GPT29H (Rio Cisnes)

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* '''Start Date to Finish Date (use Format YYYY-MMM-DD) / Duration in Days / Hiking or Packrafting / Travel Direction (SOBO for Southbound or NOBO Northbound) / Chosen Route and/or Option Name (RR for Regular Route) / Names or Alias'''

Include remarks about your route useful for other hikers and packrafters, alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties. Try to be specific. Do not be shy to fix obvious mistakes.

Overview

• General Recommendation: You can walk either direction but SOBO is a bit easier as it's downhill

Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions

Season 2024/25

• 2024 Dec 10th to Dec 11th / 2 hiking days / SOBO / Hiking / RR / Michael and Kasia

Quick notes: We were surprised at how pretty the section was. The valley is really beautiful and there is a lot of visual texture in the hills. However unlike 28H, this is a real road walk on a dusty gravel road, often without a shoulder and with traffic. We were there in early December and maybe 25 cars a day passed us. It is possible in the January/February season that much more traffic could be going along this road which would make the route much less pleasant.

CAMP Night 01: -44.67970, -71.95016 (relatively flat, good water access, a little ways from the road)

WATER There is infrequent access to the river as most of the road is high above it, and where it gets close the access is often fenced off. We still found water fairly frequently as the were a lot of little streams coming down the hill. Also many of the bridges provided access to tributaries and esteros.

Day 01 - Dec 10th At Bridge 12.2, it looked like if you crossed the bridge and went left there was a dirt road on the other side. We did not go over to investigate, but we kept looking over as we went along. It seemed to go on for some time. It might be worth investigating. However it looked like if you did go that route you would have to ford the river at some point.

At around km 16.6, below the road is a green, grassy field with some trees. There is an old road grade down to the field. The road down is very steep, but there were some good potential camp sites down there and easy river access.

At Bridge 18.4 there were paths down to the river on both sides and areas that looked campable. No visual screening and no wind protection, but if it's a late camp it could be a good spot.

We camped near Bridge 25.6 on the south side of the bridge back near the trees. We found a relatively flat area, and it had great water access. It is also a place that other people camp, there was a fire circle on the higher ground. It was set back from the road a bit, but there was no visual screening from the road. There were a lot of mosquitos.

Day 02 - Dec 11th

We continued on the road. The views were very nice, lots of color from all the spring flowers, purple lupines, yellow broom, and some red flower that is everywhere right now. The road is a true Chilean road, with long stretches lined with fencing on either side. Also in some areas the road is somewhat narrow and there is no shoulder. Many of the cars slowed as they passed us to minimize the dust, but it was a dry, sunny day so it was still fairly dusty. Mosquitos were around, not bad when walking but pretty unbearable when we stopped. Around 15:30 the bus passed. At first the driver said he didn't have enough space, but then he said he could take us to Amengual. In Amengual he said to wait for him and if he had space he would take us to Villa Manihuales, which he did (there were three or four other open seats). We paid 3.000 each for the ride.

Season 2023/24

• From 2024-01-31 to 2024-02-01 // 2 days // Hiking // NOBO // RR // Quentin Clavel

This section begin with 30 km on the heavy carretera austral, and finish with 50 kilometers on a gravel road to reach La Tapera.

After the carretera austral, you'll be happy to find a less crowded, more quiet and natural path, without asphalt.

Surrounding are nice, nothing more to add except that I can't wait to find back the cute and remote tracks of Patagonia ! I even miss bush bashing... Imagine ! 😂

KM 18,35, Next to punte Torcaza, on the curve, big space for camp with nice scenery, flying fish everywhere, you can be seen from the road, but not a lot of people are passing threw. Few kind locals are fishing around, Carabineros passed by and said hello to me, so no troubles to stay there.

Arriving in La Tapera. I slept in hospedaje María, 15K CLP for a room, clean baños, good WiFi, nice people. Cabanas are possible too here.

Happy to find accomodation, options to resupply and a place with completos, sandwiches in this little town to resupply. (Having cash money is essential there !).

Season 2022/23

• 2023-Mar-18 to 2023-Mar-19 / 2 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Martin & Helena

A little more than we expected, there are some nice spots on the way, like Laguna Las Torres.

• 2022 19 Nov Frank 2.5 days SOBO

I got the bus from Villa Amengual to La Tapera then walked back, camped 1 night along the way. Few opportunities for camping as you approach the Carratera Austral as the land is fenced off. Villa Amengual, which is 2KM off route on the Carratera Austral is a good base. On the third day I continued along the Carratera Austral to the junction with the X421 dirt road going to El Gato, a better place to break the journey as there is nothing at the end of stage 29. At the X421 junction there is a bus stop (very few buses) & I hitched from there to Villa Manihuales.

Resupply and Accommodation

Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns

• ATM and money exhcange : Only in Coyhaique. Bring cash although you may be able to pay with CC in Villa Amengual & La Tapera.

• There are at least 3 places to stay in Villa Amengual which is on the Carretera Austral 2KM off route, north of the junction with the X25 gravel road which runs 52KM to La Tapera. They should all have options for meals also. El Encuentro in Villa Amengual has a shop & accomodation, 15,000 pesos single & 20,000 double. Meals are 6000 pesos, breakfast is 4000.

• 2024: Tapera has at least 6 small shops. The one they refer to as the Super had the biggest selection. Shops in town are open sporadically, but all close between 13:00 and 17:00 for lunch, and are closed for the night around 20:00. At least 3 places had camping gas (the Super, the panadero next door, and the blue mini market a block from there), but only the tall refill canisters, not the threaded cans for backpacking stoves. The guy at the Super, which is also the hardware store, said he sometimes had the threaded type but didn't have them when we passed through.

La Tapera has two small shops & at least one hospedaje, all on or near the plaza. Hospedaje María was nice, great people, 15K CLP for a room, but they have cabanas too if needed more privacy. There's at least 2 other options in this little town.

Food resupply in La Tapera, few minimarket. The one near the plaza central accepting CC, all the other only cash.

Possibility to eat at La Pica de la Doña tapera (sandwichs, completos, papas fritas, pichangas, churrascos ...) -44,6468155, -71,6694500

• You could camp at the small car park at Laguna las Torres. Several KM further south on the Carratera Austral is Camping La Zaranda $ new, cafe & cheap camping in little huts, you could sleep in them without a tent also.

Resupply and Accommodation along the Route

KM 18,35, Next to punte Torcaza, on the curve, big space for camp with nice scenery, flying fish everywhere, you can be seen from the road, but not a lot of people are passing threw. Few kind locals are fishing around, Carabineros passed by and said hello to me, so no troubles to stay there.

Transport to and from Route

• 2024/25 info: There is a bus that goes from La Tapera to Coyhaique and makes stops in Villa Amengual and Villa Manihuales on the way. It leaves La Tapera from the community center on the square at 14:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays, and 17:00 on Sundays. The cost was around 5.500 CLP. It originally leaves from Coyhaique, so probably the same bus as last year. Important to note it is a subsidized bus and priority is given to locals, though they will take you if there are empty seats. It is a Sprinter van style bus, so there are only around 15 seats.

• 2023 info: There is a bus from Coyhaique to La Tapera on Wednesday, Friday & Sunday, leaving Coyhaique at 10AM, going to Villa Amengual village at 12:30 and arriving in La Tapera at 2PM. The bus leaves La Tapera & returns to Coyhaique on the same route on the same days at about 3PM, going to Villa Amengual around 4PM

Links to other Resources

Retired Section Article GPT29H - Rio Cisnes