4607
ediciones
Cambios
→North to South
'''From about latitude 35° S to about 39° S: GPT05 to GPT12'''
South of Curicó the Andes lower in altitude but remain a continuous high mountain range. Summits rarely exceed 4000 m but most passes are still above 2000 m. Here the Andes are much more suitable for hiking. Therefore the trail follows the main mountain range close to the continental divide. Also here the continental divide constitute the border between Chile and Argentina so the trail is mostly close to the international limit but remains on the Chilean side. In this area a large number of route options provides you many hiking choices. You can often opt between lower trails and higher more demanding routes that get you in very remote areas of the Andes. Climate during summer is still quite dry but provides sufficient precipitation to maintain a relative open forest in the valleys. In spring during while the snow melt is melting torrential rivers make this area nearly impassable.
'''South of latitude 39° S: GPT13 to GPT40'''
South of Temuco you do not find any more a continuous high mountain chain. Numerous valleys and depressions break partly deep breaches into the main mountains range creating natural low passes between Chile and Argentina. These depressions and valleys were created by immense glaciers during past ice ages and remain partly filled by lakes. Many of these breaches are lower than 1000 m, some are just 200 m above sea level. These deep gaps in the cordillera (Spanish for mountain range) shift the continental divide in some areas far to the east and cause a partly significant offset between the main mountain range and the continent divide. This offset was one reason for more than a century of border disputes between Chile and Argentine that are not fully resolved now. The mountains of the Patagonian Andes are like large islands that are separated by channels of lowland. The higher summits reach mostly an altitude of 2000 m to 3000 m. Only few peeks exceed the 3000 m mark. Below the tree line frequent rain maintains a very dense, nearly impenetrable, forest that is also called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valdivian_temperate_rain_forest Valdivian temperate rain forest]. Due to this geography the GPT goes up and down between the depressions and the island-like mountains. Here having and provides a packraft becomes very beneficial in particular from section GPT17P attractive and varried hiking at least to GPT39finish of GPT22.
'''South of latitude 41° 30’ S: GPT22 to GPT40'''
South of Puerto Montt the Chilean Central Valley "sinks" below sea level and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fjords_and_channels_of_Chile Patagonian fjords] begin. These fjords and channels form a vast network of waterways with countless islands and peninsulas. In this rugged region hardly any road or trail was build along the cost. The mountains rise directly out of the sea and rarely leave sufficient suitable space for a land connection and the impenetrable tempered rain forest amplifies this challenge. In this region of Chile even the most important road; the Carretera Austral; has a 50 km wide gap that can only be crossed by ferry. There is not even a horse trail or a food path that bridges this gap; just impenetrable dense forest and cragged mountains. Here most land routes are further inland in the valleys and depressions that cut through the Patagonian Andes. Due to this geography the GPT crosses on section GPT22 into Argentina and does not return to Chile until section GPT26. Only passionate and highly experienced packrafters may try the very challenging investigation routes GPT30P, GPT76P and GPT77P that provide a water connection through the fjords and channels on the Chilean side.
In Central Patagonia in particular from GPT28H to GPT31H hiking is less attractive because several historic horse trails have been upgraded to dirt roads. But packrafting in this area is just stunning. Here you can paddle over crystal clear mountain leaks and float down long mostly calm rivers with impressive mountains on either side of your raft until you the Patagonian fjords.
'''South of latitude 46° 30’ S: GPT35 to GPT40'''
===Understanding the Host Nations===