Cambios

Add a new log entry always on top in the appropriate season sub-chapter and use format:

Summary with remarks to route that are considered useful for other hikers and packrafters. Include 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=

There's a charged camping on the road 203 CH, where you can charge your batteries and phones for free, by just asking the owner.

We were hosted by 2 friendly locals at Puerto Fuy who gave us a ride, cooked dinner and let us stay for a night. Where we launched the packraft, it‘s a quiet spot and we had no issues with authorities about entering the lake. Lago Pirihueico was scenic with strong backwind which allowed us to use our sail on a run and cross in half a day. Lunch break at the beautiful remote beach of Los Baños was splendid. We camped at Camp {18} [22.2/615] but would not recommend on hindsight as we wasted quite some time setting up the boat to get to the trail entry point and repacking. If we had known the trail head was a good campsite, we could have started hiking in the morning.

* '''Recommendation Jan Dudeck in November 2023: Based on the STRAVA Heat Global Heatmap (https://www.strava.com/heatmap#11.72/-71.93115/-40.05048/hot/all) the route GPT18 Option 1 is more used. It remains unclear if this route gets hikers in the right-of-way dispute. Anyway, it seams worthwhile attempting this route especially when walking southbound. This should avoid demanding bush bashing and also prevents some more difficult river crossings.'''

After section 17P I continued on that section. Had no issues with the armada de Chile. I guess you can prevent problems by inflating the packraft at the park/camping spot as indicated in the packrafting track files (some trees provide shelter, too). The crossing of the lake was amazing. I scouted a potential emergency camp site at (S 30° 53.353' W071° 50.302') with a little creek and an abandoned track that winds out into the mountains but not investigated the track further. The Camp {18} [7.9+0.4/625] is fantastic. Nice views and beach. Next day I continued to Camp {18} [22.2/615]. Some fisherman are around in the afternoon at this part of the lake. Had a nice chat with three of them - the lake is famous for its trouts. Saw also some close to the shore in shallow water. Next day I went ashore at RP-TL-V {18} [22.9+0.1] and continued regular route. The track is in good condition (only a few small trunks) despite the second Bridge {18} [37.1/1012] is collapsed. But the river can be forded easily instead. Snow starts at 1200 m a soon became a problem. As the ascent to Pass {18} [43.0/1485] lies on the southern site, snow is retained on the broad but winding track forming snow shields of 1-3 m thickness. Saying that, the ascent is possible but exhaustive. I only went to the pass and returned as up there the amount of snow gets massive an the track is covered completely under steep snowy flanks. I guess it to be better on the descent on the northern side but I did not investigated. I camped on the track for one night and continued the next day to the shore where I landed the day before. Met a group of 15 mountainbiking Chilenos who said they have to make it to Puerto Fuy over that track, but I do not know if and how they achived. You can encounter Chilean Ocelot Tarantula and Darwin's frog directly on the track close to the lake. Next day I tooked the RH-MR-V {18} [26.0+6.5] to Puerto Pirehueico and toked the ferry back to Puerto Fuy.

We didn't really look for resupply, accommodation or transportation opportunities in Curriñe or Puerto Maihue but at the moment in high season it's very easy to hitchhike to Futrono, where you find everything, plus regular busses to Valdivia.

Packrafted Lago Pirihueico only - as add-on to Section 17P. Didn’t hike any part of Section 18. At Puerto Fuy, an official of the Armada/Navy said solo kayaking on the lake was prohibited, but after a 10 minute conversation I convinced him to let me do it. Key was saying that I, not Navy, bore responsibility. Lake is stunning, especially at dawn.