8
ediciones
Cambios
→Season 2025/26
==Season 2025/26==
'''2026-Jan-27 to 2026-Jan-31 / 5 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR / Kole'''
A tranquil segment; the wide open views of the pass nicely compliment the long closed-in forested sections.
Attractiveness: 4/5; Difficulty: 3/5
Camps:
Night 1: -48.11405, -72.48790 — nice spot on a beach of Lago Christie, but without any wind protection; there could be some sheltered spots in the forest right before
Night 2: Camp {36H} [110.9/500] — lovely sheltered spot on the shore of Lago Alegre
Night 3: Camp {36H} [79.9/876] — some decent flat spaces in the area amongst the trees after the initial Rio Bravo fords
Night 4: -47.62141, -72.46907 — flat sheltered spots right before the Puesto {36H} [53.1/611]
Hitches:
- I departed Villa O’Higgins at 12:00. Got two partial hitches, and a third that took me all the way to the trailhead, X {36H} [142.0/550], arriving at 15:00. On a day with nice weather during high season there seemed to be a decent number of cars driving in the direction of Lago Christie, and so a good chance on hitching all the way to the trailhead. Might be more difficult in bad weather or early/late in the season.
- I arrived to the northern trailhead at Laguna Calluqueo, X {36H} [50.0/553], around 11:00. Luckily it was a nice clear day and so there were several cars around the trailhead and at viewpoints near the Laguna. I walked on the road for a bit and quickly got a hitch from a couple that was returning to Cochrane.
Ford Conditions:
Water levels were high and currents strong after many days of warm weather contributing to snowmelt. All fords along the RR were still able to be crossed, but particularly the ones near the pass (km 81.3 to 77.4) required some trial and error to find a safe line and some careful footing. Ford {36H-B} [1.3/934] (La Picota, often not fordable) along variant B was indeed not fordable, best to stick to the RR higher up along the ridge unless early in the season.
General Notes:
- Challenges include blowdowns in the forested sections that require some CC/BB. Trail was overgrown in parts and at times easy to wander off on cow paths. Many flies on warm, windless days.
- No longer any snow on the pass
- The owner of Puesto {36H} [57.6/667] (Calloqueo) was home
- Also the couple caretaking Puesto {36H} [53.1/611] were home and invited me in for mate and some homemade queso and jam, warm and friendly people.
* <span style="background-color:aqua;">'''2026-01-28 to 2026-01-31 / 4 days / Packrafting / Loop / RP /OP 23 / Daniel.s'''</span>
In short: I started in Cochrane paddled on the lake eastbound until Lake {36H} [52.6/155] (Lago Cochrane), hiked to Lago Brown and paddled Rios Tranquilo and Del Salto to get back towards Cochrane, finished at X {36H-04A} [7.7/314].
Day 1: with 2,5 days of very calm and hot weather ahead I started paddling the little upriver section out of Cochrane, river in at Lake {35} [154.1/156]. The current in the upper parts were too strong for the single packraft to be overcome, so I had to portage. Easiest way is to take out at S 47.22448°, W 072.49745° and put back in at Lake {35} [149.0/193]. The lake itself then was calm all day long. Camped at Lake, Camp {36H-L} [0.0/157] (Lago Cochrane), wich I only recommend in calm conditions.
Day 2: another calm day with a little tailwind in the afternoon. Camped at Settler Abandoned {36H} [52.7/156].
Day 3: hiked to Lago brown, which is all on MR starting from Settler {36H} [53.9/157] (Serafin). Reached there by noon, headwinds too strong already, so I continued walking until someone gave me a lift to Rio Tranquilo. Camped at S 47.40648°, W 072.38180°.
Day 4: put in Rio Tranquilo at S 47.40533°, W 072.37968°, access directly to the river from MR hassle-free. Water level mid high after a few hot days and melting water. The first 2,5 - 3 kms the river fans out a lot and is shallow, expect ground contact and short portage/lining sections if you choose the wrong river-arm. After that short section no problem. I took out just before X {36H} [98.2/349] (River Xersion) at S 47.45777°, W 072.45684° and hiked alon the old riverbed and then through semi-dense brush with cow-paths to put in at S 47.46068°, W 072.47258°. The rest of the river runs fine. No major difficulties, but it wouldn't be packrafting in Patagonia if the wasn't the obvious "occasional tree/log in the water"-warning 😉. Take out and hike across the bridge is straight forward, put in and the rest of the way on Rio Tranquilo and Rio Del Salto is easy. Rapid {36H-23} [42.2/286] was not much of a rapid due to high water level, just some waves. Took out just after and hitchhiked back to Cochrane from Ruta 7.
'''2025-Dec-30 to 2026-Jan-3 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, E, G / Emily'''
A beautiful section, particularly from Glacier Callequeo to the Pass, and around Lago Christie.
The trail is mostly well-defined. There are several sections with a lot of fallen trees, but they’re easily stepped over or passed with CC/light BB on occasion. I found it more bothersome than difficult. Similarly, the sections I had to roadwalk were more monotonous than difficult. No issues with fords; a couple reached my upper thigh/crotch, but all had weak to mild currents. Plenty of water around.
