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GPT16 (Volcan Quetrupillan)

2025-02-24T21:13:31Z

SteveBehaeghel:

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

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

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=Overview=

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/26==

==Season 2024/25==

* '''2025-02-13 to 2025-02-16 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / Vulcan Villarica+OH4+OH2+RR / Dorota'''

Day 1: After finishing stage 15, I took a micro from Curarreuhe to Pucón. I have found a good hostel, Raiz, for 15000 clp in a room of 6 persons, but you need to pay cash to avoid IVA. In Pucón, I bought shoes, but only for men. For women, there is no big choice. It is a very touristic place. I have decided to make a volcán Villa Rica with an agency. When I was buying shoes, a woman said to me that she was trying alone (she is from Pucón) and paid "multa". I paid 150.000 clp. The price includes full equipment (shoes, icepeak, crampones, jacket, trousers, gaiters, gloves, casque, backpack, mask, parque fee, and transport and equipment for sliding down it). They took my backpack, so after that, I could start Travesía Villarica from the Ski station in Pucón. Important: the ranger said to me that Puesco is closed because of a fire. I took water from "banos" near the Ski station and made camp at km 1 of OH4.

Day 2:
Continued Travesía, very spectacular views of volcanoes and valleys. I did not have problems with water, but very often it was dirty. In the forest trail, it was clear.
Water:
6.5 km Zanjón Vaipoi - dirty
12 km Estero - dirty
16 km clean water
Camp at km 26 - Río Pichillanchahue. Place for one tent.

Day 3:
I met two people from Czechia. They went from Nobo. The The Ranger had not allowed them to go to Laguna Azul. Then I met a family from Chile who were doing Travesía from Puesco. They bought tickets before closing Puesco, so they were allowed to start from there. The The Ranger was very polite. I was not registered officially on the trail. But when I was doing Volcan Villarica with an agency ranger who was there, he took my datos and made me a photo, so the ranger at point 31.9 km knew me. Of course, it is not standard:) After 31.9 km, the trail was going up significantly. In the forest, the trail was clear. I took water at km 36.5, then till km 42, there was no water. After the trail was following a ridge with views and then again, no views. I camped at km 43 in the place where there is a table "Mirador of Quetropillán". Water was near. It was an amazing place. There was no wind but very cold.

Day 4:
On the km of 44.5 of option OH4, I joined option OH2. In the morning, at the height of 1800 m n.p.m. small streams were frozen. After passing there, there were some patches of snow very easy to pass. Laguna Azul espectacular, but I have met people on motocross there. Here I joined variant RR (km 40.2). Ford near Laguna was very easy to cross. In the forest trail, it was clear, sometimes I needed to go around fallen trees. At km 59.9, near a destroyed bridge, there was something like a bridge, but I crossed the river a few meters after, in the deepest place, the water level was to the knee of my height ( 1.64).
Then till the village Reyehueico, there was no place for a tent. In the shop of the village, there were a lot of things to buy. I asked the owner to put my tent in his garden. He agreed. He gave me a table and I had water. He allowed me also to take my dog, who followed me. The dog was sleeping in my tent.

* '''2025-02-07 to 2025-02-11 / 4.5 days / Hiking / NOBO / OH 04 (Villarica Traverse), OH 03 (Volcán Quetrupillán), OH 02, RR / Peggy

I started from Molco, where I had spent the night, following a trail along the Río Correntoso (note: this river is dry). It took me about 3-4 hours to reach the ski station.

Villarica Traverse

I really enjoyed this traverse. The first part alternates between lava fields and forests, offering beautiful views of Villarica. Be mindful of water sources—rivers in the first kilometers are dry. The first water source I found was at -39.42548, -71.98709, but the water was whitish and carried volcanic sediments. A better water source was available from a faucet at km 36.3.

There's a beautiful forest section before reaching the park ranger station (31.9/996). Afterward, the trail climbs through a stunning forest of araucarias and other trees I couldn't identify. There are two notable water sources:

Km 24.1, which appears on maps (Locus and others).

-39.288052, -071.492708, where a small spring is located. This spot is also a great place to camp if there's no wind, with a breathtaking view of Villarica. This water source isn't marked on maps but was indicated by the park ranger.

Volcán Quetrupillán

The OH 03 connecting to the volcano is marked as CC but is quite manageable. There was still a lot of snow on the ascent, making it pleasant and easier to climb. The summit offers incredible views of the crater and surrounding volcanoes (Villarica, Lanín, Mocho, and Choshuenco).

There are two routes to the top. I first followed the GPT route to the crater, but when I tried to climb higher, I stopped due to a steep, slippery section that made me uncomfortable. On the way down, I decided to try the other route (further left) and managed to reach the highest point, crossing snowfields and finishing with a steep, rocky slope.

I camped by a beautiful green lake on my way down toward Laguna Azul, but I barely slept because of the strong wind. Thankfully, my tent held up!

The next day was spectacular—I was completely alone. Even at Laguna Azul, where there's an excellent, wind-sheltered campsite, I saw no one. Laguna Blanca was absolutely stunning! A must-see!

Descent to Curarrehue

I followed the RR down to Curarrehue. I camped near the Estero Huililco on private property, being respectful of the place (as always, of course).

From -39.238782, -71.394307, there are several gates and enclosures to pass through, but the path remains accessible. A local man told me that the trail the track follows had been closed by "los indígenas", and he wasn’t sure if it was still passable. However, I had no issues. Just follow the GPS track carefully at intersections.

* '''2025-01-28 to 2025-01-31 / 3 days / Hiking / SOBO / Option 1, RR, Option 3 (Quetrupillan ascent), RR / Lucie and Thomas '''

We came by a bus Temuco 8am - Curarrehue ~11am. From there we easily hitch hiked to Puesco/Mirador (beginning of OH1 SOBO).
Day 1 afternoon: mirador to Laguna Arguntas. The path is generally very well marked. A couple of fallen trees on the path and we encountered several groups of cows. Almost not disturb by tabanos.
We stoped to camp on the west side of Laguna Arguntas where we camped. Tabanos were quite present until sunset. Better camp with water and view on Lanin 150m above.
We regularly found water al along option 1 until we reached the volcanic plateau, and last melted snow water at -39,56982 -71,682110
Day 2: Laguna Arguntas > RR to Laguna blanca and then Laguna Azul > Quetrupillan ascent where we camped at -39,49878 -71,72278 on the ridge (amazing sunset, stars and sunrise views, totally worth it if the weather is good).
Amazing and scenic views on the plateau, we highly recomand to hike up from the Laguna Azul at least until -39,53391 -71,73845.
End of Quetrupillan ascent following GPT track was easy given the afternoon melted snow. You can also pass by by the west of the summit and ascent by the more used NW path.
Day 3: Way down from Quetrupillan summit to the broken bridge at 58,6km following RR (very good camp site before the broken bridge).
Easy path, beautiful first part through araucaria forest, the rest through regular forest.
Day 4 morning: minor road during 10km (worth hitchhiking) until the crossing with 201.
We walked to Quilimo camping for the packrafting section 17P through rio Cua Cua.

* '''2025-01-22 to 2025-01-25 / 3 days / villaria traverse middle part hiking in-out / Steve Behaeghel & Katrijn + kids Lotta (9ys), Bosse (6ys), Pelle (3ys)

We did a 3 day trek starting at fundo porvenir (-39.476849 ; -71.786063) where we paid 15000CLP to leave our rental car with the very hospitable farmers (there is also a little campsite here with them). We did not buy a national park ticket and as expected we did not meet any ranger. We did only meet 4 small hiking groups during those 3 days.
We hiked up to the saddle between Villarica and Quetrupillan where we set up camp at (-39.476849 ; -71.786063) where there is still melting water from snow fields on Quetrupillan. A lot of fallen trees in the hike up via Estero Mocho.
From there we hiked up and back to Laguna Las Avutardas. Still some snow fields to cross above 1700m.
We hiked down via the alternative exit from the summit route of Quetrupillan.

* '''2025-01-09 to 2025-01-11 / 2.5 days / NOBO / RR / Mara and Tobias

Day 1 - walked 7.3 km from the Settlement, Shop {16} [66.5/237] to Bridge {16} [58.6/440] where we camped. Easy roadwalking, 2 hours. Day 2 - walked 24 km to Laguna Azul without difficulties. The trail is in a good condition, since people with motorbikes cross the park illegally. There were 6 other persons on the camping. Very beautiful spot. Day 3 - 32 km to Catripulli. Last Kilometres we got a lift. I sank up to my knees in the mud at Laguna Blanca. Watch your steps! We count 8 people on motorcycles that day. There are several Conaf signs indicating that motorcycles are illegal in the national park. Anyway, it was a nice section with various vulcanic rock formations, stunning views and beautiful araucarian forests!

* ''' 2025-JAN-05 > 07 / 2,5 jours / Randonnée / SOBO / RR > 16-A > RR > 16-02 > 16-03 > 16-02 > 16-02A > RR / Pierre-Marie '''

Etape : GPT14+GPT15+GPT16+GPT17+GPT18+GPT19
| Meteo : soleil
| Eau : plutot rare
| Neige : oui beaucoup
| Intérêt : 5/5
| Difficulté : 3/5
| Danger : gouffres sur le sentier

J'ai fait quelques achats a Curarrehue. La montée se fait bien même si certaines clôtures ne sont pas facile a passer. Il y a un ford au point (39.470744° S 71.631158° W). Il n'y a pas autant de point d'eau que d'habitude, et moi qui aime marcher sans eau, c'etait parfois limite. Il y a encore beaucoup de neige dès 1600m. Je campe au lac a 1830m et il est en grande partie glacé et recouvert de neige.
Volcan Quetrupillan facile car beaucoup de neige ce qui evite les pierriers, puis grande boucle dans la forêt. Il y a de l'eau mais l'accès est difficile. Quasiment tout le chemin est en bon état, même si des moto-cross et des quad sont passés et l'ont abimés. Il y a des gouffres sur le chemin. Au km 58,6 le pont est detruit. Un arbre couché par les locaux permet de passer.

'''2024-Jan-07 to 2024-Jan-10 / 3.5 days / Hiking / Eastbound / OH04, OH02, RR, OH01 / Sean & Neele'''

TLDR - Had to pay entrance fee and was checked by a ranger in day 2, plenty of water at this time of year due to snow melt, still some snow patches but not a problem at all.

Got an uber to the ski resort. A ranger stopped our uber and made us pay 10k each entrance fee.

Camped at 22.1km

Park ranger 31.9km - no one here but met a ranger further up the climb

34.6km - met a ranger clearing the trail. He checked we'd paid entry.

36.3km - last water until 42.8km. Trail is a bit overgrown/lots of blow downs between these two.

Camped at 42.8km

Took option 2 to Laguna azul patches of snow around pass 2.5km but all manageable.

RR Ford 36.6km just a stream at this point dry feet crossing.

Took variant A - water on this section at the moment.

Option 01 - passes 40.4km and 39.1km little snow patches but never a problem.

Camped at the lake 33.6km

We got a hitch from CONAF Puesco to Curarrehue in about half an hour and took the bus from there to Pucon.

*'''2025-JAN-02 to 2025-JAN-04 / 2 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''

This tranquil section of the trail offers stunning highlights, including the plateau beneath Volcán Quetrupillán, featuring a two lakes and breathtaking views of Volcán Lanín.

Between kilometer 6 and the bridge at [14.3/500], there are several gates you’ll need to climb over. At the settlement near this bridge, locals kindly allowed us to refill our water from their tap. Note that at coordinates -39.4708371, -71.6312554, there is a ford that is not marked on the track files.

While ascending through the forest, we encountered many cyclists going down the trail on mountain bikes. Once above the tree line, the landscape changed dramatically, revealing the majestic Volcán Lanín. On the plateau, patches of snow still covered several hundred meters of the trail in some areas.

The first ford in the Los Ríos region [36.6/1652] can be crossed dry-footed by stepping on rocks. From the crystal-clear Laguna Azul, we descended again into the forest, largely dominated by araucaria trees.

A great camping spot can be found just past the gate at [51.8/805]. Note that the old bridge at [58.6/440] no longer exists. However, a temporary log bridge has been installed, allowing for a safe crossing of the river.

21-12-21- 24-12-24/ 4 days / WEBO / OH01, RR, OH03, OH04/ Volker

Day 0: I went for cherrypicking and skipped gpt13-15. Bus at Liucura (end of gpt12) to Victoria at 7 a.m., direct connection to Temuco and from there to Pucon. Pucon is very touristic, I didn‘t like it and continued to Currarehue - nice town, everything for resupply, I recommend Hostal Quechupehuen (25k with breakfast)

Day 1: Very good weather forecast for 2 days. So instead of the long RR I took OH01 from Puesco (few cars on the road this morning, a local offered to give me a ride for 10k, fair offer). He would have brought me to the point, where OH01 leaves the PR, but I got out at the entrance of the Nationl Park. I think it‘s fair to pay the entrance fee (10k), untouched nature has a value. You don‘t have to walk along the PR, go 500 m to the east and you will find a path, that brings you to OH01 at S 39.549907° W 71.576084°.
Relaxed walk to Laguna Las Avutardas (many broken trees on the last 2 km). On the way to the pass first 1/3 swamp, 1/3 snowfields, later most parts of the trail covered by snow (flushy in the afternoon). Very, very scenic, most impressive section after many very beautiful others) Camped 1km before Laguna Blanca.
Day 2: Started early and left the RR at the ford at 36,6 (few water, snow bridges, take care) to go CC on the snow (99%} in the direction of Quatrepillan. Joined OH03 at S 39.502659° W 71.730390° and left my backpack there. While I was approaching the summit, the sun had melted the surface of the snow, what alllowed for a secure ascent to the summit on the steep slope with mini-spikes (last 200m some easy rock climbing). No clouds, no wind, stayed more than an hour on the Seat of the Gods. Back on OH03, , then OH04 (Villarica Traverse). Camped at a protected place on the ridge before the trail starts to go down to the ranger station.
Day 3: From 1750m down to 1050m (no Ranger there), up to 1250m, down to 1150m, up to 1500m. After leaving the forest zone very easy and scenic. Camped at S 39.459022° W 71.978801°
Someone should explore, if it‘s possible to follow the „Panorama Route“ (Conaf signs and on the OSM) and from the point, where this trail touches the glacier of Volcan Villarica go CC downhill to rejoin OH04.

Day 4: Tried to get to the Villarica summit. The southern side is less steep than all others, but local hikers had told me, there are many cleavages, moreover you see a bergschrund from below. Instead of going to the ski station (down from 1600m to 1400 + the ups and downs, I left my backpack at S 39.454841° W 71.982446° and went CC. The plan was a traverse to join the normal route from the ski station at around 2400 m. But when I arrived at the first snowfields at around 1800m it turned out, that even at 11 a.m. the snow was very hard. Just impossible without crampons. So I went back to my backpack and completed OH04. No summit, but very scenic, saw a puma. Lots of people at the ski station, many organised tours to the summit, all with complete equipment (crampons, ice peak and helmet). Hitchhiked down to Pucon.

* '''22Dec2024 - 27dec2024 / hiking / OH4 - OH3 - OH2 - RR - varA - OH1 (Villarrica traverse + summit quetrupillan) / 4,5 days / Clara'''

From Pucon, took uber in the afternoon to get to pucon ski station. 10k. Didn't stop at conaf so didn't pay anything.

Camp :
- -39.42611,-7198716. (Zanjón Voipir). Close to good water flowing. Nice spot with great views, almost flat spot on confortable soft sand.
- estero aihue (-39.47717,-71.88487). So nice spot with view on 3 volcanoes : villarrica, mocho y lanin. Incredible sunset.
- end of OH1, just under quetrupillan. Crazy high wind comming during the night that broke one of my tent pole. Better to find a wind protected spot, even if sunset up there was incredible.
- laguna azul : a paradise with shade, beach around the lake, can swim, really nice camp.

So nice traverse with great views all along.

No navigation issues even if the trail is a bit overgrown between 34 and 42km on OH4 and even more when descending on OH1 on kms before and after laguna las avutardas. Often slowing down.

No one at the conaf quetrupillan as it was Christmas.

Snow : few patches but nothing problematic. On quetrupillan volcan, was possible without spikes during morning (snow not too strong and neither to melted). The end is really steep climbing on snow. So nice view up there. Easy ski descent.
Water : all rivers flowing well at this time with snow melting.

Return : Hitchhike to Pucon was a bit hard (lots of cars but no one stoping). You can go down to the conaf point after end of the trail, good spot to hitchhike, there is free wifi, water, possible camp spot (the guy of conaf that was sleeping here told us it was ok if we couldn't find a car) and buses 1 or 2 times per day.

* '''Start 2024-11-18/ 3d / Hiking SOBO RR / Mo'''

Bus Liquine from Santiago to Curarrehue, after short part PR, MR with quite some fences to jump over, snow starting higher than 1400m, hitched to Liquine on MR and PR after crossing. Some small supermarkets and restaurants in Liquine

==Season 2023/24==
* '''2024 Apr 10th to Apr 13th / 4 days / Eastbound / Hiking / Villarica Traverse (Opt 4 + Opt 2 + RR + Var A + Opt 1) / Maddi and Tom'''

Day 1:
Got an Uber right up to the ski centre so didn't pay the entrance fee. Started walking along the side of the volcano with high winds blowing us over every time we gained a ridge - seems we started on the same day as Michael and Kasia but we didn't see them unfortunately. Small trickles of water available at a few points along the route but filled up all our bottles for the night at the marked tap (-39.43584,-71.99555). We persevered through the high winds but still only made it about 15km for the day before setting up camp just beyond Estero Nilfe (not really any water in it) in the outcrop of trees. Plenty of little camp spots out of the wind, with awesome volcano views. Lucky the wind completely died off as we were setting up and we had an awesome fiery sunset over the lake. Went to bed and had an eerily quiet night. We couldn't work out why until we realised this was the first time we hadn't camped next to running water for 3 months.

Day 2:
Awesome sunny and windless day walking along the volcanic landscape. Water a bit scarce along here but managed to fill up from some smaller trickles until we got to Estero Aihue for lunch - plenty of water flowing. Steep descent down into the forest, crossing Rio Llancahue (plenty of running water) before getting to the 4WD track. Pichillanchue has no camping signs around now so not sure if it is still a camp spot. We continued up the road, did a quick side trip up to the glacier (probably not really worth it unless you haven't seen a glacier yet) then walked along the road to the CONAF office at Sector Quetrupillan. Set up camp just after the bridge (-39.45825,-71.81663) and had a very frosty night. Water available from stream under the bridge.

Day 3:
Really picturesque day walking up the ridgeline along Sendero Los Venados - probably our favourite day. Super clear views of all the volcanoes including our first glimpse of Lanin. Fill up with water before gaining the ridgeline as we didn't encounter any after the spring at (-39.47151,-71.82642) until our lunch spot (-39.50227,-71.76688). A few tree obstructions and some steep bits down into the valley but awesome views! Had lunch below Quetrepillan and was debating whether to climb it. By this point it was engulfed in cloud so we decided to continue on without the summit (very sad). Took the detour out to the cool green waterfall in the middle of the volcanic landscape. Then began the climb up and over to Laguna Azul. Some snowy patches but overall fine to walk along. Started getting very windy in the afternoon. Lots of tents at Laguna Azul (and lots of waste, pretty gross). We found a spot in the trees but had a very windy night.

Day 4:
Woke up to high winds and clouds so decided to leg it out of there. Good views on the descent to Laguna las Avutardas but Lanin unfortunately in cloud. Walked all the way out to the road and tried for a hitch for about an hour. First time on the GPT so many cars flew by us - normally we get a hitch straight away! Finally got a ride in the back of a pick up to Curarrehue where we got the bus back to Pucon.

* '''2024 Apr 10th to Apr 18th / 7 hiking days & 1 zero day / Eastbound / Hiking / Villarica Traverse (Opt 4 + Opt 2 + RR + Var A + Opt 1) / Michael and Kasia'''

TL:DR The Villarrica Traverse was one of our favorite sections this season; we were really happy we did it in the fall because the color change in the leaves was really beautiful; going eastbound it definitely gets more beautiful as you progress; we had less trouble finding water than we anticipated given previous reports; we caught a hitch all the way to the ski center and so did not pay an entry fee, and we also did not encounter any guardaparques during the 9 days in the park.

Camp points:

Night 1 - (-39.39748, -71.96793)

Night 2 - Estero Nilfe (-39.45876, -71.97840)

Night 3 - Rio Pichillancahue (-39.46861, -71.85707)

Night 4 - Camping Chinay (-39.45898, -71.83026)

Night 5 - below Quetrupian (-39.50221, -71.76620)

Nights 6 and 7 - Laguna Azul (-39.54443, -71.74855)

Night 8 - after river (-39.334752, -71.393837)

Water points - we found water often in this section. Around Volcan Villarrica we would sometimes see just a faint trickle across the path, but by going above or below the trail just a few meters we would find pools of clean water.

Day 1 April 10th

We left Pucón around 09:00. It was sunny, but pretty windy. We walked to Camino Al Volcán since it was more likely that cars on that road would be going to the park. It took two hitches, the second took us all the way to the ski center ticket office. This bypassed the CONAF office which is located at the bottom of the hill, so we did not pay or register. The ski center was closed and the road from the ski center ticket office to the beginning of the trail is gated off to cars, so it was about a 2 km road walk on a dirt road. Right at the entrance to the trail to the left are two buildings, one looked like a garage, the other a kitchen/dining room for the ski center workers. There were some people there working. I stopped and asked if they could fill a bottle of water for me and they did. We started on the trail, but the wind was very strong. We got about 1.5 km into the trail before we decided that we wouldn't make it very far since we were spending almost as much time standing and bracing ourselves against the wind as we did walking. We backtracked to (-39.39748, -71.96793), where we had spotted a somewhat wind-protected spot in a small forest. The site can accommodate 1 tent, and is a little on an angle, but not too bad. Wind protection wasn't amazing, but much better than being out in the open. We found water a little further on the trail. It looked like just a trickle coming across the path, but 3 or 4 meters above the trail there were a couple of pools of clear water deep enough to ladle out water with my mug. It was a cloudless night and a really amazing, long lasting sunset, and we could see the red glow of the volcano reflected in the smoke coming out

Day 2 April 11th

A sunny, windless day. There were nice views of the valley below and it was a walk through a classic volcanic landscape, up and down the various zajons, and through some forests. Overall a beautiful day. We also collected a lot of chaura, the little white, pink or red berries. I called them foam berries because they have a kind of airy consistency, but they were sweet and enjoyable, vaguely apple/strawberry flavored I guess. They aren't really filling, but we enjoyed eating something novel and wild harvested.

We camped at (-39.45876, -71.97840) at Estero Nilfe. There was a flat space big enough for one tent. It just barely fit our Durston X-Mid 2, but we managed to squeeze it in. The sunset view was absolutely amazing. The water in the estero was nearly gone for the season. I had to walk about 25 m up the gulch until I found a trickle like a faucet that wasn't fully turned off, and it was still cloudy. I would recommend filling up at (-39.45497, -71.98195) for drinking and cooking before heading there. This was our favorite campsite of the section, not necessarily because of the site itself, but the views. Highly recommended, but also recommended to get there early if going in high season.

Day 3 - April 12th

We had a nice sunrise in the morning. The landscape for the day was almost entirely volcanic until the end. Kasia was very taken by it and enjoyed it a lot. We had a very interesting experience as well. At about 14:00 we crossed a dry river bed at Estero Tralco. We were standing part way up the hill on the far side. We were listening to a sound that we couldn’t tell if it was wind or water. We were looking up the river bed and finally, about 30 m up we saw running water. We kept watching and the water started getting closer. Within 10 minutes the water had gone past us, and the river bed, which had been dry when we crossed it just minutes before, suddenly had a stream probably a meter wide and 6 cm deep. It was very impressive to see a stream just appear before our eyes.

The path down to Rio Pichillancahue was in the forest, steep but in pretty good condition. We camped at (-39.46861, -71.85707). There were flat spots with space for two tents above the path and another one or two below, with decent river access. There is a sign that says “No Camping”, but it obviously had been a campsite at some point. We arrived nearly at dark so no one was around.

Day 4 - April 13th

We had a slow start. A few hikers passed by as we were wrapping up camp. I was surprised when we arrived at the road. I had anticipated a road that was too damaged to drive on, but there were a variety of vehicles parked or driving on the road throughout the day (it was a weekend). There were also a fair number of hikers along the road as well.

At (-39.46156, -71.84584) we encountered a wooden cross standing in a clearing just off the side of the trail. It was unclear if it was a religious thing or art. A little further back there was a short path going down and a water spigot that worked. The water seemed good, though I would probably filter it.

We camped at Camping Chinay (-39.45898, -71.83026). There were 10 or 12 campsites with picnic tables and benches. There were also a number of buildings, several of them clearly intended to be bathrooms. There is no running water, but the river is just a short walk back toward the main path. I'm not sure what happened there, but my best guess would be that it was a concession that started to build a campground and went bankrupt and just abandoned the project. It was a good spot for the night.

Day 5 - April 14th

We passed the CONAF office around 7:30, we didn't see anyone there. We filled up water at the first river crossing. It was a cloudy, still morning. The trail up for the first few km was in good condition and easy to follow. There were a few more water points on the way up. The one marked with a sign saying ”Water 20 m” was the last one we saw until we camped that night. We didn't need water, but I went down to check it out. The path down was very steep and there wasn't really easy access to the stream which was piled over with blow downs. A mug or something small would be helpful to ladle water out. There was also a huge araucaria that had dropped a ton of piñones there and we spent nearly an hour collecting. It was the only really good piñones score that we encountered during the section.

Immediately after that were a few problematic blow downs. The trail went into and out of forest sections with some amazing views in between. By the time we reached the pass it was mostly clear. The pass had an almost 360 view, and from one point we could clearly see to the east Lanín and Quetrupian ahead of us, to the north Volcán Llaima in PN Conguillio just to the west of GPT13, to the west Volcán Villarrica behind us, and to the south Volcan Coshuenco and Volcan Mocho in RN Coshuenco adjacent to GPT18. We had lunch at the pass.

The route down was very steep in some parts, and at times felt a little sketchy until we were back in the forest. I would not want to be doing it on a windy day, and I would definitely budget a little extra time. There were some tricky blow downs on the way down as well. We arrived at a water point at (-39.50221, -71.76620), a stream, and decided to camp next to it. There was a clear, flattish spot and the remnants of a past campfire. There was one more possible campsite 100 m or so on that we saw the next day.

Day 6 - April 15th

We awoke to Quetrupian completely covered in fog. We got a slow start hoping that it would eventually clear, but it remained that way throughout the day. We passed by the Volcán Quetrupian camping spot and were glad we had stayed where we did the night before. It was completely barren and exposed other than a couple of low rock walls. It started to get windy as we made our way down to Laguna Azul. We had seen on the weather that it was supposed to start raining that evening and rain the whole next day, so we wanted to get a good campsite to sit it out. The Laguna was very pretty, but the camping area is, as others have mentioned, kind of trashed. Additionally it was not so easy to find a good spot. Most of the flattish areas were essentially the bottom of a bowl that would accumulate water fast, and there was a lot of cold wind coming directly off the lake. We found a spot around (-39.54443, -71.74855) near a small beach on the way towards RR going south that was more wind protected. We set up two ponchos to have an outdoor cooking and eating area and did some extensive trenching around the tent and built a low rock wall on the water side.

Day 7 - April 16th

Rain, wind and fog all day. The trenching turned out to be very useful. The rain was heavier and lasted longer than the weather prediction, and the trenches filled multiple times throughout the day. Some water found its way into the tent, but not too much. We managed to stay dry overall. We spent the day cooking and peeling piñones in the outdoor area. It was very wet and very windy, but we were grateful to have a fairly protected spot.

Day 8 - April 17th

There were clear skies and sun in the morning. We took extra time getting the wet gear as dried as we could, anticipating that we might not have a good opportunity later. Ford [36.6/1652 ] was dry foot crossable. The water was milky. On the way down to the branch in the trail toward Laguna Blanca there was a good, clear stream that looks like a permanent feature given all the plant growth around it. We dropped the packs and walked to Laguna Blanca. Kasia liked it very much. It didn’t do much for me. There were some great views on the way up to the passes.

Once over the second pass and back into Chile, there were absolutely stunning views in the evening light. The whole valley had a magical quality. Along the route down much of the landscape is essentially wetland, so it was a little slow going to not get our feet wet. We camped at (-39.334752, -71.393837) just on the other side of the river. The spot was above the path tucked away in the trees. It was a fairly large clear spot, though on somewhat of an angle. Going back out to the path, we had an exceptional sunset view over the mountains.

Day 9 - April 18th

We had an amazing sunrise in the morning. The route down continued to be wet and boggy in many places, requiring careful choice of footing. There were great views on the way down with the fall color. The trail through the woods above Laguna Las Avutardes was better, though there were some blow downs. We did not make the detour to the lake. There was a very nice forest further on with some very large trees. We hiked down to the highway and tried to hitchhike from the rest stop just across the street from the cafe, which was closed when we were there. After a bit with no luck we started hiking the highway down. After about 30 minutes a Mapuche man in a truck stopped without us even trying to hitchhike and offered us a ride to Currarehue which we gratefully accepted. He dropped us off on the main street in town and we caught a bus a few minutes later to Pucón.

* '''2024-Mar-24 to 2024-Mar-28 / 4.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / 04 02 RR B / Matthias de Austria'''

No snowfields, Tabanos, Mosquitos and only very easy fords. Clean water is limited in some parts. Water markers flowing. Laguna Azul nice for a swim.

Started in Pucon, going for 04 Villarrica Traverese, the one Uber on Sunday forenoon does not want the job up to the ski center, and hitchhiking is harder then expected on this sunny, blue sky sunday. So first lots of road hiking, got 3 short rides later on.
Rangerstation at -39.349925,-7196941 Entry fee is 8k, friendly ranger, you get a map, not that useful though. The ranger paints the possible campsites on it.

Water at -39.435836,-71.995461
Next clean water at -39.454973,-71.981950 camp here or take water for camp next to Estero Nilfe.

First camp at Estero Nilfe, very brown, sandy, fast stream: -39.458163,-71.978453, camp: -39.458755,-71.978396
Next water again very brown and sandy at -39.476059,-71.924327
Tiny stream of fresh clean water at -39.474726,-71.891417
Bigger clean stream at -39.477181,-71.886020
Further at -39.475188,-71.874056
Bridge over not so clear water at -39.467944,-71.857586
Next clean water at -39.461168,-71.832391

Second camp at ranger camp -39.456630,-71.817651 (noone around there). There are toilets, access to river 5m southeast at the bridge -39.457709,-71.816879
Soon next clean water at -39.461418,-71.819858 I think there is one more fresh water soon after, but not sure. Take a bit, there is non for a while until -39.502209,-71766203
Next at -39.507045,-71.754523

Few km after park ranger 04 31.9 on 04 is partly overgrown and lots of fallen trees, especially on ridge on downhill from ridge to the east. Third Camp nearby close to the waterfalls around -39.511782,-71.750506 some stonewalls for tents but no larger vegetation. Shortly after last water until lake azul. Amazing viewpoint south of pass 2.5/1924. Ford 40.3/1593 should be dry feet crossing now, I built some stone islands into the stream.

Quite dense forest afterwards, next possible camp where 02a ends, but not so nice and no water. Afterwards regulary patches of meadows but without water. Path at -39.652889,-71.843811 impassable but wacky lodge bridge at -39.652985,-71.843994, just a few meters west. Bridge at 58.6 is gone but easy ford a few douzen meters southeast. Camp after ford, asked the guy from the settlement, he is super chill and say I can choose wherevee I want to put my tent. Meadows full of shit though. Around 8-9pm massive blast of Bumm-Bumm music from the settlement, easy to hear even 200m away next to the river and with earplugs.

