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→Season 2024/25
==Season 2024/25==
*''' 2025-03-18 to 2025-03-20 / 3 days / Hiking/ NOBO / RR, 18A, 18E, 18D / Peggy
Without the difficult part of the RR, this section becomes a 3-day hike (or less) without any particular problem, in a lush native forest.
That means in NOBO: RR, 18E, 18D and RR again. 18C at the beginning possible?
I didn’t meet any humans during the week in March.
I first camped at the free hot springs on the RR (km82.3). There were people in the late afternoon when I arrived and in the evening. Only one other tent afterward. Not very warm but warm enough depending on the pools.
The next day, I started with 18A. The gate at km78.5 is locked and quite high. I first thought I could pass with my backpack but, fearing I’d lose balance, I passed it over first. I think I broke one of its frame stays at that moment... Probably already weakened.
A dog followed me on 18A. I made the mistake (or not?) of not chasing it away from the start. I admit I enjoyed its company and thought it would go back on its own further along. It didn’t.
At the junction between 18A and the RR, there’s a tricky section. I struggled for quite a while, took a lunch break, struggled again through bamboo before finding the "path." Then the RR was good (but for how long?) but I had in mind to take 18D, yet the entrance was completely blocked by fallen trees. Realizing the dog would keep following me and that I couldn’t reasonably leave it on the other side of the section with the first person I’d meet, I brought it back home… 1h30 walking in the other direction.
Once there, I decided to extend my route and return to Santa Rosa to take the RR.
From there, everything was smooth. First night at the camp km74.7, a bit above to avoid smoking the bees with my fire (presence of hives).
A bit before and after the junction between 18E and 18D, the GPS trace doesn’t match, but no problem, the path is very well marked.
The RR until 18E and 18E itself are forest roads.
On the second day, I planned to stay at the camp km55.4 but didn’t like the spot and it was still early enough to continue. I ended up taking the wrong path and bivouacked here (39.997112S, 071.880970W), there’s a small spring just before. Very nice place.
Then a long descent to Pirihueico the next day.
Tall wet grass (my shoes quickly turned into swimming pools :D and I was glad I had my rain pants) and some fallen trees on the path, but easy to pass — over, under or around.
No issues with the rivers.
At km86.9, I made a mistake and followed another path until I checked my GPS to see how far I still had to go… Thankfully, I was going in the wrong direction! The RR here is not as clear as that other path and it’s easy to get confused. So be careful! ;)
Then I found myself walking along the airstrip, eager to arrive! I just veered off to the left at the end to avoid having to go through the gate of the small airfield in case it caused trouble, and exited through a side path to reach the beach near two large ruins of an old hotel.
I slept at the mini-camping in Pirihueico and took the ferry at 9am the next morning with a direct connection to Puerto Fuy with the bus going to Panguipulli, since I had already done sections 17 and 16 some time ago.
* ''' 2025-JAN-08 > 10 / 2,5 jours / Randonnée / SOBO / RR > river > 18-A > RR / Pierre-Marie '''