GPT36H (Ruta De Los Pioneros)

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

Summary with remarks to route that are considered useful for other hikers and packrafters. Include alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties.

Add a sub-chapter by placing two "=" before and after the new sub-chapter heading ('==Sub-Chapter Heading==').

Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions

Season 2023/24

2024-Feb-28 to Mar-03 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Matthias

Took transport till end of road near glaciar Calluqueo (Jonathan +56940246832, 65000$) as I wanted to walk the pass before the predicted snowfall sets in. Traverse was quite tedious cause of the rainy and cold weather. Met Natalie and Luca halfway, hi :-) Did not meet anyone else during 4 1/2 days! Was accompanied by a smelling(!) dog (of Ruben?) from the camp at Lago Christie until next morning near Rubens house. He slept a bit windsheltered next to my tent - it was cold and a lot of wind! Keep in mind (I didn`t) that once you have reached Lago Alegre there are still 2000hm to go uphill before you reach the MR!

Campsites: 300m before Camp km68.4 on a +-exposed meadow with glaciar view, in front of Puesto ElBurro (rainshelter inside and a table outside), Camp km110.9, on the shore of Lago Christie km 129 just before the path leads uphill in to the forest (a bit wind protection by bushes and Wood)

Did a shortcut between ca. km103.5 and km 100.5. Sometimes good trail, sometimes obstacle course over fallen trees. Was very lucky with transport to Villa O`Higgins. Got a motorcycle ride all the way from the refugio at km148.6 at 6 pm with a short detour to the border at Rio Mayer. Stayed in Hostal Rio Mayer in Villa O`Higgins (very friendly and talkative, no internet).

28-Feb-24 to 03-Mar-24/4days/ Hiking/ NOBO/ RR/ Natalie & Luca

Took a few days off to reconnect with an old friend in Villa O'Higgins and then decided to take him for a test trial on the GPT.

With the help of Martin from Mosco we found out the day we left was the day the subsidized bus leaves from O'Higgins to Lago Christie. Left around 1130 and got to the TH ~13:00. The bus only goes 4x a month and it went twice in the last week of February, not sure how it is organized. Only 3500 each.

A little bit of rain The first day and a lot of rain/snow at the end.The trail was fun, mellow and in good shape, next to no mud. We met Ruben and all of his animals (cutest puppy atm). He offered a camping spot but I am sure the dogs would be all over you at night. We camped at the beginning of Allegra near Refugio entre lagos (NO refugio), -48.09404, -72.49798__. At this moment there is no shelter but it looks like someone is working on one, there is a boat at the lake. There is a creek with only still puddles so we drank from the lake. There are few nice camping spots along both Christie and Allegra that are not marked. Did not stop to fish :(. I heard Margarita is in O'Higgins atm.

We made a short cut to avoid the big intersection near Puesto 107. We cut off after camp 110 and ended ~800m near a river camp marked on osm. It was easy and mostly open forest, mainly just a quest to stay on the best animal track as there are a few of them. We basically followed close to where the hill is but not too close bcs that is where the bush is no good.

Camped outside Puesto 98.4, Las tablas. It had no water so fill up before of just go down to the river.

Met Matías- Hi Matías! Even though we were both trying to beat the rain I very much enjoyed the conversation/laughs!

When we got to Puesto 83.9, La Pampa, the rain just began to start and even though it was only lightly raining at the time the forecast was not good for the evening so we decided to stay and enjoy the early day and nice Refugio. The weather got increasingly worse and very strong overnight with snow in the morning. The Refugio is large and clean. It has a fire pit in the corner, an outhouse, extra blankets and tarps, a good table and lots of tools and pots if needed. No other puesto compared. There were only a few small leaks during the night, we pitched a tent inside for added warmth.

