53
ediciones
Cambios
sin resumen de edición
==Season 2025/26==
*''' 2025.04.12 to 2025.08.12 / 4 days / SOBO / Opt 2A + RR + Var F + Var G + Opt 4 (Ruta Este) / Kris and Stiina '''
We connected the GPT08 and 09 via Option 4 (Ruta Este) recommended by Jan. Termas de Chillán to Trapa Trapa total 5.5 days. 4 days for GPT08 and 1.5 days for GPT 09.
Day 1 - Option 2A from Termas de Chillán. We started in Santiago taking 8:00 bus to Chillán and after 7h of bus rides we got to the start of the trail a bit after 16:00.
You have to go to a different bus station for the rural buses, bus schedule posted by Volker in earlier comments.
As it was already getting late we didn’t go down to fumaroles and took the higher trail unmarked as a variant but is on the map. A few easy snow patches on the way up. There is also and unmarked ford of Rio Diguillin around here (-36.90740, -71.37185) however we crossed it a bit higher up, late in the afternoon the water was really murky and fast flowing but just below the knee, easy, we are 184cm and 175cm. After that we took the trail that is on the map but is also not marked as a variant and follows the river which is not named but starts from the pass higher up. We forded it here (-36.91003, -71.36669) and camped pretty much right after it on a flat spot. The marked Camp {08} [42.6/2087] was nice looking from a distance but was actually on a wet ground. Great views of the Volcán Chillán Viejo, calm night.
Day 2 - Since many people recommended to visit Camping Los Peucos that was our goal for the day. The first “Ford {08} [47.7/1390]” of Rio Diguillín on RR was easier, the river was clear now and the water level was just below the knee. The second “Ford {08} [48.7/1334]” was a bit more challenging and the water was about waist deep. We managed to cross it individually. Tabanos (horseflies) wanted to introduce themselves relentlessly and pretty much became the theme of this section. Regardless of how many you “get rid off” same amount appears a few minutes later, like some sort of dark magic.
Camping Los Peucos was unfortunately still closed but there were other equestrian tourists camping there and no signs forbidding it, so we camped there anyway. The termas were really nice though the big one in the middle was way too hot to even stand in it. Luckily there were plenty of others to choose from, we really enjoyed a relaxing evening soaking ourselves in the termas.
Day 3 - Easy first half of the day mostly walking along the minor dirt roads. Fords on Rio Los Peucos very easy, shin deep. We took the Variant F and it was easy to follow and seemed well trodden the unmarked ford of Rio Polcura at (-37.06842, -71.39166) was really wide and just above ankle deep but very very cold, pain inducing.
After that the Variant F rejoins an even better traveled minor road. Two carabinieros cars passed us one stopped and asked how we are doing and where we are headed. They said if we need anything there is a police post just up the road, perhaps they meant this one “Police ? {08-H} [7.0/1357]”, however we didn’t plan taking the Variant H.
We also met 4 arieros on horses going the other way.
And we also took the Variant G staying on the minor road, I think the views were better from the road higher up rather than going trough the bushy valley.
The junction at “Trailhead {08} [80.8/1248]” is easy to miss if you are not paying attention.
The trail seemed barely traveled and for us this was the most difficult part of the section GPT 08. From: “Trailhead {08} [80.8/1248]” until about “Water {08} [83.2/1599]” - very steep, very hot, very thorny and overgrown - death by 1000 cuts type of trail (we were dressed inappropriately- shorts and shirts) and a lot of relentless tabanos trying to get a juicy sweaty piece of you at any cost. The water at 83.2 was a better lunch spot than the one before. Towards the “Pass {08} [84.5/1744]” once the trail entered more into forest it improved but there were a quite a few fallen trees, over the trail. It felt like if noone will maintain this trail it might disappear in the future. The trail improved going down from the pass.
A nice open valley with the first glimpses of Laguna Laja, however many cows in the valley some with young calves and there were a few bulls aswell. They weren’t agressive but very cautious and protective and we had to keep a safe distance to not provoke them.
We camped at (-37.19790, -71.31353) in the riverbed, pretty much the beginning of Option 4 (Ruta Este). Very windy evening but then the wind died and the night was completely still. We thought we avoided the cows.
Day 4 - We were woken up by about 10 cows “snorting” about 10m from our tent, not the most comfortable of the situations but it also was not our first rodeo, at least it wasn’t a one ton bull standing 2m away. We just stood our ground (kept lying in the tent) and waited for the cows to chill out which they did and eventually they moved onwards with their day and so did we.
We picked up the minor road that didn’t last for too long but we found what would have probably been a better campsite, not exactly at the coordinates but somewhere in this area (-37.21556, -71.30563). There was also some sort of abandoned small building across the road.
