection at wp X {22-01} [25.0/187] and went on OP-MR-V (along Hunter’s estate) to Lago Azul. You will be charged 5k per person to access the lake. We crossed Lago Azul with strong waves and tailwind so we sailed to the other side in no time.

Day 7: Crossed Lago de Las Rocas, Lago Inferior, and Lago Puelo to the Argentinian border control which opens at 8am next morning so we camped there. Next day we finished at Lago Puelo which is a popular tourist beach.

Tip: It is a hot & dusty walk to town from the beach and hitchhiking is not as easy in this part of Argentina as in Chile. Keep some small change of USD or Argentinian pesos for the bus ride to resupply in town. If you plan to continue packrafting Lago Puelo on GPT23 after resupplying, the earliest bus back to the beach reaches around 7.30am but it will be too late as the wind picks up by 8am. Lago Puelo is known for its strong gusts so it’s best to check wind forecast and paddle early morning 5.30am to cross. Therefore it may be easier to camp at one of the campsites nearer to the beach instead of staying in town. Just go there for resupplying.

*2023 Dec OH-TL-V / Anh
Note: the trail OH-TL-V alias Cerro Arco Iris was damaged by big rocks in the last season and is completely closed. A new route or repair is not in planning.

*2023-12-17 to 2023-12-21 / 5 days / Hiking + Packrafting / SOBO /RR & Option 01B / Roman

Route: Hiking from Cochamó to El Manso. Bus to Lago de Las Rocas. Packrafted the lake and Lago Inferior. Hiked to Lago Puelo.

Due to the border crossing, there is a thread about it on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/permalink/1709504102888802/. I applied online - no answer. Went to the carabineros in Cochamó they couldn't issue it, so I went without it (it worked without a problem)

Started in Cochamó (there is a bus to the entry I just got him by hitchhiking so I don't know the schedule) and had a reservation for Camp Trawen (Fruit, Groceries, Electricity). This is getting checked at the entrance if you have one. The trail to the camp was a bit muddy (2 days of rain before the start) but all doable. The next day went to the northern end of Lago Vidal Gormaz and slept there at Lake {22-05} [7.9/604]. Bridge destroyed at: -41.43696, -71.96632 and Bridge {22N} [63.0/337] (Rio El Colorado). Both are crossable dry feed due to trees. Generally, there is no fording necessary after Lago Vidal Gormaz. Before yes. Packrafted Rio Manso. There were no rapids on the map, it's mentioned in the Manuel that it can be challenging. There are some rapids but all are doable and manageable (I am a beginner with kayak experience and an open deck packraft). You can get easy access to the river at -41.692561, -71.972725 this is 300m after the mark in the file. There is a dry river bed to avoid BB to get to the River. The river is fast flowing. Follow the GPS only at one point where the river splits pay extra attention: turn left as shownin the GPS: -41.698615, -71.985482 . Went out at the south side of the bride: Bridge {22N} [40.8+0.2/36] (Rio Manso) on the right side. There is a trail to the street with one gate where you can walk through on the right side. The shop Settlement, Shop, Bus {22N} [40.7/36] (El Manso) has good supplies and free WiFi. The trail to this point is very good. Based on previous comments and a chat to a local I want to skip at least to Puerto Urrutia [comment in: 2023-FEB-01 to 2023-FEB-07]. There is an official bus going all the way from Rampa Punta
Maldonado -> Segundo Corral. Find the schedule here: https://imgur.com/a/7MVEscb . The shop owner said the bus is normally there at 02:00 PM. The bus was there in my case at 02:30 PM. This bus stops at the large supermarket [Supermercado Llanada Grande] a great place for a last resupply). The bus also stops at Puerto Urrutia but I went all the way to Lago de Las Rocas and used OH-MR-V {22-01B} [8.2+1.9] to get to the lake. Started packrafting at 05:00 PM. The start was fine. The wind got worse during the evening and was to my capabilities on the maximum with serious waves. Strong wind from the north. It was pleasantly paddling after going through the gap at -42.069608, -71.813735. Camped at Lake, Camp {22S} [21.8/314]. Got there at 07:45 PM. Crossed the border without any problems. Packrafted Lago Inferior and got in the water here: Lake {22S} [20.9/201] at 10:00 AM. The wind got stronger but manageable. Exited the lake at 11:15 AM at -42.102244, -71.742575. The trail back to the RR is good to hike. From there, the trail is in good condition. Due to the higher water in Rio Azul fording and therefore the RR is not possible. You get also the recommendation from the Argentinien carabineros to take Option 03. I didn't want to take this and followed the RR to this point: -42.091481, -71.633667. From there I followed the trail to this point: -42.09399, -71.634188. There is an old dock [image here: https://imgur.com/a/5LMsKA1]to put in you packraft. The trail can be downloaded at the end of the comment. There I packrafted with very strong onshore wind and if it hadn't been for only 300m I wouldn't have done it to (03:15 PM):-42.096114, -71.628682 ,and walked from there to the end of GPT22.

Overall: great section! It's a nice trail to hike and packrafting rRioEl Manso is a lot of fun and a great change in perspective after hiking for a few days. After that, the trail continues bto bein a good condition. The conditions for Lago de Las Rocas should be closely checked. I would definitely recommend it!

Trail download: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqzLweJ3NZW5q7YZzDoW3qlKypqwBg

Contact: https://linktr.ee/RundW

==Season 2022/23==

* General advice : The Regular Route is best hiked between December and April. The primary obstacles are high river levels early in the season and after rain. During the peak period of January and February it may be difficult to obtain a camping reservation at La Junta which could prevent a southbound traverse.

* 2023-Feb-18 to 2023-Feb-23 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + 22-01 / Martin & Helena

A lot has been already written, so just a few comments from our side:

No problem with entering the valley in SOBO direction, until the noon aprox., saying you will spend the night at the refugio El Arco - they have some time estimate for this hike and can’t let you in if its late. By the entrance you can buy some useful things that might be hard to buy in Cochamo, like gas or peanut butter. There was also a beer truck with quite good wifi connection (only during summer). Crowds of people in both directions, quite muddy trail. Detour to the Toboganes is definitely worth it. We spend the night after all in a marked camp aprox. 4 kms before the refugio and it was a good decision - there were quite a lot of people when we passed by the next day.

From the refugio its nice and easy walking. We spent the night on the southern side of Lago Vidal Gomaz where is amazing campsite Doña Luisa, for I think 5000 CLP pp. We bought there beer, some cheese and bread in the morning, and you can also charge electronics inside. It is possible to have proper breakfast or dinner, it looked all very tasty. At km N 40.7 is shop with all the basic things + great brewery next to it, definitely stop there if you are a fan.

Based on other comments and our time schedule we decided to take the alternative 22-01 to Llanada Grande. This is a good resuppy spot as there is a new and big (at least in comparison to what you would expect in a place like this) supermarket that replaced the old one destroyed by fire. Good place to stay is a campsite at the end of the village, on the right side, run by really nice lady. Not expensive and if its free, you can stay for the same price in a so called refugio, that is actually just a very small room, but for us better than a tent. Hot water and electricity + possibility to buy pizza and maybe some other small things - there is actually no restaurant in the village. Some more road walking around Lago Totoral to Rio Puelo to connect back to RR. In general not very attractive part of the trail. Great restaurant in Hostal Puelo Libre with local beer and view on the river.

From the port its again easy walking on the RR again. Drunk settler and quite agressive dogs out of his control at S km 7.2 so be careful. We slept half way to Las Rocas lake. We thought about taking the RR around the lake, but the landslide caused by snow (aprox. 1.5 km from the port) looked quite difficult to pass. We discovered there is possibility to cross the lake on one of the locals boat, which we did in the end. We were lucky that after waiting for some time in the port a car with locals arrived. Happily for us they arranged a boat transfer with other residents to get to the other side of the lake, where they went for a lunch. We were able to go with them, and after picking up their friends, we all hop off the boat close to the police station. Great experience and we learned a lot about this area and people living here. We paid 10k CLP. In the comments here is a contact for the guy with a boat, but without signal it must be arranged in advance, and the price might differ when not sharing the transfer with others. No problem with the border check. It took us around 4 hrs to get to the argentinian side, where everyone was super friendly as well. They offered us to camp there, but we decided to make it to Lago Puelo, which took us 2 more hrs. The landscape changes significantly on the other side where everything is more dry. No problem with the river crossing. We got off the trail directly on the main road.

Contact: @martin_hanzelka @helenneka

*2023-FEB-01 to 2023-FEB-07 / 7 days / hiking / SOBO / Cochamó - Lago Puelo / Anna & Christopher

We hitchhiked from Eco Camping El Valle to the entry of the park and arrived around 8 am. We told them that we would camp at the Refugio El Arco and explained our further route. Until la Junta there were lots of chilenean tourists, therefore the path was very good only with some muddy stretches. Like Véronica we walked to Toboganes, a waterfall/stream with beautiful rock formations. There were tons of people, but it's worth it. La junta seems to be an amazing place for rock climbing, we would have loved to have some climbing gear with us.

After la Junta there were almost no more hikers. We camped next to the Refugio, as there were already two other groups of hikers sleeping in the Refugio.

Until Lago grande there are still some muddy stretches and blowdowns, but generally it is a good path. From there on the path is perfectly maintained. We camped at approx. km 66 next to Río los Morros.

Nice path until El Manso. We resupplied at the minimercado and camped next to the river, which was a beautiful camping spot with lots of delicious blackberrys.

The next morning we arrived at Señora Ocos house around 8 am. She contacted multiple people and luckily found out that there was somebody crossing the river to our side at 11 am. The man, whose name we unfortunately forgot, was super friendly and dropped us off after the river mouth of Rio Traidor, close to where he lives. He charged 10.000 CLP p.p.

The path to the first settler was mediocre and afterwards got worse and worse until it was almost pure buschwhacking. It was the worst we had so far on the GPT. Thorns.. Lots of thorns tearing away at your clothes, backpack and skin.
We camped at the river at approx. km 12, which was a beautiful spot.
Until the settlement Las Nieves the path continued beeing bad with lots of bush bashing. The settler told us that no locals use that path and she also told us that there are no regular boat transfers to Puerto Urrutia on weekends (it was sunday..).
We wouldn't do that stretch next to Rio Puelo again and instead hitchhike from El Manso to Puerto Urrutia.

At the boat transfer waypoint to Puerto Urrutia we had Entel service and contacted one lodging on the other side. They told us to go to the last house 1km back to ask for a transfer (it's the house of the man who does the boat transfer on weekdays). But we got lucky and a boat passed by and took us to the other side. The man on the boat also told us that the path from Río Traidor to Puerto Urrutia "is closed".

We continued to Lago verde, where we planned to camp, but it's surrounded by dense forest, apart from a private property.
That spot is amazing, a little landing stage to go swimming, a great view and a very friendly owner. She even baked some delicious apple bread for us. For camping she charged us 8000 CLP p.p.. That was definetly worth it.

After Lago verde there is a minimarket. We didn't check it out, but there is no resupply wp yet.

After reading previous blogs and having had enough of thorns we decided to cross el Lago de Las Rocas by boat. Therefore there is a walkie talkie on the landing stage on the northern end of the lake with which you can contact Richard. We also got his number (+56958694897), if you want to contact him in advance. When we arrived at the lake, there were already lots of people waiting for the boat so we just waited with them and after some time got knocked the boat with them. The ride was really nice across the crystal clear blue water and we were charged 5000 p.p.

From the southern end of the lake it's just a couple of minutes to walk to the chilenian border control. We continued on and camped at km 30 at the river. Again a really beautiful spot.

The next day we passed the argentinian border control and continued to Lago Puelo.

The section was really beautiful, except the part with the thorns. There are lots of streams along the whole trail, so one does not need to carry much water.

*2023-Jan-29 to 2023-Feb-02 / 5 days / hiking / NOBO / RR mostly / Frank

I got the bus-ferry-bus from Puerto Montt to Segundo Corral. To avoid the landslide at Laguna Las Rocas & delays with the river ferries I walked on the road from Segundo Corral to El Manso, about 50KM. Easy but not very interesting walking. It takes a full day to get from Puerto Montt on the bus to Segundo Corral so I believe it would be better to go SOBO with an early start to get through La Junta, otherwise you need 2 additional days for travel.

Stayed @ nice & cheap campsite at bridge over Rio Colorado & camped at El Arco. The trail approaching El Arco was muddy & a bit swampy (it had been raining). It's possible to go by boat across Lago Vidal Gomez but it's an easy 3 hour walk.

Got the bus again to Segundo Corral & ferry to Paso Bolson. The trail across the border is generally in good condition. There is some easy bushbashing on the Chilean side for about 1KM before the border & some fallen trees but they are straightforward to go over. Rio Azul was easily fordable in early February.

* 2023-Jan-10 to 2023-Jan-14 / 5 days / hiking / SOBO / RR, also GPT22-01 / Véronica

Route: Cochamó - La Junta - Lago Vidal Gormáz - El Manso - Puerto Urrutio via Option 1 - Lago Las Rocas - Lago Puelo (Argentina)

The borders of Paso El León and Paso El Bolsón are both opened again for tourists! Go for it! It is a beautiful section with wonderful people, such a contrast to where I started the GPT further north.

In Cochamó, I stayed at Eco Camping El Valle, right at the entrance to the Cochamó River Valley. Paid 7000 clp, very nice campground, there are tarps over the picnic tables at each site so you have a dry place to hang out even if it rains :) Since I spent the night so close to the trailhead, it was easy to get to the guarded valley entrance (Road End {22N} [109.8/58]) early. I did not have a camping reservation for La Junta. I arrived at the trailhead at 7:30 a.m., explained my route to the staff, saying I would stay at Refugio El Arco that night. They let me through no problem. The trail to La Junta is a bit muddy, but nothing bad, my feet stayed dry in my trailrunners despite the fact it was also raining off and on. Beautiful path through the Valvidian rainforest, I really enjoyed all the green and the moss. When I reached the La Junta area, I stashed my pack in some trees and made a short detour to Las Toboganes. They are only 0.7 km off the regular route, and highly worthwhile to see! What a spectacular area, I totally see the Yosemite resemblence, and would love to go back someday.

I found the trail after La Junta (all the way to Lago Vidal Gormáz) to be in good shape, contrary to what others have written. It was maybe slightly less maintained than the popular trail leading into the valley, but it was still very clear and easy to follow — not overgrown, no blowdowns, just a bit muddy in some places. Granted, it has been drier than normal so far this summer. None of the fords went above my knees, and sometimes I could cross the creeks without even getting my feet wet, all very easy.

The refugio at El Arco is dark and without any furniture inside. I found it much nicer to camp in the nearby meadow just south of the trail there. There are outhouses.

Nice path from Lago Vidal Gormáz all the way to El Manso. Very beautiful in this valley as well. Met a few arrieros along the way. Most of the rivers have bridges crossing them. There is a small camp at the bridge over Río Colorado.

In El Manso, I topped off my food supply at the shop on the main road. It has a good selection of food items. Then I went to Señora Oco's house to try and arrange a boat transfer over Río Puelo. She and her family are very friendly and welcoming. I arrived there mid-afternoon, but she could not get in radio contact with anyone on the other side. In the evening, we heard back from Hospedaje Nancy, who charged 60,000 clp for a crossing upriver all the way to Río Traidor (where she lives). This I found too expensive for me traveling alone. Señora Oco baked some bread and I was able to buy some. She also said I was welcome to camp in the fields behind her house while waiting for a response from settlers Paulina and Jovino regarding a crossing to their place (much more direct and therefore likely much cheaper). The next morning, we still hadn't received any response from Paulina and Jovino either via radio or Whatsapp (they may have been away). Because of this, I decided to take the gravel road to Puerto Urrutia (Option 1), and forgo crossing Río Puelo, unfortunately. Despite this setback, I'm really glad I got to meet and spend time with Señora Oco and her family, they are such kind people.

I was able to hitch most of the way to Puerto Urrutia, where I rejoined the regular route. The trail from there all the way to Lago Las Rocas is mostly easy and clear. There were a few confusing junctions in the vicinity of Lago Verde, so I kept a close eye on the GPS there. After crossing the road after that, the beginning of RR -TL-V {22S} [2.8/7.1+2.7] is tricky to find. There are lots of fallen trees and many forest paths. The GPS was very helpful there too until I finally found the right path. After about 700 m it merges with a nice clear path all the way to Lago Las Rocas.

As has been previously reported, there is a large rockslide about 2 km in once you reach Lago Las Rocas. It didn't look overly dangerous to me, the boulders were large and seemed solid enough. I started crossing it right at the bottom where the rocks fall into the lake, as it looked to be the easiest and safest way across. I was maybe 50 meters through it, when a boat came along, and the people in it told me to hop in! What lucky timing! As we passed the rest of the rockslide, I could see the last part of it was steep, loose scree rather than big boulders. That part would have definitely been nerve-wracking to cross, and I was very grateful for the boat ride. The settlers who owned the boat live about 3 km along the trail, at a little bay/inlet in the lake. They have a nice beach and campground too. That's where I rejoined the trail. Beyond their house, the "Camino Los Mosquitos," as it is locally called, gets progressively worse in terms of overgrowth and blowdowns. The trail has not been cleared since the past winter, and not been used either. The stretch between kilometers 4 and 6.5 is the worst. It felt more like pure bushwhacking than following a trail. The path was mostly burried beneath walls of downed trees and branches, it got very hard to follow at times. Lots of climbing over and under vegetation, some of it quite thorny too. Very slow and tiring. My pack got ripped up a bit and so did my clothing. Had I known the trail was this bad, I would have taken the option on the east side of Lago Las Rocas. It's hard to imagine it could be in worse shape than the regular route.

When I got to the Chilean Border Control it was around 6:30 p.m., so too late to cross that day. The border agent working there was very friendly, but he couldn't get in contact with his supervisor to get approval for stamping my passport with the next day's date. So I camped back at Lago Las Rocas, and the next morning came back at 8 a.m. when the border post reopened. The trail on the Chilean side of the border was a bit rough in places, it has been neglected since the winter too. But it was not as bad as the previous stretch along Lago Las Rocas. Once I got into Argentina, it got much better. The trails in Parque Nacional Lago Puelo are well-maintained, and I met some day hikers. No issues at the Argentine Border Control.

I was able to ford Río Azul easily, thanks to the dry weather. There are three branches of the river to cross (the GPS waypoints only show two of them). The middle branch is the widest and deepest. The water there went up to my upper thighs (I'm 165 cm), but the current was slow and it never felt dangerous.

Now I'm skipping down to GPT32 to continue my adventure further south :) The northern sections that I hiked from 6 to 22 were simply amazing, with great weather almost the entire time. Thank you, all!

* 2022-Oct-19 to 2022-Oct-24 / 6 days / hiking / SOBO / RR / ???

Here are the main points because our story is long :)
Paso el bolson and El Leon are closed for tourists until further notice
Some of trails are in bad condition because of the hard winter but they might be cleared in the following weeks.
Landslide in Lago Las rocas - very dangerous part to cross. We suggest to take an optional route

The trail starts in valle cochamo. We did not have any reservations but as we were in low season we were not worried. However the lady from the tourist office in Cochamo told us to arrive at the entrance of the valley between 7 & 8 to avoid being rejected. At 7h50 there was nobody at the reception so we did not have any trouble, but we cannot say for the high season.
You can arrange a car transfer to go the valley entrance. The numbers of the drivers are available at the tourist office.

The trail until La Junta is muddy but well maintained - no worries there. Up there we met some arrieros and the locals from the camping and they told us that the trail was closed a bit further because of snow (up to 2 meters) in laguna Blanca. This is the highest part of the trail (about 1100m). The river crossings were feasible, but as they forecasted rain for the next day, we preferred to turn back in order to avoid being blocked between high rivers and snow.

Back on the road between Cochamo and Puelo, we caught at about 10:30 the bus that leaves at 7:45 from Puerto Montt, to go to Rio Manso. There is a well furnished Shop where you can even find gas.
We remained in the Southbound direction and went to Senora Oco's house. She was very welcoming, and her and her grandchild helped us in arranging a boat transfer for the following morning (nothing was possible the same day). We paid 50000 pesos to go from their house to Rio Traidor - close to Nancy hospedaje. Indeed, we skipped the first part of the trail as they told us that it was very closed with a lot of small trees and not used anymore. Maybe it would be cheaper to cross a bit south using the cable car or directly from Manso to Rio Traidor.

Until the Rio Tigre, settler # 22N [7.7/157], the trail is visible but sometimes with some obstacles (fallen trees). After this settling, you will have to cross the Rio Tigre which might be the hardest to cross on your way if you have a lot of rain. There is a bridge indicated on the tracks but it has been swept away this winter. The best place to cross is a bit higher following the river, follow the horse track. We did not have any problem crossing, and probably the settler could help you with his horse if the river is too high. That is an advantage of the Southbound direction.

After, the trail is really clear. We found the last transfer across Rio Puelo about 1 km before the point indicated on the track. It is his job to do the crossings and he also does sportive fishing if you are interested. Look for a house with a border collie with a piece of wood around the neck :)

From Puerto Urrutia, the trail is clear again until the road. There is a shop at 600m on the right. Again here, the trail is closed due to fallen trees at the beginning, but the locals (last house on the right) will help you find another path. Clear trail until Lago Las Rocas.

Once you reach the Lago Las rocas you will be blocked after 2km. Indeed there was a landslide this winter and you have to cross a very dangerous part of about 300 m of rocky mountain slide. It is not stabilized yet. We went through but we do not advise it.
Also, there were a lot of fallen trees and the path was really tiring. The locals will probably clear the path in the following weeks. To get more information we suggest to contact the camping Playa Las Rocas on Instagram.
You can also consider the other routes or arrange a boat crossing.

Finally we arrived at the border crossing. Unfortunately it was closed due to the Covid, except for the very locals (people from Cochamo). Apparently Paso el Leon is closed as well for tourists. Be aware of that if you have to cross the Chilean- Argentinian borders, as small passes seem to be closed for tourists.
In the end we had to go back to Puerto Montt crossing the Lago inferior with a free boat (ask the carabineros), and then the bus-ferry-bus from Segundo Corral.

==Season 2021/22==

* 2021-Nov-23 & 2021-Nov-25 / 2 days / Packrafting / SOBO / Estuario de Reloncavi from Ralun to Rio Puelo (Western shore) / Jan Dudeck & Meylin Ubilla

We paddled in two easy days the roughly 40 km southbound.

Start at Ralun at Puente Petrohue: On the right side of the bridge (view in river flow direction) is a suitable put-in and good spot to camp. The gate was closed but not locked. There are signs of people occasionally camping there.

Ralun to Cochamo: Packrafters in need to resupply can do this in Cochamo about 16 water kilometers from the put-in. Both, the western and eastern coast are suitable for packrafting. The eastern side is next to the main road what facilitates switching to hiking. The western side is less intervened and more scenic.

Ralun to Rio Puelo: Again, the western and eastern coast are suitable for packrafting. The eastern side is next to the main road what facilitates switching to hiking but requires the crossing of a 4 km wide bay in open water. The western side is less intervened and more scenic but requires crossing the 3 km wide Estuario de Reloncavi near Rio Puelo. On the western side are also the Termas de Sotomo that are suitable for camping.

Wind: On nice sunny days “viento sur” often kicks in around 10 am making southbound paddling difficult or unfeasible. We had two partially overcasted days and could paddle on the first day till 4 pm when wind became annoying strong. On the second day around 3 pm the wind and waves became unpleasant but by this time we were walking the final kilometers into Rio Puelo.

GPT22: Southbound packrafters may take in Cochamo or Rio Puelo the bus to Lago TaguaTagua an get to the recommended packrafting starting point of section GPT22 halfway into this section to Flip-Flop as recommended.

* 2021-NOV-18 / 1 day / hiking / NOBO / Cochamó Valley (Lago Tagua Tagua - Lago Grande) / Tobías

The Section between La Junta Base and Lago Vidal Gormez was very challenging. It had been raining a lot, so the Trail was very muddy and I had to cross several rivers and creeks. Went straight from Cochamó to Lago Grande and camped there in some Snow. Met only a few settlers. After reaching Lago Vidal Gormez, the Trail was easy and I enjoyed the hike a lot. Amaizing área up there!

==Season 2020/21==

==Season 2019/20==

* 2020-FEB-18 to 2020-FEB-21 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Tyler
I didn’t have problems getting a campsite at la junta on the spot luckily. AMAZING area that I’ll be returning to again to do all the day hikes in. Aside from that, most the trail was very muddy, rainy, and unmaintained. This got a bit difficult after the 3rd day in a row. Good places to camp at the lakes over the pass SOBO. When I got down to Lago Vidal Gomez the trail improved.. I got some bread from a settler at the start of the lake. There right on the trail and super friendly and have rooms. The last ferry across Tagua Tagua leaves at 7 pm. I didn’t make it, so I slept underneath the office/bathrooms and took the ferry at 8:00 the next morning. I believe there’s another ferry at 12.

*. 2020-Jan-09 to 2020-Jan-11 / hiking / SOBO / RR / Shaun

Despite the austere warnings on the La Junta Camping website, I was able to make a reservation at short notice in high season, and the back and forth process only took a few hours. In Cochamó, I was warned that due to recent rain the river crossings at El Arco and another nearby river would likely be impassable. With four more days of heavy rain forecast, I decided to take the bus-ferry-bus combo to Puerto Urrutia and try to walk northbound from there with the optimistic hope that by the time I reached El Arco the river would be passable or, at least, the wait would be less. However, 10km north of the Rio Puelo crossing (service starts at 9am) my way was blocked by a high and fast river. I then retraced my steps and completed the rest of the section southbound - which was straightforward. The trail on the west side of Lago de la Roca until the frontera is a bit overgrown but still easy to see and nothing particularly slowed me down. On the Argentinian side the trail is well maintained. It is not permitted to camp on the 12km stretch between the border posts. I arrived too late to cross that day, but the Chileans stamped my passport with the next day’s date so I didn’t have to wait for the post to open at 9am. The Argentinian border guards informed me that because of the rain, the Rio Azul was too high to ford at the point on the regular hiking route just before Lago Puelo so I took the alternative route (Oh-Tl-V@22-04-#001) a few kms north and crossed over the La Pasarela bridge.

* 2020-Jan-22 to 2020-Jan-26 / 5 days / hiking / SOBO / parque de la vallee de Cochamo - La Pasarella / Arnaud

As we arrived from Puerto Montt we were with the bus and stopped directly at the entrance of the private parque de la vallee de Cochamo.
As it is private, there are some rules to get in, or they block you at the control point.
The entrance is free but you need to have a reservation in one of the official camp sites there. To get the reservation, you can do it on internet (but you need to wait for the confirmation and it can be several days long), or do it directly there (red house), they give you the reservation voucher if there are places available (number seem to be limited). Then you pay the night when you reach the camp sites (6000 clp/pers).
Or the other solution is to say that you sleep in the refugio del Arco. It is 23km further after the control. Then it is free and no reservation is needed, but this is possible only before 10am (after they block you). After 10am the only way to pass is to sleep in the camp sites. They block you if you do not have a
reservation voucher for one camp site.
This spot (la Junta) is famous among the chilenos so the access to the camp sites is really overrunned. The path is easy to walk.
Once you go further than the campsites, you're alone, so it is better.
The path is clearly marked. There are bridges for most of the rivers you cross. But it is very muddy.
At the lago Vidal you can resupply a bit with those living there (you can also sleep in their camp sites).
In El Manso you can find a minimarket with lots of things.
Then, we decided to follow the road instead of the track because we were in a hurry with a deadline in El Bolson, until we reached la cruce de la rocas. There are buses or hitchiking is easy.
Crossing borders was easy. There are 12km between the chilean stamp and the Argentin one that we did in 3.5 hours.
At the very end we have not not crossed El Rio Azul, we walked 7 more km to the north to reach La Pasarella

==Season 2018/19==

==Season 2017/18==

==Season 2016/17==

=Resupply and Accommodation=

==Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns==

*In Cochamo go down towards the lake. There is a church on the left & before you reach it there is a hospedaje on the right, good & cheap.

*There is a good place to stay NOBO 500 metres before the junction where the road turns towards Laguna Las Rocas. Farmhouse on RHS of road has rooms & meals. Cheap, friendly & good

*In Segundo Corral there are two campsites. The first one is just before the school, it just says Kuchen but you can camp there. Cheap, nice family & they do meals. There is a campsite after the school but the owner was drunk & looking for an argument.
Lots of campsites at Lago Totoral (on the road, not on RR)
It's possible to camp near the Argentinian border control.

==Resupply and Accommodation along the Route==

*2023 / Martin & Helena
We spent the night on the southern side of Lago Vidal Gomaz where is amazing campsite Doña Luisa, for I think 5000 CLP pp. We bought there beer, some cheese and bread in the morning, and you can also charge electronics inside. It is possible to have proper breakfast or dinner, it looked all very tasty. At km N 40.7 is shop with all the basic things + great brewery next to it, definitely stop there if you are a fan.

