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Add a new log entry always on top in the appropriate season sub-chapter and use format:
<nowiki>* ''*'</nowiki>''' Start Date to Finish Date (use Format YYYY-MMM-DD) / Duration in Days / Hiking or <span style="background-color:aqua;">Packrafting </span> / Travel Direction (SOBO for Southbound or NOBO Northbound) / Chosen Route and/or Option Name (RR for Regular Route) / Names or Alias'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>
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.
* General Recommendations: The section is best paddled between January and May. The primary danger would be a high and fast river, most common early in the season or after heavy rain. The river can only be paddled westwards.
The paddling portion of this section on Rio Palena is 78km and takes about 1.5-2 days to complete. Together with GPT27P, the two sections are 180km in total and take around 4 days. The ferry journey from Raul Marin Balmaceda takes an additional eleven hours, but only runs twice a week (Thursdays and Sundays). The section is stunning, interesting, unpopulated and fun. This section feels even more remote than 27P, although the river here becomes calmer. The mountains and farmland of 27P give way to hills and woodland. It is quite easy to not see another person until within a few kms of the section’s end. Combined with 27P, paddling one river down from the mountains out to the Pacific is a wonderful experience. A very attractive section.
The ferry ride from Raul Marin Balmaceda to Puerto Cisnes is spectacular. It threads along the coastline passing mountains, islands and fiords. Very beautiful indeed, and an opportunity to scout out future packrafting options.
Although Section 28P is easier than 27P, Bajo Río Palena may not be suitable for beginners. There are a number of rapids, countless tree and rock obstacles, and occasional strong currents and whirlpools. At times of high river levels, the river will not only be faster, but there will be fewer places to get out or scout. There are many more rapids than indicated in the track file. That said, the rapids are generally not above Class 2, plus, the many obstacles in the river are avoidable.
As the river widens and calms, the challenges become occasional strong head winds and potentially adverse tides. These can slow progress significantly.
=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=
The minibus schedule from RMB to Coyhaique is Wednesdays 0800 and Sundays 1000. We initially opted for the bus due to incoming rainy weather and the ferry only runs on Thursdays 0430 and Sundays 0900. However we did not manage to get onto the minibus as seats were full and apparently you require a whatsapp reservation (Alicia Rosas +56966092922 / Hugo Jara +56999351839). We ended up staying at hostel El Viajero (15K per person) which is a fantastic find. We sat out the rain next to a lovely wood-fired stove and took the ferry the next morning at 0430. Note that internet connection is slow in town but we found out that the Almacen Isla Del Palena (which also sells the ferry tickets) has Starlink and they were happy to host us for the duration of our video calls.
* 2024-Jan-23 / mad nomad / Westbound / Regular Packrafting Route from La Junta to the ocean / 1 day
I was coming from Alto Rio Palena (GPT27P) but right after La Junta, the headwind increased and it was impossible to continue. It was even pushing me against the stream! I had to get urgently out of the river and even reaching the shore was quite a task! Well, that's how Patagonia is... We have to respect the weather conditions.
*2023-Dec-06 / 2.5 days / Packrafting / SOBO / RR + Variant G / Tom Pieper
I paddled the regular routes of GPT27P and GPT28P as part of one trip, and my combined comments for both are under section GPT27P.
*GPT28P / Option 1 / Isla Magdalena via Seno Magdalena, Seno Soto, Canal Jacaf and Canal Puyuhuapi / 2020-Jan-17 / 5 days /
When entering Canal Puyuhuapi a decision must be taken to continue either to Puyuhuapi or Puerto Cisnes. Both towns are in 25 km distance and hot springs are on the way along shore in each direction. On the way to Puerto Cisnes two free hot springs are on the eastern shore of Isla Magdalena. On the way to Puyuhuapi two commercialized thermal springs are located.
*GPT28P / Villa Melimoyu to Puerto Cisnes
The generally steep cost results in only few suitable landing beaches. And the forrest reaches right down to the high-tide line. The track files contain several decent beaches where camping seams more comfortable if hiding in the trees behind the open beach.
*GPT28P / Packrafting from Santo Domingo to Villa Melimoyu (Part of Option 1) / 2019-Nov-18 / 1 day / Southbound / Meylin Ubilla & Jan Dudeck
Packrafting the 20 km from Rio Palena (next to Raul Marin Balmaceda) to Santo Domingo might be feasible on a perfect day if starting with the first light in the morning but this water route is a serious packrafting challenge as this water route traverse the unprotected Golfo de Corcovado. There are probably not more than a dozen such perfect days per season so either be very patient or take the next ferry. One of the bays along this unprotected route is named “Bahia Mala” (Bad Bay) and this seams no randomly chosen name. But when entering the “Canal Refugio“ (another well descriptive name) the wind and waves get suddenly a lot calmer. At the mouth of this more sheltered channel is the tiny settlement Santo Domingo that was founded some decades ago. Arriving here by ferry seams the rational choice if not willing to wait days or weeks for a suitable weather window.
*GPT28P / Exploration Fjord Pitipalena (Part of Option 2) / 2019-11-14 / 3 days / Meylin Ubilla & Jan Dudeck
==Season 2016/17==
=Resupply and Accommodation=
=Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues=
=Links to other Resources=