Cambios

==Section Logs, Recent Alerts and Suggestions====Season Section Log== * GPT28P/ Santo Domingo - Puyuhaupi / Packrafting Route / 2024 Jan-08 / 8 days / Jordan Jennings OK! I would like to acknowledge here that as with any section, our perspective having completed a section is always coloured by the weather and conditions we experienced.  Now that has been said, my next comment is this: Canal Jacaf is a beast and was by far the most challenging packrafting section I have yet completed in Patagonia.  I started in SD, actually spent two days with Juan Carlos who owns the property surrounding SD. No one else lives there unless he has a worker on the property. You might want to let him know you’re coming as he has a dog which may be waiting when the ferry door comes down. ‪+56 9 6238 7187‬. He’s an interesting character.  I also spent some time with Pia at Hosteria Melimoyu. She is super lovely and her hostel is beautiful as Jan mentioned.  A very suitable trip for packrafters id to do Santo Domingo to Puerto Gala - both have access to ferries. This route means you can explore the more sheltered Seno Melimoyu and Seno Gala fiords. There is some exposure to weather reaching Puerto Gala however.  The other option is to finish at Puyuhuapi or Prto Cisnes. The former is safer as a open water crossing of Fiordo Puyuhuapi is not required (c2.5km at most narrow point). Saying this, Canal Jacaf is a challenge. The predominant wind coming from the west creates uncomfortable waves throughout the entire distance of the canal. It’s remote, with little by the way of exit opportunities, so take extra food. If you usually take one extra days’ worth, take 3.  I had unstable weather roll in from Bahia Bonita (worth a visit not far from P. Gala) all the way through CJ. I spent three days waiting waves that were too large, battled through conditions that I would have rather avoided had I not had the constraint of limited food. The only other ppl in the area are Salmoneros and they spend 20 days on/20 days off on the farms, so they don’t make frequent trips into puerto cisnes/puyuhaupi. Likely they would radio the maritime police to rescue you if you asked them for help. Luckily I didn’t have to but I was too close for comfort to need to.  So if you’re going to do Jacaf, make sure you start with a good weather window, and be prepared to wait for it to pass if one comes out of nowhere like it did to me.  HOWEVER - beautiful area. I imagine on nice days it would be heaven. Some of the beaches reminded me of Los Alerces in Argentina.  Finding suitable campsites above high tide line can be challenging but is doable. One trick which worked for me is finding a fresh water source eg a creek, and walking up it to find a space to pitch my tent. I didn’t have a machete but my free standing tent was a blessing.  Agua dulce is easy to find - one of the benefits of a rainy region :) but I still always had one days’ worth on me at all times in case I needed to find the next available camp and not fuss over water.  Happy to be whatsapped +447464304622 * GPT28P Option 5: Packrafting Seno Gala (and Ferry from Puerto Chacabuco to Quellon) Orientation: Northbound Packrafting Dates: 2021-Feb-05 to 2021-Feb-08 Participants: Masha Ovchinnikova , Mikhail Bogdanov , Meylin Elisabeth Ubilla González and Jan Dudeck Two years ago we rushed by packraft in about 4 hours through Seno Gala to paddle from Santo Domingo via Villa Melimoyu, Canal Jacaf and Canal Puyuhuapi to Puerto Cisnes (GPT28P Option 6 and 7). This left no time to investigate the lateral arms of this scenic fjord. Therefore we decided to return now and to utilize three days with optimal weather to enter the three lateral arms of Seno Gala. To share this experience we invited Masha and Misha to join us on this packrafting exploration. Navieraustral operates the ferry “Queulat” that travels twice per week the fjords between Quellon and Puerto Chacabuco (and back) and that stops at all the villages and settlements en route. This ferry greatly facilitates access to several remote fjords that are suitable for packrafting due to their generally wind sheltered location and orientation. When we approached by ferry Isla Gala in the Canal Jacaf at 04:00 am in the morning the wind prediction and the actual wind condition were both perfect to cross the rather open Canal Jacaf