GPT28H (La Tapera)

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* '''Start Date to Finish Date (use Format YYYY-MMM-DD) / Duration in Days / Hiking or Packrafting / Travel Direction (SOBO for Southbound or NOBO Northbound) / Chosen Route and/or Option Name (RR for Regular Route) / Names or Alias'''

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Overview

• General Recommendation: Rio Cisnes at La Tapera is normally not fordable early in the season. Best to wait until January & go NOBO. If you can cross Rio Cisnes the other fords should be easy.

• Update Jan Dudeck November 2023: A bridge had been build over Rio Cisnes. This makes the route suitable somewhat earlier in the season. Also, the minor road is improved and partly re-routed.

• https://www.radiosantamaria.cl/2023/10/23/puente-mecano-conectara-a-habitantes-de-villa-la-tapera-y-lago-verde/

Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions

Season 2024/25

• 2024 Nov 29th to Dec 5th / 6 hiking days & 1 zero day / SOBO / Hiking / RR + detour via new bridge / Michael and Kasia

Quick notes: A very pretty section, also a good warmup section. We found water very consistently, though in a few places finding decent camping next to water was a challenge. We went SOBO, but in our opinion hiking NOBO would have been visually more appealing. The new bridge which bypasses the ford over Rio Cisnes involves a detour off the GPT tracks, but is easy to find and follow.

CAMPS

Night 1: -44.28301, -71.86381 (nice space, flat area, good water access, minimal wind protection)

Night 2: -44.32724, -71.89015 (forest camp, excellent wind protection, no water for 500 m)

Night 3: -44.36489, -71.86605 (next to road, good water access, so-so wind protection, depends on the direction of the wind)

Night 4: -44.44130, -71.82765 (next to road, okay view, good water access, poor wind protection)

Night 5: -44.51738, -71.73189 (flat space for maybe two tents, very good wind protection, water is 300 m away, close to a good view over the lake)

Night 6: same as night 5

WATER In early December there was water almost every two km except in a couple of stretches. A lot of it did seem to be snow melt, and the snow was disappearing. In later months water may be more scarce.

Day 01 - Nov 29th We left late. It was sunny and there was a breeze but no real wind. No cars were on the road, just a few horses. It's a very pretty walk. There were several unmarked water points along the way, however I don't know if these will disappear later in the season since they didn't have a lot of water going through then. The first few km were gravel, then at the Private Property sign you leave the road and go onto a trail. There were a few unmarked fords, all very easy, just deep enough to not be dry for crossings. We ended up camping in a flat grassy area next to a steam 5.5 km in, just before the first steep up. It was a really lovely spot. There's not much wind protection in the valley, but we had a windless night, so it was very pleasant.

Day 02 - Nov 30th We got a late start again. Before we packed up, a group of arrieros drove a herd of cattle through where we had camped. There is a steep up About 0.5 km after the Settler at 7.0 there was a bridge and water. We did not find water again until the river at Ford 13.3. After the big metal gate there was a fork in the road and a sign for Tapera to the left side of the fork, which was different from the GPT track, and not a road on OSM. We took it and it meets up with the GPT track very soon, so it doesn't matter which side you take. Shortly after the two paths meet again we spotted a bunch of Quiñoto, the spherical mushroom that grows on the beech trees. We harvested about a pint of it. Raw, there is a faint white button mushroom flavor; cooked almost no flavor at all. It was fun to collect, Kasia enjoyed the mushroom flavor, and I enjoyed the texture, which is a little chewy and a little gelatinous, but it isn't something we would ever buy or seek out. Camp 12.9 should be marked Camp Without Water. It is about 400 m one way to the nearest water and it is a rather steep hill, so not exactly convenient. It also has very little wind protection,though a spectacular view. It started to rain a bit and the wind was picking up when we arrived at that point. We headed back toward the beech forest and found a place to camp there. It was even further from the water but was warmer than out on the plateau and had excellent wind protection.

Day 03 - Dec 1st For the third day we went a fairly short distance. The Ford 13.3 was easy, mostly half calf, up to my knee at one point, and the current wasn't very strong. We found water about every two km or so. We made it to the Water 20.2 mark and camped just on the far side of it under some trees near a fire circle.

Day 04 - Dec 2nd Woke up to a sunny morning. At km 21.37, there is a road down to a puesto and a field. It has good river access and looks like camping would be possible, though we didn't walk down to check. We saw a few other nice potential camp sites along the way, but it was too cold to enjoy a zero day. In warmer months it would be nice. A really beautiful forest walk for a couple km. There is a river flowing through the valley that does not show up on Gaia or the OSM maps on the Garmin. I think it might be largely seasonal from snow melt. Many, many unmarked fords, all easy, about half calf or less. I think many of them are snow fed and disappear later in the season, or are at least dry-foot crossable. The plateau at the top was amazingly beautiful, with snowy mountains and views of a mini Torres. The road was often muddy, but otherwise clear and easy to follow. We camped at km 31.4 a little down from the plateau. It had minimal wind protection so not ideal, but we came to yet another unanticipated ford and decided we needed to call it a day. Fortunately it was a windless night.

