Cambios

Coñaripe is a alternative start of section 11 for packrafters and the first of the 8 sections with signficant significant packraft use. Starting with section 11 before December gives you the advantage of floating down the rivers with a comfortable high river-water-level during snow melt.

If you do not carry a packraft but wish to start in late October or November Liquiñe would be a good choice. Liquiñe is a village full of thermal springs and situated on the Hiking-Only-Option of section 11. This start avoids the potentially dangerous river-crossings of the first 3 sections and the rather high and exposed mountain passes of section 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 10. Once you reached the finish of section 18 you can travel by bus to the start of section 1 an and hike all the way to the point from where you started the track.

On sections 5 to 10 the trail crosses the distribution range of the [[#Traditional Food|Araucaria tree]]. Between February and April the cones of these trees can be harvested and provide plenty of nutritious free food that you do not need to carry on your back. If possible arrange to cross sections 5 to 10 between February and April. This is one more very good reason for an early start on section 11 because then you can finish in the Auracaria distribution range in late summer or early autumn and feed yourself like a food gatherer millennias millennia’s ago.

See the [[#Section Information and KMZ Files|Section Information]] below that provides an oritentation orientation when each section is best be hiked.