Gate at RR eastwards at junction B. Got a lift there to Liquiñe. Panderia, pasteria, minishop and cafeteria at -39.741773,-71.855479. I said I take 10 eggs if they cook it hard, they do so for 1k. +3k for the eggs.

Parts of Villarica Traverse is really beautiful. Southern parts of RR it's long, long boring road walking.

* '''2024-Mar-05 to 2024-Mar-08 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + summit Quetrupillan / Juliet and Martin '''

Day 1 Cararrehue to (-39.47055, -71.63177)

We left Cararrehue after sleeping in a campsite (altitude 360) for 7000 pesos per person. It's a good idea to stock up on water, as the rivers are milky. We filtered the water with our water bottles and it was fine. Lots of gates to climb. We slept in the forest near a river at the entrance to the national park. We recommend it.

Day 2 from (-39.47055, -71.63177) to Laguna Azul

We reached the laguna blanca, which is also milky. Magnificent. Great bivouac spot at laguna azul, which is finally transparent. Several places to shelter from the wind. There are a few people and garbage, but it's easy to get away from them and set up camp.

Day 3 ascent of Quetrupillan volcano

A long day's walk to the summit of Quetrupillan volcano and back. Lots of wind. Magnificent views, a must! We decided to do the grand tour, following the marked path (track on gaia) and not the GPT tracks after reading about other experiences on wikiexplora. We didn't encounter any technical difficulties. Long climb and very steep at the end. We recommend following the Gaia trail.
Back to laguna azul where we had left our gear to climb lighter.

Day 4 laguna azul a ruta 201 CH
We finally finished this section in one last day due to bad weather (continuous rain). Last day in the forest. No interest beyond that. We rejoined ruta 201 CH, where we were quickly picked up and hitchhiked to Conaripe. We stayed in Conaripe at the Hotel Chumay, which is very good and not too expensive.
There are buses in Conaripe, and we took one to Licanray as we'd missed the direct one to Panguipuilli, but it runs once a day. From Licanray we reached Panguipuilli and then Valdivia.

* '''From 2024-03-06 to 2023-03-08 // 2,5 day // Hiking // NOBO // RR + summit Quetrupillan // Quentin Clavel'''

After a long, smooth and easy to follow ascent, threw gravel road then nice and large forest track, and finally lovely little path, I reached the volcanic plateau.

It was very windy when I arrived at Laguna Azul, and I really hesitated to go up to the volcano Quetrupillan. I finally put my pant and jacket on, and start the climb, without my bag that I left at the campsite next to the Laguna.

Even if it's windy, I think the first part of the climb is definitely worth it, to have this amazing view on Villarica on one side and Lanin on the other ! Stunning !

Then I continue, but didn't follow the GPX track, and just cross country threw different snow patches, and loosing rocks area, to reach the crater (east part). I stayed there less than 2 minutes I guess, the wind was just that crazy that thought I'll be blown away.

The view up there is pretty nice, but from where I was on the crater, I've got the summit part in front of me that hide the Villarica volcán. Anyway, with these conditions it wasn't doable to go to the summit safely. So I just went down, sliding on volcanic little rocks and snow patches, lot of fun !

I found back my bag and spent the night at Laguna Azul campsite, enjoyed to be sheltered from the wind on this tiny forest.

Before leaving the area make sure to fill your water as you'll not have clear/clean water for a while.

The next day was very hard because of the harsh weather. It was rainy a lot, very windy and so cold. I even was into a snow storm on the volcanic plateau and all the length until the entrance on the forest. That wasn't fun at all ! I struggled a bit on the turn around laguna blanca, as the water from the heavy rain created some small rivers that I had to cross.

Then as the altitud decrease, snow became rain, and it finally stopped to turn into blue sky at the end of the day.

From the volcanic plateau, you'll alternate between forest trail, gravel road and asphalt road. Mostly very easy to follow. Few time you'll pass kind of residentially place, all the people that I met were absolutely lovely !

Between PK 12 and PK 8, you'll have few gates and fences to jump. I met Don Carlos at PK12, he's the owner of the property where you have to climb 2 fences and pass a gate, very nice and kind man, he even escorted me to pass the first gate and the fence and explained me the way very precisely.

Then after PK8, you reach a gravel road, it was longer for me because I stopped very regularly to eat looooot of blackberrys and plums that I found on the way. Finally, you'll reach the internacional road, and the city of currarehue.

Currarzhue is kind of a big city, where you'll find easily places to resupply (there's at least 4 supermarkets and 10 minimarkets), foodplaces and accomodation (cabanas, hospedaje and hostel (at the end of the city)). Didn't checked in all supermarkets, but there's a good chance to find Gaz in this city I reckon, if not in supermarkets, probably in ferretería ?

* '''2024-Feb-23 to 2024-Feb-25 / 2.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + OH 02 +03 + B/ Joscha'''

Day 1: RR [0.0-34.6]

Bus from Pucon to Curarrehue leaves frequently from the terminal Vipu-Ray (-39.27753, -71.97265) and costs 2000 Pesos. I had to climb a locked wooden gate (8.6), locked barbed wire gates (10.1 and 11.4.) and barbed wire fence (9.8 and 11.7) while following the RR. Other than that the first 20 km are pretty easy to walk and relatively boring. There was a little stream next to RR at km 11.2. At km 15.7 and 18.3 it's possible to acces Estero Huililco. The RR crosses a small river at km 23.1, which is the last water source until Laguna Blanca. There is plenty of flat space for camping all around Laguna Blanca.

Day 2: RR [34.6-40.2] + to Volcan Quetrupillan and back on OH16-02 + OH16-03

There are still some big snow patches on OH16-03, but they can be avoided with some rock scrambling. Just before the Summit of Quetrupillan I had to use both my hands for climbing up. On the way down I took the OSM trail that leaves the RR at -39.49735, -071.72325 and rejoines the RR at -39.50155, -071.72667. It's pretty steep, but I didn't had to use my hands to climb down. But I had to maneuver around some snowfields to get back to the RR. There are a few water sources during the first 2 km of OH16-03. The view from Volcan Quetrupillan is amazing and the hike to the summit isn't to hard.

Day 3: RR [40.2-64.5] + OH16-B

The Bridge at km 58.6 is gone, but its an easy ford. Possible camping spot just south of water marker at km 44.2. I took OH16-B down to the main road and hitched from there to Conaripe. There is water at all water/ford markers on the whole RR.

Outside of the area around Volcan Quetrupillan the RR is pretty boring. A traverse from the ski area (OH16-4) over Quetrupillan to Puesco Norte (OH16-1) is the more scenic route.

* '''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.

* '''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

* '''2023-01-02/05 / 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-02 to 07 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / Huella Andina plus new options / Natalie & Tomáš'''
[Note 2024 November: This is not in the GPT yet at all, but it is in our suggestions in the 2024 Track files. This is a start of an alternative Argentinian route connecting GPT16 all the way to GPT21. In our opinion, for hikers it is probably better as it involes a lot less roadwalking and is very scenic (and the roadwalking there is is mostly easily hitchable). It might be slightly mode difficult than the RR. This is especially useful when coming from the Villarica traverse. What follows is roughly what corrresponds to GPT16 to middle of GPT18, next log is in GPT18H. Look also at Hannes von S report who followed us:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/posts/1754087775097101/.

Our pictures: https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/posts/1758304798008732/.]

In summary, we crossed the border into Argentina from Pucon and gained a ridge beneath Lanin's east face and traversed it towards a hiking trail in Argentina known as "Cara Sur Volcán Lanin". We then utilized the Huella Andina (HA) to end in San Martin. It took us ~5 days.

Day 1: Pucon-border-camp 1
From Pucon we took the Pullman Bus ("IGI LLAIMA") heading to San Martin, Argentina. It is the only company going to Argentina and leaves at 11:00am. I figured it would be the easiest way to cross the border and also the most likely way to keep food from being checked. It worked but it was slow and expensive (19 thousand CLP per person). They never ended up asking about food in the end, but the bus driver told us no fresh food was allowed and to make sure to have your PDI paper (a photo of it works too). The bus driver let us out at the National park guards for the Lanin park (we failed to explain we wanted to get off 2 km down the road). Luckily nobody at the park asked us what we were doing. We just continued walking on the road and got a hitch 2km to the start of the route. It took about 4hours to get from Pucon to the start, border time waits will vary. There just so happened to be a locked gate where we started and an old road, we jumped over it and prepared our things under some Aracaurias.

It looked as if there were many options for access but we decided against following any of the side ridge lines and instead aimed for a green bushy bowl at the top of a gentle valley in front of us. The valley is between a highly cliffy ridge to the right (the first one post Lanin) and a slightly rocky ridge on the left. There was an old road that took us to the base of the slope. The road goes along a circle, one might want to go directly cross country. Anyway, then we marched up the first steep slope through low shrubbery. On top we then made an ascending traverse to the left side of the valley, crossing through a fairly recent burn zone and a creek that runs in the middle. Despite the trees down, the walking was still pleasant, there were cow tracks here and there that we could follow. Looking from top of the first hill where the burnt Araucarias are, there was a nice non bushy c-shaped curve on the left of the creek that looked like it would take you in nicely.

To get to the top of the ridge (or green bowl as I say) you will have to cross some shrubbery but it was never terrible, only ~300m of rather easy bush bashing. However, getting from the creek to the shrubbery was rather steep. We followed a sloped washout, it was a mixture of steep rock (mostly solid) and hollow dirt, which seemed to enjoy engulfing your leg at times (postholing through dirt). I wouldn't worry about it too much, but to some it may be uncomfortably steep.
We made camp at the top of the ridge in a grassy plateau with water (-39.63637, -71.43107), unfortunately it was very windy.

Day 2 - Camp 1 - lanin Traverse - Lago Paimun
The next day we ascended a bit above camp and then followed underneath a ridgeline and made a long traverse with mild up and downs to the main pass before the ugly moraine part near one of Lanin's SE glacier's (-39.66646, -71.47695). The traverse before the moraine was easy, one could take many ways, the terrain was simple and there was lots of water. The moraine however had more obstacles and the hanging glacier up high made crossing in the mid day heat feel a bit intimidating. My main worry was crossing Arroyo Rucu Leufu near the end, my plan was to cross it high but since there was still solid snow covering it, we crossed it easily (breaking through was not a worry but if it happened it would have terrible consequences, therefore maybe aim to cross it higher than where we crossed, when snow is gone, fording should be easier). For the moraine crossing, one could traverse it high or low. My plan was to cross low where the moraine walls were less steep but we did a bit of both, Tomáš traversed closer to the 2000m mark and it was fine for him, I dropped down to see how the lower slopes were and I was happier on them. However if you go low you will have to climb back up no further than the moraine rib ~ here (-39.67443, -71.48657) as it is the one before Arroyo Rucu Leufu.
Once we hit the lookout trail on the other side the 10km decent went very fast. Apart from the unnecessary river crossing we did twice; the signage and gps are misleading and make you ford the river twice but there is a trail now that stays on the west side of the river, no need to cross. Near the end of the trail we took a dirt road on our right to get to camping Mawizache faster. I was told this camping had good food, but I wish we had just gone straight to the boat crossing and camped on the other side. However, bcs of this we never crossed the park entrance so noone ever ended up asking questions...

At Mawizache we had our first taste of bizarre Argentina currency exchange. The camping was an okay price (2mil each) but the dinner ended up costing us a lot more than expected. I had changed a 50us bill to Argentina pesos in Pucon but it was such a terrible rate (25000pesos for a 50, almost half of what I should have gotten) that I could not even afford to buy the dinner. Because of this we had to pay with a 50usd bill or 100usd bill bcs anything less cannot be exchanged in Argentina. We got the change back in pesos at a rate around ~1usd:650pesos. Long story short, it sorted itself out and it was nice to have a dinner on the lake, the trout and wine was excellent but she forgot to make two other dishes we ordered. We bought some white bread loafs from the man at the camping for 1mil each.

Day 3: Lago Paimun - Termas Camping
As for the next day, we crossed Lago Paimun by the little boat with a bell (-39.74619, -71.52482). It cost 3mil each bcs we were not staying at the campsite. Another reason we should have crossed the night before (hours for the boat bell system are 8-13:00 and 15:00-20:30). The camp there is run by a large family, they had bread and probably other food as well. We had to register our names and then the elder showed us the start of the Huella Andina trail behind her house.
The Huella Andina trail was signed and easy to follow. The first half of it on the way to the road was super fast and then near the end it became more slow and slightly grown over, but never terrible. Only one river ford.
The border road that this trail shoots you out on is closed for car traffic, it seemed. There is a barricade at the border checkpoint and no one stationed there. After the checkpoint the road becomes very much a "road" and seems to see a lot of vehicle traffic. We arrived at the hotsprings almost too early as there were a few groups. The hotsprings were once taken care of, now abandoned. There is this incredibly annoying wooden walkway that takes you to them (~800m) and then if you continue on it you get to the camping. The walkway is falling apart in places and there is a small suspension bridge that I hope does not collapse on somebody. We had dinner and got water by this suspension bridge and went back to the hotsprings when everyone was gone. The main one is bath water temperature (it is the largest and with a wooden patio like feature). There is another one maybe 30m before that is more dirty but warmer. The other ones that exist are way too hot, I think they are 60-70 degrees.
Instead of walking back we followed the broken walkway to the Termas camping and slept there. Didn't realize untill the morning it was payed camping, so we payed 2mil each.

Day 4: Termas- Achen Niyeu area -camp near pass
The road was not so bad, we got a hitch for the last 5km. Lots of cars going up to the hot springs but it was a bit too early for downward traffic. Laguna Verde is very popular and we thought they would charge us a day rate so we tried to cross the lagoon where it was narrow - that was a fail, too deep. They didn't charge us anyways so it was a waste of time but they did need us to register. Apart from trying to avoid Laguna Verde, it actually was a nice place in the end. The owners are a young and easy to get along with couple, their shop had lots of treats like pizza, bread, muffins and other basics. The rest of the day was slow for us as we were trying to plan an alternative ridge traverse but then the weather started to move in so we just hid our bags and went up Achen Niyeu quickly. The way down was probably the closest I will get to skiing this year. The plateau around Achen Niyeu was an incredibly beautiful volcanic landscape, easy to sit and admire for some time. Due to weather and Tomáš 's leg acting up we made an early camp in the trees on the other side of the pass. There is a tarped shelter set up where we camped, either for emergencies or for someone else (-39.88473, -71.54229).

Day 5 pass camp- bush camp
We may have missed the rain but we definitely had to deal with the consequences the next morning. The trail is still in good shape down from the pass but since it is still bushy and muddy in spots we got drenched from wet grass and leaves. The refugio Rincón de los pinos would have been a nice place to camp and so would have Auquinco. We went to Auquinco thinking it would be abandoned, but we wanted to see the state of the trail that supposedly goes around the lake, we were hoping there was a chance one could cross Lago Lolog to get to the other trails on the opposite side. It does not look like this is possible without weeks/months worth of machete work. There was a man, a citizen park-ranger or something like that, who was called Juan and based at Auquinco for the summer. He had a funny character and was very welcoming. He offered coffee and a place above his fire to dry our things and also told us no one has used those trails around the lake for at least 10 years.[November 2024: Tomáš has since removed that noexistent trail from OSM, it went west along the northern shore of Lago Lolog.] We enjoyed the pretty surroundings and then headed to the end of the trail near "bush camp" (40.0211644S, 71.3612525W) for our final night. The bush camp is just a few spots in the lake shore, no services, since it is free, but it is far nicer than the paid camping (7.5mil).
Next day we hitched back to San Martin easily.

* '''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 in 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 [November 2024: Tomáš'es version is now in OSM and also in our suggestions to the Track files].

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 [November 2024: it is in OSM,though you do no want to follow it all the way going west; you want to stay higher and traverse a bit, it is included in our suggestions to track files].

If it wasn't for bad weather I think this traverse could be done easily in 3 days, 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 all the way to the top 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.

=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:
You can rent a cabin for 50 000 pesos (ask at supermercado Katty) (February 2025 - Peggy)

==Resupply and Accommodation along the Route==

Quentin : Currarehue is kind of a big city, where you'll find easily places to resupply (there's at least 4 supermarkets and 10 minimarkets), foodplaces and accomodation (cabanas, hospedaje and hostel (at the end of the city)). Didn't checked in all supermarkets, but there's a good chance to find Gaz in this city I reckon, if not in supermarkets, probably in ferretería ?

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]]
[[File:GPT_10_Volcán_Quetrupillan_119226462.jpg|thumb|center|1100px]]
[[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]]

GPT22 (Cochamo)

2025-02-24T21:08:18Z

SteveBehaeghel:

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

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


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

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


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

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

=Overview=
* 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 (but people were usually let through when they say they go all the way to El Arco).

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/26==

==Season 2024/25==

'''2025-02-01 to 2025-02-05 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO (partly) / option 8 / Steve Behaeghel & Katrijn + kids Lotta (9ys), Bosse (6ys), Pelle (3ys)'''

When we hiked/packrafted the GPT21-GPT22 back in 2013 we had some very nice stays with settlers in the valle ventisquero, so we decided to come back with our kids this season.

We did a 4 day trek starting at rancho Velazquez-Alegria (-42.02312, -71.93288) after an extensive almuerzo with the campesinos which we had not seen since 2013.
There is a bridge over the Rio Correntoso (-42.02938, -71.94279) where you can leave a car, so no need to do difficult ford near the mouth of the ice stream into the ventisquero river.

The first 5km it's all ripio walking where it changes in a trail just next to a ranch. There is nice camping on the river banks at (-42.01151, -72.02404).
There are safe cable crossings for Río Alicia (-42.02393, -72.05756) and Rio Unniverso (-42.03852, -72.12473).
There are several settlers in the valley which offer camping (see picture on FB page, rincon bonita is glamping with fly-in guests, so skip that one). Our objective of the hike was Bernaditta Alegria which offers camping at 6000CLP/person with hot showers included.

Bernaditta also offers half board (delicious food) sleeping in a bed for 45000CLP/pers/night. She has starlink internet nowadays, which is free to use when she puts on the solar battery 2-3 times a day for like half an hour. She still remembers well when we stayed at her ranch back in 2013, because on the night when we camped there, a puma came out of the mountain which killed a sheep somewhere 50m from our tent. It's a lovely place to go with kids.
There are a lot of wasps because of the fruit trees, so in autumn they might become very aggresive.

'''2025-01-25 to 2025-01-27 / 3 days / Packrafting / SOBO (partly) / RP / Thijmen Scholten'''

* Primer Coral has a very nice campspot. Chance there will be kayakers around doing the upper section of Rio Puelo with class 5 rapids you can watch them paddle it, it's insane.

* I heard there is a cabin you can stay up on Río Ventisquero would be a nice option and you can leave part of your gear/food at the camping. And do an overnight trip. Rio Ventusquero supposed to be very nice.

* I was lucky to go with another group of Kayakers into the Rio Puelo and into the rapids at the Canyon. I had no whitewater experience but the camping owner convinced me it was doable and safe even if I fall. It was nice to paddle the Canyon and the waves felt huge. I had a decked packraft that still filled with water, which was nice and made it more stable.

* So if you are here and get the chance on going with a group of Kayakers into the Canyon and rapids , it will be a nice experience

* First I would continue after the rapids and the pickup would take my backpack. But I decided to go back with the pickup to Primer Coral and continue next day towards Argentinia.

* First part of the trail from primer coral to Lago de Las Rocas is closed the settler there told me. You can join the trail from road V723. But I went from Lago Azul.

- The trail (blue line) towards Lago Azul already started earlier. * From the road at you left side there is already a sign with trail towards Lago Azul.

* Lago de Las Rocas went fast with wind in the back.

* I had to stay at the border crossing because they only had electricity at 7 p.m. to register me. Next morning from 8.00 I could pick up my passport. I did not fill in am online form beforehand and that was no problem.

* I went to the Argentinian border crossing that is indicated at the map. But because I was with a boat they did not let me. I had to get my passport stamped at the maritime office at the end of the lake at the beach of lago Puelo. So if you decide to skip lago Puelo/El Bolson than you better not show that you are by boat and pretend you are walking.

*'''25Jan2024 - 28jan2024 / hiking NOBO / RR (El Manso to Cochamo) / 3 days / Clara'''

From Cochamo to get to El manso, there is the bus - ferry (lake tagua tagua) - bus. First bus pass at Cochamo every day around 10am. It comes from Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas before.
First bus is 3k. Boat 1.3k. 2nd bus 500.

At El manso there are 2 little negocios. In front of the first one there is a cervecería with a nice terrasse, artisanal beer and wifi. Sadly it was closed on this super hot begining of afternoon !
There is an inconstant but working phone coverage there (entel).

Lago Vidal Gomez. Possible to ask at the camping to cross the lake by boat, Francisco do the traverse during summer. 35k that can be devided until 4 people. May make you pay less if he has to go to the other side anyway to get other people. The family here also sell good bread, vegetables, beers, sweets,...

Because of rainy night, I slept on the north side of the lake at the first house. Marguerita has a sort of barn where you can sleep/pitch a tent and also make fire (for 5k). Dry toilets and water.

Then trail was on better conditions than I expected.
Camp sites along lago grande are really nice.
Refugio El Arco is a really good shelter if bad weather (all in wood, nice roof, closing windows).

Between El arco and la junta very muddy trail but nothing impassable even after a rainy night. It just slow down a lot.

The valley is really nice.

La Junta - Cochamo : overrun +++.

There are multiple buses going back to Cochamo from the end of the trail

*'''2025-JAN-20 to 2025-JAN-27 / 7 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + OH (Var. 01 / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel)'''

Stage 22 is one of the longest sections of the GPT, but from our perspective (also thanks to our route choice), it wasn’t particularly difficult. Due to health issues and plenty of time (we had a scheduled meeting in Bariloche on a specific date), we took the stage quite leisurely.

The first part to La Junta is very busy, with a large number of day hikers. That wasn’t really our thing, so we rushed ahead into the wilderness, which starts right after the camps in La Junta.

In the Rio Puelo valley, due to health issues, we chose Variant 01 and rejoined the RR at Puerto Urrutia at the start of 22S.

The most surprising and interesting stop on the trail for us was meeting señira Alexandra at Lago Verde, where we spent an entire morning on the lake on boats and doing deep water solo climbing. (More details in the BIVOUACING section.)

ENTRY INTO VALLE COCHAMÓ

The first major challenge is entering Cochamó Valley, but it’s not as complicated as it might seem.

The entry checkpoint is at Road End {22N} [109.8/58], and access to the valley is free. However, due to high visitor numbers, there are relatively strict regulations. To be allowed entry, you need to follow these rules:

If you want to camp near La Junta, you must have a reservation through www.reservasvallecochamo.org and bring confirmation of your reservation to the checkpoint. Entry is permitted between 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

If you want to camp at Refugio El Arco, no reservation is needed, but entry is only allowed between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM.

The time restrictions aren’t enforced too strictly, but you shouldn’t arrive much later. According to locals, it’s also theoretically possible to enter very early in the morning before any staff arrive, avoiding the need to follow these rules.

However, we personally recommend adhering to the official regulations. There are many visitors (often with little or no experience), and if the beauty of this valley is to be preserved, some regulation and monitoring are necessary. This is also why camping outside of the designated campsites in the valley is prohibited.

For GPT hikers, the best option is to enter the valley in the morning, explain your plans, and then hike to El Arco, where there is plenty of space for tents and camping is free. (Although volunteers manage the site and, like at the entry point, record visitor details.) If you follow this approach, there’s no reason you wouldn’t be allowed in, and you will still comply with all the rules.

CHALLENGES

Ford at Rio Traidor {22N} [95.9/340] was very easy. All other fords on this section were also crossable with dry feet, except for the final fords over Rio Azul at the very end.

Bridge {22N} [80.9/645] doesn’t exist, but the river can be crossed on fallen logs.

Bridge {22N} [51.8/146] (Rio Steffen) was washed away. There is a cable car alternative, or you can cross using fallen logs.

At Settler {22S} [7.2/215], a man yelled at us from a house, saying we shouldn’t walk there. He seemed angry, and we didn’t feel like arguing. Instead, we walked a short stretch along the road and then rejoined the trail by climbing over a valley (near coordinates -41.98297, -71.88292). This involved a short bush-bash and crossing a creek on fallen logs.

The trail around Las Rocas is quite overgrown in one section, with many fallen logs. This rough stretch is between km 17.8 {22S} (-42.05306, -71.83367) and km 19.9 {22S} (-42.06622, -71.81971). We believe it may be possible to bypass this section using other trails, as well-maintained paths connect before and after it, but we didn’t try it ourselves and just bush-bashed through.

Border control was quick and completely problem-free on both sides.

BIVOUACING

The first night, we camped at La Frontera Camp at the entrance to Cochamó Valley. It’s a small and very nice eco-camp, where making a reservation is a good idea. Staying here was a special experience for us, as it is run by Pavel, a fellow Czech.

At El Arco, there’s a shelter, though it doesn’t have much sleeping space. However, right next to it is a large grassy area with plenty of room for tents.

At -41.56978, -71.93585 (km ~64.3 {22N}), there’s a beautiful flat campsite with a refugio.

At Bridge {22N} [63.0/337] (Rio El Colorado), there’s a fire pit with benches and a small tent spot.

One night, we camped in the backyard of Valle Puelo Brewery. They let us stay for free, but the roosters woke us up early.

At -41.96567, -71.90571 (Lago Verde), there is a settlement run by a very kind woman named Alexandra and her brother. They offer cabins for rent, but they also allowed us to camp in our tents for 8,000 CLP per person. The price included free kayak rental for a paddle on the lake. We highly recommend staying here. It is also the only reasonable access point to the lake. Elsewhere, the shoreline is covered with dense vegetation or cliffs.

WATER

There is plenty of water available. The trail runs along rivers and crosses many smaller streams.

RESUPPLY

Cochamó has several minimarkets, a hardware store (where you can buy gas cartridge), a pharmacy, post office, and plenty of restaurants and food stalls.

At the Road End {22N} [109.8/58] (Valle Cochamó entry checkpoint), there is a food truck open in summer with fast food, and a small store nearby selling snacks and some basic groceries.

We bypassed Camp La Junta via Toboganes, so we have no info on current shopping options there.

At Lake, Settler, Camp $ {22N} [70.9/602], we bought very good and reasonably priced fresh cheese and beer. They likely have some other basic supplies as well.

Shop {22N} [43.0/49] is operational. It’s small but sufficient for basic resupply.

Settlement, Shop, Bus {22N} [40.7/36] (El Manso) is a complex of brewery with the best beer we've had in Chile so far. The store is slightly better stocked than the previous one and sells gas cartridges.

Llanada Grande has a fairly large and well-stocked supermarket.

At the start of 22S, there’s a restaurant with its own brewery (Hostal Puelo Libre).

TRANSPORT

A bus from Lago Puelo to El Bolsón runs every hour (around the full hour) and costs 1,800 ARS per person.

* '''2025-01-24 to 2025-01-26/ 2days / Packrafting/ SOBO/ Option 02, RP, Option 09, Option 03/ Natalie & Tomáš'''

Coming from Cochamo, where we had to organize getting a new neck gasket, we once again set off towards Lago Azul. The bus for the Lago Tagua Tagua arrived in Cochamo at 10:20am and left at 10:30am (around here, -41.49304, -72.30553). It came five minutes after the bus that goes from Puerto Montt to the trailhead. We left Rio Puelo at 12:00 after ten minute break and when we got to the ferry (didn't look @ time), before we could get out of the bus and pay the driver, the ferry that was docked left and we had to wait about half an hour for the next one. Lots of people, so Entel did not work. On the other side, the two buses were waiting. The bus did its regular stop at Llande Grande (~10min - they have a very good non industrial salami there) and then we got off where the road to Lago Azul goes. We had to remind the driver to stop for us around 15:30. We managed to get a hitch quickly, but it was short lived. There is a man watching a gate (7mil for the car owner, nothing for us) and the car was only allowed to go ~1km further to a parking here -41.90928, -71.88832 (maybe because it wasn't 4-wheel drive, an/ or they only allow certain [local?] people to go all the way to the beach, not sure). The road to lake has very recently been "upgraded" and is quite ugly. 02B and 02C are probably roads too, based on satellite and little survey where 02B joins 02A. At the beach there were a stand selling empanadas, a toilet, about 20 people and 4 cars parked. We started paddling around 18:00. First going west for ~600m to check out an alternative trail Tomáš was interested in that is on OSM leading to here: -41.92170, -71.87635. The trail exists, but might be somewhat unused, as there seems to be a new road for cars built above it too. Anyway, it looks like a more attractive and shorter approach to Azul, somebody needs to investigate it (we only noticed the trail half way on 02A). The start of the lake outlet (20 m) is magical with its blue-green water, a nice detour. The waves got stronger near the middle of the lake but then eased quickly. Near the end of the lake we had almost calm water. We camped at a spot we noted last year when hiking: -41.98306, -71.84801. It has a small flowing creek but is near a cottage. Both years of being here we have not seen anyone in it, you can camp in the trees and be mostly hidden. People vacation in tents 200m along the lake shore. Lago Azul is very pretty.

The next day was straightforward. Lago Los Rocas was "reflection-like" calm, despite starting around 11:00. We were worried about the boat and the Chilean Carabineros (read Jan's description in the manual) so we put the boat and equipment into the duffel bag and placed it all outside the Carabineros building, entering without our luggage. Everything went well because the men were nice (same ones from last year). However, we were almost busted when they asked us specifically if we were going to Argentina on foot or by boat. At first we said boat, but then they asked who was taking us, and when we struggled to come up with an explanation, they seemed to take our silence as a language misunderstanding and asked us again, so to make things easier, we said we were walking. We then slipped down using Variant U. If you are uncomfortable about this, it might be worth just putting your boat in your bag and walking the 3km to the next beach along RH. Variant S does not exist. Lago Inferior was once again sadly not windy, we started around 16:00. We were hoping to have a bit more horsepower from the waves and wind. They got stronger near the end but only at the very end, and it wasn't that strong. Tomáš and I had a small misunderstanding about our end goal at the lake. Tomáš wanted to walk up the river to scout the rapids and possibly run them back I, being completely unaware of the obvious, agreed. I thought we most likely wouldn't run them and just walk on the other OSM trail. What I didn't know was that the river flowed against us, despite looking at satellite images and saying, "why does it look like the rapids are going in the wrong direction?". Like I said, unaware of the obvious. When I realized the river went against us I instantly hated the idea, but we were already past the normal take out point, so in the end we went for it. The first longish set of rapids (class II, around here: -42.10240, -71.73502) is north (river right), so you cannot just connect to the OSM trail next to the river. We crossed to southern shore of the river. If you want to follow us, aim for it directly. Then it was a slow 400m walk and 100m paddle up to here -42.10413, -71.73233, before we could safely ferry to northern shore (to which we kept from then on). It was slow because of the algae/didymo being very slippery and rocks in the river bed having gaps in between them. You will appreciate how easy entrapment could be if you were in deeper faster water. A pole in one hand will greatly improve your stability and also a leash for the boat helps a lot (in your hand, not clipped on!), so you can walk the boat as a dog. We paddled up to the second short rocky (class II+?) rapid (-42.10487, -71.72934), which was more involved as we had to lift the boat over some rocks and it was a bit sketchy trusting our dollar store locking carabiners on our leash. The last (class III) rapid (-42.10487, -71.72934) was much easier to walk up, once again on our left/north/river-right. We filled up on water after the last rapid and paddled towards the lake. Surprisingly there was not much wind and the waves only started to be not small just before the Argentinian border patrol, so it was a bit slower than expected. Were it not for the border and a bit sooner, we could have gone to lake end. All in all this option was probably a little slower than just packing your boat and walking straight to the border control and about as fast as deflating your boat, walking the 2km portage and reinflating your boat. It might be worthwhile the effort if you have a boat with cargo or just really don't feel like walking. If you are careful, it is not dangerous (slips permitting). When water levels are high, it might be a different story. It took us 75 minutes. Going down the river in case you go NOBO should be much easier: capsizing in the first (going from Lago Puelo) rapid did not look safe due to undercuts, so better walk it down on the right, but the rest can probably be run (after scouting!) or easily walked down.

