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==Season 2025/26==
* '''GPT07 | 2025-12-27 to 2026-01-01 I 5 days | hiking | SOBO I Route: option 10 - 1D - 1B - 1E - 1H - 1 - D - RR - Variant F - RR - Variant L | Michaela '''
• I hitchhiked to Laguna del Maule.
• At the border post, the officers were unsure whether I needed to register or not. Three people discussed it and finally decided that registration was not necessary.
• The selected route options at the beginning were very beautiful, both the view at Laguna del Maule and later the valley.
• There are many plum trees around Carrizales with very tasty, ripe plums.
• I did not meet anyone at the police post in Carrizales.
• At the shop in Carrizales, I bought cola and chocolate. There is also well-functioning Wi-Fi there.
• I really liked the hot springs near Carrizales. The water is very pleasant and warm, with only a few algae. I repeatedly switched between the warm hot spring and the cold river next to it.
• I bought cheese and bread from Irma.
• All river crossings were easy. The water level was at most knee-deep.
• I arrived in Puente Inglés on January 1st (public holiday). A police officer who was delivering hay for the police horses gave me a lift to San Fabián, where I am spending two rest days at Cabañas Nativa.
1. Camp: -36.076696, -70.741539 ,
2. Camp: -36.139711, -70.898629 ,
3. Camp: -36.372434, -70.908755 ,
4. Camp: -36.455999, -71.046771 (my best spot at this section) ,
5. Camp: -36.567818, -71.210619 (water 200m away) ,
Attraction: 3/5, Difficulty 2/5
'''2025-12-17 / 9 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, RH, OH, Option 4,6,7,8 / Anh'''
It was a beautiful section with lots of water. The weather was very good, even very warm. The heat is not as annoying as horseflies. To my surprise, there were no more snowfields, not even at 2300 Highmeters. The rivers had little water, so crossing them (Ford) was no problem. The options are rarely used, so the paths are very difficult to find. Sometimes I couldn't find the path and had to invent BB or detours. So the options are sometimes more dangerous than RR.
'''2025-12-17 to 2025-12-21 / 4.5 Days / Hiking / SOBO / Option 10 + Option 1D,
1B, 1E, 1H + Option 1 + RR + Variant L / Martin Ankel '''
Day 01
Started with hitchhiking from Los Alamos towards Laguna de Maul. A pick-up truck with water company workers drove me most of the way, I walked the last 6
kilometers on the main road, i.e., Option 10.
Passed the border control and hiked Option 1D + Option 1B + Option 1E + Option 1H + Option 1 to connect to the regular route. A good route, many views.
I recommend it.
They were in the process of moving cattle up the valley so I had many encounters where I had to step aside to let the animals pass.
I camped here [36.057258, 70.820546]. Good flat piece of grass, easy to pitch the tent. No immediate nearby water, but many opportunities to fill up before the campsite.
Day 02
Continued walking to Carrizales, where I registered with the Cabinerros. They were extremely friendly, asked me if I needed anything. Overall they seemed happy to see a hiker.
I bought some bread, cheese and eggs at the resupply location — very limited resupply — before continuing hiking. Took the variant 7 detour to look at the hot spring. Good temperature, but overgrown with algae.
Found a good campsite here [36.272752, 70.925621], dry, flat, grass and nearby water.
New Puesto here [36.170581, 70.904965].
Day 03
Continued walking and passed the other police station. Also very friendly.
Camped at {07} [105.4/1607]. Nice place.
Day 04
In the last valley leading down to Los Sauce they were full swing herding cattle. Unfortunately this bit also includes several choke points where you simply have to sit and wait for all cattle to pass. At one time I had to sit down and wait for 1 hour, yes I timed it, while a thousand cows or so crossed one of the choke points.
I found a flat piece of grass/gravel to pitch my tent in here [36.567565,
71.210629], with water only about 200 meters away (Water {07} [141.9/970]).
Puesto {07} [129.0/1341] is destroyed. Can remove marker.
Bridge {07} [138.7/1041] is destroyed. New bridge built 50 meters upstream, but lies within the settlement barbed wire fence. Easy to fjord the river though.
Day 05
Low clouds cover the slopes of the regular route so decided to take Variant L into Los Sauce. To limited resupply opportunities to continue on GPT 08. Hitchhiked to San Fabian, ate like a starving dog, and booked two nights at Casa Domo San Fabian for 70 000 CLP. Nice accommodation, I recommend it. I will rest one day and embark on GPT 08 on Tuesday by hitchhiking back to Los Sauce.
All fjords are easy and all water are reliable.
'''GPT07/2025-12-13 to 2025-12-18/ 5 days + 1 Zero/ SOBO/RR + Variant B + OH 4/Graham'''
Beautiful and challenging section. Was beaten down by the heat, limited sombra for sure.
Variant B to avoid sketchy Horse Trail along cliff.
Stayed at Victor’s Puesto at Km 95. Very nice.
