==Season 2023/24==
*2023-Dec-31 / 3 day / Packrafting / SOBO / RP + Variant G / Tom Pieper
For alternative entering of the Rio Baker via Rio Chacabuco see also Section 35
I really enjoyed the ride on the rio baker. Technically it was not difficult but indeed it’s a mighty stream and you will observe big boils from time to time. Due to the high speed its easy to make 50 km or more per day. The first rapid {36P} [41.8/77] can be run on the right side in the main current but watch out for strong whirlpools after. I portaged rapido {36P} [56.9/70] ‘gonzalez’. It might be not impossible and the line is quite obvious and straight, but the consequences if not sticking to the line could be severe. Jan is right mentioning losing your boat there is a catastrophe. There is a good camp spot in the woods at the begin of the portage. I think the third rapid Jan mentioned is at Settler {36H-03} [6.8/63]. I found that rather easy and went on the left side. El Salton must be portaged of course. Massive forces here. The portage trail has nice campsites, too. I found a nice camping spot at one of the small islands at S 47° 40.282’ W 073° 06.376’ with lot of ripe calafate berry and even some of the first strawberries. Most of the bigger islands have cattle. There is one last rapid at S 47° 46.027’ W 073° 17.559’ called rapido borquez. It can be easily run on the right side. I left the river at the airport an toked Variant G to the beautiful town of Caleta Tortel.
==Season 2022/23==
In Tortel you can resupply and bus to Cochrane and Villa O‘Higgins. A good continuation for packrafters is the Rio Colorado, Lago Colorado, Lago Cisnes, Lago Ciervo and Rio Mayer southbound on the way to Villa O‘Higgins
==Season 2017/18==
*2019-Jan-29 / GPT36P Rio Baker / Packrafting Route description by Kara Davis after Season 2017/18Part 2 of 3:Tortel to Rio Colorado / With Jennifer Schmitz (Jen Ni) , Markus Legner and Meylin Elisabeth Ubilla González
Walk through town and join Highway 7, a moderately trafficked dirt road. The Regular Hiking Route follows X-901, a beautiful but fenced dirt road that culminates in the view of a stunning glacier, for about 28 km until it ends at a blockade just after the Mirador Calluqueo. Along X-901 there are few residences but extensive fence line on Carretera Austral connects since 2003 Tortel with Villa O’Higgins and several buses per week connect both sides. At the end of the road, the route transitions into a braided single track trail that may be confusing to followvillages.
Since there are no trails left taking the bus is to my opinion the most practical option to connect from the Rio Baker with the next packrafting part.
Comment by Jan Dudeck“Connecting footsteps disciples” have three options: I recently changed the regular packrafting route of GPT36H. This change avoids 35 km of gravel and adds around 70 km of paddling on the two lakes and one river. It’s a big detour but adds impressive beauty. Note that paddling Lago Cochrane is very challenging as wind can be firce. Follow the regular packrafting route only if you are willing and prepared to possibly wait several days on the shore of Lago Cochrane if wind makes paddling this lake unsafe.
1. Roadwalk 115 km and packraft 9 km (from Puerto Yungay to Puerto Rio Bravo in a rather wind exposed fjord)
The trail, called La Ruta de Los Pioneros since it is frequently used by the local people, occasionally passes run down refugios as it winds through the forest2. At the beginning of the climb Roadwalk 67 km and packraft 40 km from Tortel to the highest pass, the trail joins a glacial riverPuerto Rio Bravo in wind explosed fjords with few good exit and camp options. Eventually the trail leaves the river to the west This 40 packraft kilometers are an serious challenge and follows a higher route above the valley that is occasionally marked by stone cairnsmight result in substantial waiting time for low-wind periods. The top of See the pass is at approximate elevation 1.300 m. From this point, there are several kilometers of very exposed hiking among rolling hillsattached image.
The track descends down to treeline at a small, unnamed lake which is the source 3. Follow GPT36H instead of the Río Bravo. Join the river and cross it as necessary. There are some stone cairns that mark the way, but they can be hard to spot. When the route is unclear, just follow the river bed. Where the trail deviates from the river bed to the east, it becomes easier to follow. The trail soon climbs about 80 m and remains above Río Bravo. Here there is the occasional small area to camp. To reach Lago Alegre, the trail leaves Río Bravo and travels through an open forestGPT36P.
Packrafters put in for Lago Alegre at a red sand beach. In general, both banks are very steep and heavily vegetated, but there are some flat areas near the shore where it may be possible to camp. Take-out is located at a rocky beach on the southeast end. 100 m from the Lago Alegre shoreline is an intact refugio; if you look closely inside, you may spot the etchings of GPT trail blazers, Jan and Meylin.