The camping at the border was once again packed and this time all toilets locked or non-functional, pretty gross considering the amount of people. There is a stream on the west side. The evening was quiet but fierce wind picked up around 3am, the wind was better in the morning but still not great. The check-in with Argentina (open from 8 till 20) was very easy and we got our passports stamped. I had a bit of "boat fever" and wanted to walk out, plus I wanted to be conservative with the waves at this lake. Tomáš felt it would be totally manageable so he sailed on down to Lago pueblo and I hiked out to La Pasarela because I hadn't gone there last year and I was curious. It was an okay hike with a little bit of water along the way. It turned into a MR for a little bit but then went back into a non-native Douglas Fir forest and through a few settlers pastures. It was up and down basically the whole way and very warm. La Pasarela is extremely popular. There is a restaurant and a smoothie joint and many other food stands. Sadly I didn't get a hitch. There is a bus stop when you hit the main road around here; -42.05087, -71.59679. I wasn't sure if it was the main road to El Bolson so I just walked into town and caught the bus out front the hospital here; -42.05924, -71.59776 @ 14:15. It was 1.700mil and paid only in cash. The earlier bus stop would have been fine, the other main road goes to Esquel. Plum season is almost here, red ones are tart but edible, yellow ones need at least 2-4more weeks.

Tomáš: waves were sizable (75 cm maximum difference top to bottom?), from the camp I had to ferry to get out of the cove, but then I mostly paddled only to keep the boat in the right position and let the wind push me to the lake end. A huge parking lot by the beach, hitching does not work but the bus does.

* '''2025-01-15 to 2025-01-22 / 7 days / Packrafting/ NOBO (flip flop)/ Option 8 (extended), RP / Natalie & Tomáš'''

For hikers: the RR west of Rio Puelo is actually attractive and the part we walked was no bushbashing, do not all shun it :-).

Summary

Despite never wanting to do the whole "yo-yo" (Natalie speaking) we did the yo-yo. Starting in Ventisquero and going until the bridge before the Rio Puelo town (didn't do the fjord). We then hitchhiked to Cochamo to deal with a ripped neck seal and planned to return to Laguna Azul to cross into El Bolsón. Last year we were inspired by Tobi and Fangwen's (T&F) trip into the Ventisquero valley and tried but didn't finish due to time and weather. On the flip side, that meant we were able to return this year with a packraft, which made the return trip much more interesting. It is a stunning valley and a beautiful river to be in a packraft (a must for packrafters, Tomáš thinks). There were virtually no tabanos which was a biggie after the mid-January infestation of 20 and 21! Tomáš did the upper Ventisquero river after the view-hike in Rincon Bonito and I chose to go higher on the mountain of the view-hike, earning myself a very incredible 360-view of the glaciated mountains around (both not in GPT yet). The Ventisquero river was easy, class II at most, we hit our knees on occasion. The Upper Puelo before the hike was very easy with a faster flow, just a bit of wood (nothing that couldn't be avoided), probably class l. We skipped the first rapids of the Gorge (6.2), they are surprisingly powerful and should not be paddled by anyone unskilled or without a team. The hike was actually nice, not that overgrown and pretty easy to follow. Tomáš went back into the river a little earlier and skipped the last 6km of hiking, while I met him after the hiking section, he had to walk one more rapid and ride two. The rest of the Puelo until the lake was once again easy. Upon approaching Lago Tagua the headwind was strong and paddling was slow. We planned to paddle to the parque Tagua (Option 11) but the waves and wind were very strong so we camped and crossed the lake the next morning, skipping the hike. Lake was easy and fast in the morning but the lower Puelo was slow for the first 5km before the rapids. We skipped the first rapid there and went down river right, putting in a bit earlier than Jan suggests, crossing a few small rapids and hitting our knees once. The rest of the lower Puelo was a bit slow but overall the whole thing was very beautiful.

Day zero: the bus

We again took the bus at 8:38 near Hostel Apel in Puerto Varas to Cochamo, we were told the bus that goes to the ferry (Laguna Tagua Tagua) was 10min behind the Cochamo-only bus. The ferry bus supposedly leaves here: 41.3160641S, 72.9853782W at 8:15 and then probably goes around town, taking a long time. The plan was to get off the first bus, look for Tomáš's inReach and then catch the second bus. Unfortunately, while we were looking for the imReach, the Laguna bus passed and we were unable to stop it, it was the only bus of the day. On the bright side, with more time to spare, Tomáš managed to wake up the land owner of Camp {21} [79.3/7], and it turned out they had found the inReach the day before and gave it back to us, yay! Soon after all of this (~10:15) we were able to catch another bus to Cochamo, so there must be a few that go in a day (later we learnt they go at 8,9,10,11,12 and 16:00 from Puerto Montt). In Cochamo, we waited until a bit after 12:00 for a bus to Rio Puelo, which made a stop at the trailhead for hiking the RR. We reached Rio Puelo at about 13:45, and that is where the original bus going to and from Laguna Tagua made its appearance on its way back to Puerto Varas/Montt. Since both of us were underslept due to Tomáš having spent the night vomitting (and having had little luck with hitchhiking on that road last year), we found a very nice two-room cabaña for 50.000 here: -41.66243, -72.29821, WhatsApp +56 9 4243 2328. (Entel internet in town functional.)

Day one: the bus and the walk, 4 km

The bus from Rio Puelo is said to be at 11:30 but arrived around 12:15. If one is stopping in Puelo for re-supply, there is a small vegan bakery with good sourdough loafs (-41.6599144, -72.2974946; not open Mondays). Also Supermercado El Maiten sold gas canister's for 7mil. By one o'clock and 1.5mil per person shorter, we were at the ferry. There you get out of the bus and catch a new one waiting at the other side (there are two on the other side, be sure to take the correct one). It takes over half an hour and costs 1.3mil (slow but functioning 3G Entel most of the lake ferry, but not at the end, telecom tower at the northern terminal). The ferries are three and at least two of them go 7 times a day each way (December- March), so you are likely to wait less than an hour. The buses on each side of the ferry are coordinated but when the bus misses a ferry narrowwly, it can add to delay, be prepared to wait some time if you are waiting to go SOBO (for example at the end of GPT22 RH). The bus to primer coral costs 1.5mil. It still stops for some time (15 min? - but the driver was making a big purchase) at Llanada Grande, where the shop is still good and the Entel internet mostly not functioning (receiving e-mails and text messages at most). We got to Primer Corral at 16:00.

Our plan was to stash extra food near Ford 37.5 (not fordable, maybe in February or better March). It seems it is regularly used for camping. We read T&F got their food stolen so we made sure to hide/bury our duffel bag of food very well. Unfortunately, after I hid it and carried on to the first ford, Tomáš met a pig. The pig tried to invade his backpack despite Tomáš only standing a meter away. He realized quickly our food stash had no hope against this invader. Since he did not know whereIt hid it, he started to pursue me, which only came to fruition at the river "Correntos", which has a fitting name. Therefore our first day was extremely short. Tomáš took both our backpacks across the ford (had to cross up river near the top of the islands where it divides into three: -42.01786, -71.93876 ) and made camp (lots of spots near the OSM path). The river was above his knees (173cm), but the length of the crossing, doing it three times and coldness made it somewhat challenging. I went back to make the duffel pig-proof, taking the OSM route that follows the river in my way (-42.00228, -71.93336). It was a lot nicer than the road, recommended.

Day two: Ford camp to outside Ricon Bonito, 16 km

Since we were both still struggling to get over our stomach bugs, we had a late morning and a very easy day. The simple 16km walk to Ricon Bonito felt a lot harder than it should have. As T&F described this section before, it is partially a MR, with a short detour, turning into a trail midway. From our river camp, the GPT track files follow an old trail used probably mostly by cows now, until a settler: -42.02520, -71.94877. At the settler, who was not at home, we had to zig zag through gates and over one fence until reaching the MR: -42.02707, -71.94872 (it makes a detour probably to cross Rio Correntoso over a bridge). The way to Rincon Bonito is signed with little red arrows. Our first water was located here: -42.01995, -71.98929, shortly after the MR ends and trail begins. The last few kilometres of the MR were recently "upgraded", so it is quite ugly, and they may be expand it more, but who knows. On the trail, there were two more simple fords. The first ford was a calm creek: -42.01840, -72.04246. There looked to be good camping just before it, would have been a nice place to aim for the first night. The second ford [15.8/164] has a cable car, where the GPT files indicate a bridge. Tomáš went to verify this after we forded and saw other tents camping there as well. Not sure if it was organized or not, probably yes. A little further ahead there is a settler with their own cell tower. Tomáš (who is from Europe) got full bars but my Canadian phone got nothing. There is still water just before the turn off to the viewpoint trail as T&F have noted. We went into Ricon Bonito to see what they would charge us for camping. We were surprised to meet a group of American packrafters who had flewn in that day to paddle down to the fjord. There were 5 of them sharing the 200mil cabin, so not terribly expensive, but the plane from Puerto Montt was 600mil. Kind of nice to know we had a group of river guides near. In the end we were not allowed to camp at this glamping site, it is for reservations only. The men that worked there recommend us to camp at the Bernardita Alegría's (referred to as "abuela" in earlier seasons) place 2km up the valley but they said it was 25mil a night per person, which sounded far too expensive for camping (maybe it included half board?) so we found a place in the forest not far from Ricon Bonito and once again had an early night. It seems that while the valley is privately owned (by several landowners? - settlers still live up there), there are no right of ways issues at all.

Day three: Stealth Ricon camp to Ventisquero river camp, 20-25 km

The trail to the view point is steep but easy (~930m in 4km). The men working at Ricon Bonito had cleared the brush the day before, so Tomáš finally almost didn't need his machete. There was a little bit of water on the way up ( -42.03631, -72.09700), but probably best to fill at the bottom. You do not have to go all the way up for a view, there is also a view point after 450m of elevation gain. At the top we decided to split and go on two different adventures. Tomáš wanted to explore the upper Ventisquero river and I wanted to explore the upper Ventisquero mountain (aka go to the highpoint above the view point like T&F considered). Luckily we both had successes and you can read Tomáš's description below. As for extending the trail to a highpoint at 1600m I HIGHLY recommend it if weather is nice. By using satellite imagery and a little intuition, the bushbashing was not bad at all. The bush is that dwarf alpine Lenga that is usually very stiff to walk through, but luckily it was not so dwarf. It was taller than me which made it possible to slither through the understory without much fight. There is roughly 500m of BB, the rest is CC. At the beginning I zig zagged between hidden open spots and then eventually made my way to a ridge-like feature that had many breaks from the bush, and some interesting views. You have to play with this ridge a bit because it is not continuous. Ridge around here -42.05122, -72.09511. Eventually you break free from the bush and enter a dry basin just below the highpoint. It is an easy walk from there and if there is snow you might come across a few small meltwater streams as I did. The views were amazing, it felt A LOT like home but obviously more special. If we did not have a plan to start paddling that day I would have explored the ridge. It easily goes to 1700m and then from there it looks you could connect to the main mountain, it will be a fun trip for one lucky person. As for meeting Tomáš, we planned to meet where the track files hit the river. However I was unable to get to that spot as there were blackberries and cliffs, so I ended up taking the main trail to the river in Ricon Bonito: no one said anything. But when you take this trail down you will hit the bottom and eventually walk along two small boardwalks, just after these boardwalks, the main trail goes left, but dont go left, a better way in is to the right after the boardwalks. It is a sneaky path but it is there and leads you to a nice small beach. Luckily I was ahead of Tomáš and warned him of this new point; -42.02492, -72.09604. We had a nice evening paddle of only a few kilometers, filled up on water at the cable car ford and then made camp in a sheltered bay. Unfortunately the day ended with a torn neck gasket: I ripped my neck gasket all the way to the bottom when taking off my drysuit. I was terribly sad and in disbelief. I had been trying hard to treat it well, not pulling it, covering my face with a balaclava, covering it with a balaclava from sun, treating it once a month with 303 and so on. Luckily Tomáš had one bar of internet ať the camp site so I managed to find a store in Pucón that could ship a spare neck gasket to Cochamo (do not do that, ship things to Puerto Varras instead).

Tomáš's trip up the Ventisquero valley:
This goes beyond what is in the GPT files - I was not sure why they end up only in the middle of the valley. when one can clearly see buildings and meadows higher up the valley on satellite.Turns out there is a trail to them indeed. There is one more settler, Fredy Alvarado living here with his family: -42.03933, -72.13376. He is signposted, maybe he would provide lodging and stuff too. Up to him, there is an OSM trail. You can divert from it to a cable car over a river here -42.03852, -72.12473 (signposted by Ricon Bonito). From Fredy, the trail continues, it seems to be used by animals and is still fairly clear. When you enter one clearing, trail can be a bit difficult to find, join it here: -42.04754, -72.16677. Then here -42.04773, -72.17127, the trail fell into the river with trees (obstructing it, this part needs to be walked in packraft through a shallow side channel). It is just 50m and can be easily walked around. The meadows are abandoned puestoes that still seem to be grazed. I put in here: -42.04244, -72.18400. One could probably walk further up in the braided river bed if willing to ford, the valley is really pretty with lots of waterfalls and glacier views and the river would be packraftable for a few kilometres more. River itself is stunning (more scenic and wild than Rio Puelo I think) and easily navigable until Bernardita's place here -42.03202, -72.11899, where II or II+ rapids start (sorry, I am only apporixmate in rating). With a bit of scouting and skill (I am not very skilled though), the rapids are navigable though, as I ran them. The second and third are the biggest, and those are the ones I scouted, the following ones are a bit smaller but could have been scouted too. One can also portage and supposedly there is a path maintained by Ricon Bonito along the river bank (see OSM) so bailing out should be easy. Where there is the OSM path to the side valley, there were some cables so I assume a cable car, but did not see it and cables could be for water too, I did not get a good look. Rapids end around our meeting point with Natalie. I definitely recommend this extension especially for packrafters.

Day four: Ventisquero camp to Puelo Gorge exit, 26 km

We spent the morning organizing the online neck gasket purchase with one bar of internet and then set off quite late. The Ventisquero river is indeed gorgeous and although it is rated II+, the rapids are small and easily portaged if need be (Tomáš thinks II+ is for the rapid section he did alone - or possibly for spring months with more water). We scouted a few rapids but overall there were no surprises, and obstacles were easily passed. There was very little wood, and the wood that was there was big and obvious with lots of room to go around. I saw only one rapid with possibly dangerous strainers (around here -42.02042, -72.06173 if we postidentified it well). There are two possibly II rapids here: -42.01429, -71.99931 and here: -42.01853, -71.99523. The first one is straightforward, the second one has a good line on the left of the main current. We picked the left side of the river there, hitting our knees a bit - better walk it if you do not take the main current. I personally agree with Jan's description that the river is shallow, we hit our knees a few times (canoe seat). (Tomáš thinks it is "Moderate with occasional ground contact" at most - and this more in the upper part than the part we did with Natalie, that is as long as you pick the correct main line to run rapids, anyway it has a lot more water than Rio Huenuhuenu). There was one more water source for drinking further down the river on river right (-42.01882, -71.98949) and then Rio Correntoso if you trust that (we did going up without issues). I wish I filled up more because it was the last water until Bridge {22N} [7.4/137]. We got to our food stash near Ford 37.5 in ~3hrs. After lunch we headed towards the gorge entrance/hiking section (Rapids Start 6.2). This part of Rio Puelo seemed easier but flowing faster and with more water, no more shallows. There was more wood than the Ventisquero but once again easily avoided. However, there were a couple of underwater logs we almost hit. Tomáš thinks the river is at most I+, when Jan mentions "up to class III" in the manual, that either applies to November or is wrong in his opinion, you can avoid all of the small rapids if you want and keep it strictly at class I. We were totally surprised when we hit the gorge because we were fighting a headwind and thought we were moving slow. Turns out we were still moving fast (~13km in 1.5hrs) and therefore missed the first exit by a hundred metres (the gorge is more than half a kilometre after the exit). We had to walk back up the river and ferry across it to get to the start of the hiking section. It was 17:30 so we just camped there and boiled river water. There is a telecom tower above Puerto Urrutia but we did not test it. Lots of didymo algae.

Day five: Gorge to end of hiking section, 12 km

The bypass trail turned out to be a nice if slow (up and down) trail. It is only very little overgrown with some beautiful views of the gorge and powerful rapids within. There was drinking water throughout. We started late and stopped somewhat early. The first ~2km to Settler 7.7 (Christian) was very easy and clear but Bridge 7.4 is not there anymore, there is a new log bridge just up the creek bed (go left after the gate). Two men on very stunning horses were there but we didn't talk for long. The overgrown bit technically starts after this settler but it was ~80% easy to see and follow. The meadow sections are the only places I would often loose it and it was only badly overgrown at the first beach after Settler's 7.7 gate (locked). There, the GPX wants you to walk on the river shore, which is probably a lot easier than the overgrown trail, as long as you find the entrance back to the trail again: -41.87870, -71.96787. Later, it would have been very overgrown after the last hill climb before Settler 15.3 but it had been recently cleared. I was very lucky as it seemed to have been cleared that morning or day before. There were fresh cuts, prints and horse poo. I often found the GPX was off by ~20m, which can be annoying in the forest at times. At the third beach (~6km before end), Tomáš and I split. He wanted to paddle the last bit as he believed it could be a good alternative river in, the rapids looked easily portaged. I was less inclined, so I walked and he took most of the weight and we met back at the normal put in. See Tomáš's notes below. Camping at the end of the hike, beach under Settler "Castanos", is very nice. There are lots of camping spots on the beach or grass meadow above and some tables as well. Near his boat, there is a tarp set up, if you want shelter from the rain. You can fill up on water at the top near Castanos or ferry across the river to a creek.

Tomáš: Rio Puelo in the section that is portaged looks like at least solid class III (that was also the assessment of the Americans we met earlier - they said the start of the gorge is 500m of big waves without holes, surveying from an airplane on their way to Rincon Bonito) and technically probably can be run by people who know what they are doing (but do your own research), as the Americans presumably did (but they were river guides). Possibly, you could even put in (somewhat precariously from a rock) at the end of the first beach Natalie mentions above, walking the rapids (the gorge is mostly not closed from then on where there are rapids) if you have got the skills (they are still mostly class III). From what we saw, I am unsure only whether rapid at -41.86224, -71.97834 can be walked, as we could not see the rapid properly. Also possible there are more rapids than we saw. Make your own assessment first.

Anyway, I put here: -41.85388, -71.98151. This is also a very pretty and comfortable campspot with access to water. There were three more rapids. First one well visible on satellite at -41.85019, -71.97913. It is II or II+, but short and straightforward to run through the center. Could be walked on the left, especially if you have a rope. Then there is a rapid at -41.83779, -71.97925. The main current is probably still III, I did not like it, so I walked it on the right, which was easy (and short, like 10-15 m). The last rapid is here: -41.86224, -71.97834, I would say it is II (or possibly II+) and I ran it. Natalie was faster as I ate, took forever to set up the boat and scouted all the rapids, which I would recommend you do too. Even with the scouting, it took me about an hour to do this section. The last two rapids were not visible on satellite, so Jan's waypoint ending the rapids is correct. According to my GPS, Puelo drops from 80 m to 45 m over this section, which is about 15m more than the manual says. The gorge is beautiful (but you will see it even if you put where recommened by Jan, it is not over there yet). Puelo here has a lot of that nasty didymo algea thing, it is ugly and do wash your boats after leaving.

Day six: End of hike to Laguna Tagua Tagua, 28 km

Rio Puelo was again pretty calm (and pretty) but then somewhat slow nearing the lake. Fresh (last that we saw) water not coming from humans here: -41.80219, -71.99786. We found a nice lunch spot here with picnic tables and nice views: -41.70008, -72.09018. No water but I recommend camping here if you know the lake is going to be too windy to cross and you don't want to take the ferry. However it looks like it sees day trip visitors from time to time. Our plan after lunch was to paddle to the start of the Parque Tagua Tagua hike. However, close to the ferry port the base valve in our middle seat inflation tube ripped (obviously a weak point in our boat as the same spot ripped on the main compartment while on the Rio Ñuble). Luckily it was just the seat but as soon as we could arrive at the port a ferry arrived so we had to wait to go to shore. I stupidly put Aquaseal FD on it rather than taping it and doing the permanent fix later, so we had to be very careful for the rest of the day. The Aquaseal was a battle. I had been keeping the valve clean but the first few centimeters of aquaseal in the tube had turned to concrete and we had to make a new hole to get some out, I wish I had two tubes (FD + UV). In the end it didn't matter too much because the waves and wind were so strong at the lake that we decided not to cross the lake to get to the hike. For camping we went into the trees and found a wind sheltered patch of grass: -41.70132, -72.11486. We boiled water from the lake, probably not great considering the ferry port was right there. It is probbaly 4-5 hours of padddling from end of gorge to the lake.

Day seven: Laguna Tagua Tagua to Bridge 79.3, 23 km

We got started fairly early and the lake was easy to cross in about 100 minutes, even with some light tailwind. We stopped for internet at the north side. The first 5km of the Puelo before Rapids 68.9 were more like an extension of the lake, very slow (but pretty). It was easy to stay right at the small gorge before Rapids 68.9. We stopped to scout them and although they were not as strong as the rapids in the first gorge, they had many features we did not like (a giant wave and a possible hole and possible undercuts). If there was more water it would have been possible to stay to the far right of them, but at this time it looked impossible to do so without hitting rocks on our knees (it is possible to walk the boat through here too). So we walked the boat to the far right as GPX indicates, there is not enough water to float the whole way. At the end of the walk (-41.61433, -72.21046), there is a a rapid you enter downstream if you want to re-enter the river. After that we stayed right the whole way, passing some more minor rapids directly after. We hit our knees badly on the last shallow rapid because at the end we went to the left of a center rock, we should have gone right (that was here: -41.60956, -72.21677). We found a nice water supply here: -41.61519, -72.24686. The rest of the Puelo that day was easy and it got a bit slow, we had to paddle against the waves for the last few kms before Bridge 79.3 (it pays to follow the current, not chasing the shortest route). There was a fun small feature (possibly a hole) here: -41.63345, -72.25323 that we rode to the side channel of the river. At the bridge we got out and caught a hitch easily to Cochamo, and prepared ourselves to deal with the broken gear and online orders (the Post office in Cochamo is delivered to only on Mondays, so order your stuff to Puerto Varras instead - we had to go to retrieve the stuff in transit in Puerto Montt). In Cochamo there are many hospedajes, the going rate seems to be 17mil per person. We chose Hostal Arcoíris (-41.49402, -72.30973), we got a small private room for 34mil. There is a large grass area in the back with outside showers to make cleaning the packraft easy, only downfall was it is very popular for Chilean campers. Good fruit shop here: -41.49456, -72.29692.

* ''' 2025-JAN-18 > 22 / 4,5 jours / Randonnée / SOBO / 22N > 22-01 > 22S / Pierre-Marie '''

Etape : GPT20+GPT21+GPT22
| Meteo : soleil
| Eau : facile
| Neige : non
| Intérêt : 3/5
| Difficulté : 2/5
| Danger : aucun

Après quelques achats à Cochamo, je continue ma journée pleine de surprises. Sans que je fasse d'auto-stop, une dame s'arrête et je fais 4km avec elle sur la gravel road qui mène au barrage de la CONAF. Il est alors 15h30 et il n'est plus possible de passer depuis 15h, dernière montée possible seulement avec une preuve de réservation au camping La Junta. Pour passer sans réservation il faut se présenter entre 7h et 9h. Je dors au camping 200m avant le barrage. Le dimanche matin, je me fais dépasser par des dizaines de coureurs. Après La Junta, il n'y a plus personne et le sentier est plus difficile et boueux. Jusqu'au km 45, ce sont des montagnes russe. On a toujours l'impression de monter. Je prend la 22-01 puisque le RR est fait pour le packraft, et surtout parce qu'après l'échec du GPT20 pour demander un bateau, je préfère éviter de recommencer, 3 fois qui plus est.
J'ai fait de l'auto-stop 20km sur les 30. J'ai fait quelques courses à Llanada Grande, le supermarché est vraiment bien. Je n'ai pas vu de bateau au km 0 du 22S, preuve que j'ai fais le bon choix. Ensuite sur le RR ça alterne entre route de terre carrossable et chemin ou il faut pousser quelques branches, et enjamber des arbres en travers de la route. Mais le chemin est relativement bon. Attention aux ronces qui sont plutôt répandues ici. Aucun taon. Les 4km avant de croiser la 22-X sont en très mauvais état. Attention à bien passer par les postes frontière Chilien et Argentin, le premier pour sortir administrativement du Chili et le second pour entrer administrativement en Argentine.
JAN-23: Repos Lago Puelo

* '''23rd of december / 1 day/ hiking/ sobo/ var 12 + boat (rio puelo) + rr (lago inferior) + var 3 / allie'''

I started in segundo corral where I stayed in a hospedaje. The dueña helped me with the logistics of the boat transfer +56 9 2050 2809. The border control went smooth on both sides. The trail is well maintained and stunning views. When i got to the village lago puelo i tried to cross the rio azul but the current was too strong and it was very deep. I couldnt pass (im 165cm). I went back to the argentinian border control to ask for a boat. They called for one through the radio but no responses. so i had to take the detour to get to la paserela (var 3) which was an extra 13 km more or less to get to lago puelo alto. I passed some people that managed to pass the rio azul 5 km away from the pasarela. But they were quite tall.

* '''(2024/Dez/19-2024/Dec/23) 5 Days/ Packrafting/ NOBO/ Route K/ Lukas, Basil, Maxi and Tabea)'''

Entry point at Lago Pueblo and took the bridge over Rio Azul, which looked not easy fordable. The path to the border was easy to find and well kept.
The packrafting route starting at primer corral is easy and nice. The hiking path starting at 15.2 is partly in overgrown and takes a long time. The second rafting section starting at 28 km is also beautiful and easy however the current is quite slow getting closer to the lago tagotago. The lake should be crossed before noon, strong winds pick up at around 12.
Rafting after Lago TagoTago is easy, the rapids need to be skipped. pay attention of water vortex.

* '''(2024/Dez/12-2024/Dec/17) 6 Days/ Hiking/ SOBO/ Route N/ Lukas, Basil and Tabea'''

Entry point at Cochamo. Dont forget to register in advance for the park, they will send you away otherwise. In the park the path is well kept and easy to walk on, although a bit muddy. Up to the camping la junta many tourist are on the way.
From el Manso, after the loop, we took a bus to secundo corral. The bus leaves daily at 2pm on the main road.

* '''From 2024-12-07 to 2024-12-11 // 4 days //Hiking // NOBO // RR + Puerto Urrutia to La Junta // Mo'''

Transfer from Cochamo to Puerto Urrutia and the other side of Rio Puelo with Bus/Ferry/Bus/Bote was easy, then nice walking next to the river, in really short parts completely overgrown, otherwise easy walking until the river crossings where no settler was there but I was lucky to find others to get me over, from El Manso to La Junta you have a minimarket in El Manso and a little further (knocked on the door of the farm house) and a farmer sells eggs (I just asked for eggs) after Lake Viedma. In La Junta there is an expensive minimarket. Other settlers (like in Terrentosa) might also sell food.

* '''From 2024-12-04 to 2024-12-10 // 6.5 days //Hiking // NOBO // RR + Pasarela option, Option 2 (Lago de las Rocas east side) + Gravelroad between Llanada Grande and Rio Manso // MiaimZelt'''

In general: no dofficult river crossings, the biggest challenge was the mud between Rio Manso and La Junta. Navigation was mostly without difficulties.

Day 1: Easy trail to the argentinian border. Arrived at 5pm and needed to wait until next morning for the stamp. Camped at the beautiful and free camping next to the carabinieros.

Day 2: Got my stamp and continued. Lovely trail with nice vies until the chiliean carabinieros. Easy bordercrossing. Took the alternative at the east side around Laguna de las Rocas. At some point i saw a sign, indicating the trail is closed due to fallen trees. I continued, the trail got wider. Then i reached the farm of german settlers. A woman (Vivi) approached me and we talked. She told me, my GPX-Track is wrong, because it want's me to cross their private property. Last days people climbed over locked fences, what bothers them. Should walk outside of the fence. On the other side Vivi waited for me and asked me to walk the original trail with her daughter. Got invited to lunch, later her daughter walked with me on the original trail (indicated by a sign "Lago Azul 6km"), while she cleared it with a machete. I did record it with my Smartphone. Sent it to Jan, you also can find it in the facebook group.
After the ford of a river the trail in the dense forest was partly covered under fallen trees. Several times i needed to check the GPS. Camped at a tiny lake near Lago Azul.

Day 3: Didn't follow the GPS around Lago Azul, because it lead's through the property of a settler. Instead i stayed outside of the fenced area. Found signs indicating i'm on the right track, directly before i reached the shore of the lake. The path up to the gravel road was partly overgrown, but doable.

Walked on the gravel road, later i got a hitch to the supermarket in Llanada Grande. Very good shop for a full resupply. After resupply i didn't find a hitch, walked 3 hours until a very nice chilean took me the last kilometers. Stayed at Camp {22N} [45.2/44].

Day 4: Due to the steep up and downs + the mud i was much slower than expected. Met 2 very nice settlers on horseback. Bridge {22N} [51.8/146] (Rio Steffen) has a cable car instead of a bridge. Settler warned me about it. Didn't know how to get inside, because it drives away when you don't hold the rope at the same time. Decided to ford the river instead, was knee-deep. 4 more easy fords along my way to the nice campside at Bridge {22N} [63.0/337] (Rio El Colorado).

Day 5: Trail was in better conditions the next hours. At Torrentoso there is a open shelter with lots of space for tents around. Along Lago Vidal the trail got muddy again. Bridge {22N} [80.9/645] doesn't exist, but very easy to ford. The forst half of the ascent to Lago Grande was easy, but the second half was very muddy and challenging. Wanted to camp at Lago Grande but, Camp {22N} [83.8/1001] is fully covered under a huge downfall of several big trees. Trail along Lago Grande is in poor condition (fallen trees + mud). Camp {22N} [84.9/1012] is a beautiful campspot.

Day 6: Began with the poor trail. Directly after camp, there is a hole where the trail should be. Campspot near the tiny lake. Later one more huge downfall. Trail improves a little bit until El Arco, but due to mud i was very slow. 4 easy fords until the refuge. Rio Arco was knee-deep, easy ford. Met the first hikers directly after the crossing. Mud was getting even more, improved at the descent. Ford Rio Traidor was not difficult, again knee-deep. Ford Rio La Junta could be avoided, because above Toboganes there is a bridge. Didn't know. Could stay at Camp Trawen (13mil), was plenty of space for more tents. They have a small kiosk. Toboganes waterfall is worth to be visited.

Day 7: Easy trail in the beaufiful rainforest from La Junta to the reception. Hiked on the gravel road and luckily i got a hitch to Puerto Varas.

