GPT20 (Volcan Antillanca)

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

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

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Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions

• 2023 January Frank

The river at Las Gaviotas may not be fordable early in the season. It was running high in November but easily fordable in late January. Snow can linger on the 1900 metre pass until late in the season making it difficult or impassible. You may need to go around via OH-CC-A@20-A-001. The section from Las Gaviotas to the treeline NOBO on RR is passable but very overgrown & slow going with lots of big logjams to climb over. Machete & gloves recommended. Carry a lot of water.

• 2021-Dec-02 / Alex Abramov / GPT20: Northbound.

We walked from Crater Raihuen (Ski Center Antillanca) to Anticura in one day. There was not much snow, but we faced the problem of bypassing the rocky gendarme on the ridge along the frozen snow slope. In running shoes, it looked unsafe given the steepness and length (over 300m) of the slope. So we decided to go around the ridge along the north side (similar to the GPT20 variant D). It is a simple, fast (about 2 hours) and logical route, accessible in any weather and in any condition. We found the trail between Pampa Frutilla and Antikura in ok condition: some easy bushwhacking and a dozen sections with fallen trees. It may feel harder with a heavy load. No water between Ski Center Antillanca and almost finish! We did not go to Pampa Frutilla Lakes

• 01-Jan 20 / 02-Jan 20 // Linda // Hiking Southbound

Beacuse the pass of the Volcan is now impossible (view Martin feedback), I decided to hike only the southern part of this section = starting from Aguas Calientes (Buses all day long from Mercado of Osorno directly to Agua Calientes, which is a good spot to rest with a camping) to the ski station and then to Lago Rupanco :

1st part = Option 2 from the ski station to the Volcanoe

2nd part = Regular route from the volcanoe to waypoint Div133

3rd part = Option 1 down to Lago Rupanco

The 2 first parts are simply amazing = the view both on Volcanoe Casablanca and the valley where lies Lago Rupanco

BUT I won't recommend the 3rd part which is indicated on the GPS as overgrown. And it was crazily overgrown!!! I did it without a machete and it took me about 7 hours to come across 2km of very very wild forest, full of flourishing bamboos, that is very strong. As there is no track, I had to stick very closely to my compass (South / South West) to be able to join the end of the regular hiking track (that leads to the Lago Rupanco) which was also full of huge dead trees!!!!

I don't know how overgrown is the Regular Hiking route through this same forest. But be prepared to something very very tough.

• 19-12-2019 to 20-12-2019 / Martín Lizondo / Hiking Southbound

The trail from Conaf is extremely overgrown, even after the first bridge. There’s no minor road anymore. Guards offer you a “machete” to clean the path. Expect super ultra slow hiking (2 km p/h) the first 12 km. From then, as the trail reaches higher altitude, it becomes very easy to walk.

At this date, the pass to Rupanco is all covered by snow, impossible to cross with regular gear, due to the snow fall the last few days. The optional route to avoid snow is also impassae. Pro: views are very nice. I had to return to Anticura and hitchike back to Entre Lagos.

• 09.11.2019 / Sophie & Hendrik

The river crossing directly north of Las Gaviotas is difficult right now. It is highly recommended to organise a boat which takes you over the lake. (It is just a short distance and won't cost much.)

Comment Jan Dudeck: Arranging this boat transfer northbound is probably easier than southbound (there are several settlers south of the river but not north of the river). So hiking section GPT20 southbound might not be feasible right now.

Season 2022/23

• 2023-Jan-29 Frank 3 days RR NOBO

The river at Las Gaviotas was easily fordable in late January, knee deep at the ford. Below the ford it runs deep into the lake. RR NOBO from Las Gaviotas remains very overgrown, machete highly recommended. I also used gardening gloves which help to grasp & break thorny plants. Many fallen trees, it gets better as you go up but is still slow going. Took me 9 hours to get to the treeline from Las Gaviotas ferry. The alternative route is likely to be a lot worse. There was still a lot of snow on Pass 1910 metres. I tried a few options but couldn't find a way over. The rock gendarme above the pass is not climbable - I tried, it starts as a scramble but goes up to a pinnacle. Ripped my pack on the sharp volcanic rock. I retreated & went around below the pass on OH-CC-A@20-A-001. It's a bit longer but fairly easy, there is a faint trail. Conaf are working on reopening the trail to Pampa Frutilla. It's open for 12KM SOBO from Conaf Anticura, easy walking & super fast. Then for 4KM it's overgrown but passable with moderate bush bashing & you are soon above treeline on RR. I didn't go to Strawberry Fields but suspect the route will be severe until Conaf cut it back. The slowness of the route means water becomes a serious issue. I was lucky to find one water source at 1600 metres from snowmelt (dirty with sand & needs to be filtered) but it's not reliable. There is water at bridge/camp 2.5KM after Conaf Anticura & then no permanent source until you are a few hours below treeline going down to Las Gaviotas. So carry a lot or consider splitting the trail in two with entry/exit at Antillanca ski station.

Season 2019/20

• 2020-Feb-22 / Martina & Ivo / Regular route southbound and optional route to Antillanca

2 days. Yes, we gave us that overgrown shit and we cannot believe Martin did that both ways! At least we could skip the first 3 km of the overgrown trail by starting on the Ruta International towards Argentina for 2.9 km and then turning right onto a former minor road which meets the regular route after 800 meters. We spent the night (and a day off due to exhaustion) at Pampa Frutillar, which is a 7.4 km detour to strawberry paradise and two pretty lagunas (optional route 19-05-#001). The ascent to the summit and the view from there were the most spectacular ones so far! Still a bit snow left, but no problem. As Matus said "hell starts" on the last 4 km before Las Gaviotas and we thought we already had our personal hell on the first 14 km, we decided to end this section in Antillanca, where we found accommodation. From here you need to walk or to hitchhike to Aguas Calientes for busses to Osorno.

13-2-20 / Tyler Wood / Optional Start @ Antillanca.

I opted to skip the first 13 km bush bashing noted by martin and hitched up to Antillanca with good luck. From there I slept in the crater at the base of Casa Blanca and summited the next morning. The same day went all the way down to the end of the section via the RR. Huge day, but definitely do-able with the optional start. As far as the bush bashing, it’s all good until near the end of RR-TL-V@20-27.1+6.3. Yeah, then it really tricky. Expect at least 2-3 hours to get through the thousands of downed trees. The madness continues pretty much all the way to the bottom. We camped on the beach and it was super beautiful. I decided to skip section 21 due to the $100 ferry across todo santos. A ferry leaves Las Gaviotas around noon to El Poncho for just 250 pesos. Ask locals for exact time for the ferry. From el poncho a bus comes (times with the ferry) that runs directly to Osorno. I got off at an intersection where I could hitchhike to Cochamo. (Huge hitch).

Links to other Resources

Retired Section Article GPT20 - Volcán Antillanca

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