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===Understanding the The GPT Terrain: Greater Patagonia===If you are considering exploring the Greater Patagonian Trail and wish to enjoy the experience, you must be open to experiencing the unknown diversity of this region. If your expectation imagination of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonia Patagonia] is based on a brief Google search TV documentaries and a few articles about Patagonia travel magazine than you probably have seen primarily these three heavily hyped tourist magnets:

* the national park Torres del Paine,

So These are three truly amazing spots on the limits eastern edge of this region the Southern Patagonian Icefield and this makes it impractical to state where the GPT actually gets into Patagonia. If taking the administrative limits of Argentina than you gets in casting distance are internationally known highlights of Patagonia at the end of section GPT05 where you can view for the first time over the border into Argentina into the province Neuquén. But with a different understanding you enter Patagonia on section GPT13 where you ford these three frequently pictured attractions do not represent the Río Biobío or on section GPT16 where you walk into the Chilean administrative region XIV (Región de los Ríos). You can be certain to have reached Patagonia on section GPT22 where you arrive at the first Patagonian fjord: the Estuarió de Reloncavídiversity. For more information to this subject see [[#Remark to If your primary interest is visiting the Limits heavily trod, famous places of Patagonia|Remark then stick to the Limits of Patagonia]] national parks in the Appendixsouth and bus in between.

====Diversity of The GPT offers much more than this. The Greater Patagonia=========East to West=====Patagonia consists Patagonian Trail is rather like a gourmet menu of surprisingly disparate zones. There are vast open plains in the east of Patagonia with a dry and wind battered steppe different courses that spans from the eastern edge of the Andes allow you to experience the Atlantic coast. The western part different tastes and textures of Patagonia, due to the rain shadow caused by the Andes, is in some regards the opposite. In It connects the west you have the rugged and rainy Pacific coast semi-desert of Precordillera with countless fjords and islands. An impenetrable forest covers most of this land to the west of the Andes. And in between these two unlike areas – in between the dry plains in the east and the humid fjords in the west - tower the Patagonian Andes. Dormant Icefields and recently active volcanoes rise into the sky and glaciers cover all higher summits. During previous glacial periods these glaciers grew to a formidable size and carved deep wide valleys into barren volcanos with the Patagonian Andes. These valleys are now partly filled by lakes and get drained by powerful rivers. All this is Patagonia and this diversity creates the mystery and magic of this regiondamp green rain forest.

=====North The Greater Patagonian Trail crosses most of Patagonia and the adjacent regions to South====='''GPT01 the north. For this reason I named the trail “Greater Patagonian Trail” when I started publishing in 2014. I coined the term "Greater Patagonia" to GPT04: From Santiago to latitude 35° S'''combine Patagonia in its traditional limits with the adjacent regions like "Greater London" includes the city of London and the surroundings.

'''GPT05 to GPT12: From latitude 35° S to 39° S'''South The limits of Curicó the Andes drop in altitude but remain a continuous high mountain range. Summits rarely exceed 4000 m but most passes Patagonia are still above 2000 msomewhat blurry. Here This makes it impractical to state where exactly the Andes are much more suitable for hikingGPT gets into Patagonia. Therefore If taking the trail follows the main mountain administrative limits of Argentina, than you get in throwing range close to of Patagonia at the continental divide. Also here the continental divide constitute end of section GPT05 where you can look over the Argentinian border between Chile and Argentina so into the trail is mostly close to the international limit but remains province Neuquén. But with a different understanding you enter Patagonia on section GPT13 where you ford the Río Biobío. Others argue that Patagonia starts with the Chilean side. In this area a large number of route options provide many hiking choicesadministrative region XIV (Región de los Ríos) what makes section GPT16 the gateway into Patagonia. You can often opt between lower trails and higher more demanding routes that get be certain to have reached Patagonia on section GPT22 where you in very remote areas of arrive at the Andes. Climate during summer is still quite hot and dry but provides sufficient precipitation to maintain a relatively open forest in the valleys. In spring while first Patagonian fjord: the snow is melting torrential rivers make this area nearly impassableEstuarió de Reloncaví.

These deep gaps in For me this discussion about the cordillera (Spanish for mountain range) shift the continental divide in some areas far to the east limits of Patagonia is irrelevant if I can walk and cause a partly significant offset between the main mountain range paddle through pristine and the continent dividevaried terrain. This offset was one reason for more than a century of border disputes between Chile and Argentina that are still not fully resolved. The mountains of Actually, the Patagonian Andes are like large islands that are separated by these "channels" less known regions north of lowlandPatagonia more attractive for hiking. The higher summits reach mostly an altitude of 2000 m to 3000 m. Only few peeks exceed Here you walk more distance high up in the 3000 m mark. Below the tree line frequent rain maintains a very densemountains with broad views, nearly impenetrable, forest that is also called Valdivian temperate rain forest. Due to this geography here you find the GPT goes up more attractive trails and down between the depressions cross-country routes and here you meet the island-like mountains arrieros and provides a very attractive and varied hiking at least to the finish of section GPT22native Pehuenche people. Here having a packraft becomes very beneficial in particular from section GPT17P to GPT39 where Also, the climate is more favourable for hiking. During summer, rain is infrequent, and you can use your inflatable boat on 40% of the distancemostly enjoy sunny weather.

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 foot path that bridges this gap; just impenetrable dense forest contrast, when reaching Patagonia, get ready for frequent and cragged mountainsenduring rain. Here most land routes are further inland Also, don't expect to walk high up in the valleys and depressions that cut through mountains in 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 sideheartland of Patagonia as there is simply no continuously high mountain range. 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 lakes and float down long mostly calm rivers with impressive high mountains on either side of your inflatable raft until reaching on these rivers the Patagonian fjords. '''GPT35 to GPT40: South of latitude 46° 30’ S'''At the latitude of Lago General Carrera and south of it are two large ice fields, rather like islands that are surrounded by dense temperate rainforest in the Northern Patagonian Ice Field west and a semi-desert-like Pampa in the Southern Patagonian Ice Fieldseast. Here ice completely fills the depressions between the These island-like mountains to an altitude of about 1500 m. These are the two remnant parts of the much larger Patagonian Ice Sheet separated by wide valleys that covered most of Patagonia were carved by giant glaciers during previous ice agespast glacial periods. In this area The wide valleys are now partly filled with lakes that drain their water in powerful rivers into the GPT guides you first though the mountains about 100 km east of the Northern Patagonian Ice Fieldfjords. Here you can opt between attractive hiking and attractive packrafting routes but weather Therefore, “real Patagonia” is volatile and distances between settlements are substantial. Towards the current southern terminus of the GPT best traveled by packraft because a packraft gets you reach the eastern edge of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field what makes an impressive finish. From GPT38 to GPT40 you can walk on these lakes, rivers and paddle through a rough wind battered land full of milky glacier lakes that get constantly refilled by immense streams of ice that flows from the Southern Patagonian Ice Fieldfjords.