The next morning there was a lot of fresh snow and it was still snowing with strong wind at times- so the pass was interesting. We took variant D to avoid the Rio Bravo fords and got soaking wet in the bush, it wasnt very clear where the trail was, needed the gps. Although the Rio Bravo was very calm and shallow (barely to my knees, 167), the snow made it too cold for my liking. If one is curious about camping on the other side of the river I think you can make a camp,there are lots of flat spots but not so much wind protection. There were camping possibilities throughout the pass as well. As for the pass, "most" of the trail was not covered by snow bcs the water was flowing down the trail therefore navigation was still okay, a bit harder between passes. Of course the weather improved at camp 68.4...

I know Tomáš managed the La Picota river and it made me curious to try but it made no sense to go for it, the RR now that follows the west is an easy trail and the fords afterwords were almost (all but one) jumpable. Sadly what I read about "la playa" is true, there was a dead horse (pieces of it) at the start of the fords, it seemed rather recent so I guess the La Picota ford still kills. The Refugio after the fords is just a "lean too". The trail afterwards is okay, starting to get muddy but not bad. A nice camp is possible at -47.66704, -72.50032 bcs of the beautiful view but there is no water, actually not many places to stop between ford and puesto 57.6. We Camped at Puesto 57.6 and met Antonio, super lovely man and we had breakfast with him the following morning I'm return I gave him the rest of my walnuts and peanuts, hopefully that was enough. There is not much of a shelter there, teepee style, but you can camp under the trees by the river. His dogs are annoying, got into my food bag while we were talking and then never left us alone. Really nice camping just before his puesto in a big clover field.

Next day super quick walk out to the view point and then got a hitch down to Cochrane easily, lots of people on a cloudy Sunday afternoon.

24-Feb-24 to 2024-Feb-27 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, Variant B, Option 2 / Tomáš

Having parted ways with Natalie, who had other commitments, I was not able to get a taxi to end of road so I started walking and hitching at noon. Second car took me about ten km, then I was passed by ten cars in an hour and then got a hitch to the viewpoint three km from end of the road with a guide going to guide a group to the glacier (they go there by boat!). Our car's engine failed 4 km before the destination, but after 5 minutes a passing car took us there. Mount Cochrane is impressive. I ate there and in an hour another two cars passed, one probably from the puesto further on. It was a Saturday, still vacation period and a beautiful day, it seems hitching is promising under such conditions there. The road is in a very good condition and easily scalable by a 2-wheel drive.

The puesto at 53.1 had barking dogs and seems used (maybe a settler?), I did not see it though, it is in the trees. All fords were easy and shallow: definitely under knees. In the beginning there are multiple trails, RR probably has the best route. You cannot avoid fording, I tried. After about ten km, the trail stops being ambigious. Took variant B (which is mostly a trail, not CC) and slept above the "dangerous ford" (would have been better to stay 500 m lower at the end of the flats). It indeed sounded and looked dangerous after such a hot day. In the morning, I realized the trail to the ford eroded and horses probably cannot go there anymore. A pedestrian still can. The ford was much calmer, very cold but under knees and not strong. I forded it six times unfortunately with bare feet - first to try, than with my backpack and then with my forgotten phone. It hurt even if it is just 5 metres. Going up from the ford, the trail goes to the left of a small stream on top of a small ridge, do not follow the stream as I did. The CC section thereafter is mostly a trail, only invisible on river flats and for about 20 metres in the pass. Going down from the pass, the trail is above the GPX for several hundred metres, going straight and not zigzagging. Rio Bravo was tame after dry weather and at the end of summer, so I took RR. The fords were easy, well under my knees. Puesto el Burro at 92.3 would be a nice place to camp. Utterly scaring a lonely large bull, I pushed to Puesto Tablas, which has a roof that protected me from drops of rain.

