GPT49 (Peninsula Brunswick)

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* Start Date to Finish Date (use Format YYYY-MMM-DD) / Duration in Days / Hiking or Packrafting / Travel Direction (SOBO for Southbound or NOBO Northbound) / Chosen Route and/or Option Name (RR for Regular Route) / Names or Alias

Summary with remarks to route that are considered useful for other hikers and packrafters. Include alerts, suggestions and personal perception of attractiveness and difficulties.

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Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions

Season 2023/24

• Frank 12 to 13 Nov 2023 2 days NOBO

On Sunday I hitched to Punta del Arbol which is on GPT50 at the roadhead 70KM from Punta Arenas. There is little public transport on the weekend but hitching is easier then as people go to San Juan and Punta Arbol to fish, hike and camp. I walked back 40KM then hitched back to Punta Arenas. Lots of places to camp all along the shoreline in forest before San Juan. As you approach the turnoff to Fuerte Bulnes NOBO the RR goes up a grass track. Where it rejoins the road the RR turns right into Fuerte Bulnes. Entry is 12500 pesos for foreigners so I turned left on the road which leads to the entry gate. I explained to the ticket office staff that I had not visited Fuerte Bulnes and they were OK with that. However if you are SOBO they may not let you in without paying the fee. You could bypass the entrance on the main road which is 1 or 2 KM longer. 500 metres after the ticket gate is a roundabout which marks the geographic centre of Chile, but its only the centre if you measure Chile from Arica to the South Pole. I continued down a dirt road to Puerto Hambre which is free to visit but only a few stones remain of the original settlement. Returned to the main road, now paved. On the paved road there are bus shelters every several KM which are solid, you could sleep in them if necessary. A few cafes along the road but all closed in November.

On Monday I got the bus to Fundo San Fernando and walked back from there to Punta Arenas, about 30KM. Fundo San Fernando has accomodation and a restaurant about 200M off the road. No facilities and no shelter until about 5KM before Punta Arenas. There was a fierce wind with horizontal snow and my face was going numb. Shops and a cafe 5KM from Punta Arenas and very infrequent buses run from about 7KM out to the rural terminal. 3KM from Punta Arenas is the wreck of the Lord Lonsdale dating from 1899 and easily visible from the road.

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