72
ediciones
Cambios
→Season 2024/25
==Season 2024/25==
* '''2025-02-09/ 1day / Hiking / Futaleufú Day Hike Option/ Natalie'''
When Futaleufú is not covered in clouds there are some amazing mountains surrounding the area, issue is it is hard to find a way up. With the help of a small Wikiloc entry I managed to make a loop to a false summit above town here; -43.14132, -71.86344 @~1900m. Really beautiful views and once in the alpine the terrain offered a few more options that look fun for those that are fine with mountainous terrain (alpine lakes, plateau that connects back to Argentina and possibly the East ridge of the summit). It took me almost 10hrs but once in the alpine I was going very slow because I was investigating. It starts off on a known hiking trail (Cerro la bandera), turns into a horse trail, then a cow trail, then an overgrown cow trail and then CC. The walk up to Cerro la bandera is super fast, you pass through a campsite at the bottom that may make you pay 1mil- I went early (~7am) and didn't see anyone. Alternatively you can start at a hostal “Turismo Rural Los Alpes”, that is where the Wikiloc started. At the top of Bandera there is a sign pointing to “agua”, take it to a small pond, that is where I found a horse trail that connects you to the Wikiloc trail above "Turismo Rural Los Alpes". The horse trail goes NW below a forested plateau, there are a few forks in the road but it is easy to guess where to go. The end of the horse trail is roughly here; 43.17212, -71.88034. Then you can jump the fence and get on the cow trail that the Wikiloc followed uphill. From here on it would be best to have a gps to follow or to track yourself because there are many cow trails. The main trail is good until ~750m, then it becomes overgrown. It goes up a bushy ridge next to a large canyon and then turns left and up into a terribly dark and scary Douglas fir plantation. After the plantation it gets much more overgrown but the trail goes on for a little bit until the hill climb -43.16352, -71.87214. Once I got to the hill I went CC straight up, staying to the right of the rocky outcrops. Once at about 1150m I turned left and followed the broad ridge, this is where the Wikiloc ended. Eventually the ridge opens up to views to the right and left, this is where alternative options exist ( -43.15294, -71.86552). The ridge I was originally on (SW) looked broken so I dropped down into the basin (only water available) to take the steeper South ridge (original ridge would have worked). It was a fun scramble at times. There is a point on this ridge which had a moraine to the right, you can take it if you want to try to get to the East ridge/Argentina and or the alpine lakes. The top of the South ridge turned into solid class 03 but the west ridge was only class02 at most. I could not make the true summit, there is a very eerie knife ridge that is falling apart and then what looks like a wall further ahead, someone else can try… For the return I took the main SW ridge down, it was a lot faster and I found a lot of stones that looked related to copper. I could have went back down and up to the East ridge (south face has a glacier) but weather was moving in and the wind was pushing me over at times, so I was happy to return to town. I forgot my Garmin so I did not track the whole thing which was a mistake, as the return felt slow bcs I struggled to stay on route. Technically I could have finished the loop by trying to exit out of the Turismo Rural but once again preferred the horse track in a forest.
* <span style="background-color:aqua;">'''2025-02-08/ 4 hours / Packrafting/ SOBO/ New option - Rio Espolón / Tomáš&Thijmen'''</span>
We hitched to the beginning of Rio Espolón, here: -43.21010, -71.92778. There was a sign indicating the path after the bridge is private. We walked along the shore to here: -43.21366, -71.93230, where we put in. Met some cyclists who went to see the rapids upstream. (Class VI, big waterfall and tunnel in there. The only person who tried it died, we were told.) So the private access is probably not a big deal. The river to the bridge at Futaleufu here: -43.18768, -71.87304 is at this time and water level rather class I+, the only class II rapid is here: -43.18506, -71.87652 (very walkable). You could easily take out just before, there is a road. Prepare for ground contact if you miss the best line. There were some sticks that could be easily avoided. The river is flowing but not super fast. Some "improvements" to riverbanks and people bathing. At the bridge, we met an English speaking guy who had been coming to town for the water for thirty years before moving here. He lent us helmets and took us to the lower part of the river. It is still creek-like, meaning it does not have so much water, but there are more rapids (up to class II+ maybe, with more water class III, it is said) and it is quite fun. Take out here: -43.19950, -71.87043. We went right. Because the guy's family was picking him up, but look at Strava – there is a much shorter bath back to town on the left bank. Especially the lower part is a fun running water, but a bit above the difficulty that you would normally expect on the GPT.
* '''9Jan2025 - 12jan2025 / hiking eastbound / RR + OH1 (Lago Espolon) / 4 days / Allie and Clara'''
From Chaiten hitchhike to El Amarillo (much cars, also a bus at 12am).
After El amarillo, long MR with almost no cars and many tabaños.
Termas El amarillo (hotsprings 88.0) are closed with workers on it, seems they are constructing camping/ cabañas.
We were lucky that some workers of one of the last puesto on the road proposed us a ride until the bridge at 70.3.
Then it's an ascent on MR more like a trail with really nice views on the valley and glaciar of volcan michinmahuida until puesto 67.0. Really nice settlers all along. They told us we could camp before Rio Michinmahuida and that the fords are easy for now.
We camped at -42,88746, -72,33896 just before the river. Very nice spot.
Ford Rio Michinmahuida 66.6 : large river but easy, up to knee even in afternoon.
Then good trail, well maintained and easy to follow until the puesto of Don Jaime at 58.0. He told us that he didn't see any hikers since 2020 but that people of the valley used to go through the pass by horse regularly.
Ford 58.7 is not ford of Rio mallines but one of his affluent that is not on OSM. not more than mid calf, flowing slow.
After puesto of Don Jaime : navigation becomes more demanding ! There are multiple tracks and lots of cow paths going anywhere. Again trail sometimes going away from the gps tracks and going back on it. Slows us a lot.
Some small parts overgrown but there is always a good trail under it with recent horse steps.
Also marsh parts (even after dry weather).
Around this point -42,92803, -72,23085, the trail joined back the same river that is not on OSM. Then it crosses the river several times (around knee). It seems to have trails on the 2 sides of the river.
We camped in a really nice spot with views on montains around, just before the last ford of this river at -42,92678, -72,22347.
After, it's the ascent to the pass. Mostly trail easy to follow. Tracks are sometimes very precise, sometimes not. Better to follow fresh horse steps. Few short parts overgrown or with sleepery steep mud but mostly good.
Going down to the pass, less steep but marsh and several easy fords around mid calf. Need GPS as there are cow paths and lots of parallel trails and better to stay on the "principal one".
Around here -42,94528, -72,17471 there is a puesto, not written in gps, and then trail becomes easier to follow.
2 fords not written in the tracks (of the big river going to lago Espolon) -42,95105, -72,15224 and -42,96028, -72,15236. First one was fast flowing begining of afternoon, until mid thighs (I'm 1.57m). Second easy. After the second one it's easy dirt road. More and more settler along it until you arrive to a bus stop (-43,01878, -72,07040) in front of Milio house.
We met Milio that proposed us to camp on his lands. Had a lot of delicious frambuesas. We cooked and ate with him. He played guitar and sang for us.
At this last bus stop you can take a bus to Lago Espolon and then directly take the ferry. There are few cars of the settlers passing also.
After ferry, again a bus waiting to go to futaleufu.
Each bus is 800 CLP pp and ferry 500 CLP pp.
Water : good streams crossing almost all along. Even when going up to the pass there is a river but maybe will be dry later in summer.
==Season 2023/24==
