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.
* 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==