GPT22 - Cochamó
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- 2023-Feb-23 / SOBO / RR + 22-01 / 6 days / Martin & Helena
A lot has been already written, so just a few comments from our side:
No problem with entering the valley in SOBO direction, until the noon aprox., saying you will spend the night at the refugio El Arco - they have some time estimate for this hike and can’t let you in if its late. By the entrance you can buy some useful things that might be hard to buy in Cochamo, like gas or peanut butter. There was also a beer truck with quite good wifi connection (only during summer). Crowds of people in both directions, quite muddy trail. Detour to the Toboganes is definitely worth it. We spend the night after all in a marked camp aprox. 4 kms before the refugio and it was a good decision - there were quite a lot of people when we passed by the next day.
From the refugio its nice and easy walking. We spent the night on the southern side of Lago Vidal Gomaz where is amazing campsite Doña Luisa, for I think 5000 CLP pp. We bought there beer, some cheese and bread in the morning, and you can also charge electronics inside. It is possible to have proper breakfast or dinner, it looked all very tasty. At km N 40.7 is shop with all the basic things + great brewery next to it, definitely stop there if you are a fan.
Based on other comments and our time schedule we decided to take the alternative 22-01 to Llanada Grande. This is a good resuppy spot as there is a new and big (at least in comparison to what you would expect in a place like this) supermarket that replaced the old one destroyed by fire. Good place to stay is a campsite at the end of the village, on the right side, run by really nice lady. Not expensive and if its free, you can stay for the same price in a so called refugio, that is actually just a very small room, but for us better than a tent. Hot water and electricity + possibility to buy pizza and maybe some other small things - there is actually no restaurant in the village. Some more road walking around Lago Totoral to Rio Puelo to connect back to RR. In general not very attractive part of the trail. Great restaurant in Hostal Puelo Libre with local beer and view on the river.
From the port its again easy walking on the RR again. Drunk settler and quite agressive dogs out of his control at S km 7.2 so be careful. We slept half way to Las Rocas lake. We thought about taking the RR around the lake, but the landslide caused by snow (aprox. 1.5 km from the port) looked quite difficult to pass. We discovered there is possibility to cross the lake on one of the locals boat, which we did in the end. We were lucky that after waiting for some time in the port a car with locals arrived. Happily for us they arranged a boat transfer with other residents to get to the other side of the lake, where they went for a lunch. We were able to go with them, and after picking up their friends, we all hop off the boat close to the police station. Great experience and we learned a lot about this area and people living here. We paid 10k CLP. In the comments here is a contact for the guy with a boat, but without signal it must be arranged in advance, and the price might differ when not sharing the transfer with others. No problem with the border check. It took us around 4 hrs to get to the argentinian side, where everyone was super friendly as well. They offered us to camp there, but we decided to make it to Lago Puelo, which took us 2 more hrs. The landscape changes significantly on the other side where everything is more dry. No problem with the river crossing. We got off the trail directly on the main road.
Contact: @martin_hanzelka @helenneka
- 01.02.23 - 07.02.23 / Anna & Christopher / SOBO, Cochamó - Lago Puelo
We hitchhiked from Eco Camping El Valle to the entry of the park and arrived around 8 am. We told them that we would camp at the Refugio El Arco and explained our further route. Until la Junta there were lots of chilenean tourists, therefore the path was very good only with some muddy stretches. Like Véronica we walked to Toboganes, a waterfall/stream with beautiful rock formations. There were tons of people, but it's worth it. La junta seems to be an amazing place for rock climbing, we would have loved to have some climbing gear with us.
After la Junta there were almost no more hikers. We camped next to the Refugio, as there were already two other groups of hikers sleeping in the Refugio.
Until Lago grande there are still some muddy stretches and blowdowns, but generally it is a good path. From there on the path is perfectly maintained. We camped at approx. km 66 next to Río los Morros.
Nice path until El Manso. We resupplied at the minimercado and camped next to the river, which was a beautiful camping spot with lots of delicious blackberrys.
The next morning we arrived at Señora Ocos house around 8 am. She contacted multiple people and luckily found out that there was somebody crossing the river to our side at 11 am. The man, whose name we unfortunately forgot, was super friendly and dropped us off after the river mouth of Rio Traidor, close to where he lives. He charged 10.000 CLP p.p.
The path to the first settler was mediocre and afterwards got worse and worse until it was almost pure buschwhacking. It was the worst we had so far on the GPT. Thorns.. Lots of thorns tearing away at your clothes, backpack and skin. We camped at the river at approx. km 12, which was a beautiful spot. Until the settlement Las Nieves the path continued beeing bad with lots of bush bashing. The settler told us that no locals use that path and she also told us that there are no regular boat transfers to Puerto Urrutia on weekends (it was sunday..). We wouldn't do that stretch next to Rio Puelo again and instead hitchhike from El Manso to Puerto Urrutia.
At the boat transfer waypoint to Puerto Urrutia we had Entel service and contacted one lodging on the other side. They told us to go to the last house 1km back to ask for a transfer (it's the house of the man who does the boat transfer on weekdays). But we got lucky and a boat passed by and took us to the other side. The man on the boat also told us that the path from Río Traidor to Puerto Urrutia "is closed".
We continued to Lago verde, where we planned to camp, but it's surrounded by dense forest, apart from a private property. That spot is amazing, a little landing stage to go swimming, a great view and a very friendly owner. She even baked some delicious apple bread for us. For camping she charged us 8000 CLP p.p.. That was definetly worth it.