From the refugio, there is a well* 2019-formed track to Lago Christie. The Jan-30 / GPT36P Rio Baker / Regular Hiking route around the east side Packrafting Route / Part 3 of Lago Christie is generally easy 3: Rio Colorado to followVilla O’Higgins or Puerto Bahmondez / With Jennifer Schmitz (Jen Ni), but be aware of the occasional spurs that leads away from the main route. The track climbs Markus Legner and descends frequently as it makes its way around the lake and offers a beautiful view of several glaciers. Watch for the occasional stone cairn or red spray-painted arrow to indicate the way. Camping is possible in the forest.Meylin Elisabeth Ubilla González
The route exits onto X-911, This packrafting combination of 4 river sections and 3 or 4 lakes (depending on finish point) makes up a well formed senic and lightly trafficked gravel roadquite diverse packrafting day (30 to 35 km). X-911 ends You can remain continuously on the water till either leaving at X-905, and hikers continue the suspension bridge over Rio Mayer (to follow this road for around 20 km towards VIlla resupply in Villa O’Higgins. X-905 is fence lined most of ) or paddle all the way with to Puerto Bahmondez (if you already have a ticket for the occasional residencecrossing to Candelario Mancilla and all your supplies for GPT38).
Río Mayer is a big, no-nonsense river that is swift at higher flowsThe rather small rivers are mostly framed by dense low forest and swampland what limits the entry and exit options. It does however mellow out where But the GPS route indicates packrafters should small rivers contain surprisingly few fallen trees if entering at El Parrillal as we did.While driving by bus to our put in (at Parrillal we had a small beach on the other side glimpse of some upstream parts of Rio Colorado that are currently published as an exploration packrafting route. This upstream river section seams in parts too shallow and completely blocked by trees and I will delete the fence)first 14 km of it.
The Regular Hiking When hiking on land someone can open overgrown parts by machete but when packrafting I don’t want to rely on a machete to smash a passage into an overgrown mini-river. So better skip the 22 km of Exploration Packrafting Route follows completely (EXP-RP-RI-1@36P-257.6) or investigate only the last 8 km of this Exploration Packrafting Route that seams open on satellite images. For this investigation seak your way from about Las Turbas at the Carretera Austral into Villa O’Higginsto Rio Colorado (see images with updated exploration suggestion). ==Season 2017/18==
==Season 2016/17==
=Images=
[[Archivo: | ]]
====Elevation Profile of Regular Packrafting Route====
[[File:profile GPT36-p.PNG|frame|center|Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route (2019)]]
{| border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+'''GPT36P: Río Baker'''
| colspan="4" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| GPT36P: Río Baker
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Hiking
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Packrafting
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Group
| colspan="2" | H: Aysen Sur
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Total
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|'''-'''
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|'''-'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''293.6 km'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|'''68 h'''
|-
| style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Region
| colspan="2" | Chile: Aysén (XI)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Trails (TL)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 3.7 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|1.3%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Start
| colspan="2" | Cochrane
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Minor Roads (MR)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 1.6 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 0.5%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Finish
| colspan="2" | Villa O'Higgins
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Primary Roads (PR)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 70.7 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 24.1%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Status
| colspan="2" | Published & Verified
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Cross-Country (CC)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Traversable
| colspan="2" | (Maybe: Sep - 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" | Required
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Ferry (FY)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| -
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|-
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Connects to
| colspan="2" | GPT35, GPT36H, GPT37H, GPT37P
|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;"| (0.7%)
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Options
| colspan="2" | 345 km (3 Options & Variants)
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Exploration (EXP)
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| (49.7 km)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|(16.9%)
|-
|
|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;"| '''217.6 km'''
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| '''74.1%'''
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Attraction
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 5 (of 5)
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| River (RI)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 165.7 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 56.4%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Difficulty
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|-
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 6 (of 5)
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Lake (LK)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 8.4 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 2.9%
|-
| style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"|Direction
|style="background-color:#ffbfbf;"|None
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|Only ↓
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Fjord (FJ)
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"| 43.5 km
|style="background-color:#c2edfc;"|14.8%
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Comment
| colspan="7" | Hiking: Hiking not feasible
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Character
| colspan="7" | Valdivian Rain Forest, Farmland, Settlers, River Packrafting, Lake Packrafting, Road Walking
|-
|style="background-color:#bfbfbf;"| Challenges
| colspan="7" | Resupply Distance, Possibly Impassable, Exploration Required
|}
[[File:perfil GPT 36P.PNG|frame|center|Profile of GPT36P: Río Baker]]