Fortunate to have some great weather - several days of sun and minimal winds. I’d expect that the exposed and swampy sections of the trail would be significantly more difficult in poorer conditions. With the exception of the road and at the Glacier, I didn’t see anyone.
Attractiveness - 4/5
Difficulty - 3/5
Camps (all with decent wind protection and nearby water)
* Day 1 - Settler 36H-23 [33.2/290]. Approx. 1.5km off the RR at 15km. This is an established campground, though there’s currently no sign. Friendly family, flat grass area for tents, big dining/kitchen space with fireplace, showers and toilets. 7.000clp p/n
* Day 2 - Camp [79.9/876] (Approx. 100m before, where there was a flatter spot).
* Day 3 - Camp [110.9/500]. Beautiful spot, highly recommend.
* Day 4 - -48.162416, -72.414089, approx. 138.5km at the puesto marked on OSM. A slightly lumpy but flat spot for 1 tent below the lean-to.
Points of note
* I started from Cochrane around 4.15pm on a weekday afternoon. I was able to get two short hitches but mostly roadwalked. The following morning I hitched with a local guide to the glacier (from ~20km, around 8am). On the roadwalk to Villa O’Higgins (Day 5) I was able to hitch from ~148km, around 9.15am on a weekend).
* After the Puesto at 57.6/667 there’s a bad patch of fallen trees. For the most part the RR was obstructed or not obvious. I instead followed a mix of game trail and RR; whatever was the path of least resistance. Some CC/BB required, which was time-consuming but not difficult.
* Note that there’s no water at 67.3/1041, but plenty at the following waypoint [68.4/1089].
* Only one small patch of snow on the descent from Pass 71.5/1304 - could be avoided if you wanted. I forded [71.8/1262] on a snow bridge.
* There were a lot of fallen trees between ~86.5km to 110km, though as with the day before, they could be bypassed relatively easily with CC. Trail improved thereafter, though is still overgrown in parts/requires detours around fallen trees.
* I bypassed the Puesto at [107.3/479] by cutting across at -47.98615, -72.55851. While there’s no trail as such, there are several game trails and it’s easy CC (more straightforward than the RR at times). I reconnected with the RR at -47.99036, -72.55305.
* Recommend keeping an eye on your GPS after the puesto at ~135km. I followed a clear trail to the right of the RR. While in other instances these game trails usually reconnected to the RR, this one didn’t; required some BB through swamp to reconnect.
==Season 2024/25==
*'''2025 Mar 17 to Mar 31 / 12 hiking days, 3 zero days / SOBO / Hiking / RR, Opt 22A (Glacier Calluqueo), Var B / Michael and Kasia'''
Quick Notes: a nice section, very long so we really had a chance to sink into the wilderness, the trail can be a little tricky at times with all the mud, but overall easy to follow, once we got through the gate we did not see another person until 1 km before the trail met the driving road.
CAMPS:
Night 01-03: -47.60141, -72.49162 (grassy area, flat space for 1 tent, space for more tents if you aren't picky about lumpy ground or a slight grade, nice view, some wind protection, closest water is 300 m away)
Night 04: -47.65599, -72.47866 (about 250 m past Puesto Calluqueo, in a grassy field under trees; look up before choosing camp site as there are a lot of dead branches hanging from trees, water is about 250 m away at the river)
Night 05: -47.70850, -72.49490 (about 100 m before a stop-over puesto, flat space for one tent, another spot nearby closer to the trail, river access is about 150 m away, some wind protection)
Night 06: -47.80911, -72.52036 (Camp 79.9, actually a stop-over puesto, it had a table and fire pit, there was flat space for a couple of tents, closest water was about 200 m away at the estero)
Night 07: Puesto El Burro (km 92.3) (flattish spot for a tent, water is about 200 m away)
Night 08-10: Camp 110.9 (excellent water access, fishing possibilities, nice view)
Night 11: -48.03699, -72.49126 (near Settler 118.9 Margarita Bustos, in the woods, decent wind protection, good water access at the lake)
Night 12/13: -48.09404, -72.49794 (in a forested area near the lake, water access was a stream, decent wind protection, dark and damp, not a site we would recommend)
Night 14: -48.14246, -72.43804 (next to puesto, flat, grassy area with space for several tents, no real wind protection, excellent water access from the river, tons of mosquitos)
WATER: No issues with finding water generally, however in a few spots it was a bit of a walk from camp to get water access.
Day 01 - Mar 17th
We took the subsidized bus from Cochrane to Lago Brown and the driver let us off at the cruz at the northern end of Lago Confluencia [X {36H} 33.9)]. There was only one other passenger on the bus. The driver, Orlando, was very friendly. It was 16 km of gravel road after that. Not the greatest, but there wasn't much elevation gain until the end so we made good time, and the surroundings were quite pretty. Only two vehicles passed us and neither picked us up. It rained a little, was sunny a little, was windy a little, but overall very pleasant weather. The trees were changing color, especially close to the glacier, and the reds of the leaves were really pretty contrasted with the turquoise of the lake. We hiked to the trailhead of Opt 22A. Just across the road to the west was a road heading in and then a gate. There was a flat, grassy area down to the left. We found a flat spot there. There was a house past the gate, but no one was home when I went to ask if it was okay to camp. However, we did not have to go through the gate to get to the area where we camped, there was a small path leading down to the grassy area before to the gate, and there used to be a fence there, but it has been taken down and rolled up, so I think camping here should not be an issue. The downside was that there was no water nearby so we had to walk 600 m round-trip to Rio Pedregoso to get water.