After Lago verde there is a minimarket. We didn't check it out, but there is no resupply wp yet.
After reading previous blogs and having had enough of thorns we decided to cross el Lago de Las Rocas by boat. Therefore there is a walkie talkie on the landing stage on the northern end of the lake with which you can contact Richard. We also got his number (+56958694897), if you want to contact him in advance. When we arrived at the lake, there were already lots of people waiting for the boat so we just waited with them and after some time got knocked the boat with them. The ride was really nice across the crystal clear blue water and we were charged 5000 p.p.
From the southern end of the lake it's just a couple of minutes to walk to the chilenian border control. We continued on and camped at km 30 at the river. Again a really beautiful spot.
The next day we passed the argentinian border control and continued to Lago Puelo.
The section was really beautiful, except the part with the thorns. There are lots of streams along the whole trail, so one does not need to carry much water.
- 10 to 14 of January 2023 / Véronica / GPT22 RR SOBO / also GPT22-01 / 5 days
Route: Cochamó - La Junta - Lago Vidal Gormáz - El Manso - Puerto Urrutio via Option 1 - Lago Las Rocas - Lago Puelo (Argentina)
The borders of Paso El León and Paso El Bolsón are both opened again for tourists! Go for it! It is a beautiful section with wonderful people, such a contrast to where I started the GPT further north.
In Cochamó, I stayed at Eco Camping El Valle, right at the entrance to the Cochamó River Valley. Paid 7000 clp, very nice campground, there are tarps over the picnic tables at each site so you have a dry place to hang out even if it rains :) Since I spent the night so close to the trailhead, it was easy to get to the guarded valley entrance (Road End {22N} [109.8/58]) early. I did not have a camping reservation for La Junta. I arrived at the trailhead at 7:30 a.m., explained my route to the staff, saying I would stay at Refugio El Arco that night. They let me through no problem. The trail to La Junta is a bit muddy, but nothing bad, my feet stayed dry in my trailrunners despite the fact it was also raining off and on. Beautiful path through the Valvidian rainforest, I really enjoyed all the green and the moss. When I reached the La Junta area, I stashed my pack in some trees and made a short detour to Las Toboganes. They are only 0.7 km off the regular route, and highly worthwhile to see! What a spectacular area, I totally see the Yosemite resemblence, and would love to go back someday.
I found the trail after La Junta (all the way to Lago Vidal Gormáz) to be in good shape, contrary to what others have written. It was maybe slightly less maintained than the popular trail leading into the valley, but it was still very clear and easy to follow — not overgrown, no blowdowns, just a bit muddy in some places. Granted, it has been drier than normal so far this summer. None of the fords went above my knees, and sometimes I could cross the creeks without even getting my feet wet, all very easy.
The refugio at El Arco is dark and without any furniture inside. I found it much nicer to camp in the nearby meadow just south of the trail there. There are outhouses.
Nice path from Lago Vidal Gormáz all the way to El Manso. Very beautiful in this valley as well. Met a few arrieros along the way. Most of the rivers have bridges crossing them. There is a small camp at the bridge over Río Colorado.
In El Manso, I topped off my food supply at the shop on the main road. It has a good selection of food items. Then I went to Señora Oco's house to try and arrange a boat transfer over Río Puelo. She and her family are very friendly and welcoming. I arrived there mid-afternoon, but she could not get in radio contact with anyone on the other side. In the evening, we heard back from Hospedaje Nancy, who charged 60,000 clp for a crossing upriver all the way to Río Traidor (where she lives). This I found too expensive for me traveling alone. Señora Oco baked some bread and I was able to buy some. She also said I was welcome to camp in the fields behind her house while waiting for a response from settlers Paulina and Jovino regarding a crossing to their place (much more direct and therefore likely much cheaper). The next morning, we still hadn't received any response from Paulina and Jovino either via radio or Whatsapp (they may have been away). Because of this, I decided to take the gravel road to Puerto Urrutia (Option 1), and forgo crossing Río Puelo, unfortunately. Despite this setback, I'm really glad I got to meet and spend time with Señora Oco and her family, they are such kind people.
I was able to hitch most of the way to Puerto Urrutia, where I rejoined the regular route. The trail from there all the way to Lago Las Rocas is mostly easy and clear. There were a few confusing junctions in the vicinity of Lago Verde, so I kept a close eye on the GPS there. After crossing the road after that, the beginning of RR -TL-V {22S} [2.8/7.1+2.7] is tricky to find. There are lots of fallen trees and many forest paths. The GPS was very helpful there too until I finally found the right path. After about 700 m it merges with a nice clear path all the way to Lago Las Rocas.
As has been previously reported, there is a large rockslide about 2 km in once you reach Lago Las Rocas. It didn't look overly dangerous to me, the boulders were large and seemed solid enough. I started crossing it right at the bottom where the rocks fall into the lake, as it looked to be the easiest and safest way across. I was maybe 50 meters through it, when a boat came along, and the people in it told me to hop in! What lucky timing! As we passed the rest of the rockslide, I could see the last part of it was steep, loose scree rather than big boulders. That part would have definitely been nerve-wracking to cross, and I was very grateful for the boat ride. The settlers who owned the boat live about 3 km along the trail, at a little bay/inlet in the lake. They have a nice beach and campground too. That's where I rejoined the trail. Beyond their house, the "Camino Los Mosquitos," as it is locally called, gets progressively worse in terms of overgrowth and blowdowns. The trail has not been cleared since the past winter, and not been used either. The stretch between kilometers 4 and 6.5 is the worst. It felt more like pure bushwhacking than following a trail. The path was mostly burried beneath walls of downed trees and branches, it got very hard to follow at times. Lots of climbing over and under vegetation, some of it quite thorny too. Very slow and tiring. My pack got ripped up a bit and so did my clothing. Had I known the trail was this bad, I would have taken the option on the east side of Lago Las Rocas. It's hard to imagine it could be in worse shape than the regular route.