Puesto at 107.4 looked nice and standing, not sure if it was locked, by any means very nice place to camp. I did not notice the bridge ?. The ford was mellow, wide but ankle deep. Option 1 at least to variant 01J is actually a used trail, the bridge on it is over a marsh, not sure why it is a waypoint. Decided to take option 2 thinking I would get an easier hitch on carretera austral and trusting others who did not like the lake part that much and hating mosquitoes. The first part to variant 01I is partly a cow trail, partly a BB through open forrest. Take 01J instead, should be a clear trail and the ford should be as easy as the one on RR. From there on, 8 km to an unmarked ford through a first creek marked on OSM (it originates from a lake on map), the trail is clear and looks used. 02A was overgrown after 100 clear meters, so do not take that (I did not see the other end of it either). From the ford, the condition of the trail worsens for 7ish km to camp at 16.4. It is partially overgrown, occasionally with thorns. There is still space for legs, but arms are needed to clear the way. This portion is also mostly over open tundra-like terrain above the river. It is a bit marshy but not much after dry days. The views are splendid! Somebody with a machete would have fun here. Took option 02B, which I think is the actual trail, but it is hard to tell as it goes through a marsh there. Overall the overgrown part is maybe 2-3 km. Puesto Chirola at 17.6 is actually an abandoned settler house, still locked but in heavy rain you could probably get in through a window, the roof is still mostly ok.I slept there, with dusk mosquitoes appeared.

It rained during the night and probably because of that, the trail got muddy. It is however being used and mostly clear and mostly easy to follow. Refuge without water is without water. It is meant for cyclists and is in good condition. It would sleep easily four people amd uneasily double that. It is always well ventilated with always open windows (rain should not get through), so probably no need to fear the mouse virus. The occasional tundra, wetness and continous rain with occasional glimpse of a glacier finally made me feel like I am in proper Patagonia. On the carretera, there are not many cars. Started walking and hitching at three PM. As the road is divided by a ferry, cars pass you at (in high season) 2-hour bursts of at most 8, as I was informed by the one passing cyclist. The first burst was just three cars and two motorcycles and they all passed me. It is actually a one lane compacted road where cars in opposite directions must avoid each other. No luck with second burst of three cars. Finally a second car from the third burst took me after 4 hours on the road. The second refugio around km 35 did not look as nice.

2024-Feb-13 to 2024-Feb-18 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Yannick & Nolwenn & Tess & Lukas

- Trail condition : good condition, a lot of fallen trees that slows you down but not really bad / the trail was not muddy as we had good sunny days - Water : lots of rivers and lagunas - Camping spot : the refugio at km 126,1 has been destroyed by a tree so we camped closer to the lake amongst the trees // at km 148,6 The refugio is really nice, we could make a fire and have a great night before heading the next day to O'Higgins on the long gravel road - Weather : sunny and a little bit of rain - River crossing : easy, the river Bravo was not too high and not too strong so we didn't take the variant D - Resupply : in Cochrane everything you need - Overall : we were lucky to have an easy hitchike for the first 20km and for the last 7km // we also liked this section that offers really different landscapes and you feel really remote

From 2024-01-06 to 2024-01-12 // 6,5 days // Hiking // NOBO // RR + OPT D // Quentin Clavel

After the small part in the forest, I followed the gravel road, which began to be nice from the Laguna la Clara. Some nice miradors along the roads, especially the last one, salto Rio Perez, which was pretty impressive !

Then you begin the track los Pioneros. Pretty easy to follow, a bit muddy, but I thought it would have been worse, the last sunny weeks made it dryer than expected.

From there, it's a sequence of up and down, with amazing views, on Lago Christie then on Lago Alegre, surrounded by mountains.

Some easy bushbashing which is more like cross country at the end of Lago Alegre to arrive along the Rio bravo.

The you go along the Rio bravo until cross it. I took the option D to avoid to cross it three times, it's bushbashing but pretty easy to follow as there's a kind of path which was created to go around the small cliffs, and have to cross rio bravo only once.

On the section, at this time, I haven't got any problem at all to pass the rivers who were pretty low and with weak current.

Then I arrived in the mountains and that was just amazing ! Even with an uncertain weather and lots of clouds !

I had an amazing bivy in front of the impressive calluqueo glacier then it was the looong Gravel road to Cochrane, but really scenic !

During all the section it was easy to find water as there's water everywhere ! Some nice camp spot too.

Mosquitoes and these spiky plants who stay scratched to your shoes and socks are the only annoying stuff.