Day 02 - Mar 18th
We left the tent setup and just took a day pack to do Opt 22A (Glacier Calluqueo). About 140 m from the beginning of the route is an unmarked ford of the Rio Pedregoso. It was knee deep where we forded with a fair amount of current. It also has almost no visibility due to the milky quality from all the glacial flour. On the far (east) side of the river, the bank was a fairly flat rocky bank. It looked like it would be possible to camp there with a free standing tent. From the river the trail went steeply up for a bit, then began to follow a forested ridge. After the ridge there was a narrow, exposed traverse for about 400 m, then it returned to forest for most of the rest of the route. At the end of Opt 22A there was a campsite with a stream about 200 m before it. It had some wind protection and a fire ring. We went past the campsite, and the trail actually went another 150 m or so to a nice lookout point. We stopped there to have coffee. On the way back down we walked a little bit of Opt 22B. We returned to camp as the wind picked up and it started to rain a bit. We thought this was a really nice side hike and definitely recommend it.
Day 03 - Mar 19th
We took a zero day. It had rained in the night and there was some light rain during the day. I walked down to the river to get water a couple of times and it was noticeably higher and faster than the day before.
Day 04 - Mar 20th
We started for the gate marked Fin del Camino, and almost immediately had to turn back. The guys from Puesto Calluqueo (we assume) were driving their herd of cows down. Once the cows had passed we went through the gate. The early part of the trail until the first ford was essentially a road and was very easy to follow. Fords were all easy, and we left the water shoes on in between them since they were so close together. After Fence 56.5 the trail became a maze through swampy areas. No one was at Puesto Calluqueo when we passed. We went 250 m or so past it and found a forested area with a flat spot. There were a lot of dead branches and dead trees around. We were able to push some of them over to make the site a little safer. Water access was about 100 m away at the river.
Day 05 - Mar 21st
The day continued the maze of swamp. At one point we had to switch to water shoes to avoid a significant detour. We stopped at the south end of the laguna to have lunch. Just to the east there was a good stream. We heard it before we saw it. We had wanted to get to Camp 68.4, but the day had taken longer than we anticipated, so we opted to camp early and attempt the La Picota ford the following day. We found a flat, grassy spot about 100 m before an unmarked puesto. Water access was about 75 m away at the river which had good access.
Day 06 - Mar 22nd
We took Var B and headed up to the infamous La Picota. The way down to the ford was terrifying. The trail was extremely narrow and steep, and the material slid easily. About half way down I just leaned back into the hill and started to slide down on my uphill leg. The soil was extremely loose and would pile up under my legs quickly. Once a good berm had formed under my back leg, I would pull it out and repeat the process. This created a kind of stair step effect in the hill that Kasia could walk down. The ford itself was actually uneventful, mid calf and with moderate current, and okay visibility. On the way up on the other side we found a lot of really good berries. After the first pass we found a trail that was clear and easy to follow that allowed us to bypass Ford 71.8 and stay on the east side of the river down into the plateau. We stopped to have lunch and set up the tent to dry out. It was sunny and warm with very little wind, so it was very pleasant. The way down from the second pass was easy. The valley was beautiful. The first two fords were dry foot crossable. Ford 77.4 was a little tricky. There was a large rock that the river split around. We crossed to the rock, then went up and over it, down the other side and then through the water again. It was only ankle deep, so not problematic, but the route wasn't so obvious. We just left the water shoes on after that until after Ford 78.9, also easy, mid calf with very little current, though we had to go slow because the water was completely opaque from all the sediment so it was entirely by feel. We should have left the shoes on longer though because the trail shortly started to go through swamp, and then came to an unmarked ford and we had to switch again. We camped at Camp 79.9. The site is actually a stop-over puesto. There was a table, a wind wall and a fire ring. The closest water was about 200 m further along the trail at the estero. There was a fox that came in the night and hung around for awhile, but didn't bother any of our gear.
Day 07 - Mar 23rd
It was a clear, cold morning. There was a thin layer of ice on both the inside and the outside of the tent when we woke up. We started the day in frozen water shoes. There was an unmarked ford (the estero) that is potentially dry foot crossable about 200 m from the camp. The remaining fords were mostly ankle deep, half calf at most, with not much current. The river was very low and the area where the track went through, to the east of the river, looked swampy. We crossed to the west of the river and just went CC for about 2 km, then crossed back over. This worked out well for us. We stopped at Puesto La Pampa for lunch. There was a nice sunny spot to set up the tent to dry out. Water was about 200 m away. There were a ton of mosquitos there. Further along the route, the trail up the hill provided some very nice views on either side. There were a lot of muddy spots on the trail, so slow going at times. We camped at Puesto El Burro, some flat space right around the puesto. Water was about 150 m away.
