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→Season 2025/26
==Season 2025/26==
<big>'''2025-12-20 to 2025-12-22/ 3 days/ Hiking/ SOBO/ RR, Option 2, Option 2A, Option 1/ Greg Carter'''</big>
Overall
Wild and scenic mountain and forest/ lake environments, with challenging wind, cold and rain, and complex terrain to navigate.
Attraction: 5/5
Difficulty: 4/5
Accommodation in Villa O’Higgins
I camped at Camping Paraíso for CLP 8,000 per night
Friendly host, hot showers, kitchen/ dining room, and 50m to a cool microbrewery/ restaurant with tasty hamburgers and fries :-)
Day 1
Somewhat challenging finding a route on Option 2, uphill to Cerro Altavista, alternating between bush bashing seemingly unavoidable tree groves and rocky ridges. Made much slower progress than anticipated to get to turn-off to Cerro Altavista, and the wind was rising so I ‘cut the corner’ and continued on (EXP/I) Option 2A. Generally better progress was made on the northern side of the ridge. However it was slow progress with lots of shale, loose rock and rock hopping. The route was not straightforward with many climbs and descents on rock bands which extend down from the ridge. Route finding would be very difficult in poor visibility. I recommend Option 2A only in good visibility. I camped here: -48.52680, -72.69173, beside a small alpine lake.
Day 2
I intended to hike Option 1 to get to Options 8 and 8C, but made slow progress due to glitches with my primary navigation device (Garmin Enduro 3), which made it unusable. I tried to use the Gaia app as the primary but this slowed me down (not hands free for poles) with constant checking required in complex terrain, and would have required lots of phone charging in the days ahead. Due to expected slow progress (especially EXP/I Option 8C) and uncertain ability to solar charge my power banks (unreliable direct sunlight), I decided it was prudent to abort and return to Villa O’Higgins to fix the Garmin fault. Camped at Laguna Negra Camp [18.7, 298] - nice sheltered spot set back from the lake.
Day 3
Returned to Villa O’Higgins on Option 1, via Laguna Negra. Slow going on the track beside the lake, with lots of fallen branches and trees, and indistinct or non-existent trail, particularly around here: -48.49909, -72.68848. However lovely views over the lake in both directions, and after the lake approaching Villa O’Higgins.
Postscript
The GPS issue seems to have been caused by using the Auto Select function which, according to the manual, uses “ SatIQ™ technology to dynamically select the best multi-band GNSS
system based on your environment. The Auto Select setting offers the best positioning accuracy while still
prioritizing battery life”. However I found that frequently the device was unable to fix my position at all, meaning also that ancillary functions like distance, elevation and speed did not work either.
Afterwards I consulted Jan (he has the latest Garmin Fenix), who said that he uses the ‘GPS only’ mode to conserve battery power.
This is what Chat GPT says about the benefit of using “GPS Only” mode on your Garmin Enduro 3:
“Main Benefit — Better Battery Life
• GPS Only mode limits the watch to just the U.S. GPS satellite constellation instead of using multiple GNSS systems (like GPS + GLONASS/Galileo).
• Because it’s only tracking one system instead of many, it consumes substantially less power. That means longer battery life during activities like long hikes, ultramarathons, multi-day backpacking trips, etc.
For example, with GPS-only tracking the Enduro 3 can last significantly longer on a single charge compared to modes using all systems:
• GPS Only: ~120 hours (up to ~320 hours with good solar)
• All Systems: ~80 hours (up to ~144 hours with solar)
• All Systems + Multi-Band: ~60 hours (up to ~90 hours with solar)
So if you’re more concerned about maximizing time between charges and don’t need the absolute best positional precision, GPS Only is typically the most efficient setting.
** Trade-Off — Potentially Less Precision in Hard Environments
By using just GPS satellites, you might get slightly slower fix times or somewhat less precise positioning in challenging environments (like dense forest, deep canyons, or urban canyons) compared with multi-GNSS or multi-band settings. That’s because those broader settings can pull signals from more satellites to improve accuracy and lock-on speed.
When to Use GPS Only
- Long endurance activities where battery life is more important than pinpoint accuracy
- Backcountry trips, multi-day hikes, thru-hikes
- Activities in open areas where GPS signal is strong and accuracy differences are minimal
When Not Ideal
- In very dense tree cover or canyons if you need the tightest track logging
- For activities with precise navigation or mapping requirements.
In short: GPS Only mode extends battery life by simplifying the satellite system used, which is great for long adventures — at the cost of some positional precision in tough signal areas.”
<big>'''2025-11-25 to 2025-11-30 / 6 days / hiking /RR east trav Sobo, Opt 4(EXP/I), Opt 3, Opt 3B, RR west trav Nobo / Ohad & Bailey'''</big>