=Transport to and from Route=

* February 2023 / Gerald
Bus lago puelo - El bolson:
According to the timetable the bus is leaving from the lake every full hour from 7am till midnight

* January 2023 Frank
To avoid the landslide at Laguna Las Rocas you can walk on the road or get the bus to Segundo Corral then from Lago Inferior about 1.5KM from Segundo Corral there is a ferry to Paso Bolson (Chilean border control).The government subsidised ferry runs Monday-Friday only from 8-12 & 2PM-6PM & is only 2000 pesos. You need to radio the ferryman to arrange pickup, easily done in Segundo Corral.

*2023 / Anna & Christopher
We decided to cross el Lago de Las Rocas by boat. Therefore there is a walkie talkie on the landing stage on the northern end of the lake with which you can contact Richard (+56958694897),we were charged 5000 p.p.

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

*2023 / Martin & Helena
From the port its again easy walking on the RR again. Drunk settler and quite agressive dogs out of his control at S km 7.2 so be careful. We slept half way to Las Rocas lake.

*Northbound and southbound hiking is feasible. However, due to the controlled private southbound access through the La Junta área, hiking in that direction is only possible with a camping reservation, or by arriving at the checkpoint before 10am. A northbound traverse may therefore be preferred. For hikers generally heading south, it is possible to take the single ticket, half-day bus-ferry-bus combination south from Cochamó to Puerto Urrutia, hike the 120km north to Cochamó, then return to Puerto Urrutia and resume the section southwards from there.

*Crossing the border is typically straightforward, however it is not permitted to camp on the 12km between the border posts. So if you arrive too late to cross, it is necessary to camp at the border post and cross the next day. In this situation, Chilean officials will stamp your passport with the next day’s date so you don’t need to wait for the office to open that morning.

*Southbound access to the popular La Junta area is controlled at a private checkpoint and only granted to those with a prior camping reservation, or those arriving before 10am and therefore early enough to make it on to the free and unmanaged El Arco campsite 23km away. Reservations for La Junta can be made online at cochamo.com, but there may not be availability and the process may take several days, so hiking this section southwards may not be possible.Therefore, an option for hikers generally heading south is to take the bus-ferry-bus combination from Cochamó across Lago Tagua Tagua and on to Puerto Urrutia, hike 120km north back to Cochamó, then take the bus-ferry-bus south again and hike the remainder of the section southwards from Puerto Urrutia.

=Links to other Resources=

Retired Section Article [[GPT22 - Cochamó]]

=Images=

[[Archivo: | ]]

{| border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+'''GPT22: Cochamó'''
| colspan="4" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| GPT22: Cochamó
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Hiking
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Packrafting
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Group
| colspan="2" | D: Lagos Chilenos
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Total
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|'''160.6 km'''
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|'''51 h'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''136.6 km'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|'''35 h'''
|-
| style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Region
| colspan="2" | Chile & Argentina: Los Lagos (X) & Chubut
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Trails (TL)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|137.9 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|85.9%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 20.3 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|14.9%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Start
| colspan="2" | Cochamó
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Minor Roads (MR)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|10.8 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|6.7%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 1.8 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 1.3%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Finish
| colspan="2" | Lago Puelo (Puerto)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Primary Roads (PR)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|9.7 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|6.0%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 2.8 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 2.0%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Status
| colspan="2" | Published & Verified
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Cross-Country (CC)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|2.2 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|1.4%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 0.5 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 0.4%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Traversable
| colspan="2" | Dec - Apr (Maybe: Sep, Oct, Nov, May)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Bush-Bashing (BB)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|-
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Packraft
| colspan="2" | Very Useful
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Ferry (FY)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|(1.8 km)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|(1.1%)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|-
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Connects to
| colspan="2" | GPT21, GPT23
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Investigation (I)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| (1.9 km)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| (1.4%)
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Options
| colspan="2" | 268 km (9 Options & Variants)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Exploration (EXP)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|-
|-
|
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Hiking
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Packrafting
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Total on Water
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''111.1 km'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''81.4%'''
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Attraction
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|4 (of 5)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 5 (of 5)
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| River (RI)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 62.5 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 45.7%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Difficulty
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|4 (of 5)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 4 (of 5)
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Lake (LK)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 32.4 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 23.7%
|-
| style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Direction
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|Both ↓↑
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|Both ↓↑
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Fjord (FJ)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 16.3 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|11.9%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Comment
| colspan="7" | Hiking: Flip-Flop recommended
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Character
| colspan="7" | Packrafting: Flip-Flop recommended
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Challenges
| colspan="7" | Valdivian Rain Forest, Sea Coast, Farmland, Settlers, River Packrafting, Lake Packrafting, Fjord Packrafting, Partly Overrun
|}

[[File:profile GPT22.PNG|frame|center|Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route (2019)]]

[[File:profile GPT22-p.PNG|frame|center|Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route (2019)]]

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[[category:Greater Patagonian Trail]]

GPT22 (Cochamo)

2024-02-18T13:39:48Z

Mitschu2: /* Transport to and from Route */

{{Table all GPTs}}

 

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

''*'' 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

Summary with remarks to route that are considered useful for other hikers and packrafters. Include alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties.

Add a sub-chapter by placing two "=" before and after the new sub-chapter heading ('==Sub-Chapter Heading==').

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/26==

==Season 2024/25==

==Season 2023/24==

*2024-Feb-09 to 2024-Feb-16 / 7,5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Gerald

First: I wouldn't do it if there was a lot of rain. Did it after a week of rain in 2019 and it was a mud hell until El Arco. Now it seems at least until junta the trail improved (not sure). For those who don't own a trekking pole, organize a stick early... you won't have mich fun with the muddy situation otherwise.

The bus leaving Puerto Varas at 8:30 (Bus stop at -41.31617, -72.985396) charged 7k. Surprisingly they drove me to the trailhead, last time i had to walk from the bridge, guess it depends on the bus. If you want to get a seat you should probably take the bus in Puerto Montt, had to stay the whole ride. Seems like they will also stop along the way if you wave (check the cochamo insta for an overview of the schedule and route of the bus).
Arrived at the checkpoint at 11:45. After explaining my trip and that i will stay at El Arco they let me pass (without a reservation). They just ask you to register before you go.
Stopped at la junta to make a coffee and enjoy the view. They sell veggies they grow on site.
If i remember rights from Rio Trador on it gets really muddy. It rained 4 days ago and mud was not a big issue until that river.

Anyway, arrived quite late at 8pm at the shelter. There is a path to the right to a place to pitch couple of tents. After Rio Traidor (-41.407173, -72.092915) would also be a nice place to camp

In average only 2 tabano/day annoyed me, what a time we live in... Finally

Dona Luisa has a nice spot on the southern side of the lake Vidal gormaz.
To give you idea, here a short pricelist:
5k camping,
3k for a beer (brahma or Sol),
7k for a bottle of wine,
12k for dinner (meat, salad and bread),
1.5k for cheese

Camping at the settlement Steffen looked nice. Unfortunately i chose a spot next to a way too curious bull...

The camping at the brewery in El Manso is not worth a penny (they charge 5k). It's basically a dry piece of land full of goose shit. Engine on petrol runs untill 10pm. Only wifi is positive. I couldn't find a good spot to camp nearby. I would camp way before. Bus supposed to arrive between 14:30 and 15:00. Luckily a car took me to Puerto Urrutia where i continued. Hostel Puelo Libre looked nice next to the beautiful river. Hiked until the north west side of lago las rocas.

Ricardo (?) offered me a ride for free to the other end of the landslide. But I chose to cross the whole lake by boat. He charged 30k (I was alone). The radio is not anymore at the "port", but you can walk to his house (just continue the MR, first house at around [-42.019089, -71.861245] to your left, if you want to avoid the dogs take the small trail to your left once you see it).

Leaving Chile without the PDI document was not an issue (I requested the paper 5 days in advance and only got an auto response...). They did not even ask. Good views on the lake from now on. Spend an extra day at the camp next to the AR border control. All in all, nice hike!

Missed the bus to El bolson by 5mins. Seems like it's more towards x:30h. I think they run every hour. Got a ride with a car for 1k to the city. If someone is fancying good sourdough bread i can recommend "El Obrador"

The Post office is also doing Westernunion here (check Googlemaps reviews for more Infos)

*2024-Feb-03 to 2024-Feb-09 / Lilian

If you decide stay at Segundo Corral, and take the boat to Argentina.

NO NO NO

NO NO NO

DON'T DON'T DON'T stay at Mari Mari Peni Camping, (or another name) Amancays Camping.

I saved a girl hiker almost RAPED by the campground owner, and I'm pointed by a rifle gun force me to stop helping her at the night on 07/02. About the details, i type it and upload later.

It is already reported to Chile carabineros and Consulate in Chile.

GPT22 2024-01-31 to 2024-02-05 / 5,5 days days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Cochamó options/ Tomáš & Natalie

After a month and a half, we finally did something standard! From Puerto Varras (the bus stop on Avenida Vicente Perez Rosales just after Antonio Varras street) we took a bus at 8:38 going from Puerto Mont that went all the way to the end of MR to the Road end waypoint. At our hostel, they told us it would arrive at 8:45. Not sure if this is the same bus that others said would pass Puerto Varras at 8:15 or if it just goes to the road end only in high season. It was 7000 per person - I think they might charge double for backpacks, unless they screwed us.

We were at the entrance at 11 AM and were let through for free when we told them we were going to El Arco. The way to the campsites is really busy (met maybe 50 people and about ten horses), easy and without many views as it goes through a forest. When we reached the campsites, we decided that the valley is really pretty and that we want to take some sidetrips. We asked all the campsites and only La Junta let us stay, 8000 per person. It is important not to spread the word as they did us a favor even though they are not supposed to allow people without reservations. So, do not tell anyone or expect to be let in. We had a numbered site so I think they genuinely had some places free. If nobody had places, after ford 98.9, there is a maze of paths and mini-meadows on the left where I saw somebody camp illegaly. If you hide your packs well for the day and then camp from dusk till dawn, you would probably get away with it. Alternatively there are some flat spots in Trinidad valley two hours up - if you start so that you would arrive by dusk, you should meet nobody.

The side trips are steep but not challenging, many people take them. We went to Paloma (not in GPT trackfiles as of early 2024) in the evening, it can be done in three hours there and back if you do not stop (we did). We started going up at 1715 and saw last person going down at 1830 or so. It is quite splendid. OSM says there is a route to Cerro La Junta. It is probably an exit route for climbers, I did not see any traces of it but it looked like it were possible. If it is, one could probably continue all the way to Cerro Capicua.

Arco Iris is still closed. If it were open I think one could follow the ridge, which is not very steep or outcroppy, all the way north to above GPT21 - only there is probably no way down.

The next morning I went to the Trinidad Valley and all the way up to Cerro Bella Vista and Nat went ahead to escape the approaching rain the next day. The roundtrip takes about 7-8 hours. There is a marked travelled trail to the pass ("El Paso"), the last 300 vertical meters or so are marked by cairns. You will need your hands occasionally, but it is not exposed or particularly hard - SAC 4. The views are well worth it. It seemed most people only go to La Laguna (lake just under the pass). We started at 6 AM and I met the first people on the way down around noon at La Laguna. Both La Laguna and Cerro Bella Vista are not in GPT trackfiles as of early 2024. The way up through Camping Vista Hermosa (the current GPT track) is not supposed to be used by people not staying at the campsite. The proper way up seems to be the more western trail that is marked on OSM. Going back down trough camping Bella Vista was without issues though. They told Natalie you are not supposed to use their cable car (the one more upstream). Tomáš thinks you should use it as it is the only one that you can use without going through either of the campsites (the downstream one goes directly from La Junta campsite). No horseflies by now!

I left the camping at 1530, and met only one group of hikers all the way up to the second Camp waypoint at Lago Grande. It is a nice camp, bigger than the first but no good water sources. Wild legal camping, if I get it right. Refuge El Arco is unmanned, it is just a simple wooden hut. I would only use it in case of severe rain. The way up was almost all dry after two weeks of no rain. Mostly through forest, with some nice views of the valley, a few more fords then indicated but they could all be jumped.

The next day it rained (5mm?) from 4 AM till 11 AM but it was not enough to make the trails substantially muddy. The bridge before Lago Vidal is not there but there was a nice log. There are some pre-european rock paintings after Lago Vidal, one probably needs to make a sidetrip to see them based on the information signs near Torrentoso (trail 22-10 was signposted; trails in the valley are well maintained so I assume the option is good to go). On the last meadow before the gone bridge at 51.8, there was a cherry tree that still had very tasty miniature cherries in the beginning of February. It is behind the house to the left of the trail, maybe 40 m from it. I discovered it by going south of the house (nobody seemed to be in it). Do not miss the turnoff of the trail from the meadow - I went straight, there was initially a trail but petered out into a landslide. Camp at 45.2 is nice (reach it by turning left from the trail cca 50-100 m beyond the sjoetest route, that way you avoid any vegetation). Finally met Natalie after two days of escaping rain. Shop in El Manso is better than expected (has good veges and fruit) but not as good as the one in Llanada Grande. El Manso also is besides a cerveceria with wifi. The bus only came at 1530 despite being told it comes at 1pm. In almost three hours of waiting, we did not manage to hitch a car.

The bus indeed stops at Llanada Grande for 10 minutes or so - it is not really enough to orientate yourself and buy lots of supplies. The supermarket had lots of nectarines! Should you want to go to Puerto Urutia, the bus does not go there so you need to get off and walk the minor road there. We could not get reliable Entel internet reception anywhere in the valley (calls were fine) along the bus route.

We went to Primer Corral to do 22-08. The first few km are not a pleasant road to walk on. We decided to turn back as bad weather was coming in two days and it did not seem worth it. Not sure how far the road for cars goes. There seems to be regular but sparse traffic on it.

We walked back for about an hour on the main road before getting a hitch for the last 3 km to turnoff to 22-02, as others indicated the RR is badly passable due to a landslide. The MR section is aesthetically dreadful and supersteep. We had to climb a locked gate right at the start. We found a miniature camping spot about 200 m before the signposted trail turnoff. In the morning a lorry driver waved at us so probably no issues with climbing the gate. Luckily the trail is much nicer than the road. We met the settler at the lake Azul, he let us walk through his property. The few km to the first very small lake are actually an undriven MR, but very pleasant, it does not seem to be connected to the road network. After 2 km, one turns left onto a trail. Until the pass, it is very clear. After the pass, the visibility deteriorates somewhat but no bush bashing is involved. Soon after that, there is a gate saying there is no trail afer a harsh winter. We went further and it turned out there is a trail. There were some trees on it, but not too much and we lost it only for about 50 m. From setler at 11.4, the trail is much more clear. Met a seemingly lonely girl from the next homestead with whom we had a lovely chat. The trail to the border control was easy, we came there at 1530 and were let through. They told us that it would be ok to reach the Argentinian border control the next day. They too had a very ripe cherry tree but did not pick up on my appraisal of it and did not suggest I get some fruit.

We met several people on the way to Argentina border. We camped there (wild permitted numbered camping sites with numbers - there was about twenty other Argentinians, the functioning toilets are unsigned immediately next to the Police building). The next day we had no issues with getting a stamp and going down. The last CC part is a trail. We forded the second ford a bit earlier than suggested, it was waist deep but very slow moving. Took a bus at 1340 to El Bolson - seems to run regularly.

2024-Jan-19 to 2024-Jan-24 / 6 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR + day trip / Lotti & Alex

We did this section mostly as described by Fangwen and Tobi (El Manso to Cochamo base camp), so there is not much to add. We stayed at La Junta for 2 nights and did a very nice day trip to Cerro Bellavista (see description further down). The trails were very well maintained all the way. The only minor problems were mud and lots of horse flies. Like Fangwen and Tobi, we were happy we did the section NOBO, because the landscape gets more and more spectacular. This way it is also much easier to get to camp at La Junta without reservation, because they always reserve some space for hikers coming from the south.
It was a beautiful hike and especially the area around La Junta is really spectacular and worth visiting. We even met a fellow GPT hiker there, which was great!

Transportation:

To start:
Bus "Rio Puelo" from Puerto Varas to Lago Tagua-Tagua at 8:20am, then ferry to Puerto Maldonado, then bus to El Manso. We arrived at the trailhead around 1pm.

after hike:
Bus from end of trailhead ("Cochamo base camp") to Cochamo/Puerto Montt at 1pm.

Day trip to Cerro Bellavista:

Start at La Junta on GPT Variant G, following the signs to "Trinidad". It starts by crossing the river with the little cable car. After the walls of Trinidad, stay on the trail and follow the signs to "Laguna". The official trail ends there, but there are stone cairns and ribbons marking a trail that goes up to the pass. The laguna is crowded, but we didn't meet anyone further up. The view at the pass is already great, but you can go up even further. Turn to the left and follow the stone cairns until the summit. It is not difficult, just walking and easy scrambling, and the view is absolutely spectacular.
The whole tour has about 1300m of altitude difference. It took us around 5h to go up, and 3-4h down.

2024-01-07 to 2024-01-14: Fangwen and Tobi / 2.5 days Ventisquero Valley (Option 08 + more), 4 days El Manso to Cochamo RR / NOBO hiking.

We did two parts along this enjoyable section, connecting them by hitchhiking and resupplying in between in Llanada Grande.

The first part was hiking ~20km into the scenic Ventisquero valley (Option 08), alongside a wonderful river on an enjoyable and easy hiking trail through farms and rainforest that mostly follows an old minor road. It's often better to follow the well-marked trail rather than the GPT track files. A highlight of our trip was hiking up to a fantastic viewpoint at 1100m with a view of the whole valley, its remote side valleys and glaciated mountain peaks. The trail (900m elevation gain, 4.5km) through the thick rainforest is steep but excellent in quality and easy to follow (but the turnoff at S 42° 01.737', W 072° 05.643' is easy to miss). This and other trails in the valley are not part of the GPT files yet, but GPX files can be found on the website of Rincon Bonito (glamping accommodation for groups) that presumably created the trail. We camped by the viewpoint; what a wonderful experience! There are plenty of places to pitch up a tent, but little protection from wind. We found a wind protected camp in a dried-out puddle at (S 42° 02.705', W 072° 06.193'). Make sure to bring water, since the last reliable water source is in the valley, just before the turnoff onto the steep trail. From the viewpoint, we attempted to climb the local mountain, but beyond 1500m, it appears to require bush bashing. Our track: [[Media:GPT 22 Ventisquero Viewpoint.gpx]].
The viewpoint is within the Pumalin National Park, but the whole valley seems to be private property and camping is forbidden outside official campsites, which begin quite far into the valley. There are plenty of spots to pitch up a tent nonetheless (which is what we did).
For packrafters, going down the river must surely be a highlight! Rincon Bonito offers packrafting (maybe only for their guests?), they describe it as class II+.

Our second part followed the regular route 22N from El Manso to the Cochamo trailhead. This was an enjoyable hike and we found the trail to be in good condition, although it gets pretty muddy around El Arco (and that's after one week of sunny weather). There is quite a bit of pointless up and down between km45 and km79. Additionally, our hiking distance was often 20-25% longer than expected, as there are many switchbacks too small to be represented on the track files. We liked hiking this section northbound, as the rainforest and the views get more and more impressive as you go along. La Junta has a lot of local hiking options (e.g. hiking into the Anfiteatro valley or on top of Cerro Trinidad), but we didn't spend any extra days because the weather was turning.

Logistics: to get to the start of section 22, take the daily bus that leaves at 7.45am from Puerto Montt (stops at 8.15 in Puerto Varas at intersection el Salvador/San Pedro S 41° 19.081', W 072° 59.038', and later in Cochamo). The bus company Río Puelo has a ticket office in Puerto Montt, their WhatsApp number is +56 9 7408 9199. From there, take the ferry across Lago Tagua Tagua and the connecting bus down the valley to your respective trailhead (El Manso for the Cochamo valley, Primer Corral for the Ventisquiero valley). Note that travel is slow... We arrived at the Primer Corral at 4pm. We left a bag of food for the second half of our trip. Unfortunately it was visible from the parking lot and got stolen, so we resupplied at the Llanada Grande supermarket. The bus makes a stop there for ~15min, if you want a quick resupply there (it's a bit bigger than in El Manso). We hitchhiked to El Manso, which worked after two hours of waiting/walking (not a lot of traffic).

If you are in the Llanada Grande area, go to Camping Reflejo Azul. The campsite itself is average, but it has the most beautiful river we have ever seen in our lives. Visit this truly special place before Instagram influencers find out about it and it becomes overrun by hordes of tourists. Day access is possible also for 5.000 CLP.

Photos: https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/permalink/1732098767296002/?app=fbl

*2024-Jan-4 / 7.5 days / Packrafting / SOBO / RH + OP-LK-2 + RP / Lauren & Sebastian

Note: We were told a reservation is needed for a camp site at La Junta to be allowed into the valley from Cochamo side, so we did that. However, one of the wikiexplora entry mentioned that they were allowed in when mentioning that they wanted to camp at El Arco Refuge but we read it too late. Camp Trawen is the most expensive (15k per person), which is the reason why it’s been available on short notice. There are several other sold-out camps around for 8k-10k.

Day 1: We hitchhiked to Cochamo Base Camp at 9am and reached Camp Trawen by 2pm. It would have been better to go on the El Arco Refuge straight away and camp there. It’s a touristy stretch and in our view not really worth doing, if you like the general quiet nature of the GPT.

Day 2: Camped at the beach at Lago Vidal. Easy hike but lots of ups and downs.

Day 3: We packrafted Lago Vidal and had a good lunch at Luisa’s place (make sure to drop by!), before continuing on to Torrentoso (not the paid camp, but on the meadow a few hundred meters after the official camp).

Day 4: The bridge at wp Bridge {22N} [51.8/146] (Rio Steffen) does not exist anymore. It’s not a demanding ford but there are short steep ups and downs on both sides. We stayed near wp Settler {22N} [50.1/307].

Day 5: We rivered in at wp Rio Manso. The ride was super scenic and beautiful and there were no rapids, just a bit of boiling water but nothing difficult, which might be due to different water levels compared to previous accounts. It’s 45 minutes from there to the bridge at wp Bridge {22N} [40.8+0.2/36]. We rivered out behind the bridge on the right side. There is a nice flat beach which leads to the cabin of Harv and Veronica. They let us camp on their land and even offered a hot (wood fired) shower for 2.5k per person. There is a cervezeria and shop across the road for resupply.

Day 6: We took the bus at 1 pm to intersection at wp X {22-01} [25.0/187] and went on OP-MR-V (along Hunter’s estate) to Lago Azul. You will be charged 5k per person to access the lake. We crossed Lago Azul with strong waves and tailwind so we sailed to the other side in no time.

Day 7: Crossed Lago de Las Rocas, Lago Inferior, and Lago Puelo to the Argentinian border control which opens at 8am next morning so we camped there. Next day we finished at Lago Puelo which is a popular tourist beach.

Tip: It is a hot & dusty walk to town from the beach and hitchhiking is not as easy in this part of Argentina as in Chile. Keep some small change of USD or Argentinian pesos for the bus ride to resupply in town. If you plan to continue packrafting Lago Puelo on GPT23 after resupplying, the earliest bus back to the beach reaches around 7.30am but it will be too late as the wind picks up by 8am. Lago Puelo is known for its strong gusts so it’s best to check wind forecast and paddle early morning 5.30am to cross. Therefore it may be easier to camp at one of the campsites nearer to the beach instead of staying in town. Just go there for resupplying.

*2023 Dec OH-TL-V / Anh
Note: the trail OH-TL-V alias Cerro Arco Iris was damaged by big rocks in the last season and is completely closed. A new route or repair is not in planning.

*2023-12-17 to 2023-12-21 / 5 days / Hiking + Packrafting / SOBO /RR & Option 01B / Roman

Route: Hiking from Cochamó to El Manso. Bus to Lago de Las Rocas. Packrafted the lake and Lago Inferior. Hiked to Lago Puelo.

Due to the border crossing, there is a thread about it on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/permalink/1709504102888802/. I applied online - no answer. Went to the carabineros in Cochamó they couldn't issue it, so I went without it (it worked without a problem)

Started in Cochamó (there is a bus to the entry I just got him by hitchhiking so I don't know the schedule) and had a reservation for Camp Trawen (Fruit, Groceries, Electricity). This is getting checked at the entrance if you have one. The trail to the camp was a bit muddy (2 days of rain before the start) but all doable. The next day went to the northern end of Lago Vidal Gormaz and slept there at Lake {22-05} [7.9/604]. Bridge destroyed at: -41.43696, -71.96632 and Bridge {22N} [63.0/337] (Rio El Colorado). Both are crossable dry feed due to trees. Generally, there is no fording necessary after Lago Vidal Gormaz. Before yes. Packrafted Rio Manso. There were no rapids on the map, it's mentioned in the Manuel that it can be challenging. There are some rapids but all are doable and manageable (I am a beginner with kayak experience and an open deck packraft). You can get easy access to the river at -41.692561, -71.972725 this is 300m after the mark in the file. There is a dry river bed to avoid BB to get to the River. The river is fast flowing. Follow the GPS only at one point where the river splits pay extra attention: turn left as shownin the GPS: -41.698615, -71.985482 . Went out at the south side of the bride: Bridge {22N} [40.8+0.2/36] (Rio Manso) on the right side. There is a trail to the street with one gate where you can walk through on the right side. The shop Settlement, Shop, Bus {22N} [40.7/36] (El Manso) has good supplies and free WiFi. The trail to this point is very good. Based on previous comments and a chat to a local I want to skip at least to Puerto Urrutia [comment in: 2023-FEB-01 to 2023-FEB-07]. There is an official bus going all the way from Rampa Punta
Maldonado -> Segundo Corral. Find the schedule here: https://imgur.com/a/7MVEscb . The shop owner said the bus is normally there at 02:00 PM. The bus was there in my case at 02:30 PM. This bus stops at the large supermarket [Supermercado Llanada Grande] a great place for a last resupply). The bus also stops at Puerto Urrutia but I went all the way to Lago de Las Rocas and used OH-MR-V {22-01B} [8.2+1.9] to get to the lake. Started packrafting at 05:00 PM. The start was fine. The wind got worse during the evening and was to my capabilities on the maximum with serious waves. Strong wind from the north. It was pleasantly paddling after going through the gap at -42.069608, -71.813735. Camped at Lake, Camp {22S} [21.8/314]. Got there at 07:45 PM. Crossed the border without any problems. Packrafted Lago Inferior and got in the water here: Lake {22S} [20.9/201] at 10:00 AM. The wind got stronger but manageable. Exited the lake at 11:15 AM at -42.102244, -71.742575. The trail back to the RR is good to hike. From there, the trail is in good condition. Due to the higher water in Rio Azul fording and therefore the RR is not possible. You get also the recommendation from the Argentinien carabineros to take Option 03. I didn't want to take this and followed the RR to this point: -42.091481, -71.633667. From there I followed the trail to this point: -42.09399, -71.634188. There is an old dock [image here: https://imgur.com/a/5LMsKA1]to put in you packraft. The trail can be downloaded at the end of the comment. There I packrafted with very strong onshore wind and if it hadn't been for only 300m I wouldn't have done it to (03:15 PM):-42.096114, -71.628682 ,and walked from there to the end of GPT22.

Overall: great section! It's a nice trail to hike and packrafting rRioEl Manso is a lot of fun and a great change in perspective after hiking for a few days. After that, the trail continues bto bein a good condition. The conditions for Lago de Las Rocas should be closely checked. I would definitely recommend it!

Trail download: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqzLweJ3NZW5q7YZzDoW3qlKypqwBg

Contact: https://linktr.ee/RundW

==Season 2022/23==

* General advice : The Regular Route is best hiked between December and April. The primary obstacles are high river levels early in the season and after rain. During the peak period of January and February it may be difficult to obtain a camping reservation at La Junta which could prevent a southbound traverse.

* 2023-Feb-18 to 2023-Feb-23 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + 22-01 / Martin & Helena

A lot has been already written, so just a few comments from our side:

No problem with entering the valley in SOBO direction, until the noon aprox., saying you will spend the night at the refugio El Arco - they have some time estimate for this hike and can’t let you in if its late. By the entrance you can buy some useful things that might be hard to buy in Cochamo, like gas or peanut butter. There was also a beer truck with quite good wifi connection (only during summer). Crowds of people in both directions, quite muddy trail. Detour to the Toboganes is definitely worth it. We spend the night after all in a marked camp aprox. 4 kms before the refugio and it was a good decision - there were quite a lot of people when we passed by the next day.

From the refugio its nice and easy walking. We spent the night on the southern side of Lago Vidal Gomaz where is amazing campsite Doña Luisa, for I think 5000 CLP pp. We bought there beer, some cheese and bread in the morning, and you can also charge electronics inside. It is possible to have proper breakfast or dinner, it looked all very tasty. At km N 40.7 is shop with all the basic things + great brewery next to it, definitely stop there if you are a fan.