to enter Seno Gala from the south. Therefore we opted to leave the ferry at Puerto Gala to start the investigation from Isla Gala and not from Melimoyu (“Plan B”). Starting in Melimoyu from the north would have provided a better wind protection in suboptimal weather. .Puerto Gala to Isla Rudy, Isla Fabregas and Punta Marquez (Canal Jacaf): In this more open part wind, waves and tidal flow are typically stronger than within Seno Gala. But thanks to the optimal weather we had no wind and waves and during falling tide we had a 1 to 2 km/h northbound tidal flow while passing east of Isla Chita (2 to 3 hours after high tide, apparently the water leaving Canal Jacaf is redirected by these islands). I’m now left with the impression that tidal flows in the vicinity of Isla Gala are normally manageable by packraft. .Punta Marquez to Punta Wieghardt and Isla Jewet: During falling tide about 3 to 4 hours after high tide the tidal flow was approximately 1 km/h southbound (outbound from fjord as expected during falling tide). .Estero del Medio and Rio del Medio (GPT28P Option 5D): During low tide we paddled and pulled our packrafts about 650 m upstream. After a rather try period the river was slow enough to paddle partially upstream. Packrafters with the appetite to explore an rarely visited lake may paddle and pull the packraft 4 km upstream to reach Laguna del Medio. This is best attempted during high tide to facilitate the upstream paddling. There is a settler south of Isla Colono where packrafters may ask to camp one night (well maintained pasture). .Isla Jewet to Punta Swart: This scenic arm of Seno Gala is worth the detour. The end of this fjord looks more like a mountain lake than a fjord. An abandoned house whitenesses a recent but failed attempt to settle in this area. Due to a lack of suitable camp sites we installed our tents on a rock just above sea level at the end of the fjord. The view was amazing and calm weather made a wind protection irrelevant. Archeological discoveries indicate that the native sea nomads valued these waters and buried their deceased family members in a hidden cave in this area. .Punta Gonzalez to Islote Salvo: While we paddled Seno Gala in perfect conditions (no wind, no waves, sunshine) a group a dolphins accompanied us for one hour while hunting fish (or we accompanied them and the dolphins did not care).  .Brazo Poza de Oro: This scenic 3 km long arm has three tiny narrows and is best visited just before high tide. While the tide is rising or falling moderate rapids form at these narrows. The hermit settle at “Settler {28P-05C} [0.3/7]” apparently loves his self-chosen isolation and did not permit us to camp one night on the only suitable patch of grass in this area. Therefore we searched a suitable campsite on the opposite shore just west of Punta Campos. .Punta Campos: We searched some time for a suitable spot to pitch two tents on the beach just west of Punta Campos. Since all beaches are occasionally flooded during high tide we searched for a reasonable flat spots in between the trees. Eventually we found a suitable spot behind the first line of trees and cleaned with machetes two camp sites. We were surprised to see a collapsed house hidden in the trees. On this beach mussels (almejas) can be digged out during low tide and cooked for dinner (we cooked seafood pasta with freshly harvested mussels). .Villa Melimoyu: A 4.5 km short road connects the eastern end of Seno Gala with Seno Melimoyu where the ferry between Quellon and Puerto Chacabuco stops 4 times per week (two southbound and two northbound stops per week). The tiny village has currently about 50 inhabitants. Pia Jose Rojo Moreira runs a hostería near Seno Melimoyu and recently build a beautiful dome-shaped cabaña near Seno Gala. This dome-shaped cabaña provides a perfect view into Seno Gala and was our shared home for one night (solar electricity, wifi, accommodates 4 persons comfortably). A small shop and craft beer brewery permits to resupply essentials. .Conclusion 1: The ferry between Quellon and Puerto Chacabuco is also a very good choice for hikers that wish to travel and see the Patagonian fjords. .Conclusion 2: Packrafting in Patagonia works best with an opportunistic attitude and flexible plans that are constantly adopted to the actual weather and the latest weather prediction. With