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→Season 2024/25
==Season 2024/25==
*2024 Dec 13th to Dec 17th / 5 hiking days / SOBO / Hiking / Opt 2, RR, Var E, Var F, Var G / Michael and Kasia
Quick notes: A really beautiful section with amazing views. The park is open but Las Horquetas remains closed, though many people are hiking it anyway. If not going over the final pass, Var F can be used to exit without paying though it possibly involves trespassing.
CAMPS:
Night 1: -46.00817, -72.10413 Camping Río Turbio (official campground, easy water access, good wind protection, nice views, can have a lot of people there)
Night 2: same as Night 1
Night 3: -46.06419, -72.16915 Camping El Bosque (official campground, easy water access, good wind protection, fewer spots than first camp site, very few are really flat)
Night 4: -46.07194, -72.18416 Camping La Tetera (technically closed campground, water access is a little way away, no really flat spots, poor wind protection, excellent views)
WATER:
Water was generally easy to find.
Day 01 - Dec 13th
We left Coyhaique around 10:30. There are buses that go that route, but we decided to hitch instead. We entered through the Opt 2 Las Horquetas route. It took us three hitches to get to the trailhead. The trailhead has a big sign that says the route is closed. I don't know if they plan to open it this season or not. At the very beginning there is an estero. There is a bridge to cross it, a little old but stable. Shortly after there is a park ranger kiosk, but it was unoccupied. Overall the trail is in good condition, easy to follow, but sometimes muddy. Beautiful views along the way. We were fortunate and had excellent weather. There are several unmarked fords in the first 16 km along Opt 2, all were easy, knee high at most. Water was generally easy to find. At the Rio Turbio campground there were around 25 other people there.
Day 02 - Dec 14th
We took Var E up to Laguna Glacier Peñón. It was a great side trip. The laguna is turquoise and the mountains surrounding it are very impressive. There were still snow fields on the way to the end of the track, so we didn't go all the way, but we got past the lake and to the other side. We saw two small avalanches while we were there. We also found a bird feather, we think from a condor, that was as long as my entire arm. We really enjoyed this side trip and recommend it. Water shoes could be helpful. We didn't have ours and it was possible without, but would have been easier and faster if we had had them. Important note, the whole route is essentially a field of small boulders. It does not require any scrambling, but it is slow going compared to the trail. We did this as an out-and-back and then returned to the Rio Turbio campground for a second night. One couple came around 22:00, but otherwise no one was there.
Day 03 - Dec 15th
We left camp around 10:00. We were ready for the Pass 43.9 and thought with only 10 km to go until Camping El Bosque we would be in camp early, but we were surprised at how challenging the day was. The first few kilometers up to the pass went fairly quickly. There was still snow on the pass, but it was at that stage where it is getting thin and you can't tell where you might fall through, so it was slow going checking our footing. The weather was great, full sun and warm, very little wind. Getting to the pass was slow but not too difficult. We stopped at the mirador for lunch and to watch the dozens of waterfalls cascade down the mountain. The descent was more challenging. It is very steep, and there was lots of scree on the way down. In one section CONAF installed a series of ropes bolted into the rocks to hold on to. Once at the bottom there was a boulder field and then a very nice forest. Amazing views of the mountains and glaciers. Camp 48.0 is a decommissioned camping area under recuperation. Camping El Bosque is at km 49.0. At Camping El Bosque there were two other couples there that night.
Day 04 - Dec 16th
From Camping El Bosque we took a side route up to see a lake. It is not an optional on GPT, but it is visible on OSM. The lake is not visible on OSM, but it is on satellite, which is surprising because based on measurements using Gaia, it appears to be almost twice as big as Laguna Duff. The route up is marked by carens, but it is essentially CC across talus, about 1.3 km one way. The lake and the mountains are stunning. There were lots of ice floes on the lake. We sat for about 2 hours listening to the ice crack and watching avalanches fall. We highly recommend this detour if you have the time. Going in the evening might give a nicer light. We had lunch at Camping El Bosque and then hiked as far as Camping La Tetera, which is technically closed, and camped there for the night. Three other groups passed through and two other groups camped near us at La Tetera. It rained a bit in the evening.
Day 05 - Dec 17th
We got up very early with the plan to cross the last pass before the wind picked up. We headed up to the lookout over Laguna Castillo. About 300m of the ascent are a rock scramble which is challenging with a heavy backpack. At points we needed both hands to navigate the rocks. We were feeling exhausted from the previous days and decided not to attempt the final pass. There was no snow remaining on the final pass that we could see. We spent a few hours at the top. Lots and lots of other hikers were coming up or going through. The main trail down is very steep and had lots of loose rock on it. With heavy backpacks it was a challenge and really hard on the knees. It also took much longer than we anticipated. About two km down from the top CONAF had a tent stationed. Three guardaparques are camped there to check tickets on the way up and to radio down when people are leaving. They asked for our names. When we said we came from Las Horquetas they just said okay.
We took Var F and Var G to exit the park. Var F is clearly visible from above as you descend the main trail. The route is actually in excellent condition and is very easy to follow. We opted to take Var G which breaks off of Var F and then rejoins it later. It goes through forest and woodland, very pretty and potentially campable in places. There were also a few places where we found water. About 2.8 km into Var F there is a sign facing downhill that says No Accesso CONAF. About 1.3 km before the road there was a gate we had to jump. 300m before the final gate we descended a hill and there were a couple buildings there. One was a baño for what looked like paid camp sites (there were picnic tables around) and one was probably a rental cabaña. We passed through two more gates that were open. At the road, the final gate was secured with a chain, but it was easy to open. On the fence outside the gate and on a second gate that was padlocked shut were two signs saying in English and Spanish “No Trespassing, Private Property”. There was also a small kiosk that looked like it could have been a ticket booth just outside the gate, but no one was in it. It is unclear if the no trespassing signs referred to the property we passed through or to a neighboring property. We didn't see anyone so we didn't have any issues, but it's something to be aware of if you leave along this route. Due to the clear no trespassing signs, the no access sign as you enter the park and the park guards near the top, I would only recommend using Var F to exit the park, not to enter it.
• 2024-Dec-05 to 2024-Dec-06 / 2 days / Hiking / SOBO / MR + Opt.N + Opt.M + Opt.01/ Julien
