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==Season 2024/25==
*'''2025-APR-7 to 2025-APR-12 / 5.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + var. 01 / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''
Due to time constraints, we chose variant 01, which mostly follows minor roads. It’s an easy section with little elevation gain, alternating between oceanfront paths, forests, and the endless plains of the Patagonian steppe. Given the time of year nighttime temperatures often dropped below freezing.
*Challenges:
Nothing particularly difficult. The only thing worth mentioning is the strong wind, which is to be expected at this latitude in Patagonia. In the last two kilometers of section OH-TL&CC-A {47-01} [3.6+7.8], there’s a short boggy segment followed by some easy bush-bashing leading to a minor road.
*Bivouacking:
Due to the wind and vast pastures, finding a good bivouac spot can sometimes be tricky, but it’s definitely possible. The route passes by settlers’ properties, and we occasionally asked for permission to pitch our tents. Nice bivouac spots in this stage include:
• -52.03259, -72.30243 (a lovely spot by the water on the edge of the steppe)
• -52.20893, -71.67792 (a pleasant place under trees, close to a river)
There’s a puesto (shelter) at -52.0291667, -72.1927778, but it wasn’t in great shape. Another one at -52.3994691, -71.4980076 was quite decent. Both were open.
*Water:
At first, we were worried that water might be the main issue of this stage, as both the track files and other resources show very few water sources—and the region mostly consists of dry Patagonian steppe. We often carried way too much water. In the end, we discovered there’s actually plenty of water, it just takes a bit of planning. For easier planning, we mapped out 19 water points, listed here from north to south:
• -51.94381, -72.38701 (stream)
• -52.04421, -72.35813 (stream; there’s also a closed puesto nearby)
• -52.03259, -72.30243 (stream, nice bivouac spot)
• -52.03161, -72.26806 (stream)
• -52.02067, -72.20339 (stream)
• -52.02865, -72.14790 (stream)
• -52.07453, -71.86703 (stream)
• -52.09584, -71.83200 (stream)
• -52.09217, -71.80102 (stream)
• -52.13401, -71.76931 (stream)
• -52.15825, -71.75659 (stream)
• -52.16332, -71.75330 (stream)
• -52.20930, -71.67833 (river ford, with a nice bivouac spot nearby)
• -52.29721, -71.58234 (stream)
• -52.37856, -71.53030 (stream)
• -52.41455, -71.46598 (stream)
• -52.45176, -71.43205 (stream)
• -52.50542, -71.48710 (stream)
• -52.59825, -71.50352 (stream)
*Resupply:
Puerto Natales has a large Unimarc supermarket, which is a great place to stock up on any kind of supplies. In Villa Renoval, there’s a small store (-52.03781, -71.92276) with only basic goods, but combined with the nearby café (-52.03846, -71.92223) that sells snacks, it’s manageable. The store looked closed, but when we rang the bell, someone came and opened it for us.
Another resupply option is a small but well-stocked shop in Villa Tehuelches (-52.42621, -71.41405), located about 2.5 km off-trail (according to the track files). The end of the stage at Villa Ponsomby also has a small but decently stocked store inside Cafetería y emporio Río Verde. (A bit of a strange schedule: Monday 10:00–20:00, Tuesday to Friday 9:00–20:00, Saturday 10:30–18:00, Sunday 13:00–18:00.)
==Season 2023/24==