Plenty of crowberry and Calafate on the track. Delicious and perfect snacks on the road !

Last but not least, if you've always dreamed to try hurdles in athletism, this section is for you ! You'll have to pass threw hundreds of fallen trees ! Enjoy !

• 2024-Jan-01 to 2024-Jan-08 / 7.5 days / NOBO / Villa O'Higgins - Cochrane / RR and Option 36H-D / Alex & Christophe

We really enjoyed this section, especially the part of the pass, with awesome views on glaciers and mountains. We found the 2 lakes part nice but less impressive.

For us, the most difficult with this section was to walk with heavy backpacks and to deal with the hundreds of mosquitoes on the camps near the two lakes. We had the chance to have dry trails most of the time and it helped us a lot. If it rains a lot before you start this section, you will need more time because the trail can get muddy really fast.

After the first 9km in the forest, we tried to hitchhike from Villa O'Higgins to Lago Christie but we weren't lucky and couldn't find a car on a 1st of January. We only had a lift the second day for 15km by the carabineros. There is nearly no car passing on the X905 road so plan a day or two of extra food if you plan to hitchhike here. Taking a private transport to Lago Christie could also be a solution but it's expensive (about 70'000 CLP according to Martin from El Mosco in Villa O'Higgins).

There is not much to say about the 2 lake part, we found the trail easy to follow and some nice shelter along the route. Apparently, there is a lot of trout in Lago Alegre. We didn't try to fish since it was raining but we let a peanut butter jar with a spoon (hook) and some fishing line rolled around the jar in the puesto next to Settler {36H} [118.9/486] (Margarita Bustos). She's actually not living there but the puesto is open and a nice shelter to cook (we put the tent next to it).

For the second part with the pass, we found the trail also easy to follow. The OH-CC&BB-A {36H-D} didn't took us too long and saved us at least 2 river crossing. All the other fords were sometimes wide but easy to pass.

After 7 days, we tried to hitchhike on the X901 road near the Laguna Calluqueo and were really lucky. After only 4km, a car stopped and took us to X {36H} [5.5/267]. Maybe there is more traffic on this road than on the other side, especially with good weather during the holidays.

• 2023-Dec-25 to 2023-Dec-29 / 4.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Stiina & Kris

We arranged a ride to skip the first 50km of the roadwalk. The trail was surprisingly good and well-trodden throughout, i.e. visually easy to follow. Some muddy sections here and there and steeper climbs and descents. Plenty of water throughout.

The river crossings didn't pose any difficulties and we were blessed with good weather, despite one rainy night. The views were amazing - that so low down you could be face to face with glaciers!

We did not find the trail around lakes any harder than the rest of the section. A few times the route goes on the coast, i.e. you need to walk through the water, but it was not an issue. In two cases the route splits into two, the correct trail being the easier one to miss, so need to pay attention to nav. Met Ruben the settler, very nice and friendly guy. We also met 4 other GPT hikers on this section, which was a bit of a shock.

We walked 30km of the dirt road after Lago Christie until we finally got a hitch to Villa O'Higgins. Barely any traffic on the road, especially in the afternoon.

• 2023-12-07 EXP-OH-TL-I 1day / Anh

There is a damaged and not yet reopened route from Villa O’Higgins to Glacier Mosco: EXP-OH-TL-I & EXP-OH-CC&TL-I Together they are 24 km return and with a daypack it could work. The EXP-OH-TL-I trail is very well maintained and relatively well marked. There is even a very nice Refugio Puesto Rivera + campsite for tents along the way. BUT from km 7 the trail is damaged by landslides and the section after that is overgrown. I tried the last km via BB through the forest. After that everything should be clear and only CC to the Mosco glacier. Unfortunately, I make very slow progress with BB, it simply takes too much time and with a temperature of 15°C the river crossing afterwards would be dangerous. Unfortunately I have to abort (safety first) & return.

• 2023-12-10 / 4 days / RR + OH-TL-V / SOBO / Anh

A very experienced hiker/local in Villa O'Higgins advised me against NoBo due to high water levels in the next few days regarding river crossings.