Day 05 - Dec 3rd At Ford, Puesto 39.4 there is a fork in the road, the left going to a ford, the right going to a gate to the puesto. We went through the gate and were met by Jango, a very friendly guy. He built a private road that he invited us to use. It runs up above the river for about 2 km before dropping back down and reconnecting with the public road and the GPT track just after Ford, Camp 40.9. It skips the forest walk and multiple fords, but does give some amazing views of the mountains. The road is new, so right now a fairly ugly scar. It's a good option if you want to skip fords, or if you prefer mountain views over forest walk. Camp 41.6 should be marked Camp Without Water. We did not see any streams nearby and the river is over a cliff. We walked to Lake, Camp 47.7. We aren't really sure where someone would camp there as the area wasn't that flat, had thorny bushes around, and was fairly wind exposed. Just as the road is about to leave the lake and go into the next valley, there is a footpath heading along the east side of the lake. We followed that all the way back and up and found a protected clearing with a decent flat space. Water was about 300 m away, but I would not recommend camping close to the lake, at least in early December. It seems to be mosquito breeding season. There were thick clouds of them all around the lake. In the clearing there were very few. There was some wind in the night, but it mostly passed right over us.

Day 06 - Dec 4th Zero day in the same spot. This proved to be a well protected spot from wind. There were periods of the day with strong gusts overhead, but the tent barely moved. It was also a few degrees warmer than just over the hill or down next to the lake. Few mosquitos, but a lot of small black flies. It sprinkled throughout the day, but no real rain.

Day 7 - Dec 5th Rain in the forecast so we wanted to get across the river ford before it started. The ford at 51.4 was intimidating but not difficult, it's just a very long ford, but most of the time it was half calf, in a few spots knee height and the current was not that strong. From Lake, Camp 59.0 we did not find water again until the new bridge at Rio Cáceres. It rained a lot from mid day on, so we decided to just push on to Tapera. The new bridge is not on the current GPT tracks. If heading SOBO, at around km 64.8 a new road intersects the one that the track files follow. If you take the new road heading east (go left), in about 3.5 km you cross a bridge. If you continue to follow it, going right at the T intersection, you come to a second bridge, then follow the main road west. You will pass the aeródromo, then enter La Tapera from the E rather than the N. This route is approximately 4 km longer than the GPT track between the same two points. After the T intersection there was traffic. We managed to get a hitch and were in Tapera around 18:00. We stayed at Hospedaje Mary, very nice and accommodating hosts.

There are at least 6 shops of various sizes in town and two other places marked Hospedaje. We found the tall skinny gas recharges in three shops from 3800 to 4200, best price at the Super/ferriteria next to the panadero. The guy at the super said he sometimes had the threaded cans, but they weren't in stock when we were there. Shops usually close from about 13:00 until 17:00 for lunch, so take that into account if you are not planning on staying the night. We looked at the ford the next day. It was not possible to say without attempting it, but it did not look fordable at this time. It looked like it might be possible to camp near the ford point. There were a few small picnic shelters along the river.

Season 2023/24

• From 2024-02-03 to 2024-02-04 // 2 days // Hiking // NOBO // RR // Quentin Clavel

This section is composed all the way of minor road, very easy to follow, it was pretty pleasant and smooth !

Few fords/rivers to cross, all of them easy. Even more at this time of the year, I haven't got any trouble. Deepest one was Rio Cisnes, just at the beginning of the section, after La Tapera, hip level but not big current. End of the section on a smaller horse track then on the gravel road till Lago Verde.

Minimarket in Lago Verde, with pretty much everything you need. Happy to find gaz there ! And you can pay with CC.

Haven't seen any bridge as mentionned by radio Santa Maria. Not exactly sure where it is, and not sure it's above Rio cisnes, but maybe above Rio Cáceres.

But yeah, few kilometers after La tapera you're following and crossing a big building area, and they're constructing the road.

Season 2022/23

• 2023-Mar-15 to 2023-Mar-17 / 2.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Martin & Helena

Definitely one of the easiest sections. Its basically all MR walking, but we were again surprised by the surrounding landscape that we found really attractive actually.

Just a few comments: at the settlement km 4 you need to leave the MR, and from there its more like a trail until the settlement 3 kms further. Camp at km 12.9 is nice and very similiar place is behind the ford (very easy), before the start of the ascent. Ford 39.4 can be done without entering the property of settlement, MR crosses the river before the entrance. No water at km 42.5 at this time, the next one was near the puesto km 45.4. No problem with other fords in mid March.

In La Tapera are a few shops, nothing big, but enough to resupply. Two places with comidas - completos, sandwiches and other fast-food things. One of them accepts cc. Also at least 2 accommodations, one of them was full, but the other was in a blue house, cost 15k CLP pp with wifi and hot water, nice and clean + amazing guests.

Contact: @martin_hanzelka @helenneka

• 2023 Feb-1 NOBO 2 days Frank

Rio Cisnes was easily fordable in early February, less than knee deep. I was surprised how much it had dropped - in November it was head height. All fords less than knee deep when I went through. Early on day 2 I reached a settlement at ford 39.4. Don't ford the river here but go right just before the ford on a small road which leads to another, easier ford & bypasses the settlement. You rejoin the RR after the easier ford. When you are nearing Lago Verde it's quicker to go left on the optional route which leads straight to Lago Verde without going through Argentina. You go through a puesto but there was no one there.

Resupply and Accommodation

Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns

• There is a supermarket on the square in Lago Verde. A couple of small & very basic shops in La Tapera.

• A couple of cafes in La Tapera. The hostal by the square in Lago Verde does a good evening meal.

• No exchange facilities in La Tapera or Lago Verde. You can pay with CC in some places but best to bring cash.

Transport to and from Route

• There is a bus at 10AM on Wednesday, Friday & Sunday from Coyhaique to La Tapera. It returns from La Tapera to Coyhaique on the same afternoons.

• There are two buses a week from Lago Verde to La Junta on the Carratera Austral or you can hitch. Not too many vehicles but they usually stop.

Links to other Resources

Retired Section Article GPT28H - La Tapera