[[File:GPT28P-Ferry.jpg|thumb|right|1050px|GPT28P: Patagonian fjords seen from the ferry on the way from Raul Marin Balmaceda to Puerto Chacabuco. Image: Jan Dudeck]]
<br style="clear:both" />
[[File:GPT09-Familia_Carrileo1.jpg|thumb|right|500px|GPT09: The summer outpost ("puesto") of the Pehuenche family Carrileo near Guallalí. Image: Jan Dudeck]]
[[File:GPT09-Familia_Carrileo2.jpg|thumb|right|500px|GPT09: Being guest of the family Carrileo. Image: Jan Dudeck]]
===Trail Length and Trail Composition===
The ===Trail Length and Trail Type Composition===As stated earlier the Greater Patagonian Trail is not a normal "classic" single line long distance trail but a wide discovery trail network with countless options and alternatives. Therefore the actual length that someone may walk and paddle depends highly on the selected sections, the chosen route and the method of travel (hiking only, packrafting wherever possible or a balanced combination of both). Also a further extension of the trail towards the southern tip of the continent is in preparation. For this reason there is no precise number for the trail length and only examples can be provided.
The below overview shows two example based on the current regular hiking route and the current regular packraft route. The packraft example does not include all possible packrafting but considers a packraft use only on the selected sections where this equipment is clearly more benefit than burden and is therefore highly recommended to be carried and used (Sections GPT17P to GPT39). This example also excludes the not yet verified and very challenging exploration sections.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align: left;" " rowspan="2" | Trail Type
! style="text-align: left;" " rowspan="2" | Code
! style="text-align: left;" " colspan="2" | Hiking
! style="text-align: left;" " colspan="2" | Packrafting
! style="text-align: left;" " rowspan="2"| Comment
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align: left;" | Distance
! style="text-align: left;" | Percent
! style="text-align: left;" | Distance
! style="text-align: left;" | Percent
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Trails
| TL
| 1415 km
| 46.6%
| 1088 km
| 37.0%
| Mostly visible trail on any terrain i.e. in open landscape or in forest. Trails are primarily used by animals (horse, cattle).
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Minor Roads
| MR
| 912 km
| 30.1%
| 735 km
| 25.0%
| Any route that could be used or can be used by a vehicle regardless if this road or car track is open for public use or not. Includes also abandoned roads that are not any more passable by vehicles. Minor roads are without transit traffic therefore hitch-hiking is rarely feasible.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Cross Country
| CC
| 256 km
| 8.4%
| 268 km
| 9.1%
| Route that passes through open landscape without a visible continuous trail but also without dense vegetation.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Primary Roads
| PR
| 443 km
| 14.6%
| 168 km
| 5.7%
| Public gravel or paved road with moderate transit traffic. Hitch-hiking is generally feasible.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Bush Bashing
| BB
| 10 km
| 0.3%
| 12 km
| 0.4%
| Route that passes through overgrown terrain. Demanding and very slow advance.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| River
| RI
| rowspan="3" colspan="2" | -
| 338 km
| 11.5%
| River downstream float with a packraft. One-way only!
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Lake
| LK
| 290 km
| 9.9%
| Lake crossing with a packraft.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Fjord
| FJ
| 39 km
| 1.3%
| Fjord paddling with a packraft.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Ferry
| FY
| (145 km)
| (0.0%)
| (427 km)
| (0.0%)
| Lake, river or fjord crossing with a ferry or a boat. Distance covered with a motorized boat is NOT included in the trail length.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| style="text-align: left;" " colspan="7" | '''Land to water ratio on the selected sections where carrying and using a packraft is highly recommended'''<br>(Regular Packrafting Route of Sections GPT17P to GPT39 excluding the exploration sections GPT29P and GPT30P)
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| colspan="2" | Hiking on Land
| rowspan="2" colspan="2" | -
| 955 km
| 58.9%
| Combined hiking distance on land on the selected sections where carrying a packraft is highly recommended. This is the actual distance where the packrafting gear is "death weight" in your backpack.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| colspan="2" | Packrafting on Water
| 667 km
| 41.1%
| Combined packrafting distance on water (Rivers, Lakes, Fjords) on the selected sections where using a packraft is highly recommended. This is the distance where the actual weight of your backpack is zero because your packraft carries you and your backpack.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align: left;" colspan="2" | Length of Complete Trail
! style="text-align: left;" colspan="2" | 3036 km
! style="text-align: left;" colspan="2" | 2938 km
| " rowspan="2" | Complete regular route without optional side trips and ascents to summits. Some short cuts and many optional side trip i.e. up to 8 ascents to summits may substantially alter the actual distance and ascent and descent. Distance traveled by ferry not included.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| style="text-align: left;" colspan="2" | Elevation Gain and Loss on Complete Trail
| style="text-align: left;" colspan="2" | Approx. 116'000 m
| style="text-align: left;" colspan="2" | Approx. 91'000 m
|}
[[File:GPT Trail Type H.png|thumb|1050px|left|Greater Patagonian Trail: Trail Type Composition (Hiking Only)]]
[[File:GPT Trail Type H+P.png|thumb|1050px|left|Greater Patagonian Trail: Trail Type Composition (Hiking and Packrafting where most beneficial)]]
<br style="clear:both" />
[[File:GPT09-Familia_Carrileo1.jpg|thumb|right|500px|GPT09: The summer outpost ("puesto") of the Pehuenche family Carrileo near Guallalí. Image: Jan Dudeck]]
[[File:GPT09-Familia_Carrileo2.jpg|thumb|right|500px|GPT09: Being guest of the family Carrileo. Image: Jan Dudeck]]
===Advice for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thru-hiking Thru-Hikers]===
to be issued.