When I got to the Chilean Border Control it was around 6:30 p.m., so too late to cross that day. The border agent working there was very friendly, but he couldn't get in contact with his supervisor to get approval for stamping my passport with the next day's date. So I camped back at Lago Las Rocas, and the next morning came back at 8 a.m. when the border post reopened. The trail on the Chilean side of the border was a bit rough in places, it has been neglected since the winter too. But it was not as bad as the previous stretch along Lago Las Rocas. Once I got into Argentina, it got much better. The trails in Parque Nacional Lago Puelo are well-maintained, and I met some day hikers. No issues at the Argentine Border Control.
I was able to ford Río Azul easily, thanks to the dry weather. There are three branches of the river to cross (the GPS waypoints only show two of them). The middle branch is the widest and deepest. The water there went up to my upper thighs (I'm 165 cm), but the current was slow and it never felt dangerous.
Now I'm skipping down to GPT32 to continue my adventure further south :) The northern sections that I hiked from 6 to 22 were simply amazing, with great weather almost the entire time. Thank you, all!
- 2022 Nov 3 Frank
At the tourist office in Cochamo I was told the frontier remains closed, is unlikely to open this year & to `ask again in January` The trail beyond La Junta remains in poor condition.
- 2022-Oct-19 to 24 / GPT 22 southbound Regular hiking route.
Here are the main points because our story is long :)
*Paso el bolson and El Leon are closed for tourists until further notice *some of trails are in bad condition because of the hard winter but they might be cleared in the following weeks. * landslide in Lago Las rocas - very dangerous part to cross. We suggest to take an optional route
The trail starts in valle cochamo. We did not have any reservations but as we were in low season we were not worried. However the lady from the tourist office in Cochamo told us to arrive at the entrance of the valley between 7 & 8 to avoid being rejected. At 7h50 there was nobody at the reception so we did not have any trouble, but we cannot say for the high season. You can arrange a car transfer to go the valley entrance. The numbers of the drivers are available at the tourist office.
The trail until La Junta is muddy but well maintained - no worries there. Up there we met some arrieros and the locals from the camping and they told us that the trail was closed a bit further because of snow (up to 2 meters) in laguna Blanca. This is the highest part of the trail (about 1100m). The river crossings were feasible, but as they forecasted rain for the next day, we preferred to turn back in order to avoid being blocked between high rivers and snow.
Back on the road between Cochamo and Puelo, we caught at about 10:30 the bus that leaves at 7:45 from Puerto Montt, to go to Rio Manso. There is a well furnished Shop where you can even find gas. We remained in the Southbound direction and went to Senora Oco's house. She was very welcoming, and her and her grandchild helped us in arranging a boat transfer for the following morning (nothing was possible the same day). We paid 50000 pesos to go from their house to Rio Traidor - close to Nancy hospedaje. Indeed, we skipped the first part of the trail as they told us that it was very closed with a lot of small trees and not used anymore. Maybe it would be cheaper to cross a bit south using the cable car or directly from Manso to Rio Traidor.
Until the Rio Tigre, settler # 22N [7.7/157], the trail is visible but sometimes with some obstacles (fallen trees). After this settling, you will have to cross the Rio Tigre which might be the hardest to cross on your way if you have a lot of rain. There is a bridge indicated on the tracks but it has been swept away this winter. The best place to cross is a bit higher following the river, follow the horse track. We did not have any problem crossing, and probably the settler could help you with his horse if the river is too high. That is an advantage of the Southbound direction.
After, the trail is really clear. We found the last transfer across Rio Puelo about 1 km before the point indicated on the track. It is his job to do the crossings and he also does sportive fishing if you are interested. Look for a house with a border collie with a piece of wood around the neck :)
From Puerto Urrutia, the trail is clear again until the road. There is a shop at 600m on the right. Again here, the trail is closed due to fallen trees at the beginning, but the locals (last house on the right) will help you find another path. Clear trail until Lago Las Rocas.
Once you reach the Lago Las rocas you will be blocked after 2km. Indeed there was a landslide this winter and you have to cross a very dangerous part of about 300 m of rocky mountain slide. It is not stabilized yet. We went through but we do not advise it. Also, there were a lot of fallen trees and the path was really tiring. The locals will probably clear the path in the following weeks. To get more information we suggest to contact the camping Playa Las Rocas on Instagram. You can also consider the other routes or arrange a boat crossing.
Finally we arrived at the border crossing. Unfortunately it was closed due to the Covid, except for the very locals (people from Cochamo). Apparently Paso el Leon is closed as well for tourists. Be aware of that if you have to cross the Chilean- Argentinian borders, as small passes seem to be closed for tourists. In the end we had to go back to Puerto Montt crossing the Lago inferior with a free boat (ask the carabineros), and then the bus-ferry-bus from Segundo Corral.
- 2021-Nov-23 & 2021-Nov-25 / Packrafting Estuario de Reloncavi from Ralun to Rio Puelo (Western shore) / Jan Dudeck & Meylin Ubilla / GPT21, GPT22 and GPT78
We paddled in two easy days the roughly 40 km southbound.