Day 1: With a private transfer to Laguna Calluqueo I had to hike a few more kilometers to the end of Ruta X-901 because it is private land closed by a gate. The first two river crossings were a bit above knee and sometimes strong current. The trail after that in the forest is actually made for horses, there are a lot of obstacles like fallen trees, overgrown bush, swampy paths. It is particularly misleading when the RR and horse path separate because it is suddenly very strange without horse tracks. It has rained and with the snow melting, the paths and streams are almost indistinguishable. I make very slow progress through the obstacles. The river crossing (Ford km 66.5) was long but in the evening without any problems (knee-deep). The path afterwards RR-CC-A to the camp was steep uphill, but more pleasant than in the forest. As you can see, this trail is only for hikers and it was very rarely used.

Day 2: It was CC up, across the border from Argentina & back into Chile. At this time there are still many snowfields to cross and therefore Ford (km 71.8) was under the snowfield, which made it very precarious for me. The river crossing Ford (km 77.4) was up to my hips with a strong current, but is not dangerous. Overall, I was much faster because there were hardly any obstacles (only Fords and completely swampy meadow).

Day 3: The way back from yesterday + 250m river crossing should be easy and pleasant like yesterday! But there was a strong headwind & snow = snow confusion. Then there was the fog and the infamous white-out. My footprints from yesterday were already filled with fresh snow, but still recognizable. I didn't have a long break, so I reached the day's destination very quickly. Bored, I just carried on hiking and didn't find the way back in the forest from day 1 so bad. I got through all the obstacles surprisingly quickly with the following strategy: - I had put on remedies on the way out, it had helped a lot. And I run like a horse, don't think twice, just jump over obstacles. The path is made for horses. - The way back is from the top, the path is much easier to recognize. - New strategy: just follow the horse tracks, even if I leave the RR. In the end, I had completed the entire way back from two days earlier in one day. It was about 27km, only possible because it was mostly downhill (450m uphill, 700m downhill). The price for this strategy was scratches and mini cuts from knees to shoes, very unpleasant at every river crossing.

Day 4: OH-TL-V to the glacier at Laguna Calluqueo. You have to cross the river right at the beginning, it was a bit over your knees but easy. After that it's a slow climb of almost 700m. There were only a few tricky places: mini path on the precipice or slippery downhill. Overall, the path was very easy to recognize and very pleasant to run. Water is only available again at km 3.5, so you should take your time and enjoy the trail at a leisurely pace. During the night, a tent pole broke and the tent was damaged. There are no outdoor stores in Cochrane and you can't buy a new tent. In addition, a section on RR-GPT35 from Tamango entrance through Patagonia Park was not yet open.

Season 2022/23

• 2022 Dec Frank 6 days mainly SOBO

As weather was initially poor I split the section as follows: 1. Got bus from Cochrane towards Lago Brown, got out @ road junction near Rio Tranquilo bridge, walked NOBO back to Cochrane. 2. While I was waiting for the ferry in Villa O'Higgins I walked out about 25KM NOBO to Padre Antonio Ronchi chapel & hitched back to O'Higgins. 3. I again got the bus towards Lago Brown, got out @ the same junction & walked the central section of the route SOBO in 4 long days.

1. NOBO, nearly all on road. You pass by the 'mortal falls' on Rio Tranquilo (by the bridge) About 1KM further on the road was blocked by aggressive dogs who came up from a settlement about 800M off the road. I had to shout to the settler to call them off. Around 7KM out from Cochrane the road bends left at a metal crash barrier. I left the RR here & went over the low crash barrier & continued straight ahead on forest tracks, quicker & nicer than the road. About 1KM from Cochrane you return to the road by climbing over a small wooden gate.