Based on other comments and our time schedule we decided to take the alternative 22-01 to Llanada Grande. This is a good resuppy spot as there is a new and big (at least in comparison to what you would expect in a place like this) supermarket that replaced the old one destroyed by fire. Good place to stay is a campsite at the end of the village, on the right side, run by really nice lady. Not expensive and if its free, you can stay for the same price in a so called refugio, that is actually just a very small room, but for us better than a tent. Hot water and electricity + possibility to buy pizza and maybe some other small things - there is actually no restaurant in the village. Some more road walking around Lago Totoral to Rio Puelo to connect back to RR. In general not very attractive part of the trail. Great restaurant in Hostal Puelo Libre with local beer and view on the river.

From the port its again easy walking on the RR again. Drunk settler and quite agressive dogs out of his control at S km 7.2 so be careful. We slept half way to Las Rocas lake. We thought about taking the RR around the lake, but the landslide caused by snow (aprox. 1.5 km from the port) looked quite difficult to pass. We discovered there is possibility to cross the lake on one of the locals boat, which we did in the end. We were lucky that after waiting for some time in the port a car with locals arrived. Happily for us they arranged a boat transfer with other residents to get to the other side of the lake, where they went for a lunch. We were able to go with them, and after picking up their friends, we all hop off the boat close to the police station. Great experience and we learned a lot about this area and people living here. We paid 10k CLP. In the comments here is a contact for the guy with a boat, but without signal it must be arranged in advance, and the price might differ when not sharing the transfer with others. No problem with the border check. It took us around 4 hrs to get to the argentinian side, where everyone was super friendly as well. They offered us to camp there, but we decided to make it to Lago Puelo, which took us 2 more hrs. The landscape changes significantly on the other side where everything is more dry. No problem with the river crossing. We got off the trail directly on the main road.

Contact: @martin_hanzelka @helenneka

*2023-FEB-01 to 2023-FEB-07 / 7 days / hiking / SOBO / Cochamó - Lago Puelo / Anna & Christopher

We hitchhiked from Eco Camping El Valle to the entry of the park and arrived around 8 am. We told them that we would camp at the Refugio El Arco and explained our further route. Until la Junta there were lots of chilenean tourists, therefore the path was very good only with some muddy stretches. Like Véronica we walked to Toboganes, a waterfall/stream with beautiful rock formations. There were tons of people, but it's worth it. La junta seems to be an amazing place for rock climbing, we would have loved to have some climbing gear with us.

After la Junta there were almost no more hikers. We camped next to the Refugio, as there were already two other groups of hikers sleeping in the Refugio.

Until Lago grande there are still some muddy stretches and blowdowns, but generally it is a good path. From there on the path is perfectly maintained. We camped at approx. km 66 next to Río los Morros.

Nice path until El Manso. We resupplied at the minimercado and camped next to the river, which was a beautiful camping spot with lots of delicious blackberrys.

The next morning we arrived at Señora Ocos house around 8 am. She contacted multiple people and luckily found out that there was somebody crossing the river to our side at 11 am. The man, whose name we unfortunately forgot, was super friendly and dropped us off after the river mouth of Rio Traidor, close to where he lives. He charged 10.000 CLP p.p.

The path to the first settler was mediocre and afterwards got worse and worse until it was almost pure buschwhacking. It was the worst we had so far on the GPT. Thorns.. Lots of thorns tearing away at your clothes, backpack and skin.
We camped at the river at approx. km 12, which was a beautiful spot.
Until the settlement Las Nieves the path continued beeing bad with lots of bush bashing. The settler told us that no locals use that path and she also told us that there are no regular boat transfers to Puerto Urrutia on weekends (it was sunday..).
We wouldn't do that stretch next to Rio Puelo again and instead hitchhike from El Manso to Puerto Urrutia.

At the boat transfer waypoint to Puerto Urrutia we had Entel service and contacted one lodging on the other side. They told us to go to the last house 1km back to ask for a transfer (it's the house of the man who does the boat transfer on weekdays). But we got lucky and a boat passed by and took us to the other side. The man on the boat also told us that the path from Río Traidor to Puerto Urrutia "is closed".

We continued to Lago verde, where we planned to camp, but it's surrounded by dense forest, apart from a private property.
That spot is amazing, a little landing stage to go swimming, a great view and a very friendly owner. She even baked some delicious apple bread for us. For camping she charged us 8000 CLP p.p.. That was definetly worth it.

After Lago verde there is a minimarket. We didn't check it out, but there is no resupply wp yet.

After reading previous blogs and having had enough of thorns we decided to cross el Lago de Las Rocas by boat. Therefore there is a walkie talkie on the landing stage on the northern end of the lake with which you can contact Richard. We also got his number (+56958694897), if you want to contact him in advance. When we arrived at the lake, there were already lots of people waiting for the boat so we just waited with them and after some time got knocked the boat with them. The ride was really nice across the crystal clear blue water and we were charged 5000 p.p.

From the southern end of the lake it's just a couple of minutes to walk to the chilenian border control. We continued on and camped at km 30 at the river. Again a really beautiful spot.

The next day we passed the argentinian border control and continued to Lago Puelo.

The section was really beautiful, except the part with the thorns. There are lots of streams along the whole trail, so one does not need to carry much water.

*2023-Jan-29 to 2023-Feb-02 / 5 days / hiking / NOBO / RR mostly / Frank

I got the bus-ferry-bus from Puerto Montt to Segundo Corral. To avoid the landslide at Laguna Las Rocas & delays with the river ferries I walked on the road from Segundo Corral to El Manso, about 50KM. Easy but not very interesting walking. It takes a full day to get from Puerto Montt on the bus to Segundo Corral so I believe it would be better to go SOBO with an early start to get through La Junta, otherwise you need 2 additional days for travel.

Stayed @ nice & cheap campsite at bridge over Rio Colorado & camped at El Arco. The trail approaching El Arco was muddy & a bit swampy (it had been raining). It's possible to go by boat across Lago Vidal Gomez but it's an easy 3 hour walk.

Got the bus again to Segundo Corral & ferry to Paso Bolson. The trail across the border is generally in good condition. There is some easy bushbashing on the Chilean side for about 1KM before the border & some fallen trees but they are straightforward to go over. Rio Azul was easily fordable in early February.

* 2023-Jan-10 to 2023-Jan-14 / 5 days / hiking / SOBO / RR, also GPT22-01 / Véronica

Route: Cochamó - La Junta - Lago Vidal Gormáz - El Manso - Puerto Urrutio via Option 1 - Lago Las Rocas - Lago Puelo (Argentina)

The borders of Paso El León and Paso El Bolsón are both opened again for tourists! Go for it! It is a beautiful section with wonderful people, such a contrast to where I started the GPT further north.

In Cochamó, I stayed at Eco Camping El Valle, right at the entrance to the Cochamó River Valley. Paid 7000 clp, very nice campground, there are tarps over the picnic tables at each site so you have a dry place to hang out even if it rains :) Since I spent the night so close to the trailhead, it was easy to get to the guarded valley entrance (Road End {22N} [109.8/58]) early. I did not have a camping reservation for La Junta. I arrived at the trailhead at 7:30 a.m., explained my route to the staff, saying I would stay at Refugio El Arco that night. They let me through no problem. The trail to La Junta is a bit muddy, but nothing bad, my feet stayed dry in my trailrunners despite the fact it was also raining off and on. Beautiful path through the Valvidian rainforest, I really enjoyed all the green and the moss. When I reached the La Junta area, I stashed my pack in some trees and made a short detour to Las Toboganes. They are only 0.7 km off the regular route, and highly worthwhile to see! What a spectacular area, I totally see the Yosemite resemblence, and would love to go back someday.

I found the trail after La Junta (all the way to Lago Vidal Gormáz) to be in good shape, contrary to what others have written. It was maybe slightly less maintained than the popular trail leading into the valley, but it was still very clear and easy to follow — not overgrown, no blowdowns, just a bit muddy in some places. Granted, it has been drier than normal so far this summer. None of the fords went above my knees, and sometimes I could cross the creeks without even getting my feet wet, all very easy.

The refugio at El Arco is dark and without any furniture inside. I found it much nicer to camp in the nearby meadow just south of the trail there. There are outhouses.

Nice path from Lago Vidal Gormáz all the way to El Manso. Very beautiful in this valley as well. Met a few arrieros along the way. Most of the rivers have bridges crossing them. There is a small camp at the bridge over Río Colorado.

In El Manso, I topped off my food supply at the shop on the main road. It has a good selection of food items. Then I went to Señora Oco's house to try and arrange a boat transfer over Río Puelo. She and her family are very friendly and welcoming. I arrived there mid-afternoon, but she could not get in radio contact with anyone on the other side. In the evening, we heard back from Hospedaje Nancy, who charged 60,000 clp for a crossing upriver all the way to Río Traidor (where she lives). This I found too expensive for me traveling alone. Señora Oco baked some bread and I was able to buy some. She also said I was welcome to camp in the fields behind her house while waiting for a response from settlers Paulina and Jovino regarding a crossing to their place (much more direct and therefore likely much cheaper). The next morning, we still hadn't received any response from Paulina and Jovino either via radio or Whatsapp (they may have been away). Because of this, I decided to take the gravel road to Puerto Urrutia (Option 1), and forgo crossing Río Puelo, unfortunately. Despite this setback, I'm really glad I got to meet and spend time with Señora Oco and her family, they are such kind people.

I was able to hitch most of the way to Puerto Urrutia, where I rejoined the regular route. The trail from there all the way to Lago Las Rocas is mostly easy and clear. There were a few confusing junctions in the vicinity of Lago Verde, so I kept a close eye on the GPS there. After crossing the road after that, the beginning of RR -TL-V {22S} [2.8/7.1+2.7] is tricky to find. There are lots of fallen trees and many forest paths. The GPS was very helpful there too until I finally found the right path. After about 700 m it merges with a nice clear path all the way to Lago Las Rocas.

As has been previously reported, there is a large rockslide about 2 km in once you reach Lago Las Rocas. It didn't look overly dangerous to me, the boulders were large and seemed solid enough. I started crossing it right at the bottom where the rocks fall into the lake, as it looked to be the easiest and safest way across. I was maybe 50 meters through it, when a boat came along, and the people in it told me to hop in! What lucky timing! As we passed the rest of the rockslide, I could see the last part of it was steep, loose scree rather than big boulders. That part would have definitely been nerve-wracking to cross, and I was very grateful for the boat ride. The settlers who owned the boat live about 3 km along the trail, at a little bay/inlet in the lake. They have a nice beach and campground too. That's where I rejoined the trail. Beyond their house, the "Camino Los Mosquitos," as it is locally called, gets progressively worse in terms of overgrowth and blowdowns. The trail has not been cleared since the past winter, and not been used either. The stretch between kilometers 4 and 6.5 is the worst. It felt more like pure bushwhacking than following a trail. The path was mostly burried beneath walls of downed trees and branches, it got very hard to follow at times. Lots of climbing over and under vegetation, some of it quite thorny too. Very slow and tiring. My pack got ripped up a bit and so did my clothing. Had I known the trail was this bad, I would have taken the option on the east side of Lago Las Rocas. It's hard to imagine it could be in worse shape than the regular route.

When I got to the Chilean Border Control it was around 6:30 p.m., so too late to cross that day. The border agent working there was very friendly, but he couldn't get in contact with his supervisor to get approval for stamping my passport with the next day's date. So I camped back at Lago Las Rocas, and the next morning came back at 8 a.m. when the border post reopened. The trail on the Chilean side of the border was a bit rough in places, it has been neglected since the winter too. But it was not as bad as the previous stretch along Lago Las Rocas. Once I got into Argentina, it got much better. The trails in Parque Nacional Lago Puelo are well-maintained, and I met some day hikers. No issues at the Argentine Border Control.

I was able to ford Río Azul easily, thanks to the dry weather. There are three branches of the river to cross (the GPS waypoints only show two of them). The middle branch is the widest and deepest. The water there went up to my upper thighs (I'm 165 cm), but the current was slow and it never felt dangerous.

Now I'm skipping down to GPT32 to continue my adventure further south :) The northern sections that I hiked from 6 to 22 were simply amazing, with great weather almost the entire time. Thank you, all!

* 2022-Oct-19 to 2022-Oct-24 / 6 days / hiking / SOBO / RR / ???

Here are the main points because our story is long :)
Paso el bolson and El Leon are closed for tourists until further notice
Some of trails are in bad condition because of the hard winter but they might be cleared in the following weeks.
Landslide in Lago Las rocas - very dangerous part to cross. We suggest to take an optional route

The trail starts in valle cochamo. We did not have any reservations but as we were in low season we were not worried. However the lady from the tourist office in Cochamo told us to arrive at the entrance of the valley between 7 & 8 to avoid being rejected. At 7h50 there was nobody at the reception so we did not have any trouble, but we cannot say for the high season.
You can arrange a car transfer to go the valley entrance. The numbers of the drivers are available at the tourist office.

The trail until La Junta is muddy but well maintained - no worries there. Up there we met some arrieros and the locals from the camping and they told us that the trail was closed a bit further because of snow (up to 2 meters) in laguna Blanca. This is the highest part of the trail (about 1100m). The river crossings were feasible, but as they forecasted rain for the next day, we preferred to turn back in order to avoid being blocked between high rivers and snow.

Back on the road between Cochamo and Puelo, we caught at about 10:30 the bus that leaves at 7:45 from Puerto Montt, to go to Rio Manso. There is a well furnished Shop where you can even find gas.
We remained in the Southbound direction and went to Senora Oco's house. She was very welcoming, and her and her grandchild helped us in arranging a boat transfer for the following morning (nothing was possible the same day). We paid 50000 pesos to go from their house to Rio Traidor - close to Nancy hospedaje. Indeed, we skipped the first part of the trail as they told us that it was very closed with a lot of small trees and not used anymore. Maybe it would be cheaper to cross a bit south using the cable car or directly from Manso to Rio Traidor.

Until the Rio Tigre, settler # 22N [7.7/157], the trail is visible but sometimes with some obstacles (fallen trees). After this settling, you will have to cross the Rio Tigre which might be the hardest to cross on your way if you have a lot of rain. There is a bridge indicated on the tracks but it has been swept away this winter. The best place to cross is a bit higher following the river, follow the horse track. We did not have any problem crossing, and probably the settler could help you with his horse if the river is too high. That is an advantage of the Southbound direction.

After, the trail is really clear. We found the last transfer across Rio Puelo about 1 km before the point indicated on the track. It is his job to do the crossings and he also does sportive fishing if you are interested. Look for a house with a border collie with a piece of wood around the neck :)

From Puerto Urrutia, the trail is clear again until the road. There is a shop at 600m on the right. Again here, the trail is closed due to fallen trees at the beginning, but the locals (last house on the right) will help you find another path. Clear trail until Lago Las Rocas.

Once you reach the Lago Las rocas you will be blocked after 2km. Indeed there was a landslide this winter and you have to cross a very dangerous part of about 300 m of rocky mountain slide. It is not stabilized yet. We went through but we do not advise it.
Also, there were a lot of fallen trees and the path was really tiring. The locals will probably clear the path in the following weeks. To get more information we suggest to contact the camping Playa Las Rocas on Instagram.
You can also consider the other routes or arrange a boat crossing.

Finally we arrived at the border crossing. Unfortunately it was closed due to the Covid, except for the very locals (people from Cochamo). Apparently Paso el Leon is closed as well for tourists. Be aware of that if you have to cross the Chilean- Argentinian borders, as small passes seem to be closed for tourists.
In the end we had to go back to Puerto Montt crossing the Lago inferior with a free boat (ask the carabineros), and then the bus-ferry-bus from Segundo Corral.

==Season 2021/22==

* 2021-Nov-23 & 2021-Nov-25 / 2 days / Packrafting / SOBO / Estuario de Reloncavi from Ralun to Rio Puelo (Western shore) / Jan Dudeck & Meylin Ubilla

We paddled in two easy days the roughly 40 km southbound.

Start at Ralun at Puente Petrohue: On the right side of the bridge (view in river flow direction) is a suitable put-in and good spot to camp. The gate was closed but not locked. There are signs of people occasionally camping there.

Ralun to Cochamo: Packrafters in need to resupply can do this in Cochamo about 16 water kilometers from the put-in. Both, the western and eastern coast are suitable for packrafting. The eastern side is next to the main road what facilitates switching to hiking. The western side is less intervened and more scenic.

Ralun to Rio Puelo: Again, the western and eastern coast are suitable for packrafting. The eastern side is next to the main road what facilitates switching to hiking but requires the crossing of a 4 km wide bay in open water. The western side is less intervened and more scenic but requires crossing the 3 km wide Estuario de Reloncavi near Rio Puelo. On the western side are also the Termas de Sotomo that are suitable for camping.

Wind: On nice sunny days “viento sur” often kicks in around 10 am making southbound paddling difficult or unfeasible. We had two partially overcasted days and could paddle on the first day till 4 pm when wind became annoying strong. On the second day around 3 pm the wind and waves became unpleasant but by this time we were walking the final kilometers into Rio Puelo.

GPT22: Southbound packrafters may take in Cochamo or Rio Puelo the bus to Lago TaguaTagua an get to the recommended packrafting starting point of section GPT22 halfway into this section to Flip-Flop as recommended.

* 2021-NOV-18 / 1 day / hiking / NOBO / Cochamó Valley (Lago Tagua Tagua - Lago Grande) / Tobías

The Section between La Junta Base and Lago Vidal Gormez was very challenging. It had been raining a lot, so the Trail was very muddy and I had to cross several rivers and creeks. Went straight from Cochamó to Lago Grande and camped there in some Snow. Met only a few settlers. After reaching Lago Vidal Gormez, the Trail was easy and I enjoyed the hike a lot. Amaizing área up there!

==Season 2020/21==

==Season 2019/20==

* 2020-FEB-18 to 2020-FEB-21 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Tyler
I didn’t have problems getting a campsite at la junta on the spot luckily. AMAZING area that I’ll be returning to again to do all the day hikes in. Aside from that, most the trail was very muddy, rainy, and unmaintained. This got a bit difficult after the 3rd day in a row. Good places to camp at the lakes over the pass SOBO. When I got down to Lago Vidal Gomez the trail improved.. I got some bread from a settler at the start of the lake. There right on the trail and super friendly and have rooms. The last ferry across Tagua Tagua leaves at 7 pm. I didn’t make it, so I slept underneath the office/bathrooms and took the ferry at 8:00 the next morning. I believe there’s another ferry at 12.

*. 2020-Jan-09 to 2020-Jan-11 / hiking / SOBO / RR / Shaun

Despite the austere warnings on the La Junta Camping website, I was able to make a reservation at short notice in high season, and the back and forth process only took a few hours. In Cochamó, I was warned that due to recent rain the river crossings at El Arco and another nearby river would likely be impassable. With four more days of heavy rain forecast, I decided to take the bus-ferry-bus combo to Puerto Urrutia and try to walk northbound from there with the optimistic hope that by the time I reached El Arco the river would be passable or, at least, the wait would be less. However, 10km north of the Rio Puelo crossing (service starts at 9am) my way was blocked by a high and fast river. I then retraced my steps and completed the rest of the section southbound - which was straightforward. The trail on the west side of Lago de la Roca until the frontera is a bit overgrown but still easy to see and nothing particularly slowed me down. On the Argentinian side the trail is well maintained. It is not permitted to camp on the 12km stretch between the border posts. I arrived too late to cross that day, but the Chileans stamped my passport with the next day’s date so I didn’t have to wait for the post to open at 9am. The Argentinian border guards informed me that because of the rain, the Rio Azul was too high to ford at the point on the regular hiking route just before Lago Puelo so I took the alternative route (Oh-Tl-V@22-04-#001) a few kms north and crossed over the La Pasarela bridge.

* 2020-Jan-22 to 2020-Jan-26 / 5 days / hiking / SOBO / parque de la vallee de Cochamo - La Pasarella / Arnaud

As we arrived from Puerto Montt we were with the bus and stopped directly at the entrance of the private parque de la vallee de Cochamo.
As it is private, there are some rules to get in, or they block you at the control point.
The entrance is free but you need to have a reservation in one of the official camp sites there. To get the reservation, you can do it on internet (but you need to wait for the confirmation and it can be several days long), or do it directly there (red house), they give you the reservation voucher if there are places available (number seem to be limited). Then you pay the night when you reach the camp sites (6000 clp/pers).
Or the other solution is to say that you sleep in the refugio del Arco. It is 23km further after the control. Then it is free and no reservation is needed, but this is possible only before 10am (after they block you). After 10am the only way to pass is to sleep in the camp sites. They block you if you do not have a
reservation voucher for one camp site.
This spot (la Junta) is famous among the chilenos so the access to the camp sites is really overrunned. The path is easy to walk.
Once you go further than the campsites, you're alone, so it is better.
The path is clearly marked. There are bridges for most of the rivers you cross. But it is very muddy.
At the lago Vidal you can resupply a bit with those living there (you can also sleep in their camp sites).
In El Manso you can find a minimarket with lots of things.
Then, we decided to follow the road instead of the track because we were in a hurry with a deadline in El Bolson, until we reached la cruce de la rocas. There are buses or hitchiking is easy.
Crossing borders was easy. There are 12km between the chilean stamp and the Argentin one that we did in 3.5 hours.
At the very end we have not not crossed El Rio Azul, we walked 7 more km to the north to reach La Pasarella

==Season 2018/19==

==Season 2017/18==

==Season 2016/17==

=Resupply and Accommodation=

==Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns==

*In Cochamo go down towards the lake. There is a church on the left & before you reach it there is a hospedaje on the right, good & cheap.

*There is a good place to stay NOBO 500 metres before the junction where the road turns towards Laguna Las Rocas. Farmhouse on RHS of road has rooms & meals. Cheap, friendly & good

*In Segundo Corral there are two campsites. The first one is just before the school, it just says Kuchen but you can camp there. Cheap, nice family & they do meals. There is a campsite after the school but the owner was drunk & looking for an argument.
Lots of campsites at Lago Totoral (on the road, not on RR)
It's possible to camp near the Argentinian border control.

==Resupply and Accommodation along the Route==

*2023 / Martin & Helena
We spent the night on the southern side of Lago Vidal Gomaz where is amazing campsite Doña Luisa, for I think 5000 CLP pp. We bought there beer, some cheese and bread in the morning, and you can also charge electronics inside. It is possible to have proper breakfast or dinner, it looked all very tasty. At km N 40.7 is shop with all the basic things + great brewery next to it, definitely stop there if you are a fan.

=Transport to and from Route=

* February 2023 / Gerald
Bus lago puelo - El bolson
According to the timetable the bus is leaving from the lake every full hour from 7am till midnight

* January 2023 Frank
To avoid the landslide at Laguna Las Rocas you can walk on the road or get the bus to Segundo Corral then from Lago Inferior about 1.5KM from Segundo Corral there is a ferry to Paso Bolson (Chilean border control).The government subsidised ferry runs Monday-Friday only from 8-12 & 2PM-6PM & is only 2000 pesos. You need to radio the ferryman to arrange pickup, easily done in Segundo Corral.

*2023 / Anna & Christopher
We decided to cross el Lago de Las Rocas by boat. Therefore there is a walkie talkie on the landing stage on the northern end of the lake with which you can contact Richard (+56958694897),we were charged 5000 p.p.

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

*2023 / Martin & Helena
From the port its again easy walking on the RR again. Drunk settler and quite agressive dogs out of his control at S km 7.2 so be careful. We slept half way to Las Rocas lake.

*Northbound and southbound hiking is feasible. However, due to the controlled private southbound access through the La Junta área, hiking in that direction is only possible with a camping reservation, or by arriving at the checkpoint before 10am. A northbound traverse may therefore be preferred. For hikers generally heading south, it is possible to take the single ticket, half-day bus-ferry-bus combination south from Cochamó to Puerto Urrutia, hike the 120km north to Cochamó, then return to Puerto Urrutia and resume the section southwards from there.

*Crossing the border is typically straightforward, however it is not permitted to camp on the 12km between the border posts. So if you arrive too late to cross, it is necessary to camp at the border post and cross the next day. In this situation, Chilean officials will stamp your passport with the next day’s date so you don’t need to wait for the office to open that morning.

*Southbound access to the popular La Junta area is controlled at a private checkpoint and only granted to those with a prior camping reservation, or those arriving before 10am and therefore early enough to make it on to the free and unmanaged El Arco campsite 23km away. Reservations for La Junta can be made online at cochamo.com, but there may not be availability and the process may take several days, so hiking this section southwards may not be possible.Therefore, an option for hikers generally heading south is to take the bus-ferry-bus combination from Cochamó across Lago Tagua Tagua and on to Puerto Urrutia, hike 120km north back to Cochamó, then take the bus-ferry-bus south again and hike the remainder of the section southwards from Puerto Urrutia.

=Links to other Resources=

Retired Section Article [[GPT22 - Cochamó]]

=Images=

[[Archivo: | ]]

{| border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+'''GPT22: Cochamó'''
| colspan="4" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| GPT22: Cochamó
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Hiking
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Packrafting
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Group
| colspan="2" | D: Lagos Chilenos
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Total
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|'''160.6 km'''
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|'''51 h'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''136.6 km'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|'''35 h'''
|-
| style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Region
| colspan="2" | Chile & Argentina: Los Lagos (X) & Chubut
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Trails (TL)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|137.9 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|85.9%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 20.3 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|14.9%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Start
| colspan="2" | Cochamó
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Minor Roads (MR)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|10.8 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|6.7%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 1.8 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 1.3%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Finish
| colspan="2" | Lago Puelo (Puerto)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Primary Roads (PR)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|9.7 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|6.0%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 2.8 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 2.0%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Status
| colspan="2" | Published & Verified
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Cross-Country (CC)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|2.2 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|1.4%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 0.5 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 0.4%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Traversable
| colspan="2" | Dec - Apr (Maybe: Sep, Oct, Nov, May)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Bush-Bashing (BB)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|-
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Packraft
| colspan="2" | Very Useful
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Ferry (FY)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|(1.8 km)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|(1.1%)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|-
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Connects to
| colspan="2" | GPT21, GPT23
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Investigation (I)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| (1.9 km)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| (1.4%)
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Options
| colspan="2" | 268 km (9 Options & Variants)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Exploration (EXP)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|-
|-
|
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Hiking
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Packrafting
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Total on Water
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''111.1 km'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''81.4%'''
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Attraction
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|4 (of 5)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 5 (of 5)
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| River (RI)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 62.5 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 45.7%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Difficulty
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|4 (of 5)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 4 (of 5)
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Lake (LK)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 32.4 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 23.7%
|-
| style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Direction
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|Both ↓↑
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|Both ↓↑
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Fjord (FJ)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 16.3 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|11.9%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Comment
| colspan="7" | Hiking: Flip-Flop recommended
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Character
| colspan="7" | Packrafting: Flip-Flop recommended
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Challenges
| colspan="7" | Valdivian Rain Forest, Sea Coast, Farmland, Settlers, River Packrafting, Lake Packrafting, Fjord Packrafting, Partly Overrun
|}

[[File:profile GPT22.PNG|frame|center|Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route (2019)]]

[[File:profile GPT22-p.PNG|frame|center|Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route (2019)]]

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[[category:Greater Patagonian Trail]]

GPT22 (Cochamo)

2024-02-16T15:10:46Z

Mitschu2: /* Season 2023/24 */

{{Table all GPTs}}

 

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

''*'' 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

Summary with remarks to route that are considered useful for other hikers and packrafters. Include alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties.

Add a sub-chapter by placing two "=" before and after the new sub-chapter heading ('==Sub-Chapter Heading==').

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/26==

==Season 2024/25==

==Season 2023/24==

*2024-Feb-09 to 2024-Feb-16 / 7,5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Gerald

First: I wouldn't do it if there was a lot of rain. Did it after a week of rain in 2019 and it was a mud hell until El Arco. Now it seems at least until junta the trail improved (not sure). For those who don't own a trekking pole, organize a stick early... you won't have mich fun with the muddy situation otherwise.

The bus leaving Puerto Varas at 8:30 (Bus stop at -41.31617, -72.985396) charged 7k. Surprisingly they drove me to the trailhead, last time i had to walk from the bridge, guess it depends on the bus. If you want to get a seat you should probably take the bus in Puerto Montt, had to stay the whole ride. Seems like they will also stop along the way if you wave (check the cochamo insta for an overview of the schedule and route of the bus).
Arrived at the checkpoint at 11:45. After explaining my trip and that i will stay at El Arco they let me pass (without a reservation). They just ask you to register before you go.
Stopped at la junta to make a coffee and enjoy the view. They sell veggies they grow on site.
If i remember rights from Rio Trador on it gets really muddy. It rained 4 days ago and mud was not a big issue until that river.

