GPT48 (Seno Otway)

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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 / 2.2 days / Mostly RR / 13 to 15-12-2023 SOBO

1. I got the bus to Rio Verde (see Transport section) and walked back 27KM on the road to the point where the RR leaves the road & runs down to the beach. There is a hut there but it´s locked. From outside the hut I hitched back to Punta Arenas. About 11KM from Rio Verde there is a minefield on LHS of road but it´s clearly marked & fenced off.

2. On my day off I got the Pampa Redonda bus & walked back about 7KM to Punta Arenas Plaza de Armas. The last few KM out of town are not pleasant & there are a lot of loose dogs. Bring a stick & don´t walk this section at night. Just above the last bus stop is a house with a lot of dogs, mostly behind a fence but two were loose & aggressive. I showed them I had a stick & they backed off. The owner, instead of controlling his dogs, started threatening me. This part is on a public road so you don´t need to tolerate that.

3. I again got the Rio Verde bus, got off at the hut & walked to the beach. There is a jeep track running by the beach for about 8KM. There are a few basic huts along the first 4KM of shore. At a gate I stayed outside the fence near the beach & when the jeep track ran out I walked on the beach at low tide. Easy walking with the wind at my back. I had read Quentin´s report (thanks Quentin) so when I reached the road at the end of the beach I immediately left it & went cross country for several KM towards the military base. You will spot the base from a long way off as there are lots of aerials & a big yellow building. Easy CC walking, there is scrub but I got through it on small cow trails. I stayed back about 800M from the base on sheep tracks and just before the last aerial I rejoined the RR. That way I met no one until I got to Punta Arenas. Before the Estancia marked Museum of Antique Cars on Openstreetmap was a high fence, a bit awkward to get over. Lots of bulls in the fenced field, best to stay about 20 metres away from them. They looked a bit angry when I got closer but didn´t do anything. After the next Estancia you are in forest, some water there & after a few KM there is an Into the Wild bus, not luxury but it has two beds. Better to camp outside it. I continued through the forest in 1 long day (11 hours walking) & just as I arrived above Punta Arenas I got the last bus of the day (Pampa Redonda to Centre) As you approach Punta Arenas you go through a gate marked Private no Entry next to a house but it was after 9PM so there was no one there.

From 2023-11-17 to 2023-11-19 // 3 days // Hiking // NOBO // RR // Quentin Clavel

After leaving the crowdy Punta Arenas, it was a pleasure to go on smaller trails and be back on face to face with nature. You'll pass threw some areas In the backcountry with plenty of cattles and bulls. One of them was on the trail and was not affraid to see me, it changes compare to wild bulls I've seen at the really beginning of the journey in Yendegaia.

After going on in the pampa you'll see some big telexommunicarions antennas. The trail said you have to pass threw this area to continue on the gravel road further, but that's a military place and it's absolutely forbidden. (Jan has probably updated this on the document but) you have a trail who's turning around, and then you can continue on the gravel road.

On this road I've seen arieros leading a herd of bulls, and I met the boss of this place just few kilometers before the beach, on the Y-501. He said that the road was forbidden and he drove me the 2 kilometers until the beach. He was very nice but didn't wanted at all to have me on this road.

Along the beach is nice, and until Rio verde you'll follow a gravel road. Not a lot of river to resupply in water. But at villa ponsomby it's possible on the public toilets. There's a cafe here too, but it was close when I pass threw there.

Comment Jan Dudeck December 2023: I updated the track file accordingly. The new route will published starting from 2024 (but not 2023).

Transport to and from Route

December 2023 info. From the rural bus station in Punta Arenas to Rio Verde Monday and Wednesday 8.30. Tuesday, Friday and Saturday Punta Arenas to Rio Verde continuing to Rio Perez 9.00.

Images

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