3. I walked on the road past Calluqueo glacier then on a trail. After the first puesto the track fades out among fallen trees. Camped by a ruined shelter. I crossed the river on RR the next day. La Picota crossing is for horses & best avoided on foot. The RR crossing was easy. After the crossing continue straight ahead & go up the far hillside, pick up a small trail going left above a bluff about 70 metres up. Continued over the 2 border passes. There are some cliffs you need to go round when descending the first pass . There will be snowfields early in the season also. I crossed Rio Bravo high up between two waterfalls, descended to cross it again by the lake, then stayed on LHS of Rio Bravo. No trail initially on LHS of river & a lot of bush bashing over bluffs but judging by later comments the route may now be improved. I continued down to Lago Alegre. There is a settler just as you reach Lago Alegre. She was friendly & allowed me to sleep in her barn. She radioed Ruben, the settler who lives on Lago Christie, to let him know I was coming. It's slow going round the lakes with lots of up & down over bluffs. The hut between the two lakes had been used by sheep & was not in v. good condition. I met Ruben about half way round Lago Christie. He was friendly but I continued on to camp by a ruined hut after descending from bluffs to the lake. I walked out the road to Padre Antonio Ronchi chapel & hitched from there to Villa O'Higgins. There is a good hut on the road at the junction with the X905 road. Another hut further on but it's dusty. All other huts marked on the route are in poor condition or ruined, they are mostly good for cooking & camping outside. The weather for the central section was good so I didn't have any problems. It's possible to hitch part of the road sections - traffic is sparse but they will usually stop. In both cases when you reach the road there is nothing, you need to walk out about 15KM & then start hitching.

Season 2019/20

• 11/12/2019 - les 2 As - regular hiking route

Hi! We finished this day the section 36 from north to south. It took us 6 days without the last 37 kms on the road (we hitchhiked on this part). It was rough, we have had 2 days of bad weather (only rain at our altitude but it changes everything). You are isolated in the middle of nowhere and we met no one during 5 days. Officially no bush bashing but sometimes the path is barely invisible and unmaintained so hard to walk. From the 3rd day to the end, we have had many rivercrossings. Some were easy, some not and some also quite dangerous. With all the snow melting, the level of the river is very high and the current is strong (I do not recommand to try these fords without walking poles, these saved us). Same situation with the lakes we walked near. Their level is high and often the path was submerged and we had to walk litteraly in the lake (sometimes up to the waist). Luckily we met 2 cabañas (2 last nights) to dry our clothes and sleep under a roof. This made the section even more wonderful than it already was. A great experience!

• 2019 Dec / Olrik / Northbound

From O'Higgins there are 50km on a dirt road to the beginning of the sendero. There are some open refugios on the way to sleep. you can also arrange a paid transportation from O'Higgins. Hitchhiking is possible but there is not much traffic. The sendero was in pretty bad shape due to the weather conditions. Muddy and flooded all the way near the lakes. We ended up turning back as we did not plan to walk that slow and did not have enough food, and we felt it was safer. We met Matthieu (see below) and they completed it so his report seems better. Puesteros are really nice though.

• 2019 Dec / Matthieu / Northbound Regular HR : 9 days

A very difficil trekk for us. Lots of river crossings, sometimes unsafe, and we had very bad weather conditions that make us last 9 days on the trekk, with hitchiking 40 km after Villa and 30 km before Cochrane. It could habe been more rapid though, but we walked "tranquilito". So I would recommend to take 10 days of food,and the chileans agreed with this.

I wont talk about the routes parts, because just long and we hitchhiked most.

So 1st Part : The 2 lakes : A very technical trekk, very aquatic. Sometimes we had to walk in the lake (not dangerous though), and the trail by the lakes is very hilly and muddy, and the progression can be very slow. It was for us, with mostly only rain. 1 dangerous rivercrossing : Before El Caleuche, Strong river but a big fat trunk above perfect for crossing.We didnt search for another way of crossing, so maybe there are some safe places by the water.