==Season 2023/24==

* '''From 2024-02-19 to 2024-02-24 // 6 days // Hiking // NOBO // RR + Option 2, 1B, 1 + Variant I, J // Quentin Clavel'''

Lago Puelo - lago de las rocas (east) - Lago Azul - Lago Totoral - Llana Grande - El Manso - Lago Vidal Gormaz - La Junta - Toboganes - mirador Arcoiris - Anfiteatro - Cerro Trinidad - Cochamo

The section begin with the crossing of Rio Azul, wich was not difficult at this time of the year. Then easy track to the lovely Argentinia border, I slept on the camping there. 8 more kilometers to arrive to the carabineros office. Easy border, nice people.

Then due to the landslide on the RR (carabineros confirm me that the track is still not praticable there) I continued along Lago de Las Rocas, on the eastern side, following the option 2. Pretty easy to follow.

At some point there is a junction, with a sign indicate Lago Azul - 6Km on the right. I followed it, even if it get me out of the GPX file (and the nice and easy to follow track). Not sure it was a great idea, I ended up on a sort of small bush-bashing areas that I managed to pass threw and after few kilometers, finally found back the option track, clear and easy, and continue my way.

Then you arrive to a big farm, the one from Jonas, a German native arriving here when he was a child, grow up there and have now a family, living in nature, along the lake, cultivating fruits and vegetables, and selling woods. Very nice man, interesting discussions ! After his farm, you'll follow the valley but keep the left in the woods straight after his farm, if not you'll arrive in a big swampy area.

The track is less obvious and there's a lot of fallen trees. Few check on the GPS was necessary. Then you reach the Lago Azul. The GPX file is going inside the property of a settler. He's a nice guy but his dogs less, one bites me ! (Not hardly, but still!). Just be more careful than me going there, or go around the property.

One last hard push to reach a gravel road, that you will follow until El Manso (30km a bit boring), but easy to find camping and food, especially around Lago Totoral. Resupply at Llana Grande, big supermarket with everything you need.

At El Manso, there's a minimarket next to the cervecería wich is a place where you can camp. The track is quite easy to follow, and quite physical with all the ups and downs. I had rain for two days and this stretch was muddy, especially along the Lago Vidal Gormaz. Then it becomes VERY muddy until La Junta. I had the feelings I will never finish this stretch, and I felt few times in the mud.

I was definitely not presentable when I arrived in La Junta, and the contrast was huge with all people well dressed with clean sports clothes who smell good the fresh perfume of lavenderia ahaha.

I wanted to do Arco iris, but the track is closed because of a landslide. So I opt for the glaciar Paloma wich was surprisingly technical and steep.
But the surrounding worth it, the glaciar Is amazing, the fact that you can enter into it is mad ! I slept up there, there's a little circle with rocks to put your tent.

Then I reached Cochamo and enjoyed great food, confortable hostel and relaxing atmosphere

* '''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 (aka the trailhead). At our hostel (Casa Apel), 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, it seemed expensive but happy they took us all the way.

We were at the entrance at 11 AM and were let through for free when we told them we were going to El Arco. Nat worries this excuse won't last long. The way to La Junta 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 La Junta, we decided that the valley is too special to just walk on by, so we decided to try our luck and ask for camping in order to do the side trips. We asked all the campsites and only La Junta let us stay, 8000 CLP per person. Nat says it is important not to spread the word as they were nice people and did us a favor even though they were not supposed to allow people without reservations to stay. So, do not 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 illegally. 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 [November 2024: in our suggestions and in OSM, like the next option too] 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 and fun, there are a couple of places you have to use a fixed rope. 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 was 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 [November 2024: in the Facebook group, it was said that somebody died there and that is why it is close, so maybe there is nothing wrong with the path, but it is closed officially for sure].

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 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 my way down around noon at La Laguna. 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 15:30, 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 than 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. Nat had camped under a tree on a bench at Doña Luisa (5mil) and despite the rain was mostly dry without a tent. Tomáš had camped at Lago Grande and the tent got very wet (but not his sleeping bag). The bridge before Lago Vidal is not there but there was a nice log. There are some pre-colonization 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 but bring water (reach it by turning left from the trail cca 50-100 m beyond the imaginary shortest route from the trail to the camp, that way you avoid any vegetation, there is an opening in the fence (-41.70438, -71.99186). Finally met Natalie after two days of escaping rain, she found a dry spot under the tree canopies there. 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 (you have to buy the beer). 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 we walked was aesthetically dreadful and supersteep. We had to climb a locked gate right at the start. We found a miniature camping spot (dry) 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, there are new signposts indicating you ca go to the "Frontera" or the lake - go to the Frontera. 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 - there was about twenty other Argentinians, the functioning toilets are unsigned immediately next to the Police building, the building that looks like the old toilets is closed). 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 (the dog bandits there are aggressive, watch out).

* '''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]]. [https://rinconbonito.cl/experiencias/ The GPX on their site].
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 [from La Junta] 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

* '''2023-Dec-03 to 2023-Dec-12 / 9 days / PACKRAFTING / NOBO & SOBO / Jordan Jennings'''
Route:

took bus to Primer Corral>Arroyo Ventisquero>Rio Puelo (walked 13km of rapids through canyon)>Lago Tagua Tagua>Rio Puelo>Estero Reloncavi to Cochamó (nobo) took bus back towards Primer Corral from Cochamó, asked to be dropped off near Lago Azul.. Lago Azul>lago las rocas>Lago Inferior>Lago Puelo>Lago Puelo town (sobo).

Highlights:

Arroyo ventisquero: is well worth a visit, packrafting or hiking. I got told that there is a hostel run by an abuela 4km further up the valley from Rincon Bonito (posh cabins) where the route on track files stops (c20km up valley from Primer Corral). Between the hostel and Rincon there are rapids, so be prepared to walk back to Rincon to put boat in water. The river from Rincon to Rio Puelo is stunning and very easy in packraft.

Lago Azul: If you flip flop (as recommended if packrafting), and return back to Primer Corral for sobo travel as Jan mentions in the manual, ask the bus driver to drop you at Lago Azul, rather than taking the bus closer to the Lago las rocas trailhead/Primer Corral. The 3km walk from the bus stop to the lake is easy and I got super lucky and passed a local horse race (Carreras) on a Saturday. Maybe ask ahead when they are on?!

Other comments:

The hiking section bypassing Rio Puelo (first set of) rapids through canyon, the 13km or so took me all day. Parts of the trail were barely a trail, very slow kms. Although I was also a bit sick so my experience might be tainted. The alternative is taking roads on the right hand side of the river.

I hiked the section between the Argentinian border patrol and lago puelo town (13km) which passed through some stunning farmland (lago puelo can get angry with wind as with any big lake). The dotted line section or shortcut which requires two river fords was impassable for me. Rio Azul was not even close to being fordable mid December. And even if you did pass, you would have to take the road to Puelo anyway.

In terms of transport to Primer Corral, the bus leaves Cochamó at 10:30am and Puelo at 11:30am (same bus, which I think starts in Puerto Montt v early). From the ferry there’s another local bus that will essentially drop you wherever you want (en route) to primer corral. Super easy.

==Season 2022/23==
* '''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.

=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.

Really nice Cafe (Materia Cochamo) with a good selection of coffee, cake (Kuchen) & sandwiches ca 50 meters before turning right to the cheap campsite.

*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.

*Zapatoria Puerto Varas.He is located in the back corner of a market like building across the street from the Santa Isabella on San Bernardo street. San Bernardo & Del Salvador. I payed extra (10mil total) to have them finished and ready to go that day

=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)]]

<gallery>
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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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File:GPT_16_Cochamó_109447496.jpg|thumb|
</gallery>

[[category:Greater Patagonian Trail]]

GPT22 (Cochamo)

2025-02-24T21:07:21Z

SteveBehaeghel:

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

= How to a add new entry =
You need to be logged in to save your edits (and on mobile view, you need to be logged in to start editing).

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


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

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


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

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

=Overview=
* 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 (but people were usually let through when they say they go all the way to El Arco).

=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=

==Season 2025/26==

==Season 2024/25==

'''2025-02-01 to 2025-02-05 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO (partly) / option 8 / Steve Behaeghel'''

'''2025-01-25 to 2025-01-27 / 3 days / Packrafting / SOBO (partly) / RP / Thijmen Scholten'''

* Primer Coral has a very nice campspot. Chance there will be kayakers around doing the upper section of Rio Puelo with class 5 rapids you can watch them paddle it, it's insane.

* I heard there is a cabin you can stay up on Río Ventisquero would be a nice option and you can leave part of your gear/food at the camping. And do an overnight trip. Rio Ventusquero supposed to be very nice.

* I was lucky to go with another group of Kayakers into the Rio Puelo and into the rapids at the Canyon. I had no whitewater experience but the camping owner convinced me it was doable and safe even if I fall. It was nice to paddle the Canyon and the waves felt huge. I had a decked packraft that still filled with water, which was nice and made it more stable.

* So if you are here and get the chance on going with a group of Kayakers into the Canyon and rapids , it will be a nice experience

* First I would continue after the rapids and the pickup would take my backpack. But I decided to go back with the pickup to Primer Coral and continue next day towards Argentinia.

* First part of the trail from primer coral to Lago de Las Rocas is closed the settler there told me. You can join the trail from road V723. But I went from Lago Azul.

- The trail (blue line) towards Lago Azul already started earlier. * From the road at you left side there is already a sign with trail towards Lago Azul.

* Lago de Las Rocas went fast with wind in the back.

* I had to stay at the border crossing because they only had electricity at 7 p.m. to register me. Next morning from 8.00 I could pick up my passport. I did not fill in am online form beforehand and that was no problem.

* I went to the Argentinian border crossing that is indicated at the map. But because I was with a boat they did not let me. I had to get my passport stamped at the maritime office at the end of the lake at the beach of lago Puelo. So if you decide to skip lago Puelo/El Bolson than you better not show that you are by boat and pretend you are walking.

*'''25Jan2024 - 28jan2024 / hiking NOBO / RR (El Manso to Cochamo) / 3 days / Clara'''

From Cochamo to get to El manso, there is the bus - ferry (lake tagua tagua) - bus. First bus pass at Cochamo every day around 10am. It comes from Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas before.
First bus is 3k. Boat 1.3k. 2nd bus 500.

At El manso there are 2 little negocios. In front of the first one there is a cervecería with a nice terrasse, artisanal beer and wifi. Sadly it was closed on this super hot begining of afternoon !
There is an inconstant but working phone coverage there (entel).

Lago Vidal Gomez. Possible to ask at the camping to cross the lake by boat, Francisco do the traverse during summer. 35k that can be devided until 4 people. May make you pay less if he has to go to the other side anyway to get other people. The family here also sell good bread, vegetables, beers, sweets,...

Because of rainy night, I slept on the north side of the lake at the first house. Marguerita has a sort of barn where you can sleep/pitch a tent and also make fire (for 5k). Dry toilets and water.

Then trail was on better conditions than I expected.
Camp sites along lago grande are really nice.
Refugio El Arco is a really good shelter if bad weather (all in wood, nice roof, closing windows).

Between El arco and la junta very muddy trail but nothing impassable even after a rainy night. It just slow down a lot.

The valley is really nice.

La Junta - Cochamo : overrun +++.

There are multiple buses going back to Cochamo from the end of the trail

*'''2025-JAN-20 to 2025-JAN-27 / 7 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + OH (Var. 01 / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel)'''

Stage 22 is one of the longest sections of the GPT, but from our perspective (also thanks to our route choice), it wasn’t particularly difficult. Due to health issues and plenty of time (we had a scheduled meeting in Bariloche on a specific date), we took the stage quite leisurely.

The first part to La Junta is very busy, with a large number of day hikers. That wasn’t really our thing, so we rushed ahead into the wilderness, which starts right after the camps in La Junta.

In the Rio Puelo valley, due to health issues, we chose Variant 01 and rejoined the RR at Puerto Urrutia at the start of 22S.

The most surprising and interesting stop on the trail for us was meeting señira Alexandra at Lago Verde, where we spent an entire morning on the lake on boats and doing deep water solo climbing. (More details in the BIVOUACING section.)

ENTRY INTO VALLE COCHAMÓ

The first major challenge is entering Cochamó Valley, but it’s not as complicated as it might seem.

The entry checkpoint is at Road End {22N} [109.8/58], and access to the valley is free. However, due to high visitor numbers, there are relatively strict regulations. To be allowed entry, you need to follow these rules:

If you want to camp near La Junta, you must have a reservation through www.reservasvallecochamo.org and bring confirmation of your reservation to the checkpoint. Entry is permitted between 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

If you want to camp at Refugio El Arco, no reservation is needed, but entry is only allowed between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM.

The time restrictions aren’t enforced too strictly, but you shouldn’t arrive much later. According to locals, it’s also theoretically possible to enter very early in the morning before any staff arrive, avoiding the need to follow these rules.

However, we personally recommend adhering to the official regulations. There are many visitors (often with little or no experience), and if the beauty of this valley is to be preserved, some regulation and monitoring are necessary. This is also why camping outside of the designated campsites in the valley is prohibited.

For GPT hikers, the best option is to enter the valley in the morning, explain your plans, and then hike to El Arco, where there is plenty of space for tents and camping is free. (Although volunteers manage the site and, like at the entry point, record visitor details.) If you follow this approach, there’s no reason you wouldn’t be allowed in, and you will still comply with all the rules.

CHALLENGES

Ford at Rio Traidor {22N} [95.9/340] was very easy. All other fords on this section were also crossable with dry feet, except for the final fords over Rio Azul at the very end.

Bridge {22N} [80.9/645] doesn’t exist, but the river can be crossed on fallen logs.

Bridge {22N} [51.8/146] (Rio Steffen) was washed away. There is a cable car alternative, or you can cross using fallen logs.

At Settler {22S} [7.2/215], a man yelled at us from a house, saying we shouldn’t walk there. He seemed angry, and we didn’t feel like arguing. Instead, we walked a short stretch along the road and then rejoined the trail by climbing over a valley (near coordinates -41.98297, -71.88292). This involved a short bush-bash and crossing a creek on fallen logs.

The trail around Las Rocas is quite overgrown in one section, with many fallen logs. This rough stretch is between km 17.8 {22S} (-42.05306, -71.83367) and km 19.9 {22S} (-42.06622, -71.81971). We believe it may be possible to bypass this section using other trails, as well-maintained paths connect before and after it, but we didn’t try it ourselves and just bush-bashed through.

Border control was quick and completely problem-free on both sides.

BIVOUACING

The first night, we camped at La Frontera Camp at the entrance to Cochamó Valley. It’s a small and very nice eco-camp, where making a reservation is a good idea. Staying here was a special experience for us, as it is run by Pavel, a fellow Czech.

At El Arco, there’s a shelter, though it doesn’t have much sleeping space. However, right next to it is a large grassy area with plenty of room for tents.

At -41.56978, -71.93585 (km ~64.3 {22N}), there’s a beautiful flat campsite with a refugio.

At Bridge {22N} [63.0/337] (Rio El Colorado), there’s a fire pit with benches and a small tent spot.

One night, we camped in the backyard of Valle Puelo Brewery. They let us stay for free, but the roosters woke us up early.

At -41.96567, -71.90571 (Lago Verde), there is a settlement run by a very kind woman named Alexandra and her brother. They offer cabins for rent, but they also allowed us to camp in our tents for 8,000 CLP per person. The price included free kayak rental for a paddle on the lake. We highly recommend staying here. It is also the only reasonable access point to the lake. Elsewhere, the shoreline is covered with dense vegetation or cliffs.

WATER

There is plenty of water available. The trail runs along rivers and crosses many smaller streams.

RESUPPLY

Cochamó has several minimarkets, a hardware store (where you can buy gas cartridge), a pharmacy, post office, and plenty of restaurants and food stalls.

At the Road End {22N} [109.8/58] (Valle Cochamó entry checkpoint), there is a food truck open in summer with fast food, and a small store nearby selling snacks and some basic groceries.

We bypassed Camp La Junta via Toboganes, so we have no info on current shopping options there.

At Lake, Settler, Camp $ {22N} [70.9/602], we bought very good and reasonably priced fresh cheese and beer. They likely have some other basic supplies as well.

Shop {22N} [43.0/49] is operational. It’s small but sufficient for basic resupply.

Settlement, Shop, Bus {22N} [40.7/36] (El Manso) is a complex of brewery with the best beer we've had in Chile so far. The store is slightly better stocked than the previous one and sells gas cartridges.

Llanada Grande has a fairly large and well-stocked supermarket.

At the start of 22S, there’s a restaurant with its own brewery (Hostal Puelo Libre).

TRANSPORT

A bus from Lago Puelo to El Bolsón runs every hour (around the full hour) and costs 1,800 ARS per person.

* '''2025-01-24 to 2025-01-26/ 2days / Packrafting/ SOBO/ Option 02, RP, Option 09, Option 03/ Natalie & Tomáš'''

Coming from Cochamo, where we had to organize getting a new neck gasket, we once again set off towards Lago Azul. The bus for the Lago Tagua Tagua arrived in Cochamo at 10:20am and left at 10:30am (around here, -41.49304, -72.30553). It came five minutes after the bus that goes from Puerto Montt to the trailhead. We left Rio Puelo at 12:00 after ten minute break and when we got to the ferry (didn't look @ time), before we could get out of the bus and pay the driver, the ferry that was docked left and we had to wait about half an hour for the next one. Lots of people, so Entel did not work. On the other side, the two buses were waiting. The bus did its regular stop at Llande Grande (~10min - they have a very good non industrial salami there) and then we got off where the road to Lago Azul goes. We had to remind the driver to stop for us around 15:30. We managed to get a hitch quickly, but it was short lived. There is a man watching a gate (7mil for the car owner, nothing for us) and the car was only allowed to go ~1km further to a parking here -41.90928, -71.88832 (maybe because it wasn't 4-wheel drive, an/ or they only allow certain [local?] people to go all the way to the beach, not sure). The road to lake has very recently been "upgraded" and is quite ugly. 02B and 02C are probably roads too, based on satellite and little survey where 02B joins 02A. At the beach there were a stand selling empanadas, a toilet, about 20 people and 4 cars parked. We started paddling around 18:00. First going west for ~600m to check out an alternative trail Tomáš was interested in that is on OSM leading to here: -41.92170, -71.87635. The trail exists, but might be somewhat unused, as there seems to be a new road for cars built above it too. Anyway, it looks like a more attractive and shorter approach to Azul, somebody needs to investigate it (we only noticed the trail half way on 02A). The start of the lake outlet (20 m) is magical with its blue-green water, a nice detour. The waves got stronger near the middle of the lake but then eased quickly. Near the end of the lake we had almost calm water. We camped at a spot we noted last year when hiking: -41.98306, -71.84801. It has a small flowing creek but is near a cottage. Both years of being here we have not seen anyone in it, you can camp in the trees and be mostly hidden. People vacation in tents 200m along the lake shore. Lago Azul is very pretty.

The next day was straightforward. Lago Los Rocas was "reflection-like" calm, despite starting around 11:00. We were worried about the boat and the Chilean Carabineros (read Jan's description in the manual) so we put the boat and equipment into the duffel bag and placed it all outside the Carabineros building, entering without our luggage. Everything went well because the men were nice (same ones from last year). However, we were almost busted when they asked us specifically if we were going to Argentina on foot or by boat. At first we said boat, but then they asked who was taking us, and when we struggled to come up with an explanation, they seemed to take our silence as a language misunderstanding and asked us again, so to make things easier, we said we were walking. We then slipped down using Variant U. If you are uncomfortable about this, it might be worth just putting your boat in your bag and walking the 3km to the next beach along RH. Variant S does not exist. Lago Inferior was once again sadly not windy, we started around 16:00. We were hoping to have a bit more horsepower from the waves and wind. They got stronger near the end but only at the very end, and it wasn't that strong. Tomáš and I had a small misunderstanding about our end goal at the lake. Tomáš wanted to walk up the river to scout the rapids and possibly run them back I, being completely unaware of the obvious, agreed. I thought we most likely wouldn't run them and just walk on the other OSM trail. What I didn't know was that the river flowed against us, despite looking at satellite images and saying, "why does it look like the rapids are going in the wrong direction?". Like I said, unaware of the obvious. When I realized the river went against us I instantly hated the idea, but we were already past the normal take out point, so in the end we went for it. The first longish set of rapids (class II, around here: -42.10240, -71.73502) is north (river right), so you cannot just connect to the OSM trail next to the river. We crossed to southern shore of the river. If you want to follow us, aim for it directly. Then it was a slow 400m walk and 100m paddle up to here -42.10413, -71.73233, before we could safely ferry to northern shore (to which we kept from then on). It was slow because of the algae/didymo being very slippery and rocks in the river bed having gaps in between them. You will appreciate how easy entrapment could be if you were in deeper faster water. A pole in one hand will greatly improve your stability and also a leash for the boat helps a lot (in your hand, not clipped on!), so you can walk the boat as a dog. We paddled up to the second short rocky (class II+?) rapid (-42.10487, -71.72934), which was more involved as we had to lift the boat over some rocks and it was a bit sketchy trusting our dollar store locking carabiners on our leash. The last (class III) rapid (-42.10487, -71.72934) was much easier to walk up, once again on our left/north/river-right. We filled up on water after the last rapid and paddled towards the lake. Surprisingly there was not much wind and the waves only started to be not small just before the Argentinian border patrol, so it was a bit slower than expected. Were it not for the border and a bit sooner, we could have gone to lake end. All in all this option was probably a little slower than just packing your boat and walking straight to the border control and about as fast as deflating your boat, walking the 2km portage and reinflating your boat. It might be worthwhile the effort if you have a boat with cargo or just really don't feel like walking. If you are careful, it is not dangerous (slips permitting). When water levels are high, it might be a different story. It took us 75 minutes. Going down the river in case you go NOBO should be much easier: capsizing in the first (going from Lago Puelo) rapid did not look safe due to undercuts, so better walk it down on the right, but the rest can probably be run (after scouting!) or easily walked down.

The camping at the border was once again packed and this time all toilets locked or non-functional, pretty gross considering the amount of people. There is a stream on the west side. The evening was quiet but fierce wind picked up around 3am, the wind was better in the morning but still not great. The check-in with Argentina (open from 8 till 20) was very easy and we got our passports stamped. I had a bit of "boat fever" and wanted to walk out, plus I wanted to be conservative with the waves at this lake. Tomáš felt it would be totally manageable so he sailed on down to Lago pueblo and I hiked out to La Pasarela because I hadn't gone there last year and I was curious. It was an okay hike with a little bit of water along the way. It turned into a MR for a little bit but then went back into a non-native Douglas Fir forest and through a few settlers pastures. It was up and down basically the whole way and very warm. La Pasarela is extremely popular. There is a restaurant and a smoothie joint and many other food stands. Sadly I didn't get a hitch. There is a bus stop when you hit the main road around here; -42.05087, -71.59679. I wasn't sure if it was the main road to El Bolson so I just walked into town and caught the bus out front the hospital here; -42.05924, -71.59776 @ 14:15. It was 1.700mil and paid only in cash. The earlier bus stop would have been fine, the other main road goes to Esquel. Plum season is almost here, red ones are tart but edible, yellow ones need at least 2-4more weeks.

Tomáš: waves were sizable (75 cm maximum difference top to bottom?), from the camp I had to ferry to get out of the cove, but then I mostly paddled only to keep the boat in the right position and let the wind push me to the lake end. A huge parking lot by the beach, hitching does not work but the bus does.

* '''2025-01-15 to 2025-01-22 / 7 days / Packrafting/ NOBO (flip flop)/ Option 8 (extended), RP / Natalie & Tomáš'''

For hikers: the RR west of Rio Puelo is actually attractive and the part we walked was no bushbashing, do not all shun it :-).

Summary

Despite never wanting to do the whole "yo-yo" (Natalie speaking) we did the yo-yo. Starting in Ventisquero and going until the bridge before the Rio Puelo town (didn't do the fjord). We then hitchhiked to Cochamo to deal with a ripped neck seal and planned to return to Laguna Azul to cross into El Bolsón. Last year we were inspired by Tobi and Fangwen's (T&F) trip into the Ventisquero valley and tried but didn't finish due to time and weather. On the flip side, that meant we were able to return this year with a packraft, which made the return trip much more interesting. It is a stunning valley and a beautiful river to be in a packraft (a must for packrafters, Tomáš thinks). There were virtually no tabanos which was a biggie after the mid-January infestation of 20 and 21! Tomáš did the upper Ventisquero river after the view-hike in Rincon Bonito and I chose to go higher on the mountain of the view-hike, earning myself a very incredible 360-view of the glaciated mountains around (both not in GPT yet). The Ventisquero river was easy, class II at most, we hit our knees on occasion. The Upper Puelo before the hike was very easy with a faster flow, just a bit of wood (nothing that couldn't be avoided), probably class l. We skipped the first rapids of the Gorge (6.2), they are surprisingly powerful and should not be paddled by anyone unskilled or without a team. The hike was actually nice, not that overgrown and pretty easy to follow. Tomáš went back into the river a little earlier and skipped the last 6km of hiking, while I met him after the hiking section, he had to walk one more rapid and ride two. The rest of the Puelo until the lake was once again easy. Upon approaching Lago Tagua the headwind was strong and paddling was slow. We planned to paddle to the parque Tagua (Option 11) but the waves and wind were very strong so we camped and crossed the lake the next morning, skipping the hike. Lake was easy and fast in the morning but the lower Puelo was slow for the first 5km before the rapids. We skipped the first rapid there and went down river right, putting in a bit earlier than Jan suggests, crossing a few small rapids and hitting our knees once. The rest of the lower Puelo was a bit slow but overall the whole thing was very beautiful.

Day zero: the bus

We again took the bus at 8:38 near Hostel Apel in Puerto Varas to Cochamo, we were told the bus that goes to the ferry (Laguna Tagua Tagua) was 10min behind the Cochamo-only bus. The ferry bus supposedly leaves here: 41.3160641S, 72.9853782W at 8:15 and then probably goes around town, taking a long time. The plan was to get off the first bus, look for Tomáš's inReach and then catch the second bus. Unfortunately, while we were looking for the imReach, the Laguna bus passed and we were unable to stop it, it was the only bus of the day. On the bright side, with more time to spare, Tomáš managed to wake up the land owner of Camp {21} [79.3/7], and it turned out they had found the inReach the day before and gave it back to us, yay! Soon after all of this (~10:15) we were able to catch another bus to Cochamo, so there must be a few that go in a day (later we learnt they go at 8,9,10,11,12 and 16:00 from Puerto Montt). In Cochamo, we waited until a bit after 12:00 for a bus to Rio Puelo, which made a stop at the trailhead for hiking the RR. We reached Rio Puelo at about 13:45, and that is where the original bus going to and from Laguna Tagua made its appearance on its way back to Puerto Varas/Montt. Since both of us were underslept due to Tomáš having spent the night vomitting (and having had little luck with hitchhiking on that road last year), we found a very nice two-room cabaña for 50.000 here: -41.66243, -72.29821, WhatsApp +56 9 4243 2328. (Entel internet in town functional.)

Day one: the bus and the walk, 4 km

The bus from Rio Puelo is said to be at 11:30 but arrived around 12:15. If one is stopping in Puelo for re-supply, there is a small vegan bakery with good sourdough loafs (-41.6599144, -72.2974946; not open Mondays). Also Supermercado El Maiten sold gas canister's for 7mil. By one o'clock and 1.5mil per person shorter, we were at the ferry. There you get out of the bus and catch a new one waiting at the other side (there are two on the other side, be sure to take the correct one). It takes over half an hour and costs 1.3mil (slow but functioning 3G Entel most of the lake ferry, but not at the end, telecom tower at the northern terminal). The ferries are three and at least two of them go 7 times a day each way (December- March), so you are likely to wait less than an hour. The buses on each side of the ferry are coordinated but when the bus misses a ferry narrowwly, it can add to delay, be prepared to wait some time if you are waiting to go SOBO (for example at the end of GPT22 RH). The bus to primer coral costs 1.5mil. It still stops for some time (15 min? - but the driver was making a big purchase) at Llanada Grande, where the shop is still good and the Entel internet mostly not functioning (receiving e-mails and text messages at most). We got to Primer Corral at 16:00.

Our plan was to stash extra food near Ford 37.5 (not fordable, maybe in February or better March). It seems it is regularly used for camping. We read T&F got their food stolen so we made sure to hide/bury our duffel bag of food very well. Unfortunately, after I hid it and carried on to the first ford, Tomáš met a pig. The pig tried to invade his backpack despite Tomáš only standing a meter away. He realized quickly our food stash had no hope against this invader. Since he did not know whereIt hid it, he started to pursue me, which only came to fruition at the river "Correntos", which has a fitting name. Therefore our first day was extremely short. Tomáš took both our backpacks across the ford (had to cross up river near the top of the islands where it divides into three: -42.01786, -71.93876 ) and made camp (lots of spots near the OSM path). The river was above his knees (173cm), but the length of the crossing, doing it three times and coldness made it somewhat challenging. I went back to make the duffel pig-proof, taking the OSM route that follows the river in my way (-42.00228, -71.93336). It was a lot nicer than the road, recommended.

Day two: Ford camp to outside Ricon Bonito, 16 km

Since we were both still struggling to get over our stomach bugs, we had a late morning and a very easy day. The simple 16km walk to Ricon Bonito felt a lot harder than it should have. As T&F described this section before, it is partially a MR, with a short detour, turning into a trail midway. From our river camp, the GPT track files follow an old trail used probably mostly by cows now, until a settler: -42.02520, -71.94877. At the settler, who was not at home, we had to zig zag through gates and over one fence until reaching the MR: -42.02707, -71.94872 (it makes a detour probably to cross Rio Correntoso over a bridge). The way to Rincon Bonito is signed with little red arrows. Our first water was located here: -42.01995, -71.98929, shortly after the MR ends and trail begins. The last few kilometres of the MR were recently "upgraded", so it is quite ugly, and they may be expand it more, but who knows. On the trail, there were two more simple fords. The first ford was a calm creek: -42.01840, -72.04246. There looked to be good camping just before it, would have been a nice place to aim for the first night. The second ford [15.8/164] has a cable car, where the GPT files indicate a bridge. Tomáš went to verify this after we forded and saw other tents camping there as well. Not sure if it was organized or not, probably yes. A little further ahead there is a settler with their own cell tower. Tomáš (who is from Europe) got full bars but my Canadian phone got nothing. There is still water just before the turn off to the viewpoint trail as T&F have noted. We went into Ricon Bonito to see what they would charge us for camping. We were surprised to meet a group of American packrafters who had flewn in that day to paddle down to the fjord. There were 5 of them sharing the 200mil cabin, so not terribly expensive, but the plane from Puerto Montt was 600mil. Kind of nice to know we had a group of river guides near. In the end we were not allowed to camp at this glamping site, it is for reservations only. The men that worked there recommend us to camp at the Bernardita Alegría's (referred to as "abuela" in earlier seasons) place 2km up the valley but they said it was 25mil a night per person, which sounded far too expensive for camping (maybe it included half board?) so we found a place in the forest not far from Ricon Bonito and once again had an early night. It seems that while the valley is privately owned (by several landowners? - settlers still live up there), there are no right of ways issues at all.

