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→Season 2023/24
==Season 2023/24==
*2024-Feb-23 to 2024-Feb-25 / 3 days / Hiking / SOBO / {32-M} - RR - {32-C} -RR / Lilian
Bus from Coyhaique to Villa Frei :
Monday to Friday(8.15am, 3.30pm, 5.30pm, 7.30pm) , Saturday(8am, 2pm), i forget the fee, it is less than 1000 CLP. It takes about 35-40 minutes and it turns back to Coyhaique with no waiting. The sign on the bus doesn't write Villa Frei, it said Valle Simpson, (and final stop is Villa Frei.)
Bus terminal in Coyhaique : (-45.58226, -72.07800)
Bus stop in Villa Frei : (-45.75139, -72.11226)
Resupply in Coyhaique:
I sent a resupply box(shoes and socks) to Patagon Backpacker(hostel) in Coyhaique from Santiago some months before, they are super friendly and willing to hold my box until i arrive. You can contact them by email, they are good at speaking English, also know lot around Coyhaique.
If you want to buy some warm clothes, some shops in Coyhaique. North Face and Patagonia is there, but expensive. Some clothes in Patagonia are on sale but not for hiking or not much use, lot clothes but full price, ya. North Face's staff is much friendly, and lot items on sale too, but rainproof is full price. They have tents for sale too.
Good clothes is cheaper with discount, 230g gas canisters and sleeping pad at Suray Montana, friendly and not crowded. I bught a fleece jacket at here.
Doite have the cheapest price sporty clothes, just beside North Face. I bught a good base layer here.
Lot of supermarkets in Coyhaique. I resupply at Unimarc.
They are all close to the plaza, all the shops i listed can search by Google Map.
Because i just have 3 days good weather, so I don't want to do any road walking, i talk the bus to Villa Frei, then hitch to (-45.86204, -72.04816) start hiking.
Locked gate and camera at {32-m} km2.33, I didn't want to take long time go with big around so i climbed it directly, didn't see any people on the whole way, so doesn't matter.
RR km23.3 : cross a stream, log crossing at downstream 20m, you can go through the tiny forest to there.
Km23.63 : flat spot(-45.90969, -72.05767) with some protection after a stream crossing can fit 2 tents before go into the no covers grassland.
Highly recommend go for {32-C}, both ways just 10min, amazing views and a camping spot can fit 1 tent with excellent view at (-45.90744, -72.07668), but no wind protection.
Km 26.63 : flat spot (-45.92066, -72.07543) can fit 2 tents with good wind protection from west by bushes.
Km27.75 : old camping sandy spot(-45.92915, -72.07549) can fit 4 tents with some wind protection from west, just before the dangerous CC. I think the previous one is better.
Km27.9 - km29.95 : dangerous CC traversing on side hill. A slide may cause a fall with heavy injure or death. It is doable but not recommended to everyone. Doing this part only in good weather.
Km28.3 - km28.35 : for me, it is the most dangerous part in this CC, some landslide(-45.93359, -72.07668) and very loose, i can't hold a good pose and slipped down some meters, luckily i can use my hiking poles to stop the slide immediately.
Km29.3 : tricky spot(-45.93822, -72.08632), huge thank you for Véronica, her comments made this much easier. Just like she said, "You reach the end of the bad scree and end up in a deep gully with a vertical wall face on the other side."
"Get to the lowest grassy patch to the left of the vertical rock wall. The easiest way to reach that grassy patch was to go upstream a bit, then traverse on the hard slippery sand northward, instead of trying to climb vertically straight up to it. Once you reach the grass, you can use the traction and stability of vegetation to clamber up and out of the gully."
Km29.55 : 1st rock wall, go around it with a clear trail at downhill side(-45.93818, -72.08940), GPX track is correct at here.
Km29.7 : 2nd rock wall, NO CLIMBING, NO SCRAMBLING here, there is a trail JUST WALKING at (-45.93864, -72.09126), overgrown but just 20m easy BB, the trail is between rock wall and treeline, Sobo not easy to notice, but when you are going around the rock wall, then you'll find it. Nobo is easy to reach the trail at the other side. GPX track leads you to climb, it is not a good idea, a slide in climbing at here will mostly cause death.
After 2nd rock wall, finally CC down to the valley and easy walking start.
Lot of camping possibilities at the valley, but zero wind protection. Better camping before pass[32.5/1385], because after the pass is super rocky, pass is a large flat area, but too soft to camp.