===Trail Length and Trail Type Composition===
As stated earlier the Greater Patagonian Trail is not a "classic" single line long distance trail but a wide discovery trail network with countless options and alternatives. Therefore the actual length that someone may walk and paddle depends highly on the selected sections, the chosen route and the method of travel (hiking only, packrafting wherever possible or a balanced combination of both). Also a further extension of the trail towards the southern tip of the continent is in preparation. For this reason there is no precise number for the trail length and only examples can be provided.
The below overview shows two example based on the current regular hiking route and the current regular packraft route. The packraft example does not include all possible packrafting but considers a packraft use only on the selected sections where this equipment is clearly more benefit than burden and is therefore highly recommended to be carried and used (Sections GPT17P to GPT39). This example also excludes the not yet verified and very challenging exploration sections.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align: left;" " rowspan="2" | Trail Type
! style="text-align: left;" " rowspan="2" | Code
! style="text-align: left;" " colspan="2" | Hiking
! style="text-align: left;" " colspan="2" | Packrafting
! style="text-align: left;" " rowspan="2"| Comment
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align: left;" | Distance
! style="text-align: left;" | Percent
! style="text-align: left;" | Distance
! style="text-align: left;" | Percent
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Trails
| TL
| 1415 km
| 46.6%
| 1088 km
| 37.0%
| Mostly visible trail on any terrain i.e. in open landscape or in forest. Trails are primarily used by animals (horse, cattle).
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Minor Roads
| MR
| 912 km
| 30.1%
| 735 km
| 25.0%
| Any route that could be used or can be used by a vehicle regardless if this road or car track is open for public use or not. Includes also abandoned roads that are not any more passable by vehicles. Minor roads are without transit traffic therefore hitch-hiking is rarely feasible.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Cross Country
| CC
| 256 km
| 8.4%
| 268 km
| 9.1%
| Route that passes through open landscape without a visible continuous trail but also without dense vegetation.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Primary Roads
| PR
| 443 km
| 14.6%
| 168 km
| 5.7%
| Public gravel or paved road with moderate transit traffic. Hitch-hiking is generally feasible.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Bush Bashing
| BB
| 10 km
| 0.3%
| 12 km
| 0.4%
| Route that passes through overgrown terrain. Demanding and very slow advance.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| River
| RI
| rowspan="3" colspan="2" | -
| 338 km
| 11.5%
| River downstream float with a packraft. One-way only!
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Lake
| LK
| 290 km
| 9.9%
| Lake crossing with a packraft.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Fjord
| FJ
| 39 km
| 1.3%
| Fjord paddling with a packraft.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| Ferry
| FY
| (145 km)
| (0.0%)
| (427 km)
| (0.0%)
| Lake, river or fjord crossing with a ferry or a boat. Distance covered with a motorized boat is NOT included in the trail length.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| style="text-align: left;" " colspan="7" | '''Land to water ratio on the selected sections where carrying and using a packraft is highly recommended'''<br>(Regular Packrafting Route of Sections GPT17P to GPT39 excluding the exploration sections GPT29P and GPT30P)
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| colspan="2" | Hiking on Land
| rowspan="2" colspan="2" | -
| 955 km
| 58.9%
| Combined hiking distance on land on the selected sections where carrying a packraft is highly recommended. This is the actual distance where the packrafting gear is "death weight" in your backpack.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| colspan="2" | Packrafting on Water
| 667 km
| 41.1%
| Combined packrafting distance on water (Rivers, Lakes, Fjords) on the selected sections where using a packraft is highly recommended. This is the distance where the actual weight of your backpack is zero because your packraft carries you and your backpack.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align: left;" colspan="2" | Length of Complete Trail
! style="text-align: left;" colspan="2" | 3036 km
! style="text-align: left;" colspan="2" | 2938 km
| " rowspan="2" | Complete regular route without optional side trips and ascents to summits. Some short cuts and many optional side trip i.e. up to 8 ascents to summits may substantially alter the actual distance and ascent and descent. Distance traveled by ferry not included.
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
| style="text-align: left;" colspan="2" | Elevation Gain and Loss on Complete Trail
| style="text-align: left;" colspan="2" | Approx. 116'000 m
| style="text-align: left;" colspan="2" | Approx. 91'000 m
|}
[[File:GPT Trail Type H.png|thumb|1050px|left|Greater Patagonian Trail: Trail Type Composition (Hiking Only)]]
[[File:GPT Trail Type H+P.png|thumb|1050px|left|Greater Patagonian Trail: Trail Type Composition (Hiking and Packrafting where most beneficial)]]
<br style="clear:both" />
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