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 Torres de Avellano are an assembly of granite towers that rise 1000 m into the sky. Glaciers are nested on the flanks of these mountains and glacier lakes compose the base of this panorama. The Torres de Avellano display an epic beauty coequal to the world-famous Torres del Paine but the wild beauty of the Torres de Avellano comes without the hype and the large hordes of visitors. Therefore, hikers can enjoy this hidden treasure undisturbed and without the restrictions of an overrun and heavily regulated national park.

This highlight is embedded in a diverse route that traverses the semi-desert of the Patagonian Pampa, sneaks along the shore of the largest lake of Chile and provides a taster of the settler’s culture.

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 grind on these mountains and carved several glacier lakes
• Swamps and crystal-clear rivers
• Idyllic farmland with settlers that move on horseback
• A huge wind-battered lake that feels like open sea

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

This diversity makes section GPT33H a highlight of the GPT with an Attractiveness Rating 5 of 5.

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, keep walking while signaling your interest to hitchhike to the occasionally passing vehicles.

The regular route incorporates 2 km of cross country walking through steep piles of boulders [RR-CC-A@33H-62.1+1.9] and around 0.4 km of bush bashing [RR-BB-A@33H-64.0+0.4]. Another 4 km [RR-CC&BB-A@33H-64.4+4.2] require a mix of cross country walking and bush bashing partly through swamps. Therefore, hikers that feel uncomfortable clambering over rocks and smashing through vegetation may opt to walk only to the pass [Pass 1310m @33H-62.2], enjoy the view of the Torres de Avellano, backtrack on the same route to diversion [Div @33H-54.6] and then follow GPT33H Option 2 which is a less demanding trail in the valley along Rio Avellano [OH-TL-V@33H-02-#001].

The regular route also climbs to 1300 m altitude where weather can become hostile even in summer. Therefore, the elevated and exposed part of the Regular Route should only be hiked in decent weather. GPT33H Option 2 is a lower, less exposed trail that provides a bypass around the Torres de Avellano in case of poor climatic conditions [OH-TL-V@33H-02-#001].

Some trails are rarely used, poorly maintained and therefore difficult to follow. In particular trail [RR-TL-V@33H-54.6+2.5] and [RR-TL-V@33H-68.6+1.4] are partly vaguely visible. Here hikers should frequently consult their GPS to not lose these trails.

Rio Avellano must be crossed at least once [Ford (Rio Avellano) @33H-81.4]. These fords of Rio Avellano might be difficult or unsafe at times. Therefore, good judgement and a careful selection of river crossing locations is essential. The flow rate of this glacier feed river is normally lower in the morning and on colder cloudy days. If a river crossing on foot appears unsafe i.e. after heavy rain or on hot sunny days (accelerated melting of glaciers) you may ask the settlers for help. The settlers normally ford this river on horseback.

The trail along the shore of Lago General Carrera is partly on the edge of steep cliffs. Hikers with vertigo (acrophobia / fear of height) will find these trail segments scary and tripping in these parts can be fatal.

The length of this section requires a good amount of food that makes the backpack heavy at the beginning.

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

The Regular Route of GPT33H was completely redrawn in 2020 to incorporate the Torres de Avellano into the GPT. Most of the new Regular Route was hiked by the founders of the GPT in February 2020 and the remaining unverified 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 fresh snow in the elevated area at the Torres de Avellano starting from April or May.

The substantially shorter optional route GPT33H Option 1' is in the vicinity of Rio Ibañez and can be hiked all year around.

To walk section GPT33H a permit is not required, and no entry fee is charged. There are no known right-of-way conflicts.

To my knowledge paddling on Lago General Carrera requires a permit from the Armada de Chile but complying with all requirements might not be possible even for a well equipped packrafter (i.e. distress signal rockets).

The 157 km long Regular Route can be walked in approximately 8 hiking days.

Taking a motorized transport or hitchhiking is generally feasible to shorten the road walking 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 Laguna Verde eliminates 18 km and starting or finishing near Levicán reduces the walking distance by 26 km.

Northbound and southbound hiking is feasible and recommended.

If the travel direction can be chosen freely than a northbound hike seems slightly preferable. Halfway on this section, right at the Torres de Avellano the route leads 2 km through a boulder field. It seems favorable to cross this area uphill in northbound direction. A northbound hike also facilitates arranging a motorized transport from Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez to Levican what eliminates 26 km road walking.

The Regular Route of GPT33H was developed for hiking and a packraft is neither needed nor recommended even if a packraft may be deployed in northbound and southbound direction.

Most packrafters that travel southbound will probably opt for section GPT33P to float on the lower Rio Ibañez from Villa Cerro Castillo to Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez. This packrafting route has a water proportion of 80%. In comparison, on GPT33H the water proportion is in best case 20%. But this water proportion can only be archived on an exceptionally calm day when wind permits packrafting all the way from Puerto Avellano to Levicán along the shore of Lago General Carrera. On most summer days strong wind and resulting high waves will impede packrafting. But for packrafters that travel northbound GPT33H provides an interesting option. These packrafters might attempt to cross Lago General Carrera from Fachinal to Puerto Avellano either with a motorboat or by packraft, then hike the very attractive centerpiece of GPT33H past the Torres de Avellano and conclude this section by packrafting the final 21 km (Rio Sin Nombre, Laguna Verde and the upper Rio Ibañez) to finish in Villa Cerro Castillo. For more information to this option see the section description of GPT34P and the comment to the Section Combination GPT33H with GPT32.

Combining GPT35 with GPT33H

Combining GPT33H with GPT32

Resupply in Villa Cerro Castillo

Resupply on the Trail

GPT33H Option 1 Valle Ibañez

GPT33H Option 2 Torres de Avellano Bypass

GPT33H Option 3 Carretera Austral

GPT33H Option 4 Puerto Cristal

GPT33H Option 5 Valle Miller

GPT33H Option 6 Altiplano Este

GPT33H Option 7 Ruta Alto Norte

GPT33H Option 8 Valle Resbalín

GPT33H Option 9 Laguna Verde

GPT33H Option 10 Río Murta

GPT33H Option 11 Lago General Carrera Oeste