Start at Ralun at Puente Petrohue: On the right side of the bridge (view in river flow direction) is a suitable put-in and good spot to camp. The gate was closed but not locked. There are signs of people occasionally camping there.
Ralun to Cochamo: Packrafters in need to resupply can do this in Cochamo about 16 water kilometers from the put-in. Both, the western and eastern coast are suitable for packrafting. The eastern side is next to the main road what facilitates switching to hiking. The western side is less intervened and more scenic.
Ralun to Rio Puelo: Again, the western and eastern coast are suitable for packrafting. The eastern side is next to the main road what facilitates switching to hiking but requires the crossing of a 4 km wide bay in open water. The western side is less intervened and more scenic but requires crossing the 3 km wide Estuario de Reloncavi near Rio Puelo. On the western side are also the Termas de Sotomo that are suitable for camping.
Wind: On nice sunny days “viento sur” often kicks in around 10 am making southbound paddling difficult or unfeasible. We had two partially overcasted days and could paddle on the first day till 4 pm when wind became annoying strong. On the second day around 3 pm the wind and waves became unpleasant but by this time we were walking the final kilometers into Rio Puelo.
GPT22: Southbound packrafters may take in Cochamo or Rio Puelo the bus to Lago TaguaTagua an get to the recommended packrafting starting point of section GPT22 halfway into this section to Flip-Flop as recommended.
- 18-11-2021 / Tobías / Cochamó Valley / Northbound (Lago Tagua Tagua)
The Section between La Junta Base and Lago Vidal Gormez was very challenging. It had been raining a lot, so the Trail was very muddy and I had to cross several rivers and creeks. Went straight from Cochamó to Lago Grande and camped there in some Snow. Met only a few settlers. After reaching Lago Vidal Gormez, the Trail was easy and I enjoyed the hike a lot. Amaizing área up there!
- 18-2-2020 / Tyler / RR SOBO 4 days to OH-PR-V@22-03 (Lago Tagua Tagua)
I didn’t have problems getting a campsite at la junta on the spot luckily. AMAZING area that I’ll be returning to again to do all the day hikes in. Aside from that, most the trail was very muddy, rainy, and unmaintained. This got a bit difficult after the 3rd day in a row. Good places to camp at the lakes over the pass SOBO. When I got down to Lago Vidal Gomez the trail improved.. I got some bread from a settler at the start of the lake. There right on the trail and super friendly and have rooms. The last ferry across Tagua Tagua leaves at 7 pm. I didn’t make it, so I slept underneath the office/bathrooms and took the ferry at 8:00 the next morning. I believe there’s another ferry at 12.
- . 2020-Jan-9-11/ Shaun / Regular hiking route Southbound
Despite the austere warnings on the La Junta Camping website, I was able to make a reservation at short notice in high season, and the back and forth process only took a few hours. In Cochamó, I was warned that due to recent rain the river crossings at El Arco and another nearby river would likely be impassable. With four more days of heavy rain forecast, I decided to take the bus-ferry-bus combo to Puerto Urrutia and try to walk northbound from there with the optimistic hope that by the time I reached El Arco the river would be passable or, at least, the wait would be less. However, 10km north of the Rio Puelo crossing (service starts at 9am) my way was blocked by a high and fast river. I then retraced my steps and completed the rest of the section southbound - which was straightforward. The trail on the west side of Lago de la Roca until the frontera is a bit overgrown but still easy to see and nothing particularly slowed me down. On the Argentinian side the trail is well maintained. It is not permitted to camp on the 12km stretch between the border posts. I arrived too late to cross that day, but the Chileans stamped my passport with the next day’s date so I didn’t have to wait for the post to open at 9am. The Argentinian border guards informed me that because of the rain, the Rio Azul was too high to ford at the point on the regular hiking route just before Lago Puelo so I took the alternative route (Oh-Tl-V@22-04-#001) a few kms north and crossed over the La Pasarela bridge.