Anyway, arrived quite late at 8pm at the shelter. There is a path to the right to a place to pitch couple of tents. After Rio Traidor (-41.407173, -72.092915) would also be a nice place to camp

In average only 2 tabano/day annoyed me, what a time we live in... Finally

Dona Luisa has a nice spot on the southern side of the lake Vidal gormaz.
To give you idea, here a short pricelist:
5k camping,
3k for a beer (brahma or Sol),
7k for a bottle of wine,
12k for dinner (meat, salad and bread),
1.5k for cheese

Camping at the settlement Steffen looked nice. Unfortunately i chose a spot next to a way too curious bull...

The camping at the brewery in El Manso is not worth a penny (they charge 5k). It's basically a dry piece of land full of goose shit. Engine on petrol runs untill 10pm. Only wifi is positive. I couldn't find a good spot to camp nearby. I would camp way before. Bus supposed to arrive between 14:30 and 15:00. Luckily a car took me to Puerto Urrutia where i continued. Hostel Puelo Libre looked nice next to the beautiful river. Hiked until the north west side of lago las rocas.

Ricardo (?) offered me a ride for free to the other end of the landslide. But I chose to cross the whole lake by boat. He charged 30k (I was alone). The radio is not anymore at the "port", but you can walk to his house (just continue the MR, first house at around [-42.019089, -71.861245] to your left, if you want to avoid the dogs take the small trail to your left once you see it).

Leaving Chile without the PDI document was not an issue (I requested the paper 5 days in advance and only got an auto response...). They did not even ask. Good views on the lake from now on. Spend an extra day at the camp next to the AR border control. All in all, nice hike!

Missed the bus to El bolson by 5mins. Seems like it's more towards x:30h. I think they run every hour. Got a ride with a car for 1k to the city. If someone is fancying good sourdough bread i can recommend "El Obrador"

The Post office is also doing Westernunion here (check Googlemaps reviews for more Infos)

*2024-Feb-03 to 2024-Feb-09 / Lilian

If you decide stay at Segundo Corral, and take the boat to Argentina.

NO NO NO

NO NO NO

DON'T DON'T DON'T stay at Mari Mari Peni Camping, (or another name) Amancays Camping.

I saved a girl hiker almost RAPED by the campground owner, and I'm pointed by a rifle gun force me to stop helping her at the night on 07/02. About the details, i type it and upload later.

It is already reported to Chile carabineros and Consulate in Chile.

GPT22 2024-01-31 to 2024-02-05 / 5,5 days days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Cochamó options/ Tomáš & Natalie

After a month and a half, we finally did something standard! From Puerto Varras (the bus stop on Avenida Vicente Perez Rosales just after Antonio Varras street) we took a bus at 8:38 going from Puerto Mont that went all the way to the end of MR to the Road end waypoint. At our hostel, they told us it would arrive at 8:45. Not sure if this is the same bus that others said would pass Puerto Varras at 8:15 or if it just goes to the road end only in high season. It was 7000 per person - I think they might charge double for backpacks, unless they screwed us.

We were at the entrance at 11 AM and were let through for free when we told them we were going to El Arco. The way to the campsites is really busy (met maybe 50 people and about ten horses), easy and without many views as it goes through a forest. When we reached the campsites, we decided that the valley is really pretty and that we want to take some sidetrips. We asked all the campsites and only La Junta let us stay, 8000 per person. It is important not to spread the word as they did us a favor even though they are not supposed to allow people without reservations. So, do not tell anyone or expect to be let in. We had a numbered site so I think they genuinely had some places free. If nobody had places, after ford 98.9, there is a maze of paths and mini-meadows on the left where I saw somebody camp illegaly. If you hide your packs well for the day and then camp from dusk till dawn, you would probably get away with it. Alternatively there are some flat spots in Trinidad valley two hours up - if you start so that you would arrive by dusk, you should meet nobody.

The side trips are steep but not challenging, many people take them. We went to Paloma (not in GPT trackfiles as of early 2024) in the evening, it can be done in three hours there and back if you do not stop (we did). We started going up at 1715 and saw last person going down at 1830 or so. It is quite splendid. OSM says there is a route to Cerro La Junta. It is probably an exit route for climbers, I did not see any traces of it but it looked like it were possible. If it is, one could probably continue all the way to Cerro Capicua.

Arco Iris is still closed. If it were open I think one could follow the ridge, which is not very steep or outcroppy, all the way north to above GPT21 - only there is probably no way down.

The next morning I went to the Trinidad Valley and all the way up to Cerro Bella Vista and Nat went ahead to escape the approaching rain the next day. The roundtrip takes about 7-8 hours. There is a marked travelled trail to the pass ("El Paso"), the last 300 vertical meters or so are marked by cairns. You will need your hands occasionally, but it is not exposed or particularly hard - SAC 4. The views are well worth it. It seemed most people only go to La Laguna (lake just under the pass). We started at 6 AM and I met the first people on the way down around noon at La Laguna. Both La Laguna and Cerro Bella Vista are not in GPT trackfiles as of early 2024. The way up through Camping Vista Hermosa (the current GPT track) is not supposed to be used by people not staying at the campsite. The proper way up seems to be the more western trail that is marked on OSM. Going back down trough camping Bella Vista was without issues though. They told Natalie you are not supposed to use their cable car (the one more upstream). Tomáš thinks you should use it as it is the only one that you can use without going through either of the campsites (the downstream one goes directly from La Junta campsite). No horseflies by now!

I left the camping at 1530, and met only one group of hikers all the way up to the second Camp waypoint at Lago Grande. It is a nice camp, bigger than the first but no good water sources. Wild legal camping, if I get it right. Refuge El Arco is unmanned, it is just a simple wooden hut. I would only use it in case of severe rain. The way up was almost all dry after two weeks of no rain. Mostly through forest, with some nice views of the valley, a few more fords then indicated but they could all be jumped.

The next day it rained (5mm?) from 4 AM till 11 AM but it was not enough to make the trails substantially muddy. The bridge before Lago Vidal is not there but there was a nice log. There are some pre-european rock paintings after Lago Vidal, one probably needs to make a sidetrip to see them based on the information signs near Torrentoso (trail 22-10 was signposted; trails in the valley are well maintained so I assume the option is good to go). On the last meadow before the gone bridge at 51.8, there was a cherry tree that still had very tasty miniature cherries in the beginning of February. It is behind the house to the left of the trail, maybe 40 m from it. I discovered it by going south of the house (nobody seemed to be in it). Do not miss the turnoff of the trail from the meadow - I went straight, there was initially a trail but petered out into a landslide. Camp at 45.2 is nice (reach it by turning left from the trail cca 50-100 m beyond the sjoetest route, that way you avoid any vegetation). Finally met Natalie after two days of escaping rain. Shop in El Manso is better than expected (has good veges and fruit) but not as good as the one in Llanada Grande. El Manso also is besides a cerveceria with wifi. The bus only came at 1530 despite being told it comes at 1pm. In almost three hours of waiting, we did not manage to hitch a car.

The bus indeed stops at Llanada Grande for 10 minutes or so - it is not really enough to orientate yourself and buy lots of supplies. The supermarket had lots of nectarines! Should you want to go to Puerto Urutia, the bus does not go there so you need to get off and walk the minor road there. We could not get reliable Entel internet reception anywhere in the valley (calls were fine) along the bus route.

We went to Primer Corral to do 22-08. The first few km are not a pleasant road to walk on. We decided to turn back as bad weather was coming in two days and it did not seem worth it. Not sure how far the road for cars goes. There seems to be regular but sparse traffic on it.

We walked back for about an hour on the main road before getting a hitch for the last 3 km to turnoff to 22-02, as others indicated the RR is badly passable due to a landslide. The MR section is aesthetically dreadful and supersteep. We had to climb a locked gate right at the start. We found a miniature camping spot about 200 m before the signposted trail turnoff. In the morning a lorry driver waved at us so probably no issues with climbing the gate. Luckily the trail is much nicer than the road. We met the settler at the lake Azul, he let us walk through his property. The few km to the first very small lake are actually an undriven MR, but very pleasant, it does not seem to be connected to the road network. After 2 km, one turns left onto a trail. Until the pass, it is very clear. After the pass, the visibility deteriorates somewhat but no bush bashing is involved. Soon after that, there is a gate saying there is no trail afer a harsh winter. We went further and it turned out there is a trail. There were some trees on it, but not too much and we lost it only for about 50 m. From setler at 11.4, the trail is much more clear. Met a seemingly lonely girl from the next homestead with whom we had a lovely chat. The trail to the border control was easy, we came there at 1530 and were let through. They told us that it would be ok to reach the Argentinian border control the next day. They too had a very ripe cherry tree but did not pick up on my appraisal of it and did not suggest I get some fruit.

We met several people on the way to Argentina border. We camped there (wild permitted numbered camping sites with numbers - there was about twenty other Argentinians, the functioning toilets are unsigned immediately next to the Police building). The next day we had no issues with getting a stamp and going down. The last CC part is a trail. We forded the second ford a bit earlier than suggested, it was waist deep but very slow moving. Took a bus at 1340 to El Bolson - seems to run regularly.

2024-Jan-19 to 2024-Jan-24 / 6 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR + day trip / Lotti & Alex

We did this section mostly as described by Fangwen and Tobi (El Manso to Cochamo base camp), so there is not much to add. We stayed at La Junta for 2 nights and did a very nice day trip to Cerro Bellavista (see description further down). The trails were very well maintained all the way. The only minor problems were mud and lots of horse flies. Like Fangwen and Tobi, we were happy we did the section NOBO, because the landscape gets more and more spectacular. This way it is also much easier to get to camp at La Junta without reservation, because they always reserve some space for hikers coming from the south.
It was a beautiful hike and especially the area around La Junta is really spectacular and worth visiting. We even met a fellow GPT hiker there, which was great!

Transportation:

To start:
Bus "Rio Puelo" from Puerto Varas to Lago Tagua-Tagua at 8:20am, then ferry to Puerto Maldonado, then bus to El Manso. We arrived at the trailhead around 1pm.

after hike:
Bus from end of trailhead ("Cochamo base camp") to Cochamo/Puerto Montt at 1pm.

Day trip to Cerro Bellavista:

Start at La Junta on GPT Variant G, following the signs to "Trinidad". It starts by crossing the river with the little cable car. After the walls of Trinidad, stay on the trail and follow the signs to "Laguna". The official trail ends there, but there are stone cairns and ribbons marking a trail that goes up to the pass. The laguna is crowded, but we didn't meet anyone further up. The view at the pass is already great, but you can go up even further. Turn to the left and follow the stone cairns until the summit. It is not difficult, just walking and easy scrambling, and the view is absolutely spectacular.
The whole tour has about 1300m of altitude difference. It took us around 5h to go up, and 3-4h down.

2024-01-07 to 2024-01-14: Fangwen and Tobi / 2.5 days Ventisquero Valley (Option 08 + more), 4 days El Manso to Cochamo RR / NOBO hiking.

We did two parts along this enjoyable section, connecting them by hitchhiking and resupplying in between in Llanada Grande.

The first part was hiking ~20km into the scenic Ventisquero valley (Option 08), alongside a wonderful river on an enjoyable and easy hiking trail through farms and rainforest that mostly follows an old minor road. It's often better to follow the well-marked trail rather than the GPT track files. A highlight of our trip was hiking up to a fantastic viewpoint at 1100m with a view of the whole valley, its remote side valleys and glaciated mountain peaks. The trail (900m elevation gain, 4.5km) through the thick rainforest is steep but excellent in quality and easy to follow (but the turnoff at S 42° 01.737', W 072° 05.643' is easy to miss). This and other trails in the valley are not part of the GPT files yet, but GPX files can be found on the website of Rincon Bonito (glamping accommodation for groups) that presumably created the trail. We camped by the viewpoint; what a wonderful experience! There are plenty of places to pitch up a tent, but little protection from wind. We found a wind protected camp in a dried-out puddle at (S 42° 02.705', W 072° 06.193'). Make sure to bring water, since the last reliable water source is in the valley, just before the turnoff onto the steep trail. From the viewpoint, we attempted to climb the local mountain, but beyond 1500m, it appears to require bush bashing. Our track: [[Media:GPT 22 Ventisquero Viewpoint.gpx]].
The viewpoint is within the Pumalin National Park, but the whole valley seems to be private property and camping is forbidden outside official campsites, which begin quite far into the valley. There are plenty of spots to pitch up a tent nonetheless (which is what we did).
For packrafters, going down the river must surely be a highlight! Rincon Bonito offers packrafting (maybe only for their guests?), they describe it as class II+.

Our second part followed the regular route 22N from El Manso to the Cochamo trailhead. This was an enjoyable hike and we found the trail to be in good condition, although it gets pretty muddy around El Arco (and that's after one week of sunny weather). There is quite a bit of pointless up and down between km45 and km79. Additionally, our hiking distance was often 20-25% longer than expected, as there are many switchbacks too small to be represented on the track files. We liked hiking this section northbound, as the rainforest and the views get more and more impressive as you go along. La Junta has a lot of local hiking options (e.g. hiking into the Anfiteatro valley or on top of Cerro Trinidad), but we didn't spend any extra days because the weather was turning.

Logistics: to get to the start of section 22, take the daily bus that leaves at 7.45am from Puerto Montt (stops at 8.15 in Puerto Varas at intersection el Salvador/San Pedro S 41° 19.081', W 072° 59.038', and later in Cochamo). The bus company Río Puelo has a ticket office in Puerto Montt, their WhatsApp number is +56 9 7408 9199. From there, take the ferry across Lago Tagua Tagua and the connecting bus down the valley to your respective trailhead (El Manso for the Cochamo valley, Primer Corral for the Ventisquiero valley). Note that travel is slow... We arrived at the Primer Corral at 4pm. We left a bag of food for the second half of our trip. Unfortunately it was visible from the parking lot and got stolen, so we resupplied at the Llanada Grande supermarket. The bus makes a stop there for ~15min, if you want a quick resupply there (it's a bit bigger than in El Manso). We hitchhiked to El Manso, which worked after two hours of waiting/walking (not a lot of traffic).

If you are in the Llanada Grande area, go to Camping Reflejo Azul. The campsite itself is average, but it has the most beautiful river we have ever seen in our lives. Visit this truly special place before Instagram influencers find out about it and it becomes overrun by hordes of tourists. Day access is possible also for 5.000 CLP.

Photos: https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/permalink/1732098767296002/?app=fbl

*2024-Jan-4 / 7.5 days / Packrafting / SOBO / RH + OP-LK-2 + RP / Lauren & Sebastian

Note: We were told a reservation is needed for a camp site at La Junta to be allowed into the valley from Cochamo side, so we did that. However, one of the wikiexplora entry mentioned that they were allowed in when mentioning that they wanted to camp at El Arco Refuge but we read it too late. Camp Trawen is the most expensive (15k per person), which is the reason why it’s been available on short notice. There are several other sold-out camps around for 8k-10k.

Day 1: We hitchhiked to Cochamo Base Camp at 9am and reached Camp Trawen by 2pm. It would have been better to go on the El Arco Refuge straight away and camp there. It’s a touristy stretch and in our view not really worth doing, if you like the general quiet nature of the GPT.

Day 2: Camped at the beach at Lago Vidal. Easy hike but lots of ups and downs.

Day 3: We packrafted Lago Vidal and had a good lunch at Luisa’s place (make sure to drop by!), before continuing on to Torrentoso (not the paid camp, but on the meadow a few hundred meters after the official camp).

Day 4: The bridge at wp Bridge {22N} [51.8/146] (Rio Steffen) does not exist anymore. It’s not a demanding ford but there are short steep ups and downs on both sides. We stayed near wp Settler {22N} [50.1/307].

Day 5: We rivered in at wp Rio Manso. The ride was super scenic and beautiful and there were no rapids, just a bit of boiling water but nothing difficult, which might be due to different water levels compared to previous accounts. It’s 45 minutes from there to the bridge at wp Bridge {22N} [40.8+0.2/36]. We rivered out behind the bridge on the right side. There is a nice flat beach which leads to the cabin of Harv and Veronica. They let us camp on their land and even offered a hot (wood fired) shower for 2.5k per person. There is a cervezeria and shop across the road for resupply.

Day 6: We took the bus at 1 pm to intersection at wp X {22-01} [25.0/187] and went on OP-MR-V (along Hunter’s estate) to Lago Azul. You will be charged 5k per person to access the lake. We crossed Lago Azul with strong waves and tailwind so we sailed to the other side in no time.

Day 7: Crossed Lago de Las Rocas, Lago Inferior, and Lago Puelo to the Argentinian border control which opens at 8am next morning so we camped there. Next day we finished at Lago Puelo which is a popular tourist beach.

Tip: It is a hot & dusty walk to town from the beach and hitchhiking is not as easy in this part of Argentina as in Chile. Keep some small change of USD or Argentinian pesos for the bus ride to resupply in town. If you plan to continue packrafting Lago Puelo on GPT23 after resupplying, the earliest bus back to the beach reaches around 7.30am but it will be too late as the wind picks up by 8am. Lago Puelo is known for its strong gusts so it’s best to check wind forecast and paddle early morning 5.30am to cross. Therefore it may be easier to camp at one of the campsites nearer to the beach instead of staying in town. Just go there for resupplying.

*2023 Dec OH-TL-V / Anh
Note: the trail OH-TL-V alias Cerro Arco Iris was damaged by big rocks in the last season and is completely closed. A new route or repair is not in planning.

*2023-12-17 to 2023-12-21 / 5 days / Hiking + Packrafting / SOBO /RR & Option 01B / Roman

Route: Hiking from Cochamó to El Manso. Bus to Lago de Las Rocas. Packrafted the lake and Lago Inferior. Hiked to Lago Puelo.

Due to the border crossing, there is a thread about it on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/permalink/1709504102888802/. I applied online - no answer. Went to the carabineros in Cochamó they couldn't issue it, so I went without it (it worked without a problem)

Started in Cochamó (there is a bus to the entry I just got him by hitchhiking so I don't know the schedule) and had a reservation for Camp Trawen (Fruit, Groceries, Electricity). This is getting checked at the entrance if you have one. The trail to the camp was a bit muddy (2 days of rain before the start) but all doable. The next day went to the northern end of Lago Vidal Gormaz and slept there at Lake {22-05} [7.9/604]. Bridge destroyed at: -41.43696, -71.96632 and Bridge {22N} [63.0/337] (Rio El Colorado). Both are crossable dry feed due to trees. Generally, there is no fording necessary after Lago Vidal Gormaz. Before yes. Packrafted Rio Manso. There were no rapids on the map, it's mentioned in the Manuel that it can be challenging. There are some rapids but all are doable and manageable (I am a beginner with kayak experience and an open deck packraft). You can get easy access to the river at -41.692561, -71.972725 this is 300m after the mark in the file. There is a dry river bed to avoid BB to get to the River. The river is fast flowing. Follow the GPS only at one point where the river splits pay extra attention: turn left as shownin the GPS: -41.698615, -71.985482 . Went out at the south side of the bride: Bridge {22N} [40.8+0.2/36] (Rio Manso) on the right side. There is a trail to the street with one gate where you can walk through on the right side. The shop Settlement, Shop, Bus {22N} [40.7/36] (El Manso) has good supplies and free WiFi. The trail to this point is very good. Based on previous comments and a chat to a local I want to skip at least to Puerto Urrutia [comment in: 2023-FEB-01 to 2023-FEB-07]. There is an official bus going all the way from Rampa Punta
Maldonado -> Segundo Corral. Find the schedule here: https://imgur.com/a/7MVEscb . The shop owner said the bus is normally there at 02:00 PM. The bus was there in my case at 02:30 PM. This bus stops at the large supermarket [Supermercado Llanada Grande] a great place for a last resupply). The bus also stops at Puerto Urrutia but I went all the way to Lago de Las Rocas and used OH-MR-V {22-01B} [8.2+1.9] to get to the lake. Started packrafting at 05:00 PM. The start was fine. The wind got worse during the evening and was to my capabilities on the maximum with serious waves. Strong wind from the north. It was pleasantly paddling after going through the gap at -42.069608, -71.813735. Camped at Lake, Camp {22S} [21.8/314]. Got there at 07:45 PM. Crossed the border without any problems. Packrafted Lago Inferior and got in the water here: Lake {22S} [20.9/201] at 10:00 AM. The wind got stronger but manageable. Exited the lake at 11:15 AM at -42.102244, -71.742575. The trail back to the RR is good to hike. From there, the trail is in good condition. Due to the higher water in Rio Azul fording and therefore the RR is not possible. You get also the recommendation from the Argentinien carabineros to take Option 03. I didn't want to take this and followed the RR to this point: -42.091481, -71.633667. From there I followed the trail to this point: -42.09399, -71.634188. There is an old dock [image here: https://imgur.com/a/5LMsKA1]to put in you packraft. The trail can be downloaded at the end of the comment. There I packrafted with very strong onshore wind and if it hadn't been for only 300m I wouldn't have done it to (03:15 PM):-42.096114, -71.628682 ,and walked from there to the end of GPT22.

Overall: great section! It's a nice trail to hike and packrafting rRioEl Manso is a lot of fun and a great change in perspective after hiking for a few days. After that, the trail continues bto bein a good condition. The conditions for Lago de Las Rocas should be closely checked. I would definitely recommend it!

Trail download: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqzLweJ3NZW5q7YZzDoW3qlKypqwBg

Contact: https://linktr.ee/RundW

==Season 2022/23==

* General advice : The Regular Route is best hiked between December and April. The primary obstacles are high river levels early in the season and after rain. During the peak period of January and February it may be difficult to obtain a camping reservation at La Junta which could prevent a southbound traverse.

* 2023-Feb-18 to 2023-Feb-23 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + 22-01 / Martin & Helena

A lot has been already written, so just a few comments from our side:

No problem with entering the valley in SOBO direction, until the noon aprox., saying you will spend the night at the refugio El Arco - they have some time estimate for this hike and can’t let you in if its late. By the entrance you can buy some useful things that might be hard to buy in Cochamo, like gas or peanut butter. There was also a beer truck with quite good wifi connection (only during summer). Crowds of people in both directions, quite muddy trail. Detour to the Toboganes is definitely worth it. We spend the night after all in a marked camp aprox. 4 kms before the refugio and it was a good decision - there were quite a lot of people when we passed by the next day.

From the refugio its nice and easy walking. We spent the night on the southern side of Lago Vidal Gomaz where is amazing campsite Doña Luisa, for I think 5000 CLP pp. We bought there beer, some cheese and bread in the morning, and you can also charge electronics inside. It is possible to have proper breakfast or dinner, it looked all very tasty. At km N 40.7 is shop with all the basic things + great brewery next to it, definitely stop there if you are a fan.

Based on other comments and our time schedule we decided to take the alternative 22-01 to Llanada Grande. This is a good resuppy spot as there is a new and big (at least in comparison to what you would expect in a place like this) supermarket that replaced the old one destroyed by fire. Good place to stay is a campsite at the end of the village, on the right side, run by really nice lady. Not expensive and if its free, you can stay for the same price in a so called refugio, that is actually just a very small room, but for us better than a tent. Hot water and electricity + possibility to buy pizza and maybe some other small things - there is actually no restaurant in the village. Some more road walking around Lago Totoral to Rio Puelo to connect back to RR. In general not very attractive part of the trail. Great restaurant in Hostal Puelo Libre with local beer and view on the river.

From the port its again easy walking on the RR again. Drunk settler and quite agressive dogs out of his control at S km 7.2 so be careful. We slept half way to Las Rocas lake. We thought about taking the RR around the lake, but the landslide caused by snow (aprox. 1.5 km from the port) looked quite difficult to pass. We discovered there is possibility to cross the lake on one of the locals boat, which we did in the end. We were lucky that after waiting for some time in the port a car with locals arrived. Happily for us they arranged a boat transfer with other residents to get to the other side of the lake, where they went for a lunch. We were able to go with them, and after picking up their friends, we all hop off the boat close to the police station. Great experience and we learned a lot about this area and people living here. We paid 10k CLP. In the comments here is a contact for the guy with a boat, but without signal it must be arranged in advance, and the price might differ when not sharing the transfer with others. No problem with the border check. It took us around 4 hrs to get to the argentinian side, where everyone was super friendly as well. They offered us to camp there, but we decided to make it to Lago Puelo, which took us 2 more hrs. The landscape changes significantly on the other side where everything is more dry. No problem with the river crossing. We got off the trail directly on the main road.

Contact: @martin_hanzelka @helenneka

*2023-FEB-01 to 2023-FEB-07 / 7 days / hiking / SOBO / Cochamó - Lago Puelo / Anna & Christopher

We hitchhiked from Eco Camping El Valle to the entry of the park and arrived around 8 am. We told them that we would camp at the Refugio El Arco and explained our further route. Until la Junta there were lots of chilenean tourists, therefore the path was very good only with some muddy stretches. Like Véronica we walked to Toboganes, a waterfall/stream with beautiful rock formations. There were tons of people, but it's worth it. La junta seems to be an amazing place for rock climbing, we would have loved to have some climbing gear with us.

After la Junta there were almost no more hikers. We camped next to the Refugio, as there were already two other groups of hikers sleeping in the Refugio.

Until Lago grande there are still some muddy stretches and blowdowns, but generally it is a good path. From there on the path is perfectly maintained. We camped at approx. km 66 next to Río los Morros.

Nice path until El Manso. We resupplied at the minimercado and camped next to the river, which was a beautiful camping spot with lots of delicious blackberrys.

The next morning we arrived at Señora Ocos house around 8 am. She contacted multiple people and luckily found out that there was somebody crossing the river to our side at 11 am. The man, whose name we unfortunately forgot, was super friendly and dropped us off after the river mouth of Rio Traidor, close to where he lives. He charged 10.000 CLP p.p.

The path to the first settler was mediocre and afterwards got worse and worse until it was almost pure buschwhacking. It was the worst we had so far on the GPT. Thorns.. Lots of thorns tearing away at your clothes, backpack and skin.
We camped at the river at approx. km 12, which was a beautiful spot.
Until the settlement Las Nieves the path continued beeing bad with lots of bush bashing. The settler told us that no locals use that path and she also told us that there are no regular boat transfers to Puerto Urrutia on weekends (it was sunday..).
We wouldn't do that stretch next to Rio Puelo again and instead hitchhike from El Manso to Puerto Urrutia.

At the boat transfer waypoint to Puerto Urrutia we had Entel service and contacted one lodging on the other side. They told us to go to the last house 1km back to ask for a transfer (it's the house of the man who does the boat transfer on weekdays). But we got lucky and a boat passed by and took us to the other side. The man on the boat also told us that the path from Río Traidor to Puerto Urrutia "is closed".

We continued to Lago verde, where we planned to camp, but it's surrounded by dense forest, apart from a private property.
That spot is amazing, a little landing stage to go swimming, a great view and a very friendly owner. She even baked some delicious apple bread for us. For camping she charged us 8000 CLP p.p.. That was definetly worth it.

After Lago verde there is a minimarket. We didn't check it out, but there is no resupply wp yet.

After reading previous blogs and having had enough of thorns we decided to cross el Lago de Las Rocas by boat. Therefore there is a walkie talkie on the landing stage on the northern end of the lake with which you can contact Richard. We also got his number (+56958694897), if you want to contact him in advance. When we arrived at the lake, there were already lots of people waiting for the boat so we just waited with them and after some time got knocked the boat with them. The ride was really nice across the crystal clear blue water and we were charged 5000 p.p.

From the southern end of the lake it's just a couple of minutes to walk to the chilenian border control. We continued on and camped at km 30 at the river. Again a really beautiful spot.

The next day we passed the argentinian border control and continued to Lago Puelo.

The section was really beautiful, except the part with the thorns. There are lots of streams along the whole trail, so one does not need to carry much water.

*2023-Jan-29 to 2023-Feb-02 / 5 days / hiking / NOBO / RR mostly / Frank

I got the bus-ferry-bus from Puerto Montt to Segundo Corral. To avoid the landslide at Laguna Las Rocas & delays with the river ferries I walked on the road from Segundo Corral to El Manso, about 50KM. Easy but not very interesting walking. It takes a full day to get from Puerto Montt on the bus to Segundo Corral so I believe it would be better to go SOBO with an early start to get through La Junta, otherwise you need 2 additional days for travel.

Stayed @ nice & cheap campsite at bridge over Rio Colorado & camped at El Arco. The trail approaching El Arco was muddy & a bit swampy (it had been raining). It's possible to go by boat across Lago Vidal Gomez but it's an easy 3 hour walk.

Got the bus again to Segundo Corral & ferry to Paso Bolson. The trail across the border is generally in good condition. There is some easy bushbashing on the Chilean side for about 1KM before the border & some fallen trees but they are straightforward to go over. Rio Azul was easily fordable in early February.

* 2023-Jan-10 to 2023-Jan-14 / 5 days / hiking / SOBO / RR, also GPT22-01 / Véronica

Route: Cochamó - La Junta - Lago Vidal Gormáz - El Manso - Puerto Urrutio via Option 1 - Lago Las Rocas - Lago Puelo (Argentina)

The borders of Paso El León and Paso El Bolsón are both opened again for tourists! Go for it! It is a beautiful section with wonderful people, such a contrast to where I started the GPT further north.

