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Option 7 (Baule Valley) EABO (new, but no, Tomas Tomáš did it in 2022)

* 2022-Dec-08 to 2022-Dec-15 / 8 days / Hiking / SOBO / Exploration of Option 1 / TomasTomáš

I got at 10 pm on the car road to coy and first car passong by (there were quite a few) gave me a ride to town. There is a red house on the left one hundred metres from the main crossroads on the road towards Reservo de los cipreses where Inslept for 15000. Hot water and electricity, room with three beds for me only. The best shop is at the same crosroad main crossroad opposite this the roadto Reserva Los Cipreses. They had cherries and nectarines, some vegetables, bread, icecream, some salami and chips. Not greatchoice a great choice, but more than enough. I went onto regular route and then branched off on alternative 03 that follows the river. I met two chilean hikers on the RR ( I walked in the late evening and early night first 20 km, it was super hot), then a group of arrieros on the alternative. Plenty of water everywhere, good watering holes too.

I then took the first exploratory route. All the way up to the valey, there is an nice horse trail. The regular alternative seemed overgrown, as is marked in the GPX files. Once in the valley (at 2300 elevation, beautiful, here: 34.4452069S, 70.5236975W), it is crosscountry. I went competely off-track, wanting to go directly to the valley on the other side. Not a good idea, very steep loose scree, I was quite afraid at 400 m above the valley floor. But I survived. The exploratory track should be easier, there is just about 100-200 metres of exposed terrain. Follow the GPX. I could not make the shortcut, it was too steep on the other side anyway. So I went to the mountain (3400 m) climbed Cerro Los Pizarras, where I rejoined the exploratory track. It is marked over the ridge, i I do not think it is passable. I went down 200m on the other ridge and then followed a countour line to the saddle. Sometimes a bit exposed but fine overall. [Update 2024 - it was since rerouted according to my feedback.]

Once in the saddle, there is a trailnof trail of sorts, sometimes disappearing. I think the gpx going down the valley is wrong, you need to keep.on the left, following the trail. The valley is extraordinarilly beautifull (I have not been to many nicer places)., deserted, but cattle or horses must pass through there sometimes(excrements present). There was some snow still, above around 2900 on the southern sideof the pass. When one reaches the big waterfall(34.4795078S, one70. Needs 4868789W), one needs to keep on the right. There is a pathless path, but it is a bit exposed and not easy to follow. Once in the valley where the exploratory track stops, there is a horse trail, try to follow it. Never go in the streambed. The stream need to be crossed several times. After a kilometer or two, get on the right (looking down) side of the stream. There should be a horse trail, overgrown. I was on the left side - not a good idea, it was superrhornysuperthorny. Pietroglyphos on the map are not there.

Once in the reserva cipreseReserva Rio Los Cipreses, there is a mix of horse trail, cross country amd bush bashingut bashin, but doable. Hot spring is cold, but beautiful. I slept there. It From there it is better to keep stay in the ever river bed from there when possible. I took the second exploratory track. At first ,follow the gpx GPX (as in go walk in the river bed and make a sharp turn directly up). Through the first rocny rocky part, I went a bit to the left of the GPX. I used my hands, but it was not exposed and not entirely vertical. Then I followed a the Vallevalley, keeping on the right. There is a track way where you can just walk up all the way up. It Is is steep but does not feel dangerous, : it is not that steep. If you slip, you would not start rolling, I think.at At the end, I went to the saddle where the track meets the other exploratory track. I think it was a bit less steep then the route by GPX. You need to go bellow the mountain, GPX goes over it but it is a rock. Going to the other valley, do not go all the way to to lowest pass but take the one that is more to the east. There was lots of snow, not to too steep ,I descended like 900 m 900m on the snow in one hour. From 23002300m, there is horse trail all the way down. Keep on the right bank, left bank turns to car road and the exploratory track suggesting fording is nonsense, just keep on the right bank. No cell phone cover until roughly where Pedro lives. There is internet and electricity in Termas del Flaco. Shops probably not great, I went to San Fernando. Unfortunately lost my garmin Garmin with track files. Easy to hitch there, and from there. Took me 7 days, diffuculty 5, attractivness attractiveness between 4-6, I think. Have not met anybody for six days straight. I will make this more elaborate [The files have been rerouted based on e I come back the feedback, but for the last pass, where you want to computer in Marchgo towards this pass 34.5785592S, 70.4349161W and then from there traverse to here: 34.5893708S, 70.4272772W ].