On this part, a few puestos good for shelters : between the two lakes, a good caban with possibility of making fire and a roof of metal and walls, very nice, two beds of wood, we slept in it well protected. El Caleuche : at the middle of the Lago alegre, near a abandoned house. POssibility of fire, but not really a good roof. We slept aside in the tents. The place is really nice though

2 houses of settlers on the way : - Ruben at the beginning of the Lago Christie, always happy to have visitors and share a mate. - At the end of the Lago Allegre a little bit south west from the trail (a rivercrossing a bit strong to go to the caban, or a "bridge" called Bridge ?-4 on the GPS waypoints, with 2 trunks, that we took in the morning to go back to the trail. A bit dangerous though, better to let Carmen show you how to cross): Ringo y Carmen, amazing persons too who let us plant the tent and permitted us to warm with a good mate, a meal and a wonderful smile, during the Christmas night.

2nd part : Rio Bravo and the pass We thought that the worst was behind but we had more strong weather conditions in this part. A few advises for the rivercrossings of the Rio Bravo : I would advise NOT to follow the GPS tracks that follow the normal trail on GPS devices (that is made normally for horses). All the locals (local guides in villa o higgins, Ruben, Carmen and Ringo) were agreed and told us all to follow the east side of the Rio UNTIL the Laguna. The crossing here is very safe, the rio not strong nor profund at all, and you have to cross it ONLY ONCE, instead of 4 or 5 (dont remember). To stay on the east side, there is a little cross country by the forest, a little bit technical and slow but not dangerous, and you can camp at the laguna on the east side. We saw some cairns in the forest too, on the last hill before the laguna, so the locals indeed use this way. We (very badly) abandonned this plan and passed by the normal way just near the camping site west from the river before the Laguna (really bad weather, really bad decisions !) and the rivercrossings (3 I think) were, for me, very dangerous with strong current in profund water, but there was a lot of rain and wind, so I wont judge during good conditions. We were frozen when we arrived at the camping site. I was very angry at me though to not have listened to the locals and taken all those risks.

For the pass, not very difficult, but we had (again) very strong weather conditions with even snow, and finished at the camp at the north side completely frozen. Know that it can be very exposed !

Last Part : Rio La Picota After the camping : Two choices - Following the normal road, made for horses. The rivercrossing is completely impossible, unless you want to join the fishes. Even for horses I don't understand how they do it. The Waypoint "Dangerous" totally make sense. - The GPS tracks : perfect to follow, and finished by a beautiful trail of cairns by the cliff (the optionnal trail OH on GPS track), very safe. The river crossing this way is very safe, the river is extremely large, separated and never go far from the ankle.

The rest we didn't have any technical difficulties. A trekk not to take lightly, and with much respect. Take advises to the locals before. Every one is happy to talk about it in Villa. They have the bad habbit to say that it's an easy way though !

• 2019-Nov-12 / Lea Geibel, Kevin Moe / 6 days / northbound / regular hiking route

This was a tough section for us! It rained and it rained and it rained and the trail turned to mud and was pretty overgrown in parts. We took the optional Hiking route after reaching Rio Bravo heading South to the Carretera Austral because we didn't feel comfortable forging on, knowing there was a high pass that was probably getting tons of snow instead of our rain, and a "dangerous river ford" that we were afraid would be tok dangerous with flooding too. The snow-line appeared to drop as low as 700 meters one night! We made surprisingly slow progress because of the conditions (entire trail flooded knee deep and extremely muddy after 6 days of rain) - were glad to have extra food with us. On the bail out route, about 10km from reaching the safety of the Carratera there was a pretty big river to cross. It was swollen after all the rain and scary and nearly floated us away. From the Carratera we hiked about 20 minutes before catching a lift back to Villa O'Higgins

Season 2017/18

• Route description by Kara Davis after Season 2017/18:

Walk through town and join Highway 7, a moderately trafficked dirt road. The Regular Hiking Route follows X-901, a beautiful but fenced dirt road that culminates in the view of a stunning glacier, for about 28 km until it ends at a blockade just after the Mirador Calluqueo. Along X-901 there are few residences but extensive fence line on both sides. At the end of the road, the route transitions into a braided single track trail that may be confusing to follow.