Day three: Stealth Ricon camp to Ventisquero river camp, 20-25 km

The trail to the view point is steep but easy (~930m in 4km). The men working at Ricon Bonito had cleared the brush the day before, so Tomáš finally almost didn't need his machete. There was a little bit of water on the way up ( -42.03631, -72.09700), but probably best to fill at the bottom. You do not have to go all the way up for a view, there is also a view point after 450m of elevation gain. At the top we decided to split and go on two different adventures. Tomáš wanted to explore the upper Ventisquero river and I wanted to explore the upper Ventisquero mountain (aka go to the highpoint above the view point like T&F considered). Luckily we both had successes and you can read Tomáš's description below. As for extending the trail to a highpoint at 1600m I HIGHLY recommend it if weather is nice. By using satellite imagery and a little intuition, the bushbashing was not bad at all. The bush is that dwarf alpine Lenga that is usually very stiff to walk through, but luckily it was not so dwarf. It was taller than me which made it possible to slither through the understory without much fight. There is roughly 500m of BB, the rest is CC. At the beginning I zig zagged between hidden open spots and then eventually made my way to a ridge-like feature that had many breaks from the bush, and some interesting views. You have to play with this ridge a bit because it is not continuous. Ridge around here -42.05122, -72.09511. Eventually you break free from the bush and enter a dry basin just below the highpoint. It is an easy walk from there and if there is snow you might come across a few small meltwater streams as I did. The views were amazing, it felt A LOT like home but obviously more special. If we did not have a plan to start paddling that day I would have explored the ridge. It easily goes to 1700m and then from there it looks you could connect to the main mountain, it will be a fun trip for one lucky person. As for meeting Tomáš, we planned to meet where the track files hit the river. However I was unable to get to that spot as there were blackberries and cliffs, so I ended up taking the main trail to the river in Ricon Bonito: no one said anything. But when you take this trail down you will hit the bottom and eventually walk along two small boardwalks, just after these boardwalks, the main trail goes left, but dont go left, a better way in is to the right after the boardwalks. It is a sneaky path but it is there and leads you to a nice small beach. Luckily I was ahead of Tomáš and warned him of this new point; -42.02492, -72.09604. We had a nice evening paddle of only a few kilometers, filled up on water at the cable car ford and then made camp in a sheltered bay. Unfortunately the day ended with a torn neck gasket: I ripped my neck gasket all the way to the bottom when taking off my drysuit. I was terribly sad and in disbelief. I had been trying hard to treat it well, not pulling it, covering my face with a balaclava, covering it with a balaclava from sun, treating it once a month with 303 and so on. Luckily Tomáš had one bar of internet ať the camp site so I managed to find a store in Pucón that could ship a spare neck gasket to Cochamo (do not do that, ship things to Puerto Varras instead).

Tomáš's trip up the Ventisquero valley:
This goes beyond what is in the GPT files - I was not sure why they end up only in the middle of the valley. when one can clearly see buildings and meadows higher up the valley on satellite.Turns out there is a trail to them indeed. There is one more settler, Fredy Alvarado living here with his family: -42.03933, -72.13376. He is signposted, maybe he would provide lodging and stuff too. Up to him, there is an OSM trail. You can divert from it to a cable car over a river here -42.03852, -72.12473 (signposted by Ricon Bonito). From Fredy, the trail continues, it seems to be used by animals and is still fairly clear. When you enter one clearing, trail can be a bit difficult to find, join it here: -42.04754, -72.16677. Then here -42.04773, -72.17127, the trail fell into the river with trees (obstructing it, this part needs to be walked in packraft through a shallow side channel). It is just 50m and can be easily walked around. The meadows are abandoned puestoes that still seem to be grazed. I put in here: -42.04244, -72.18400. One could probably walk further up in the braided river bed if willing to ford, the valley is really pretty with lots of waterfalls and glacier views and the river would be packraftable for a few kilometres more. River itself is stunning (more scenic and wild than Rio Puelo I think) and easily navigable until Bernardita's place here -42.03202, -72.11899, where II or II+ rapids start (sorry, I am only apporixmate in rating). With a bit of scouting and skill (I am not very skilled though), the rapids are navigable though, as I ran them. The second and third are the biggest, and those are the ones I scouted, the following ones are a bit smaller but could have been scouted too. One can also portage and supposedly there is a path maintained by Ricon Bonito along the river bank (see OSM) so bailing out should be easy. Where there is the OSM path to the side valley, there were some cables so I assume a cable car, but did not see it and cables could be for water too, I did not get a good look. Rapids end around our meeting point with Natalie. I definitely recommend this extension especially for packrafters.

Day four: Ventisquero camp to Puelo Gorge exit, 26 km

We spent the morning organizing the online neck gasket purchase with one bar of internet and then set off quite late. The Ventisquero river is indeed gorgeous and although it is rated II+, the rapids are small and easily portaged if need be (Tomáš thinks II+ is for the rapid section he did alone - or possibly for spring months with more water). We scouted a few rapids but overall there were no surprises, and obstacles were easily passed. There was very little wood, and the wood that was there was big and obvious with lots of room to go around. I saw only one rapid with possibly dangerous strainers (around here -42.02042, -72.06173 if we postidentified it well). There are two possibly II rapids here: -42.01429, -71.99931 and here: -42.01853, -71.99523. The first one is straightforward, the second one has a good line on the left of the main current. We picked the left side of the river there, hitting our knees a bit - better walk it if you do not take the main current. I personally agree with Jan's description that the river is shallow, we hit our knees a few times (canoe seat). (Tomáš thinks it is "Moderate with occasional ground contact" at most - and this more in the upper part than the part we did with Natalie, that is as long as you pick the correct main line to run rapids, anyway it has a lot more water than Rio Huenuhuenu). There was one more water source for drinking further down the river on river right (-42.01882, -71.98949) and then Rio Correntoso if you trust that (we did going up without issues). I wish I filled up more because it was the last water until Bridge {22N} [7.4/137]. We got to our food stash near Ford 37.5 in ~3hrs. After lunch we headed towards the gorge entrance/hiking section (Rapids Start 6.2). This part of Rio Puelo seemed easier but flowing faster and with more water, no more shallows. There was more wood than the Ventisquero but once again easily avoided. However, there were a couple of underwater logs we almost hit. Tomáš thinks the river is at most I+, when Jan mentions "up to class III" in the manual, that either applies to November or is wrong in his opinion, you can avoid all of the small rapids if you want and keep it strictly at class I. We were totally surprised when we hit the gorge because we were fighting a headwind and thought we were moving slow. Turns out we were still moving fast (~13km in 1.5hrs) and therefore missed the first exit by a hundred metres (the gorge is more than half a kilometre after the exit). We had to walk back up the river and ferry across it to get to the start of the hiking section. It was 17:30 so we just camped there and boiled river water. There is a telecom tower above Puerto Urrutia but we did not test it. Lots of didymo algae.

Day five: Gorge to end of hiking section, 12 km

The bypass trail turned out to be a nice if slow (up and down) trail. It is only very little overgrown with some beautiful views of the gorge and powerful rapids within. There was drinking water throughout. We started late and stopped somewhat early. The first ~2km to Settler 7.7 (Christian) was very easy and clear but Bridge 7.4 is not there anymore, there is a new log bridge just up the creek bed (go left after the gate). Two men on very stunning horses were there but we didn't talk for long. The overgrown bit technically starts after this settler but it was ~80% easy to see and follow. The meadow sections are the only places I would often loose it and it was only badly overgrown at the first beach after Settler's 7.7 gate (locked). There, the GPX wants you to walk on the river shore, which is probably a lot easier than the overgrown trail, as long as you find the entrance back to the trail again: -41.87870, -71.96787. Later, it would have been very overgrown after the last hill climb before Settler 15.3 but it had been recently cleared. I was very lucky as it seemed to have been cleared that morning or day before. There were fresh cuts, prints and horse poo. I often found the GPX was off by ~20m, which can be annoying in the forest at times. At the third beach (~6km before end), Tomáš and I split. He wanted to paddle the last bit as he believed it could be a good alternative river in, the rapids looked easily portaged. I was less inclined, so I walked and he took most of the weight and we met back at the normal put in. See Tomáš's notes below. Camping at the end of the hike, beach under Settler "Castanos", is very nice. There are lots of camping spots on the beach or grass meadow above and some tables as well. Near his boat, there is a tarp set up, if you want shelter from the rain. You can fill up on water at the top near Castanos or ferry across the river to a creek.

Tomáš: Rio Puelo in the section that is portaged looks like at least solid class III (that was also the assessment of the Americans we met earlier - they said the start of the gorge is 500m of big waves without holes, surveying from an airplane on their way to Rincon Bonito) and technically probably can be run by people who know what they are doing (but do your own research), as the Americans presumably did (but they were river guides). Possibly, you could even put in (somewhat precariously from a rock) at the end of the first beach Natalie mentions above, walking the rapids (the gorge is mostly not closed from then on where there are rapids) if you have got the skills (they are still mostly class III). From what we saw, I am unsure only whether rapid at -41.86224, -71.97834 can be walked, as we could not see the rapid properly. Also possible there are more rapids than we saw. Make your own assessment first.

Anyway, I put here: -41.85388, -71.98151. This is also a very pretty and comfortable campspot with access to water. There were three more rapids. First one well visible on satellite at -41.85019, -71.97913. It is II or II+, but short and straightforward to run through the center. Could be walked on the left, especially if you have a rope. Then there is a rapid at -41.83779, -71.97925. The main current is probably still III, I did not like it, so I walked it on the right, which was easy (and short, like 10-15 m). The last rapid is here: -41.86224, -71.97834, I would say it is II (or possibly II+) and I ran it. Natalie was faster as I ate, took forever to set up the boat and scouted all the rapids, which I would recommend you do too. Even with the scouting, it took me about an hour to do this section. The last two rapids were not visible on satellite, so Jan's waypoint ending the rapids is correct. According to my GPS, Puelo drops from 80 m to 45 m over this section, which is about 15m more than the manual says. The gorge is beautiful (but you will see it even if you put where recommened by Jan, it is not over there yet). Puelo here has a lot of that nasty didymo algea thing, it is ugly and do wash your boats after leaving.

Day six: End of hike to Laguna Tagua Tagua, 28 km

Rio Puelo was again pretty calm (and pretty) but then somewhat slow nearing the lake. Fresh (last that we saw) water not coming from humans here: -41.80219, -71.99786. We found a nice lunch spot here with picnic tables and nice views: -41.70008, -72.09018. No water but I recommend camping here if you know the lake is going to be too windy to cross and you don't want to take the ferry. However it looks like it sees day trip visitors from time to time. Our plan after lunch was to paddle to the start of the Parque Tagua Tagua hike. However, close to the ferry port the base valve in our middle seat inflation tube ripped (obviously a weak point in our boat as the same spot ripped on the main compartment while on the Rio Ñuble). Luckily it was just the seat but as soon as we could arrive at the port a ferry arrived so we had to wait to go to shore. I stupidly put Aquaseal FD on it rather than taping it and doing the permanent fix later, so we had to be very careful for the rest of the day. The Aquaseal was a battle. I had been keeping the valve clean but the first few centimeters of aquaseal in the tube had turned to concrete and we had to make a new hole to get some out, I wish I had two tubes (FD + UV). In the end it didn't matter too much because the waves and wind were so strong at the lake that we decided not to cross the lake to get to the hike. For camping we went into the trees and found a wind sheltered patch of grass: -41.70132, -72.11486. We boiled water from the lake, probably not great considering the ferry port was right there. It is probbaly 4-5 hours of padddling from end of gorge to the lake.

Day seven: Laguna Tagua Tagua to Bridge 79.3, 23 km

We got started fairly early and the lake was easy to cross in about 100 minutes, even with some light tailwind. We stopped for internet at the north side. The first 5km of the Puelo before Rapids 68.9 were more like an extension of the lake, very slow (but pretty). It was easy to stay right at the small gorge before Rapids 68.9. We stopped to scout them and although they were not as strong as the rapids in the first gorge, they had many features we did not like (a giant wave and a possible hole and possible undercuts). If there was more water it would have been possible to stay to the far right of them, but at this time it looked impossible to do so without hitting rocks on our knees (it is possible to walk the boat through here too). So we walked the boat to the far right as GPX indicates, there is not enough water to float the whole way. At the end of the walk (-41.61433, -72.21046), there is a a rapid you enter downstream if you want to re-enter the river. After that we stayed right the whole way, passing some more minor rapids directly after. We hit our knees badly on the last shallow rapid because at the end we went to the left of a center rock, we should have gone right (that was here: -41.60956, -72.21677). We found a nice water supply here: -41.61519, -72.24686. The rest of the Puelo that day was easy and it got a bit slow, we had to paddle against the waves for the last few kms before Bridge 79.3 (it pays to follow the current, not chasing the shortest route). There was a fun small feature (possibly a hole) here: -41.63345, -72.25323 that we rode to the side channel of the river. At the bridge we got out and caught a hitch easily to Cochamo, and prepared ourselves to deal with the broken gear and online orders (the Post office in Cochamo is delivered to only on Mondays, so order your stuff to Puerto Varras instead - we had to go to retrieve the stuff in transit in Puerto Montt). In Cochamo there are many hospedajes, the going rate seems to be 17mil per person. We chose Hostal Arcoíris (-41.49402, -72.30973), we got a small private room for 34mil. There is a large grass area in the back with outside showers to make cleaning the packraft easy, only downfall was it is very popular for Chilean campers. Good fruit shop here: -41.49456, -72.29692.

* ''' 2025-JAN-18 > 22 / 4,5 jours / Randonnée / SOBO / 22N > 22-01 > 22S / Pierre-Marie '''

Etape : GPT20+GPT21+GPT22
| Meteo : soleil
| Eau : facile
| Neige : non
| Intérêt : 3/5
| Difficulté : 2/5
| Danger : aucun

Après quelques achats à Cochamo, je continue ma journée pleine de surprises. Sans que je fasse d'auto-stop, une dame s'arrête et je fais 4km avec elle sur la gravel road qui mène au barrage de la CONAF. Il est alors 15h30 et il n'est plus possible de passer depuis 15h, dernière montée possible seulement avec une preuve de réservation au camping La Junta. Pour passer sans réservation il faut se présenter entre 7h et 9h. Je dors au camping 200m avant le barrage. Le dimanche matin, je me fais dépasser par des dizaines de coureurs. Après La Junta, il n'y a plus personne et le sentier est plus difficile et boueux. Jusqu'au km 45, ce sont des montagnes russe. On a toujours l'impression de monter. Je prend la 22-01 puisque le RR est fait pour le packraft, et surtout parce qu'après l'échec du GPT20 pour demander un bateau, je préfère éviter de recommencer, 3 fois qui plus est.
J'ai fait de l'auto-stop 20km sur les 30. J'ai fait quelques courses à Llanada Grande, le supermarché est vraiment bien. Je n'ai pas vu de bateau au km 0 du 22S, preuve que j'ai fais le bon choix. Ensuite sur le RR ça alterne entre route de terre carrossable et chemin ou il faut pousser quelques branches, et enjamber des arbres en travers de la route. Mais le chemin est relativement bon. Attention aux ronces qui sont plutôt répandues ici. Aucun taon. Les 4km avant de croiser la 22-X sont en très mauvais état. Attention à bien passer par les postes frontière Chilien et Argentin, le premier pour sortir administrativement du Chili et le second pour entrer administrativement en Argentine.
JAN-23: Repos Lago Puelo

* '''23rd of december / 1 day/ hiking/ sobo/ var 12 + boat (rio puelo) + rr (lago inferior) + var 3 / allie'''

I started in segundo corral where I stayed in a hospedaje. The dueña helped me with the logistics of the boat transfer +56 9 2050 2809. The border control went smooth on both sides. The trail is well maintained and stunning views. When i got to the village lago puelo i tried to cross the rio azul but the current was too strong and it was very deep. I couldnt pass (im 165cm). I went back to the argentinian border control to ask for a boat. They called for one through the radio but no responses. so i had to take the detour to get to la paserela (var 3) which was an extra 13 km more or less to get to lago puelo alto. I passed some people that managed to pass the rio azul 5 km away from the pasarela. But they were quite tall.

* '''(2024/Dez/19-2024/Dec/23) 5 Days/ Packrafting/ NOBO/ Route K/ Lukas, Basil, Maxi and Tabea)'''

Entry point at Lago Pueblo and took the bridge over Rio Azul, which looked not easy fordable. The path to the border was easy to find and well kept.
The packrafting route starting at primer corral is easy and nice. The hiking path starting at 15.2 is partly in overgrown and takes a long time. The second rafting section starting at 28 km is also beautiful and easy however the current is quite slow getting closer to the lago tagotago. The lake should be crossed before noon, strong winds pick up at around 12.
Rafting after Lago TagoTago is easy, the rapids need to be skipped. pay attention of water vortex.

* '''(2024/Dez/12-2024/Dec/17) 6 Days/ Hiking/ SOBO/ Route N/ Lukas, Basil and Tabea'''

Entry point at Cochamo. Dont forget to register in advance for the park, they will send you away otherwise. In the park the path is well kept and easy to walk on, although a bit muddy. Up to the camping la junta many tourist are on the way.
From el Manso, after the loop, we took a bus to secundo corral. The bus leaves daily at 2pm on the main road.

* '''From 2024-12-07 to 2024-12-11 // 4 days //Hiking // NOBO // RR + Puerto Urrutia to La Junta // Mo'''

Transfer from Cochamo to Puerto Urrutia and the other side of Rio Puelo with Bus/Ferry/Bus/Bote was easy, then nice walking next to the river, in really short parts completely overgrown, otherwise easy walking until the river crossings where no settler was there but I was lucky to find others to get me over, from El Manso to La Junta you have a minimarket in El Manso and a little further (knocked on the door of the farm house) and a farmer sells eggs (I just asked for eggs) after Lake Viedma. In La Junta there is an expensive minimarket. Other settlers (like in Terrentosa) might also sell food.

* '''From 2024-12-04 to 2024-12-10 // 6.5 days //Hiking // NOBO // RR + Pasarela option, Option 2 (Lago de las Rocas east side) + Gravelroad between Llanada Grande and Rio Manso // MiaimZelt'''

In general: no dofficult river crossings, the biggest challenge was the mud between Rio Manso and La Junta. Navigation was mostly without difficulties.

Day 1: Easy trail to the argentinian border. Arrived at 5pm and needed to wait until next morning for the stamp. Camped at the beautiful and free camping next to the carabinieros.

Day 2: Got my stamp and continued. Lovely trail with nice vies until the chiliean carabinieros. Easy bordercrossing. Took the alternative at the east side around Laguna de las Rocas. At some point i saw a sign, indicating the trail is closed due to fallen trees. I continued, the trail got wider. Then i reached the farm of german settlers. A woman (Vivi) approached me and we talked. She told me, my GPX-Track is wrong, because it want's me to cross their private property. Last days people climbed over locked fences, what bothers them. Should walk outside of the fence. On the other side Vivi waited for me and asked me to walk the original trail with her daughter. Got invited to lunch, later her daughter walked with me on the original trail (indicated by a sign "Lago Azul 6km"), while she cleared it with a machete. I did record it with my Smartphone. Sent it to Jan, you also can find it in the facebook group.
After the ford of a river the trail in the dense forest was partly covered under fallen trees. Several times i needed to check the GPS. Camped at a tiny lake near Lago Azul.

Day 3: Didn't follow the GPS around Lago Azul, because it lead's through the property of a settler. Instead i stayed outside of the fenced area. Found signs indicating i'm on the right track, directly before i reached the shore of the lake. The path up to the gravel road was partly overgrown, but doable.

Walked on the gravel road, later i got a hitch to the supermarket in Llanada Grande. Very good shop for a full resupply. After resupply i didn't find a hitch, walked 3 hours until a very nice chilean took me the last kilometers. Stayed at Camp {22N} [45.2/44].

Day 4: Due to the steep up and downs + the mud i was much slower than expected. Met 2 very nice settlers on horseback. Bridge {22N} [51.8/146] (Rio Steffen) has a cable car instead of a bridge. Settler warned me about it. Didn't know how to get inside, because it drives away when you don't hold the rope at the same time. Decided to ford the river instead, was knee-deep. 4 more easy fords along my way to the nice campside at Bridge {22N} [63.0/337] (Rio El Colorado).

Day 5: Trail was in better conditions the next hours. At Torrentoso there is a open shelter with lots of space for tents around. Along Lago Vidal the trail got muddy again. Bridge {22N} [80.9/645] doesn't exist, but very easy to ford. The forst half of the ascent to Lago Grande was easy, but the second half was very muddy and challenging. Wanted to camp at Lago Grande but, Camp {22N} [83.8/1001] is fully covered under a huge downfall of several big trees. Trail along Lago Grande is in poor condition (fallen trees + mud). Camp {22N} [84.9/1012] is a beautiful campspot.

Day 6: Began with the poor trail. Directly after camp, there is a hole where the trail should be. Campspot near the tiny lake. Later one more huge downfall. Trail improves a little bit until El Arco, but due to mud i was very slow. 4 easy fords until the refuge. Rio Arco was knee-deep, easy ford. Met the first hikers directly after the crossing. Mud was getting even more, improved at the descent. Ford Rio Traidor was not difficult, again knee-deep. Ford Rio La Junta could be avoided, because above Toboganes there is a bridge. Didn't know. Could stay at Camp Trawen (13mil), was plenty of space for more tents. They have a small kiosk. Toboganes waterfall is worth to be visited.

Day 7: Easy trail in the beaufiful rainforest from La Junta to the reception. Hiked on the gravel road and luckily i got a hitch to Puerto Varas.

==Season 2023/24==

* '''From 2024-02-19 to 2024-02-24 // 6 days // Hiking // NOBO // RR + Option 2, 1B, 1 + Variant I, J // Quentin Clavel'''

Lago Puelo - lago de las rocas (east) - Lago Azul - Lago Totoral - Llana Grande - El Manso - Lago Vidal Gormaz - La Junta - Toboganes - mirador Arcoiris - Anfiteatro - Cerro Trinidad - Cochamo

The section begin with the crossing of Rio Azul, wich was not difficult at this time of the year. Then easy track to the lovely Argentinia border, I slept on the camping there. 8 more kilometers to arrive to the carabineros office. Easy border, nice people.

Then due to the landslide on the RR (carabineros confirm me that the track is still not praticable there) I continued along Lago de Las Rocas, on the eastern side, following the option 2. Pretty easy to follow.

At some point there is a junction, with a sign indicate Lago Azul - 6Km on the right. I followed it, even if it get me out of the GPX file (and the nice and easy to follow track). Not sure it was a great idea, I ended up on a sort of small bush-bashing areas that I managed to pass threw and after few kilometers, finally found back the option track, clear and easy, and continue my way.

Then you arrive to a big farm, the one from Jonas, a German native arriving here when he was a child, grow up there and have now a family, living in nature, along the lake, cultivating fruits and vegetables, and selling woods. Very nice man, interesting discussions ! After his farm, you'll follow the valley but keep the left in the woods straight after his farm, if not you'll arrive in a big swampy area.

The track is less obvious and there's a lot of fallen trees. Few check on the GPS was necessary. Then you reach the Lago Azul. The GPX file is going inside the property of a settler. He's a nice guy but his dogs less, one bites me ! (Not hardly, but still!). Just be more careful than me going there, or go around the property.

One last hard push to reach a gravel road, that you will follow until El Manso (30km a bit boring), but easy to find camping and food, especially around Lago Totoral. Resupply at Llana Grande, big supermarket with everything you need.

At El Manso, there's a minimarket next to the cervecería wich is a place where you can camp. The track is quite easy to follow, and quite physical with all the ups and downs. I had rain for two days and this stretch was muddy, especially along the Lago Vidal Gormaz. Then it becomes VERY muddy until La Junta. I had the feelings I will never finish this stretch, and I felt few times in the mud.

I was definitely not presentable when I arrived in La Junta, and the contrast was huge with all people well dressed with clean sports clothes who smell good the fresh perfume of lavenderia ahaha.

I wanted to do Arco iris, but the track is closed because of a landslide. So I opt for the glaciar Paloma wich was surprisingly technical and steep.
But the surrounding worth it, the glaciar Is amazing, the fact that you can enter into it is mad ! I slept up there, there's a little circle with rocks to put your tent.

Then I reached Cochamo and enjoyed great food, confortable hostel and relaxing atmosphere

* '''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 (aka the trailhead). At our hostel (Casa Apel), 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, it seemed expensive but happy they took us all the way.

We were at the entrance at 11 AM and were let through for free when we told them we were going to El Arco. Nat worries this excuse won't last long. The way to La Junta 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 La Junta, we decided that the valley is too special to just walk on by, so we decided to try our luck and ask for camping in order to do the side trips. We asked all the campsites and only La Junta let us stay, 8000 CLP per person. Nat says it is important not to spread the word as they were nice people and did us a favor even though they were not supposed to allow people without reservations to stay. So, do not 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 illegally. 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 [November 2024: in our suggestions and in OSM, like the next option too] 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 and fun, there are a couple of places you have to use a fixed rope. 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 was 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 [November 2024: in the Facebook group, it was said that somebody died there and that is why it is close, so maybe there is nothing wrong with the path, but it is closed officially for sure].

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 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 my way down around noon at La Laguna. 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 15:30, 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 than 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. Nat had camped under a tree on a bench at Doña Luisa (5mil) and despite the rain was mostly dry without a tent. Tomáš had camped at Lago Grande and the tent got very wet (but not his sleeping bag). The bridge before Lago Vidal is not there but there was a nice log. There are some pre-colonization 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 but bring water (reach it by turning left from the trail cca 50-100 m beyond the imaginary shortest route from the trail to the camp, that way you avoid any vegetation, there is an opening in the fence (-41.70438, -71.99186). Finally met Natalie after two days of escaping rain, she found a dry spot under the tree canopies there. 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 (you have to buy the beer). 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 we walked was aesthetically dreadful and supersteep. We had to climb a locked gate right at the start. We found a miniature camping spot (dry) 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, there are new signposts indicating you ca go to the "Frontera" or the lake - go to the Frontera. 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 - there was about twenty other Argentinians, the functioning toilets are unsigned immediately next to the Police building, the building that looks like the old toilets is closed). 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 (the dog bandits there are aggressive, watch out).

* '''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]]. [https://rinconbonito.cl/experiencias/ The GPX on their site].
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 [from La Junta] 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

* '''2023-Dec-03 to 2023-Dec-12 / 9 days / PACKRAFTING / NOBO & SOBO / Jordan Jennings'''
Route:

took bus to Primer Corral>Arroyo Ventisquero>Rio Puelo (walked 13km of rapids through canyon)>Lago Tagua Tagua>Rio Puelo>Estero Reloncavi to Cochamó (nobo) took bus back towards Primer Corral from Cochamó, asked to be dropped off near Lago Azul.. Lago Azul>lago las rocas>Lago Inferior>Lago Puelo>Lago Puelo town (sobo).

Highlights:

Arroyo ventisquero: is well worth a visit, packrafting or hiking. I got told that there is a hostel run by an abuela 4km further up the valley from Rincon Bonito (posh cabins) where the route on track files stops (c20km up valley from Primer Corral). Between the hostel and Rincon there are rapids, so be prepared to walk back to Rincon to put boat in water. The river from Rincon to Rio Puelo is stunning and very easy in packraft.

Lago Azul: If you flip flop (as recommended if packrafting), and return back to Primer Corral for sobo travel as Jan mentions in the manual, ask the bus driver to drop you at Lago Azul, rather than taking the bus closer to the Lago las rocas trailhead/Primer Corral. The 3km walk from the bus stop to the lake is easy and I got super lucky and passed a local horse race (Carreras) on a Saturday. Maybe ask ahead when they are on?!

Other comments:

The hiking section bypassing Rio Puelo (first set of) rapids through canyon, the 13km or so took me all day. Parts of the trail were barely a trail, very slow kms. Although I was also a bit sick so my experience might be tainted. The alternative is taking roads on the right hand side of the river.

I hiked the section between the Argentinian border patrol and lago puelo town (13km) which passed through some stunning farmland (lago puelo can get angry with wind as with any big lake). The dotted line section or shortcut which requires two river fords was impassable for me. Rio Azul was not even close to being fordable mid December. And even if you did pass, you would have to take the road to Puelo anyway.

In terms of transport to Primer Corral, the bus leaves Cochamó at 10:30am and Puelo at 11:30am (same bus, which I think starts in Puerto Montt v early). From the ferry there’s another local bus that will essentially drop you wherever you want (en route) to primer corral. Super easy.

==Season 2022/23==
* '''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.

=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.

Really nice Cafe (Materia Cochamo) with a good selection of coffee, cake (Kuchen) & sandwiches ca 50 meters before turning right to the cheap campsite.

*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.

*Zapatoria Puerto Varas.He is located in the back corner of a market like building across the street from the Santa Isabella on San Bernardo street. San Bernardo & Del Salvador. I payed extra (10mil total) to have them finished and ready to go that day

=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)]]

<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|
File:GPT_16_Cochamó_101648648.jpg|thumb|
File:GPT_16_Cochamó_104321335.jpg|thumb|
File:Bahia ralun.jpg|thumb|
File:GPT_16_Cochamó_109447491.jpg|thumb|
File:GPT_16_Cochamó_109447496.jpg|thumb|
</gallery>

[[category:Greater Patagonian Trail]]

Greater Patagonian Trail track files

2025-01-23T20:01:56Z

SteveBehaeghel: /* List of requests */

[[category:Greater Patagonian Trail]]
The track files of the [[Greater Patagonian Trail]] are provided on personal request by [[user:Jandudeck|the author]] free of charge but not unconditionally. Read in the Hiker's Manual chapter '''1.15 Terms and Conditions for Using the Hiker’s Manual and the Trail Files''' to review these conditions and to understand why these conditions were put in place.

GPT Hikers's Manual: http://bit.ly/GPTmanual

==Create an account in Wikiexplora (compulsory)==
[[File:create account wikiexplora.png|frame|Six (very standard) steps to create an account in Wikiexplora]]
To request the files you must first [http://wikiexplora.com/index.php?title=Especial:Entrar&type=signup create a Wikiexplora account]. It really takes less than a minute. The form is in spanish, but it's very standard and simple:
#User name
#Password
#Confirm password
#Email. Not compulsory but highly recommended to give us the chance to reach you. Wikiexplora has sent only '''one''' non personal email in 13 years.
#Real name (optional)
#On the final line type '''wikiexplora''', all in lower case

==List of requests==


Please type your name (or your new Wikiexplora user name or alias) and explain your plan for the GPT that requires the GPT Track Files. Put yourself on top of the list.

Don't forget to send the email after adding yourself to the list as described in the GPT Hikers' Manual (1.15.7 Access to the GPT Track Files).

*'''SteveBehaeghel.''' Hi Jan en Meylin, thx for the recent update on the GPT files. We are currently in Pucon with our 3 kids (3ys, 6ys and 9ys). The upcoming 3 months we will continue to revisit or explore certain GPT sections on small adventures of maximum 5 days. We will trek parts of, and including optional routes, from GPT14-GPT16-GPT19-GPT21-GPT22-GPT30-GPT33-GPT35-GPT37. I will probably do some small uptdates on the FB group, but the wikiexplora pages I will update after our longer trip in the second half of 2025. Thx for all helpfull information.

*'''Martin M.''' Hi Jan, I would like to explore some part of the GPT on foot, starting from GPT32. I only have a few weeks, so it will be just a small taste of what GPT is. Therefore having access to the track files would greatly help. Thanks a lot for all the effort you put into it.

*'''7yson''' Hello, Jan. Thanks for this incredible resource. What an amazing effort that you and your community here have made. Happy to be a part of it. I'll be in the Esquel area in late Feb and am studying the main route for sections to hike in March, northbound likely. Thanks for considering me for access to the track files.

