GPT33H - Torres del Avellano

• 10 Mar 2020 / RH SOBO / Ty / 1 day

Super easy in general. I was able to get a hitch for like the last 10 kilometers. There’s a lot of different trail you can wander off on at the start of the sendero de Chile, so just be aware of your navigation at the start. The only good easily accessible water I found was between the two lakes before the intersection where you start walking the road. The ferry to Chile Chico leaves around 8 and takes a couple hours. Otherwise the next ferry leaves at 11 am....but make sure to confirm these times yourself. When arriving in Chile Chico, I climbed up to the viewpoint/mirador close to the ferry landing and found a place protected on the wind and slept on the ground. There is also an abandoned house marked in I-overlander that has an area in a room big enough for a 2 person tent. It’s on your right just before the climb up to the mirador.

• 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

There is no reliable resupply along the entire Regular Route.

Settler (Maria & Julio): Maria and Julio are one of the few settlers that still make cheese for sale in such a remote location. If you are short on foot you might also ask if they may sell some bread, milk or meat.

Settler (Luis Diaz): Luis is a welcoming person that enjoys the company of an unexpected visitor. When passing his home consider a visit. You may also ask if he has bread or meat to sell.

Puerto Avellano: The puesto 250 m north of Puerto Avellano is rarely used by their owners but the fruit trees might provide some well desired vitamins in summer and early autumn.

Puestos on the coast of Lago General Carrera: All puestos along the coast of Lago General Carrera appear abandoned and partly deteriorated. Some fruit trees might still be alive and provide fresh fruits at times.

Hikers that walk GPT33H and its adjacent sections with continuous footsteps can resupply in Cerro Castillo, Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez and Chile Chico and do not need to leave the trail to resupply.

Access to Start

Villa Cerro Castillo: Villa Cerro Castillo is served by several bus companies that travel daily the Carretera Austral between Coyhaique and Cochrane.

Diversion near Lago Verde: If you hike southbound and wish to shorten the initial road walking consider taking one of the buses that travel the Carretera Austral southbound and start walking just after Lago Verde. This saves 17 km of road walking.

Return from Finish

Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez: The ferry over Lago General Carrera connects Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez with Chile Chico and does two round trips each day; one in the morning and one the evening. Buses to and from Coyhaique align with these ferries. See GPT34H for more information.

Diversion Levican: Monday and Friday a subsidised bus does two round trips from Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez to Levican and back; one in the morning and one in the evening. Taking this bus saves 25 km of road walking. Alternatively, you may ask for a translado (private transport) in Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez.

Escape Options

Between Cerro Castillo and the western terminus of Lago Laparent hikers may aboard a traverse by walking north to the Carretera Austral by either taking OH-MR-V@33H-03A-#001 or OH-MR-V@33H-03B-#001 and OH-MR-V@33H-03B-#002. After the western terminus of Lago Laparent there is no escape route that provides a short cut out of this mountain range. All optional routes are more demanding and not verified and should not be taken if distressed.

In case of an emergency settlers might provide help with horses and the Carabineros might arrange an evacuation from Puerto Avellano by motor boat.

None. No permits are required, and no entry fees are charged. There are no known right-of-way issues.

Kilometer 0.0 to 23.0: Villa Cerro Castillo to eastern terminus of Lago Laparent at Div@33H-23.0

Leave Villa Cerro Castillo on the Carretera Austral and follow this paved road for 1.2 km. Don’t miss the exit shortly after the bridge over Rio Ibañez and continue on the gravel roads to the eastern terminus of Lago Laparent. Water supply to be verified. There are plenty of nice spots to pitch a tent partly on the shore of lakes.

Kilometer 23.0 to 43.3: Eastern terminus of Lago Laparent at Div@33H-23.0 to trail head at Div@33H-43.3

Continue on the gravel road for 20 km. You can refill you water bottles on the numerous small side streams that run down the mountains. Alternatively ask the settlers along the road for water. There are plenty of attractive camp sites along the route.

Kilometer 43.3 to 52.0: Horse trail from Div@33H-43.3 to Div@33H-52.0

The frequently used horse trail is well maintained and generally easy to follow. Only on the open pastures the trail dissipates and forms again where the route enters a forest. Water is frequently available but should be filtered if taken from the larger streams that cross the pastures. The pastures along the route provide scenic camp sites.

Kilometer 52.0 to 54.5: RR-TL-V@33H-52.0-2.5

This trail section is rarely used, poorly maintained and partly not well visible. Fallen trees block the trail in numerous locations and several diversions around these blockages complicate navigation. Verify frequently your GPS to not lose the trail in the forest. This more demanding trail ends where the route leaves the forest and enter the more open valley.

Kilometer 54.5 to 59.3: Upper valley of Rio XY to Pass at waypoint Pass@33H-59.3

The wide open upper valley of Rio XY provides good grazing land for cattle and is used in the summer months for this purpose. Therefore, numerous animal tracks can be spotted in this area. In this area the tracks often indicate an approximate route only and hikers should seek their way more freely in the open parts. Only where the route enters a patch of trees the route should be followed more closely. Towards the end of the valley the route becomes steeper and fields of rocks require careful walking.

Regular Hiking Route

See Regular Route.

Regular Packrafting Route

See Regular Route.