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==Season 2023/24==
* 2023-Dec-27 to 2024-Jan-01 / 4,5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR and variants A D F J / Matthieu
Really nice hike, from river to high mountain to the long ridge. No big problems with river crossings, snow or slopes (see below). Lack of water will surely be the main issue in the next months.
Some annoying but short cross country/bush bashing part in the spiky herbs after km 15.6, but good visibility.
Variants
- A to try to go to the calabozo del diablo (day 0 that i didn't count on hike). It was a fail at 100m of arrival, i didn't feel the final river crossing. Later in the season will be good enough. Seems an amazing place.
- D for west exposition (see below) and attracticity
- F and J on the ridge because it looked really safer than the RR below. I didn't feel endangered on these parts of the ridge, it's flat and large, even with windy conditions. RR seemed steepy from above.
- I hitchhiked from the end of the ridge to Coya
Camp :
- Coyanco river on variant A after my calabozo fail, official place for camping with toilets ;
- 22.9 (arrieros camp after river crossing) ;
- 39.3 in the cirque before the pass, very nice but windy ;
- 67, where lilian found the good spot. Actually you have to get all the rocks and cow shit away, and there are a lot of spiky herbs. I found only one good place for a tent after exploring a bit but it was perfect and well protected. Another spot is 1.5km after, plenty of space but less trees for protection ! ;
- 90.4 on variant J on the ridge just below the summit. Nice but unprotected ! You have some more places around the cerro los canelos (with the antenn).
Water : all the markers were still flowing. Bring filter with you as there are cows everywhere in the mountain
-Waypoint 8.7 : you can hear it downstream, not on the RR, but seems hard to reach
-11.8 : minor stream, i dont know if it will still be there in a month
-Between 15.6 and 20.7 : 2 other streams
-Between 20.7 and 27.5 : multiples river crosses, no problem with water
-Less water after the bridge at 64.3.
-River with cascada at 66.7 just before the nice camp spot at 67 km.
-Surely water at puesto 73.2 as you can see a river below, but not on the RR (underground pipe ?)
-78.8 : Important water spot as Lilian said, last until the road on all the ridge. This is NOT a big stream now, I don't know if it will still flow in a month. Note that there is an emergency exit at this moment if you have water problems. Some workers were here, working in fields.
-Sunny and hot conditions on the ridge. I took 5.2 L (I cooked with a few while camping) and got 200 mL at the end.
Snow patches : now only on east and south exposed slopes. No problems with snow at this moment, i didnt have to cross any :
- km 34 where Matthias took the uphill solution, now you have a little hole in the snow juste below the RR.
- after the pass : snow patches block the passage to the minor road RR. Just follow the ridge for a few dozens meter and safe way to join the minor road, without snow.
- variant D : fully exposed west so no patches if you begin it on the RR after crossing the river (directly on the west-exposed slope). I don't know if there are patches on the RR before the variant D end.
- No patches blocking the RR after variant D end
River Crossings :
- first on variant A, at 8 am. The flow is strong, choose wisely the place. A few meters below the usual local crossing (that you can see with a cairn) I found a big rock in the middle of the river. The first part until this rock is easy, the second stronger flow, up to the beginning of thighs but only for two paces. (178 cm 80 kgs).
- No other concerns about river crossings along the way.
Right of way : No problems with gates or private properties on the way. I had to pay 6000 pesos to enter the Coyanco reserve at 11 am.
Other: I saw one snake (the second, another one on GPT01) in the middle of the trail, taking the sun, he moved slowly but I had to make noise for it. Be careful at any time not to walk on it. I think it was a chilean long tailed snake, venom painful but not deadly as wikipedia says. Internet says that it's rarely seen... but seems not on the crazy GPT !
* 2023-Dec-6 to 2023-Dec-11/ 5 days / SOBO / RR, variants A+D+E+G+J+M / Matthias