*'''Daniela Montecinos''' Hi Jan! I found GPT while searching for information on packraft routes in Patagonia. Your work is wonderful! I am interested in doing some of GPT's packraft routes and being able to contribute updated information on them. Thank you so much for your work and for sharing it!

*'''Mochilaosabatico''' Hi Jan. Tks for all information about GPT. My husband and I have just finished GPT 6 (Descabezado Grande) and we want to hike sectors 7 and 8. I would appreciate receiving the tracklogs for GPTs 7 and 8. Tks a lot!

*'''Moonshine''' Hi Jan. I have been loving the in depth guide for the GPT. It has been an incredible resource for this upcoming trip. Thank you so much for all you have done. My friend and I are planning on spending a month in March hiking along this trail. We have yet to decide exactly where along GPT06-GPT22. We are hoping we love it so much that next year we will come back with some packrafting knowledge and do more for a longer period of time. We love being in the backcountry, and connecting with local communities. This truly appeals to us in every regard. Excited for this adventure!

*'''Tom Venegas''' Thank you all for the fantastic work in gathering information and building this community! I’ve hiked in the Radal, Lircay, Antuco, Cochamó, and recently I’ve been exploring more of Aysén—specifically Cerro Castillo and Patagonia National Park. I’m really excited to check out Torres del Avellano and the Pioneros Road in Aysén next. Looking forward to connecting with other hikers and sharing experiences to be part of this project!

*'''Benoît''' Hi Jan, thank you for the incredible work you've done with the hiker's manual, it's an invaluable resource ! I started the GPT from Santiago in 2018 (sections 01 to 08), and I would like to continue from the Antuco Volcano and go south. Thanks again for all your work!

*'''einat shvartz''' Hello. I'm einat, i'm 26, i'm arriving solo to patagonia this January (2025), for about 2-3 months. I wish to hike the GPT, or maybe just some sections of it. I am absolutly love being in untouched nature and also meeting authentic people from all around the world. Hiking some of the GPT sounds incredible. I'm experienced with medium-long hikes (several days to 1-2 weeks top), but 0 experience with packrafting. There for I wish, at this point, to do only sections that are duable by foot (probably the more northen parts of GPT). And probably not a lot of difficult parts, at least in the begining, to see how i adapt to this new land, and to the whole thru-hiking experience. I hope that the track files will help me build and plan my own customize trail, and that i will be blessed to expirience some of it.

*'''jhfelner''' Hello. I plan on hiking and maybe packrafting numerous sections of the GPT over the next few years starting with parts of GPT around Section 6 this year. Experienced with remote mountain terrain. Would appreciate the track files for further planning.

*'''Tomek Z''' Hi, I´m from Poland. Right now on the one-year hitchhiking trip through South America. But part of my plan was always hiking some part of Andes. This idea of GPT really looks nice. I am a student mountain guide in Poland,and so far my bigest hike was from Zakopane to Budapest aprox. 350km, 16 days. Now I would love to try someting more challenging. I want to do a part from Trapa Trapa to Santaiago. I speak spanish quite well and curently I am working in a hostel in El Chalten. :) I plan to start a hike in the middle of February.

*'''Matthias Keil''' Hi Jan, we are Kathrin and Matthias from Germany (40yrs/42yrs) and we are both passionate hikers and have already visited lots of countries and its mountains. Since we have a kind of sabbatical in 2025/2026 we are planning to spend around 4 to 5 months on the GPT. My wife is fluent in Spanish and we are both fascinated of exploring remote areas and getting in touch with the locals combined with challenging navigation in barely untouched regions.

*'''Jordan Porter''' Hello. I plan to solo hike and packraft the Gpt starting December 2025 and hiking until April 2026. I spent three months backpacking and exploring Chile and Argentina last Jan-March so I have a decent idea of what to expect weather/transportation/etc. Your hikers guide has been a great resource so far! Looking forward to being in touch.

*'''Ben McLuckie''' Hi Jan, along with my spouse, we want to spend 3 months hiking from PN Hornopirén north to Santiago starting in March. I am currently reading your 2024 Hikers Manual. For 3 months in 2019 we traveled from Dientes de Navarino to El Chaltén and for another 3 months in 2024 traveled from El Chaltén to Valdivia by mountain biking, trekking and connecting ferries. We are most definately "immersion hikers" and not mileage-focused thru-hikers (no judging here).

*'''Fernanda Rodriguez''' Hi Jan, I am visiting Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia for one month. I am interested in doing the GPT 37 to GPT 40. I've been all of 2024 reading your Hikers Manual. I feel so grateful for such a beautiful contribution you have made to this, my country :)

*'''Chloe Derrien''' Hi Jan, with my partner, we would like to go from Ushuaïa up to Peru using some GPT sections. We would like to start end of february. Thank you for the GPT hiking manual, it is a huge help and source of informations.

*'''DavidVidal"" Hola, de a poco he ido haciendo trayectos de varios días por la cordillera, algunos de estos se unen también a ciertas secciones del GPT. Me interesa tener estos tracks para planificar mejor mis salidas. Agradecido de tu trabajo y prolijidad en esta ruta. Leí hace un tiempo el manual, acepto las condiciones claramente.

*'''Jason''' Hi Jan. I'm currently looking into hiking some sections of the GPT in 2025/2026 and would greatly appreciate the track files to aid in planning. I've read the introduction and agree to the terms and conditions. Thank you for all that you do.

*'''Ben Ram''' Hi Jan, I am researching hiking sections of the GPT in the Chilean Lake District with my partner in late 2025 to early 2026. It would be really great to have access to your GPS Files for this. I have read the Terms and Conditions and agree to them. Cheers.

*'''Ana''' Hi Jan, I’m looking into hiking sections of the GPT in late 2025 to early 2026. As part of my planning, I’d love to have a look at the GPS files to decide on sections. Thanks so much for all of the work you’ve put into this, the hikers manual is particularly useful.

*'''EmilieV''' Hi Jan, I am planning to cross Chile from Antofagasta to Ushuaia by foot and bus and I would like to incorporate some of the GPT sections in my adventure. The sections in question are 6 to 12 SOBO and then skipping over some of the middle sections to hop back on it probably after section 32 to finish at 40. I am still figuring out if I want to add a section or two from the southern part of the GPT and would like to access to GPS files to finish my preparation. The hikers manuel and the unbounded documentary were so helpful not only regarding the "trail" but also understanding the different dynamics of the local population, so interesting!

*'''pointatadventure''' Hi Jan, a huge thank you to this wonderful community! I came across GPT after an extensive internet search. As an avid adventurer, I am planning a trip to Patagonia next year to hike and packraft. I have read and of course accepted the terms and conditions. It would be fantastic if you could provide the GPS files for my project.

*'''Steve Hawkins''' Hello Jan and thank you for considering me for the GPT track files. I have read all terms and conditions, and I agree to comply. I also agree to contribute to the community. I am a "soon-to-be" retiree and have backpacked extensively in the United States. I would like to hike sections of the GPT over several years in 60–90-day increments beginning in Winter 2025-2026. I am beginning the research process for the first section hike in Patagonia and would love the assistance of the track files. Thank you for your consideration.

*'''Matias Federici.'''Hi Jan, I am going to do S14-15-16-17 next week, dont have much time for preparations because I was just noticed in my work that i have the vacations abiable, Been years reading About de GPT, this is the first time I have the money and time to try to do some, Im realy looking foward to this, thank you for the incredible job you started, best regards from argentina!

Use the format:
*'''Michael G.''' Hi Jan, I am planning on hiking sections 1 to 22 NoBo of the GPT from early March 2025, beginning in El Chaltén. I would like to thank you for the selfless work you did on making the GPT what it is. I'd be grateful if you could provide the GPS files for my project.

*'''Al and Bee''' Hi Jan, we are planning on hiking parts of the GPT starting in early January 2025, probably beginning in El Chaltén and hiking north. Thank you for the incredible Hikers Manual on the GPT. The GPS files would be extremely helpful for our endeavor.

*'''Juergen''' Hi Jan, My name is Jürgen Wolf. First of all, I want to thank you for the Greater Patagonia Trail project. I'm planning to some chapters in February, probably from stage 21 in northern direction. I'm currently in the process of studying the manual and creating a plan for myself, for which the GPS files would be helpful

*'''Pierre-Marie''' Hi Jan, I have been hiking since 27/11 from Santiago to El Chalten. Thank you for your work and efforts to keep this trail alive.

*'''Dustin''' Hi Jan, I am heading down to Patagonia this summer and planning to explore some of the packrafting sections. I'm planning to start exploring out of Coyhaique in early January. It is really wonderful that you are putting together a resource like this for an area you love. Your passion really comes through in the guide. Thank you so much for all that you do.

*'''Miguel''' Hi Jan, my name is Miguel Rodríguez Letelier, i live in Chile, love hiking and the mountains. I am planning to hike the GPT in the summer. Thank you for all the work and passion you put in this.

*'''Henri''' Hi Jan, let me first say how thrilled I am that the GPT guide exists and that there are all these incredible resources available for free all in the name of hiking! I am looking at the possibility of hiking a section of the GPT this coming February. I have my selection narrowed down to a few different sections but I am still a little indecisive. I will only have about a month to hike the sections of the GPT until I need to go home. I am hoping to get ahold of the Track Files so that I could better understand the scope of what I might be embarking. I've made myself a spread sheet showing every section of the trail from GPT 001 through GPT 040 where I include data and details to more easily narrow down my decision, and with this I feel that I am ready to get into the fine details of planning a relatively short hike on the GPT (3 weeks or a month).

*'''Graham''' Hello Jan, My name is Graham Hall. I am very interested in hiking the GPT between December and February of 2025. I am beginning my planning process, and I would love your insight. I will say, this is somewhat new to me, not in the outdoor sense, but in perspective. I have worked as a backcountry guide leading canoe trips for several years, but thru-hiking is newer for me at least in the packing sense -although I have been doing some smaller trips. I am fluent in spanish and confident in my abilities in the backcountry, specifically in outfitting and planning so I am excited about getting my hands on the most up to date maps and trip notes to plan my route. I also am looking to plan some pit stops to try and attract my other guide friends to join me for sections, but I just need to get to planning. I also would just love to get some more advice. I will say, pack rafting sounds insanely cool (from my canoe experience) but I also know the dangers that come with solo water travel, especially in such windy conditions. I would love to discuss this further, if you have the time. Either way, I hope this gets to you, wikiexplora do me right!
I hope we speak soon,
Graham

*'''Nono''' Hi Jan! I am planning to hike the GPT from Puerto Montt to Santiago. I'll be starting in February. I'm currently planning the hike and the guide is really fantastic. Congrats and thank you for putting together such useful information. I hope I can help contribute too. Best, Arno.

*'''Timotheed''' Hi Jan, I am planning to hike on the GPT from El Chalten to Santiago with a friend. We'll start in February, and we ll make it to Santiago with some junctions by bus. I am currently trying to plan our trip and therefore I would like to use the GPT track files. Thank you so much for the amazing informations you provided.

*'''dmateria''' Hi Jan, I am planning to packraft the packraftable (GPT16+) out of the GPT from end of December onwards, thus I'd gladly make use of the existing tracks. Thanks for the amazing community you have helped building.

*'''Mishun''' Hi Jan, me and my wife Anna plan to hike on GPT as a part our trip to Chile in December. We aim to hike sections GPT 06 and GPT 07 but we keep our plans open to change depending on the current conditions. Thank you for all your effort.

*"'MiaimZelt"' Hi Jan, thank you a lot for sharing so much informations in the GPT Manual. My husband and i are currently in Chile and will be until April. We planned to do a lot of multi-day hikes off the beaten path, which are part of the GPT, without knowing about the GPT. Less than 2 weeks ago an other hiker advised me about the GPT. This way i found out we'll be section hikers on the GPT. Now i'm reading every day in the Manual and try to improve my planning as best as i can without the files. Since then i considered if i should add myself to the list, although i'm definately late. Decided to give it a try. The gpx-files would be a great help to find out about alternative routes of our planned treks and to understand all the log-entrys, which are related to the files.

*'''Elijah Fuller''' My friend Michael and I are experienced thruhikers who are looking to do something very different from our previous experiences; the GPT. We'll have approximately 2 months to complete the GPT in January and February 2025. We're currently route planning, with sections GPT05-22 or GPT32-47 being the two sections we're considering. It's time to jump on Google Earth!

*“Raphael Chevalier” Greetings and thank you for all the research and detailed information found in the Guide Manual. I have read chapter 1 and am further into getting info on that very intriguing trail. I have a GSP and would like to use the GPT gps coordinate to further research the sections I am planning to do starting January 2025. Once again thank you for the community and available information.

* '''Roman''' I already did parts of the GPT in the 23/24 Season and fell in love with it!:) So I want to continue where it stopped GPT82P / GPT 33. Looking forward fore some new explorations and the new stories to tell of the people I meet! :)

* '''gornik''' Me and my grilfriend Gabi would like to hike once again on GPT. Last time we were here in 2023 and now we are planning to come back ready to experience GPT with all its beauty and challanges.

*'''Peggy''' Hi Jan, a lot of gratitude for you work and for charing it. It's a wonderful gift! I plan to start the gpt late december 2024 and walk until march or april wherever I get. Then I probably do the south part next year. For the momeent, I study the manual, analyse the route and my gear so I would be happy to have the gps files to go further in this preparation. Talk with you soon I hope and I am happy too to be a part of this community.

*'''Mttmllr''' Hi Jan, I live in Biobio region Chile, and in the past few years have done some hikes in the Andes that have been on GPT routes. I'm interested in the track files to enable me to continue exploring (slowly, year by year, I don't plan on leaving Chile any time soon) the different segments of the GPT. Many thanks for all your work and dedication to this project.

*'''BeingGarrett''' Jan ... I am looking to start the GPT this year (2024) in Santiago, I have an unlimited timeline and acknowledge that the GPT can not be done in a single season, therefore I would like to directly view the GPS files to map a roughly 1000 mile section. Go far, not fast. Thank you.

*'''Kare-Bare Blvd''' Hi Jan, my GF and I are super stoked to have found such a wealth of knowledge available for our planned adventure to Patagonia. We have 2 months and are very much interested in the Packrafting portions between 17-39, plus all the side quests and hikes along the way. We don't plan to complete all these sections in 2 months but we really think that the track files will help in our planning and prioritizing of sections so that we can get the most out of our adventure and to do it safely. GPT 2026! B-K

*'''ClickClack''' Hi Jan, myself and a friend are planning on doing sections 1 through 40 from mid-November 2024 to March 2025. We hope to complete the whole thing and the track files would really help! Thank you for the incredible amount of effort you have put into this!

*'''Simonlusignan''' Hi Jan, I am planning my 1500km hike through some GPT sections. I am starting from El Chalten in January 2025 and will be doing sections 32 to 40 and 6 to 12. I would love access to the files to help me navigate through river crossings and certain tougher sections. Thank you very much for the incredible ressource!

*'''Tamar''''' hi! we were very excited to hear about this trail! and it's uniqueness!! we hope to hike through some sections along the trail starting from the north in December 2024 until the weather becomes cold. Would love to share photos taken along the way. thank you!!

*''''Thijmen''''' Hola Jan, I'm planning to Packraft part of the GPT for three months in January till March 2025. I would like to receive the track files in order to prepare. Thank you for all the effort in making this adventure possible.

*'''''borruu''''' Hello Jan, thank you for sharing all the information about GPT. I am planning to hike a southern part of the GPT in February 2025, an access to the track files will be greatly appreciated.

*'''''wiiiim''''' Hola Juan, I'm very interested in exploring Patagonia further by hiking & packrafting sections of the GPT from December 2024. I'm still going through a lot of the information, but would love to get request access to the track files to plan more accurately. All the best, Wim

*'''''Kevin4''''' Hello Juan, I am considering the GPT between Section 6 and 20 starting in December 2024. Thank you for your work and manual on the GPT. I would like to have access to the trace file to plan my route. I thank you, Kevin.

*'''''Clara''''' Hey Jan ! I'm planning to hike some sections of the GPT between Decembre 2024 to March 2025. After reeding the amazing GPT hiker's manual, I would like to get access to the track files to continue planning the hike. Thank's for sharing all your work.

*'''''Amazering''''' Hi Jan, first of all thanks for putting together all this info and documentation about the GPT, the pdf in particular has been an amazing read so far! We as a couple have been hiking for a few years and we identify ourselves very much in the slow pace, sharing centered and collaborative philosophy of the GPT, and plan on hiking on parts of the trail from end October 2024 through February 2025. Excited to be able to contribute back too!

*'''''GLOBTUINA''''' Hey Jan, i'm planning to hike parts of the GPT into october 2024 and January 2025, i would like to get access to the track files to properly plan my trip before taking on such a great adventure. Thank you very much for creating and maintaining the GPT!

*'''''Volker''''' Hey Jan, I am planning to hike parts of the GPT starting in December 2024 and would like to get access to the track files you created. You completed a tremendous work to write the excellent manual and create the track files. Thank you very much for creating and maintaining the GPT - and for sharing all your knowledge and experience!

*'''''Farah & Jan''''' Hey Jan, we're planning to hike parts of the GPT in January and February 2025 and would love to get access to the track files to properly plan our trip before taking on such a great adventure. Thank you very much for creating and maintaining the GPT!

*'''''leo_micklem''''' Hello, I'm Leo. I'm planning to Packraft some sections of the GPT with my brother as part of a wider South America trip. The Packraft portion of the trip will likely take place December 2024 into January 2025. We feel strongly that it is important to be properly prepared for a safe and enjoyable adventure.

*'''''Allie''''' Hello, I'm Allie (or Aliénor). I'm planning to visit Patagonia from november 2024 to march 2025, and i would like to discover the region mostly on foot. Thank you for your extensive research and comprehensive guide.

*'''''sigg''''' Hi Jan, I'm Chris and I was thinking about spending some time on the GPT as a solo traveller beginning mid January to beginning of March 25. Yet, as I want to plan thoroughly, I'd love to take a look into the gpx files in order to better understand the terrain to choose to legs I feel confident in mastering.

*'''''HugoT''''' Hi Jan, I'm Hugo and I'm planning to spend 3 weeks on the GPT. Reading the manual was great, a real change on how I normally prepare for more well-known trails in Scandinavia, Scotland, Iceland or Nepal. In my search for true nature, I would like to start on section GTP06 and go south until 1) the trail beats me or 2) go as far as my feet will take me in the time that I have.

*'''''veleslavia''''' Hello, I'm Olga and I'm planning to hike and packraft some sections of the Trail in late December 2024 with my partner. Thank you so much for creating the manual and the community around it!

*'''''Ayrton.debeauffort''''' Hello, first of all thank you so much for all the hard work to put all these incredible resources together. I am looking to travel solo this spring to Patagonia and want to do first 20-30 section of the GPT over 2 months (with flexibility on the number of sections and timing). I have done multi day hikes in the W trek, and Norway and the Dolomites in the past and am looking to do a longer distance trek given I will be taking some time away from work. I look forward to contributing to your amazing research and thank you again!

*'''''Celio''''' Hola, first thing, thank you very much for the passionate job you made in creating this Hiker's manual, it's a gold mine of infos! We are a french couple living in the alps and planning to do the GPT, starting november and going up north. Having worked 4 years in Tierra del fuego in guiding i'll be very happy to help in contribute and support the job you made ! Thank a lot.

*'''''TiMa''''' Hi, we are a german couple planning to hike various treks in Patagonia roughly during Jan+Feb 2025. We didn't decide yet on specific sections of the GPT. Thank you and the contributors for all the work!
*""Morliz"" Hi Jan, I am planning on hiking sections of the GPT from 11/24-5/25, am experienced in long distance (US), alpine (alps, andes, pamir) and would be happy to support the wiki explorer homepage for the GPT during and after the hike. Thank you for the support.
*'''''LukSara''''' Hello Jan, we are Lukas and Sarah, two hikers from the Alps and woud like to hike the first part of the GPT. We are planning to travel to Chile in November 2024. It would be great to hike with your GPS Track Files and of course we would be happy to contribute to your work with your experience. Thank you and everybody who made this possible.

*'''''ErJo''''' Hello Jan, we are passionate hikers that would like to hike parts of the Greater Patagonian Trail in January and February of 2025. We don`t plan on doing packrafting. We are very grateful for your absolutely awesome work and thank you for making such a trip possible! :)

*'''''Mathilde and Jordan''''' Hello Jan, first of all thank you very much for your huge and impressive work. We are two frenchies who would like to participate to this adventure and start in november. We'll be happy to share our experience, help with the tracks and give some updates. Passionate about nature, hike and new culture, The GPT is an adventure that we have in mind for a long time. Thank you very much :)

*'''''Elio''''' Hi Jan, thank you so much for the work you're doing mapping out the most remote parts of Patagonia. I'm a seasoned hiker from France and I'm starting planning my next project (hopefully for December 2024, depending on finance and wife approval :). I would be very interested in the data you've collected over the years to help me come up with a route. I would gladly contribute to this wiki as soon as I find relevant data to provide. Thanks!

*'''''Stefan''''' Hi Jan, we, my wife and I, are experienced hikers from Germany and are looking for a new long-distance hiking trail that is scenically impressive, remote and not overcrowded. We don't have a concrete schedule yet (probably in a few years, for a few months). In our search we finally came up with GPT and your manual. Both are really impressive! Thank you for your work so far! We would be happy to help supplement the manual and keep it up to date. However, we are still at the very beginning of the planning and would therefore like to use the tracks for further information and preparation.

*'''''Keili100''''' Hi Jan, we are Kathrin and Matthias from Germany (40yrs/42yrs) and we are both passionate hikers and have already visited lots of countries and its mountains. Since we have a kind of sabbatical in 2025/2026 we are planning to spend around 4 to 5 months on the GPT. My wife is fluent in Spanish and we are both fascinated of exploring remote areas and getting in touch with the locals combined with challenging navigation in barely untouched regions.
Thanks for your unbelievable huge amount of work you are putting on the GPT

*'''''Karin'''''Hi Jan, I am Karin. I have had the dream of visiting and hiking Patagonia since many years. I am in Latin America for roughly a year for work and I would like to take advantage of being in Latin America to hike in November - December 2024 parts of the GPT. Thank you vera much for your incredible work!

*'''''Charlie''''' Hi Jan! I'm Charlie. I'm planning to hike either two (7-8) of the northern sections or 32 and 33h in the first two weeks of april. I'm an experienced hiker, have led trips and organized my own in the us and recently completed a 3 week thruhike of sicily. beyond excited to get to patagonia - has been a dream for years.

*'''''Marion y Augustin''''' Hello Jan, we are a french couple wich aim to try to hike some sections of the GPT beteen April 2024 and July 2024, mixed with bus travel to join Perù. We are reading the Hikers'Manual, thanks a lot for that huge job !
*'''''Sophie y Gaspar (Dr Jabali)''''' Hello Jan, we are a franco-spanish couple wich aim to try to complete the GPT beteen November 2024 and May 2025 and discover these beautiful landscapes and cultures. Thanks
*'''''Paulus''''' Hey Jan, im very impressed by your detailed planning and knowledge of the patagonian mountains. I really enjoyed reading your short manual for the trail even though I should have actually studied for my exams. In Autumn I will finish university and now have finally the time to do a longer hiking trip again. Since im a biology student, the GPT is extremely interesting, since it would serve me as a transect to observe to Vegetation change from the north to the south. Ive always dreamed of seeing Araucarias!
*'''''gitano''''' Hi Jan I enjoy hiking and I have a lot of expirience hiking patagonia for the last 6 years. I grow up in Osorno and i would like to hike my own land. I will love to cooperate and keep up this exelent job!
*'''''Maxfelis''''' Hi Jan, I'm a hiking enthusiast living in Santiago. I recently did "Sendero del Condor", and I met someone that was doing the GPT06. I would love to collaborate with the GPT project, and explore other sections. Thank you so much for all your work!

*'''''txrx''''' Hello Jan, I'm a hiking enthusiast living in Bariloche. I am always researching new routes and many times I end up scanning the GPT Hikers Manual. I can't believe how much work and love has been put by all the contributors to build this, thank you very much! I would love to help to keep the GPT growing responsibly.

*'''''Bebo'''' Hello Jan, I First heard of GPT while traveling through Peru, Bolivia and Argentina by bike. Rightnow I meet with my Brother in Buenos Aires and we want to hike remote trails for the coming 2 months. The GPT sounds just perfect, so we really would love to get the GPX files. We are aware of the fact that the trails lead through privat Land and nature. We treat both with hugh respect! Thanks for your work! Greetings from germany!

*'''''Marilynemg''''' Hi Jan! I have been discussing the GPT with hiker friends for the last ten years and I finally will be able to visit Chile in March and April. I want to start with sections 1-8 and I have a couple more on the radar, time and weather dependent. Thank you so much for all your work!

*'''''Retezepe''''' Hey Jan, we are very grateful for the invaluable resources you have compiled for the GPT. We're looking forward to being a part of this project! My partner and I are currently in Chile and interested in hiking a couple of sections of the GPT. The sections that currently interest us the most are sections 19 and 37H. We will be in Greater Patagonia from February to March.

*'''''TrailsOfWander''''' Hi Jan. Thank you very much for your envaluable work for the GPT and for your guidance. I am traveling to Chile on Feb 11 to hike GPT06 and partial GPT08 and 09. Unfortunately I don’t have much time for this trip but I will plan future trips for other sections so the Track Files of GPT will be very valuable as the Manual is. Thanks again!

*'''''AlexNecky''''' Hello Jan, thank you for all the work you've done putting this trail together!! My friend and I have been eyeing the GPT for a while. After much researching using your information and additional sources, we have tickets to Santiago for the beginning of March. Our plan is to start with GPT06 and going SOBO thru GPT10 or as far as we can for the month that we have. We're both super excited about this adventure and look forward to contributing back to the community with our experience!! Thanks again!

*'''''Dueser''''' Hi Jan. I am deeply impressed by your work. Not only the time you spent on the GPT, but also all the documentation and the manual. During reading the manual I realized that 10 years ago I explored a few GPT stages in the north without knowing about the GPT. This time I'm deliberately heading south. I'll certainly put my experience to good use for the project.

*'''''CharlieGardner101''''' Hey there Jan! Charlie here! Wow, what an incredible community you've created here. I couldn't be more excited to explore this wonderful and wild part of the world and to become a contributing member of this initiative you've begun! I will be flying into El Chalten in the first week of February and, along with a few friends, hope to hike a variation of GPT sections 38-40. Later on (mid-late march), we hope to move further North to try our hands at a section somewhere between GPT 6 and 12. Thanks for everything you do! Cheers!

*'''''Zsu''''' Hi Jan! I would like to hike parts of GPT32-40 in the upcoming weeks. More details in the email. Thank you very much!

*'''''Fernanda''''' Hi Jan! First and foremost, a sincere thank you for your impressive work. It is so valuable to have this type of initiatives in Patagonia. I am Chilean and mountains have been my backyard since I was a kid. I am planning to do GPT35 and GPT 36H with my brother Francisco. He is also close to nature and a entrepreneur based partially on Puerto Bertand since 2020. I've shared the hikers manual with him and he was very thankful and impressed with this initiative. I would also be interested in contributing with adding highlights and changes to the track. Global warming is slowly but steadily modifying nature.

*'''''Daemos''''' Hi Jan! My name is Andrew, and I am a Canadian travelling in Patagonia for the next two months. I was planning to hike the Condor Circuit, but I've read online of some difficulties lately and am interested in investigating one of the variations of GPT6 as an alternative. I would also be interested in adding some highlights of the GPT to my plans as well.

*'''''PauMau2024''''' Hello Jan! My name is Paulina and I thank you so much for your work. It´s an impressive work that you have done! From february on my partner Flo and I want to explore and hike from Futaleufu to O'Higgins, GPT 71 and GPT35-39. Beginning in Futaleufu we will take around 5 days to get to Chaiten where we will have a resupply and then continue hiking down until the end of the carretera Austral. We are happy to share our GPS log and further information&experience, hopefully support future travelers.

*'''''madnomad''''' Hi! My name is Elias. We are a couple from Greece travelling around the American continent on a campervan, motorcycle, packraft and hiking equipment! We are already on the road for 5 months and we are currently in the Argentinian part of Patagonia. We love it here and it would be great to try a few sections of the GPT. We are not planning to do anything extreme, just enjoy a few highlights of the GPT at first!

*'''''acivs''''' Hi! My name is Agnes. I'm from Switzerland and love trekking. I did several hikes in the Alps, the Andes and in Patagonia. In August 2022 I started backpacking through South America and got trapped in Tortel about a year ago. Last March I read for the first time about the GPT and was fascinated by it. For the moment I am planning on doing my first to sections, GPT36H and GPT35.

*'''''wandering_guanaco''''' Hey all! My name is Jack and I am an American outdoors-person interested in hiking sections 16-23 this austral summer, and hope to continue to complete sections of the GPT as I continue to work in Chile for a few months of the year every year. This project is amazing and I am stunned by the thoroughness of the documents I have read so far. From the intentions of the project as a hike undertaken only by those who are prepared, to the particular comments on the links between fundraising and the inevitable outcome of the trip itself, I really appreciate the time and thought that has been put in to not just the adventure portion, but also the preparation, reputation, and impact of the hike. I feel lucky to have explored chunks of Patagonia in my past and cannot wait to broaden my experiences through these sections and information in the future.

*'''''bistarai.bistarai''''' Hello! My name is Susie, I’m French-Canadian and planning on hiking sections 6 to 18 (although very flexible) as a first attempt on the GPT which I have been eyeing for a while now. Eventually I’d love to try packrafting in more southern sections in a couple of years!

*'''''mollycargill''''' Hello, my name is Molly and I am a medical doctor from Australia with a lifelong love of the outdoors and an interest in wilderness medicine. As a part of an Expedition Medicine course I am currently undertaking I need to create an in depth logistics plan for a trip which I want to go on, which I have chosen as packrafting sections 16-25 of the GPT. I have had my eye on the GPT for a while, and hopefully can use the finished product of this assignment to help me finally attempt some of the GPT in the 2024/25 season.

*'''''HHGTPE''''' (Hitchhikers guide to planet earth) Hey, I am Felix. I hitchhiked around the globe for three years some time ago and now I am doing a semester abroad in Buenos Aires for my uni. While looking for long distance tracks in Patagonia, I came across the GPT and very much fell in love with the whole concept. This year I would like to do some of the shorter and easiest hiking parts of the GPT but hopefully come back in the future to do some longer and connected parts.

*'''''fabianundcecile''''' Hola de San Rafael, Argentina. We are travelling to southern Patagonia and thought we could hike some sections of the PGT along the way. Maybe starting with GPT 7 southbound. Saludos Cécile y Fabian

*'''''czimahi'''''Hola Jan, por favor me podrías enviar el file para ir alguna parte entre GPT18 a GPT5? Muchas gracias

*'''''nico142857''''' Hola desde Chile!. Escribo en español por razones políticas más que practicas. Primero que todo, gracias por recolectar, sintetizar y compartir la información. Me interesa recorrer la parte norte de los 'senderos' y me interesan tener los .kmz para 1) tener una ayuda, 2) no abrir mas senderos y respetar la naturaleza y 3) dar feedback a la comunidad. Saludos

*'''''Ggeoff88''''' Hello everybody ! My name is Guillaume from France and I'm actually in Bariloche preparing my adventure to go to El Chalten by foot. You guys did an incredible Job of research, documentation and exploration... Today I'd like to inspire of your work in order to prepare my road. It's normal for me and will be a pleasure to share my experience after it.

