Cambios

==Comment to KMZ File for Trekking==

The KMZ file contains the geographic information of the trail and can be opened in Google Earth and uplodaded to most current GPS devices. See the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyhole_Markup_Language wikipedia article] for further information to this file format.

The KMZ file displayed on the satellite map above is optimized to provide a good overview but does not include waypoints and detailed information for hiking. Therefore the KMZ file below should be downloaded and used if you actually plan to hike a section or the entire Greater Patagonian Trail.

Greater Patagonian Trail with waypoints, options and alternatives: [[Media:GreaterPatagonianTrail-20140726.kmz| KMZ file (Update from 2014-Jul-26)]]

The file is organized in folders and subfolders for a better overview in particular when viewing and organizing the trail on a computer. There is one folder for each section and each section contains a subfolder for waypoints and a subfolder for tracks.

===Waypoints===

The waypoints are named with the item of interest at the waypoint. A alphanumeric code is added in brackets to be able to refer in the trail description to specific waypoints. The GPS normally displays the entire waypoint name with the code.

Example waypoint name: '''Start (GPT01-WP001)'''

** '''-WP''': Waypoint

** '''001''': Running number

{| class="wikitable"

===Tracks===

The track of each section is broken into smaller segments to differentiate between different trail types and to incorporate options and alternatives. Each section consists of up to 20 trail segments. Each track is name with a unique alphanumeric code.

Example track name: '''GPT01-TR006-1'''

* '''006''': Running number

* '''-1''': Trail type, in this exmaple its a hiking trail or horse trail

A '''-X''' is added to the track name of optional side trails or alternative routes.

The '''-X''' at the end means that this is an optional side trip or alternative route. In this example its the optional climb to the summit of the volcano Descabezado Grande.

Used trail types are:

{| class="wikitable"

===Distances, Ascents, Descents and Walking Times===

This trail description contains plenty of numbers for distances, altitudes, ascents, descents and even walking times. All these numbers are based on the "cleaned" GPS track without our occasional seek and search detours. Also all altitudes, ascents and descents are based on a digital map with a quite precise altitude profile.

These numbers are therefore also free of accumulated "GPS noise" and "barometric altimeter noise" that increase the measured distances, ascents and descents when recording the track by GPS while hiking. So, don't be surprised if your GPS will always indicate longer distances, more ascents and decents even if you stay on the trail. A deviation of 10% is typical.

The walking times provided here are estimated moving times without any breaks and rests. When evalutating our GPS records I was surprised that we did not move nearly one third of the time between leaving the camp in the morning and stopping again in the evening. It did not appear to us that we make such long breaks but the GPS record does not lie. So a walking time of 6 hours means more or less a 9 hour hiking day adding normal breaks for eating, taking pictures, verifying the route, chating with the locals on the trail or harvesting some piñones.

The estimated walking time is calculated purely based on distances, ascents and descents. I opted to use such a calculation because it removes the unnecessary seek and search detours and the factor of having a good day or a bad day. I developed and verified this calculation method based on all our GPS records and was surprised myself that such a simplified calculation provides quite reliable estimates. The calculated times correspond closely with our actual walking time. If applied to our actual GPS records the average deviation per day is 15 minutes and never more than 50 minutes.

The used calculation factors are:

* Additional 11:26 minutes per 100 m ascent

* Additional 3:44 minutes per 100 m descent

These factors resulted in the smallest average deviation to our actual moving time.