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==Season 2024/25==
*'''2025-APR-17 to 2025-APR-19 / 2 days (only to Froward) / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''
Swamps, wild forests, cliffs, and tough river crossings. This coastal stage—where syncing your hiking schedule with the tides is crucial—leads through a rugged, remote stretch of land where the continent crashes into the waters of the Strait of Magellan. For us, it was a perfect cherry on top to end our five-month journey through the Patagonian wilderness. We hiked all the way to the cross at Cabo Froward, the southernmost point of the South American mainland, and caught a ride back to Punta Arenas with a group of tourists who were visiting the site with a guide on a boat trip. We hadn’t planned to return by boat—it was just a lucky coincidence.
Challenges:
Watch out for the tides! GPT tested us once again. During our hike, the tide cycle brought high tide around 5 PM, which meant that we consistently had issues in the afternoons. The tide would flood the beaches completely, and depending on the spot, we either had to push through the forest or clamber over fallen logs along the shore. The biggest issue was fording rivers, as the tide significantly raised water levels to near-impassable conditions. There are three notable fords:
1. Ford [31.3/13] – We hit this one at low tide. Lots of driftwood helped us hop across without actually fording.
2. Ford [38.7/0] – The widest river; likely impassable at high tide. We crossed during peak low tide, ankle-deep.
3. Ford [46.6/0] (Rio Nodales) – A smaller river at low tide, but even then we crossed just 4.5 hours before high tide, barely passable with packs held above our heads. Water reached nose height (I’m 178 cm tall).
Strongly recommended: Monitor tide forecasts carefully and plan your daily walking schedule to match low tides.
When going through the forest at high tide, it’s often slow, rough bush-bashing. We preferred fording the sea and scrambling over driftwood—even though it was time-consuming. If you have the flexibility, consider extending your time on this stage and enjoy relaxed beach walking during low tide.
Bivouacking:
There are many good camping spots marked in the OSM base map—definitely worth using. We spent the first night in a cozy refugio located at -53.80176, -71.02642. The second night we camped on a nice flat spot with a fire ring right before the final climb to the cross (-53.89419, -71.29010).
Water:
Not the easiest section for water. While rivers, streams, or small springs frequently empty into the sea, the water is often brackish or salty. We recommend collecting from smaller sources further inland, where the tide doesn’t reach.
Resupply:
There are no resupply options along this route—not even in San Juan, where we asked. We carried supplies from Punta Arenas, which has large supermarkets like Lider and Unimarc. Alternatively, some small shops are available along GPT49 (see wiki)
* '''2025-01-04 til 2025-01-08 / 5 days / Hiking / NOBO / RR / Magdalena, Tim'''
Beautiful section, we saw lots of dolphins, whales, interesting birds.