GPT07 - Laguna Dial
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Season Section Log
- 2019-Dec-24 / Matus & Anna / Regular route SOBO
This section took us 5 days. Trail was in good conditon. River crossings were not a problem but plenty of water everywhere. In tienda in Carizales you can buy pasta, tuna, cola, beer some cookies. We bought huge chunk of cheese and some bread from Irma. It was amazing. Tienda in El Ingles is not best for resupply. We saw some tunas and pasta, but it was not enough for us to buy for next section. There is one more tienda down the road in Los Sauces but it was closed with no one around. We took bus to San Carlos which is leaving at 7am. We didn't find accomodation in El Ingles but it's possible to camp just before the bridge on the right side of the road.
Summary Table
| GPT07: Laguna Dial | Hiking | Packrafting | |||||
| Group | B: Zona Arrieros | Total | 155.5 km | 49 h | 153.3 km | 47 h | |
| Region | Chile: Maule (VII) & Bío Bío (VIII) | Trails (TL) | 126.9 km | 81.6% | 115.4 km | 75.3% | |
| Start | La Mina (Termas del Médano) | Minor Roads (MR) | 5.4 km | 3.5% | 5.4 km | 3.5% | |
| Finish | Puente Ingles | Primary Roads (PR) | 11.3 km | 7.3% | 11.3 km | 7.4% | |
| Status | Published & Verified | Cross-Country (CC) | 11.9 km | 7.7% | 12.2 km | 8.0% | |
| Traversable | Jan - Mar (Maybe: Dec, Apr) | Bush-Bashing (BB) | - | - | - | - | |
| Packraft | Deployable | Ferry (FY) | - | - | - | - | |
| Connects to | GPT06, GPT08 | Investigation (I) | - | - | - | - | |
| Options | 714 km (8 Options & Variants) | Exploration (EXP) | - | - | - | - | |
| Hiking | Packrafting | Total on Water | 9.0 km | 5.9% | |||
| Attraction | 4 (of 5) | 4 (of 5) | River (RI) | - | - | ||
| Difficulty | 3 (of 5) | 3 (of 5) | Lake (LK) | 9.0 km | 5.9% | ||
| Direction | Both ↓↑ | Both ↓↑ | Fjord (FJ) | - | - | ||
| Comment | - | ||||||
| Character | Forest, Alpine Terrain, Hot Springs, Mountain Pastures, Arrieros | ||||||
| Challenges | Demanding River Fords, Exposure to Elements, Resupply Distance | ||||||
Satellite Image Map
Elevation Profile
Section Planning Status
Recommended Travel Period
Benefits of Hiking and Packrafting
Recommended Travel Direction
Section Length and Travel Duration
Suitable Section Combinations
Section Attractiveness
Thissection of the Greater Patagonian Trail leads in four to five hiking days through the wide open valley Melado to the crystal clear Laguna Dial. This lake was formed by a volcanic eruption that plugged the upper valley and transformed this part of the river into a long lake.
With the melting snow in spring and early summer herdsmen migrate up the valley with their animals. Occasional lush green patches intermigle with vegetation that struggles with the try soil. But the now visible life and the accompanying river Melado make a refreshing change after having crossed the death beauty of volcanic ash and lava in the week before on section 1. Don’t miss the puesto of Señora Irma, where you can eat fresh goat cheese with bread that was recently baked in the hot ash of a fire.
After having passed the deep blue Laguna Dial you descent through the now tighter but equally scenic valleys of the rivers Rió Rodriguez and Los Sauces to the small settlement Pichi Rincon and a place called El Ingles. Here you can take a bus to the small town San Fabian to take a rest and to resupply.
Section Difficulty
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
Bus Talca - Termas El Medano
07:00 and 15:00
from Terminal Talca
Return from Finish
Escape Options
Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues
Regular Route
Regular Hiking Route
Regular Packrafting Route
Optional Routes
Investigations and Explorations
Links to other Resources
Alerts and Logs of Past Seasons
Images
Laguna Dial
Laguna Dial
