GPT33H - Torres del Avellano

• Jan 2020 / RH Northbound / Matthieu / 2 days

No technical difficulties on this part. However, I was stopped, when the GPT leave the road to go between the two lakes, by a sign : área protegida, ingreso no permitido. For me, it was cristal clear, so I just continued the road, disappointed. I spoke to one of the settler not far, who told me that it was only for cars and it s ok for walkers, and that it is part of the "Sendero de Chile". So the way seems open finally. Anyway, there is another little path just before the lago Ardillas that goes north, and join the GPS tracks above the Valley Ibanez. Well maintained, in the hills, lots of cows, good experience.

• 2019 Jan/ Olrik/ Northbound

From Ibanez you walk on a dirt road to the entrance of a Reserva Natural. You are on the Sendero de Chile so it is well marked. In the reserva the trail is easy to follow and there was no one. You end up in Cerro Castillo. We did it in 2.5 days but could be done in 1 day if beginning early.

• 2019-Nov-28/ Lea Geibel/ 1

day/ Northbound / Regular Hiking Route (Puerto Ibañez to Villa Cerro Castillo)/ After arriving with the ferry at 10.30 a.m., the section can be hiked in one day (around 8 hours of walking). Most of the section is on a dirt road with very little traffic. The part that is following a trail is marked with posts with red / white rings on them. Occasionally the trail is not very visible but numerous animals tracks are usually heading in the right direction before eventually meeting up with a trail marker again.

Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route

Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route (2019)

Elevation Profile of Regular Packrafting Route

[[File:|frame|center|Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route (2019)]]

The Regular Route of GPT33H was completely redrafted in 2020 to incorporate a hidden treasure: Las Torres de Avellano. Most of the new Regular Route was hiked by the founder of the GPT in February 2020 and the remaining still not verified gravel roads of the Regular Route are clearly visible on satellite images. Therefore, the Regular Route can be considered verified.

The Regular Route is best hiked between December and March. Potential obstacles are high river levels during snowmelt till November and snow in the elevated area at the Torres de Avellano starting from April. Rio Avellano must be crossed at least once. If a river crossing on foot appears unsafe i.e. after heavy rain or on hot sunny days (increased melting of glaciers) you may ask the settlers for help. The settlers normally cross this river on horseback. River levels are normally lower in the morning and on colder cloudy days.

Option 1 is a substantially shorter optional short cut in the vicinity of Rio Ibañez and can be hiked all year around. This option route was the Regular Route of GPT33H till 2019.

The Regular Route of GPT33H was developed for hiking and a packraft is neither needed nor recommended.

Most packrafters that travel southbound will probably prefer the Regular Packrafting Route of GPT33P to float down on lower Rio Ibañez. But GPT33H provides an interesting option for packrafters that travel northbound. If packrafting northbound then the more attractive centerpiece of GPT33H with the Torres de Avellano can walked to link Lago General Carrera with upper Rio Ibañez. For more information see the section combination GPT33H with GPT32 Option 6 and the section description of GPT34P.

Northbound and southbound hiking is feasible and recommended.

The 156 km long Regular Route can be walked in 7 to 8 moderate hiking days.

Taking a motorised transport or hitchhiking is generally feasible to shorten the road walking parts on both ends of the Regular Route. This can shorten the travel duration by up to two days. Starting or finishing at the Carretera Austral near Lago Verde eliminates 17 km and starting or finishing near Levican reduces the distance by 25 km.

GPT33H connects with the adjacent sections GT32 and GT34H at suitable resupply locations (Villa Cerro Castillo and Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez). This makes a section combination without resupplying irrelevant.

GPT35 with GPT33H

Northbound hikers may consider connecting GPT35 directly with GPT33H by exiting Parque Patagonia towards Fachinal (Option XY of GPT35) and crossing Lago General Carrera by motorboat from Muelle Fachinal to the Desembocadura Rio Avellano (Option XY of GPT35). Here Lago General Carrera is only 3.5 km wide and a motorboat crossing should not take more than 20 minutes. Unfortunately, in summer this might require some patience as the normally strong wind often impedes this. In the early morning or the late evening the wind occasionally calms down but rarely during daytime. One settler in Fachinal owns a motorboat and might offer this service.

