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→Season 2025/26
==Season 2025/26==
* <span style="background-color:aqua;">'''GPT21 / 2025-12-01 and 02 / 2 days / Packrafting Sobo / Option 5A and Lago Cayetue side trip / Lago Todos los Santos from Petrohue to Lago Cayetue / Meylin Ubilla and Jan Dudeck'''</span>
This route is a suitable southbound season start for packrafters with heavier packrafting gear that wish to minimize hiking in favor of more packrafting.
Public transportation to Petrohue at the western terminus of Lago Todos los Santos is simple. Take a minibus from the Puerto Montt bus station to Puerto Varas (every 5 to 10 minutes) and tell the bus driver that you wish to take another minibus to Petrohue. The bus drive will drop you off in the center of Puerto Varas at a bus stop where the buses to Petrohue stop (every 30 minutes).
In Petrohue are two camp sites on the other side (southern) of the slow moving river just where Lago Todos los Santos ends and drains into Rio Petrohue. Packrafters best stay at one of these camp sites to start paddling with the first light on the next morning when conditions are typically calmer. Motor boats bring people to these camp sites (boat crossing 1000 CLP / camping 5000 CLP) so packrafters don’t need to inflate the boat for a 50 m river crossing.
Wind typically blows westbound on the lake main body. The lake arm Cayetue is generally less windy but the typical wind blows northbound (“viento sur”). On a typical sunny day wind starts between 10:00 and 12:00 and calms down after 18:00. Therefore starting very early is the best strategy to complete the lake crossing in one day.
There are quite some emergency exits along the water route if wind and waves force you out of the water. Note that most buildings along the shore are now vacation retreats of the rich and super-rich and not the homes of settlers. A good number of these luxury buildings are equipped alarm systems so be cautious when exploring these upscale buildings to avoid a visit by caretaker. If you are forced to camp somewhere along the shore then best choose a hidden spot that is not easily visible from water nor from the buildings.
We packrafted in 6 hours from Petrohue to Cayetue. The best lake exit is just west of Rio Conchas (41° 13′ 40.5″ S / 72° 16′ 0.8″ W) and not as indicated in the track files at the small port. This extends the water route by 1.5 km and reduces hiking by the same distance.
The trail from the lake exit to Lago Cayetue is well maintained.
Lago Cayetue and Rio Conchas is a nice side trip. You can packraft the Rio Conchas from the lake drain 1 km downstream (very little flow) and from lake feed 2.5 km upstream.
Hikers that need a northbound boat transfer from Cayetue may call Eduardo (+56 9 7515 2075). He is a caretaker of the vacation retreat where Rio Conchas flows into Lago Todos los Santos.
* <span style="background-color:aqua;">'''2025-11-25 to 2025-11-27 / 3 days / Packrafting / SOBO / RP / RR / Daniel.s'''</span>