GPT09 - Volcán Antuco
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Recent Alerts and Suggestions
- Jan 22 2020 Frank RR Southbound
Went on OH-PR-V@09-B-#002, talked to Carabineros @ Border Control & told them I would stay in Chile & continue to Trapa Trapa. They were OK with that & didn't ask to see my passport, so I would say there is no need to divert around the border post any more.
- 2022-02-09 Jo & Veronika: confirming the above, see section log.
Season Section Log
- 2022-02-09 to 2022-02-10 | Veronika & Jo | GPT09 RR SOBO
Took the bus from Antuco to Abanico, got a ride by a friendly Chilean to the national park (no camping allowed). Had to pay entry to the park. Took the CC route avoiding the carabineros to camp in the meadows just beyond the park (S 37° 27.927', W 07). There was a spring emptying in the meadows there. Finished after a long day at Elvira's "lodging, food". Very friendly family, took us in even after 21:00. Understandably there was no goat stew, but we also only payed half price (20.000). Great homemade bread in the morning though :) Continued to GPT10 immediately after.
In the first morning when breaking down camp, we were greeted by two carabineros on horseback, who may have been surprised at the sight of our tent out of sight next to a sand slope. They asked who we were, where we're from and where we're going too, and didn't mind us camping there. No questions about the border with Argentina after. I guess there's no need to stay away from the carabineros here any longer.
2022-02-11 to 2022-02-12 | Veronika & Jo | GPT10 RR SOBO, with the optional section 10-E straight from Laguna El Barco to Guallalí.
In one day from Trapa Trapa to Laguna Liay, camping at the north side. There are many cow trails leading down to the laguna. The one we took seemed suitable for hikers too. Going back up the next day we got lost in the cow maze though, and only by searching for our own footprints from the previous day did we get back on the RR. It may be worth having a look at the GPS tracking data to figure out our initial path.
The next day continued to Guallalí. Beatiful plateau! Got to harvest our first piñones as well! However, we hurt the araucaria tree by breaking off a small but not insignificant branch when trying to get the green "pinecone" to break off, using the "strong rope" method described in the hiker's manual. Only later we learned you should go for the brownish, "café"-colored cones. Just hit these with your walking stick and the piñones will fall right off. You then collect them from the ground. The threatened araucaria will be much happier not being hurt :)
When in need of water at the plateau, there should be a path to Laguna Totora from S 37° 54.510', W 071° 18.580', according to an arriero who passed by. Maybe a future optional route?
The optional routes 10-E and 10-G have become MR instead of TL.
The lodging at the shop in Guallalí was not avaible, but the shop owner pointed us to an araucaria grove closeby (you can enter via a wooden gate next to the escuela). We camped there: S 38° 02.647', W 071° 16.441'. There were some villagers passing by, so it seems to be public land. There's a small stream to the east with reasonably clear water. Maybe it's possible to camp more upstream to the north, where there are bridges and where the stream has passed fewer houses.
Continued to GPT11 immediately after.
- 2022-Jan-21 / Northbound RR + Antuco summit / Molly and Melissa / 3 days
In Trapa Trapa, we stayed at the house marked "lodging, food". They charge 20,000 per person for a room, dinner and breakfast. There's also the option to take a bath in their inflatable swimming pool with shampoo, and they sell some honey. We were served cazuela and loads of sopaipillas for dinner. Right next to them in a little red house behind a black gate there is a minishop, which according to them is the biggest in Trapa Trapa. They had pasta, rice, tuna, sodas, chocolate covered nuts, matches, toilet paper. They were open Saturday when we were there.
The path up from Trapa Trapa starts next to the river. Nice path all the way, that transitions to a long gravel road, very easy to follow and many little streams. We camped at the beginning of the next valley at the waypoint "ford". The second to last puesto, on the right hand, belongs to Felizario whose family has the lodging option in Trapa Trapa. He is open to people camping nearby.
The cc section is easy navigation-wise, but the sand is tough to walk in, and it is very exposed. There's little water apart from the fords, but enough. The water coming down from the valley next to Volcan Antuco is very chalky though, and at the waypoint "camp" the stream is all dried up. Further in the valley the water is fine, and it might be possible to find a campsite just before leaving the stream on the optional route. The building at the "police" waypoint is abandoned. We ended up camping by the carabineros at the "boarder control" waypoint. While walking on the primary road we were stopped by a boarder control car who wanted to see our passports and pase de movilidad (covid-19) and hear about our route. There were no problems with that. He was very convinced we couldn't cross to Abanico through the pass on the regular route because there wasn't a trail on the other side, but he let us try. Absolutely no snow in the pass on Volcán Antuco's shoulder - apparently it's a very low snow year
- Volcán Antuco summit:
We followed the route up, it leads along the ridge to avoid the very strong stream in the valley. This part is not too difficult. The summit itself is very hard, though. It's very steep through loose, big lava rocks that slide everywhere. Tough and a little dangerous. On the other side, the terrain is made of the same kind of rocks for over half of the descent, which makes for a very slow going. Maybe there is a nicer path under the ski lifts, we found one almost in the end. Definitely not worth it for everyone. The place marked "restaurant, lodging" was closed - apparently they are open only during the ski season. Not too difficult to hitch from there if not too late
- Start Date: January 10, 2020
- Section: GPT 09 South Bound
- Duration: 2 Days
- Name/Alias: Ian Hikes
- Overview: This section has you cross over a volcanic lava field and over a pass at first and then follows trails south thru and area with many puestos and ranches. The first part of this section involves some route finding and cross country while the second half follows well established dirt roads and dirt trails thru grass Valley.