Day 08 - Mar 24th
It was cloudy and cool with no wind. We walked to Puesto Las Tablas for lunch. Other reports have said there is no water there, however we found water not far from the puesto (-47.92729, -72.56685). Across the grassy field there is a low hill with a few large trees. Just behind it was a stream with good, clean water coming down from the hill up above. As we continued on, there was a lot of mud on the trail and we took our time getting around it to keep our feet dry. We did the CC/BB east-southeast to go directly from 104.7 to 110.9. It took us about an hour. There were many animal paths, so we just selected whichever seemed the most open. It definitely saved some time over going RR the whole way. For us the campsite at 110.9 was just okay. There really wasn't any flat, level space for a two person tent. There is good, easy lake access, but at that time of the year the sun doesn't ever really hit the beach near the site. There were also a lot of mosquitos.
Day 09 - Mar 25th
We decided to take a rest day. We tried fishing but didn't catch anything. Neither of us had ever fished before, so I can’t say we did it correctly.
Day 10 - Mar 26th
We took a day hike over to Rial's place. We had seen The Last Gaucho in Patagonia after last season and wanted to see the place in person. The door to the puesto was just tied shut and it looked as if people were still using the area for cattle. We opened the door to look around, but we saw mouse droppings and rodent chew marks on some things, so we left immediately and re-tied the door. After we had looked around, we followed a plastic water line up to a little stream and then continued on some trails we found. The route was a little above the regular packrafting route and eventually connected with it. We followed the packrafting route almost until the lake, then crossed back over the river and went CC back to RR and back to camp. It was a nice, short day hike.
Day 11 - Mar 27th
The path around the lake was easy to follow. The route provided some nice views over the lake. We arrived at Settler 118.9 (Margarita Bustos) in the late afternoon. There was a corral with a flat, grassy area near the house, but we opted to camp in the woods, both for wind protection, and also because the area near the house had a lot of mosquitos for some reason. There were very few in the woods. No one was at the house, but it did look like someone spends some time there. We took water from the lake.
Day 12 - Mar 28th
The day was cloudy and kind of cold. There was an unmarked ford at around km 119.3. It was mid-calf with very little current. A lot of the trail was in the woods. There were fewer muddy spots than in previous areas. We knew that the following day was supposed to have bad weather, so we planned to camp at Refuge 126.1 (Entre Lagos). As others have stated, a giant tree fell on the puesto a few years back and completely destroyed it. There was no place around the puesto that looked flat enough to camp. Also, the only water we found were two different trickling streams with a lot of mud, both quite far from the puesto itself. We went back down to the lake and looked around there. We finally found a spot that was flat enough, but we had to pull down a couple of rotting trees to make it safe in the event of wind. There was a stream running very close by that was kind of shallow, but clear. It worked well enough as a water source. Most of the forest was made up of fairly thin trees, close together, and a lot of dead branches and trees. We would definitely recommend looking up before choosing a campsite here if wind is in the forecast.
Day 13 - Mar 29th
We took a zero day to wait over rain and wind. It turned out to be not that windy, which was fortunate, but it did rain throughout most of the day.
Day 14 - Mar 30th
In the morning it was quite cold, but at least not raining. In the afternoon we passed by Rubén’s place. He invited us in, but we decided to decline as we were trying to make some distance. He walked us down to the gate and opened it for us, and explained the route. He said sometimes hikers take the wrong path and get lost. We had no issues sticking with the GPT path. There were a couple of places where we had to be creative with getting around water to not have to do a shoe switch. At around km 135.4 (-48.14246, -72.43804) we came out of the woods and found an unmarked puesto. There was also an unmarked ford that needed to be passed to continue. We decided to stop early for the day with the hope of getting the gear dried out. There was a large grass area that was mostly flat and we were able to get the tent up before the drizzle started. Fortunately there was some sun peaking through as well and it was just enough to get the inside of the tent fully dry. We kept our stuff under the large tree next to the river while we waited. The major drawback to this site was there were a ton of mosquitos.
Day 15 - Mar 31st
We started the morning with the ford. Right after the ford we were following the GPT track file, but we ended up at a dead end. There was a fence on our left and we back tracked along it almost until the ford when we saw an opening in the fence. We went through it, then up to a path and it reconnected with the GPT track shortly after that. After that the trail was easy to follow. There continued to be a lot of up and down. Up high the terrain was rocky and exposed. It made for some amazing views, but was also a little tiring as the winds were very strong that day. At around km 138.5 (-48.16224, -72.41415) there was a stop over puesto with a wind barrier and a fire ring. We stopped and had lunch there before continuing. The wind got stronger throughout the day, though fortunately it was not raining. About 1 km before the path connects with the road we met a day hiker going the opposite direction. When we arrived at the trailhead, a couple from Santiago on holiday was just walking up. We talked to them for a couple of minutes and they offered us a ride to O’Higgins. What amazing luck! We arrived in town around 17:00.