In Cochamó, I stayed at Eco Camping El Valle, right at the entrance to the Cochamó River Valley. Paid 7000 clp, very nice campground, there are tarps over the picnic tables at each site so you have a dry place to hang out even if it rains :) Since I spent the night so close to the trailhead, it was easy to get to the guarded valley entrance (Road End {22N} [109.8/58]) early. I did not have a camping reservation for La Junta. I arrived at the trailhead at 7:30 a.m., explained my route to the staff, saying I would stay at Refugio El Arco that night. They let me through no problem. The trail to La Junta is a bit muddy, but nothing bad, my feet stayed dry in my trailrunners despite the fact it was also raining off and on. Beautiful path through the Valvidian rainforest, I really enjoyed all the green and the moss. When I reached the La Junta area, I stashed my pack in some trees and made a short detour to Las Toboganes. They are only 0.7 km off the regular route, and highly worthwhile to see! What a spectacular area, I totally see the Yosemite resemblence, and would love to go back someday.

I found the trail after La Junta (all the way to Lago Vidal Gormáz) to be in good shape, contrary to what others have written. It was maybe slightly less maintained than the popular trail leading into the valley, but it was still very clear and easy to follow — not overgrown, no blowdowns, just a bit muddy in some places. Granted, it has been drier than normal so far this summer. None of the fords went above my knees, and sometimes I could cross the creeks without even getting my feet wet, all very easy.

The refugio at El Arco is dark and without any furniture inside. I found it much nicer to camp in the nearby meadow just south of the trail there. There are outhouses.

Nice path from Lago Vidal Gormáz all the way to El Manso. Very beautiful in this valley as well. Met a few arrieros along the way. Most of the rivers have bridges crossing them. There is a small camp at the bridge over Río Colorado.

In El Manso, I topped off my food supply at the shop on the main road. It has a good selection of food items. Then I went to Señora Oco's house to try and arrange a boat transfer over Río Puelo. She and her family are very friendly and welcoming. I arrived there mid-afternoon, but she could not get in radio contact with anyone on the other side. In the evening, we heard back from Hospedaje Nancy, who charged 60,000 clp for a crossing upriver all the way to Río Traidor (where she lives). This I found too expensive for me traveling alone. Señora Oco baked some bread and I was able to buy some. She also said I was welcome to camp in the fields behind her house while waiting for a response from settlers Paulina and Jovino regarding a crossing to their place (much more direct and therefore likely much cheaper). The next morning, we still hadn't received any response from Paulina and Jovino either via radio or Whatsapp (they may have been away). Because of this, I decided to take the gravel road to Puerto Urrutia (Option 1), and forgo crossing Río Puelo, unfortunately. Despite this setback, I'm really glad I got to meet and spend time with Señora Oco and her family, they are such kind people.

I was able to hitch most of the way to Puerto Urrutia, where I rejoined the regular route. The trail from there all the way to Lago Las Rocas is mostly easy and clear. There were a few confusing junctions in the vicinity of Lago Verde, so I kept a close eye on the GPS there. After crossing the road after that, the beginning of RR -TL-V {22S} [2.8/7.1+2.7] is tricky to find. There are lots of fallen trees and many forest paths. The GPS was very helpful there too until I finally found the right path. After about 700 m it merges with a nice clear path all the way to Lago Las Rocas.

As has been previously reported, there is a large rockslide about 2 km in once you reach Lago Las Rocas. It didn't look overly dangerous to me, the boulders were large and seemed solid enough. I started crossing it right at the bottom where the rocks fall into the lake, as it looked to be the easiest and safest way across. I was maybe 50 meters through it, when a boat came along, and the people in it told me to hop in! What lucky timing! As we passed the rest of the rockslide, I could see the last part of it was steep, loose scree rather than big boulders. That part would have definitely been nerve-wracking to cross, and I was very grateful for the boat ride. The settlers who owned the boat live about 3 km along the trail, at a little bay/inlet in the lake. They have a nice beach and campground too. That's where I rejoined the trail. Beyond their house, the "Camino Los Mosquitos," as it is locally called, gets progressively worse in terms of overgrowth and blowdowns. The trail has not been cleared since the past winter, and not been used either. The stretch between kilometers 4 and 6.5 is the worst. It felt more like pure bushwhacking than following a trail. The path was mostly burried beneath walls of downed trees and branches, it got very hard to follow at times. Lots of climbing over and under vegetation, some of it quite thorny too. Very slow and tiring. My pack got ripped up a bit and so did my clothing. Had I known the trail was this bad, I would have taken the option on the east side of Lago Las Rocas. It's hard to imagine it could be in worse shape than the regular route.

When I got to the Chilean Border Control it was around 6:30 p.m., so too late to cross that day. The border agent working there was very friendly, but he couldn't get in contact with his supervisor to get approval for stamping my passport with the next day's date. So I camped back at Lago Las Rocas, and the next morning came back at 8 a.m. when the border post reopened. The trail on the Chilean side of the border was a bit rough in places, it has been neglected since the winter too. But it was not as bad as the previous stretch along Lago Las Rocas. Once I got into Argentina, it got much better. The trails in Parque Nacional Lago Puelo are well-maintained, and I met some day hikers. No issues at the Argentine Border Control.

I was able to ford Río Azul easily, thanks to the dry weather. There are three branches of the river to cross (the GPS waypoints only show two of them). The middle branch is the widest and deepest. The water there went up to my upper thighs (I'm 165 cm), but the current was slow and it never felt dangerous.

Now I'm skipping down to GPT32 to continue my adventure further south :) The northern sections that I hiked from 6 to 22 were simply amazing, with great weather almost the entire time. Thank you, all!

* 2022-Oct-19 to 2022-Oct-24 / 6 days / hiking / SOBO / RR / ???

Here are the main points because our story is long :)
Paso el bolson and El Leon are closed for tourists until further notice
Some of trails are in bad condition because of the hard winter but they might be cleared in the following weeks.
Landslide in Lago Las rocas - very dangerous part to cross. We suggest to take an optional route

The trail starts in valle cochamo. We did not have any reservations but as we were in low season we were not worried. However the lady from the tourist office in Cochamo told us to arrive at the entrance of the valley between 7 & 8 to avoid being rejected. At 7h50 there was nobody at the reception so we did not have any trouble, but we cannot say for the high season.
You can arrange a car transfer to go the valley entrance. The numbers of the drivers are available at the tourist office.

The trail until La Junta is muddy but well maintained - no worries there. Up there we met some arrieros and the locals from the camping and they told us that the trail was closed a bit further because of snow (up to 2 meters) in laguna Blanca. This is the highest part of the trail (about 1100m). The river crossings were feasible, but as they forecasted rain for the next day, we preferred to turn back in order to avoid being blocked between high rivers and snow.

Back on the road between Cochamo and Puelo, we caught at about 10:30 the bus that leaves at 7:45 from Puerto Montt, to go to Rio Manso. There is a well furnished Shop where you can even find gas.
We remained in the Southbound direction and went to Senora Oco's house. She was very welcoming, and her and her grandchild helped us in arranging a boat transfer for the following morning (nothing was possible the same day). We paid 50000 pesos to go from their house to Rio Traidor - close to Nancy hospedaje. Indeed, we skipped the first part of the trail as they told us that it was very closed with a lot of small trees and not used anymore. Maybe it would be cheaper to cross a bit south using the cable car or directly from Manso to Rio Traidor.

Until the Rio Tigre, settler # 22N [7.7/157], the trail is visible but sometimes with some obstacles (fallen trees). After this settling, you will have to cross the Rio Tigre which might be the hardest to cross on your way if you have a lot of rain. There is a bridge indicated on the tracks but it has been swept away this winter. The best place to cross is a bit higher following the river, follow the horse track. We did not have any problem crossing, and probably the settler could help you with his horse if the river is too high. That is an advantage of the Southbound direction.

After, the trail is really clear. We found the last transfer across Rio Puelo about 1 km before the point indicated on the track. It is his job to do the crossings and he also does sportive fishing if you are interested. Look for a house with a border collie with a piece of wood around the neck :)

From Puerto Urrutia, the trail is clear again until the road. There is a shop at 600m on the right. Again here, the trail is closed due to fallen trees at the beginning, but the locals (last house on the right) will help you find another path. Clear trail until Lago Las Rocas.

Once you reach the Lago Las rocas you will be blocked after 2km. Indeed there was a landslide this winter and you have to cross a very dangerous part of about 300 m of rocky mountain slide. It is not stabilized yet. We went through but we do not advise it.
Also, there were a lot of fallen trees and the path was really tiring. The locals will probably clear the path in the following weeks. To get more information we suggest to contact the camping Playa Las Rocas on Instagram.
You can also consider the other routes or arrange a boat crossing.

Finally we arrived at the border crossing. Unfortunately it was closed due to the Covid, except for the very locals (people from Cochamo). Apparently Paso el Leon is closed as well for tourists. Be aware of that if you have to cross the Chilean- Argentinian borders, as small passes seem to be closed for tourists.
In the end we had to go back to Puerto Montt crossing the Lago inferior with a free boat (ask the carabineros), and then the bus-ferry-bus from Segundo Corral.

==Season 2021/22==

* 2021-Nov-23 & 2021-Nov-25 / 2 days / Packrafting / SOBO / Estuario de Reloncavi from Ralun to Rio Puelo (Western shore) / Jan Dudeck & Meylin Ubilla

We paddled in two easy days the roughly 40 km southbound.

Start at Ralun at Puente Petrohue: On the right side of the bridge (view in river flow direction) is a suitable put-in and good spot to camp. The gate was closed but not locked. There are signs of people occasionally camping there.

Ralun to Cochamo: Packrafters in need to resupply can do this in Cochamo about 16 water kilometers from the put-in. Both, the western and eastern coast are suitable for packrafting. The eastern side is next to the main road what facilitates switching to hiking. The western side is less intervened and more scenic.

Ralun to Rio Puelo: Again, the western and eastern coast are suitable for packrafting. The eastern side is next to the main road what facilitates switching to hiking but requires the crossing of a 4 km wide bay in open water. The western side is less intervened and more scenic but requires crossing the 3 km wide Estuario de Reloncavi near Rio Puelo. On the western side are also the Termas de Sotomo that are suitable for camping.

Wind: On nice sunny days “viento sur” often kicks in around 10 am making southbound paddling difficult or unfeasible. We had two partially overcasted days and could paddle on the first day till 4 pm when wind became annoying strong. On the second day around 3 pm the wind and waves became unpleasant but by this time we were walking the final kilometers into Rio Puelo.

GPT22: Southbound packrafters may take in Cochamo or Rio Puelo the bus to Lago TaguaTagua an get to the recommended packrafting starting point of section GPT22 halfway into this section to Flip-Flop as recommended.

* 2021-NOV-18 / 1 day / hiking / NOBO / Cochamó Valley (Lago Tagua Tagua - Lago Grande) / Tobías

The Section between La Junta Base and Lago Vidal Gormez was very challenging. It had been raining a lot, so the Trail was very muddy and I had to cross several rivers and creeks. Went straight from Cochamó to Lago Grande and camped there in some Snow. Met only a few settlers. After reaching Lago Vidal Gormez, the Trail was easy and I enjoyed the hike a lot. Amaizing área up there!

==Season 2020/21==

==Season 2019/20==

* 2020-FEB-18 to 2020-FEB-21 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Tyler
I didn’t have problems getting a campsite at la junta on the spot luckily. AMAZING area that I’ll be returning to again to do all the day hikes in. Aside from that, most the trail was very muddy, rainy, and unmaintained. This got a bit difficult after the 3rd day in a row. Good places to camp at the lakes over the pass SOBO. When I got down to Lago Vidal Gomez the trail improved.. I got some bread from a settler at the start of the lake. There right on the trail and super friendly and have rooms. The last ferry across Tagua Tagua leaves at 7 pm. I didn’t make it, so I slept underneath the office/bathrooms and took the ferry at 8:00 the next morning. I believe there’s another ferry at 12.

*. 2020-Jan-09 to 2020-Jan-11 / hiking / SOBO / RR / Shaun

Despite the austere warnings on the La Junta Camping website, I was able to make a reservation at short notice in high season, and the back and forth process only took a few hours. In Cochamó, I was warned that due to recent rain the river crossings at El Arco and another nearby river would likely be impassable. With four more days of heavy rain forecast, I decided to take the bus-ferry-bus combo to Puerto Urrutia and try to walk northbound from there with the optimistic hope that by the time I reached El Arco the river would be passable or, at least, the wait would be less. However, 10km north of the Rio Puelo crossing (service starts at 9am) my way was blocked by a high and fast river. I then retraced my steps and completed the rest of the section southbound - which was straightforward. The trail on the west side of Lago de la Roca until the frontera is a bit overgrown but still easy to see and nothing particularly slowed me down. On the Argentinian side the trail is well maintained. It is not permitted to camp on the 12km stretch between the border posts. I arrived too late to cross that day, but the Chileans stamped my passport with the next day’s date so I didn’t have to wait for the post to open at 9am. The Argentinian border guards informed me that because of the rain, the Rio Azul was too high to ford at the point on the regular hiking route just before Lago Puelo so I took the alternative route (Oh-Tl-V@22-04-#001) a few kms north and crossed over the La Pasarela bridge.

* 2020-Jan-22 to 2020-Jan-26 / 5 days / hiking / SOBO / parque de la vallee de Cochamo - La Pasarella / Arnaud

As we arrived from Puerto Montt we were with the bus and stopped directly at the entrance of the private parque de la vallee de Cochamo.
As it is private, there are some rules to get in, or they block you at the control point.
The entrance is free but you need to have a reservation in one of the official camp sites there. To get the reservation, you can do it on internet (but you need to wait for the confirmation and it can be several days long), or do it directly there (red house), they give you the reservation voucher if there are places available (number seem to be limited). Then you pay the night when you reach the camp sites (6000 clp/pers).
Or the other solution is to say that you sleep in the refugio del Arco. It is 23km further after the control. Then it is free and no reservation is needed, but this is possible only before 10am (after they block you). After 10am the only way to pass is to sleep in the camp sites. They block you if you do not have a
reservation voucher for one camp site.
This spot (la Junta) is famous among the chilenos so the access to the camp sites is really overrunned. The path is easy to walk.
Once you go further than the campsites, you're alone, so it is better.
The path is clearly marked. There are bridges for most of the rivers you cross. But it is very muddy.
At the lago Vidal you can resupply a bit with those living there (you can also sleep in their camp sites).
In El Manso you can find a minimarket with lots of things.
Then, we decided to follow the road instead of the track because we were in a hurry with a deadline in El Bolson, until we reached la cruce de la rocas. There are buses or hitchiking is easy.
Crossing borders was easy. There are 12km between the chilean stamp and the Argentin one that we did in 3.5 hours.
At the very end we have not not crossed El Rio Azul, we walked 7 more km to the north to reach La Pasarella

==Season 2018/19==

==Season 2017/18==

==Season 2016/17==

=Resupply and Accommodation=

==Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns==

*In Cochamo go down towards the lake. There is a church on the left & before you reach it there is a hospedaje on the right, good & cheap.

*There is a good place to stay NOBO 500 metres before the junction where the road turns towards Laguna Las Rocas. Farmhouse on RHS of road has rooms & meals. Cheap, friendly & good

*In Segundo Corral there are two campsites. The first one is just before the school, it just says Kuchen but you can camp there. Cheap, nice family & they do meals. There is a campsite after the school but the owner was drunk & looking for an argument.
Lots of campsites at Lago Totoral (on the road, not on RR)
It's possible to camp near the Argentinian border control.

==Resupply and Accommodation along the Route==

*2023 / Martin & Helena
We spent the night on the southern side of Lago Vidal Gomaz where is amazing campsite Doña Luisa, for I think 5000 CLP pp. We bought there beer, some cheese and bread in the morning, and you can also charge electronics inside. It is possible to have proper breakfast or dinner, it looked all very tasty. At km N 40.7 is shop with all the basic things + great brewery next to it, definitely stop there if you are a fan.

=Transport to and from Route=

* January 2023 Frank
To avoid the landslide at Laguna Las Rocas you can walk on the road or get the bus to Segundo Corral then from Lago Inferior about 1.5KM from Segundo Corral there is a ferry to Paso Bolson (Chilean border control).The government subsidised ferry runs Monday-Friday only from 8-12 & 2PM-6PM & is only 2000 pesos. You need to radio the ferryman to arrange pickup, easily done in Segundo Corral.

*2023 / Anna & Christopher
We decided to cross el Lago de Las Rocas by boat. Therefore there is a walkie talkie on the landing stage on the northern end of the lake with which you can contact Richard (+56958694897),we were charged 5000 p.p.

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

*2023 / Martin & Helena
From the port its again easy walking on the RR again. Drunk settler and quite agressive dogs out of his control at S km 7.2 so be careful. We slept half way to Las Rocas lake.

*Northbound and southbound hiking is feasible. However, due to the controlled private southbound access through the La Junta área, hiking in that direction is only possible with a camping reservation, or by arriving at the checkpoint before 10am. A northbound traverse may therefore be preferred. For hikers generally heading south, it is possible to take the single ticket, half-day bus-ferry-bus combination south from Cochamó to Puerto Urrutia, hike the 120km north to Cochamó, then return to Puerto Urrutia and resume the section southwards from there.

*Crossing the border is typically straightforward, however it is not permitted to camp on the 12km between the border posts. So if you arrive too late to cross, it is necessary to camp at the border post and cross the next day. In this situation, Chilean officials will stamp your passport with the next day’s date so you don’t need to wait for the office to open that morning.

*Southbound access to the popular La Junta area is controlled at a private checkpoint and only granted to those with a prior camping reservation, or those arriving before 10am and therefore early enough to make it on to the free and unmanaged El Arco campsite 23km away. Reservations for La Junta can be made online at cochamo.com, but there may not be availability and the process may take several days, so hiking this section southwards may not be possible.Therefore, an option for hikers generally heading south is to take the bus-ferry-bus combination from Cochamó across Lago Tagua Tagua and on to Puerto Urrutia, hike 120km north back to Cochamó, then take the bus-ferry-bus south again and hike the remainder of the section southwards from Puerto Urrutia.

=Links to other Resources=

Retired Section Article [[GPT22 - Cochamó]]

=Images=

[[Archivo: | ]]

{| border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+'''GPT22: Cochamó'''
| colspan="4" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| GPT22: Cochamó
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Hiking
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Packrafting
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Group
| colspan="2" | D: Lagos Chilenos
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Total
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|'''160.6 km'''
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|'''51 h'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''136.6 km'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|'''35 h'''
|-
| style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Region
| colspan="2" | Chile & Argentina: Los Lagos (X) & Chubut
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Trails (TL)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|137.9 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|85.9%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 20.3 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|14.9%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Start
| colspan="2" | Cochamó
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Minor Roads (MR)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|10.8 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|6.7%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 1.8 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 1.3%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Finish
| colspan="2" | Lago Puelo (Puerto)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Primary Roads (PR)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|9.7 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|6.0%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 2.8 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 2.0%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Status
| colspan="2" | Published & Verified
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Cross-Country (CC)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|2.2 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|1.4%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 0.5 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 0.4%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Traversable
| colspan="2" | Dec - Apr (Maybe: Sep, Oct, Nov, May)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Bush-Bashing (BB)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|-
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Packraft
| colspan="2" | Very Useful
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Ferry (FY)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|(1.8 km)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|(1.1%)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|-
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Connects to
| colspan="2" | GPT21, GPT23
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Investigation (I)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| (1.9 km)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| (1.4%)
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Options
| colspan="2" | 268 km (9 Options & Variants)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Exploration (EXP)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|-
|-
|
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Hiking
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Packrafting
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Total on Water
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''111.1 km'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''81.4%'''
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Attraction
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|4 (of 5)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 5 (of 5)
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| River (RI)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 62.5 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 45.7%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Difficulty
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|4 (of 5)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 4 (of 5)
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Lake (LK)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 32.4 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 23.7%
|-
| style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Direction
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|Both ↓↑
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|Both ↓↑
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Fjord (FJ)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 16.3 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|11.9%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Comment
| colspan="7" | Hiking: Flip-Flop recommended
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Character
| colspan="7" | Packrafting: Flip-Flop recommended
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Challenges
| colspan="7" | Valdivian Rain Forest, Sea Coast, Farmland, Settlers, River Packrafting, Lake Packrafting, Fjord Packrafting, Partly Overrun
|}

[[File:profile GPT22.PNG|frame|center|Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route (2019)]]

[[File:profile GPT22-p.PNG|frame|center|Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route (2019)]]

<gallery>
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File:GPT_16_Cochamó_109520443.jpg|
File:GPT_16_Cochamó_115282465.jpg|
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</gallery>

[[category:Greater Patagonian Trail]]

GPT22 (Cochamo)

2024-02-16T15:09:45Z

Mitschu2: /* Season 2023/24 */

{{Table all GPTs}}

 

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

''*'' 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

Summary with remarks to route that are considered useful for other hikers and packrafters. Include alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties.

Add a sub-chapter by placing two "=" before and after the new sub-chapter heading ('==Sub-Chapter Heading==').

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/26==

==Season 2024/25==

==Season 2023/24==

*2024-Feb-09 to 2024-Feb-16 / 7,5 days / Hiking / SOBO / GPT22 / Gerald

First: I wouldn't do it if there was a lot of rain. Did it after a week of rain in 2019 and it was a mud hell until El Arco. Now it seems at least until junta the trail improved (not sure). For those who don't own a trekking pole, organize a stick early... you won't have mich fun with the muddy situation otherwise.

The bus leaving Puerto Varas at 8:30 (Bus stop at -41.31617, -72.985396) charged 7k. Surprisingly they drove me to the trailhead, last time i had to walk from the bridge, guess it depends on the bus. If you want to get a seat you should probably take the bus in Puerto Montt, had to stay the whole ride. Seems like they will also stop along the way if you wave (check the cochamo insta for an overview of the schedule and route of the bus).
Arrived at the checkpoint at 11:45. After explaining my trip and that i will stay at El Arco they let me pass (without a reservation). They just ask you to register before you go.
Stopped at la junta to make a coffee and enjoy the view. They sell veggies they grow on site.
If i remember rights from Rio Trador on it gets really muddy. It rained 4 days ago and mud was not a big issue until that river.

Anyway, arrived quite late at 8pm at the shelter. There is a path to the right to a place to pitch couple of tents. After Rio Traidor (-41.407173, -72.092915) would also be a nice place to camp

In average only 2 tabano/day annoyed me, what a time we live in... Finally

Dona Luisa has a nice spot on the southern side of the lake Vidal gormaz.
To give you idea, here a short pricelist:
5k camping,
3k for a beer (brahma or Sol),
7k for a bottle of wine,
12k for dinner (meat, salad and bread),
1.5k for cheese

Camping at the settlement Steffen looked nice. Unfortunately i chose a spot next to a way too curious bull...

The camping at the brewery in El Manso is not worth a penny (they charge 5k). It's basically a dry piece of land full of goose shit. Engine on petrol runs untill 10pm. Only wifi is positive. I couldn't find a good spot to camp nearby. I would camp way before. Bus supposed to arrive between 14:30 and 15:00. Luckily a car took me to Puerto Urrutia where i continued. Hostel Puelo Libre looked nice next to the beautiful river. Hiked until the north west side of lago las rocas.

Ricardo (?) offered me a ride for free to the other end of the landslide. But I chose to cross the whole lake by boat. He charged 30k (I was alone). The radio is not anymore at the "port", but you can walk to his house (just continue the MR, first house at around [-42.019089, -71.861245] to your left, if you want to avoid the dogs take the small trail to your left once you see it).

Leaving Chile without the PDI document was not an issue (I requested the paper 5 days in advance and only got an auto response...). They did not even ask. Good views on the lake from now on. Spend an extra day at the camp next to the AR border control. All in all, nice hike!

Missed the bus to El bolson by 5mins. Seems like it's more towards x:30h. I think they run every hour. Got a ride with a car for 1k to the city. If someone is fancying good sourdough bread i can recommend "El Obrador"

The Post office is also doing Westernunion here (check Googlemaps reviews for more Infos)

*2024-Feb-03 to 2024-Feb-09 / Lilian

If you decide stay at Segundo Corral, and take the boat to Argentina.

NO NO NO

NO NO NO

DON'T DON'T DON'T stay at Mari Mari Peni Camping, (or another name) Amancays Camping.

I saved a girl hiker almost RAPED by the campground owner, and I'm pointed by a rifle gun force me to stop helping her at the night on 07/02. About the details, i type it and upload later.

It is already reported to Chile carabineros and Consulate in Chile.

GPT22 2024-01-31 to 2024-02-05 / 5,5 days days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Cochamó options/ Tomáš & Natalie

After a month and a half, we finally did something standard! From Puerto Varras (the bus stop on Avenida Vicente Perez Rosales just after Antonio Varras street) we took a bus at 8:38 going from Puerto Mont that went all the way to the end of MR to the Road end waypoint. At our hostel, they told us it would arrive at 8:45. Not sure if this is the same bus that others said would pass Puerto Varras at 8:15 or if it just goes to the road end only in high season. It was 7000 per person - I think they might charge double for backpacks, unless they screwed us.

We were at the entrance at 11 AM and were let through for free when we told them we were going to El Arco. The way to the campsites is really busy (met maybe 50 people and about ten horses), easy and without many views as it goes through a forest. When we reached the campsites, we decided that the valley is really pretty and that we want to take some sidetrips. We asked all the campsites and only La Junta let us stay, 8000 per person. It is important not to spread the word as they did us a favor even though they are not supposed to allow people without reservations. So, do not tell anyone or expect to be let in. We had a numbered site so I think they genuinely had some places free. If nobody had places, after ford 98.9, there is a maze of paths and mini-meadows on the left where I saw somebody camp illegaly. If you hide your packs well for the day and then camp from dusk till dawn, you would probably get away with it. Alternatively there are some flat spots in Trinidad valley two hours up - if you start so that you would arrive by dusk, you should meet nobody.

The side trips are steep but not challenging, many people take them. We went to Paloma (not in GPT trackfiles as of early 2024) in the evening, it can be done in three hours there and back if you do not stop (we did). We started going up at 1715 and saw last person going down at 1830 or so. It is quite splendid. OSM says there is a route to Cerro La Junta. It is probably an exit route for climbers, I did not see any traces of it but it looked like it were possible. If it is, one could probably continue all the way to Cerro Capicua.

Arco Iris is still closed. If it were open I think one could follow the ridge, which is not very steep or outcroppy, all the way north to above GPT21 - only there is probably no way down.

The next morning I went to the Trinidad Valley and all the way up to Cerro Bella Vista and Nat went ahead to escape the approaching rain the next day. The roundtrip takes about 7-8 hours. There is a marked travelled trail to the pass ("El Paso"), the last 300 vertical meters or so are marked by cairns. You will need your hands occasionally, but it is not exposed or particularly hard - SAC 4. The views are well worth it. It seemed most people only go to La Laguna (lake just under the pass). We started at 6 AM and I met the first people on the way down around noon at La Laguna. Both La Laguna and Cerro Bella Vista are not in GPT trackfiles as of early 2024. The way up through Camping Vista Hermosa (the current GPT track) is not supposed to be used by people not staying at the campsite. The proper way up seems to be the more western trail that is marked on OSM. Going back down trough camping Bella Vista was without issues though. They told Natalie you are not supposed to use their cable car (the one more upstream). Tomáš thinks you should use it as it is the only one that you can use without going through either of the campsites (the downstream one goes directly from La Junta campsite). No horseflies by now!

I left the camping at 1530, and met only one group of hikers all the way up to the second Camp waypoint at Lago Grande. It is a nice camp, bigger than the first but no good water sources. Wild legal camping, if I get it right. Refuge El Arco is unmanned, it is just a simple wooden hut. I would only use it in case of severe rain. The way up was almost all dry after two weeks of no rain. Mostly through forest, with some nice views of the valley, a few more fords then indicated but they could all be jumped.

The next day it rained (5mm?) from 4 AM till 11 AM but it was not enough to make the trails substantially muddy. The bridge before Lago Vidal is not there but there was a nice log. There are some pre-european rock paintings after Lago Vidal, one probably needs to make a sidetrip to see them based on the information signs near Torrentoso (trail 22-10 was signposted; trails in the valley are well maintained so I assume the option is good to go). On the last meadow before the gone bridge at 51.8, there was a cherry tree that still had very tasty miniature cherries in the beginning of February. It is behind the house to the left of the trail, maybe 40 m from it. I discovered it by going south of the house (nobody seemed to be in it). Do not miss the turnoff of the trail from the meadow - I went straight, there was initially a trail but petered out into a landslide. Camp at 45.2 is nice (reach it by turning left from the trail cca 50-100 m beyond the sjoetest route, that way you avoid any vegetation). Finally met Natalie after two days of escaping rain. Shop in El Manso is better than expected (has good veges and fruit) but not as good as the one in Llanada Grande. El Manso also is besides a cerveceria with wifi. The bus only came at 1530 despite being told it comes at 1pm. In almost three hours of waiting, we did not manage to hitch a car.