- Difficulties: WARNING: Huge snow field at the top of the pass that is untraversable. It is very steep and must be avoided if not yet melted. Must go around so please be safe. My biggest difficult was the sections across the lava rocks. My shoes were almost destroyed by this point and the sharp, jagged and uneven surface of the lava rock caused so much pain in my feet and completely took out what ever life was left in my trail runners. Also, lots of route finding and cross country in this area.
- Highlights: Amazing mountain pass with many views of waterfalls. Glaciers.
- Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions at ultratrailca@gmail.com
- 2020-Jan-22 / Martin / Regular route southbound
Combined sections 9 & 10. 4 days. Sierra Velluda and Antuco Volcanoe were amazing. In Trapa Trapa the two small shops were out of stock, so we couldn't buy anything. Pehuenche settlers in "veranadas" were really welcoming and friendly to us. We asked anyway for permission to camp close to their settlements. We were invited by familia Crespo Manquepi for tortillas, tea and some other food and stayed there for a few hours. They are welcome to recieve gpt hikers and in the future sell some food and lodging. Really kind family. Just before the last big climb in section 10. No water for a long stretch after it. Recomend the detour to Laguna Liay, amazing. Resupplied in Ralco.
- Jan 22 2020 Frank RR (mostly) Southbound
2 days & continued to GPT10 on 2nd day. There is at least one place to stay in Abanico & as you go on the road past Abanico towards the park there are a few cabins & one campsite. In the park @ small lake 2K before Conaf1 there is a campsite with cabins. You pay 4000CLP entry @ Conaf but I went in before 8AM, no one there. At the pass, around 2050M on the shoulder of Antuco, I was able to slide down the lowest part of the snowfield. Northbound or earlier in the season you may need to go around it. Virtually no shade on this route. 3 small shops in Trapa Trapa. Last one, Provisiones Bety, has a rest area, she sometimes has bread.
- 2020-Jan-15 / Maddie & Tom / Regular route southbound
1.5 days. Easy hitch from Abanico to the start of the National Park (~10km into the section). The CONAF station at the park entrance took us longer than expected to pass through and explain what we were doing (they appeared to be unsure as to whether we were crossing the border into Argentina or not). However after explaining our route to them they let us pass without paying the entrance fee to the national park. The cross country sections were easy to navigate and overall the trail was of good quality.
- 2020-Jan-10 / Martina & Ivo / Regular route southbound
2.5 days. We passed the big snowfield at the right side through the rocks, as Matus suggested. It was steep but ok and definitively the shorter way around the snow. Nothing to add to the previous comments. In Trapa Trapa we continued straight to Section 10.
- 4-Jan-2020 / Matus & Anna / Regular SOBO
GPT09 and GPT10 Season section log. We combined these two sections. It took us 3.5 days via regular trail SOBO. Trail in both section is in good condition. There is snowfield in first pass as was mentioned. We went left, but it would be worth to check is it's possible to go through rocks on the right as it seems much shorter. Water is not marked on a map but there is a stream before the pass. Resuply in Trapa Trapa is very limited. They had few tunas, other caned fish, some pasta, flour, cola, crisps... We didn't check for accomodation. We stayed in a paid campsite at Laguna el Barco for 5000 both. Around 8 there was a woman selling bread and sweet pastry, but mind that it was weekend. Resuply in Guallali again very limited. They have tunas, caned fish, pasta, oil, crackers and bit more. We are staying in a house next to the shop.