- Arnaud - 22/01/2020
Gpt 22 - section log - North to South 5 days As we arrived from Puerto Montt we were with the bus and stopped directly at the entrance of the private parque de la vallee de Cochamo. As it is private, there are some rules to get in, or they block you at the control point. The entrance is free but you need to have a reservation in one of the official camp sites there. To get the reservation, you can do it on internet (but you need to wait for the confirmation and it can be several days long), or do it directly there (red house), they give you the reservation voucher if there are places available (number seem to be limited). Then you pay the night when you reach the camp sites (6000 clp/pers). Or the other solution is to say that you sleep in the refugio del Arco. It is 23km further after the control. Then it is free and no reservation is needed, but this is possible only before 10am (after they block you). After 10am the only way to pass is to sleep in the camp sites. They block you if you do not have a reservation voucher for one camp site. This spot (la Junta) is famous among the chilenos so the access to the camp sites is really overrunned. The path is easy to walk. Once you go further than the campsites, you're alone, so it is better. The path is clearly marked. There are bridges for most of the rivers you cross. But it is very muddy. At the lago Vidal you can resupply a bit with those living there (you can also sleep in their camp sites). In El Manso you can find a minimarket with lots of things. Then, we decided to follow the road instead of the track because we were in a hurry with a deadline in El Bolson, until we reached la cruce de la rocas. There are buses or hitchiking is easy. Crossing borders was easy. There are 12km between the chilean stamp and the Argentin one that we did in 3.5 hours. At the very end we have not not crossed El Rio Azul, we walked 7 more km to the north to reach La Pasarella
Summary Table
| GPT22: Cochamó | Hiking | Packrafting | |||||
| Group | D: Lagos Chilenos | Total | 160.6 km | 51 h | 136.6 km | 35 h | |
| Region | Chile & Argentina: Los Lagos (X) & Chubut | Trails (TL) | 137.9 km | 85.9% | 20.3 km | 14.9% | |
| Start | Cochamó | Minor Roads (MR) | 10.8 km | 6.7% | 1.8 km | 1.3% | |
| Finish | Lago Puelo (Puerto) | Primary Roads (PR) | 9.7 km | 6.0% | 2.8 km | 2.0% | |
| Status | Published & Verified | Cross-Country (CC) | 2.2 km | 1.4% | 0.5 km | 0.4% | |
| Traversable | Dec - Apr (Maybe: Sep, Oct, Nov, May) | Bush-Bashing (BB) | - | - | - | - | |
| Packraft | Very Useful | Ferry (FY) | (1.8 km) | (1.1%) | - | - | |
| Connects to | GPT21, GPT23 | Investigation (I) | - | - | (1.9 km) | (1.4%) | |
| Options | 268 km (9 Options & Variants) | Exploration (EXP) | - | - | - | - | |
| Hiking | Packrafting | Total on Water | 111.1 km | 81.4% | |||
| Attraction | 4 (of 5) | 5 (of 5) | River (RI) | 62.5 km | 45.7% | ||
| Difficulty | 4 (of 5) | 4 (of 5) | Lake (LK) | 32.4 km | 23.7% | ||
| Direction | Both ↓↑ | Both ↓↑ | Fjord (FJ) | 16.3 km | 11.9% | ||
| Comment | Hiking: Flip-Flop recommended | ||||||
| Character | Packrafting: Flip-Flop recommended | ||||||
| Challenges | Valdivian Rain Forest, Sea Coast, Farmland, Settlers, River Packrafting, Lake Packrafting, Fjord Packrafting, Partly Overrun | ||||||
Satellite Image Map
Elevation Profile
Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route
Elevation Profile of Regular Packrafting Route
Section Planning Status
Recommended Travel Period
The Regular Route is best hiked between December and April. The primary obstacles are high river levels early in the season and after rain. During the peak period of January and February it may be difficult to obtain a camping reservation at La Junta which could prevent a southbound traverse.
Benefits of Hiking and Packrafting
Recommended Travel Direction
Northbound and southbound hiking is feasible. However, due to the controlled private southbound access through the La Junta área, hiking in that direction is only possible with a camping reservation, or by arriving at the checkpoint before 10am. A northbound traverse may therefore be preferred. For hikers generally heading south, it is possible to take the single ticket, half-day bus-ferry-bus combination south from Cochamó to Puerto Urrutia, hike the 120km north to Cochamó, then return to Puerto Urrutia and resume the section southwards from there.
Section Length and Travel Duration
The 161km can be hiked in around seven moderate hiking days. There may be delays due to river fords. Crossing the border is typically straightforward, however it is not permitted to camp on the 12km between the border posts. So if you arrive too late to cross, it is necessary to camp at the border post and cross the next day. In this situation, Chilean officials will stamp your passport with the next day’s date so you don’t need to wait for the office to open that morning.
Suitable Section Combinations
Section Attractiveness
The La Junta hiking and climbing area is dramatic and beautiful, and has been called ‘The Yosemite of Chile’. Among others, the segments along the Rio Puelo and around Lago Las Rocas are also very scenic. Despite the natural beauty of the section, many hikers have reported that their interactions with settlers along Lago Vidal Gomez and at the boat crossings were actually their top highlight.
Section Difficulty
Southbound access to the popular La Junta area is controlled at a private checkpoint and only granted to those with a prior camping reservation, or those arriving before 10am and therefore early enough to make it on to the free and unmanaged El Arco campsite 23km away. Reservations for La Junta can be made online at cochamo.com, but there may not be availability and the process may take several days, so hiking this section southwards may not be possible. This is not a problem for northbound hikers as there is no equivalent checkpoint to the south. Therefore, an option for hikers generally heading south is to take the bus-ferry-bus combination from Cochamó across Lago Tagua Tagua and on to Puerto Urrutia, hike 120km north back to Cochamó, then take the bus-ferry-bus south again and hike the remainder of the section southwards from Puerto Urrutia.
Another common challenge is that the required river fords may be dangerous, or not possible due to high river levels, especially after rain. There is also the potential for delay in arranging and making the three boat river-crossings. Walking along the main road to Llanada Grande and Puerto Urrutia is an alternative.
Resupply
Resupply Town
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
Location, Names, Available Items and Services
Access to Route and Return
Access to Start
The regular hiking routes crosses in the first part a hiking area that has grown in popularity in recent years. The large majority of visitors starts at the diversion from the main road (P22-4.3) or the trail head (P22-10.4) and walks only to the camp site La Junta (P22-20.8) from where they make day hikes into the surrounding area. The increased flux of hikers forced the operators of the camp site to establish a reservation system but the high demand during the peak season makes it difficult to reserve a spot on camp site between mid-December and mid-March on short notice. The operators of the camp site state that they may deny access to the trail if no reservation for the camp site was made in advance. I have asked the operator of the camp site if long-distance hikers without a reservation will be denied access to the trail even if they arrive early enough on the trail head to walk past the camp site La Junta to camp on one of the meadows or at the refuge several kilometers past La Junta. I did not get any answer. You should read to this subject: http://www.cochamo.com/reservationscamping/
This restriction substantially complicates a southbound traverse on the regular hiking route. A southbound traverse of this section also complicates arranging the 3 boat transfers over the Río Puelo (twice) and Río Traidor (once). Therefore I suggest hiking most of this section northbound even if walking generally in southbound direction. To flip the 120 km from Balseo Primer Corral (P22-119.9) to Cochamó (P22-0.0) you need to take twice the bus-ferry-bus combination between Cochamó and Primer Corral.
