GPT42 (Glaciar Upsala)

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Add a new log entry always on top in the appropriate season sub-chapter and use format:

* '''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'''

If you are packrafting, put the above info into HTML tags like this (if you follow a hiking route for part of the way, highlight only "packrafting", as above):

* <span style="background-color:aqua;">'''YYYY-MMM-DD / X days / Packrafting / SOBO / RP / Your name'''</span>.

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.

Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions

Season 2024/25

• GPT 42: Glaciar Upsala/NoBo/ 2024 dix 95 to 2024 dic 10 / Participant: Amalia, Isabelle Celio / 6 Days / Hiking / New option + RR

We walked from Puesto guanaco (end of ruta provincial 69) to Estancia Helsingfors. First part is not on the GPT track and it's mostly CC until lago Tanhauser (49.929450° S 73.026713° W) then there is a trail marked on OSM, you start to see it when you enter the forest (49.937360° S 73.053745° W) but there is also a lot of cows trails and some angry bulls too! Second part we mostly follow the RR. From the camp at lago Anita (49.901503° S 73.123986° W) we did a hike up to the valle de los fossiles (49.907952° S 73.170325° W) and a viewpoint higher up. If you have the time to do it, it's amazing. Day 1 : at Puesto guanaco there is a ranger station, if you registered previously the ranger will be informed that you come (that was for us). We started following the trail going to laguna azul and quickly left it for some animals track at 49.923508° S 72.842736° W on the left. We enter the valley south of laguna azul and reach the pass and camp there (49.945402° S 72.933853° W). Day 2 : We went surrounding the cerro sombrero on is south face up to the pass (49.947031° S 72.976260° W) then went up to the summit of the cerro sombrero (amazing view). Then we goes down to the south shore of the lake Tanhauser and followed it. We camped on a hill west of the lake, we were exposed of the wind (49.927634° S 73.033441° W). Day 3 : Walked around the camp, beautiful landscape and up to a hill where there is a pirca. Then down to the valley of lago Anita. We did not follow the trail and tried to shortcut to arrive directly at lago Anita and the campsite (49.901503° S 73.123986° W). Them did the hike to valle de los fossiles and viewpoint. Day 4, 5 and 6 we followed the RR threw the "canyon". After the first pass and until the seno moyano campsite it's CC and BB on calafates and others friendly spiky plants! Then it's getting easier to follow until estancia helsingsfors.

Permits : Permits only doable in el calafate national park office. You need to do a "area remota permiso". When you ask it,it will be ready the next day at midday. It supposed to be only 4 days but one should try to ask more. To have this permit you need to be at least 3 and complete a basic form that ask you contacts, experience, if you have a sattelital communication gps (but don't check it). At estancia christina there is a ranger station that will check if you are legal. And the workers there will advise him if they see you. At estancia helsingsfors there is no more ranger at the ranger office. Once you get out the park, informe them that you leave, if not they will start the rescue research has they said.

To get to Puesto guanaco and to leave at estancia helsingsfors you can schedule a transfert, there is several in el calafate and el chalten.

Season 2023/24

• Frank Not the RR /mostly SoBo/ 10-12 December 2023

As I could not get a permit for Ea Helsingfors-Ea Cristina - see permits section - I walked around on the road from La Leona to Calafate in 3 days as follows:

1. I got the bus to La Leona and walked 43KM SOBO. You are in the Leona river valley although you mostly walk well back from the river. Bluffs above the river make the walk a lot more sheltered than the open pampa. 11KM from La Leona is a derelict Estancia by Rio Leona, you could camp there or sleep in one of the buildings. After about 25KM you start to ascend one of the bluffs above the valley. As the road drops in a loop I went CC downhill which can cut the loop by about 2KM. As the descent flattens out there is a wadi, you could camp on the dry wadi floor. Risky if it rains but that is not so common on the pampa. At KM 43 is a mirador marked Vista a Lago Argentina on Openstreetmap, I hitched back from there to Calafate.

2. I bought a ticket to La Leona, talked to the driver and he agreed to drop me at the mirador - they usually don´t do that. From the mirador I walked about 41KM SOBO. There are two bridges and you can camp by trees below both of them. A shed about 300M before the Rio Leona bridge had rats around it so is best avoided. Between the bridges where Ruta 17 goes inland towards 2 estancias there is a small concrete hut/shrine which you could sleep in. The estancias are a long way inland, 20KM or more. I continued to the junction with the road from Rio Gallegos and stopped after about 10KM where a jeep track goes right towards Estancia Bon Accord. Then I hitched in to Calafate.

3. I walked NOBO on jeep tracks away from Calafate, easier as the wind was at my back. I went to see the cave paintings at Punta Walichu which is by the lake below Cerro Gualicho and marked on Openstreetmap. However it is quite a detour to Punta Walichu and they charge 11,000 pesos entry or about 12 euro. They gave me the student price which is 8000 pesos. In the Walichu reserve they will not allow you to walk anywhere except in and out on the main access road-I came in directly from Calafate on jeep tracks which was OK as they didnt see me but had to leave on the access road. So it seems best to avoid the site and go directly out from Calafate on jeep tracks which are marked on the track file. I rejoined the track file route but where it turns towards the lake I left it to go straight ahead on a smaller jeep track. It bisects the airport road. Cafe in the airport but I didnt go in as it is 1.7KM off the route I took. After crossing the airport road I continued on a faded jeep track which improved and led out to the main road where there is a sign for Estancia Bon Accord, then I hitched back to Calafate. This section is about 20KM if you walk directly from Calafate on jeep tracks. Including the detour to Walichu cave paintings its about 28KM.

Season 2022/23

• GPT 42: Glaciar Upsala/SoBo/ February 2023 / Participant: Tobias Schorcht/ 3.5 Days/ 60 km/ Method: Hiking

I walked from EA Helsingsfors to EA Cristina. Since it is part of the Nationalpark “Los Glaciares” you need a permit. Got the permit easily in El Chaltén (park office) free of charge. They asked me for my inreach contact, I don’t know if they let you go without it. Since they removed the cows in that area, the trail is in a bad condition and some parts are overgrown with Calafate. I recommend the use of gaters. I marked the few camping spots before and after the 2 passes, which is the tough part. Reached EA Cristina after 3 days of walking and took the catamaran to Puerto Bandera (every day, 5 p.m., 100 000 CPS). Amazing views and landscape up there. Met no one.

Transport to and from Route

December 2023 info: In high season i.e. from 1st December there is a boat every day from Puerto Banedera to Estancia Cristina, leaving at 9AM & returning from the Estancia at 5PM. It costs about 100 euro. Inquire at the Ea. Cristina office in Calafate on Av. Libertador. Transfer from Calafate to Puerto Bandera costs an additional 25,000 pesos (about 27 euro) and leaves Calafate at 7:15 AM.

Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues

Frank 14-12-2023

Chalten park office are not giving permits for Ea Helsingfors-Ea Cristina now, they refer you to the Calafate park office. You can talk to them in person or email your request to Mesadeentradaspnlg@apn.gob.ar or Informespnlg@apn.gob.ar I did both and all answered the same: minimum group size 3 people no exceptions and they want you to have comms. also i.e. a radio or inreach. This situation may change so it is worth checking with both park offices.