*'''2025-MAR-20 / 1 day / Hiking / SOBO / RR+OH (var. 12) / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''
From Villa O'Higgins, we set out towards the Mosco Glacier. However, due to the absence of a trail, we had to turn back earlier than planned. Later, we learned at the information center that the trail is closed after the annual floods and can only be completed with a guide.
The trail is maintained up to Refugio Puesto Rivera, though we still had to climb over several fallen trees. Shortly after joining the final CC&TL section, the river flows along a steep rock face, which we initially attempted to climb. However, due to loose debris, we deemed it too risky and turned back. This section should be passable with a combination of climbing and river fording, but due to other commitments, we decided to return instead. We did not attempt to ford the river.
Challenges: Difficult terrain caused by the Rio Mosco, which recently changed the valley’s landscape due to flooding.
Water: Plenty of water available along the entire route.
'''2025-03-14 to 2025-03-20 / 7 days, 1 Zero / Hiking / SOBO / RR, Option B / Tyson'''
I joined forces with a hiker I met in Parque Patagonia who was hesitant to do it on his own. It made for a great fit as he was a native Spanish speaker which led to amazing interactions with locals on the way that I would not have been able to manage on my own. We hitched on the front and back end avoiding a lot of the road walking, which allowed us to take a zero on Lago Alegre. Overall, the trail was in much better shape than I expected. Quite clear, and well-trodden in most places (with the usual cow trails to contend with at times) and the pass has a lot of cairns. No trouble with water or crossings. Keep an eye out for mushrooms. The best online resource I found for identification was CIEFAP (at your own risk of course). A really special section.
Day 1: [RR] We started out of Cochrane ~9:30. Two hitches got us all the way to Glaciar Calluqueo - massive timesaver. We were on the Ruta by 1pm. We camped at the outlet to a shallow lake at -47.697970, -72.498393. This is next to a shallow still pond, so I imagine this spot can get covered up by mosquitoes at certain times, but they were minimal while we were there. There is a small stream just up the hill with good water.
Day 2: [RR, option B, option D] Up to Paso La Picota. We took option B to Picota, which is only possible when the water is low late in the season. The spot to descend and cross was well-marked with a cairn that had an old shovel and pick stuck in it. On the way to the Pass/Border [71.5/1304] and down to Rio Bravo there were plenty of cairns to help guide the way. We saw some other SOBO hikers who turned out to be a Chilean family led by a swaggering gentleman by the name of Papo. After having the good fortune to cross paths a few times on the trail, we learned that Papo is in fact the owner of a number of the puestos on the Ruta, born and raised in the area. When not out tending his cattle in the wilderness, he has a tourism business (Bajo Baguales), and he and his lovely wife Lorena run Hospedaje Fabiana in Villa O’higgins (recommended). Real salt of the earth Patagones. If you need some inspiration before the hike, check out the documentary “Gaucho” (search “Gaucho Journeyman Pictures” on youtube), featuring a younger Papo. He also has a boat on Lago Alegre. We didn’t ask, but if anyone is looking for a guide, or possibly a boat ride, or to fish with a local, or to arrange a true cordero a palo, I’m sure Papo is the man for it. Just search for Bajo Baguales in google maps. It will point you to a restaurant north of town by that name that currently has his number. Or you could inquire at Hospedaje Fabiana.
All fords were well below the knee and easy. After Ford [78.6/888] we took Option D which is up and over a hill but allows you to skip a couple crossings (my hiking partner was a boots off type..). There is definitely some BB in the option particularly in the beginning. But if you stick closely to the track it was actually surprisingly well trodden and easy to follow for most of it. We stayed near Puesto La Pampa [83.9/820] (unoccupied), where Papo’s crew caught up to us.
Day 3: [RR] We camped in the woods near Puesto Las Tablas [98.4/553] (unoccupied), where Papo’s crew caught up with us again late that night and beat us to the trail the following morning. A NOBO hiker that we didn’t have the chance to meet (Laura?) arrived late in the evening at the puesto. Papo was amazed that he ran into two separate sets of hikers on his trip.
Day 4: [RR] We caught up to Papo where the terrain flattens out between Rio Bravo and the outlet for Lago Alegre. Papo guided us through the shortcut that avoids going down towards Puesto El Depleye [107.4/479], and puts you at Camp [185.7/487]. The shortcut starts somewhere around -47.985545, -72.558281. You’ll see an intersection where the RR goes downhill and the shortcut goes to the left keeping to the current elevation. Lunched with Papo and crew who were finishing up their hike and boating out the next day.
We stayed at Camp [110.9/500].
Day 5: [RR] We zeroed at Camp [110.9/500]
Day 6: [RR] Pretty clear trail going south. No one home at Settler [118.9/486] (Margarita Bustos). Apparently no one lives there now but the property is managed by her son now. We picked some wild yarrow (milenrama) from the pasture for tea later and then moved on. All along the lakes, we also were finding a lot of changle (fungi). At the southern end of Lago Alegre just north of Refuge [126.1/512] we ran into a small group of fly fisherman camped. After chatting, we thought we had a good chance of hitch with them from Rio Perez the next afternoon.
