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==Season 2023/24==
24-Feb-24 to 2024-Feb-27 / 4 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, Variant B, Option 2 / Tomáš
Having parted ways with Natalie, who had other commitments, I was not able to get a taxi to end of road so I started walking and hitching at noon. Second car took me about ten km, then I was passed by ten cars in an hour and then got a hitch to the viewpoint three km from end of the road with a guide going to guide a group to the glacier (they go there by boat!). Our car's engine failed 4 km before the destination, but after 5 minutes a passing car took us there. Mount Cochrane is impressive. I ate there and in an hour another two cars passed, one probably from the puesto further on. It was a Saturday, still vacation period and a beautiful day, it seems hitching is promising under such conditions there. The road is in a very good condition and easily scalable by a 2-wheel drive.
The puesto at 53.1 had barking dogs and seems used (maybe a settler?), I did not see it though, it is in the trees. All fords were easy and shallow: definitely under knees. In the beginning there are multiple trails, RR probably has the best route. You cannot avoid fording, I tried. After about ten km, the trail stops being ambigious. Took variant B (which is mostly a trail, not CC) and slept above the "dangerous ford" (would have been better to stay 500 m lower at the end of the flats). It indeed sounded and looked dangerous after such a hot day. In the morning, I realized the trail to the ford eroded and horses probably cannot go there anymore. A pedestrian still can. The ford was much calmer, very cold but under knees and not strong. I forded it six times unfortunately with bare feet - first to try, than with my backpack and then with my forgotten phone. It hurt even if it is just 5 metres. Going up from the ford, the trail goes to the left of a small stream on top of a small ridge, do not follow the stream as I did. The CC section thereafter is mostly a trail, only invisible on river flats and for about 20 metres in the pass. Going down from the pass, the trail is above the GPX for several hundred metres, going straight and not zigzagging. Rio Bravo was tame after dry weather and at the end of summer, so I took RR. The fords were easy, well under my knees. Puesto el Burro at 92.3 would be a nice place to camp. Utterly scaring a lonely large bull, I pushed to Puesto Tablas, which has a roof that protected me from drops of rain.
Puesto at 107.4 looked nice and standing, not sure if it was locked, by any means very nice place to camp. I did not notice the bridge ?. The ford was mellow, wide but ankle deep. Option 1 at least to variant 01J is actually a used trail, the bridge on it is over a marsh, not sure why it is a waypoint. Decided to take option 2 thinking I would get an easier hitch on carretera austral and trusting others who did not like the lake part that much and hating mosquitoes. The first part to variant 01I is partly a cow trail, partly a BB through open forrest. Take 01J instead, should be a clear trail and the ford should be as easy as the one on RR. From there on, 8 km to an unmarked ford through a first creek marked on OSM (it originates from a lake on map), the trail is clear and looks used. 02A was overgrown after 100 clear meters, so do not take that (I did not see the other end of it either). From the ford, the condition of the trail worsens for 7ish km to camp at 16.4. It is partially overgrown, occasionally with thorns. There is still space for legs, but arms are needed to clear the way. This portion is also mostly over open tundra-like terrain above the river. It is a bit marshy but not much after dry days. The views are splendid! Somebody with a machete would have fun here. Took option 02B, which I think is the actual trail, but it is hard to tell as it goes through a marsh there. Overall the overgrown part is maybe 2-3 km. Puesto Chirola at 17.6 is actually an abandoned settler house, still locked but in heavy rain you could probably get in through a window, the roof is still mostly ok.I slept there, with dusk mosquitoes appeared.
It rained during the night and probably because of that, the trail got muddy. It is however being used and mostly clear and mostly easy to follow. Refuge without water is without water. It is meant for cyclists and is in good condition. It would sleep easily four people amd uneasily double that. It is always well ventilated with always open windows (rain should not get through), so probably no need to fear the mouse virus. The occasional tundra, wetness and continous rain with occasional glimpse of a glacier finally made me feel like I am in proper Patagonia. On the carretera, there are not many cars. Started walking and hitching at three PM. As the road is divided by a ferry, cars pass you at (in high season) 2-hour bursts of at most 8, as I was informed by the one passing cyclist. The first burst was just three cars and two motorcycles and they all passed me. It is actually a one lane compacted road where cars in opposite directions must avoid each other. No luck with second burst of three cars. Finally a second car from the third burst took me after 4 hours on the road. The second refugio around km 35 did not look as nice.
2024-Feb-13 to 2024-Feb-18 / 6 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR / Yannick & Nolwenn & Tess & Lukas