There are daily bus-ferry-bus connections from Puerto Montt to Primer Corral. The bus leaves Puerto Montt main bus terminal (07:45, 12:00, 3:30PM & 5PM on weekdays, runs on weekends also but weekend schedule may differ) and travels via Puerto Varas, Ensenada, Ralun (P21-67.1), Cochamó (P22-0.0) and the village Río Puelo to Lago Tagua Tagua. You can take this bus either on section GPT21 in Ralun (to avoid 15 km of road walking from Ralun to Cochamó), at the start of section GPT22 in Cochamó or in Puerto Montt after resupplying and resting in this larger town. For the bus schedule best ask any of the settlers along the route or see: http://www.cochamo.com/bus/
Should you start in Puerto Montt purchase your bus ticket in advance at the main bus terminal since this bus sells out quickly during the main tourist season.
At the terminal station you can board a ferry to cross Lago Tagua Tagua and take the minibus that travels the road from Lago Tagua Tagua via Llanda Grande to the settlement Primer Corral. Make sure to leave this minibus before the terminal station at the boat transfer point Balseo Primer Corral (P22-119.9). If arriving with this minibus at Balseo Primer Corral you are more likely to get immediately a lift over Río Puelo to start your hike of section GPT22 at the left bank of Río Puelo (P22-119.6).
Just before the Río Traidor at the Hospedaje Nancy (near P22-96.2, Radio Call Name: Base Traidor) you may ask the settlers Doña Nancy and Don Chindo how to best get over Río Traidor (either with their motor boat or with a neighbors paddle boat). The third and last river crossing you may arrange with the settlers Paulina and Jovino (P22-85.6, Radio Call Name: La Junta). Alternatively you may ask before the settler Ricardo Garado (P22-91.4, Radio Call Name: Cerro Mesa) if he gets you over Río Puelo on a cable car.
Most settlers along the Río Puelo have a radio to communicate amongst them. So you may ask most settlers in advance if they are at home to verify if a river crossing can be arranged. And please, don’t expect these river crossings for free but ask for the price in advance and pay without bargaining. You can avoid this 3 boat transfers only by taking the less attractive optional road short cut via Llanada Grande (to the right of Río Puelo) instead of walking on the recommen¬ded regular hiking route (to the left of Río Puelo). If taking this road short cut you miss one of the highlights of the GPT that gets you in contact and conversation with these settlers.
After the third river crossing you will be left near the settlers home of Señora Oco (P22-84.0, Radio Call Name: El Maiten) from where you can follow scenic trails to Cochamó (P22-0.0) at the starting point of section GPT22. Several settlers live along this route.
You should spend your last night BEFORE reaching the camp site La Junta (P22-20.8) i.e. at the refuge (P22-30.6) or at one of the two nice meadows before (P22-25.7 or P22-24.3) where you may pitch your tent for one night.
You may asked any of the settlers along the route if they sell some basic homemade supplies like bread, eggs and vegetables and if you are lucky may even purchase some luxury items like meat and beer. In particular if you camp near a settlers home or pay for accommodation fresh bread may be prepared for the next morning.
Once back in Cochamó take the same bus-ferry-bus combination to get the point where you flipped the hiking direction and continue southbound. The remaining part of section GPT22 can be hiking in any direction without comparable restrictions.
If hiking this section in southbound direction I strongly recommend to make a reservation for the camp site La Junta in advance. Once you reach the home of Señora Oco (near P22-84.0, Radio Call Name: El Maiten) ask her if she can arrange a river crossing with one of the settler nearby. When you reach the settlers home of Ricardo Garado (P22-91.4, Radio Call Name: Cerro Mesa) ask how to best cross Río Traidor. He may call by radio Hospedaje Nancy (near P22-96.2, Radio Call Name: Base Traidor) that is located closer to Río Traidor. When you reach Balseo Primer Corral (P22-119.9) ask the settlers nearby when you may get lift over Río Puelo.
Return from Finish
When the frontier opens you can walk out to the bridge, Pasarela Rio Azul. Rio Azul is not normally fordable & it`s highly likely that you will need to cross on the footbridge. Walking out after the bridge you reach the asphalt road after about 1KM & straight across the road there is a bus stand. Buses every hour to El Bolson with La Golondrina. Although Via Tac buses run by on the way to El Bolson & Bariloche they are unlikely to stop, but La Golondrina always will.
Escape Options
Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues
Regular Route
Regular Hiking Route
- Comment by Jan Dudeck after Season 2016/17:
The regular hiking routes crosses in the first part a hiking area that has grown in popularity in recent years. The large majority of visitors starts at the diversion from the main road (P22-4.3) or the trail head (P22-10.4) and walks only to the camp site La Junta (P22-20.8) from where they make day hikes into the surrounding area. The increased flux of hikers forced the operators of the camp site to establish a reservation system but the high demand during the peak season makes it difficult to reserve a spot on camp site between mid-December and mid-March on short notice. The operators of the camp site state that they may deny access to the trail if no reservation for the camp site was made in advance. I have asked the operator of the camp site if long-distance hikers without a reservation will be denied access to the trail even if they arrive early enough on the trail head to walk past the camp site La Junta to camp on one of the meadows or at the refuge several kilometers past La Junta. I did not get any answer. You should read to this subject: http://www.cochamo.com/reservationscamping/
This restriction substantially complicates a southbound traverse on the regular hiking route. A southbound traverse of this section also complicates arranging the 3 boat transfers over the Río Puelo (twice) and Río Traidor (once). Therefore I suggest hiking most of this section northbound even if walking generally in southbound direction. To flip the 120 km from Balseo Primer Corral (P22-119.9) to Cochamó (P22-0.0) you need to take twice the bus-ferry-bus combination between Cochamó and Primer Corral.
