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Just before rejoining the regular route, we marveled at the volcanic gas vents at S 40° 29.651', W 072° 09.651', or 100m W of km56.1. Even if you are not going to the hot springs (which you should!), make sure not to miss them.
The descent was relatively unspectacular. We accidentally took an unintended route down (19-D I think?), but it wasn't an issue. Our plan was to hitchhike from km37.4 out to Lago Ranco, but it took over an hour to find a ride, since only few cars passed by.
* '''2024-Jan-12 to 14 / 3 days / Hiking / SOBO / Argentina, completely new option, Villa Lago Meliquina to Villa Traful / 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 part 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 GPT19, previous log is in GPT18. Look also at Hannes von S report who followed us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/posts/1763867210785824/.
Our pictures: https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/posts/1758304798008732/.
Our second Facebook post (Natalie somehow wrote it down twice): https://www.facebook.com/groups/222224388283455/posts/1732579750581237/]
Summary: Starting in Laguna Meliquina and hitching to Lago Filo Hua Hum, we traversed up and over to Laguna Trufal, took a boat to Trufal proper.
From Laguna Filo Hua Hum we crossed up and over via Cerro Escuadra ridge and towards Sendero las Mellizas trail. There was some minor scrambling. For crossing Lago Trufal we organized to be taken back on a day tripper boat coming from Trufal by the help of settler, Felipe. However, thanks to Tomášs' curiosity, he found a good trail along the lake that takes you to the end of Lago Trufal, thereby avoiding the need for a boat. If you want, the boat company info is here; Eco Traful, (0294) 15-4201952. It cost 25mil each cash, we bargained it down to 20mil each (extortion). The ridge and plateau were mostly CC and there was only some minor BB from the ridge down to Mellizas (if you find the settler trail). It could possibly be done in 1 long day, it took us 1.5days, not counting the extra day spent with Felipe. Technically you are supposed to register with parks but there is no actual name for the trail so not sure how you would; https://www.nahuelhuapi.gov.ar/zonas_habilitadas.html.
1) Meliquina to Laguna Filo Hua Hum:
We were lucky and got a hitch directly from the tourist stand in Meliquina to the camping spot on Laguna Filo,-40.50075, -71.29960. If no hitch, it is a ~ 20km road walk but hitching should be easy. Possibly the river could be packrafted. There is a small creek near the camping to fill up on, take a lot as there is no water until after Cerro Mesa, which could potentially be dry in late summer months. There is technically a water source we found before the climb up to Cerro Escuadra near a large grass pasture but you will have to walk off route to get to it and once again in late summer months it may not be there.
2) Laguna Filo Hua Hum to Cerro Escuadra, Mesa and the plateau:
From camping Laguna Filo there is a good trail to start off with from the back of camp, it is even marked in yellow: -40.50075, -71.29960. However after a view point the trail becomes less clear, you can take a short cut up a steep hill after the view point or keep following the trail even though it can disappear from time to time [November 2024: The trail is now on OSM]. Eventually the trail takes you to a very large grass pasture beneath the climb for Cerro Escuadra, camping paradise if it wasn't for the wind. We camped early here once we found a water source (-40.52378, -71.30019), as camping on the ridge would be very windy and dry. I believe this cow pasture is the link to Felipe the settler on lake Traful, where there could be a much more direct way to the other side, open for exploration [some exploration options based on scoutin Google Earth are in the suggestions].
From the cow pasture, you make your way to the ridge, a good trail at first but then once on the ridge proper, it disappears. I went left to side hill the difficult looking ridge top that lay ahead and Tomáš of course continued the ridge proper. After this, it is an easy walk along a broad ridge connected to the peak. The peak is not so much a peak but a large plateau, easy walking. Eventually the plateau ends via a cliff drop so you must find our scramble to the right, we made cairns but forgot to make a waypoint, it is roughly somewhere here -40.53296, -71.30956 . From here there will be about 3 ledge systems you have to scramble along and down but only the very first one is possibly class three (low) [SAC T4 if at all, not exposed]. When you get down you can admire the look back and wonder how you got down! From there you can either stay low and avoid Cerro Messa and a slightly ugly scree or snow descent by aiming around here -40.53743, -71.32863, you may find the start of Felipe's horse trail here as well. The other option is to climb Cerro Mesa and exit i's steep ridge here -40.53812, -71.32576, then cross down and to the right to connect to the rest of the ridge/water source. The descent here is steep but surprisingly soft, if there is snow I advise against it, it is not hard to go around the other way. The rest of the ridge has a magnitude of colors and minerals. It is a small section but if you look at your feet and not the sky you will see lots of different gem like rocks (and/or copper). Personally I think Felipe might be sitting on a gold mine! Speaking of Felipe, this is where we first met him, he appeared out of nowhere and I felt star-struck, if you meet him you will know what I mean, his posture and attire look as if he left the scene of an old Argentinian cowboy movie. He explained to me that he lived down by Lago Trufal and that this was his land and I should have a park registration, but didn't care so much about the park stuff. He was caring and let me continue even though the route I explained to him didn't make any sense.