Comment by Jan Dudeck: I recently changed the regular packrafting route of GPT36H. This change avoids 35 km of gravel and adds around 70 km of paddling on the two lakes and one river. It’s a big detour but adds impressive beauty. Note that paddling Lago Cochrane is very challenging as wind can be firce. Follow the regular packrafting route only if you are willing and prepared to possibly wait several days on the shore of Lago Cochrane if wind makes paddling this lake unsafe.

The trail, called La Ruta de Los Pioneros since it is frequently used by the local people, occasionally passes run down refugios as it winds through the forest. At the beginning of the climb to the highest pass, the trail joins a glacial river. Eventually the trail leaves the river to the west and follows a higher route above the valley that is occasionally marked by stone cairns. The top of the pass is at approximate elevation 1.300 m. From this point, there are several kilometers of very exposed hiking among rolling hills.

The track descends down to treeline at a small, unnamed lake which is the source of the Río Bravo. Join the river and cross it as necessary. There are some stone cairns that mark the way, but they can be hard to spot. When the route is unclear, just follow the river bed. Where the trail deviates from the river bed to the east, it becomes easier to follow. The trail soon climbs about 80 m and remains above Río Bravo. Here there is the occasional small area to camp. To reach Lago Alegre, the trail leaves Río Bravo and travels through an open forest.

Packrafters put in for Lago Alegre at a red sand beach. In general, both banks are very steep and heavily vegetated, but there are some flat areas near the shore where it may be possible to camp. Take-out is located at a rocky beach on the southeast end. 100 m from the Lago Alegre shoreline is an intact refugio; if you look closely inside, you may spot the etchings of GPT trail blazers, Jan and Meylin.

From the refugio, there is a well-formed track to Lago Christie. The Regular Hiking route around the east side of Lago Christie is generally easy to follow, but be aware of the occasional spurs that leads away from the main route. The track climbs and descends frequently as it makes its way around the lake and offers a beautiful view of several glaciers. Watch for the occasional stone cairn or red spray-painted arrow to indicate the way. Camping is possible in the forest.

The route exits onto X-911, a well formed and lightly trafficked gravel road. X-911 ends at X-905, and hikers continue to follow this road for around 20 km towards VIlla O’Higgins. X-905 is fence lined most of the way with the occasional residence.

Río Mayer is a big, no-nonsense river that is swift at higher flows. It does however mellow out where the GPS route indicates packrafters should put in (a small beach on the other side of the fence).

The Regular Hiking Route follows the Carretera Austral into Villa O’Higgins.

Resupply and Accommodation

Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns

• Villa O’Higgins

The biggest thing to realize about Villa O’Higgins is that nearly all of the lodging and restaurant options only take cash and there is no ATM in town. The closest place to withdraw money is Cochrane which is a 9-hour drive. Fortunately, there are two grocery stores in town thatl take credit cards. Lodging options vary from camping to a bed in a hostel.

• Supermarket on the square in Cochrane. Several shops in Villa O'Higgins.

• Banco Estado on the square in Cochrane. The ATM was open on Christmas day.

• Cochrane: Campsite run by Patricia half a block from the Plaza. She does a good breakfast & also has Cabanas & a 4 bed dorm.

Resupply and Accommodation along the Route

• There are no resupply options & you should bring everything from Cochrane or O'Higgins. There are only two settlers living permanently on the central off road RR: A woman at Lago Alegre & Ruben on Lago Christie. All other off road puestos are only used occasionally.

Transport to and from Route

• There is a minibus from Cochrane to Villa O'Higgins on Monday, Wednesday & Saturday at 8AM & one from O'Higgins to Cochrane on Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday @ 8AM. Operated by Buses Katalina, they have an office at the bus terminal in Cochrane. There is a minibus from Cochrane to Lago Brown on Monday & Thursday at 11AM. It comes back from Lago Brown on the same days & passes the junction with RR at about 2PM.

Links to other Resources

Retired Section Article GPT36H - Ruta De Los Pioneros

Images

Puerto Yungay - Rio Bravo Ferry Timetable February 2024