Summary Table
| GPT09: Volcán Antuco | Hiking | Packrafting | |||||
| Group | B: Zona Arrieros | Total | 61.6 km | 20 h | 68.5 km | 20 h | |
| Region | Chile: Bío Bío (VIII) | Trails (TL) | 23.1 km | 37.5% | 21.7 km | 31.7% | |
| Start | Abanico | Minor Roads (MR) | 13.3 km | 21.6% | 14.3 km | 20.9% | |
| Finish | Trapa Trapa, Posta | Primary Roads (PR) | 10.3 km | 16.7% | 11.0 km | 16.0% | |
| Status | Published & Verified | Cross-Country (CC) | 14.9 km | 24.2% | 9.9 km | 14.5% | |
| Traversable | Dec - Mar (Maybe: Nov, Apr) | Bush-Bashing (BB) | - | - | - | - | |
| Packraft | Useful | Ferry (FY) | - | - | - | - | |
| Connects to | GPT08, GPT10 | Investigation (I) | - | - | - | - | |
| Options | 64 km (3 Options & Variants) | Exploration (EXP) | - | - | - | - | |
| Hiking | Packrafting | Total on Water | 11.6 km | 16.9% | |||
| Attraction | 3 (of 5) | 3 (of 5) | River (RI) | - | - | ||
| Difficulty | 3 (of 5) | 3 (of 5) | Lake (LK) | 11.6 km | 16.9% | ||
| Direction | Both ↓↑ | Both ↓↑ | Fjord (FJ) | - | - | ||
| Comment | - | ||||||
| Character | Forest, Alpine Terrain, Volcanic Terrain, Summit Ascents, Mountain Pastures, Pehuenche | ||||||
| Challenges | Exposure to Elements, Clambering | ||||||
Satellite Image Map
Elevation Profile
Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route
Elevation Profile of Regular Packrafting Route
Section Planning Status
Recommended Travel Period
Benefits of Hiking and Packrafting
Recommended Travel Direction
Section Length and Travel Duration
Suitable Section Combinations
Section Attractiveness
Section Difficulty
Resupply
Resupply Town
Shopping: Food
- Antuco
Many smaller supermarkets, which have most things - easy enough to resupply here. One of the two ferreterías has gas (the one furthest from Abanico). Many accommodation options and some restaurants. There is an ATM at the town square which even gives some smaller notes
- Abanico
At least one shop. A pizzeria Bus to Antuco/Los Angeles
- Trapa Trapa
3 shops but they are all small. They all have biscuits & soft drinks. First one has ice cream & flour. Second one has pasta, matches, chocolate, canned fish. Third one ( Provisiones Bety) sometimes has bread.
Accomodation in a small room at the waypoint "lodging, food" - 20,000 pesos for dinner, breakfast and accommodation.
Bus to Ralco
Shopping: Fuel
Shopping: Equipment
Services: Restaurants
Services: Laundry
Services: ATM and Money Exchange
Accommodation: Hostals and Hotels
Accommodation: Cabañas
Accommodation: Camping
Transport: Ground Transport
Transport: Ferries
Transport: Shipping Services
Resupply on the Trail
Location, Names, Available Items and Services
Access to Route and Return
Access to Start
Bus from Los Angeles to Antuco about once an hour in daytime. A few of them continue to Abanico or you can hitch fairly easily.
Updated January 2022: Bus from Trapa Trapa to Ralco at 6 and 18 every day including weekends
Return from Finish
Escape Options
Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues
This is the only place where it is strongly recommended to sneak around a police station. This recommendation applies in particular to all non-Chileans going southbound. The reason: The forward border control Pichachen is located about 20 km before the actual border. And only here the regional superiors of the PDI (Policia de Investigation) came up with the silly rule that everyone that passes the border control post towards Argentina gets stamped out of the country regardless if he leaves Chile or not. They simply ignore the fact that a few kilometers down the main road at Piedra del Indio long before reaching Argentina a horse trail diverts towards the next village in Chile called Trapa Trapa. Should you get an exit stamp into your passport but continue to hike in Chile you will be an illegal alien without a valid tourist visa. This may not instantly cause you a problem but the next time you want to leave Chile orderly i.e. from an airport the immigration system will show that you illegally in Chile and the police will assume that you trespassed into Chile. And that’s taken pretty serious. Forget about your flight and your further travel plans. Every hikers that passed this border control got into some kind of trouble and caused these officers a headache. Some hikers could convince them after long discussions to pass without an exit stamp. Some hikers got and exit stamp and run into problems later. Some hikers pretended to walk back and took a partly overgrown route to walk around the border control. When we hiked this section in January 2014 I got unasked an exit stamp while they “just checked my documents” but luckily after a long talk I could convince them to give me a new entry stamp. You can’t blame these poor officials at the border control for this situation; they understand these occasional hikers but their regional superiors gave them strict orders. In short: this place is a potential disaster for hikers and hikers are a disturbance for these officials. Therefore, to avoid this issue I simply rerouted the regular hiking route to bypass the border control post Pichachen. It’s easier for everyone: for the hikers and for the poor police officer that have to comply with this silly order. The re-routed track leads cross country through the normally dry lake bed of the Laguna de Las Lajas and just crosses the main road at the diversion to Trapa Trapa. Walking around the border control may be suspicious but is not illegal and saves everyone nerves and endless discussions. It actually prevents you from getting into an illegal migration status while staying in Chile. The Regular Packrafting Route anyway bypasses the border control. Luckily this is the only border control post I’m aware off where such a stupid rule is applied. In many other forward border controls you need to proactively approach the police and request your exit stamp if you plan to leave Chile. Should you just visit the area between the border control and the actual border you can normally just pass or explain your intentions.