This section combination of GPT35 with GPT33H seems more practical in northbound direction as hikers can first talk directly to the settler with the motorboat in Fachinal and resupply in Chile Chico before crossing Lago General Carrera (by taking a motorized transport from Fachinal to Chile Chico and back). There are nice wind protected camp sites on the shore of Lago General Carrera to wait for the wind to calm down.

Thanks to a reasonably good mobile phone coverage in Fachinal hikers can check the weather and wind forecast and call also the settler with the motorboat. This permits hikers to plan or discard a motor boat crossing of Lago General Carrera when arriving in Fachinal.

Hikers that attempt a more complicated a southbound crossing of Lago General Carrera should make arrangements with the settler with the motorboat at least one or two weeks before arriving at Puerto Avellano, agree on the pick-up location (Puerto Avellano or Desembocadura Rio Avellano) test communication devices (i.e. InReach to mobile phone) and carry enough food to wait some time in Puerto Avellano. Hikers should be prepared that the wind might calm down while waiting several days in Puerto Avellano and cancel the motorboat transfer and walk out to Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez before the food reserves deplete.

GPT33H with GPT32 Option 6

If hiking GPT33H with a packraft northbound than the packraft can be inflated at bridge XY to paddle on Rio XY, cross Lago Verde and continue to the upper Rio Ibañez and then float down on Rio Ibañez towards Villa Cerro Castillo (GPT32, Packrafting Option 6). From the last recommended exit of Rio Ibañez it is only a 3 km walk into Villa Cerro Castillo.

The in 2020 published Regular Route of GPT33H combines an exceptional diversity of landscapes:

• The tree-less semi-desert of the Patagonian Pampa
• Lush green forests
• Wide open pastures above the tree-line
• Tall mountains and granite towers
• Glaciers that constantly grind on these mountains and carved several glacier lakes along the route
• Swamps and crystal-clear mountain rivers
• Idyllic farmland with settlers that move on horseback
• A huge wind-battered lake that makes you feels like walking on a seacoast

This makes section 33H a highlight of the GPT with an Attractiveness Rating 5 of 5.

Despite all these attractions the number of hikers remains small and the few hikers normally walk a fraction of this route only.

Some hikers might find the long gravel roads on both ends of the regular route annoying even if the traffic is insignificant. Hikers with a strong aversion to road walking should consider taking a motorized transport. Trying to hitchhike is also an option but chances to catch a ride are relatively low therefore best keep hiking while signaling your interest to the occasionally passing vehicles.

The regular route incorporates 1.8 km of cross-country-walking through steep piles of boulders (RR-CC-A@33H-XY) and around 0.4 km of bush bashing (RR-BB-A@33H-XY). Another 4 km (RR-CC&BB-A@33H-XY) require a mix of cross-country-walking and bush basking partly through swamps. Therefore, hikers that feel uncomfortable clambering over rocks and smashing through vegetation may opt to walk only to the Torres de Avellano viewpoint from the north, backtrack on the same route and then follow a less demanding trail in the valley (OH-TL-V@33H-XY).

The regular route also climbs to 1300 m altitude where weather even in summer can become hostile. Therefore, the elevated and exposed part of the Regular Route should only be hiked in decent weather. A lower, less exposed trail provides a bypass in case of poor climatic conditions (OH-TL-V@33H-XY).

Some trails are rarely used, poorly maintained and therefore difficult to follow (primarily RR-TL-V@33H-XY and RR-TL-V@33H-XY). In these parts hikers should frequently verify their GPS. The trail along the shore of Lago General Carrera is partly on the edge of steep cliffs. Tripping in these parts can be fatal.

The river fords might be difficult to impossible at times. Therefore, good judgement and careful selection of the ford are essential.

Due to the above listed challenges the Difficulty Rating is 5 of 5.

Section GPT33H starts in Villa Cerro Castillo and terminates in Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez. Hikers that continue southbound may also resupply in Chile Chico after the ferry crossing of Lago General Carrera. All three towns are rather small but provide a rising number of tourists with all required essentials. Several shops sell food, restaurants offer filling meals and hostels and camp sites in both towns provide accommodation.

Villa Cerro Castillo

Shopping: Food

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 Start

Return from Finish

Escape Options

Regular Hiking Route

Regular Packrafting Route