Made it to Don Ruben’s ~6pm, Settler [132.8/525] (Ruben Pradano). A really lovely farm on the water, full of all kinds of animals. Don Ruben rode up after a few minutes of us getting there and greeted us warmly. After a short chat, he offered us his spare room for the night as well as food. We ate beef and tortas fritas, and thanks to my travel companion we were able to talk for quite a while. Don Ruben lives on the ranch full time including through the winter and rarely goes into town. He seemed quite content to have some company. Among other things he told us that there had been some 40 hikers that passed through this past season.
Day 7: [RR] We asked Don Ruben what we could help him with on the farm, and spent about an hour with him chopping some sections of logs into firewood and stacking it. After, we had a bit of mate and went on our way. Made it to X [142.0/550] by ~2pm. There is a picnic table above the road that we made the mistake of stopping at for a snack. As we ate in the rain, we watched two cars pass by that turned out to be our only possibilities for a hitch for the rest of the day. Pro tip: snack on the road.
The rest of the day we roadwalked in worsening weather. Refuge [148.6/464] at the turnoff for Entrada Mayer is quite clean and would make for fine camping, but we went on. Our fisherman friends were not at Rio Perez, so we resigned ourselves to the long roadwalk. Made it to Refuge [156.8/418] just past the bridge. Not nice at all: broken chimney, everything absolutely covered in clay dust, benches too short to sleep on, rodent sign. Amazingly, just before we were about to set up camp in the muck outside the refuge, my hiking companion waved down a single truck passing in the night. We got to Villa O’higgins quite late that night but still managed to get a cabana with a wood stove after inquiring at Mercado San Gabriel.
*'''2025-MAR-8 to 2025-MAR-14 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + var. B + own exp. / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''
Long, wild, and beautiful. The GPT36H Ruta de los Pioneros is undoubtedly one of the most stunning sections of the entire GPT and one of our favorites, as we primarily seek out wilderness, remoteness, and breathtaking panoramas. Apart from two arrieros, we encountered no one on the trail section of this segment, and we even successfully fished in the crystal-clear Lago Alegre. Sections 0-53.1 and 142.0-183.4 are on a gravel road, which is fairly dull, but it can be covered quickly, allowing you to focus most of your time on the trail between these sections, where you'll enjoy views of glaciers and crystal-clear lakes.
We completed the route in six days, sticking to the RR with two exceptions:
1) OH-B between the Ford Start/End points [66.5/867] (Rio Pedregoso) and Camp [68.4/1089]. The only challenging spot is Ford {36H-B} [1.3/934] (La Picota, often not fordable). At the end of the season, the crossing was completely manageable and could even be jumped over.
2) The trail section between kilometers 104.7 - 110.9, where RR unnecessarily directs towards Puesto {36H} [107.4/479] (Rial), can be taken as straightforward cross-country, as noted by Natalie and Lillian before us.
Challenges:
It's hard to pinpoint one main challenge; perhaps just that the entire trail section of this segment is quite time-consuming, and the real elevation gain is much greater than it may appear on the map. This section is an ideal cocktail of all the challenging aspects that the GPT as a whole presents. You definitely need to account for long resupply distances, difficult fords, strong winds and snow, frequent tree crossings, and at times ambiguous navigation in the terrain.
Bivouacing:
We had no problems finding a bivouacing spot along the entire route. You can also use puestos (small simple enclosed shelters) that typically have a table or fire pit. We preferred not to sleep in them due to the presence of mice (hantavirus) and opted to bivouac a short distance away. For example, we bivouacked near Puesto {36H} [57.6/667] (Calloqueo), which is managed by Don Aguilar and is usually closed. He was there, hosted us, and we cooked together. We then slept in the fenced enclosure next to the puesto because he had a bull roaming freely nearby. Bivouacing is also nice near Puesto {36H} [83.9/820] (La Pampa) and Puesto {36H} [98.4/553] (Puesto Tablas) – both were open and can be utilized. The Refuge {36H} [148.6/464] was very pleasant (with a stove and grill).
Water:
Water is not an issue; the trail frequently crosses a stream or river.
Resupply:
1) In Cochrane, there are several shops; we were recommended the Rojita supermarket (-47.2533068, -72.5755978). In the eastern part of the town, there is also a well-stocked supermarket, Emporio Vecino Arno (-47.2508926, -72.5610763). You can also find gas cartriges there. They can reliably be purchased at the ferreteria (-47.2550686, -72.5761167). For food, we recommend Cumbres pizzeria artesanal above the Rojita supermarket. It’s a small pizzeria, but the lady was very nice, and it was definitely the best pizza we had in Chile.
2) In Villa O'Higgins, there are again several shops. We chose the very well-stocked Supermercado Cordillera (-48.4668002, -72.5610119) for buying additional supplies. Directly across the street, there is a ferreteria where you can buy a gas cartrige.
