GPT78H (Volcan Yates)

List of all GPT sections

How to a add new entry

You need to be logged in to save your edits (and on mobile view, you need to be logged in to start editing).

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 2021/22

• GPT 78 / 8-11 Feb 2022 / Packrafting / Southbound / Maxime Hudon

Hola! My friend and I arrived to Chile in January 2022 and did GPT17,18, 19, 22 and GPT78 that one cause we decided to stay in Chile. We had amazing experiences but we would like to share our experience on this 78.

We started at Puelo. We walked out of town direction Puelo Chico and turn right after the bridge on the gravel road. The one following the river south. We've been lucky to hitchhike and got a ride to almost the end of that road. We arrived at the settler where we jumped a fence and went talking to the owner. He let us pass for 5000 pesos each and we continue following the path direction south. We reach an other settler's house in the mountain but nobody was there. An incredible view he got there for sure. Then we get confused some time by the different path going in different direction but we find our way by following the GPS until near by the first camp. There is no actually trail to get to the camp. We find a way by bushwalking down the hill following what we thought was a river below. Finally we find a flat spot with plenty of water where we camped. The next day, we kept following the GPS track until the alternative path to Lago Pinto Concha for packrafting. This path is NOT a trail just bushwalking but not too bad easy to just pass trough the spiky plants and our shoes didn't get too wet. Then, the line on the GPS was making us going through a cliff so we found our way by going very slow trough the bushes. Very slow process. Then, we passed the first little small lake before Lago Pinto Concha then trying to kept as close as possible on GPS line we got traped in an impossible terrain where the plants were too thick. We still managed to follow a little creak by using our balance and climbing moves. Fortunately, we arrived finaly at the lake. We packraft it the wind blowing straight on us. Took us about 2-3 hours to cross the lake and reach the beach on the other side where we camped. The next day, we arrived to the National Park where a bunch of people were camping. We followed the trail for Volcan Yates were the path was quite easy to follow. Beautiful view at the top, we started to walk in the crosscountry following the track in the GPS. After a while of walking surrended by volcanos and beautiful views we arrived at the top of a shoulder where the track was leading us to a very steep cliff. That way by our experience and looking other options was the best chance to go down there and reach the river created by the snow melting from the glacier that would take us to Lago Cabrera. Took us ages to go down very carefully cause the rock was shaped and very unstable. Very unsafe we didn't feel comfortable by doing sketchy moves to make sure our feet doesn't slip with our heavy backpack. By a mariacle and after hours we arrived to the river which we followed on the left shore. But after going down a while the river was becoming a canyon were we had to pass in the other shore. We had to walked up the river and find a "ok" place to jumps rocks to cross it. We lost a walking pole om the way. Took us much more time then expected so we had to camp close to shore and kept going on the day. The last day, we kept going down the river. Same story - switching shore to shore by jumping or walking in shoft currant. Then we finnaly arrived to the Lago Cabrera were by pure luck a family where just arrived from the other side by boad and gave us breads to eat cause we didn't plan food for that many days. Crossed the lake wind still in our face. Arrived to the other side where a lot of people where in vacation and camping. We followed the path back to Hornopirén for 8km walk until we got pickup by a truck until Hornopirén. We had amazing time and scary ones. We do not recommend the path we took. The exposure of the descend was challenging and sometime risky for people that don't know what they're going into. Thanks if you have a better idea to do it let us know for the next traveler. Max and Larry

• 2021-Nov-25 to 2021-Nov-28 / 3 days / Hiking / Land traverse from Rio Puelo to Hornopiren / Meylin Elisabeth Ubilla González and Jan Dudeck

 First: Thank you Linda Bortoletto and Martin Lizondo for recording this route when being guided by Patricio Bayer in season 2019/20. And thank you for leaving a positive memory with Patricio Bayer. We were granted permission to cross his property after a phone call.

This route connects Rio Puelo with Hornopiren via Lago Pinto Concha. Highlights are the dense Valdivian Rainforest, the gigantic Alerce trees, the wetlands on the plateau with Cypress trees, the traverse of the volcanic terrain of volcan Yates and the lake Pinto Concha.

This route was created many decades ago to drive cattle from the Puelo valley to the coast before a road was build along the Puelo river. Now this route is barely used and only the trail section inside the National Park Hornopiren towards Hornopiren is well maintained.

This route is best hiked southbound and only after obtaining permission from Patricio Beyer by phone (+56 9 8132 4070 and +56 9 9573 5461). You will also cross the property of Eulogio (Lalo) Soto who will probably checks by phone with Patricio Beyer first before letting you pass. He will charge an entrance fee of 5000 CLP per person.

The route is now slightly altered on the northern end to facilitate a otherwise very demanding river crossing (Diversion from Regular Route at: S 41.7806 / W 72.2403 … Now recommended river ford: S 41.7771 / W 72.2359 … Rejoin Regular Route at: S 41.7803 / W 72.7204). This part of the trail is generally well maintained and visible.

The navigation challenge starts south of the Puesto of Patricio Bayer (Point: Settler {78} [37.6/398]) and ends when leaving the forrest towards the lava field of Volcan Yates (southern end of track: RH-TL&BB-V {78} [24.6+16.8]). A good part of the trail is rarely used and poorly maintained and many animal tracks make the “main trail” often indistinguishable from other weakly visible tracks. But the often dense vegetation and the irregular geography make following the “main trail” essential.

We verified our position typically every 50 m, sometimes even more often. The internal compass of our handheld GPS was very helpful to frequently realign us to the “main trail” that takes many unexpected turns and twists.

I assume we are the first hikers in many years that walk this route without a guide. But even with a very precise GPS record the navigation was unexpected demanding. We consumed substantially more GPS battery power than normal due to the frequent checks and we still accidentally wandered of the “main trail” often. Hikers have no chance to traverse this route without a GPS and without the GPT track file. Even backtracking out memory is barely possible. Therefore a backup navigation device and sufficient recharge power are a life insurance on this route.

Once the open lava field of Volcan Yates is reached navigation becomes simpler. After a cross country traverse in an open volcanic landscape a well maintained and easily visible trail leads down to Lago Pinto Concha and Hornopiren.

Season 2019/20

• 2019-Dec-28 to 2019-Dec-29 / 2 days / Hiking / SOBO / Martín Lizondo

The trail between Puelo and Hornopirén passes through private land and requires permission of Patricio Beyers (+56 9 8132 4070 and +56 9 9573 5461). The GPS track isn’t acurate and the route is very difficult to find, so a guidance is required until the GPT track is updated. Guidance of Patricio Beyers costs CLP 60.000. After Lago Pinto Concha the trail is well maintained by park rangers.

Two river crossings are very difficult, so rain could make them impassable. There’s a cable car river crossing too.

The route passes through valdivian forests, moody trails, mallines, lots of alerces (one is +3000 years old!), lava fields, snow and a lake. Very demanding and absolutely recommended.

Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues

• 2021 / Meylin Elisabeth Ubilla González and Jan Dudeck

This route is best hiked southbound and only after obtaining permission from Patricio Beyer by phone (+56 9 8132 4070 and +56 9 9573 5461). You will also cross the property of Eulogio (Lalo) Soto who will probably checks by phone with Patricio Beyer first before letting you pass. He will charge an entrance fee of 5000 CLP per person.

Links to other Resources

Retired Section Article GPT78 - Estuario de Reloncaví