The bus indeed stops at Llanada Grande for 10 minutes or so - it is not really enough to orientate yourself and buy lots of supplies. The supermarket had lots of nectarines! Should you want to go to Puerto Urutia, the bus does not go there so you need to get off and walk the minor road there. We could not get reliable Entel internet reception anywhere in the valley (calls were fine) along the bus route.

We went to Primer Corral to do 22-08. The first few km are not a pleasant road to walk on. We decided to turn back as bad weather was coming in two days and it did not seem worth it. Not sure how far the road for cars goes. There seems to be regular but sparse traffic on it.

We walked back for about an hour on the main road before getting a hitch for the last 3 km to turnoff to 22-02, as others indicated the RR is badly passable due to a landslide. The MR section is aesthetically dreadful and supersteep. We had to climb a locked gate right at the start. We found a miniature camping spot about 200 m before the signposted trail turnoff. In the morning a lorry driver waved at us so probably no issues with climbing the gate. Luckily the trail is much nicer than the road. We met the settler at the lake Azul, he let us walk through his property. The few km to the first very small lake are actually an undriven MR, but very pleasant, it does not seem to be connected to the road network. After 2 km, one turns left onto a trail. Until the pass, it is very clear. After the pass, the visibility deteriorates somewhat but no bush bashing is involved. Soon after that, there is a gate saying there is no trail afer a harsh winter. We went further and it turned out there is a trail. There were some trees on it, but not too much and we lost it only for about 50 m. From setler at 11.4, the trail is much more clear. Met a seemingly lonely girl from the next homestead with whom we had a lovely chat. The trail to the border control was easy, we came there at 1530 and were let through. They told us that it would be ok to reach the Argentinian border control the next day. They too had a very ripe cherry tree but did not pick up on my appraisal of it and did not suggest I get some fruit.

We met several people on the way to Argentina border. We camped there (wild permitted numbered camping sites with numbers - there was about twenty other Argentinians, the functioning toilets are unsigned immediately next to the Police building). The next day we had no issues with getting a stamp and going down. The last CC part is a trail. We forded the second ford a bit earlier than suggested, it was waist deep but very slow moving. Took a bus at 1340 to El Bolson - seems to run regularly.

2024-Jan-19 to 2024-Jan-24 / 6 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR + day trip / Lotti & Alex

We did this section mostly as described by Fangwen and Tobi (El Manso to Cochamo base camp), so there is not much to add. We stayed at La Junta for 2 nights and did a very nice day trip to Cerro Bellavista (see description further down). The trails were very well maintained all the way. The only minor problems were mud and lots of horse flies. Like Fangwen and Tobi, we were happy we did the section NOBO, because the landscape gets more and more spectacular. This way it is also much easier to get to camp at La Junta without reservation, because they always reserve some space for hikers coming from the south.
It was a beautiful hike and especially the area around La Junta is really spectacular and worth visiting. We even met a fellow GPT hiker there, which was great!

Transportation:

To start:
Bus "Rio Puelo" from Puerto Varas to Lago Tagua-Tagua at 8:20am, then ferry to Puerto Maldonado, then bus to El Manso. We arrived at the trailhead around 1pm.

after hike:
Bus from end of trailhead ("Cochamo base camp") to Cochamo/Puerto Montt at 1pm.

Day trip to Cerro Bellavista:

Start at La Junta on GPT Variant G, following the signs to "Trinidad". It starts by crossing the river with the little cable car. After the walls of Trinidad, stay on the trail and follow the signs to "Laguna". The official trail ends there, but there are stone cairns and ribbons marking a trail that goes up to the pass. The laguna is crowded, but we didn't meet anyone further up. The view at the pass is already great, but you can go up even further. Turn to the left and follow the stone cairns until the summit. It is not difficult, just walking and easy scrambling, and the view is absolutely spectacular.
The whole tour has about 1300m of altitude difference. It took us around 5h to go up, and 3-4h down.

2024-01-07 to 2024-01-14: Fangwen and Tobi / 2.5 days Ventisquero Valley (Option 08 + more), 4 days El Manso to Cochamo RR / NOBO hiking.

We did two parts along this enjoyable section, connecting them by hitchhiking and resupplying in between in Llanada Grande.

The first part was hiking ~20km into the scenic Ventisquero valley (Option 08), alongside a wonderful river on an enjoyable and easy hiking trail through farms and rainforest that mostly follows an old minor road. It's often better to follow the well-marked trail rather than the GPT track files. A highlight of our trip was hiking up to a fantastic viewpoint at 1100m with a view of the whole valley, its remote side valleys and glaciated mountain peaks. The trail (900m elevation gain, 4.5km) through the thick rainforest is steep but excellent in quality and easy to follow (but the turnoff at S 42° 01.737', W 072° 05.643' is easy to miss). This and other trails in the valley are not part of the GPT files yet, but GPX files can be found on the website of Rincon Bonito (glamping accommodation for groups) that presumably created the trail. We camped by the viewpoint; what a wonderful experience! There are plenty of places to pitch up a tent, but little protection from wind. We found a wind protected camp in a dried-out puddle at (S 42° 02.705', W 072° 06.193'). Make sure to bring water, since the last reliable water source is in the valley, just before the turnoff onto the steep trail. From the viewpoint, we attempted to climb the local mountain, but beyond 1500m, it appears to require bush bashing. Our track: [[Media:GPT 22 Ventisquero Viewpoint.gpx]].
The viewpoint is within the Pumalin National Park, but the whole valley seems to be private property and camping is forbidden outside official campsites, which begin quite far into the valley. There are plenty of spots to pitch up a tent nonetheless (which is what we did).
For packrafters, going down the river must surely be a highlight! Rincon Bonito offers packrafting (maybe only for their guests?), they describe it as class II+.

Our second part followed the regular route 22N from El Manso to the Cochamo trailhead. This was an enjoyable hike and we found the trail to be in good condition, although it gets pretty muddy around El Arco (and that's after one week of sunny weather). There is quite a bit of pointless up and down between km45 and km79. Additionally, our hiking distance was often 20-25% longer than expected, as there are many switchbacks too small to be represented on the track files. We liked hiking this section northbound, as the rainforest and the views get more and more impressive as you go along. La Junta has a lot of local hiking options (e.g. hiking into the Anfiteatro valley or on top of Cerro Trinidad), but we didn't spend any extra days because the weather was turning.

Logistics: to get to the start of section 22, take the daily bus that leaves at 7.45am from Puerto Montt (stops at 8.15 in Puerto Varas at intersection el Salvador/San Pedro S 41° 19.081', W 072° 59.038', and later in Cochamo). The bus company Río Puelo has a ticket office in Puerto Montt, their WhatsApp number is +56 9 7408 9199. From there, take the ferry across Lago Tagua Tagua and the connecting bus down the valley to your respective trailhead (El Manso for the Cochamo valley, Primer Corral for the Ventisquiero valley). Note that travel is slow... We arrived at the Primer Corral at 4pm. We left a bag of food for the second half of our trip. Unfortunately it was visible from the parking lot and got stolen, so we resupplied at the Llanada Grande supermarket. The bus makes a stop there for ~15min, if you want a quick resupply there (it's a bit bigger than in El Manso). We hitchhiked to El Manso, which worked after two hours of waiting/walking (not a lot of traffic).

If you are in the Llanada Grande area, go to Camping Reflejo Azul. The campsite itself is average, but it has the most beautiful river we have ever seen in our lives. Visit this truly special place before Instagram influencers find out about it and it becomes overrun by hordes of tourists. Day access is possible also for 5.000 CLP.

Photos: https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/permalink/1732098767296002/?app=fbl

*2024-Jan-4 / 7.5 days / Packrafting / SOBO / RH + OP-LK-2 + RP / Lauren & Sebastian

Note: We were told a reservation is needed for a camp site at La Junta to be allowed into the valley from Cochamo side, so we did that. However, one of the wikiexplora entry mentioned that they were allowed in when mentioning that they wanted to camp at El Arco Refuge but we read it too late. Camp Trawen is the most expensive (15k per person), which is the reason why it’s been available on short notice. There are several other sold-out camps around for 8k-10k.

Day 1: We hitchhiked to Cochamo Base Camp at 9am and reached Camp Trawen by 2pm. It would have been better to go on the El Arco Refuge straight away and camp there. It’s a touristy stretch and in our view not really worth doing, if you like the general quiet nature of the GPT.

Day 2: Camped at the beach at Lago Vidal. Easy hike but lots of ups and downs.

Day 3: We packrafted Lago Vidal and had a good lunch at Luisa’s place (make sure to drop by!), before continuing on to Torrentoso (not the paid camp, but on the meadow a few hundred meters after the official camp).

Day 4: The bridge at wp Bridge {22N} [51.8/146] (Rio Steffen) does not exist anymore. It’s not a demanding ford but there are short steep ups and downs on both sides. We stayed near wp Settler {22N} [50.1/307].

Day 5: We rivered in at wp Rio Manso. The ride was super scenic and beautiful and there were no rapids, just a bit of boiling water but nothing difficult, which might be due to different water levels compared to previous accounts. It’s 45 minutes from there to the bridge at wp Bridge {22N} [40.8+0.2/36]. We rivered out behind the bridge on the right side. There is a nice flat beach which leads to the cabin of Harv and Veronica. They let us camp on their land and even offered a hot (wood fired) shower for 2.5k per person. There is a cervezeria and shop across the road for resupply.

Day 6: We took the bus at 1 pm to intersection at wp X {22-01} [25.0/187] and went on OP-MR-V (along Hunter’s estate) to Lago Azul. You will be charged 5k per person to access the lake. We crossed Lago Azul with strong waves and tailwind so we sailed to the other side in no time.

Day 7: Crossed Lago de Las Rocas, Lago Inferior, and Lago Puelo to the Argentinian border control which opens at 8am next morning so we camped there. Next day we finished at Lago Puelo which is a popular tourist beach.

Tip: It is a hot & dusty walk to town from the beach and hitchhiking is not as easy in this part of Argentina as in Chile. Keep some small change of USD or Argentinian pesos for the bus ride to resupply in town. If you plan to continue packrafting Lago Puelo on GPT23 after resupplying, the earliest bus back to the beach reaches around 7.30am but it will be too late as the wind picks up by 8am. Lago Puelo is known for its strong gusts so it’s best to check wind forecast and paddle early morning 5.30am to cross. Therefore it may be easier to camp at one of the campsites nearer to the beach instead of staying in town. Just go there for resupplying.

*2023 Dec OH-TL-V / Anh
Note: the trail OH-TL-V alias Cerro Arco Iris was damaged by big rocks in the last season and is completely closed. A new route or repair is not in planning.

*2023-12-17 to 2023-12-21 / 5 days / Hiking + Packrafting / SOBO /RR & Option 01B / Roman

Route: Hiking from Cochamó to El Manso. Bus to Lago de Las Rocas. Packrafted the lake and Lago Inferior. Hiked to Lago Puelo.

Due to the border crossing, there is a thread about it on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/permalink/1709504102888802/. I applied online - no answer. Went to the carabineros in Cochamó they couldn't issue it, so I went without it (it worked without a problem)

Started in Cochamó (there is a bus to the entry I just got him by hitchhiking so I don't know the schedule) and had a reservation for Camp Trawen (Fruit, Groceries, Electricity). This is getting checked at the entrance if you have one. The trail to the camp was a bit muddy (2 days of rain before the start) but all doable. The next day went to the northern end of Lago Vidal Gormaz and slept there at Lake {22-05} [7.9/604]. Bridge destroyed at: -41.43696, -71.96632 and Bridge {22N} [63.0/337] (Rio El Colorado). Both are crossable dry feed due to trees. Generally, there is no fording necessary after Lago Vidal Gormaz. Before yes. Packrafted Rio Manso. There were no rapids on the map, it's mentioned in the Manuel that it can be challenging. There are some rapids but all are doable and manageable (I am a beginner with kayak experience and an open deck packraft). You can get easy access to the river at -41.692561, -71.972725 this is 300m after the mark in the file. There is a dry river bed to avoid BB to get to the River. The river is fast flowing. Follow the GPS only at one point where the river splits pay extra attention: turn left as shownin the GPS: -41.698615, -71.985482 . Went out at the south side of the bride: Bridge {22N} [40.8+0.2/36] (Rio Manso) on the right side. There is a trail to the street with one gate where you can walk through on the right side. The shop Settlement, Shop, Bus {22N} [40.7/36] (El Manso) has good supplies and free WiFi. The trail to this point is very good. Based on previous comments and a chat to a local I want to skip at least to Puerto Urrutia [comment in: 2023-FEB-01 to 2023-FEB-07]. There is an official bus going all the way from Rampa Punta
Maldonado -> Segundo Corral. Find the schedule here: https://imgur.com/a/7MVEscb . The shop owner said the bus is normally there at 02:00 PM. The bus was there in my case at 02:30 PM. This bus stops at the large supermarket [Supermercado Llanada Grande] a great place for a last resupply). The bus also stops at Puerto Urrutia but I went all the way to Lago de Las Rocas and used OH-MR-V {22-01B} [8.2+1.9] to get to the lake. Started packrafting at 05:00 PM. The start was fine. The wind got worse during the evening and was to my capabilities on the maximum with serious waves. Strong wind from the north. It was pleasantly paddling after going through the gap at -42.069608, -71.813735. Camped at Lake, Camp {22S} [21.8/314]. Got there at 07:45 PM. Crossed the border without any problems. Packrafted Lago Inferior and got in the water here: Lake {22S} [20.9/201] at 10:00 AM. The wind got stronger but manageable. Exited the lake at 11:15 AM at -42.102244, -71.742575. The trail back to the RR is good to hike. From there, the trail is in good condition. Due to the higher water in Rio Azul fording and therefore the RR is not possible. You get also the recommendation from the Argentinien carabineros to take Option 03. I didn't want to take this and followed the RR to this point: -42.091481, -71.633667. From there I followed the trail to this point: -42.09399, -71.634188. There is an old dock [image here: https://imgur.com/a/5LMsKA1]to put in you packraft. The trail can be downloaded at the end of the comment. There I packrafted with very strong onshore wind and if it hadn't been for only 300m I wouldn't have done it to (03:15 PM):-42.096114, -71.628682 ,and walked from there to the end of GPT22.

Overall: great section! It's a nice trail to hike and packrafting rRioEl Manso is a lot of fun and a great change in perspective after hiking for a few days. After that, the trail continues bto bein a good condition. The conditions for Lago de Las Rocas should be closely checked. I would definitely recommend it!

Trail download: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqzLweJ3NZW5q7YZzDoW3qlKypqwBg

Contact: https://linktr.ee/RundW

==Season 2022/23==

* General advice : The Regular Route is best hiked between December and April. The primary obstacles are high river levels early in the season and after rain. During the peak period of January and February it may be difficult to obtain a camping reservation at La Junta which could prevent a southbound traverse.

* 2023-Feb-18 to 2023-Feb-23 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + 22-01 / Martin & Helena

A lot has been already written, so just a few comments from our side:

No problem with entering the valley in SOBO direction, until the noon aprox., saying you will spend the night at the refugio El Arco - they have some time estimate for this hike and can’t let you in if its late. By the entrance you can buy some useful things that might be hard to buy in Cochamo, like gas or peanut butter. There was also a beer truck with quite good wifi connection (only during summer). Crowds of people in both directions, quite muddy trail. Detour to the Toboganes is definitely worth it. We spend the night after all in a marked camp aprox. 4 kms before the refugio and it was a good decision - there were quite a lot of people when we passed by the next day.

From the refugio its nice and easy walking. We spent the night on the southern side of Lago Vidal Gomaz where is amazing campsite Doña Luisa, for I think 5000 CLP pp. We bought there beer, some cheese and bread in the morning, and you can also charge electronics inside. It is possible to have proper breakfast or dinner, it looked all very tasty. At km N 40.7 is shop with all the basic things + great brewery next to it, definitely stop there if you are a fan.

Based on other comments and our time schedule we decided to take the alternative 22-01 to Llanada Grande. This is a good resuppy spot as there is a new and big (at least in comparison to what you would expect in a place like this) supermarket that replaced the old one destroyed by fire. Good place to stay is a campsite at the end of the village, on the right side, run by really nice lady. Not expensive and if its free, you can stay for the same price in a so called refugio, that is actually just a very small room, but for us better than a tent. Hot water and electricity + possibility to buy pizza and maybe some other small things - there is actually no restaurant in the village. Some more road walking around Lago Totoral to Rio Puelo to connect back to RR. In general not very attractive part of the trail. Great restaurant in Hostal Puelo Libre with local beer and view on the river.

From the port its again easy walking on the RR again. Drunk settler and quite agressive dogs out of his control at S km 7.2 so be careful. We slept half way to Las Rocas lake. We thought about taking the RR around the lake, but the landslide caused by snow (aprox. 1.5 km from the port) looked quite difficult to pass. We discovered there is possibility to cross the lake on one of the locals boat, which we did in the end. We were lucky that after waiting for some time in the port a car with locals arrived. Happily for us they arranged a boat transfer with other residents to get to the other side of the lake, where they went for a lunch. We were able to go with them, and after picking up their friends, we all hop off the boat close to the police station. Great experience and we learned a lot about this area and people living here. We paid 10k CLP. In the comments here is a contact for the guy with a boat, but without signal it must be arranged in advance, and the price might differ when not sharing the transfer with others. No problem with the border check. It took us around 4 hrs to get to the argentinian side, where everyone was super friendly as well. They offered us to camp there, but we decided to make it to Lago Puelo, which took us 2 more hrs. The landscape changes significantly on the other side where everything is more dry. No problem with the river crossing. We got off the trail directly on the main road.

Contact: @martin_hanzelka @helenneka

*2023-FEB-01 to 2023-FEB-07 / 7 days / hiking / SOBO / Cochamó - Lago Puelo / Anna & Christopher

We hitchhiked from Eco Camping El Valle to the entry of the park and arrived around 8 am. We told them that we would camp at the Refugio El Arco and explained our further route. Until la Junta there were lots of chilenean tourists, therefore the path was very good only with some muddy stretches. Like Véronica we walked to Toboganes, a waterfall/stream with beautiful rock formations. There were tons of people, but it's worth it. La junta seems to be an amazing place for rock climbing, we would have loved to have some climbing gear with us.

After la Junta there were almost no more hikers. We camped next to the Refugio, as there were already two other groups of hikers sleeping in the Refugio.

Until Lago grande there are still some muddy stretches and blowdowns, but generally it is a good path. From there on the path is perfectly maintained. We camped at approx. km 66 next to Río los Morros.

Nice path until El Manso. We resupplied at the minimercado and camped next to the river, which was a beautiful camping spot with lots of delicious blackberrys.

The next morning we arrived at Señora Ocos house around 8 am. She contacted multiple people and luckily found out that there was somebody crossing the river to our side at 11 am. The man, whose name we unfortunately forgot, was super friendly and dropped us off after the river mouth of Rio Traidor, close to where he lives. He charged 10.000 CLP p.p.

The path to the first settler was mediocre and afterwards got worse and worse until it was almost pure buschwhacking. It was the worst we had so far on the GPT. Thorns.. Lots of thorns tearing away at your clothes, backpack and skin.
We camped at the river at approx. km 12, which was a beautiful spot.
Until the settlement Las Nieves the path continued beeing bad with lots of bush bashing. The settler told us that no locals use that path and she also told us that there are no regular boat transfers to Puerto Urrutia on weekends (it was sunday..).
We wouldn't do that stretch next to Rio Puelo again and instead hitchhike from El Manso to Puerto Urrutia.

At the boat transfer waypoint to Puerto Urrutia we had Entel service and contacted one lodging on the other side. They told us to go to the last house 1km back to ask for a transfer (it's the house of the man who does the boat transfer on weekdays). But we got lucky and a boat passed by and took us to the other side. The man on the boat also told us that the path from Río Traidor to Puerto Urrutia "is closed".

We continued to Lago verde, where we planned to camp, but it's surrounded by dense forest, apart from a private property.
That spot is amazing, a little landing stage to go swimming, a great view and a very friendly owner. She even baked some delicious apple bread for us. For camping she charged us 8000 CLP p.p.. That was definetly worth it.

After Lago verde there is a minimarket. We didn't check it out, but there is no resupply wp yet.

After reading previous blogs and having had enough of thorns we decided to cross el Lago de Las Rocas by boat. Therefore there is a walkie talkie on the landing stage on the northern end of the lake with which you can contact Richard. We also got his number (+56958694897), if you want to contact him in advance. When we arrived at the lake, there were already lots of people waiting for the boat so we just waited with them and after some time got knocked the boat with them. The ride was really nice across the crystal clear blue water and we were charged 5000 p.p.

From the southern end of the lake it's just a couple of minutes to walk to the chilenian border control. We continued on and camped at km 30 at the river. Again a really beautiful spot.

The next day we passed the argentinian border control and continued to Lago Puelo.

The section was really beautiful, except the part with the thorns. There are lots of streams along the whole trail, so one does not need to carry much water.

*2023-Jan-29 to 2023-Feb-02 / 5 days / hiking / NOBO / RR mostly / Frank

I got the bus-ferry-bus from Puerto Montt to Segundo Corral. To avoid the landslide at Laguna Las Rocas & delays with the river ferries I walked on the road from Segundo Corral to El Manso, about 50KM. Easy but not very interesting walking. It takes a full day to get from Puerto Montt on the bus to Segundo Corral so I believe it would be better to go SOBO with an early start to get through La Junta, otherwise you need 2 additional days for travel.

Stayed @ nice & cheap campsite at bridge over Rio Colorado & camped at El Arco. The trail approaching El Arco was muddy & a bit swampy (it had been raining). It's possible to go by boat across Lago Vidal Gomez but it's an easy 3 hour walk.

Got the bus again to Segundo Corral & ferry to Paso Bolson. The trail across the border is generally in good condition. There is some easy bushbashing on the Chilean side for about 1KM before the border & some fallen trees but they are straightforward to go over. Rio Azul was easily fordable in early February.

* 2023-Jan-10 to 2023-Jan-14 / 5 days / hiking / SOBO / RR, also GPT22-01 / Véronica

Route: Cochamó - La Junta - Lago Vidal Gormáz - El Manso - Puerto Urrutio via Option 1 - Lago Las Rocas - Lago Puelo (Argentina)

The borders of Paso El León and Paso El Bolsón are both opened again for tourists! Go for it! It is a beautiful section with wonderful people, such a contrast to where I started the GPT further north.

In Cochamó, I stayed at Eco Camping El Valle, right at the entrance to the Cochamó River Valley. Paid 7000 clp, very nice campground, there are tarps over the picnic tables at each site so you have a dry place to hang out even if it rains :) Since I spent the night so close to the trailhead, it was easy to get to the guarded valley entrance (Road End {22N} [109.8/58]) early. I did not have a camping reservation for La Junta. I arrived at the trailhead at 7:30 a.m., explained my route to the staff, saying I would stay at Refugio El Arco that night. They let me through no problem. The trail to La Junta is a bit muddy, but nothing bad, my feet stayed dry in my trailrunners despite the fact it was also raining off and on. Beautiful path through the Valvidian rainforest, I really enjoyed all the green and the moss. When I reached the La Junta area, I stashed my pack in some trees and made a short detour to Las Toboganes. They are only 0.7 km off the regular route, and highly worthwhile to see! What a spectacular area, I totally see the Yosemite resemblence, and would love to go back someday.

I found the trail after La Junta (all the way to Lago Vidal Gormáz) to be in good shape, contrary to what others have written. It was maybe slightly less maintained than the popular trail leading into the valley, but it was still very clear and easy to follow — not overgrown, no blowdowns, just a bit muddy in some places. Granted, it has been drier than normal so far this summer. None of the fords went above my knees, and sometimes I could cross the creeks without even getting my feet wet, all very easy.

The refugio at El Arco is dark and without any furniture inside. I found it much nicer to camp in the nearby meadow just south of the trail there. There are outhouses.

Nice path from Lago Vidal Gormáz all the way to El Manso. Very beautiful in this valley as well. Met a few arrieros along the way. Most of the rivers have bridges crossing them. There is a small camp at the bridge over Río Colorado.

In El Manso, I topped off my food supply at the shop on the main road. It has a good selection of food items. Then I went to Señora Oco's house to try and arrange a boat transfer over Río Puelo. She and her family are very friendly and welcoming. I arrived there mid-afternoon, but she could not get in radio contact with anyone on the other side. In the evening, we heard back from Hospedaje Nancy, who charged 60,000 clp for a crossing upriver all the way to Río Traidor (where she lives). This I found too expensive for me traveling alone. Señora Oco baked some bread and I was able to buy some. She also said I was welcome to camp in the fields behind her house while waiting for a response from settlers Paulina and Jovino regarding a crossing to their place (much more direct and therefore likely much cheaper). The next morning, we still hadn't received any response from Paulina and Jovino either via radio or Whatsapp (they may have been away). Because of this, I decided to take the gravel road to Puerto Urrutia (Option 1), and forgo crossing Río Puelo, unfortunately. Despite this setback, I'm really glad I got to meet and spend time with Señora Oco and her family, they are such kind people.

I was able to hitch most of the way to Puerto Urrutia, where I rejoined the regular route. The trail from there all the way to Lago Las Rocas is mostly easy and clear. There were a few confusing junctions in the vicinity of Lago Verde, so I kept a close eye on the GPS there. After crossing the road after that, the beginning of RR -TL-V {22S} [2.8/7.1+2.7] is tricky to find. There are lots of fallen trees and many forest paths. The GPS was very helpful there too until I finally found the right path. After about 700 m it merges with a nice clear path all the way to Lago Las Rocas.

As has been previously reported, there is a large rockslide about 2 km in once you reach Lago Las Rocas. It didn't look overly dangerous to me, the boulders were large and seemed solid enough. I started crossing it right at the bottom where the rocks fall into the lake, as it looked to be the easiest and safest way across. I was maybe 50 meters through it, when a boat came along, and the people in it told me to hop in! What lucky timing! As we passed the rest of the rockslide, I could see the last part of it was steep, loose scree rather than big boulders. That part would have definitely been nerve-wracking to cross, and I was very grateful for the boat ride. The settlers who owned the boat live about 3 km along the trail, at a little bay/inlet in the lake. They have a nice beach and campground too. That's where I rejoined the trail. Beyond their house, the "Camino Los Mosquitos," as it is locally called, gets progressively worse in terms of overgrowth and blowdowns. The trail has not been cleared since the past winter, and not been used either. The stretch between kilometers 4 and 6.5 is the worst. It felt more like pure bushwhacking than following a trail. The path was mostly burried beneath walls of downed trees and branches, it got very hard to follow at times. Lots of climbing over and under vegetation, some of it quite thorny too. Very slow and tiring. My pack got ripped up a bit and so did my clothing. Had I known the trail was this bad, I would have taken the option on the east side of Lago Las Rocas. It's hard to imagine it could be in worse shape than the regular route.

When I got to the Chilean Border Control it was around 6:30 p.m., so too late to cross that day. The border agent working there was very friendly, but he couldn't get in contact with his supervisor to get approval for stamping my passport with the next day's date. So I camped back at Lago Las Rocas, and the next morning came back at 8 a.m. when the border post reopened. The trail on the Chilean side of the border was a bit rough in places, it has been neglected since the winter too. But it was not as bad as the previous stretch along Lago Las Rocas. Once I got into Argentina, it got much better. The trails in Parque Nacional Lago Puelo are well-maintained, and I met some day hikers. No issues at the Argentine Border Control.

I was able to ford Río Azul easily, thanks to the dry weather. There are three branches of the river to cross (the GPS waypoints only show two of them). The middle branch is the widest and deepest. The water there went up to my upper thighs (I'm 165 cm), but the current was slow and it never felt dangerous.

Now I'm skipping down to GPT32 to continue my adventure further south :) The northern sections that I hiked from 6 to 22 were simply amazing, with great weather almost the entire time. Thank you, all!

* 2022-Oct-19 to 2022-Oct-24 / 6 days / hiking / SOBO / RR / ???

Here are the main points because our story is long :)
Paso el bolson and El Leon are closed for tourists until further notice
Some of trails are in bad condition because of the hard winter but they might be cleared in the following weeks.
Landslide in Lago Las rocas - very dangerous part to cross. We suggest to take an optional route

The trail starts in valle cochamo. We did not have any reservations but as we were in low season we were not worried. However the lady from the tourist office in Cochamo told us to arrive at the entrance of the valley between 7 & 8 to avoid being rejected. At 7h50 there was nobody at the reception so we did not have any trouble, but we cannot say for the high season.
You can arrange a car transfer to go the valley entrance. The numbers of the drivers are available at the tourist office.

