Cambios

| This route is recommended for '''hikers that wish to explore and contribute''' an alternative route to the Greater Patagonian Trail. This hiking option traverses the volcanic terrain around the Laguna del Maule and followes follows the particular remote valley El Troncoso near the border to Argentina. <br> <br> We have done a part of this route on horseback. Other parts constitute traditional trails used by local herdsman to drive cattle up the valley El Troncoso. One part is also published by "Sendero de Chile" as "[http://www.senderodechile.cl/senderos/potrero-lo-aguirre/ Potrero Lo Aguirre]". <br> <br> This trail adds 27 km distance, 1200 m ascent and 1300 m descent compared to the regular route of section 2. This alternative incorporates more horse and hiking trails and less roads than the regular route. This alternative includes only 22 km of roads (12 km of paved road and 10 km of dirt road) compared to 43 km dirt road of the regular route making this a potentially more attractive hiking route. We were told that during the summer a small resupply shop opens near the trail at the Laguna del Maule about 45 km after the starting point of this alterantive. Make sure to not get an exit stamp into your passport when passing the border control post near the Laguna del Maule since you remain in Chile.

| This route is recommended for '''hikers that wish to explore and contribute''' an alternative route to the Greater Patagonian Trail. The advantage of this route is the proximity to the lake and the lower elevation making it a potentially saver route in instable weather compared to the regular route high up along the ridge. <br> <br> A good part of the shore of the Laguna de Las Lajas seams flat enough to be hiked before the terrain becomes steep, cliffy and impassable. When searching the trail high up along the ridge we found a hiking and horse trail that appeared to decent to the shore of Laguna de Las Lajas connecting the hikeable part of the shore line with the ridge but we did not had the time to descent this route all the way and record it by GPS. <br> <br> The investigation of this route may be done southbound with sufficent reserve food to backtrack along the shore if the trail up to the ridge can not be found. But an investigation is better done in northbound direction since the start of this route is already recorded and backtracking is shorter and less demanding in case the trail does not continue to the shore of the Laguna de Las Lajas. An investigation may also done when carrying a packraft to circumnavigate the steep and cliffy part of the shore line.

| This investigation project is '''only recommended for explorers''' for which a trail can't be remote enough. <br> <br> Satellite images show horse trails leading up the valley along the Río Ñuble. One trail branches off southbound leading up towards a pass to the valley Las Aguilas. In this remove valley pasture farming was banned some years ago to protect the habitate of the huemules. Only a forward police post remains in this valley. When meeting these police man in the hot springs "Los Peucos" they reported that the old pasture trails fainted away but that the terrain was still passable. The trail file for GPS proposes several potentially hiking options either in the valley Las Aguilas passing the police post or up on the ridge leading to a hidden mountain lake. <br> <br> This exploration project is only recommended for a well experienced small group of self-reliant hikers with sufficent time and food to spend some time searching for a passable trail.

| This investigation project is '''only recommended for explorers''' for which the best trail is the most remote trail. <br> <br> A possible cross-country route may lead along the shore and ridge east of the Laguna de Las Lajas avoiding the dirt road on the western side of the lake. It remains still unclear how much vegetation may slow down the researcher of this route. In some parts smaller patches of forest are visible but large areas of this cross-country route seems to be covers by volcanic ash from the nearby volcano Antuco. Depending on the actual water level of the Laguna de Las Lajas the possible hiking route may alter; as lower the water level as more and as shorter hiking options will be available. <br> <br> This exploration project is also only recommended for a well experienced small group of self-reliant hikers with sufficent time and food to spend some time searching for a passable trail. Carrying a packraft may be a significant benefit to be able to aborted the route research and to return to the road on the western side of the Laguna de Las Lajas.

| This investigation project provides an '''alternative option for packrafters'''. It replaces the longer dirt road on the western side of the Laguna de Las Lajas by a shorter hiking and cross-country trail on the eastern side of the lake. <br> <br> Depending on the actual water level of the Laguna de Las Lajas the possible hiking route may alter; as lower the water level as more and as shorter hiking options will be available. If the water level is exceptionally low if might even be possible for hikers without a packraft to leave the regular route on the dirt road, cross the river to the eastern side of the lake and continue on the suspected shorter hiking and cross-country trail east of the Laguna de Las Lajas.