Got humbled by some cows…then got a terrible stomach bug. Took a rest day.
Took Variant L to avoid final climb, picked up by two friendly guys who drive me to San Fabian about 2km from Puente Inglés.
A lot to learn…need more sunscreen!
'''GPT07/2025-12-5 to 2025-12-10/5 days/SOBO/RR/variant L Denis and Robert'''
We had police control while entering Carrizales. Resupply in Carrizales is fine, it is needed to ask to open.
We took the variant L with the hope that we would catch the first bus at 7:30 or so , but the first bus went at 10 am even there is written 9 at e the bus. 1000 pesos per person
Overall it was very easygoing section, with option to resupply. No conflicts about right of the way. Water almost everywhere, no big river fording. Many puestos and arrieros all around the trail.
Difficulty 2/5
Attractiveness 3/5
*'''2025-08-09: Track file update 2025 and investigation suggestions of Jan Dudeck'''
- The southern terminus of the regular route was updated in 2025 to minimize road walking. The regular route now suggest the trail on the eastern side of the of the valley adds a 600 m climb. Exhausted hikers might take Variant L (previous regular route) which is the gravel road to El Ingles.
- GPT07 Option 3 (Camino Valle Melado) and Option 4 (Termas Las Zorras): At the beginning or the end of the season, the options 3 and 4 offer a lower and shorter route with presumably more feasible river crossing. It's a lot more road walking but certainly faster.
- GPT07 Option 6 (Las Truchas) and Option 7 (Cordillera la Mortandad): Southbound hikers that have enough food left might take these options. Option 7 was updated in 2025.
==Season 2024/25==
*'''2025-02-14 to 2025-02-23 / 9 days / Hiking / SOBO / Option 3 (Atajo Camino Melado), RR / Eric and Jakob'''
Route:
We chose to start with the Option 3 (Atajo Camino Melado) because we wanted to have more options to resupply so we can reduce the weight in our backpacks. We hitchhiked from the shop in Los Alamos to the start of the option, which saved us some kilometres on a pretty big and busy street. The option is not very pretty since it simply is a very long gravel road. Many people stopped and asked us if they could give us a lift. Would probably save around two days when taking a lift instead of walking the whole street. In Carrizales we went back to the main route.
Permissions:
No Permissions needed.
Resupply:
Resupplying on this section is easier than on GPT06. On the Option we had a couple of small shops which allowed us to stretch our food supplies for another couple of days. The shop in Carrisales owned by Dagoberto also sold pasta. We also came across another Irma which is on the optional route (S 35 59.577 W 070 57.394). She owns a shop and was really nice. She allowed us to camp in her garden, cooked dinner as well as breakfast for us and provided us with a bathroom. At the marked point at km 86.4 “Irma” we bought six pieces of bread for 2000 Pesos. She also sold cheese which we didn’t buy. After the second Irma there is no other possibility to resupply. When finishing GPT07 we went to the Shop at Puente el Ingles but it didn’t provide enough food for us to resupply for the next Section. So we asked the owner of the shop (Rigo) if he could drive us to a supermarket in San Fabian which he did for 60 euros. Normally one could also take a bus to San Fabian but since we arrived on a Sunday no buses were travelling to San Fabian.
Attractiveness: 2-3/5
Difficulty: 2/5
* '''GPT07 / 2025-02-27 to 2025-03-03/ 4.5 days / NOBO / RR until Carrizales / Mara & Tobias* '''
We did the 100 km stretch from Puente Inglés to Carrizales. In Carrizales we got a lift to Talca after 2 hours of waiting. At Irma’s Puesto we bought goat cheese and meat. It has been a beautiful section without difficulty’s or right of way conflicts.
* '''2025-FEB-19 to 2025-FEB-22 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / 01K + RR / Martin'''
I went exploring Cascada Invertida in the morning and then started from there around noon. At first I wanted to hitchhike to Maule and start from there, but there were very few cars and nobody stopped. So I started from 01K. There is a gate and a guard as it’s some kind of construction site. It was difficult to explain to the guard what I want from him (I don’t speak Spanish), but eventually he got it and let me enter. This option is actually quite nice, gradually going up to a pass. And then down to a valley that was full of cows.
The rest was mostly straightforward, but as usual, you always need to focus on what is the right path. First day I camped a 100 m before Camp [44.6/1604].
Second day I got to Carizales. The shop was empty, but I went to the nice holiday house next to it and the lady was there, sweeping. So she went to sell me stuff. I had enough food, so just bought Coke and a chocolate bar. I camped around km 81, right after the ford, next to the “road”. Good spot.
Third day, I arrived at Irma’s in an hour. There were quite a lot of people. I bought cheese and bread. The section along Laguna del Dial was exhausting with constant up and downs. I camped a but up from the lake, at Camp [114.9/1727].
On the final day, I was hoping the trail would get better and better. And it did. Apparently people walk here, many foot steps. But only met a few people despite it being weekend.