I camped at (-45.94901, -72.09962), some flat spots, beside the waterfall from Cerro Aislado. Nice views but cold. It is the first night with negative degree so far. Some water froze to ice at early morning around here.
After pass[32.5/1385], you walking down at another valley, but with some cairns to follow.
Km33.5 : trail starts, with some big cairns along it. It leads you all the way to treeline at km34.2. Sometimes it is not clear to follow and lost, but you will always find it if you pay tons of attention, cairns leads you the way.
The trailhead at km34.2 is a little tricky. You need to climb up a little on a rocky slope after you cross the stream to (-45.97307, -72.10268), then go into the forest to south a little, you'll find a steep loose rocky slope going down again, go for it and you can hold some trees there. Then you join the old trail shown on GPX going south. Don't think about go to the trailhead(-45.97343, -72.10281) directly, it is on a waterfall, you can't arrive there.
The old trail is in good condition for a while, then become overgrown and some blowdowns. For emergency, you can camp at (-45.97898, -72.10345), it is the first flat spot for Sobo in treeline with cover (the last one for Nobo). It can fit 2 single person tent.
Lot of tiny stream flowing with clear water.
When you met the rock river(-45.98185, -72.10091) at km35.33, you can CC down the river and join MR at (-45.98357, -72.10284), it is a super easy CC, not steep, no blowdowns, no wet feet, rocks are stable and not slippery.
When you arrive MR, easy walking again. A gate locked by wire at km37.1, climbing over it is the fastest way.
Km38.1 : start BB to riverside, but i think it is a CC, the grass just up to ankle only.
I find a clear trail(-46.00113, -72.09460) without any blowdowns going south, and lead you to riverside at (-46.00216, -72.09530), then you can walk beside the river and join national park trail.
National park trail is in a nice condition, nothing to mention. Some snow before and after pass[43.9/1470], but still an easy walking on snow.
Km46.1 : camping spot at (-46.05228, -72.14549), it is cleared out all the stone by someone here, can fit 1 tent with excellent 360° views, but no wind protection.
I camped beside the lake(-46.05780, -72.15969) for the second night, excellent spots with glacier views(you are just below it!) and views of Cerro Castillo! Peaceful and not crowded, I'm the only human there with some ducks, and they love to talking in the midnight. You can reach the lake starts at (-46.06176, -72.15672), easy walking beside a stream, all the way stay on east side and dry feet, BB less than 20 meters for total and mostly just easy CC.
Km48.85 : Campsite El Bosque. Side trail to a lake under glacier at north. It is a long walk, but i highly recommend you at least take the trail go out the forest, amazing views there, both ways just 300m.
Km49.95 : viewpoint of waterfall from Cerro Castillo. And i find that you can climb up to the top of waterfall! See the details at next waypoint.
Km50.2 : you can climbing up this ridge to the UPPER LAKE of Cerro Castillo. From (-46.06989, -72.18148) to (-46.06905, -72.18500), then to (-46.06627, -72.18497). No trail, just CC on some rocks, stable and not steep until close to the top, the top part is steep and loose, at there you can go to right side a little bit, climbing up on grassy slope for final ascend. Amazing views there, and no camping, because the ground is too soft, but cow boy camping on huge rocks is wonderful at this place.
I recorded this CC, will upload it later.
Camp[50.5/1243] : Campsite La Tetera, not a good camping spot, some spots much better when you climbing up and before Laguna Castillo.
After you enjoy the moment at Laguna Castillo, remember follow RR, check GPX track, dont follow the trail going beside the lake, it is a dead end trail, and if you dont want to all the way back, you can CC climbing up to join RR.
Pass[53.5/1679] : excellent views here! If you are super thirsty, clear water is flowing good at (-46.07749, -72.20888), easy to collect, 10sec/L.
Then all the way down to Campsite Los Porteadores, a long long way going down.
Because of weather changing, so i didn't go up to Laguna Duff.
Walking on a nice trail to main road, then all the way road walking to Villa Cerro Castillo.
Lot of restaurants, shops and accomodation in Villa Cerro Castillo. And lot of hikers and backpackers hitching on the road at here.
Maybe because of late season, never saw any flies at this section.
2024-Feb-10 to 2024-Feb-13 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / Las Horquetas and Lagunitas / Andrew