'''25-03-03 - 25-03-06 / 3,5 days / Upper valley of Rio Tranquilo/ Thijmen and Volker'''
We started at Cochrane at 2 p.m. with a driver, who brought us on Ruta X 901, then X903 to the house of the Soto family (Fundo San Lorenzo). It‘s around 2,5 hours to go in a quite remote area. The Sotos are the owners of Refugio Röhrer (Campo de Agostini) in the upper valley of Rio Tranquilo (7k per person). It‘s 2 hours of walk to this great cabin (oven, saw and axe, pans, space for 10, very cosy) and with bresthtaking views on the Cerro San Lorenzo, its glaciar and the Torre Grande.
The next day we went to Paso del Comedor. The pass is on the western side of the valley, south to Torre Grande, which dominates this side. The refugio is at 1020m, the pass at 2000m. First you follow a trail in the forest, then it‘s CC but marked with cairns steep upwards along a creek, later without cairns to a laguna. We surrounded the laguna on its northern end, then walked on a snow-covered glaciar along the western side of the laguna,. Finally we turned right, went up a steep snowfield to reach the pass after another 20 minutes in less steep, rocky terrain. The conditions were quite difficult, snow, that had fallen the days before, started at around 1500m. We scrambled over snow-covered rocks and stones and sunk into the snow up to our knees or even thighs. Navigation was not easy, too. So It took us 5,5 hours with light backpacks to get to the pass. We couldn’t even think about connecting this route to gpt36 OH22b on Laguna Caluqueo. From the pass it’s a long way down on a glaciar. The first part seemed doable, but you definitively need all equipment for a glaciiar. It should be explored going upwards from the laguna in order to have the possibility to return, if it turns out to be too difficult or if the weather isn’t stable. Anyway with backpacks it would be very difficult to do in one day and a camp in high-mountain terrain, possibly on a glaciar, might be necessary. For us it was 3 hours back to Refugio Röhrer on approx. the same way we came.
The next day was rainy in the morning, so we started late for exploration to the glaciar at the end of the valley. The way to the first Laguna is marked with cairns, afterwards we went CC scrambling to the southern end of the second laguna and the waterfall on the left side. We still walked up in very steep terrain in direction of the glaciar, but due to the westher didn‘t try to reach the first seracs, which would have taken another hour, if possible at all. So it was a short day in this stunning upper valley, that makes you feel, that Antarctica is not too far away. The next day we walked down and spent some nice time at the Fundo Agostini of the Soto family, before we walked to ruta X903, There we met a driver from Cochrane, we called from the Fundo (they have starlink).
* ''' 2025-FEV-26 > MAR-01 / 4 jours / Randonnée + auto-stop / SOBO / RR > 36-22A > RR / Pierre-Marie '''
Etape : GPT36
| Meteo : soleil, nuage le dernier jour
| Eau : parfois difficile
| Neige : non
| Intérêt : 5/5
| Difficulté : 3/5
| Danger : chenilles urticantes
Départ de Cochrane à 8h, personne ne s'arrête sur la carretera austral (pas d'eau). Sur la gravel road j'arrive à faire 3km en auto-stop, puis 10km, puis 16km avec un jeune couple allemand adorable qui m'ont déposé à la Laguna Calluqueo vers 12h30. Attention peste aquatique, j'ai bu l'eau du lac mais elle ne contient pas que du sable. Ensuite j'ai passé 5h à faire la 36-22A qui est vraiment géniale (il y a beaucoup de points d'eau après le km 4), puis j'ai campé au km 55,4 pour éviter le ford le matin. J'ai mal au ventre en me levant mais rien de méchant. Ensuite la progression dans la forêt est plutôt lente (~3km/h) à cause des arbres couchés, des zones humides et des buissons. J'ai suivi le sentier toute la journé, il n'y a pas de cross-county. Le sentier a été entretenu récemment et il y a des cairns partout dans la partie rocheuse. Après le pass au km 71,5, il faut suivre le sentier qui descend tout de suite, la trace gps n'est pas bonne et ça évite le ford au km 71,8. Au km 75,4 il n'y a pas de ford. Après le km 79, il y a des moustiques. La pression n'est pas forte mais c'est pénible pour se laver. J'ai moins mangé car je n'avais pas faim, je me couche avec un mal de ventre et je me lève avec un mal de crâne en plus. Après le sentier est aussi bon. Il se dégrade seulement entre les km 103 et 105. Le problème quand on pousse les branches ce sont les chenilles. Beaucoup d'arbres couchés du km 109 au 112. J'ai mal au crâne, au ventre, et j'ai des courbatures, la journée se termine et je suis complètement claqué. Après le settler du km 119 le sentier se degrade un peu mais redevient normal après le km 125,5. En arrivant à la salto Perez, j'ai rencontré deux retraités Italiens très gentils qui ont acceptés de me conduire à O'Higgins. Coup de chance car la route n'est pas frequentée et il n'y avait pas d'autres voitures. A l'hostel El Mosco j'ai rencontré Tamar et Nimrod, nous avons bien discuté, ils sont super gentils.
MAR-02: Repos Villa O'Higgins et médecin.
'''2025-Jan-30 to 2025-Feb-5 / 7 days (indluding 1 zero) / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Sean & Neele'''
Pretty straight forward section so not much to add. All the fords were fine even though it was raining a lot for us. Trail a bit overgrown in places but nothing problematic.