I got to El Ingles at 18:30, so decided to stay there and take the 7:30 bus all the way to San Carlos. The camp was 5000. The guy running the place was friendly and showed me a nice quite place in the camp.
* '''2025-JAN-24 to 2025-JAN-28 / 4.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Elijah & Michael'''
The section went quickly with lots of 4x4 roads & moderate grades. The police in Carrizales guided us to a shop with limited but sufficient resupply, and heavily fruited plum trees lined the road into & out of the village. Irma sold us magnificent goat's cheese. Camping at Laguna Dial was a highlight.
The bus was not running from Puente Ingles on a Tuesday morning; however, we were able to hitch into San Fabian and return to Puente Ingles on the bus the following day at 2 pm (1,000 CLP). The shop at Puente Ingles sells a limited resupply as well as snacks and drinks.
* '''January 9 to January 15, 2025 / 7 days / Hiking / SOBO / from Border Control: 01C, 01B, 01, 02, RR, 06C, RR, 06H, 07 / Peggy'''
Interesting stage, sometimes monotonous, but with pleasant surprises as well. A few encounters with arrieros and lots of animals, but fairly isolated due to the chosen options. Challenge: the heat.
River crossings went well, except for the Río Guaquivilo on option 02 (42.1/1284). I arrived there around 5 PM, found it too strong for me, and decided to wait until the next day. That evening, there was a storm, so the next day the river was even higher, more turbulent, and less clear. I tried to find a better crossing point and regretted not taking the trail on the other side, which avoids crossing the river (I assumed it wasn’t listed as an alternative—perhaps because sections of the bank had collapsed into the river?).
In the morning, I spotted an arriero with his horse and dogs on the opposite bank, regretted my decision even more, and initially planned to either find a crossing point upstream or backtrack all the way to the ford (35.2/1382) to take the trail on the other side. After some wandering and observing, I noticed fresh horse and dog tracks that showed they had crossed upstream of the ford (42.1/1284). Following these tracks (thank you, rain, for making the tracks fresh and visible), I found a perfect crossing spot.
I’m sharing this because it was a valuable learning experience for me. Unfortunately, in my excitement at successfully crossing, I forgot to note the GPS point—but I estimate it was about 200 meters upstream.
I wonder if the trail on the opposite bank near the ford (35.2/1382) is passable?
Laguna del Dial: No one was there (probably due to the previous night’s storm). Lovely campsite (104.5/1607). Great swimming spot.
Option 06C: Stunning view at the pass and the valley on the other side. For me, this option is absolutely worth it. Start the climb before the pass (118.2/2013), unlike the GPS track, which descends, then climbs back up. Still, it’s doable either way!
At the start of the season, the campsite (6.0/1714) was flooded. I arrived late and didn’t go further but found a spot across the river where I cleared rocks and plants to pitch my tent.
Pleasant trail along the Río González on the RR.
Option 06 and 06H: Campsite (3.9/1282) with plenty of bivouac options. A beautiful and enjoyable spot amidst trees. Lovely waterfalls. I followed the path that stays on the right side of the river, avoiding the ford, and descended after an hour to see the marmitas.
Up to km 33 (intersection with the trail to the lakes), the path is easy to follow. After that, it gets a bit tricky but is still manageable. At this intersection, there was a cairn, which I assumed (from the map) led to the lakes. I turned left, following the GPS track. There was no trail or even a hint of one. Later, I crossed a trail with cairns, then lost it again, and so on.
I wondered if the cairned trail at the intersection with the riverside path might be the one to follow for 06H. Does it perhaps branch off left a bit further? It seems that on one side of the pass, there’s the GPS track for 06H, and on the other, a trail with cairns. For me, using a combination of the GPS track, the cairned trail, and my own reading of the terrain worked well. It was even fun, and the area is stunningly mineral.
However, the descent on the other side was an entirely different story.
At first, I followed a marked trail with cairns and animal tracks. After a while, I realized I was far off the GPS track, which was now higher up and behind a ridge. The trail I was on wasn’t on any map, the cairns became sparse, and I wasn’t confident in the animal tracks. So, I cut across the mountain to rejoin the GPS track without climbing back up.
This off-trail section was initially relatively easy: downhill on sandy, rocky terrain with shrubs and bamboo, which was manageable. But after that, it became much harder. The easiest route (or not?) was through the riverbed—first dry, steep, rocky, and slippery. Then the final section had water, tall plants, and thorny bushes. It was challenging and exhausting. I must have fallen about twenty times! I ended up experimenting with different ways of falling!
I was so relieved to reach the bottom—and absolutely exhausted!
It was a good first off-trail (CC) experience on the GPT for me, but I wonder if the trail I initially followed up high might be a better option. Worth trying?
* '''25-01-19 - 25-01-20 / 2 days / SOBO / 01C-01D-01E-RR / Volker'''
Laguna Maule to Corrizales