The trail until La Junta is muddy but well maintained - no worries there. Up there we met some arrieros and the locals from the camping and they told us that the trail was closed a bit further because of snow (up to 2 meters) in laguna Blanca. This is the highest part of the trail (about 1100m). The river crossings were feasible, but as they forecasted rain for the next day, we preferred to turn back in order to avoid being blocked between high rivers and snow.

Back on the road between Cochamo and Puelo, we caught at about 10:30 the bus that leaves at 7:45 from Puerto Montt, to go to Rio Manso. There is a well furnished Shop where you can even find gas.
We remained in the Southbound direction and went to Senora Oco's house. She was very welcoming, and her and her grandchild helped us in arranging a boat transfer for the following morning (nothing was possible the same day). We paid 50000 pesos to go from their house to Rio Traidor - close to Nancy hospedaje. Indeed, we skipped the first part of the trail as they told us that it was very closed with a lot of small trees and not used anymore. Maybe it would be cheaper to cross a bit south using the cable car or directly from Manso to Rio Traidor.

Until the Rio Tigre, settler # 22N [7.7/157], the trail is visible but sometimes with some obstacles (fallen trees). After this settling, you will have to cross the Rio Tigre which might be the hardest to cross on your way if you have a lot of rain. There is a bridge indicated on the tracks but it has been swept away this winter. The best place to cross is a bit higher following the river, follow the horse track. We did not have any problem crossing, and probably the settler could help you with his horse if the river is too high. That is an advantage of the Southbound direction.

After, the trail is really clear. We found the last transfer across Rio Puelo about 1 km before the point indicated on the track. It is his job to do the crossings and he also does sportive fishing if you are interested. Look for a house with a border collie with a piece of wood around the neck :)

From Puerto Urrutia, the trail is clear again until the road. There is a shop at 600m on the right. Again here, the trail is closed due to fallen trees at the beginning, but the locals (last house on the right) will help you find another path. Clear trail until Lago Las Rocas.

Once you reach the Lago Las rocas you will be blocked after 2km. Indeed there was a landslide this winter and you have to cross a very dangerous part of about 300 m of rocky mountain slide. It is not stabilized yet. We went through but we do not advise it.
Also, there were a lot of fallen trees and the path was really tiring. The locals will probably clear the path in the following weeks. To get more information we suggest to contact the camping Playa Las Rocas on Instagram.
You can also consider the other routes or arrange a boat crossing.

Finally we arrived at the border crossing. Unfortunately it was closed due to the Covid, except for the very locals (people from Cochamo). Apparently Paso el Leon is closed as well for tourists. Be aware of that if you have to cross the Chilean- Argentinian borders, as small passes seem to be closed for tourists.
In the end we had to go back to Puerto Montt crossing the Lago inferior with a free boat (ask the carabineros), and then the bus-ferry-bus from Segundo Corral.

==Season 2021/22==

* 2021-Nov-23 & 2021-Nov-25 / 2 days / Packrafting / SOBO / Estuario de Reloncavi from Ralun to Rio Puelo (Western shore) / Jan Dudeck & Meylin Ubilla

We paddled in two easy days the roughly 40 km southbound.

Start at Ralun at Puente Petrohue: On the right side of the bridge (view in river flow direction) is a suitable put-in and good spot to camp. The gate was closed but not locked. There are signs of people occasionally camping there.

Ralun to Cochamo: Packrafters in need to resupply can do this in Cochamo about 16 water kilometers from the put-in. Both, the western and eastern coast are suitable for packrafting. The eastern side is next to the main road what facilitates switching to hiking. The western side is less intervened and more scenic.

Ralun to Rio Puelo: Again, the western and eastern coast are suitable for packrafting. The eastern side is next to the main road what facilitates switching to hiking but requires the crossing of a 4 km wide bay in open water. The western side is less intervened and more scenic but requires crossing the 3 km wide Estuario de Reloncavi near Rio Puelo. On the western side are also the Termas de Sotomo that are suitable for camping.

Wind: On nice sunny days “viento sur” often kicks in around 10 am making southbound paddling difficult or unfeasible. We had two partially overcasted days and could paddle on the first day till 4 pm when wind became annoying strong. On the second day around 3 pm the wind and waves became unpleasant but by this time we were walking the final kilometers into Rio Puelo.

GPT22: Southbound packrafters may take in Cochamo or Rio Puelo the bus to Lago TaguaTagua an get to the recommended packrafting starting point of section GPT22 halfway into this section to Flip-Flop as recommended.

* 2021-NOV-18 / 1 day / hiking / NOBO / Cochamó Valley (Lago Tagua Tagua - Lago Grande) / Tobías

The Section between La Junta Base and Lago Vidal Gormez was very challenging. It had been raining a lot, so the Trail was very muddy and I had to cross several rivers and creeks. Went straight from Cochamó to Lago Grande and camped there in some Snow. Met only a few settlers. After reaching Lago Vidal Gormez, the Trail was easy and I enjoyed the hike a lot. Amaizing área up there!

==Season 2020/21==

==Season 2019/20==

* 2020-FEB-18 to 2020-FEB-21 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Tyler
I didn’t have problems getting a campsite at la junta on the spot luckily. AMAZING area that I’ll be returning to again to do all the day hikes in. Aside from that, most the trail was very muddy, rainy, and unmaintained. This got a bit difficult after the 3rd day in a row. Good places to camp at the lakes over the pass SOBO. When I got down to Lago Vidal Gomez the trail improved.. I got some bread from a settler at the start of the lake. There right on the trail and super friendly and have rooms. The last ferry across Tagua Tagua leaves at 7 pm. I didn’t make it, so I slept underneath the office/bathrooms and took the ferry at 8:00 the next morning. I believe there’s another ferry at 12.

*. 2020-Jan-09 to 2020-Jan-11 / hiking / SOBO / RR / Shaun

Despite the austere warnings on the La Junta Camping website, I was able to make a reservation at short notice in high season, and the back and forth process only took a few hours. In Cochamó, I was warned that due to recent rain the river crossings at El Arco and another nearby river would likely be impassable. With four more days of heavy rain forecast, I decided to take the bus-ferry-bus combo to Puerto Urrutia and try to walk northbound from there with the optimistic hope that by the time I reached El Arco the river would be passable or, at least, the wait would be less. However, 10km north of the Rio Puelo crossing (service starts at 9am) my way was blocked by a high and fast river. I then retraced my steps and completed the rest of the section southbound - which was straightforward. The trail on the west side of Lago de la Roca until the frontera is a bit overgrown but still easy to see and nothing particularly slowed me down. On the Argentinian side the trail is well maintained. It is not permitted to camp on the 12km stretch between the border posts. I arrived too late to cross that day, but the Chileans stamped my passport with the next day’s date so I didn’t have to wait for the post to open at 9am. The Argentinian border guards informed me that because of the rain, the Rio Azul was too high to ford at the point on the regular hiking route just before Lago Puelo so I took the alternative route (Oh-Tl-V@22-04-#001) a few kms north and crossed over the La Pasarela bridge.

* 2020-Jan-22 to 2020-Jan-26 / 5 days / hiking / SOBO / parque de la vallee de Cochamo - La Pasarella / Arnaud

As we arrived from Puerto Montt we were with the bus and stopped directly at the entrance of the private parque de la vallee de Cochamo.
As it is private, there are some rules to get in, or they block you at the control point.
The entrance is free but you need to have a reservation in one of the official camp sites there. To get the reservation, you can do it on internet (but you need to wait for the confirmation and it can be several days long), or do it directly there (red house), they give you the reservation voucher if there are places available (number seem to be limited). Then you pay the night when you reach the camp sites (6000 clp/pers).
Or the other solution is to say that you sleep in the refugio del Arco. It is 23km further after the control. Then it is free and no reservation is needed, but this is possible only before 10am (after they block you). After 10am the only way to pass is to sleep in the camp sites. They block you if you do not have a
reservation voucher for one camp site.
This spot (la Junta) is famous among the chilenos so the access to the camp sites is really overrunned. The path is easy to walk.
Once you go further than the campsites, you're alone, so it is better.
The path is clearly marked. There are bridges for most of the rivers you cross. But it is very muddy.
At the lago Vidal you can resupply a bit with those living there (you can also sleep in their camp sites).
In El Manso you can find a minimarket with lots of things.
Then, we decided to follow the road instead of the track because we were in a hurry with a deadline in El Bolson, until we reached la cruce de la rocas. There are buses or hitchiking is easy.
Crossing borders was easy. There are 12km between the chilean stamp and the Argentin one that we did in 3.5 hours.
At the very end we have not not crossed El Rio Azul, we walked 7 more km to the north to reach La Pasarella

==Season 2018/19==

==Season 2017/18==

==Season 2016/17==

=Resupply and Accommodation=

==Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns==

*In Cochamo go down towards the lake. There is a church on the left & before you reach it there is a hospedaje on the right, good & cheap.

*There is a good place to stay NOBO 500 metres before the junction where the road turns towards Laguna Las Rocas. Farmhouse on RHS of road has rooms & meals. Cheap, friendly & good

*In Segundo Corral there are two campsites. The first one is just before the school, it just says Kuchen but you can camp there. Cheap, nice family & they do meals. There is a campsite after the school but the owner was drunk & looking for an argument.
Lots of campsites at Lago Totoral (on the road, not on RR)
It's possible to camp near the Argentinian border control.

==Resupply and Accommodation along the Route==

*2023 / Martin & Helena
We spent the night on the southern side of Lago Vidal Gomaz where is amazing campsite Doña Luisa, for I think 5000 CLP pp. We bought there beer, some cheese and bread in the morning, and you can also charge electronics inside. It is possible to have proper breakfast or dinner, it looked all very tasty. At km N 40.7 is shop with all the basic things + great brewery next to it, definitely stop there if you are a fan.

=Transport to and from Route=

* January 2023 Frank
To avoid the landslide at Laguna Las Rocas you can walk on the road or get the bus to Segundo Corral then from Lago Inferior about 1.5KM from Segundo Corral there is a ferry to Paso Bolson (Chilean border control).The government subsidised ferry runs Monday-Friday only from 8-12 & 2PM-6PM & is only 2000 pesos. You need to radio the ferryman to arrange pickup, easily done in Segundo Corral.

*2023 / Anna & Christopher
We decided to cross el Lago de Las Rocas by boat. Therefore there is a walkie talkie on the landing stage on the northern end of the lake with which you can contact Richard (+56958694897),we were charged 5000 p.p.

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

*2023 / Martin & Helena
From the port its again easy walking on the RR again. Drunk settler and quite agressive dogs out of his control at S km 7.2 so be careful. We slept half way to Las Rocas lake.

*Northbound and southbound hiking is feasible. However, due to the controlled private southbound access through the La Junta área, hiking in that direction is only possible with a camping reservation, or by arriving at the checkpoint before 10am. A northbound traverse may therefore be preferred. For hikers generally heading south, it is possible to take the single ticket, half-day bus-ferry-bus combination south from Cochamó to Puerto Urrutia, hike the 120km north to Cochamó, then return to Puerto Urrutia and resume the section southwards from there.

*Crossing the border is typically straightforward, however it is not permitted to camp on the 12km between the border posts. So if you arrive too late to cross, it is necessary to camp at the border post and cross the next day. In this situation, Chilean officials will stamp your passport with the next day’s date so you don’t need to wait for the office to open that morning.

*Southbound access to the popular La Junta area is controlled at a private checkpoint and only granted to those with a prior camping reservation, or those arriving before 10am and therefore early enough to make it on to the free and unmanaged El Arco campsite 23km away. Reservations for La Junta can be made online at cochamo.com, but there may not be availability and the process may take several days, so hiking this section southwards may not be possible.Therefore, an option for hikers generally heading south is to take the bus-ferry-bus combination from Cochamó across Lago Tagua Tagua and on to Puerto Urrutia, hike 120km north back to Cochamó, then take the bus-ferry-bus south again and hike the remainder of the section southwards from Puerto Urrutia.

=Links to other Resources=

Retired Section Article [[GPT22 - Cochamó]]

=Images=

[[Archivo: | ]]

{| border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+'''GPT22: Cochamó'''
| colspan="4" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| GPT22: Cochamó
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Hiking
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Packrafting
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Group
| colspan="2" | D: Lagos Chilenos
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Total
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|'''160.6 km'''
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|'''51 h'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''136.6 km'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|'''35 h'''
|-
| style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Region
| colspan="2" | Chile & Argentina: Los Lagos (X) & Chubut
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Trails (TL)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|137.9 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|85.9%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 20.3 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|14.9%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Start
| colspan="2" | Cochamó
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Minor Roads (MR)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|10.8 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|6.7%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 1.8 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 1.3%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Finish
| colspan="2" | Lago Puelo (Puerto)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Primary Roads (PR)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|9.7 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|6.0%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 2.8 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 2.0%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Status
| colspan="2" | Published & Verified
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Cross-Country (CC)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|2.2 km
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|1.4%
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 0.5 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 0.4%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Traversable
| colspan="2" | Dec - Apr (Maybe: Sep, Oct, Nov, May)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Bush-Bashing (BB)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|-
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Packraft
| colspan="2" | Very Useful
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Ferry (FY)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|(1.8 km)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|(1.1%)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|-
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Connects to
| colspan="2" | GPT21, GPT23
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Investigation (I)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| (1.9 km)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| (1.4%)
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Options
| colspan="2" | 268 km (9 Options & Variants)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Exploration (EXP)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|-
|-
|
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Hiking
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Packrafting
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Total on Water
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''111.1 km'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''81.4%'''
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Attraction
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|4 (of 5)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 5 (of 5)
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| River (RI)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 62.5 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 45.7%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Difficulty
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|4 (of 5)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 4 (of 5)
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Lake (LK)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 32.4 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 23.7%
|-
| style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Direction
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|Both ↓↑
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|Both ↓↑
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Fjord (FJ)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 16.3 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|11.9%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Comment
| colspan="7" | Hiking: Flip-Flop recommended
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Character
| colspan="7" | Packrafting: Flip-Flop recommended
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Challenges
| colspan="7" | Valdivian Rain Forest, Sea Coast, Farmland, Settlers, River Packrafting, Lake Packrafting, Fjord Packrafting, Partly Overrun
|}

[[File:profile GPT22.PNG|frame|center|Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route (2019)]]

[[File:profile GPT22-p.PNG|frame|center|Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route (2019)]]

<gallery>
File:GPT_16_Cochamó_109520254.jpg|
File:GPT_16_Cochamó_109520443.jpg|
File:GPT_16_Cochamó_115282465.jpg|
File:GPT_16_Cochamó_115282466.jpg|
File:GPT_16_Cochamó_109447503.jpg|thumb|
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</gallery>

[[category:Greater Patagonian Trail]]

GPT16 (Volcan Quetrupillan)

2024-02-12T20:07:00Z

Mitschu2: /* Season 2023/24 */

{{Table all GPTs}}

 

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

''*'' 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

Summary with remarks to route that are considered useful for other hikers and packrafters. Include alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties.

Add a sub-chapter by placing two "=" before and after the new sub-chapter heading ('==Sub-Chapter Heading==').

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/26==

==Season 2024/25==

==Season 2023/24==

* 2024-Feb-02 to 2024-Feb-06 / 4.5 days / Hiking / Westbound / Villarrica traverse / Gerald

Since i came from Argentina i wanted to start at Puesco. In Curarrehue i couldn't find a Gascontainer with a screw. GYG had none and the Ferreterias have only the long one or the one without the screw.... But there is a bus going to Pucon every 20min for 2k.
Run out of time and camped at the Puesco Cervezeria. Nice beer and good spot next to the river. CONAF couldn't give me any information about water sources along the trail. If you start in Pucon they do incl. a Map....
I always found enough water, but i don't need that much. Camped at Laguna las Avutardes (bad weather was coming), Laguna Azul (really nice, almost no litter), Rio Pichillancahue (only spot for maybe 2 tents, water was cloudy but drinkable aber you let the soil (?) settle, in the morning it's cleaner) and 6km before the ski center since i wanted to see the volcano glowing at night. Camping on volcanic gravel was not smart but didn't damage my tent :)
I had a lot of luck with the weather, since i could descent right before the big rain. Beautiful trail, landscape is unreal. Just keep in mind if you wear trailrunner, the vulcanic rocks will eat them :)
In Pucon is a shoe repair shop between Uruguay and Peru street called "clinica de calzado". They seem more specialized in leather boots, but tried their best on my trailrunner. Have Frankenstein shoes now :)
There are tours going up to the volcano villarrica, but they are not allowed to summit right now. They charge around 100k. Maybe with some planing it is possible to get the gear from an tour operator at the ski station and continue the journey. In the area around Villarrica is cell reception.

* 2024-Feb-07 - 2024-Feb-10, NOBO, Hiking, 4 days, RR, 16-01, czimahi

from Liquiñe by road and the direction Trancas Negras; Join RR, Bridge 16 (5 - no bridge; night in camp without water. Next day to Laguna Azul and by 16-01 to laguna Avutardas (camp before 34,7) lots of water on the way till the last indicated. next day to Puesco camping on road (with artesanal beer), then going back to Conaf to 16-01. by the level of camp Puesco there is a bridge but closed by gate, easy to cross by left side, i decided not to go but then I was in that place, the way is just here. Just one spiny fence without any gate on the way.

If you go just the larger "road" for a car you will get join to the 16-01 which in some case is marked by some horse trail or something like this - I returned thinking I'm lost but I would get the route. In Trancura a car stopped me and took me to Curarrehue.

* 2024-01-28 to 2024-01-31: Fangwen and Tobi / 4 days Villarrica traverse

Like many others, we chose to do the scenic Villarrica traverse. We skipped the first day around the Villarrica mountain and started from CONAF Chinay (by taking an Uber -- until 1km before CONAF it's 2wd friendly). We left our stuff at the somewhat abandoned looking campsite at S 39° 27.571', W 071° 49.815' and went for a short hike up to Glaciar Pichillancahue. Nice, but not really a must in our opinion. The next day we hiked to the refreshing waterfalls at S 39° 30.715', W 071° 45.147' and camped there. The third day, we went up to the rim of the Quetrupillan volcano -- nice views! This involved hiking up some snowfields (but no technical gear was required). The peak itself involves scrambling up a short route. Not difficult but the rock is incredibly crumbly and so we turned around. Fun descent via buttsliding down the snowfields. Hike to the very scenic Lago Azul. We pushed on along the very scenic trail and camped at S 39° 33.759', W 071° 39.654', a bit after the getting back across the border to Chile from Argentina. The argentinian side would make for an awesome campsite with a great sunset too (in our case, there was also water from snowmelt), especially at S 39° 34.315', W 071° 40.548'. The fourth day was simply a hike out with a short stop at another lake. Easy hitchhike back to Pucón.

* 2024-Jan-12 to 2024-Jan-16 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / Villarrica Traverse / Alex & Lotti

We liked this hike a lot, especially the diversity of the landscape with the forests, volcanoes and lakes. We were happy that we did it in eastbound direction, because this way the landscape got more and more beautiful towards the end, and transportation to and from trail was easy.
Trail conditions were very good, only the trail from "Cafe Villarrica Traverse" to the Puesco CONAF office (part of Option 1) was overgrown and sometimes hard to find.

Camping:
Estero Nilfe (Beautiful view, no clean water), CONAF camp Chinay (weird abandoned construction site, but river close), Laguna Azul (beautiful campsite, but clearly used by many people, not much trash when we were there), Laguna Las Avurtardas (beautiful lake and campsite, lots of cow and horse shit, so water has to be filtered)

Transport to start:
We took an Uber to the Ski Center and paid 12000 pesos (more than what the driver asked for, but he had to wait for us while we did the registration at the CONAF office, so we paid a little extra).

Transport from end:
Bus at 5pm from the CONAF office in Puesco to Curarrehue, then bus to Pucon. (There is a river with nice swimming sites very close to the CONAF office to make waiting for the bus enjoyable)

*2024-Jan-19 to 2024-Jan-24 / 5 days / Hiking / (eastbound?) / Villarrica traverse RR - {16-04} - {16-02} - {16} - {16-A} - {16-01} / Andrew

This was my favourite hike so far. I did it in 5 days, but I wish I'd added an extra day to do the 2 side trips mentioned by Nat and Tomas (Quetrupillan summit and glacier Pichillancahue). Notes for logistics if you're doing the traverse and plan to return to Pucon: Chili Kiwi hostel won't store bags during the high season while you hike, but Gecko hostel will (for $5.000 CLP).

Day 1 (trail start to Zanjón pino Huacho):

Two rides got me up to CONAF station. I registered for the hike, $10.000 CLP, and they gave me a map of the trail and a tag for my backpack. I only saw the park rangers once however in the final 2km of the trail. Officially no wild camping. I was eager (ok maybe impatient) to start so I started hiking up to the ski centre after about 15 minutes without success hitchhiking. In hindsight I wished I waited longer, as the 8km uphill to the ski centre is not that interesting. I ate lunch at the ski centre, refilled my water bottles, and started the trek.

Incredible landscapes, going back and forth between barren volcanic rocks spotted with wildflowers to tall grasses. I found a stream that looked clear at ( 39°24'57.16"S, 71°58'18.54"W), so I drank water from it. Otherwise no water until Zanjón pino Huacho where I camped.

Day 2 (Zanjón pino Huacho to near Chinay):

Started with Araucaria forests, and then back to volcanic landscapes. First glimpse of the twin peaks of Choshuenco/Mocho and later on Lanin. After Valle de Fuego, you up and down over a couple valleys, the last one had a stream and that's where I had lunch. Long uphill stretch, a stand of Araucaria trees, and then windings paths through tall grasses just above the treeline. Many day hikers walking up from Pichillancahue to the mirador del volcan. River Pichillancahue looked like it had some nice places to camp, but marked with no camping signs. With so many people going back and forth I decided to continue onwards. I camped at an official looking campground with a water spigot and a thunder box close to Chinay.

Day 3 (near Chinay to Quetrupillan waterfall):

After Chinay there is a long uphill but worth it for the views. Partway up the hill there's a sign for water 20 m downhill. Tricky to get to, but this is the last water for several hours. I was carrying 1.75L and that wasn't enough. Amazing views up high, then a slow descent. Found some muddy pools, and then finally a clear stream at (39°30'25.70"S, 71°45'15.91"W). Lots of blackflies, but there was a cool moment where a lizard crawled onto my shoes and started hunting them. Camped at Quetrupillán waterfalls, stunning landscapes and view of the fire from Villarrica at night.

Day 4 (Quetrupillan waterfall to Laguna Avutardas):

A couple spots where the trail is covered in snow and you need to find your own way down. Stopped at Laguna Azul for lunch. Sad to see the state of the campground there, so much trash. If you're doing the traverse make sure you don't start following the main GPT trail after the lake like I did. And then it's worth going back to the main trail even if you have to cross the river at a difficult spot. I tried to find another crossing, and then made my own way through the lava field which was difficult, would not recommend. Continued onwards, more snow. Laguna blanca was worth a detour. More amazing views, and then the last snowing section followed by a long muddy descent to Laguna Avutardas. Several other Villarrica traverse hikers camped on the beach.

Day 5 (Launa Avutardas to end):

Coldest night by far with frost on my tent in the morning! Easy hike to the road. First sighting of the park rangers. Hitchhiked back to Pucon.

*2024-Jan-17 to 2024-Jan-19 / 3 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR - {16-02} - {16-03} - {16-02} - RR - {16-B} / Lilian

I really enjoy GPT16, walking on the beach beside Laguna Blanca, climbing Volcán Quetrupillán, camping at outlet of Laguna Azul and soaking in hot spring at Liquiñe, they are all so lovely.

Volcán Quetrupillán still covered by lot of snow above 1930m. Also need to climb up a 40° snow slope and traverse to it's rim. Take your time.

RR km0 - km8.9 : dirt road walking.

Km8.0 : clear water flowing beside the road. (-39.38490, -71.63200)

Km8.3 : camping possibilities on grassland at uphill side with no fence.(-39.38470, -71.63648)

Km8.65 : locked gate with barbed wire fence, a house just behind the gate, better ask for the permission first.

Km8.9 : 4 way junction, dirt road become an old trail.

Km9.75 : crossing of barbed wire fence, no more gate here. 2 holes at fence , one is already covered by bamboo, another one is at (-39.38352, -71.64776), go through it you will connect to an dirt road at other side.

Km10.1 : locked gate with barbed wire fence. Open the gate at top, remains the lock there and big step over, my legs are too short, the barbed wire breaks a hole at my shorts here ;(

Km11.1 : locked gate with barbed wire fence. At right side there is a small gap let small people go through, but not for backpack, so climb it!

Km11.15 : bridge and a stream flowing good at right side(-39.39046, -71.65845), go over the bridge then you will find a side trail at right side to stream.

Km11.3 : bridge and a stream flowing good, but no way to go down.

Km11.35 : locked gate with barbed wire fence. Climb.

Km11.7 : crossing of barbed wire fence, no more gate here. Houses at (-39.39480, -71.66123), a dog continues barking when i was climbing the fence, make me so anxiety...

Km12.2 : finally, this gate can open it with the chain at middle. But i didn't know it can be opened before i saw the chain, so i climbed the gate...

FYI : RR follow the valley and Estero Huililco climbing up, but no clear water, because the river is milky.

Km16.5 : grassland(-39.42330, -71.65069) with no fence can fit many tents, but i think this spot is just for group hikers, because it is beside the road without any covers, every cars passing here must see you, it is not safe for solo hiker.

Km18.25 : camping spot can fit 2-3 tents with fire ring beside the river. Some trees and bushes here, very little privacy.

Km18.6 : bus stop here, and i don't know about the bus schedule.

Km18.65 - km19.2 : look like is a paid campground.

Km20.05 : dirt road junction, an old dirt road at left side, flat and without rocks, you can camp here if need. South of RR in this forest also lot spots for camping.

Km23.15 : crossing of a milky stream, just above ankle. It is the last reliable water until Laguna Blanca.

Km26.25 : junction of dirt road and trail, RR is turn to trail now, dirt road will end by damaged and huge blowdown, so turn left and climb up on the trail.

Km27 : information board( with Spanish and English). From the board, RR-CC-A[29.3+5.9] is the official route.

Km29.3 : junction of RR and {16-A}, RR at here is a clear trail, not CC. Easy to follow.

Km29.85 : water spot(-39.51775, -71.65871)! Tiny stream flowing low with fresh, clear and cold water by snow melts, easy to collect. No water at downstream, because it just flow some meters then seep into sand. Some more tiny streams also flowing low beside the trail or across the trail by snow melts, but i think this is the best one in some km.

Km30.6 : viewpoint of Lanín! Some snow patch nearby, flat and easy to walk on.

Km32.6 : Laguna Blanca, cross 2 chocolate stream, just above ankle, but the riverbed is muddy in some steps.

Km33.05 : a 80m snow patch, not steep, not difficult, but you'll drop into the lake if slide.

Km35.2 : junction of RR and {16-A}. Tiny stream flowing good with fresh, clear and cold water by snow melts beside the junction, easy to collect.

Km35.4 : steep snow slope at east side of the pass. Better go around it at right side (north). Tiny stream flowing good with clear water by snow melts, at west side of the pass too.

Ford[36.6/1652] : crossing of a milky stream, above ankle.

Km37.6 - km38 , km39.9 - km40.1 : snow patches, easily go around.

Then i go for {16-02} then {16-03} climbing Volcán Quetrupillán.

{16-02} km0.15 : small stream flowing good with clear water by snow melts, easy to collect.

Km1.65 : snow patch.

Km1.9 : junction of {16-02} and {16-03}, {16-03} maybe sometime have rock cairns, but i just find the trail when it is already very close to summit, so mostly CC go by yourself. {16-02} km2.1 to pass[2.5/1924], almost half is covered by snow, it becomes steep when get close to pass, be careful.

{16-03} km0.45 : snow slope steep go down, i go down at a little north, the slope is much shorter.

Km1.15 : due to lot of snow melts, the milky lake become larger than it shows on map. So walk a little east to go around.

Km1.3 : snow start, i recommend just walking on snow to trail junction waypoint at km2.1, it is gentle.

Km2.1 : tiny stream(-39.51478, -71.73556) flowing low with clear water just beside the trail junction (but i didn't see any trail here.)

Then the climbing is covered by lot of snow. You can walk on a dry rocky slope until km2.45, then choose continue finding dry slope to walk (but they are going around and around so the distance are a little longer and some puds, also sometimes block by snow wall), or climbing up on snow directly.

I climbed on the snow slope, because they are stable and not too steep, looks like better than following rock cairns on the dry slope.

When you arrive km3.7(-39.50145, -71.72655), look up to the mountain top. Of course the sharp peak at left is Quetrupillán, and your target is climbing up to the part at its right side, red colour and a little rocky one, that's the pass(-39.49857, -71.72277), also trail there.

Because most of the slope still covered by snow, so go a little southeast, you'll find a dry rock slope, parallel to GPX tracks. Not too much, but at least some places you can stand on easily and take a short break in climbing. Straight climb up the 40° snow slope to km4.05(2265m) (-39.50003, -71.72333), then traverse to the red part, trail is here(-39.49889, -71.72298). When it close to the red part, the snow slope becomes a little icy, kick step and be careful.

