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→Season 2023/24
==Season 2023/24==
*2023-Dec-31 / 3 day / Packrafting / SOBO / RP + Variant G / Tom Pieper
For alternative entering of the Rio Baker via Rio Chacabuco see also Section 35
I really enjoyed the ride on the rio baker. Technically it was not difficult but indeed it’s a mighty stream and you will observe big boils from time to time. Due to the high speed its easy to make 50 km or more per day. The first rapid {36P} [41.8/77] can be run on the right side in the main current but watch out for strong whirlpools after. I portaged rapido {36P} [56.9/70] ‘gonzalez’. It might be not impossible and the line is quite obvious and straight, but the consequences if not sticking to the line could be severe. Jan is right mentioning losing your boat there is a catastrophe. There is a good camp spot in the woods at the begin of the portage. I think the third rapid Jan mentioned is at Settler {36H-03} [6.8/63]. I found that rather easy and went on the left side. El Salton must be portaged of course. Massive forces here. The portage trail has nice campsites, too. I found a nice camping spot at one of the small islands at S 47° 40.282’ W 073° 06.376’ with lot of ripe calafate berry and even some of the first strawberries. Most of the bigger islands have cattle. There is one last rapid at S 47° 46.027’ W 073° 17.559’ called rapido borquez. It can be easily run on the right side. I left the river at the airport an toked Variant G to the beautiful town of Caleta Tortel.
==Season 2022/23==
==Season 2018/19==
Only on the last 140 km this beast mostly snoozes but growls and snarls from time to time. And in one place - the “Salton” - it smashes everything with his giant fist that gets in his way.
There is one mortal rapid about halfway between the put in and the outflow into the sea: the “Salton”. An well maintained trail makes the 1 km portage rather easy but don’t miss the exit (details see below).
Three minor to moderate rapids should be carefully scouted or portaged. Depending on the current flow rate the difficulty and the possible rafting lines alter.
The trail, called La Ruta de Los Pioneros since it is frequently used by the local people, occasionally passes run down refugios as it winds through the forest. At the beginning first of the climb to three rapids (Class 2) can be paddled generally on two lines: the highest pass, relative wide open right side or a very slim “chicken line” on the trail joins a glacial riverfar left. Eventually the trail leaves the river Expect strong eddies that require forceful paddling to stabilize the west packraft in and follows a higher route above after the valley that rapid. A scouting and portage is occasionally marked by stone cairns. The top of also possible if stopping on the pass is at approximate elevation 1.300 m. From this point, there are several kilometers of very exposed hiking among rolling hillsleft side before the rapid.
The track descends down to treeline at second moderate rapid is known as “Rapido Gonzalez” and is a small, unnamed lake which is rather long Class 3 rapid. The character of this rapid changes significantly with the source amount of the Río Bravo. Join the river and cross it as necessarywater. There are some stone cairns that mark the way, but they can be hard to spot. When the route is unclear, just follow the river bed. Where the a reasonably well maintained portage trail deviates from on the river bed to the east, it becomes easier to followright side. The trail soon climbs We portaged our packrafts about 80 m 1 km around this rapid after scouting. Paddling this rapid with an open packraft, without helmet, without a full size white-water-PFD and remains above Río Bravowithout plenty of white water experience seams not advisable. Here there is the occasional small Losing your boat and gear in this remote area would put anyone in serious trouble even if making it back to camp. To reach Lago Alegre, the trail leaves Río Bravo and travels through an open forestriver shore unhurt.
In Tortel you can resupply and bus to Cochrane and Villa O‘Higgins. A good continuation for packrafters is the Rio Colorado, Lago Colorado, Lago Cisnes, Lago Ciervo and Rio Mayer southbound on the way to Villa O‘Higgins * 2019-Jan-29 / GPT36P Rio Baker / Packrafting Route / Part 2 of 3: Tortel to Rio Colorado / With Jennifer Schmitz (Jen Ni) , Markus Legner and Meylin Elisabeth Ubilla González The Carretera Austral connects since 2003 Tortel with Villa O’Higgins and several buses per week connect both villages. Since there are no trails left taking the bus is to my opinion the most practical option to connect from the Rio Baker with the next packrafting part. “Connecting footsteps disciples” have three options: 1. Roadwalk 115 km and packraft 9 km (from Puerto Yungay to Puerto Rio Bravo in a rather wind exposed fjord) 2. Roadwalk 67 km and packraft 40 km from Tortel to Puerto Rio Bravo in wind explosed fjords with few good exit and camp options. This 40 packraft kilometers are an serious challenge and might result in substantial waiting time for low-wind periods. See the attached image. 3. Follow GPT36H instead of GPT36P. * 2019-Jan-30 / GPT36P Rio Baker / Regular Hiking Packrafting Route follows / Part 3 of 3: Rio Colorado to Villa O’Higgins or Puerto Bahmondez / With Jennifer Schmitz (Jen Ni), Markus Legner and Meylin Elisabeth Ubilla González This packrafting combination of 4 river sections and 3 or 4 lakes (depending on finish point) makes up a senic and quite diverse packrafting day (30 to 35 km). You can remain continuously on the Carretera Austral into water till either leaving at the suspension bridge over Rio Mayer (to resupply in Villa O’Higgins) or paddle all the way to Puerto Bahmondez (if you already have a ticket for the crossing to Candelario Mancilla and all your supplies for GPT38). The rather small rivers are mostly framed by dense low forest and swampland what limits the entry and exit options. But the small rivers contain surprisingly few fallen trees if entering at El Parrillal as we did.While driving by bus to our put in at Parrillal we had a glimpse of some upstream parts of Rio Colorado that are currently published as an exploration packrafting route. This upstream river section seams in parts too shallow and completely blocked by trees and I will delete the first 14 km of it. When hiking on land someone can open overgrown parts by machete but when packrafting I don’t want to rely on a machete to smash a passage into an overgrown mini-river. So better skip the 22 km of Exploration Packrafting Route completely (EXP-RP-RI-1@36P-257.6) or investigate only the last 8 km of this Exploration Packrafting Route that seams open on satellite images. For this investigation seak your way from about Las Turbas at the Carretera Austral to Rio Colorado (see images with updated exploration suggestion). ==Season 2017/18==
==Season 2016/17==
=Images=