Caught the bus at 11am to junction 33.9km (1,000 clp pp).
Walked on the minor road for 8km before getting a hitch to the mirador at Laguna Calluqueo.
Ford 53.7, 54.8 and 55.4km all below the knee and easy the morning after a rainy day. Good camping on the south side of 55.4km too.
Fords 66.5-66.7km all easy.
Ford 71.8km hopped over.
Camped 150m north of Ford 75.4km (-47.46396, -72.30952) flat dry spot not much wind protection though.
Fords 75.4-81.3km all easy, below the knee.
Camped in the forest just over 1km before puesto 98.4km - good wind protection.
Really nice campsite by the river at 104km (marked on OSM)
Trail by Lago Alegre is pretty overgrown in places.
Camped at 138.5km (-48.09739, -72.24849) stream for water, sheltered in forest.
Walked as far as 150km when we saw the subsidised bus from o'higgins, stopped and waited for it to turn around and caught it on its way back to o'higgins. We didn't see a single car heading towards Villa O'higgins so can imagine it's a tough hitch, at least until you get closer.
* '''2025-Jan-20 to 2025-Jan-24 / 5 days Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option 36H-D/ MiaimZelt'''
Day 1: Took the bus to X {36H} [33.9/336]. Got no hitch and had to hike 3 hours to Laguna Calluqueo. Ford {36H} [55.4/656] was easy and up to my knees.
Same with Ford {36H} [54.8/650]. Puesto {36H} [57.6/667] (Calloqueo) was protected by an aggressive dog. Continued and camped in the forest. Heavy rain in the evening.
Day 2: Fords Start/End {36H} [66.5/867] (Rio Pedregoso) was easy, only almost knee deep. Could not find the landslide that Sophie and Gaspar mentioned. Ford {36H} [78.6/888] (Rio Bravo) was a bit higher then my knees. Took option 36H-D to avoid to cross Rio Bravo two more times. Mostly i could follow a vague visible animal trail, which was often overgrown.
Puesto {36H} [83.9/820] (La Pampa) was not locked and looked nice. Dicided to continue and camped somewhere in the forest.
Day 3: From here -47.977178, -72.555534 to there -47.987679, -72.560694 the trail is definately very overgrown with 1-2m beech trees. Camped near this place -48.02468, -72.49029 nicely sheltered under trees.
Day 4: Liked the stretch along both lakes very much.
Refuge {36H} [126.1/512] (Entre Lagos) doesn't exist. -48.142506, -72.43804 collapsed shelter with a big and flat grassland. Would prefer to camp here instead because of better protection: -48.141492, -72.438798. After the shelter i struggled to find the trail. Got very windy in the afternoon. Camped here:
-48.162321, -72.414155. There is good wind protection from the forest and a small stream next to it. But the shelter in the map is just some almost collapsed trunks of trees. Like the stuff they build in 7-vs.-wild, but 10 years later.
Day 5: Again very windy. After 90 minutes hiking i reached the road. Very few cars passed. Refuge {36H} [148.6/464] is nice and has enough space to pitch a freestanding tent inside. But it has a corrugated iron roof, so probably waterproof. Refuge, River In {36H} [156.8/418] is ok, soil inside is sand. Found an open puesto here:
-48.252049, -72.357653. It was in good condition, but looked abandoned. 45min later i got a hitch to Villa O'Higgins, before heavy rain started.
* ""'''SOBO RR + OH 22A// hiking, hitchhiking // 6 days 7-12.01.2025 Maks & Gabi""'''
Getting out of Cochrane was slightly problematic (hitchhiking) so we walked the first 5 km, but after leaving the main road, the 4th car stopped and gave us a ride until the Lago Calluqueo.
*Villa O’Higgins
*2024/25 Michael and KasiaThe cash thing in Villa O'Higgins is no longer such a problem. All six of the grocery stores and the hardware store accepted credit cards. We were also able to pay for our accommodation and for the boat with a card as well. There is still no ATM, so it would be smart to have some cash (not all the panaderías take cards for example, and sometimes network issues prevent card machines from working), but it shouldn't be necessary to bring a huge stack of cash. The biggest thing to realize about Villa O’Higgins is that nearly all of the lodging and restaurant options only take cash and there is no ATM in town. The closest place to withdraw money is Cochrane which is a 9-hour drive. Fortunately, there are two grocery stores in town thatl that take credit cards. Lodging options vary from camping to a bed in a hostel.
2024/Joscha
I would recommend Los Cuatreros (-48.463589, -72.559946) and Los Coigues (-48.464742, -72.559453) for resupply. They are cheaper than the other supermarkets.
*2024/25 Michael and Kasia
There are more than a dozen stores in Cochrane. Rojita a block off the square is the most popular, and generally had good prices. We stayed at Ana Luz, 15.000 pp for a room. She also has one cabaña. It is possible to use the kitchen there for simple cooking. We also had a pair of boots repaired at the zapatero and had a very good experience. It was fast, high quality work and not expensive. He also repairs backpacks.
*Supermarket on the square in Cochrane. Several shops in Villa O'Higgins.