Arrive on the red, you can follow the loose rocky trail to the pass. You can continue climbing up to summit or walking on the rim for views.

After enjoying the moments for volcano, i slide down at here(-39.49886, -71.72313), a good way without rocks. Then skiing back to {16-02}. Lot fun!

I took 4.5 hours for climbing up and 2.5 hours for go down back to Laguna Azul. At my first plan, i want to go down to camp beside the waterfall at (-39.51315, -71.74967) then back to the Laguna Azul on next day, but it looks like lot of snow in the valley after the no trail's trail junction, also need a steep going down the pass. So i just take a round trip even i climbed Quetrupillán with my full backpack.

RR lake,camp[40.2/1597] : Laguna Azul, clear water. Can fit 3-4 tents under some short trees, with fire ring and wind protection, but a little crowded.

Ford[40.3/1593] : lake outlet, wet feet crossing, a beautiful camping spot can fit 1 tent just downstream 20m, another crossing point there too.

Camp[40.3/1601] : still covered by snow patch now.

Km41.7 : camping area with fire pit and log seats, covered by many trees.

X[49.6/997] : 4 way junction, some more junctions at south.

Water[51.1/871] : flowing low with clear water.

Km51.6 : 3 way junction, at left, a good road going down at east side of the valley. At right is RR, go down at west side of valley. Road is heavy damage just after the junction, be careful for crossing, the road is collapsing(-39.60354, -71.81894).

Km51.9 - km52.4 : a large beautiful grassland, nice camping spot. Start from here, the "road" becomes better condition.

X[55.6/618] : junction of RR and a good road, looks like coming from other sidecof valley.

Km57.75: grassland, camping spot.

Settlement, bridge[58.6/440] : the road is damaged before the "bridge", a board bridge (-39.65286, -71.84399) for human crossing. The bridge also is damaged, looks like washed away, so crossing at upstream (-39.65410, -71.84389), rock bar underwater, above ankle. This stream's water is flowing good with clear water. After crossing is a nice spot with lunch, well tree shade. Fire ring and log seats under a tree too, but it is in the area of settlement.

Camp[62.1/486] : i didn't notice the spot when i passed here, maybe I missed it.

Km64.5 : junction of RR and {16-B}, i take {16-B} because of shorter distance to main road, also no need to climb up 120m again as RR.

Settlement, shop[66.5/237] : small shop, a little pricey but good stock for resupply, very friendly. ( I think the shops in Liquiñe is much pricey too)

Then i walked all the way to Liquiñe, no bus and no luck(no successful hitch).

For resupply details read GPT17.

*2023-01-02/05 / 4 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR + volcano Quetrupillán / Hermann & Coline

The GPT16 was a really nice experience !

Milagro, who hosted us in Liquiñe, gave us cherries and nuts for the travel ! With that, the sloapses up-hill felt less hard than it was for our legs.

We slept at the Camp Without Water {16} [52.3/794] the first night (and even found water nearby). We arrived at the Laguna Azul the next day.

We stayed there two days, so that I could walk up to the summit of Volcano Quetrupillán.

The ascension was okay. The sunny sky was a bit covered by clouds, but without wind. I just had a headhick after, because of the UVs reflecting on the snow (I guess). There are some places where one's can't avoid walking on it, so I took my time to "read" the landscape (underground rivers etc).

I left the GPT to take the optional road on Locus, that follows the crater at the end. It was scary at the top, but not dangerous.

On the way back, I started by following a group of men on a much easier way going westbound. Then, I went south and it was easy to follow the landlarks I had token outbound (the frozen lake for instance).

There was wind in the mid of the day and two chilians warned us that there would be snow in the night. Therefore, we spend the night at the Laguna Blanca : lot's of wind, but no snow there and even a new glacier river in the morning !

Thanks to the previous posts on Wikiexplora and also to Lukas and Tess we've meet on the way, we took enough water for the next 30kms down-hill. Actually, there was a river (probably due to the storm), even crossing the road at some point, but I'm not sure it was drinkable.

We went to Catripulli instead of Currarehue. We wanted to take a bus to Villarica – where there is a Scotiabank –, and to skip sections 14 & 15, so to join the GPT again at Icalma. This was a bad idea... There's no direct bus between Villarica and Melipeuco ; we had to first reach Temuco. Moreover, there's no bus from Melipeuco to Icalma, so we hitchhiked. (There were not many cars ; it took us a day.)

Food :
1. In Liquiñe, the shop just before the bridge is smaller and more expensive than the others (saying Milagro).
2. There are no piñones at the foot of the Araucanian tree, since the season starts in march (saying a woman who took us in her car).
3. In Catripulli, there's a shop with all you need and more – even argentinian cakes and Malta beers !

2024-Jan-10 to 2024-Jan-12 / 3 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + option 4 +sendero glacier
Pichillancahue ( we did a cross country after towards the East to go to the Morador Los volcanoes ) / Yannick & Nolwenn
- Water : easy to find
- Snow : still snow left on the Quatrupillen volcano but manageable to go up
- Camping spot : easy to find
- Weather : Sunny
- Resupply : in Pucon to start and in Conaripe at the end of the section

*2023-29-12 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / option 1 and 4 / Jens

Hitchhiked from Curarrehue to the trailhead of Option 1.

I didn't pay any entrance fees.

Lots of water until Villarrica volcano. Around the volcano good camping but little water. Water was clean.

Hitchhiked from the ski resort to Pucon. Lots of people in the resort for daywalks.

==Season 2022/23==

*2023-Mar-01 to 2023-Mar-05 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / OH-01 & 02 + Quetrupillan summit + Villarica traverse / Martial.

Puesco - Pucón
Villarica traverse is indeed an interesting alternative for GPT16. The views on Volcanos are gorgeous and trail in good conditions for the all trip. My personal camping recomandations are Laguna azul, volcan Quetrupillan waterfall (on osm : -39.51160, -71.75365) and estero aihue (39.47713° S, 71.88582° W) or Zanjón pino Huacho for clean water access and sleep under the stars ✨ Although siphon water from the bucket in the zanjon was hard but should be better after recent rains.. Water from the various glaciar rivers is way cleaner in the morning to be drunk. An interesting combo for people in need for a treat would be stopping in Termas Geometricas wich looks to be one of the best attraction of the region.. (20mil or so)
I luckily was granted with nice weather for Quetrupillan climb wich for me is really worth-it. Hopefully you get a lucky ride for the long descent from the centro de ski to Pucón. Take plenty of water if you start nobo !

*2023-Feb-22 to 2023-Feb-26 / 4 days / Hiking / OH-01 +03 Villarrica traverse (West-bound?) / Natalie & Tomáš

We did not end up following the GPT but instead ended up doing the Villarrica Traverse (so options 01 and 03 of GPT and then some more). It was our last trip before flights back home so ending directly in Pucón made the most sense, just sad that our last hike wasn't actually on the GPT...

Thoughts: Really beautiful, surprisingly diverse and not as many people as expected. The busiest place was at Laguna Azul and the glacier lookout. We are both very happy to have walked it and since it was our last hike it was a pleasure to be on trails that allowed one to reflect rather than think about the next step. Highlights were the ease of the trails, vistas, Araucaria sillouettes, a return to volcanic landscapes, the crater of Quetrupillan and the forest canopy.

Access: Bus from Curarrehue to Puesco leaves at 5pm, just once a day. It leaves from here;-39.36321, -71.58433 and is white and green. Probably easier to hitch as it only goes to Puesco (aka CONAF). It leaves Puesco to Curarrehue at 730am supposedly.

Description: The traverse is well documented and therefore I will only explain two different side trips. Note that if coming from Puesco the last section between Chinnay camping and the ski hill is scarce of water because most water available is recommended not to drink due to high levels of ash in the melting glacier. The two good sources are; estero aihue; 39.47713° S, 71.88582° W and Zanjón pino Huacho which is actually just a tap over a bucket; 39.43604° S, 71.99502° W. There is also an app you can use to follow the traverse; https://villarricatraverse.cl/

Camping at Laguna Azul is crowded (in the minds of a GPT hiker) so one can camp on a different beach or up high on the trees on the south side of the lake. Wild camping is supposedly illegal but does not seem to apply for the section of the traverse between Chinnay and the ski resort, there are many bivy spots.

Side trips:
First side trip, Volcán Quetrupillan:
If one is doing the traverse and wants to summit Quetrupillan easily and quickly I recommend following the osm trail on the NW side of the summit, there is a good trail, however we both did something different. Tomáš was successful at making a traverse of the summit and I was not. From lake Azul we followed the GPT option03 until the base of the col where one goes straight up to the crater. I continued on the GPT trail and turned back ~2m from the true summit due to the terrible rock quality but at least the way to the crater was easy (if you are there know that the red dirt is soft and not that steep). Tomáš on the other hand went one ridge further south and was able to easily follow it up to the summit, traverse south on the summit and come down on the osm trail. He notes there were only two bits of simple scrambling but was still easy despite having his bag. After my failed attempt on the summit I just went straight down the West side of the mountain to hit the normal Villarrica traverse and met back up with Tomáš.

Second side trip, glacier Pichillancahue to above "glacier mirrado" and back to normal trail (the route is on OSM):
When coming from Chinnay there is a very obvious trailhead for Glaciar pichillancahue. Tomáš used this to make a small but high traverse to somewhere near Estero Aihue and therefore avoiding the last bit of road walking and elevation loss. I was lazy and hungry and opted to have lunch at the camping Pichillancahue instead which was a terrible decision because the water there was barely drinkable (ash and dirt) and Tomáš supposedly had nice clean water up top.

If it wasn't for bad weather I think this traverse could be done easily in 3days, even two if you are efficient. We took 4 because we had one morning of rain and were in no need of rushing and did the sidetrips. However it would have been nice to have one more free day to rent gear and try to climb Villarrica but the information on whether or not the summit is open was very confusing. Locals told us it was closed but you could go up most of the way if you had gear but then again there was a mountain guide who said we could go, so it will be a mystery. We both would love to come back to this area with simple glacier gear and climb Villarrica and Lanin and also go back to Sollipulli to traverse its glacier. For now it will have to wait :)

* 2023-Feb-02 t 2023-Feb-05 / 4 days / Hiking / NOBO / Quetrupillan + OH-01 / Yannic & Mirjam

Very beautiful and easy stage. We hitchhiked from Panguipulli to Liquine and then via option 16-B to the camp at Laguna Azul. Very pleasant path in the forest with a slow ascent.
We stayed at the lagoon for 2 days and made a day trip to the volcano. The trail was not always easy because of the strong wind and the occasional snowfields. East of option 16-03 there is another way marked on the map, a little more to the east could be good, because then you avoid the two big snowfields that you see at the top.

From Laguna Azul we continued via Laguna Blanca on the Villarica Traverse (Option 16-01) to Laguna Las Avutardas. The road is well maintained and the landscape after the second pass is fascinatingly different from the previous one. Very nice camping spot at the lagoon.
From the primary road we caught a car to Curarrehue and from there a bus to Pucon.

*2023-Jan-29 to 2023-Jan-31 / 3 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Maks & Gabi

Started in Catripulli and hichhiked to 16km of RR. We found it as a good solution to skip road walking as it is not so attractive. Remember to take enough water with you because on ascent to Laguna Blanca there is only one silty river. This part is not so hard unless the temperature is high and you are walking like us in the midday. Probably the ascent road is going to be worst cos they are destroying the trail to build a road ( most probably - it doesn't look nice and it's quite annoying )
There is quite a new gate with old sign on 18,5km ( it looks like entrance to some private propertie with seperate plots), it was open so we just walked through and we didn't meet anyone to ask.

Plateau is really amazing, worth seeing and there are a lots of tiny streams near Laguna Blanca with clean water.
At Laguna Azul there are a lot of tourists sleeping there.
Descent was plesent until the road started.
The entire trail is well visible.
Down there there is community of mapuche, they are really nice and talkative. There is a chance that when going NOBO or sleeping on their land you will have to ask about permission to go through but it shouldn't be a problem.
We hitchhiked with one of them last 3 km of RR.

* 2023-Jan-27 to 2023-Jan-29 / 3 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Quetrupillan / Will

I also came in through Catripulli. I caught two quick rides but was still left with three hours of hot uphill road walking. If you aren't worried about connecting footsteps I bet you could find a better start/end point. The other hikers out there (on the Villarrica traverse) were mostly ending at Puesco, I heard rumors of a bus there. Sounds like a much better route if the bus exists. This is marked as option 1.

Coming out of the woods the alpine section was beautiful but short. I spent two nights at Laguna Azul, taking a side trip up Quetrupillan. There were a lot of fun snowfields to navigate. My new shoes were grippy enough to get me through easily even though I didn't bring my trekking poles. Most of the water was chalky.

The final scramble up to the summit (after reaching the snow filled crater) was treacherous. Might not be worth it. I went up around the right because it looked like a more gradual climb but I had a few big solid looking boulders come loose and tumble down. The route straight up seems better.

Laguna Azul was bustling, both nights I was camped with a few Europeans doing the Villarrica traverse. Met a crazy dutch couple biking it. I even heard that there were some people visiting by helicopter, before I showed up.

At the end I walked down to Liquiñe, lots of food places along the road. I camped at the Termas de Punulaf (decent, 15000 pesos) before continuing onto section 17H (highly recommended!).

* 2023-Jan-23 to 2023-Jan-24 / 2 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Anna & Christopher

Catripulli - Reyehueico
Short and easy section!

From Pucón we took a bus at 19:30 to Catripulli (Buses Currarehue, last one leaves at 21:00). From there we hitchhiked to km 18 of the RR. We camped next to Estero Huililco (silty water as the others mentioned).

The next accessible water source is the ford of Estero Huililco at km 23. The walking until the plateau is easy (dirt roads and good paths), no navigation issues at all.
Around Laguna Blanca there was still some clear water of the snowmelt. Here walking got a bit tougher due to the sand, but the plateau really is beautiful. After Laguna Blanca there is a good, visible path again until Laguna Azul. We camped at the Laguna and had the first rainy/stormy night.

Because of the bad weather we didn't climb the volcano the next day and went down directly. It's a good path the whole way. Around 4 km before Reyehueico we got a ride directly to Panguipulli :)

* 2023-Jan-03 to 2023-Jan-05 / 3 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Véronica

Route: Catripulli - Laguna Blanca - Laguna Azul - summit of Volcán Quetrupillan - Reyehueico

I found this section beautiful, and quite easy, since most of the time you are on 4x4 tracks or well-maintained CONAF trails. No navigation issues whatsoever.

Pucón is a bustling hiking town, great place to get new gear/shoes and resupply. I stayed a few days at Chili Kiwi Hostel there, highly recommend! Buses from Pucón to Catripulli and Curarrehue are very frequent, I did not have to wait.

I started in Catripulli because the road walk is shorter from there. I was very lucky and ended up getting a ride (without even trying) up to the end of the gravel road beyond Rinconada, where a wooden gate marks the start of a lovely forest trail. As others have mentioned, Río Huililco is quite silty, and although the trail follows this river a while, I didn't collect any water there. The first night I camped at the treeline before the final climb to Laguna Blanca (before the start of the CC section). I found some good water in the ravine east of the trail, but it required some bushwhacking down a steep hill covered in vegetation.

The plateau up by Laguna Blanca is beautiful, there are multiple creeks feeding the lake — some of them are silty, but others are clear, just pure snowmelt. The cross-country section had a nice path running through most of it, so navigation was very easy. Between Laguna Blanca and Laguna Azul, there are still some snow patches, but they are easy to walk across or around.

I dropped most of my gear off at Laguna Azul to climb the volcano. I started around 11 a.m. and got back at 4 p.m., this included an almost hour-long break at the top to take in the spectacular views of Volcán Villarrica and Volcán Lanín. There's still a fair bit of snow on Quetrupillan, and instead of following the GPS I went up my own way to the rim, avoiding most of the snowfields. The crater is filled with snow, it's awesome! Coming back down, I half ran, half slid down a giant snow field, which was a lot of fun. That night I went for a swim and camped at Laguna Azul, a beautiful spot. For the first time on the GPT, there were other people (local tourists) camped with me there!

The rest of the trail down to Reyehueico is easy, downhill through a mature forest. Once you get to Trafún Chico, the trail becomes a gravel road. I was able to hitch the last couple kilometers to the main road, and get a ride to Panguipulli to resupply and head down to GPT19 after.

==Season 2021/22==

* 2022-Jan-01 / 5 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR + summit of Quetrupillan / Molly og Melissa

5 days - including a very short day due to bad weather
We were passed by a car on the gravel road shortly after Reyehueico. They told us that the place marked as camp on the GPS was closed, but we could camp on their land a little before on the place marked bridge. They wanted 5000 pesos per person, and there are no facilities, so we found it a little expensive but didn't want to discuss in the rain. They also sold us freshly baked bread which were huge and the best we have had so far, as well as sopaipillas. The gravel road here was pretty, but a lot of aggressive dogs who could easily crawl under their fences to follow us. We only had to climb one gate which seemed to be more to keep in cows than to keep out any hikers. At the waypoint gate there was nothing.
We camped right before the waypoint water before Laguna Azul.
At Laguna Azul there are two camp waypoints, the first is a little spot on the river bank, the second is the "real" camp with lots of spots in a little forest right next to the lake. It's nice, but there have been left a lot of garbage.

From there, you follow the Villarica traverse trail for some kilometres through very beautiful landscapes. When you reach the valley where Lago Blanco is (it really is white), you leave the trail for some fairly easy cross-country around the lake. On the far side, the whole valley was covered in water and we had to walk barefoot, but it was after three very rainy days.
Finding the path at treeline was a little difficult, but we just made sure to be right on the trail on the GPS and found it. Then followed a short trip through beautiful aucaria forest, followed by a gravel road. Here, we saw several "no entrar" signs meant for people going towards the national park, but there was no one around. We even asked for water while still in the no entrar-zone as we didn't know, and weren't told off. It was difficult to find a campsite, but at La Rinconada there was a house saying "Es bienvenido aquí", maybe you could ask there.
We accidentally walked to catripulli instead of currarehue as we missed the turn off and realized too late.

Water:
Until Laguna Azul, no problem. At Lago Blanco we didn't find any streams that weren't chalky, though we thought that some streams running down the mountain on the far right side might look better. We didn't investigate, though, as we thought we had enough. However, Estero Huilinco was the same, so we ended up asking at a house if we could get some water.

Summit:
We basecamped at Laguna Azul and followed the nicely marked trail up. Be aware that the summit route diverges after about a kilometre, with no trail to be seen. We followed the GPS for a while but decided to walk to the crater rim somewhere else, as the summit seemed more difficult and the height difference isn't that big anyway. The volcano itself looked a lot like Volcan Puyehue, but the views were different of course, and the crater had a lot more snow. It was great to spend an extra day above the treeline.

* 2021-Dec-05 to 2021-Dec-07 / 3 days / Hiking / NOBO / Villarrica Traverse / Alex Abramov

We made Villarrica Traverse here. This traverse is an excellent variant to go in (out) to (from) GPT.

==Season 2020/21==

==Season 2019/20==

* 2020-Feb / Hiking / NOBO / RR / Matthieu

From Liquiñe to Catripulli
Following the RR, I personnally never had to cross any barriers of barbed wire or closed portals. It is all an official CONAF trail.
I used Lago Azul as a base camp to do the ascent of the summit. Awesome place.
A little cheer to Ty, America and Sanita with who we had (I assume) the biggest GPT hikers camp of the year !

-The ascent:
Better use your head than your GPS, avoiding the snow to go up. The path I took was finally closed to the OH 002, going between the snow fields, but I never crossed any trail road.
The very end is quite steepy and the rocks easy to break, and you have to climb a little bit to arrive to the final cairn. Better do it with good weather conditions and without your big bag ! I wasnt confident with going down the same way, so at the cairn I just took directly west down the rocks and actually found a downhill of good sand, really easy to do, fast and safe. No climbing down this way. I joined my previous tracks after, near the OH 002.

-Water supply:
As Ty say, No water between the end of Lago Blanco and a little bit before the Estero Huililco. The track is easy and fast thow in the forest, and I didnt take more water supply going down.

I didnt do the final forest part just before Currarehue, hitchhiking to Catripulli.

*2020-Feb-27 / 4.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / Catripulli Start & Optional end to Conaripe / Ty & America

We started at Catripulli because it was a bit shorter road walk compared to Curarrehue. Be aware of the big waterless start. You do have (mostly) friendly people on the road who are more than welcome to help with water. After Comunidad Rinconada (maps.me) don’t expect any water (besides the extremely chalky river water) all the way up to Laguna Blanco. Small Water falls on the right side of the lake have great clear water. We camped at Laguna Blanco by said falls a bit off the track file to find shelter from the wind. Then camped at Laguna azul the next day to summit the following morning. Beautiful place. Actual summit is sketchy, so we hiked to the rim and were perfectly content with that. I don’t recommend taking the optional OH-TL-V@16-02-#002 over the pass. It looked sketchy/snowy. The optional a bit further was perfectly fine. On the way down to conripe on OH-TL-V@16-02-#003 there is a good place to camp by water with plenty of wood ~1.5 km after the marked water source. We had luck hitching a ride from the termas at the bottom right to Conripe.

*2020-Feb-7 / 3 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Martina & Ivo

3 days for this amazing section. Trail in good condition, no navigation difficulties. At 39°23'11"S 71°37'48"W, where it says "se vende leña eucalyptus", we didn't climb the huge locked gate to our right but just continued the minor road. We passed two unlocked gates and got back to the regular route after 1km. Shortly afterwards we arrived at a high fence of seven strands of barbed wire, where we turned left into the forest, following an almost invisible path, and after 500m finally found a gate and got back to the regular route after 1km.

*2020-Feb-06 / 2 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Frank

Came from GPT15, resupplied @ 2 supermarkets in Curarrehue. Going up from Curarrehue they are logging in the forest but track still clear. Went over the fence with 7 strands of barb wire. Later there is a wooden gate saying 'No Entry Residents Only' went over it onto track, no one around. When you cross the Estero Huilico fill up with water. You can wade it but if you go down on the left about 20 metres there is a footbridge hidden in the forest. Later you are near the river but it is in a gorge with dense vegetation so it's not accessible. Made a dry camp high up in the forest before the lakes. Hardly any snow left on the route.

Near the end of the route there is no place to camp at 'Camp 119' but continue a little down the road & there is a tiny field just before 'Bridge 51' where you can camp. Just before it the road goes round in a loop, on the lower part of the loop are two houses next to each other. Ask there if it's OK to camp by the bridge. Just after the bridge I continued straight to the main road (marked bus, shop) to resupply. However, it's not necessary to do that, if you continue on the RR you will find shops in Liquine.

* 2019-Nov-13 / 7 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR from Liquiñe to where the trail joins the S-947 / Sophie & Hendrik

We were 7 days on the trail, of which 2 were just camping out bad weather (23 walking hours) . First day we started late and went to what the first camp on the map. Next we went to the camp without water from the track files (We found some stream there. After filtering amd treading it with chloride we were able to drink it.) We stayed there one day, waiting for better weather. Next day we went to the Fort at Laguna Azul. However, we did not cross it until two days later, as we first waited for better weather conditions. Then we crossed the volcano and camped below the treeline on the other side. Last day we hiked to S-947 and hitchhiked to Pucón for some Food and a real bed.

What we liked: Sudden changes of landscapes, beautiful Araucaria forrest, remoteness (didn't meet people for 5 days), breathtaking views and scenes on the volcano, the snow was beautiful (obviously depends on the season), the many plushy chilean tarantulas on the north side.

What we did not like so much: The gravel roads on both ends of the section.

*2020-Jan-22 / 2 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Tom & Maddie

No issues, trail in good condition and cross country section is not hard to navigate. We took a bus out to Panguipulli at 08:00 on a weekday. We decided to skip 17 and 18. We then bussed to Los Lagos and then Futron and then to Rininahue. We then got a hitch back onto the regular route of 19 37km in. Less than 8hrs off the trail to skip 17/18.

*2020-Jan-31 / 2 days / Hiking / NOBO / OH-02 Start from Termas el Rincon (Conaripe) to Currarehue / Jean & Virginie

To start the option track (16-02) after el Rincon termas, we have to pass a gate closed but it was possible to pass on the left. We didnt see anyone inside.
After few kilometers on the minor road in good condition, we pass a small house where the guy explained us the track (turn on thé right at the arrow marked Laguna to get on the trail - track a little bit different from the gpt route but that join it further). After we went up on Quetrupillan volcano with amazing view. Trail in good condition and easy to navigate. This option join the regular route at the laguna Azul, nice site to camp. After the cross country section was not difficult to follow and the end until Currarehue was alternation of (a bit) overgrown trails and minor roads (+ some barbed wire).
Bus to Pucon every 20 min from Currarehue.

==Season 2018/19==

* 2019-Nov-18 / Sophie & Hendrik

90% - 95% of the area from 1500m upwards are completely covered in snow. Think about snow shoes and be careful as there are melting streams covered and hidden by snow.
Also, unlike us, keep in mind that snow reflects the sun and can cause burns from below on your nose and chin.

==Season 2017/18==

*Kara Davis

Follow the main road, 199-CH, south out of Curarrehue until the gravel road turn off, S-981. After several kilometers, the road transitions to single track through a eucalyptus forest. Be careful to not follow one of the several other tracks that wind through the forest. The trail exits onto a gravel road, S-947, that follows Estero Huilico. Turn off onto a 4WD track, but be aware there are several other 4WD track spurs. The trail narrows into an obvious single track as you enter Parque Nacional Villarrica. Be prepared for the possibility of snow during this section at higher elevations. At treeline the trail ends and the cross-country traverse begins.
This cross-country traverse follows the volcanic landscape at the base of Volcán Quetrupillán. During high snow years, Laguna Blanca may be frozen and snow covered. Be aware that snowpack may make parts of the GPS route difficult, and keep safety in mind when choosing a route. Instead of following the recommended route which ascends through a chute, snowpack forced us to climb up to a pass further to the left and then rejoin the route. Depending on the time of year, Laguna Azul may also be frozen, but water is available at the stream crossing at the southern end. After beginning the descent into the forest, try and find a well maintained trail. The trail joins a dirt road, T-447, which continues until the paved highway, 201-CH, to Carringue.
Town: Carriringue.
Carriringue is a tiny town with a small market which offers snacks but is difficult to resupply out of. There are also several signs advertising Cabañas.

==Season 2016/17==

=Resupply and Accommodation=

==Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns==

*Pucón:
About 30 minutes bus ride off trail. A hiking tourism town that has everything a hiker might need

*Catripulli:
A little down the road from Currarehue. Has two small shops which probably sell pastas and other basic stuff

*Currarehue:

==Resupply and Accommodation along the Route==

You can buy bread and sopaipillas at the house right before the "bridge" waypoint just before Reyehueico.

A house in La Rinconada sells eggs

Some Aucaria trees

=Transport to and from Route=

2022-Jan:
Busses go from Panguipulli to Reyehueico on weekdays, and from Valdivia to Panguipulli (two hours bus ride) every day. Hitching was quite easy for us even though it was raining.

The bus from Currarehue through Catripulli to Pucón leaves approximately every 15 minutes on weekdays, and every 30 minutes on weekends - goes in both directions - about 30 minutes

(2020-Feb)

Bus Pucón - Curarrehue

Mo-Sa 11:00

Su 12:15

Operator Igi Llaima, Terminal, Palguín 550

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

=Links to other Resources=

Retired Section Article [[GPT16 - Volcán Quetrupillan]]

=Images=

[[File:GPT_10_Volcán_Quetrupillan_109172879.jpg|thumb|center|1100px|[[Volcán Lanín]] from GPT16]]
[[File:Quetrupillan 01.jpg|thumb|center|1100px|[[Volcán Quetrupillán]] from GPT16]]
[[Archivo:Greater Patagonian Trail (1).jpg|thumb|center|1100px|Greater Patagonian Trail, section 16]]
[[File:GPT_10_Volcán_Quetrupillan_119226459.jpg|thumb|center|1100px]]
[[File:GPT_10_Volcán_Quetrupillan_119226460.jpg|thumb|center|1100px]]
[[File:GPT_10_Volcán_Quetrupillan_119226461.jpg|thumb|center|1100px]]
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[[File:GPT_10_Volcán_Quetrupillan_119226596.jpg|thumb|center|1100px]]
[[File:GPT_10_Volcán_Quetrupillan_109173354.jpg|thumb|center|1100px]]
[[File:GPT_10_Volcán_Quetrupillan_109172977.jpg|thumb|center|1100px]]
[[File:GPT_10_Volcán_Quetrupillan_109173084.jpg|thumb|center|1100px]]
[[File:GPT_10_Volcán_Quetrupillan_119226451.jpg|thumb|center|1100px]]