an inflexible linar plan someone gets easily “stuck” due to unsuitable wind and weather. .Conclusion 3: The generally good wind protection, the minor to moderate tidal flows and the easy access by ferry makes Seno Gala a suitable location for packrafters with little to no fjord experience (like the fjords Estuario de Reloncavi, Pitipalena and the Canal Puyuhuapi). The relative short distances can be managed with slower single packrafts. Of cause, wind can be quite strong at times and packrafters must check the weather forecast and be prepared to sit out unsuitable weather if needed. A machete is highly recommended to open a spot for a tent if needed. .Conclusion 4: A machete is an essential tool when paddling in unpopulated fjords (Pitipalena, Seno Gala, Fiordo Comau, Canal Refugio, Canal Jacaf, Isla Magdalena) to clean a camp site that is slightly elevated above the high tide water level. In unpopulated Patagonian fjords every square meter that is not occasionally flooded by sea water is covered by trees and dense undergrowth. In such areas the best camp sites are the spots that cannot be seen from the water and that are fully hidden between larger trees a few meters from the coast in slightly sloped terrain. Try to camp at least one meters above the high tide level (the line where flood wood and floating garbage accumulated). Two or more meter are even better as tsunamis can form during earthquakes and landslides. Only along populated fjords a machete is not required (Estuario de Reloncavi, Canal Puyuhuapi between Puerto Cisnes and Puyuhuapi). .Conclusion 5: While traveling by ferry from Villa Melimoyu via Raul Marin Balmaceda to Quellon we had sunny and very calm weather. Inside the fjords were no waves and the ferry moved perfectly smooth like on rails. But while crossing from Raul Marin Balmaceda to Quellon the ferry was rolling heavily. The waves apparently formed far away in the open Pacific Ocean an in the 40 km wide “gap” between Isla Gran Guayteca (Melinka) and Chiloe these waves rolled in unhindered and hit the coast between Santo Domingo and Parque Nacional Corcovado. The waves itself were long and did not break on the open sea but such long waves cause dangerous surfs along the coast making it hard or impossible to exit or enter the water by packraft. Therefore packrafting between Santo Domingo and Chaiten is very challenging and wave conditions are hard to predict even if the weather is perfect. Therefore these routes are classified as EXP-loration or EXP-pedition routes.  .Conclusion 6: Joining with other hikers and packrafters for a section or two is normally a brilliant and enlightening experience. Previous Facebook post help to understand special interests and skills of other hikers and packrafters. This helps to “guesstimate” if joining for a few days is likely to work out or not. Temporarily joining others for a section or two is best done weeks after starting to travel on the GPT (with your well-known travel partner or solo). Based on my observations looking for (unfamiliar) travel partner(s) before even commencing on the GPT rarely works out well. .Conclusion 7: A decked tandem (double) packrafter is the best packraft type for fjords and larger lakes. Single packrafts are substantially slower and less suitable for longer traverses. Single packrafts are favorable on rivers especially when choosing rivers with whitewater sections. .Conclusion 8: Before harvesting and eating seafood ask locals if the seafood is safe to eat. Occasionally toxic algae spreads in the fjords making seafood highly toxic. („mares roja“)  

Although Section 28P is easier than 27P, Bajo Río Palena is still challenging in places and may not be suitable for beginners. There are a number of rapids, countless tree and rock obstacles, and occasional strong currents and whirlpools. At times of high river levels, the river will not only be faster, but there will be fewer places to get out or scout. There are many more rapids than indicated in the track file. That said, the rapids are generally not above Class 2, plus, the many obstacles in the river are avoidable.

A scenic ferry runs south twice a week (Thursdays and Sundays) to Puerto Cisnes (11hours11 hours) and onto Puerto Chacabuco. There is also a service northwards to Quellon. Tickets can be bought online or at a grocery store in town.