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==Season 2023/24==
2023 Dec 22 to Dec 26 / 4,5 days / hiking / SOBO / RR & part Option 1 & Completely new option / Tomáš & Natalie
Note: Our path was of course convoluted. We walked the optional route 10-01 to volcan Copahue last year. It is splendid and recommended for our option. We came back to the area to find a new connection that would avoid almost 25 km of unpleasant roadwalking after Laguna El Barco. We suceeded, see below.
We followed the regular route to Laguna el Barco. The route and the Laguna are indeed very pleasant. We paid 1000 each to be able to pass through (?) and use the camping tables for lunch. The store was closed even on Saturday (Dec 23). About 300 m from the lagoon, there is a sign about Entel coverage and 4g indeed works decently there. We then took the minor road to the hot spring under Volcan Copahue.
No cars seem to be using the road, especially the second part is quite eroded and after the hot spring it is bordering on impassable for cars. The hot spring is still nice. We then followed the road to an incredibly beautiful valley under Copahue. Few hundred metres before reaching Argentina, we left the road and shortly found a path that traversed into the valley in the south next to the border. The path petered out once we got above the bushes. It was really easy to reach the ridge and folow it (and the Argentinian border) to 37.9575000S, 71.1211474W. With snow all around on the slopes and with condors circling us, it was stunning (the ridge is mostly snow free). Made camp under the summit next to a 10m-high wall of ice for wind protection. There was no path but walking was easy, thr ridge is rather flat.
Continuing on the ridge towards Cerro Dedo would require climbing or exposed traversing (if one dropped to Argentina, one could probably find a path to reconnect to GOT after Cerro Dedos if there are no border controls). Instead we went down side of the mountain roughly to here: 37.9650794S, 71.1206588W (it was steep but full of stones, so not slippery and we did not think it was dangerous). Then we started traversing (it did not feel exposed, but was a bit strenuous) until about here: 37.9792148S, 71.1245764W, from where we started going down a narrow ridge that was flanked by creeks on both sides. Again it was not dangerous and first half was good CC (like all the previous traverse), the second half was part cow trail (with cow poop), part bush bashing, but surprisingly easy and painless with long sleeeves.
At the bottom of the valley, we came out on a clearly visible trail. We went up it further into the valley, where there was a deserted puesto on a meadow under enormous aracauria trees with a magnificent views on snowy slopes full of huge waterfalls. We made camp.
In the evening, Tomáš then went to explore a scary looking ridge to reach this peak:
37.9767704S, 71.1623784W. It turned out not to be scary. The sidehill up the ridge is mostly without trees or bushes, so it is steep but good CC. Once up the ridge, one can go around the pinacles from the southern side (left facing up), occasionally using the tree branches as support - there is a little of easy climbing, but with no exposure. Then the ridge is steep and somewhat narrow but one can mostly go up only using poles and not hands. Altogether SAC 5. It was fun and pretty, but caution needs to apply. From the top, one could easily traverse north towards here: 37.9611427S, 71.1539942W.
The next day, we went up a ridge dividing the valley we slept in into two (this one: 37.9714484S, 71.1414231W). There is a trail up that branches off the main valley trail about 300 m downstream of the abandoned puesto. One goes up a slope for about 400 m and then down to a ford and then up. There are a variety of cow trails with bamboo cut some time ago. It is partly bush bashing, but very easy and just a few hundred metres. Once up the steep slope, the trail is much clearer. Above the tree line, it is easy CC. Once you get up the main ridge, you can either go right to the peak we slept at two days ago (a walk upno need to use hands, the rocky features vmcan be easily skirted, SAC 3-4) or left to the coordinates that end the previous paragraph. From there one could go down to the valley in the north and either CC and ford (probably possible, but unceartain) or follow the road/path that is mapped in OSM (look it online, it was only added in late November) toward El Barco. Navigating this SOBO is much easier, we posted the GPX route of the most tricky part and a rough overall route painted over satellite image in the Facebook group and hopefully it will be included in the GPT next year.
Going down the valley to reconnect to the GPT leading from Gaulali is easy 5 km on a clear trail. Once you hit car tracks (almost in the main valley) that will soon turn left, you can probably follow one of the trails going straight and save yourself maybe a 0.5 km detour to a puesto here: 38.0095590S, 71.1391237W. From the puesto, there is a very ugly road that was enlarged this year all the way to Guallali. Going NOBO, you reconnect to the trail going to Cerro Dedos very soon and thus almost entirely eclipsing the roadwalk. Plus our proposed new route is really pretty.
From Gaullali, there seems to be a daily bus leaving at 5.30 AM from in front of the turnoff to the carabinieros station. It goes to Ralco and then to Los Angeles. By mistake we first bought tickets to Ralco for 1300 and then to Los Angeles for 1500. It arrives in Ralco at 8:00 and stops there for 10 or so minutes. Next bigger stop is in Santa Barbara around 9:30. It arrives to Los Angels after 10:30. I think it goes back in the afternoon, possibly at 14:00, nut ask at the station.
2023 dec 12 - dec 14 / 2 days / hiking / SOBO / RR + B + C + F / Frans