There is at least one daily bus-ferry-bus connection from Puerto Montt to Primer Corral. The bus leaves Puerto Montt in the morning (07:45 main bus terminal) and travels via Puerto Varas, Ensenada, Ralun (P21-67.1), Cochamó (P22-0.0) and the village Río Puelo to Lago Tagua Tagua. You can take this bus either on section GPT21 in Ralun (to avoid 15 km of road walking from Ralun to Cochamó), at the start of section GPT22 in Cochamó or in Puerto Montt after resupplying and resting in this larger town. For the bus schedule best ask any of the settlers along the route or see: http://www.cochamo.com/bus/
Should you start in Puerto Montt purchase your bus ticket in advance at the main bus terminal since this bus sells out quickly during the main tourist season.
At the terminal station you can board a ferry to cross Lago Tagua Tagua and take the minibus that travels the road from Lago Tagua Tagua via Llanda Grande to the settlement Primer Corral. Make sure to leave this minibus before the terminal station at the boat transfer point Balseo Primer Corral (P22-119.9). If arriving with this minibus at Balseo Primer Corral you are more likely to get immediately a lift over Río Puelo to start your hike of section GPT22 at the left bank of Río Puelo (P22-119.6).
Just before the Río Traidor at the Hospedaje Nancy (near P22-96.2, Radio Call Name: Base Traidor) you may ask the settlers Doña Nancy and Don Chindo how to best get over Río Traidor (either with their motor boat or with a neighbors paddle boat).
The third and last river crossing you may arrange with the settlers Paulina and Jovino (P22-85.6, Radio Call Name: La Junta). Alternatively you may ask before the settler Ricardo Garado (P22-91.4, Radio Call Name: Cerro Mesa) if he gets you over Río Puelo on a cable car.
Most settlers along the Río Puelo have a radio to communicate amongst them. So you may ask most settlers in advance if they are at home to verify if a river crossing can be arranged. And please, don’t expect these river crossings for free but ask for the price in advance and pay without bargaining. You can avoid this 3 boat transfers only by taking the less attractive optional road short cut via Llanada Grande (to the right of Río Puelo) instead of walking on the recommen¬ded regular hiking route (to the left of Río Puelo). If taking this road short cut you miss one of the highlights of the GPT that gets you in contact and conversation with these settlers.
After the third river crossing you will be left near the settlers home of Señora Oco (P22-84.0, Radio Call Name: El Maiten) from where you can follow scenic trails to Cochamó (P22-0.0) at the starting point of section GPT22. Several settlers live along this route.
You should spend your last night BEFORE reaching the camp site La Junta (P22-20.8) i.e. at the refuge (P22-30.6) or at one of the two nice meadows before (P22-25.7 or P22-24.3) where you may pitch your tent for one night.
You may asked any of the settlers along the route if they sell some basic homemade supplies like bread, eggs and vegetables and if you are lucky may even purchase some luxury items like meat and beer. In particular if you camp near a settlers home or pay for accommodation fresh bread may be prepared for the next morning.
Once back in Cochamó take the same bus-ferry-bus combination to get the point where you flipped the hiking direction and continue southbound. The remaining part of section GPT22 can be hiking in any direction without comparable restrictions.
If hiking this section in southbound direction I strongly recommend to make a reservation for the camp site La Junta in advance. Once you reach the home of Señora Oco (near P22-84.0, Radio Call Name: El Maiten) ask her if she can arrange a river crossing with one of the settler nearby. When you reach the settlers home of Ricardo Garado (P22-91.4, Radio Call Name: Cerro Mesa) ask how to best cross Río Traidor. He may call by radio Hospedaje Nancy (near P22-96.2, Radio Call Name: Base Traidor) that is located closer to Río Traidor. When you reach Balseo Primer Corral (P22-119.9) ask the settlers nearby when you may get lift over Río Puelo.
Regular Packrafting Route
- Route description by Kara Davis after Season 2017/18:
During this section, the Regular Hiking Route follows a heavy use trail to a well known climbing destination, La Junta. Due to the popularity of this hiking route, there is some necessary planning as well as rules and regulations that hikers must be aware of before embarking on this section. First of all, the trail to La Junta is not public. All hikers are required to register at the trailhead and the guards generally require proof that you made reservations to camp at La Junta in advance. To register, use this link: https://cochamo.com/reservationscamping/. Prices vary during the season but expect to pay 5.000 CLP to 6.000 CLP per night. The website states reservations should be made well in advance because of the camp’s popularity and to allow time to receive a confirmation email.
The route follows the paved highway, V-69, out of Cochamó until the turnoff onto the Cochamó-Paso El León dirt road. The La Junta trailhead is about 10.5 km from Cochamó. Keep in mind, NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO BEGIN HIKING ON THE TRAIL AFTER 15:00. There are two camps located at the trailhead which will host hikers for 5.000 CLP per night.