*'''''MysticalMarauder''''' Hi my name is Misha and I'm in Chile with an old friend about to the depart on a greand adventure December 2023 onwards. Heading south in the coming days with the zenith of our travels the Punta Arenas/Puerto Natales area. Then turning around and heading back north after a month or 2. Eager to get on the GPT in either direction in the coming months/years? Not sure how long this adventure will last but hopeful to hike many kilometers on this network. Thank yiou to Jan and this commmunity for establishing this route and creating this excellent resource for those excited to get off the well-traveled roads and disappear into the wild for a bit.

*'''''Lazy_Lemon''''' Kia ora! Looking to get amongst the Patagonia trails so thanks so much for putting all this information together!

*'''''Sam Odin'''''' Hello! Thank you so much for this impressive work. The detail and love put into the GPT manual is truly a gift to us all. Between January 15 and February 5, my partner Sara and I are planning to explore as much of GPT33 as possible. Beginning in Villa Cerro Castillo we will take 8 to 10 days to get to Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez (where we will have a resupply) and then take about the same time to get back to Villa Cerro Castillo. We would love to share our log and GPS information, hopefully further illuminating future travelers to the less frequented routes and parts of this section

*'''''Jonathan Mudde'''''' Hi Jan, I'm planning to walk a few sections of the GPT in the very south and in the north. I'll start on the first of January around Ushuaia. And after that I like to use the border close to O'Higgins and hike some parts around Laguna de la laja I'm looking forward to use the gpx files. Thanks in advance! I have read many parts with great respect for your work and honering the lokal people. Regards Jonathan Mudde/Abishaloom

*'''Matthias''' Küme naqün antü! I've been following this fascinating idea for years, and now I can hopefully explore a small part of it myself and contribute to its long-term existence. I will arrive in Santiago in January, then I would like to follo'''w the GPT southwards, walking until about GPT20. But I am flexible in my plans on the ground, I am open to spontaneity and ever-changing challenges. Alles Leben ist Problemlösen.

*'''Carina''' Hi! Thank you so much for the detailed GPT resource you have created. It's been a dream of mine to hike/trail run through parts of Patagonia, and it would be really helpful to see the GPT track files to help with my route planning. I'm planning to go in 1-2 years from now, so plenty of time to plan still. Very happy to contribute / provide feedback on route sections once I'm there myself. Thank you :)

*'''Paulina''' Hello everybody. First of all, I would like to thank you for all the huge job you put into this projekt. I'm really amased. I will start a part of GPT in January, I'm especially interested in GPT because it seems wild, unspoilt and very interesting from cultural point of view. I also love the idea that everyone can create its own trail and that three is no one and the best option. Living in Europe where in some parts of the mountain we focus maybe too much on kilometers and speed, it seems that GPT offers something much more important. I will be more than happy to contibute to this beautiful projekt.

*'''Mitschu''' Hello, after spending 9 weeks in Patagonia (pre pandemic) I am back with the aim to explore even more :) I thought about starting in Bariloche, explore the lake area going north (following part of Huella Andina) and finally cross over to chile and start at section 16 southbound mid/end of december. I used the pandemic for some long distance hikes in europe (GR5, half of GR10/11 and TMB) and cant wait to enjoy the beauty of patagonia. I will hike solo but open to meet up with fellow hikers if someone happen to be in the area :) I am following the project since 2 years... impressive work. Happy to contribute as well! Looking forward hearing from you! Thanks

*'''Rainbow16''' Hi Jan & fellow hikers! My name is Tanja and I am currently planning to walk Sections 6-22 starting end of December 2023. Still a bit dizzy from reading the hikers manual (what a great documentation!), I am excited to further explore this Patagonian trail network via the track files. A huge thanks to Jan and Meylin for their adventurous spirit and dedication as well as all other collaborators (what a cool community!). Looking forward to contributing myself once I put my feet on GPT grounds.

*'''Frans van Driel''' Hi Jan, first and foremost I would like to thank you for all the work you put into the GPT. Truly impressive to read the manual! I'm planning to walk a few sections of the GPT. I'll explain more in detail in the upcoming email. My timeframe will be half December 2023 till half January 2024. I'm looking forward to this amazing experience and would like to start some more detailed planning using the gpx files. Thanks in advance! Sincerely, Frans van Driel

*'''Owen Hutchison (elhutcho)''' Hey Jan! Am incredibly impressed with what you have been able to put together with the GPT - it’s an amazing achievement for which I’m sure many are thankful. I have been reading through the manual in preparation for a trip in February and March 2024. My partner and I will make our way down from Lago Puelo (GPT 22/23) to El Chalten via a mix of different segments and pack rafting. To assist in planning and preparation, I’d be really grateful to receive the the KMZ/GPX Files. I am very happy to contribute back to the project in anyway I can. Thanks again! Owen

*'''Piotr Szatkowski''' Hello Jan, primarily I would like to say thank you for the massive amount of dedication you put into creating the whole guide. The quality of it, the precision everything is described with is very impressive.I would like to kindly ask you if you could share with me the KMZ/GPX Files. I am incredibly humbled to be able to discover the beauty of the regions of Patagonia. Can't wait into immerse in to this journey of solitude. I will be starting in end of December for section and or 2 heading south. Will probably hike for 2 months. I am not sure how long exactly.

*'''Ella Meyer''' Hi Jan, I am planning to walk parts of the GPT as part of a project studying and documenting people's relationships to water along long-distance trails. As per your suggestion when we talked on the phone one year ago, I would like to hike Sections 1-12. I may also skip to Sections 21, 22, 63 and 69. I am hoping to depart Southbound around late December (2023). I am very excited to embark on this journey, and welcome anyone else planning on hiking these sections to connect with me (contact info can be found on my website https://ellameyer.com/)

*'''Vlad Ivanchuk (vladdi)''' I'm planning to walk some southern sections of GPT northbound from Ushuaia starting in December 2023 for just over a month. I look forward to immersing myself in the landscapes and culture of Patagonia, and I'd appreciate access to GPS files to enable this adventure.

*'''Robin Marcille''' Hi Jan, hi all, thank you for this immense amount of work. After sailing from France to Ushuaïa, we are planning to walk parts of the GPT norhbound from Puerto Williams on November 2024 for approx. 3 months. We would be very grateful to access the GPS files to prepare our trip ! We are especially interested in the various options between Puerto Williams and Cochrane. We're super excited to participate to this project and would like to propose some mountaineering options !

*'''Cyril AC'H (Cy)''' Hi, can't wait more to get back with GG on the GPT after 2 years break, from El Bolson southbound toward Cochrane and El Chalten in a packrafting mode for those sections. No rush, side trips to fjords, we will see how far we get ! Thx for the KMZ/GPX Files !

*'''Martin_crgt''' Hi all, thanks for your work Jan, and for everyone's contributions to this adventure, My sister and I are planning to do the GPT in February 2024 from section 6 down south. Having the GPS data would be a great help to help us plan.

*'''maddidunster''' Hi Jan, Tom and I are two Australians planning to hike northbound from El Chalten to wherever we make it with the time we have from February to April 2024. Super excited, can't wait!

*'''guswimbo''' Hello Jan, thank you for all of your and others' work on putting together this incredible wealth of information! I'm planning on backpacking/packrafting from Cochamo to El Chalten in January/February 2023.

* '''Oscar Crassous''' Hello Jan, I'm a french men who will travel northbound during 9 months in South America, between november and august. I have planned to walk most of the time and I am very excited to hike some parts of the GPT during my trip. Thanks for your work.

* '''Matthieu''' Hello Meylin and Jan, former hiker on the GPT (season 2019-2020, northbound), would gladly go back on trail this year to hike some other parts southbound (Santiago-Antuco, Puyehue - Coyhaique)!

* '''GriffinWagner13''' Hello Jan, planning to travel to Chile/Argentinia in 2025. I'll be doing some of the sections between GPT01 and GPT40, bussing between routes as possible. I definitely want to hit some of the northern volcanoes as well as the southern routes! Super excited to hike it.

* '''edwinb''' Hello Jan, planning to fly to Santiago in 2 weeks. Thinking about gpt2/3 to do something close to Santiago and especially want to do the tracks in the araucania this time. gpt33h and gpt37h look very attractive to. Thanks again for all the work! Edwin

* '''lilian''' Hello Jan, i'm planning to have a 3-4 months hike through Greater Patagonia, I will travel to Santiago in mid-November 2023 and maybe end my hike about March to April at somewhere south. I would be interested in the trackfiles from 1 to 69, would be incredibly grateful to have the files for further research and planning. Thank you in advance!

* '''zipgerm''' Hey Jan, Thank you for your work and contributing the route information to the world! I'll be in Chile/Argentina from beginning of December until April. If my feet are willing, I want to walk parts of the GPT starting with section 05 or 06 southwards. I read a great part of your guide and already bought a GPS with satellite pager - alhough I never used neither of them on my off-track hiking tours before. Looking forward to Chile and the Andes. Matthias

* '''JordanJennings''' Hi Jan, my plan is to packraft soundbound sections 17-30 over the season, but will likely begin with a few (conditions appropriate) sections between 30-40 from November after completing some packrafting training around Puerto Río Tranquilo. I would like to also thank you for dedication so much time and energy into making this possible for all of us

*'''LottiRummel''' Hi Jan, thank you for all your fantastic work! We are planning to spend January 2024 in Chile and want to hike starting from around GPT 06 southwards. I hope the gpx tracks will help us decide which sections to plan. Thanks! Alex and Lotti

*'''Rowe99''' Hi Jan, first of all, many thanks to you and everyone else who contributed to the manual. I have never seen so much information about such a large network for any other region in an open-source manner. I am planning to hike this year (2023) from December to mid-February starting from El Chaltén northwards with a pakraft. Thanks for all the information so far! Cheers Roman!

*'''Jonas._____''' Hi Jan, I'm planning to hike through Patagonia from December to February/March. I will start in Puerto Montt and then go south from there as far as time and terrain permits. The great GPT Hikers' Manual did already give me a really good insight in what to expect and I would really appreciate having the GPT Track Files as well to prepare for my trip as much as possible! Thanks for your help!

*'''ColineW''' Hi Jan ! Thank you a lot for the amazing work you did with the "Great Patagonian Trail, Hikers Manual" ! It's full of wize advices and ideas I maybe would havenot find myself. I will go in Chili from mid-december to mid-march, meet up with my father who is currently wandering in the south. We'd like the hike northbound from GPT20 to GPT01. The GPS files would be a great help for you, since I tried my plan an itinerary on Google Earth and, as you know, I lost sight of some roads in the forest. My father has a Garmin66i, so we'll be able to send the datas of our trail to you. Have a nice day !

*'''Roi Keler''' Hello Jan, First of all, thank you for the amazing work you did and still do, it's a great inspiration for me. I plan to spend 3-4 months in Patagonia and I want to combine several walking sections of the GPT between section GPT01 - GPT16 & GPT32 - GPT46. After reading the hikers' manual and completing the preparations, I decided not to focus on a meticulous plan because it is important for me to be spontaneous and keep the options open. The GPS files in combination with the hikers' manual will allow me to choose the hiking sactions that suit me and then send the information to you and share with the community. Thanks for everything!

*'''Marmur''' Hi Jan! We are a couple and are planning to hike the GPT from start to end, in 2 seasons (hopefully) starting next season. We have visited Patagonia in the past and can't wait to get to know it more intimately, as we loved it so much. hiking in remote locations with unmarked trails is not new to us, but we are exited about the challenges that are waiting for us at this epic terrain. this is a great chance to thank you for all this impressive work that you've been doing, and you can count on us that after all this ends for us, we will share all inputs and updates with you and the community.

*'''Lukas Deleu''' Hi Jan, my girlfriend and I are planning to do 3-4 months of hiking through Greater Patagonia starting this december. We chose some of the sections that most appealed to us and hope to connect them by public transport. Gpt 6-12, 16-19, 32-40 is what we have in mind for the moment. Having the trackfiles would be a great help offcourse. Cheers.

*'''Huemul''' Hello Jan, I'm Frank from Irlanda. I hope to continue southbound in November from El Chalten to Isla Navarino. Thanks for all your help & advice so far.

*'''RoshiJ''' Hi Jan, what an amazing piece of work you've established in the GPT hiker's manual, and its amazing to see how many people are inspired by it. I am planning on exploring Patagonia starting in November, with no end date as of yet. My only goal is to wander and wonder but I'd like to do so well-informed and as prepared as possible. I already feel so after reading the manual but it would be even better to set out armed with your GPS files. I also love the idea of using wikiexplora as a platform to communicate within a like-minded community with similar goals so am enthusiastic to share my own experiences and read those of others.

*'''Pieper92''' Holá Jan, Thank you for providing this comprehensive manual. I will travel to Patagonia in November 2023 and want to make my way from santiago to tierra del fuego by feet, on my beloved packraft but also longer sections by bus transport. Have not picked all sections but Lagos Chilenos/argentinos, parts of fjord area and tierra del fuego are in focus. Especially I want to circumvent the spoiled national parks in the south. Your guide has already been a great help up to know but the GPT track files would be extraordinary helpfull. I will especially try to provide novel exploration data by packraft.

*'''nickcarter884''' Dear Jan, Thank you so much for all the work you have done on this manual and the route, it's fantastic! Some friends and I are planning to do the section around El Chalten in February 2024 and would really like to follow your routes rather than the roads. Please could I have access to the GPS files so we can be in the real nature, not just the road? :-)

*'''delabien''' Dear Jan, I am very inspired by your manual. My partner and I plan to travel for 4 months starting from the capital Santiago going slowly to the south (starting in November 2023). Thus we would like to hike some of the sections you and the other collaborators assembled. In order to make the expedition more feasible for us we intent to use the local public transportation for some parts. Really looking forward to experience the changing landscapes during the route. Thank you

*'''wbarab''' Hi Jan, thank you for all the extensive and detailed work put into this manual. My partner and I (American & Spanish)plan to hike the GPT from mid November 2023 until late February or March 2024. So far GPT 6-12, 14-16, 19, and 32-40 have stood out to us as a start, but our investigations continue and we plan to add at least another half dozen sections (plus some "maybes" if time permits)! To continue we would really appreciate access to the trackfiles.

*'''ranulph24''' Hi Jan, great manual! Thank you for putting so much passion in this project. I consider hiking on the GPT in November 2024 - April 2025. I am mainly aiming for the northern part 5 - 30 and add a smaller section in the south. For refining my plans I would like to study the GPS Track Files in detail.

*'''MMartinez''' Hi Jan, thank you so much for this incredible amount of work. It is really inspiring and exciting. We are a couple (American and Polish) and we are interested in hiking some of the sections of the GPT later this year. We have been reading the manual and adjusting and readjusting plans the more we learn (there's so much to learn!) We would really appreciate access to the track files to help with the planning. Thank you so much again!

*'''SeanMaskill''' Hi Jan, Thanks for all of your work! I've wanted to hike sections of the GPT for a few years. I've now started the research seriously and tracks would help me decide which sections I'd like to hike. Cheers Sean.

*'''MarmotAndBear''' Dear Jan, Thank you for putting in so much dedicated work, to create the Hiker’s Manual, and in doing so helping others to hike and appreciate this part of the world. We are a German-Singaporean couple and we have been following the GPT community for almost one year now. We have quit our jobs not long ago and have started visiting Central Asia, where we’ve been able to do some amazing hikes. Before setting foot on the GPT this coming (southern) summer, we are planning to improve our Spanish in other South American countries. We hope a few weeks of dedicated learning will do the trick. Once on the trail, we are planning to hike and packraft as much of the GPT as we can during the coming season. Let’s see how far our feet and boat will carry us :)

*'''guaraches80''' Hello and good afternoon Jan. I have been reading and preparing for some sections of the trail you have put together. I, a Mexican American, and a Colombian friend will be backpacking through Brazil and later to Argentina in the coming months and we would love to see some of the wonderful trails you and others have experienced. Obviously, because of our backgrounds we both speak fluent Spanish and have years of backpacking, hiking and bushcrafting experience. This is something I look forward to with the uptmost energy and so will eagerly await the track files to begin further in-depth planning. Thank you for your time. Until next time!

*'''blissfulmisgivings''' Hi Jan, Thank you for providing so much detailed and helpful information about the GPT! We (two Americans) are excited to try packrafting portions of the GPT beginning in November 2023. The guidance you've provided in the manual has already been invaluable to our preparations, and we look forward to reviewing and using the GPT track files in our journey. Thanks again!

*'''YannickCOLL''' Hi Jan, Thank you very much for your work and your dedication to the GPT. We are immersing in the GPT universe with pleasure and a growing sense of adventure. We are a couple (French and Belgian) and we’re looking to hike some sections of the GPT between mid-November 2023 until April 2024 (Sections: 1-12 / 16 / 19 / 32-40). These are the sections that we selected so far and that we are more attracted to, knowing that of course it can change. We were wondering if you could grant us access to the GPS tracks in order for us to prepare for the GPT. We understand that this is an unofficial trail and that it is still a work in progress and we are eager to help in any way we can to continue to build this ‘trail’. Nolwenn & Yannick

*'''daniel.s''' Hi Jan, amazing work with the Hiker's Manual! I hope to meet some of you on the trail next season. I'm planning to do some of the packrafting sections starting at GPT 17. The track files would be very helpful to make it an unforgettable experience. Greetings from Austria, Daniel

*'''hevike''' Hello fellow hiking community, I'm Jens from Germany looking into hiking sections of the GPT this November until the end of February. Thanks for the amazing work you all have put into this project and I'm looking forward to contribute myself.

*'''MartinGilles''' Hola Jan, soy Martin de Belgica y estoy planeando hacer una parte del GPT al principio de noviembre hasta el 20 de diciembre. Me gustaria tener the GPS tracks para organisarme y ver lo que me conviene mas. Muchas gracias por lo que hiciste y para permitir la exploracion de esta parte del mundo. Un placer, Martin.

*'''Marc Altena''' Hi Jan, thanks for all your hard work exploring the hidden trails of Patagonia. I'm hoping to do sections 6 to 10, 16 to 22 and 32 to 40 early next year. The GPS tracks would be helpful. Tanks in advance for sending them. Kind regards, Marc

*'''Lorenzo''' Hi Jan, I don't have specific plans concerning the GPT yet, but that might change soon. After the reading the first 300 pages of your guidebook it seems to me like a real challenge and an unforgettable experience at the same time. I'll call it a dream to hike at least parts of it, and extensive planning is the first step to make your dreams come true.

*'''Joscha97''' Hi Jan, I gonna travel to Chile in the beginning of next year and I am really fascinated by the idea of the GPT. I would love to hike some parts of it, starting in Santiago. Thanks for all the work you put into this project. Greetings

*'''Larix84''' Hello Jan, he hablado contigo con whatsapp hace 2 semanas Mi proyecto de trail para el ano que viene se confirma, un saludo'''

*'''Noemie''' Hi Jan, thank you so much for making us discover those incredible paths and landscapes in an ethical way. I have been hiking in Chilean Patagonia for a few months now and I wish to keep discovering the region more deeply by hiking through a few sections of the GPT, especially GPT36H (ruta de los Pioneros). Depending on how this goes, and on the weather conditions, I may try to go further north around sections 08-09. Thanks for all your work, the resources you provided have been super helpful!

*'''TheRebel''' Hey Jan thanks for the big package of information you provide with tha website/pdf I'm in Argentina since 3 months and hiked many km in the official and more marked areas (bariloche, bolson, esquel, el Chaltén, El Calafate, Ushuaia and more) and now I'm on the way back north and wanna end up in Bolivia or maybe even Columbia in the next 6 months... I've heard about your site from a Canadian guy who did some sections more north and I thought it would be nice to do some more trails in a little more remote areas on my way north
Greatings TheRebel

*'''Jen''' Hi Jan and so, so many thanks for all the incredible work you have done here. I am currently in Peru and planning to fly south to begin the beginning of GPT01 in the next few weeks and see how long I can walk for before things become too off season. I will halt and recommence when the season comes back in. If I manage to journey to Punta Arenas in the end, whenever this might be, then I am happy! Thank you, Jen.

*'''Ollie''' Hello Jan. I am from Wales and currently is
Brazil after sailing here from Europe. My plan is to work my way towards southern Argentina where I will stop and work for a while. Hopefully improving my Spanish, get to know the culture more and spend my weekends in the mountains to prepare. The idea is to start from Tierra Del Fuego, head north and just take it step by step. The manual has been a great read thank you for being so thorough. Love it. Cheers.

*'''Silke & Hans''' Hello, We are a Belgian couple currently on a multiyear bikepacking, trekking & mountaineering trip through South-America. We'd been looking forward to do some sections of the GPT for a long time. We are currently in Chile Chico, and planning to do the GPT35 section. We probably want to do some more sections further South.

*'''Jakub+Veronika''' Hi Jan, we're a couple from Czechia, currently almost one month in Chile getting to know the country, it's history and it's people's culture. We'd like to hike some parts of the GPT south from Puerto Montt, where we are based right now. Thanks for this awesome work!

*'''Alan''' Hola Jan! I'm Alan from California. I'm interested in doing GPT32 and GPT33H. Thanks for all the resources you have provided so far!

*'''Diegoara''' Hi! My name is Diego and I am from Chile and I'm interested in the GPT to do de GPT18 & GPT19, i would be a little more than a week, i think that is amazing the work that you do making this GPT in my country.Thanks!

*'''Jess&Paco''' Hey Jan ! We are from France and we would love to hike the GPT between march and april 2023. We plan to connect a few sections in the great lakes region (between section GPT45 and GPT35, south to north) for about a month. And if the weather is favorable, we would explore in april a little bit of the nothern parts of the GPT (volcanos region) but without necessarily connecting steps, while being around for a workaway. Thanks a lot for all this work !

*'''blklb''' Hi Jan! I'll be leaving for Chile in a few days and would like to do bits and pieces of the sections between Curico and Conaripe, perhaps farther south. I'll be combining trekking with time spent in towns/cities. This is going to be a leisurely exploration of the GPT, with the possiblity of a longer GPT-specific trip in the future. Thanks!

*'''Joachim''' Holà Jan! I'm Joachim from France. I'm coming to Chile in a few weeks, and found your website with a lot of valuable informations on this beautiful itinerary! I don't have a fixed plan yet but my idea is to start around Santiago and go South until winter begins. I'd love to get a hand on those gpx files to help me plan properly, I'll be happy to share feedback when coming home. Many thanks for all the work you put in!

*'''Johnny1968''' Hi Jan! We are a couple from Italy and want to to start mid february 2023 from Santiago for the GPT. We have 2 months of time and want to see how far we get, without hurry, soaking up nature and culture. Thanks for the manual and creating the track files, great respect for the ethics!

*'''derameisenbaer''' Hi, two people from Germany. We'll be hiking part of the GPT (GPT06-GPT12) in February. If there's time left we might be able to hike part of the more southern sections as well. Really looking forward to it and really aprreciate the great work on this page and the Hikers Manual!

*'''ebse''' Hello, I'm Ed from England. Would love to help contribute to this mammoth project by hopefully walking GPT01 - GPT20ish in late 2023. Looks like a remarkable experience all round; I'd be very grateful to be part of it.

*'''Martio''' Saludos, soy Martial ! landing on jan. 14th for a 2 month journey into Chilean natural wonders. I plan to hike a selection of northern GPT sections between 1 and 22. Plans purposely open for this first experience and can't wait to get involved in the community. Ps: Jan, you rock !

*'''Clemgbl''' I'm Clement from France. Currently hiking in Chile from month, I would like to continue my trek on the GPT next month (january and February 2023). I plan to start in Coyhaique and hike until El Chalten (GPT 31 to GPT 40).

*'''Jcoxxx''' I'm Jeff from Alaska. Hopefully I'll be hiking and packrafting section 17 to 39, starting this January. I'm really excited to be a part of this project and share my trackfiles.

*'''Eleebeatriz''' Hi, I'm Elena from Chile. On the 27th of this month we are going to carry out the Gpt7, we will enter through the "Puente Ingles" , in San Fabian de Alico, up to the Polcura mountain range, in Antuco. Greetings and I hope in January I will be editing what I have done to share it with you!

*'''MarcGPT''' Hola! Last year while hiking around Cochrane, I learned about the GPT. Looking forward to return and contribute to the GPT manual.

*'''Franzz''' Hi! I'm Franzz from Switzerland. I'm planning to thru-hike my own version of the GPT next year. Using your tracking files would be a great help planning the itinerary :) I would be more than happy to share back my own track files and experiences once I'm back.

*'''Nicktravels_''' Hey mate, I'm Nick - i'm planning on a hike/packraft of mumtiple segments with my three amigos. Leave only footprints is a big part of our travelling philosophy and I have a lot of respect for the ethos you carry through the information provided.

*'''Timo''' Hi, I'm Timothée. I'm French but also from Munich Germany! I plan on being in Chile beginning of next year and on doing someof the sections (probably 6-22, 32-40 more or less). I'm super impressed by all the gathered and explained documentations and advices form the Manual and would love to contribute !

*'''zozo''' Hi, my name is Zohar. I'm from Israel and plan on doing some trekking in Patagonia in January 2023. planning to do parts of the GPT from south to north starting at section 46.

*'''florianluca''' Hi, my name is Florian. I'm from Germany and plan on doing some trekking in Chile at the Beginning of next year (2023). I appreciate the work that went into this project and would like to use some of it for planning some of our tour.

*'''willcampbell444''' Hi, I'm Will from Canada. I'm interested in hiking some of the trail as I make my way south through Chile! I was thinking of starting at section 6 in mid December, depending on the weather. I really appreciate all the work done putting together the trail, and I hope to contribute with my track files and notes.

*'''Dallas''' Hi, I´m Dallas, from Berkeley, California, USA. I am interested in planning a trip in early 2023 to explore the beauty of Patagonia and indulge in my passion for slow, human-powered travel. This trip is open-ended and intentionally meandering, and the GPT looks like an excellent basis of exploration.

*'''Nicopo''' Hi, I´m Nicolás, from Buenos Aires. My girlfriend and I have been hiking in Patagonia for the last few years and we are planning on hiking sections of the GPT from December to February. We are already getting started with our planning and are looking forward to contributing with what we can. Thank you!

*'''Newt, Birdie, and Possum''' Hi! We are on our way back to Patagonia for the third time. The three of us have hiked in Patagonia and many other places in the world together. We will have 1 month to hike a portion of the GPT, specifically focusing on 33H -38H going northbound. We are inspired by this document and we can't wait to become contributing members of this community. Thank you!

*'''pgantier''' Hi, I'm Pierre from France. I discovered Chile and South America 5 years ago during an exchange semester and look forward to going back there for a long trip (within the next 5 years for around 12 months). I would love to do some part of the Greater Patagonian trail during this future gap year and I want to prepare well it advance to continue to get experience to be ready for this gread adventure !

*'''Jonny6k''' Hi, im planning on hiking some sections of the GPT from late December until March (or until i get tired!) I am planning on sections 6-22, but nothing is certain yet. I hope to add to the track files and contribute with some notes regarding the trails. i look forward to arriving in chile! Jonny

*'''felagund''' Hello, I would like to hike the GPT in December-February, from Santiago till as far as I can get and as long as a I enjoy it. So I would be interested in the trackfiles from 1 till about 40, even though I probably won't reach that far. I am a contributor to OSM so I was thinking that would be my main form of contribution, though I would not want to put paths that are disputed there of course. Tomas

*'''Arnaudlacoste''' Hello Jan! I have been a big fan of the GPT for some years now. I just moved back to Chile after living for the past 8 years in Europe and would love to discover a few sections of the GPT. I will be settling in Araucania region so I would love to have access to the track files and plan which sections I will immerge myself into. I hope I can also contribute to it and meet some of the community in the following months/years. Thanks you and the community for this marvelous work! Cheers, Arnaud.

*"ChristopherT"Hello! Christopher from Austria here. My girlfriend Anna from Germany and I are planning to do the gpt. We are still trying to figure out which sections we would like to trek.We definetly want to explore and hike in Feuerland though.We would very much appreciate the track files to help us with our decision and on our journey. I hope we can contribute a bit as well. Thank you!
Cheers,
Christopher and Anna

* '''Matous'''Hi everyone! Here Matous and Johana. Couple from Czechia. We are planning to hike some sections on GPT at the beginning of next year. We are interested in GPT06 - 22. The track files would be great help in planning. And thank you for amazing work. We´ll be happy to contribute.

* '''guilhermealexs''' Hi! Guilherme Alexsander here from Brazil. Me and some friends are planning to walk some parts of the GPT. We are currently interested in the Los Quenes - Central Cipreces section. I'd like to get the track files to help us with planning. Thanks!

*"nmakepeace" Hello everyone, Natalie here from Canada, thank you to Jan and everyone for their contributions! My plan is to hike southbound on the GPT starting at Termas del Flaco (connect@ GPT05) because I want to do some specific mountains in Central Chile first. I may also look into connecting Volcán Maipo to coya. To make this all easier and more safe I would be not only grateful for the GPS files but honored! Start: mid/late December until begining of March. Hope to hear tales from you all soon!

* '''rom1dwker''' My girlfriend and I will cycle southward patagonian roads and ripio from mid december 22 to mid february 23, and we plan to maybe hike some sections of the GPT, especially the ones in Jenimeini where we have already been a few years ago, dependind on how everything goes with the cycling and and the roads we will actually take.

* '''gornik''' Me and my grilfriend Gabi would like to hike on GPT from January till March 2023. We are on a gap year after our studies, and during that time we would love to enjoy the wilderness of Patagonia. We are planning to first do some singular sections and after gaining some knowledge and experience in Patatagonia hiking, we would like to do some longer distances. We are also exited to combine it with hitchhiking to minimalize environmental impact.

* '''hannahp24''' My partner Eric & I will hike GPT 32-36 in Dec-Jan 2022/2023. Excited to explore new places and give guidance to what we find here.

* '''Jmcantin''' Hi Jan, thanks for the hard work in this awesome guide! I am planning a Southbound hike of the GPT from Santiago de Chile in January 2023 for a couple of months. I would love to have the track files to properly plan my route. Thank you for your help :)

* ''' bforselv''' Hello guys, my wife and I live north of the Artic Circle in Norway and we are planing to go to Chile for hiking January and February. We want to do sections of the GPT.

* ''' Ishaysachs(Ishay)''' Hello Jan! Ishay from Israel here. Just finished the PCT and looking forward to do some sections of the GPT this January-March. Would love to get access to the files in order to plan my route (: thank you for putting so much effort into this. That's an incredible project and I can't wait to start hiking and share the journey with this great community.

*''' greenh3624 (Helen and Craig)''' Hello Hello Jan. Thank you so much for providing all this incredible information from the manual, we are both super grateful and are looking forward to contributing. Looking in to sections GPT 16- 05/06 for 2023 and hopefully some southern route sections from there. Just a quick comment to request track files. Your manual is incredible by the way. Mil gracias!

* ''' Christophe (Alex & Christophe)''' Hi Jan! Thanks a lot for all this informations and for your work. We are now travelling in south America with our van and are planning to sell it and start to hike the GPT in December 2023 for 2 or 3 month. This track files would help us a lot to plan this incredible adventure.

*'''miguelvdvelden (Miguel)''' Hola Jan! I’m in awe of everything you’ve put together for the GPT. It’s so comprehensive and as a sustainability student I am grateful for the focus on both the environmental and social sustainability of the region and its communities. I am hoping to hike or packraft a part of the GPT over six weeks or so in Jan-Feb 2023. I am in full planning mode now, hence my request here. Muchas gracias por todo. Abrazo.

*'''nico142857''' Hola Jan! Hace un tiempo habia leido parte del manual y veo que ahora esta actualizado. Desde ese momento que quede maravillado con la rigurosidad de tu trabajo y lo sigo haciendo ahora. Me suscribo a esta lista para poder obtener los track files, pues me interesa recorrer algunas secciones en las proximas vacaciones de verano 2022/2023. Estare muy agradecido si lo puedes mandar. Saludos desde Chile!. nicolas.

