Here, at the lake. There is mobile coverage and so we contacted numeros given on the PDF on WhatsApp to find a boat to bring us back to civilisation. I let you the contact of Jairo, that can bring you back to Puerto Tranquilo... for 400.000 CLP.. Jairo : +56 9 6633 9507
*Most buses to Villa Cerro Castillo leave Coyhaique in the morning around 09:00 and pass Villa Cerro Castillo approximately 1:30 hours later. In the opposite direction buses pass Cerro Castillo in the early afternoon.
Villa Cerro Castillo is served *Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez has regular public transportation to Coyhaique (1:45 hour by several bus companies that travel daily the Carretera Austral between Coyhaique ) and Cochrane and stop on the way in Cerro CastilloChile Chico (2:15 hour by ferry). Most buses to Villa Cerro Castillo leave Coyhaique The ferry over Lago General Carrera that connects Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez with Chile Chico does two round trips each day, one in the morning around 09:00 and pass Villa Cerro Castillo approximately 1:30 hours later. In one the opposite direction buses pass Cerro Castillo in the early afternoonevening. Hitchhiking on the Carretera Austral is possible but a patience test as the number of hitchhikers often exceeds the number of “available seats”. For details see Resupply in Villa Cerro CastilloBuses to and from Coyhaique operate synchronized to these ferries.
*Subsidized bus from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez has regular public transportation to Coyhaique (1Levicán:45 hour by bus) Monday and Chile Chico (2:15 hour by ferry)Friday, Approx. The ferry over Lago General Carrera that connects 1’000 CLP Morning round trip: Leaving Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez with Chile Chico does two round trips each dayIbañez at 08:00, one arriving in the morning Levican around 09:00 and one the evening. Buses returning to and from Coyhaique operate synchronized to these ferriesIbañez at 10:00. For details see Resupply in Evening round trip: Leaving Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez on page XY for more information (Section GPT34H)at 18:00, arriving in Levican around 19:00 and returning to Ibañez at 20:00.
If you wish *Private transport from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez to minimize the initial and final road walking consider starting (or finishing) on the Carretera Austral near Laguna Verde and finishing (or starting) near Levicán: Anytime, Approx.35´000 CLP
Laguna Verde [Div @33H-03B]: You can shorten the initial road walking out of Villa Cerro Castillo by 18 km if starting from the Carretera Austral at the diversion to Laguna Verde and Lago Lapparent. To get to this junction take either one of the buses that travel the Carretera Austral, try to hitchhike or ask for a translado (private transfer).
Levicán [Div Levican @33H-131.4]: Monday and Friday a subsidised bus does two round trips from Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez to the settlement Levicán; one round trip in the morning and a second round trip in the evening. Taking this bus eliminates 26 km of road walking. Alternatively, you may ask for a translado in Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez [Private Transport @33H-157.0].
Subsidized bus from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez to Levicán: Monday and Friday, Approx. 1’000 CLP Morning round trip: Leaving Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez at 08:00, arriving in Levican around 09:00 and returning to Ibañez at 10:00. Evening round trip: Leaving Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez at 18:00, arriving in Levican around 19:00 and returning to Ibañez at 20:00.
Private transport from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez to Levicán: Anytime, Approx. 35´000 CLP
Another option to shorten this section is starting or finishing in Puerto Avellano. To do this either arrange a transfer by motor boat from Fachinal (see Combining GPT35 with GPT33H) or if you are lucky you may take the subsidized ferry from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez. This ferry runs once per month from Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez to Puerto Sanchez and returns two days later. The ferry stops at various settlements on the shore of Lago General Carrera, i.e. at Puerto Avellano and Puerto Cristales. Dates and times might be obtained at the from Naviera Austral offices in Coyhaique and Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez.
*The 157 km long Regular Route can be walked in approximately 8 hiking days.
Taking a motorized transport or hitchhiking is generally feasible to shorten the road walking on both ends of the Regular Route. This can shorten the travel duration by up to two days. Starting or finishing at the Carretera Austral near Laguna Verde eliminates 18 km and starting or finishing near Levicán reduces the walking distance by 26 km.
Northbound and southbound hiking is feasible and recommended.
If the travel direction can be chosen freely than a northbound hike seems slightly preferable. Halfway on this section, right at the Torres de Avellano the route leads 2 km through a boulder field. It seems favorable to cross this area uphill in northbound direction. A northbound hike also facilitates arranging a motorized transport from Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez to Levican what eliminates 26 km road walking.
*The Regular Route of GPT33H was developed for hiking and a packraft is neither needed nor recommended even if a packraft may be deployed in northbound and southbound direction.
Most packrafters that travel southbound will probably opt for section GPT33P to float on the lower Rio Ibañez from Villa Cerro Castillo to Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez. This packrafting route has a water proportion of 80%. In comparison, on GPT33H the water proportion is in best case 20%. But this water proportion can only be archived on an exceptionally calm day when wind permits packrafting all the way from Puerto Avellano to Levicán along the shore of Lago General Carrera. On most summer days strong wind and resulting high waves will impede packrafting.
But for packrafters that travel northbound GPT33H provides an interesting option. These packrafters might attempt to cross Lago General Carrera from Fachinal to Puerto Avellano either with a motorboat or by packraft, then hike the very attractive centerpiece of GPT33H past the Torres de Avellano and conclude this section by packrafting the final 21 km (Rio Sin Nombre, Laguna Verde and the upper Rio Ibañez) to finish in Villa Cerro Castillo. For more information to this option see the section description of GPT34P and the comment to the section combination GPT33H with GPT32.
*GPT33H connects with the adjacent sections GT32 and GT34H at suitable resupply locations (Villa Cerro Castillo and Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez). This makes a section combination without resupplying irrelevant.
*Combining GPT35 with GPT33H