The trail to La Junta is obvious, but braided and muddy. Also, expect it to be crowded with other hikers heading to and from the popular camp. La Junta is located in a beautiful meadow with great views of the surrounding granite faces. This area is called the “Chilean Yosemite” for a good reason.
After La Junta, the trail ascends along the Río Cochamó. It remains obvious, but is still braided and muddy. There are several small areas to camp in the trees, and a few open fields. There is a decent place to camp is in a field south of the El Arco refugio. The trail to the field breaks off to the right just before the El Arco refugio, while the main trail passes very near to the refugio. The trail remains generally muddy until the descent to Lago Vidal Gormaz. There is a decent place to camp on the north side of the lake, but if you can make it to the south side, you’re in for a treat.
On the south side of the lake lives a lovely couple, Louisa and Mickey, who offer several services: boat transportation across the lake, camping (2.000 CLP/night), fishing, hot meals, and food to-go. As hungry hikers, we were not disappointed with the dinner Louisa served us. Most of the food was from the farm, and it cost only 4.000 CLP per plate.
The trail heading south from Louisa and Mickey’s place is mostly dry and there are several small areas to camp. Along Río Manso, about 8 km from Louisa and Mickey’s house, the trail alternates between sharp ascents and descents and is notably challenging. Locals with horses are common along the track since that is their only means of transportation to town.
There are several places to camp before reaching the gravel road about 3 km out from El Manso, but much of the area surrounding the road is private. There is advertised camping and a small store before the intersection with the larger gravel road (Lago Tagua Tagua—Llanada Grande) but both were closed when we passed through. At the intersection, there is another small store that offers snack foods, drinks, and some produce at reasonable prices. There is a hostel called El Monso with cabañas and camping options approximately 1 km down the road from the intersection.
A big feature on this section are three river crossings: two crossing of the Río Puelo and one of the Río Traidor. To reach the first Río Puelo crossing, turn off the main road (Lago Tagua-Tagua—Llanada Grande) at Señora Oco’s place (there is a sign and a gate). It is possible to arrange a ferry crossing with her. The river flows at the edge of her property, and can be reached by following a small trail. The current is strong, but ferrying across is straightforward.
The trail after the river crossing is muddy at times, but easy to follow. The Río Traidor crossing is about 9 km after the first Río Puelo crossing and is a much shorter and easier. Where the GPS route shows to cross over Río Traidor just before the confluence with Río Puelo requires hikers to climb over two barbed wire fences. About ½ km from the crossing is a farm belonging to Nancy and Chindo. They were very friendly and invited us in. They offer transportation across Río Traidor and I believe they may run a hospedaje out of their house as well.
The trail climbs after Nancy and Chindo’s house. It remains obvious, but is generally overgrown. There are areas where the forest opens up and camping is possible. Eventually the land completely opens up and the trail begins to travel through farmland. The trail is harder to follow through this area because it crosses other natural trails made by animal traffic and frequently becomes faint. There are many small stream crossings and swampy areas. Camping is plentiful in the open meadows, but this may put you in close range to the freely roaming livestock.
At the final crossing of Río Puelo, put in at a dirt boat ramp. Across the river, which is wide and has a strong current, there is a gravel boat ramp which leads up to a parking lot. The route continues on a dirt road that peels off the parking lot and climbs up to the east of the private residence (not the driveway at the south end of the lot). The route continues to follow a 4WD track, which reduces to an overgrown single track for about 7 km. The route then joins a dirt road, Camino Primer Corral—Llanada Grande.
After traveling down the road for about 200 m, the GPS track shows a sudden turn off to the east. However, when we asked the owner of the house located at the turnoff, she told us to continue east along the main road for 2.5 km, turn south on the smaller dirt road, and follow this for 2 km to rejoin the trail.
Eventually you’ll come across several signs indicating private property. The route continues past these signs but be sure to stay on the road. Follow the sign that says “Puerto Guala” onto a trail that curves to the west side of Lago de Las Rocas. There is a small dock located at the packrafting put-in. There is also a small campsite located a few hundred meters down the trail from here.
At this point, the route begins to head towards Argentina. The Chilean border control is located 1 km from the south bank of Lago de Las Rocas. In order to legally make it into Argentina, the control requires the dates on your exit stamp from Chile and your entrance stamp into Argentina to be the same. Since this is the case, the Chilean border control will not give you an exit stamp if it is late in the day since the Argentine border control station is about 12 km to the east. If you arrive late, it is possible to camp at the Chilean border control station.
The trail between the two border control stations is well maintained. The Argentine border control station is located about 4.5 km after the border. There is a nice camp spot here with a fire ring, toilets, and water.
The route continues along a trail which becomes faint and then disappears as you near Río Azul. This river crossing is substantial and should not be underestimated. The river is wide and crossing could be dangerous at high water levels.
Town: Lago Puelo/El Bolson
There is a popular campsite called Delta Del Azul with all necessary amenities on the north end of Lago Puelo. Camping here is nice but expensive. There are many camping options along RP16 towards Lago Puelo and El Bolson. Generally, campsite prices become less expensive the closer you get to El Bolson. The town of Lago Puelo offers several restaurants, places to stay, and good resupply options. There is also a bank with an ATM to withdraw Argentine Pesos from, but it does not seem to work for many foreign cards. If you find your options limited or are looking for cheaper prices, El Bolson is a quick 20 minute car ride north. This larger town has more options and several big grocery stores for easy resupply.
Optional Routes
Investigations and Explorations
Links to other Resources
Alerts and Logs of Past Seasons
Images
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