*'''Lore Olivares''' Hola Jan, gracias por compartir esta valiosa información. Soy de Chile y junto a mi amigo queremos hacer la parte norte del GPT desde Santiago. Te agradeceré mucho si nos puedes compartir los datos GPX. Muchas gracias de antemano.
*'''annéesympathique;) (Rémy D.)''' Hi guys, I‘m a student from Belgium and I plan to walk the GPT from december to march. That’s why having the GPX track files would help me realize this project. A big respect about all the work behind the GPT.
* ''' TOBEL ''' Congratulations to the GPT Hikers Manual. I am from Germany and a bit older then the most here. This year I will hike some parts of the GPT, so I would like to get the gpx files.

* ''' Michaelstabile (Mike & Avery) Hi, Thanks for compiling all of this information. We are Backpacking and Pack rafting Guides in Alaska. We are planning to start in 2023 and Continue through all the way back to Alaska. Hiking, bike packing, Packrafting and sea kayaking. Having this track files would be incredible for us helping with planning for this section of our journey.

* ''' Martin&Helena (Martin.h)''' Hello guys! Thanks for the amazing work you’re doing with the GPT. We are a couple from Prague, Czech republic, planning to start hiking from the beginning of December, most likely until the end of March. We would use the track files for planning our hike and navigation. Thank you, Martin&Helena

* '''EDAWILSON (Ed)''' Hello! We are a couple from Scotland who are heading to Patagonia for a couple of months hiking this October/ November, and we are looking to incorporate some elements of the GPT into our trip. 2022 conditions permitting, we will likely explore some sections of the Fjord route; as well as Glacier Chica to El Chaltén; and fingers crossed some sections south of here. I would love to overlay the track files over GE for a better planning experience. We love the spirit of the community you are building here! Great work!

* '''Ridgepathpictures (Jani)''' Hi! Myself and a couple of friends are planning a packrafting trip in Patagonia at the start of 2023. We will be dipping in and out of the regular packrafting route, so sections 17 to 39. The aid of the track files would be greatly appreciated. I'm honestly astounded by the work you have put into this trail, it's truly very inspiring.

* '''Slingshot (Jeremy)''' Hi! My soon to be wife and I are planning a 3 month trek from GPT05 southbound and would greatly benefit from the GPT track files. Thank you so much for your hikers manual and for providing access to these files. It has already greatly benefited us.

* '''Alexis (dm) & Iris''' Hello! We are a 29/28 years old couple from France and are starting a sabbatical in South America for a year in December. We are landing in Puntas Arenas and would like to hike our way, on the GPT or not, through Chile up to the Ecuador. To better plan our trip, we would like to access the GPT track files and are obviously willing to contribute to the initiative. Many thanks.

*'''Max''': Hello, I am from Germany and I really like to hike. Next year, I plan to hike from Santiago de Chile all the way down to Ushuaia with a Packraft. To do that, I would like to get the gpx files, so I can choose from the routes. Thank you for all of this.

*'''Ted''': Hi guys, I'm a 33 year old austrian guy and I plan to hike a few sections of the GPT in October and November. it would be great if i could have the gpx data so i can plan the routes better. great community

*'''Chris and Tara''': Hello!!! We are husband and wife, being 33 and 26 years old respectively. We plan to walk from Barilloche to Santiago incorporating large sections of the GPT. There are no fixed plans for sections and times, just to fully immerse our selves in Patagonia, it’s people and way of life. Thank you and all those who have contributes for your incredible work so far, I look forward to being able to contribute for others to enjoy!

**'''Wannes''': Hello, I'm a 31 year old belgian who plans a two week trek/run in the beginning of November. I would love to do a part of the GPT. Could I receive the gpt tracks to decide which part would be ok to do? Kind regards. Wonderfull work!

*'''Yannic & Mirjam''': Hello together. We are Yannic and Mirjam and since one year on a world trip. We plan to spend a few months in Patagonia next and hike parts of the GPT. Which parts exactly we are currently still working out. Would it be possible to get the GPS tracks? Thank you for you incredible work !

*'''AdriKunz''': Hello, first of all, a huge thank for all your amazing work. I am so grateful for this sharing which will allow me I hope to live a unique experience. I'm a actually working in French Guyana, but were looking for an immersive hick before living this continent. I finally came across this extraordinary adventure, which I think corresponds to me in every way. I plan to try the GTP from Santiago to part 14 or 15 of the GPT in a month and a week. I intend to start the hike in mid november. May i aske you the GPT track of thoses parts ?

*'''Avisito''': Finally going for it - December 2022! Plan to start at GPT05 and go south for several weeks - would love to start exploring the GPS track files. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

*'''Veronica''': Hello, I am Canadian and will be spending six months in South America from October 2022 to March 2023. While I am there I would love to spend a few of these months hiking various portions of the GPT, which is why I would love to obtain the GPS track files. Thank you so much for all this work and to all those who have compiled all this information. I am very much appreciative of all of this!

*'''Andes et Tentes''': Hello, we are 3 french students taking a year off to explore South America. We are planning to explore Patagonia between February and April 2023 by hiking on some specific sections of the GPT. That's why we are asking for the GPS tracks. Many thanks for the huge work achieved ! It is impressively detailed and complete !

*'''ondra''': Hello! My name is Ondrej and I am from the Czech Republic. I have been reading about Jan's and others' experiences on the GPT for the past two years. I will finally have a chance to walk a part of the trail myself in January - March 2023. I am adding myself to the list to kindly request the track files. Thank you Jan for putting this together.

*'''Mat''': Hi! from France. I’m planning a few months hiking trip to discover south America. I’ll most probably walk parts of the Gpt (as much as I can). I would be grateful to receive the necessary gpx files. Thank you for the this very huge and inspiring work.

*'''Alice & Florian''': Hola! We are Alice & Florian, a french couple who love hiking. We who will travel in South America and especially in Chile in September and October this year (2022), and we read about the GPT and some blogs, which really peaked our interest. Our project is to walk going south along the GPT for about a month, somewhere between September and November. After reading the hiker's manual, we came here in order to do access the GPX files and prepare deeper our project. Muchas Gracias para todo este trabalho.

*'''Thomas - Chilzin, Brah!''': Hola! I'm a thru hiker planning to do a large part of the GPT mostly continuously before heading north on a huge trip to explore South America. I really appreciate this resource and will do my best to contribute before and while I'm on trail. Thank you!

*'''Aneso''': Hola! I'm Aneso, a French woman who loves hiking. I heard about the GPT while doing research following my plan to go to South America for 1 year.
My project on the GPT being to leave from the south in the direction of the north, over a period of 1 month (or even a little more) from January 2023.
In my research I am missing the exact GPX files for my GPS.
Thank you in advance and congratulations again for all the work provided and to which we have access.

*'''Ariane''': Hola! I'm French and I will be hiking in Patagonia in April (and perhaps May); my plans are not yet well defined but I'd like to follow parts of the GPT on my way northward. Thanks for your super useful work!

*'''OriolGirona''': Hola! I'm from Barcelona but living at nearby Girona. Love hiking and cycling, being my longer tours so far between 4 and 6 weeks on the trail. I hear about the GPT two years ago while looking for new ideas during covid lockdown. I already read the manual a couple of times, and I am thrilled to travel to Santiago next November / December for a couple of month, probably starting from section 1. And at this point of planning I will apreciate to have the GPX tracks to get deeper into this process. Awesome work. Thanks a lot!!!

*'''JuanchoUgarte''': Hola! I'm a Chilean guy that loves hiking. I hear about the GPT a few years ago. This year while doing the Travesia Cerro Castillo realized that it was part of the GPT and decided to start planning to do it on summer 2023. During 2021 did the GR11 in Spain and want to do something in Chile this time (the GPX tracks would be very useful for all the planning) Probably will start near Parque Inglés. Thanks a lot!!!

*'''LeanderDc''': Hey hey, we're a crew of 3 hiking-friends from Belgium and Chile. We're planning on walking a part of the GPT starting from around Cochamó till O'Higgins, probably taking some ferries and hitchhikes in between. We're starting to refine our exact route, by reading the manual and analyzing google earth, and would hugely benefit from the exact GPX files. Thanks in advance!

*'''rowanl''': Hello, I'm an avid hiker from Canada looking to explore trails along the carretera austral especially around Cerro Castillo National Park. I hope to use the track files to help refine my plans. I appreciate all the information provided, Thank you!

*'''meotr''': Hi! I'm a french engineer planning to hike some parts of the main route between mid-february and mid-march during a 3-4 months period in Chile and Argentina. Thank you for you incredible work !

*'''Sergio''': Hi! I live in Santiago and I'm planning on hiking some of the first GPTs on early February and hopefully some of the southern parts later on. Thank you very much for all the work you have put into this, it's an incredible thing what you have done!!

*jdhanlon/Jen and Vince''': Hi! I am planning to hike and packraft a number of sections this season, from Jan - March 2022. Thank you for all your efforts and guidance in sharing information about the trail network!

*'''Gianluca/Cerna_Beltz''': Salve a tutti, Hi!! I'm italian and I'm planning to hike some part of the GPT from the end of january to mars/avril. Thank you so much for all this information and for your attitude!

*'''José''': Hi!!. I'm chilean and im planning to hike the GPT05 - 22 southbound. I would really apreciate to have access to the track files. Thank you so much for doing this, its awesome!

*'''Carlos and Ivan''': Hellow. We'll be in Chile in january and february. Track files would be a great help for planning our hike. Thank you for your great work!

*'''Mariia and Misha''': Hi! We are two Russian flying to Argentina in end of December. Fully equipped for packrafting. Planed start January 5, 2022 from Lago Puelo southbound. Sections: 1. GPT23-25P Rio Frey and Lago Amutui Quimei. 2. Then flying to Chile and resume GPT26-28P 3. GPT30P-32 4. GPT33H-35 5. GPT36P 6. 36H Northbound. End before March 25. I would be very greatful for the track files. Thank you so much for your awesome guide and work!

*'''Mawel''': Hello, I'm planning to hike the GPT or at least a part of it. Idealy, I'd like to start from Ushuaïa and travelling up north along the cordilliera. Anything concrete yet but I'm sure the track files will be very helpful to prepare this journey as best as I can.

*'''Alexey''': I will start my trip on 29.11.2021 from Lago Todos Los Santos to the North, until Lago Ranco.

*'''Matthias&Janna''': We will hike parts of the GPT in december - february. Track files would be a great help for planning our hike. Thanks for the enormous work done!

*'''Franck''': I will hike parts of the GPT with a friend in december and january, we're interested in GPT05 to 12, 19 to 22 and 32 to 36. Thanks for the great work !! Can't wait to put my shoes on : D

*'''Nathaniel''': I will be in Chile for a few months starting in December 2021. I am considering packrafting in the vicinity of the Western Fjord Traverse (GPT90P-GPT92P) as well as hiking/packrafting a section of the main route of the GPT in Zones H and I (possibly including GPT32-40).

*'''Laurent and Maxime''': Hi there! We are two Canadians flying to Chile in January. We are fully equiped with lightweight equipment for packrafting, endure all sorts of weather and accomplish a great trip on the greater patagonian trail! We have 3 months to travel and we are very grateful of all the precious information you offer us ! Thank you very much !

*'''Rebeca y Cristián''': Buenas tardes Jan! Estuvimos conociendo distintos lugares de la décima región desde inicios del 2021, "aprovechando" las cuarentenas. Ahora estamos planeando un viaje más largo, el cual incluye packraft. Nos encantaría acceder a los archivos para planificar mejor. Desde ya, muy agradecidos.

*'''David Batguano''': Good day all. I am heading to Chile at the end of November 2021 to get some hiking in, obviously. Fist I am completing the O circuit at Torres del Paine, then will hopefully complete some of the easier sections of the GPT(I do not wish to bushwack or prove a point). I have no time constraints and will just go where I wish at a leisurely pace. I am on page 400 of the hikers manual working on routing. Though difficult, Jan's work so far is an unbelievable resource.

*'''Vera & James''': Hi all! We are planning to head over to Chile for 3 months Jan - Mar 2022 and plan to hike on the GPT. Planning is ongoing but current thinking is start at Puyehue and work north. The main motivation is to be in the mountains/wilderness for a period of time. The manual is an incredible resource! Thanks!

*'''Tobias''': Hi Jan, I'm flying into Chile on the 1 of November. My plan is to hike southwards from Frutillar to El Chaltén and visit Schools along the way. I would be very greatful for the track files GPT 22-40. Thank you so much for your amazing work!

*'''Kris&Stiina''': Greetings, we are going to Chile in November and we plan to hike some sections of the GPT. Track files would be a great help for planning our hike and logistics. Thanks for the enormous work done!

*'''Helmut and Beatrice''': Hi JAN, we are planning to spend two months in Patagonia at the beginning of next year. We want to hike around 1000 km and the tracking data would be a great help for us to choose appropriate sections and plan our hiking adventure. High praise for the great manual!

*'''HolKann & Peanutje''': Hey all, we're planning to visit Chile in January 2022, and hope to hike parts of the GPT for the better part of (at least) 3 months. Our most recent hiking experience was the [https://thepindosway.com Pindos way] in Greece, which consisted of finding "the shadow of an old mule path" to get up or down a mountain ridge, which taught us how to handle packs of angry shepherd dogs, and which forced on us a crash course in rudimentary Greek (as we would have gone hungry otherwise). We hope to get to know Patagonia and its people in the same way, except that our Spanish skills should be a bit better.

*'''Stephan''': Hi folks, Hi Jan, i'm planning to do the GPT 22,Lago todos los santos, from Petrohue to Cochamo, hiking and packrafting. I have planned to go on October 2021. Thanks for the great work!
*'''Stéphane''': Hi folks, Hi Jan, planing a trail trip next summer in Patagonia walking from Villa Cerro Castillo to Villa o Higgins. Could you please Jan send mi the track files beetween Villa Cerro Castillo and Pto Ibanez passing through Torres el Avellano ? GPT33H. Thx a lot and long life to yout project ! Hug

*'''Martin and Kim''': Hi, we are planning to spend two oder three months next year in Patagonia. We want to hike round about 1200 km there and the track file would be very helpful to choose sections and plan our adventure. Thanks for the great manual!

*'''Vicente''': Hi, I'm planning on doing the GPT this spring of 2021, I've done other long trails through Patagonia so I want to take it to the next level. I believe this trail has a great potential to become an icon for my country and its beautiful mountains. I need the track files to prepare the adventure.

*'''Marc''' : We are two guys from Denmark who are hoping to spend a couple of months on the GPT, if possible we will begin this december. We are eager to get our hands on the track files to help us plan which sections to hike. We have a great amount of respect for all the work you have done to make this adventure possible!

*'''Simoncashyt''' : Me and my friend are Planning to spend 2.5 months in the area this December. Hoping to get this Track file and review the trail in gis with other historic route databases to really understand the sections topography, climates and route options to explore off the track file.

*'''Bastian Klein''' : I am a university student from Germany and currently only have vague plans for my hike. With the Covid situation still going on its still to be determined when I will actually get to go hiking, but I think the track files will help me a lot with planing. Greatly appreciate the work done on the GPT manual !.

*'''Tim''' : We are a couple from Germany and around new year we plan to spend a few weeks in the area around GPT05 to GTP07. If possible we might return some time to see southern patagonia as well for multiple months.

*'''Léo''' : I plan to travel one year in Chile from sept 2021 ; I want to start from Puertomontt to reach Santiago (in a whole year, so taking my time), and hike some sections of the GPT ! I have not chosen which exacts sections yet.

*'''Nadfero''': Mi plan is to divide the route in two or three sections, and hike it in the 2021-2022-2023 summers. Obviously it all depends on the covid situation. There is no harm in planning!

*'''Cristóbal''': Estoy aprovechando la cuarentena para estudiar la ruta y comenzar a hacer tramos en la medida que se levanten las restricciones sanitarias este 2021 y 2022.

*'''Jo and Ty''': We are a couple planning to trekk for 3 months or so on the GPT. 2021/2022 depends on Covid 19 situation. Propably starting somewhere at GPT08. We are still in the beginning of planning. We require the track files for a lot of planning and for navigating on the trek it self. We are pretty excited!

*'''Molly og Melissa''': We are two friends, from Denmark. We plan to hike most parts of group B, C and D in December 2021 - February 2022

*'''Patagonico''': Years ago i did the ruta de los pioneros now i would like to complete the GPT in the next few years.

*'''Les Amériques au fil de l'eau''': We are a french couple, planning to use the trail from Puerto Montt to Santiago in 2021-2022 and to realize two short documentary films about wetlands and about the women of America
*'''O Bicho Geográfico''': Para fines de investigación científica, Abril de 2021.
*'''Max Nemeth''': November to Mid-March 21/22, sections to be determined. Thank you for the amazing work on this route!
*'''Memo mcrash''': GPT10 and GPT11. I plan to do it in March with some friends. We are very grateful for the work you have done. Thank you! Guillermo.
*'''nico142857''': GPT01 and GPT02. Im planning to hike these 2 sections on March, and gpx's routes surely will help a lot. Thanks!
*'''MauricioDM''': I am planning to hike the whole trail in parts, but I am not sure where to begin, the GPX will help . Thanks.
*'''Nico busch''': GPT33H. Planning on doing the Torres del Avellano hike. Thanks.
*'''Bjornsether''': GPT 01 to 40. I've been planning a long-distance hike in Chile for some time. February-April 2021 might allow me to spend time on the GPT.
*'''AJForno''':, GPT 01 to 40, I live in Chile and have done some sections, and plan to keep exploring, Thank you! Andres
*'''Thom&Miky''': Hi, we are two friends planning to walk from febrary to april 2021 and we will try to reach from south to north the GPT 14 to GPT 01. Thank you! Thomas and Michael

*'''WhatDoesMyHeartTellMe''': I am very much interested in GPT 01 to 40. I plan to trek in 2021-2022. This endeavor requires a tremendous amount of planning. I hope you can grant me the track files. Thanks very much!

*'''Tom Corbett''': Januray 2021, hiking and packrafting sections of GPT 26 to GPT 33.

*'''Rperezdearce ''': Hi, With my girlfriend we will leave the first days of Nov 2020 from Santiago with the intention of reaching GPT12, then we will try to continue further south.

*'''Tobi & Fang''': Hiking and potentially packrafting in the <s>2021/2022, 2022/2023</s> 2023/2024 season.

*'''Freek van Keulen (Freek)''': Plan to hike 2021-2022 season, starting preparations and research now

*'''Joaquin Munoz (jqnmunozdiaz)''': Plan to hike sections GPT32-40 southbound on summer 2020-2021 if covid allows. I will likely hike some northern sections as well.

*'''Quamen''': I am dreaming to hike the GPT01-16 and to hiking/packrafting GPT17-40 southbound this austral summer 2020-2021 season.

*'''Frambues''': Starting at the end of 2020 if Covid lets. Not sure yet which part to do in one season, but probably start in Santiago.

*'''Ferdinand''': Hi, Ferdinand from germany, I'd like to hike southbound starting from GPT 05 from Dec 2020 - Apr 2021 and see how far I can get. The GPS files would help a lot planning everything more in detail, thanks!

*'''Víctor Valenzuela''': GTP 05-19: Planning on starting end of 2021 with GPT 05-19 and further on. Got one season to explore the GPT.

*'''Isaac Garza (Try431)''': Planning to hike southbound GPT season from ~December 2020 through ~March/April 2021 (weather/COVID permitting). At the moment, planning to do GPT17P - GPT39, and track files will be very helpful in planning out in more detail :)

*'''Pipers''': Hi, I'm from Valdivia, chile, and I am planning to hike or ride in my bike the closest parts of the route, as soon as coronavirus lockdown finishes

*'''Patagoniandreams''': Planning to hike the standard route soundbound, starting at GPT10 until GPT23 and looping back nordbound via the Huella Andina. Due to the Corona crisis we postpone this endeavour to the 2021-2022 season. The hike will be done in family. We will have a 6 year old girl and a 3 year old boy with us. We have 4 months. We have been doing GPT sections back in 2008 - 2010 - 2013.

*'''Olivier1''': Planning to hike the standard route northbound, starting at GPT 40 for the 2021-2022 season.

*'''David Brophy (d.brophy)''': Planning to hike the standard route GPT01-GPT40 over two seasons starting as soon as COVID permits. Will use a pack-raft for the second season.

*'''Peter Mican (ElCondor)''': Planning to hike the GPT in 2020/2021, starting at section 01 and hike as far south as I can, depending on the weather and situations on the track. I am planning to go solo but would be happy to join with a fellow hiker(s) ;-)

*'''jojohoughton''': Planning on hiking/packrafting southbound to section 40, starting either from section 1 or section 13 depending on the conditions. Will be exploring the GPT for the summer 2020-2021 season.

*'''Leonhard''': GTP 1-16: Planning on starting end of 2021 with GPT 1-16 and further on. Got one season to explore the GPT.

*'''Aligator''': GTP 40 to GPT32: Plannning to explore that part of the GPT in February (from 03/02) and March (flexible) with my girlfriend (we both live in Santiago). Thank you for the incredible work you've achieved gathering and updating all those information!

*'''ConnyPflaume''': GTP 14 & 15 or the area between lago Conguillo and Lago Tinquilco. We will start this weekend, 11.1.20 - would be nice we could be supplied with the map so shorthanded.

*'''felixrulz''': Will be in the Andes for around 4 months. Have already completed 3 sections, but looking to do more. Joined specifically for the Puyehue section (GPT 19)

*'''Kelly Swanson''': I plan to solo trek starting at GPT06 in January 2020, continuing till mid March.

*'''phil ro''': i will start in coihayque in mid-january and will head south for more than 4 weeks with a packraft.

*'''johannsteffen''': Going to make a backpack trip starting in February on Ushuaya and going to Bariloche in June.

*'''Claudio Miranda''': Starting from Santiago in January 2020 until April, planing to arrive at least to Chile Chico.

*'''Trinity''': Travelling to SA for 2 years and plan exploring Patagonia.

*'''pirre''': Starting in January 2020 on GPT32 and planning to hike south for 6-8 weeks. Thanks!

*'''Shn0rhelez''': Hi,I am Anton from Sofia,Bulgaria...me and my girlfriend are starting from sec6 in the middle of January...we have around four months...thank you for your remarkable work!!!

*'''Gatodelmonte''': Starting on 2 January from Santiago, planning to hike South for about 45 days & exit near Pucon (sections 1 to 15)

*'''Fedepatagon''': Like to pack raft on the area between Bariloche-Osorno and P.N Los Alerces

*'''Vincent Paquet''': My girlfriend and I are planning to spend 3 weeks walking from december 18 2019 to Jan 10 2020. We're still selecting the exact sections. Cheers!!

*'''Tmattson425''': Plan for this year is to solo trek sections 1 through 19 (southbound) starting in mid-January 2020. I'm an American expat living in Buenos Aires and plan on returning in following seasons to complete the GPT, try packrafting, and explore alternate routes. Extremely excited an grateful that this trek is possible. Thank you!

*'''SalomeS''': Planning for a 6 month trip with my husband starting in Nov/Dec 2020. Planning to hike the sections 40 to 16. We would be incredibly grateful to receive the gps track files. Thank you!

*'''Ianhikes'''* Leaving for Chile in 1 week and looking to spend a month on GPT hiking southbound.

*'''zc0rp10''': Hi! Planning and preparing for an extended hike together with two friends from November 2020 - Feb 2021.

*'''ELLI''': together with a friend we plan to hike the sections of the main route but in opposite direction starting in the area around Lago viedma in first days of January 2020, we have approx. 4 month time

*'''gorskial''': plan to bike/packraft along the carretera austral from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins with hiking side trips. Jan/feb 2020

*'''pitney''': Solo hiking GPT sections 6-22 Southbound beginning early January, 2020.

*'''dirtmonger''': GPT sections 1-24; planning underway for an immersion solo hike ‘20 November to ‘21 February.

*'''bob451''': Planning on solo hiking 2 or 3 sections of the GPT northbound March/April 2019.

*'''Mgabenesch''' : Planning on hiking most parts of the GPT, starting in Ushuaïa then going North. I have on year off. Starting Dec 2019

*'''Family Size''': Planning on hiking parts of the GPT southbound. Starting end of November 2019.

*'''shaunchurch''': Hope to solo hike/packraft a few sections southbound. Section 15 or 17 in Dec 2019. Then maybe a couple more from among sections 21-31 in Jan and Feb 2020.

*'''iank''':2 months jan and feb 2020. Hope to hike isla navarino, cirque of huemuls and then cochrane to chile chico. More northerly secions maybe 2021.

*'''dsmit3000''': Solo hiker planning on hiking GPT40-31 northbound November-January 2019.

*'''2As''': We plan to walk in Chile and Argentina from mid October 2019 to mid march 2020. We don't have precisely planned our trip but the root of our trip is to go by foot through Patagonia and also discover Chile and his people and culture.
*'''A pat''': We plan to do several sections of the GPT (Need to confirm but we are interesting in sections 08-22 and 35- 40) from January to early March 2020.
*'''Aceestrin''': We'll be exploring for 4 weeks in Los Lagos region December-January.
*'''Andrealopezb''': I plan on doing individual sections for the time being, mostly between Santiago-El Maule
*'''annbrnn''': Heya, a friend and I are planning on hiking several sections of the GPT beginning end of December 2019 and are currently in the process of determining our route.
*'''AlexEdge''': Hi, i am planning to hike the lower sections of this route with a couple friends, possibly febuary 2020. thank you!
*'''Arno507''': We plan to do several sections of the GPT starting fom November/December 2019 till early April 2020.
*'''Birdy ''': I plan to mostly walk from Lake Titicaca to Ushuaia starting November 2019.
*'''David''': Hello!! This is David from Barcelona and I'm planning to walk through the Patagonia for 4 month from January 2020. I would love to do all de GPT, but I'm not sure if it's too ambitious... For sure, I'll try it!! :-) I would really appreciate if you can provide me the gps track files. Many thanks!!
*'''Dubrovskiy''': 2 people, January 2020, Foot hiking southern parts, likely around GPT40-33.
*'''Edwinb''': I will be arriving in Chile in Nov and plan to cherry pick parts of the GPT and mix it with other trekking, basically like I did last year. Always interested in a bit of exploring, providing it doesn't get to extreme!
*'''Hendrik Niehaus''': We arrive in Chile early Oktober 2019. From November until January we plan to be on the GPT. Due to the recommendations of the hikers manual we are mainly interested in section 5-16. However, plans might still change and are not too fixed yet. Thank you in advance!
*'''Herman van Horssen''': We plan to do section 47 to 69 of the GPT in 2020.
*'''johansonst333''': Hi! I am planning the sections 30 - 40 during this hiking season, would be incredibly grateful to have the GPS files for further research and planning. Thank you in advance!
*'''Jose Barros''' Hello !Im jose from Santiago de Chile, i will do the sections from Conquillio national park to Puyehue national park, its aprox. 15 days in January, i think it will be great ! If you can provide the track files i will be very thankfull.
*'''Jose Roman''': Hi, my plan is to several sections by bike or hiking staring September 2019 until Abril 2020.
*'''JUNHUI SON''': Hi, I'm from South Korea, I plan to do section 1 to 40 of the GPT in September 2019 till November.
*'''Kendon''': I cycled Patagonia many year ago and have always wanted to return for an extended walk through this wonderful area. I am in preliminary stages of my planning and thank you for your efforts in providing such a great resource. I am looking at the 2020 summer.
*'''Martín H.I.''': Hello, I´m planning to make an attempt to hike from sections GPT01 to GPT22 this summer from December 2019 to February 2020, still deciding on the exact sections, but southbound is my direction. I´m a chilean 25 year old architect who will humbly try to hike this unique trail. Thank you Jan for the amazing creation.
*'''Martin Lizondo''': I will be hiking southbound from Anticura (GPT20) to El Chaltén (GPT39), between December 2019 and February 2020. It's my second season in the GPT, after hiking from Santiago (GPT01) to Anticura (GPT19) in 2018-2019.
*'''martinahaller''': We will be arriving in Chile in Nov and plan to hike parts of the GPT during the next 6 Month, starting in Santiago.
*'''Maturin''': Hi, I am currently figuring out the details to hike GPT06 to GPT08 from the 27th of December 2019 until mid January. I will be doing the Horseriding tour before. I speak fluent spanish and the idea is to go southbound. Thank you!
*'''Matúš Lašan''': We plan to do as much as possible from December 2019 till March 2020.
*'''msantelli''': Hi, Melissa, plan to trek sections 05-22 taking a chance to start mid-late Nov. of ‘19 may need to backtrack and cut a few sections out, if rivers can’t be ford/crossed-flexible schedule
*'''Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck''': We plan to investigate new packrafting and hiking routes in more remote areas between Puerto Montt and El Chalten without making a single long traverse (GPT21 to GPT40, GPT90P to GPT 92P). We will depart in November 2019 and plan to finish in February 2020. Experienced packrafts may join us for these investigations.
*'''Lauric Olrik''': We plan to do several sections of the GPT starting from November 2019, we have a whole year off.
*'''Lea Geibel''': Hi, my plan is to do several sections of the GPT starting fom October/November 2019 until beginning of January 2020 and need to figure out which ones are suitable for such an early start.
*'''Linda''': Hi, I am planning to hike alone southbound the GPT from beginning of December 2019 to mid-February 2020, probably from GPT06 to GPT22, but I am still studying the routes and the sections. I spoke quite good spanish, at least, it will come back there, practicing ! Thank you !
*'''Oreste Marquis''': Hello, i'm planning to hike sections 06-22 and 32-40 if time allows it. My trip will be from January to Abril 2020.
*'''Sanita Heinz''': We plan to do section 1 to 40 of the GPT in December 2019 till March 2020.
*'''Selma''': We are planning to packraft some sections of the GPT during our stay in Nov/Dez '19
*'''Staci Garcia''': Hello, I am planning on doing several sections of the GPT in 2020. I am still in research on what sections.
*'''TrashPanda''': Hi, we plan to do several sections from the end of November 2019 till February 2020.
*'''tom347''': Hola, I plan to do part of parts 1 to 40 with a friend, starting mid october. We will be hitchhiking the parts that are not recomended in particular months. We will be travelling for aproximately 2 months. Gracias.
*'''Tombartlett''': Hello I am planning on hiking many sections over a three month period from November 2019 to February 2020.
*'''Wanderwood18 ''': We plan to make it to El Chalten/Fitz Roy in one season from Santiago. This means I’ll probably skip recommended sections to skip/do what I need to do to make it. I’m flexible, we will see how it goes. My girlfriend, America, and I are planning on starting around Nov. 10th….
*'''LieberWeiter''' Hi, I do not know yet if I ever dare to walk the GPT but meanwhile I would like to plan therefore!
*'''Jarek Wątroba''' Hey, I will spend several months in Patagonia starting in Jan 2024. The information you provided in the Hiker's Guide is already immensely helpful, but the track files would make planning our route so much easier. Thanks.
*'''Wolke7net''' Hi, could you please send me the track without packrafting. Thanks!

*'''''DoloresMonika''''' Hi,my name is Dorota and I am from Poland. I ahve a plan to start from Santiago de Chile at 1 of December 2024. I can pass 4.5 months on the trail . Thanks for preparing this manual and description of trail.
*'''''Randomuser''''' Hi, my name is Victor and my wife and I are planning on spending 3 months in Patagonia starting Jan 25. We are planning on picking some sections to explore and will focus on the land portions, thanks!

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