*2023 21 Feb 4 days RR NOBO Frank
20KM 19KM on small road from Lago Verde, then you reach a settler's house. Go round the house, handrailing a wooden fence. RR goes in on a small tracktrail, a bit overgrown with lots of fallen trees & muddy most of the way to Lago Palena so it's slow going. The crux crossing is the first one on Rio Claro/Quinto NOBO. If you can cross it all crossings should be OK. It was thigh a little under waist deep when I crossed, late in season & weather had been dry. There is a small hut just after the crossing. Continued to second crossing of Rio Claro & camped there (a long day) On day 2 reached the CONAF huts. They are partly built & look abandoned. Continued to Lago Palena & camped on the shore. There is a campsite/refuge marked on the track file above the lake on a rock outcrop, couldn't find it & no trail to it. Best to camp at the lake.
Continuing around Lago Palena in about 2 hours you start to climb to a pass on RR & the trail improves. I did not see any sign of a trail continuing round the lake on the optional route towards Valle California, it looks like very slow & rough going.
Towards the pass you are above treeline. The double crossing of Rio Azul was easy. I tried staying on the near bank but there are thorn bushes blocking the route so you do need to cross the river twice. Camped just before the road & walked out easily on dirt road to Palena on day 4. The
The RR is open. The fire in Valle Tigre was up on the mountain & had no effect on the RR which is in the valley on a road. The crux ford is the first one on Rio Claro which you can reach in 1 long day NOBO. It was a little under waist deep when I crossed. 4 more fords on Rio Claro & 4 on Rio Azul, all knee deep in late February. From Lago Verde there is a jeep track for 19KM, then slow going on a horse trail with a lot of fallen trees for about 40KM to Lago Palena. Average speed 2KMPH on the horse trail. As you climb to pass 1390M the trail is good & is mostly good all the way to the road in Valle Tigre.