Going forward you will be on Felipe's trail for a bit and see a green patch ahead that may or may not have water. If it should, it could also serve as a camp spot -40.55045, -71.33970.
From this grass patch you can follow Felipe's trail if you can see it, it goes through and around some rock structures and then up to a very large plateau. The plateau is marked with some cairns, the area just before the plateau can be marshy. The plateau itself has some ancient looking cairns, but basically you need to aim for this ridge outcrop over top of a cow pasture here -40.56308, -71.33350. The cow pasture below could also be good camping.
3) Plateau to Lago Traful/Felipe's house:
Originally we had planned to follow this outcrop and bushbash to the lakes, maybe this could still be done but the bush looks awful and to our surprise we found a trail in good shape below the ridge outcrop. From the ridge outcrop there is another "grey" like ridge that runs perpendicular and into a forest. If you follow this grey ridge it shall take you to the start of a pretty well maintained trail. Take this trail down and into the trees, after it passes over to the left of a tree ridge, it becomes easy to loose as tree fall has created numerous small trails in bad condition. We found the best one (or not, who knows) and followed it down some more until we crossed two creeks. After the second creek the trail totally vanished so we went back to the first creek and walked "down the creek bed". We walked down the creek bed for maybe 1km, it was not hard or dangerous adn not bush-bashy. We eventually found a trail again somehow and followed it all the way down into the valley where there is a large fence separating Laguna Verde from Laguna de los Juncos. There is some nice camping under the forest at the bottom before you hit the gate. However, although technically you are supposed to have a guide, there are petroglyphs in pretty good shape here -40.61891, -71.31079. Night and rain was approaching so we walked to the flat part between Laguna Verde and Blanca to set up camp, just after a puesto. You will have to grab water from the stream near the petroglyphs for camp.
Not knowing how the boat situation would evolve, we left camp very early in hopes to catch a boat that had dropped of day trippers for the day at the drop off point here -40.63958, -71.34857. Luckily, bcs the standard trail near the end is slightly overgrown we took a different way to the beach and this is how we met Felipe again. He has one of the most beautiful properties I have seen so far, ancient wood craftsmanship throughout, lots of little animals and also numerous expedition tents permently set up for some type of turismo I assume. His settlement is here. He told us that there would not be any boats that day due to high winds but he could arrange a boat for us the next day, he also offered his place to camp and out some wood on the fire for a hot shower. With a glorious free day in front of us I chose to go back to bed and Tomáš went back to Sendero las Mellizas to explore.
On his trip he found a good trail that followed the shoreline all the way to the start of Laguna Trufal, thereby avoiding the need for a boat. After he got back from that exploration he went on to explore the other side of Las Mellizas we did not see, towards Lago de los Juncos. Once again he found another path that seemed to follow the river there, towards the end of Lago Traful, thereby meaning one could even take that route, but will need to be verified [November 2024: Hannes did verify it. Also all these trails are in OSM now].
The next day, although he did not ask for it, we paied Felipe 10mil for camping and gave him half of a melon Tomáš had been carrying in his bag for the trip, Felipes wife was very happy! Felipe walked with us to a different boat pick up location and sure enough a boat came and took us on their way back. It was a fun ride but not free. As expected it would not be cheap, since the boat is run by a tourism company we payed 20 thousand each once back in Trufal. The company information is listed above. There was no cell phone reception at Felipe's but there was reception on the ridge outcrop before the trail took us down to the lakes, maybe you can arrange something there or take the lake trail to the end of the lake and avoid the boat.
Trufal proper was nothing special: Bad internet. The main mini supermarcet was okay, it definitely met our needs but nothing fancy. It had veges/fruit, fresh baked bread loafs and good cheese and deli meat. There was an expensive restaurant near the trailhead we took after our resupply that had very good sandwiches and empanadas. The sandwich (10 thousand) was served on foccacia bread and was enormous.
The park office was closed. so we just started hiking that afternoon without reservation/paying.
* '''2024-01-08 / 3 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + option 4a/ Jens '''
