Cambios

If you do not insist in hiking all trail sections in the correct sequence then you have more options when and where to start. If you want to leave before December and you have a packraft you may in example set out in late October or November in Coñaripe as we did. This is the a alternative start of section 11 for packrafters and the first of the 8 sections with signficant packraft optionsuse. Starting with this section 11 before December give gives you the advantage of floating down the rivers with a comfortable high river-water-level during snow melt. If you do not carry a packraft but wish to start in late October or November Liquiñe would be a good choice. Liquiñe is a village full of thermal springs and situated on the Hiking-Only-Option of section 11. This start avoids the potentially dangerous river-crossings of the first 3 sections and the rather high and exposed mountain passes of section 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 10. Once you reached the finish of section 18 you can travel by bus to the start of section 1 an hike all the way to the point where you started the track.

On sections 5 to 10 the trail crosses the distribution range of the [[#Traditional Food|Araucaria tree]]. Between February and April the cones of these trees can be harvested and provide plenty of nutritious free food that you do not need to carry on your back. If possible arrange to cross sections 5 to 10 between February and April. This is one more good reason for an early start on section 11 because then you can finish in the Auracia distribution range in late summer or early autumn.