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ediciones
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→Season 2022/23
For tide forecast see Links to other Resources below.
* 6 to 9 March 2023 / Véronica / GPT50 RR out and back / 3.5 days
An absolutely beautiful section and fitting end to my GPT journey. I was fortunate to hike it with mostly good weather, although it was cold and sometimes difficult to warm up after fording the rivers, which can only be crossed during low tide. I had the tide charts for Punta Arenas downloaded, and carried some extra food in case I got stuck at the river crossings and had to wait out low tide. I went during the full moon and so got two low tides during daylight hours — in the mornings around 9 a.m., and then in the evenings around 8 p.m. I always timed my crossing of the rivers with the lowest tide.
I found it easy to hitchhike from Punta Arenas to the end of the road at Punta Árbol. The route is relatively straightforward to follow along the beach, or coastal forest, or peat bogs until you reach the third river.
There is a refuge right before the first river with loads of delicious raspberry bushes. It also would be a good place to sleep or wait out bad weather. It has a couple of platforms to use as beds, a wooden table, and a small woodstove.
The first river (Río Yumbel, km 31.3) is easy to cross at both high and low tides. You can cross either at the mouth of the river where it meets the Strait, or further upstream behind a log dam, where water levels only reach your shins.
The second river (Río San Nicolás, km 38.7) is the deepest of the rivers. At low tide the water went to my upper thighs, and the second time I crossed (on the return) it went up to my waist (I'm 165 cm). There are sticks planted in the sandbars that serve as good markers for the shallowest place to cross.
The third river (Río Nodales, km 46.6) went up just past my knees. Some people leave their tents and most of their gear at Río Nodales and head to the Cape with a day pack, but I preferred to bring all my things due to tide timings and to have the freedom to camp where I wanted. (There have also been reports of foxes destroying unoccupied tents in search for food, even if no food was left inside.)
After Río Nodales, the terrain gets more adventurous. Lots of climbing over (or under) fallen trees on the beach, or on slippery rocks and minor cliffs. But perfectly doable. There is only one time where you have to go into the woods and use some fixed ropes to climb over some steep terrain, otherwise I reccomend sticking to the beach. Even if it can be slow going, it is better than bushwhacking through the thick rainforest. There is a great campsite at the base of the climb to the Cruz de los Mares. The trail up to the cross is well-marked and has some metal steps going up the steepest parts.
All in all, it was a wonderful hike, I saw lots of marine life and birds, and it was a fun challenge to walk according to the rhythm of the tides.
The first day I started around 12:30 p.m. and camped on the south side of the second river, right after crossing it at low tide around 7:30 p.m.
The second day was long — I got up early to get to the third river for low tide at 8:45 a.m. I crossed it and hiked to the Cape and the cross. Then I walked back and camped on the north side of the third river after crossing it at low tide (around 8 p.m.)
The third day I got up early again to cross the second river at low tide (9 a.m.). I could have walked all the way back to the trailhead that day, but the weather was so beautiful that I wanted to spend one last night on the trail, so I camped at Bahía El Águila, just a few km south of the lighthouse.
==Season 2021/22==