The minor road descended into the lake and for more or less the reminder of the coastal walk we stayed right on the coast as much as possible as there the ground was more solid underneath and we could still walk pretty fast. The lake had a lot of “terraces” on the side where the water had been at some point and sometimes to avoid obstacles or the path right on the coast disappeared we walked on those but they were soft beneath the foot and made the walking a bit more difficult. There were a few bluffs to go over but those were easy. Most of the lake side walk though CC was pretty easy and it did get a bit dull at some point.
Another potential campsite on the lake shore that we saw, approx. in this area: (-37.23748, -71.28333).
We also saw a few fishermen boats on the lake that later passed us at the distance and didn’t seem interested in us. They had their camp set up in Bahia El Colorado right before the “Ford {08-04} [12.5/1379] (Estero Colorado)” by the time we got there, we could see they were all fishing higher up the river so we didn’t talk to them.
Approximately the last km until the ford the coastal path disappears and the going gets a bit harder on a scree slope but it was because we stayed a bit too low. Higher up there was some sort of a minor road again, that came back out of the water but because the beginning of it looked a bit overgrown we didn’t take it. Later though it seemed better and we joined it but should have done it earlier.
The ford itself was fast flowing but shallow and easy.
A bit after that the day was getting hot so we took a dip in the lake and the temperature of the lake surprisingly was warmer than expected, but still invigorating.
After that we continued CC along the coast not following the gpx even though I can now see on the satellite that there was some sort of a trail higher up. We went along the coast almost all the way to the Estero Rucos and then turned up the valley towards the “Ford {08-04} [15.9/1397] (Estero los Rucos)” I don’t think that doing it this way was much slower. We forded the river a few times already lower down looking for the best way up the valley, the fords were very easy.
We had a lunch in the bushes near the ford and I believe it’s possible to find a campsite there aswell. The tabanos around here were vicious and they pretty much accompanied us all the way along the ridge walk that followed.
After that came a steep and very hot climb up to the ridge, there appeared some sort of a trail around here (-37.25442, -71.23348) but then we lost it and just aimed straight up for the trail that we could see higher up. Once we got to it it led us all the way to the ridge, though in some places we deviated from it to avoid some bushes.
The trail continued to where the Option 4A joins the Option 4 and went down in the valley. But we wanted to stay on the ridge and it was a very easy CC along the ridge with some really amazing views of Volcán Antuco, Sierra Velluda and the Laguna Laja.
There was also a very good Movistar signal here (-37.30267, -71.24928).
It got a bit harder going when the ground turned more soft under the foot walking on the loose pumice. It was challenging going up but very fun, fast and easy going down. Once we were approaching the pass (-37.36012, -71.25679) we could see trails reappearing crossing the pass and it was a well traveled path down to Estero los Timones. The moment the trail descended into the valley there was a 4x4 track going up the valley and continuing along the Option 4. We forded the little estero around here (-37.36871, -71.25077) and set the camp up right there on the slightly elevated ground on the river bed. It was nice and flat but sandy and a bit exposed to the wind. The wind luckily once again died down for the night and after a mega day I believe I had one of the best nights sleep ever.
Day 5 - In the morning we picked up the 4x4 track we saw yesterday and followed it hoping that the Option 4C would be possible to save us some unnecessary km. The option 4C was under the lake but a bit further we could see a possible crossing. We deviated from the Option 4 at around here:(-37.38999, -71.25340) to shortcut across and saved extra 5km of walking. There was a small ford in the middle of the crossing (-37.39198, -71.25376).
After that we picked up again the 4x4 track that roughly matched the Option 4.
We didn’t miss out on the opportunity to have another dip in the lake with view of the Volcán Antuco across, it was very refreshing and water felt a degree colder than yesterday in Bahia El Colorado.
After that started the loose sand section for about 10 km even though there was still a 4x4 track the ground beneath it wasn’t compacted and walking took some extra effort. Here we mostly followed what for us looked the best, not the track or the gpx. The 4x4 track went off the main Option 4 around where the Option 4D is drawn.
There were a few minor fords along the way. At the ford around here (-37.47633, -71.26346) we had lunch with some shade a bit higher up this side valley.
Our map showed that there is a trail coming down from this valley and after the lunch we picked it up just before the GPT 08 - Option 4 joins the GPT09 RR. We didn’t see any actual trail joining from the GPT09 RR.
This is where for us the GPT08 ended and GPT09 started. (Continued in section 09 log)
Option 4 - difficulty 4/5 attraction 5/5
Since most of it is CC with just occasional track or trail resemblances a lot of it on loose sand and some places steep, it gets 4/5. It wasn’t as difficult as some of the sections we have done. The views and lake swims were definitely worth it.
Section GPT08 in general - Muchos tabanos, more water than marked, good walking, great views.
For more stories of the trail, pictures, videos and in case you want to ask us anything you can find us on Instagram: @smallfootprint_bigadventures
*'''2025-08-09: Track file update 2025 and investigation suggestions of Jan Dudeck'''
