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* 2022-Dec-18 to 2022-Dec-21 / 4 days / Hiking / NOBO RR and SOBO Options / Tomáš
First I went from Terme del Flaco over the pass to Ruta-55. It is easy trail, almost all horse trail, not CC, but in parts overgrown at knee-height with those annoying spiky things, also dusty with little rocks Fallon ginto falling into your shoes as it has not rained since ages. In the afternoon light it was quite scenic. There is a path going from the camping ground along the hot creek (see below) and then the river for about 1 km, then there is a bridge - nicer and shorter than the official route[2024: since incorporated into GPT]. It took me about seven hours of walking to get to the other side. There is a mine there (I think for cement) with cell reception and I think some 3g 3G service. Then no coverage until Los Quenes. During workweek, there are lots of trucks with the mine material going to a junction 1 km from Los Quenes, so getting a ride should be easy. There is also some traffic towards the border, so a ride as far as this route follows the optional GPT05 track should also be possible, but could involve an hour or more of waiting. In Los Quenes, there are two shops, the first (on the right before you get to town from the direction of the mountains) is better stocked, it had some nectarines, no cherries. On Monday, restaurants were closed (the one marked in OSM at the exit of the town does not seem to exist), not sure about accomodation. Probably possible to stock for a week for GPT05 but it was not great, worse then Coya. (I returned on Thursday and the estaurants restaurants were opened ,there is a pizzeria and another one restaurant but I did not eat there, the second shop now also had some nectarines).
In the Termas, there was a camping at the end of the road that goes to the baths. 10000 per night. They had electricity, it went out for a few hours during evening but I charged everything. They also have wifi, slow but usable for audio calls. No cell service. The baths cost 6000 per entry (no re-entry). Hours are something like 8-12 and 1530-21. Longer on weekends. The shops that I have seen did not seem well stocked but there are lots of restaurants. From the camping ground, if you follow the water, there is a free hot creek with perfect temperature, about 30 metres far.
As for transport, I got a shared car for about 15000 (it is two hours ride) from San Fernando at 1530 on Friday after asking at the bus station. I do not think it goes every day. There are cars going in both directions in the valley, so hitchiking should work, but be prepared to wait. Due to me losing some stuff, I went back - twice I got a first car in five minutes, once eight cars passed and I only got a ride after two hours. Outside of the weekends, there is less traffic that goes all the way to the Termas. No cell reception in the valley until cca 10 km out of Puente Negro.
RR NOBO from Los Quenes is uneventful. The valley is quite beautiful with trees and lovely creek until about 1700, then the track (no snow now) was easy to follow but during midday rather dull including the lakes. It started to be pretty again at about the same height. Met a huge herd of goats with a silent ariero. I got over the same gate as Yannic and Mirjam, ate a few cherries from the new orchard (a few branches were overhanging the fence), then followed the MR without paying anything (I guess they meant the gate with the house and sign saying that some basic food is on sale about 3 km from the tarmac road) going NOBO. Once I reached the tarmac road, I started hitching (enough of cars), never making it to Aqua Buena and not meeting Pedro. Took me 46 hours.
