Through Patagonia / About
INTRODUCTION
Through Patagonia will be my 3000-3500 km version of a walk from the Southern tip of Patagonia at Cabo Froward in Chile, the southernmost portion mainland South America to the ill-defined Northern tip which varies between the Los Lagos province in Chile and Neuquén Province in Argentina. I have chosen Icalma as the northern limit of my walk which is a compromise between the two. I have decided to exclude Tierra del Fuego as it is an island and separated from Patagonia proper by the Straits of Magellan although they share many geographical and cultural features with the mainland. The area I intend to walk is pretty much the extent of the Nothogagus beeches of South America.
My route is complicated by the two massive ice caps which cover the Southern Andes in Patagonia, namely the larger Southern and small Northern Ice Caps. It is impossible for a solo hiker to wander through them and to cross either is a major expedition involving experienced mountaineers in a team roped together to mitigate the risks of falling into a glacier. A hiker either has to go west or east around them and this has its on set of problems.
On the west side the ice caps calve directly into the Chilean fjords in some remarkably remote and hostile environments. It is not possible to cross these calving glaciers and the only route is by the fjords. However the whole coast of Chilean coastline, including the fjords is under the jurisdiction of the Chilean Navy. Permission for any voyage even by kayak or pack raft has to be approved by them and they are notoriously strict and demand a detailed expedition planning dossier. Solo kayaking was out of the question and those with experience in these waters said it was a waste of time trying to get permission. So for a continuous journey on foot and by kayak this was not feasible.
On the east side of the ice caps the glaciers also tumbled down in vast glaciers. The one on the Northern Ice Cap had carved deep valleys into the east side of the Andes but these glaciers stopped short of a vast inland lake called Lago General Carrera leaving a forested mantle of land I could walk up. However the glaciers coming down from the larger Southern Ice Cap flow directly into 3 enormous lakes called Lago San Martin, Lago Viedma and Lago Argentino, each of which is bigger than some European countries. I have ventured onto a few of these glaciers previously and they are prohibitively difficult, slow and dangerous to cross in a roped up team let alone solo. It was not an option. It might be possible to skirt the western side of the lakers and use a pack raft to bypass the glaciers but pack rafts are no match for the winds which can roar down from the ice caps without warning and flip the raft leaving you in the icy waters. Again it was not an option. The only solution to have an unbroken journey was to walk round the east side of these three lakes
Once I have finished the first third of the walk which is about 1000 kilometres and I am north of the Southern Icecap my route is more straight forward. I will follow a network of routes and paths comprising the Great Patagonia Trail which has been explored and compiled by Jan Dudek and others for some 1000 km up through the Chilean Andes and passing to the west of Lago General Carrera until I reach Palena. It will be the middle third of the walk. This area is characterized by deep forested valleys and snow capped mountains. Although the mountains are around 1750 metres high they peppered with glaciers and snowfields. My route will head north, mostly to the east of the famous arterial road of Southern Chile called the Carretera Austral. Although I will be on the west side of the main watershed of the Andes here with all the rivers I cross draining down to the Chilean coast through deep valleys I will be to the east and more sheltered side of the coastal ranges which bear the brunt of the wet windy weather. Despite being to the east of these ranges I can still expect some wet and windy weather from time to time.
After Palena I will start the last third of the hike which is also about 1000 km, and this time will mostly be in Argentina. There are many reasons for this not least because on the Chilean side it is very remote with minimal path networks, limited re supply options, questionable access across private lands like the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve. In many places the paths are non-existent or totally overgrown and one has to resort to ferries to cross lakes. Because of the increased rainfall on the Chilean side the vegetation is much thicker and so during pathless stretches there will be slow progress through thickets of scrub. On the Argentinian side there is a semblance of a trail called the Huella Andina Trail. This trail was funded up to a decade ago when it was abandoned. Since then many parts of it have become totally overgrown and impassable, however there is always the option to bypass them on the east side on the fringe of the pampas and then to link up with it again. Towards the north of this abandoned trail it will become better to cross over into Chile in the Volcan Lanin and Volcan Villarrica latitude for the final section up to Icalma at the northern end of Patagonia and the end of my hike.
I aim to set off in October 2026 from Cabo Froward and walk continuously with unbroken footsteps until April 2027. I estimate it should take about 150 days to do the 3000 kilometres. This is not a high daily average but except for the sections of walking on gravel roads it will mostly be through challenging terrain.
A map of the path I intend to follow is HERE .This is a zoomable map so you can go quite far in to see the detail
THE ROUTE IN SECTIONS
I have split the entire hike into 17 Sections. None of the sections are in “tablets of stone” however the start and end points of each section are nearly confirmed as they crucial resupply points where I have to restock with food and fuel and also where I can send a few parcels to myself with new equipment occasionally like replacement hiking boots or trekking pole tips. I will summarize each of the 17 sections below together with a link to a Strava GPX link. However I have created a spreadsheet with this information on it in a more concise and you can view it HERE
Section 01. Cabo Froward to Punta Arenas. 155 km. 1275m up. 1275m down. 10 Days. The first section is demanding both physically and mentally as I have to walk for perhaps 3 days from the end of the road at Punta Arbol, some 70km south of Punta Arenas, just to reach the start of my journey and Cabo Froward. Although it is just 35 kilometres it is demanding coastal walking with 3 larger rivers to cross which have to be timed to coincide with low tides. At the end of these three coastal days the trail climbs to a spur where there is a huge cross marking the southern tip of South America at Cabo Froward. It is just now I can begin my journey and that initially involved retracing my steps for another 3 days to reach the dirt road again at Punta Arbol. Once at Punta Arbol it is a easier 4 days hiking mostly on dirt roads through remote coastal hamlets to reach the City of Punta Arenas, the capital of the region. These 10 days with be a baptism of cold and damp conditions but once in Punta Arenas I will be able to take stock and and recuperate again. I will only need to carry 6-7 days of provisions as I can pick more up again after Punta Arbol. This section is on the Great Patagonia Trail (GPT) as devised by Jan Dudek and follows the GPT50 (Cabo Froward) and GPT49 (Brunswick Peninsula).
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 01 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here https://www.strava.com/routes/3502343055125916374.
Section 02. Punta Arenas to Rio Verde. 90 km. 800m up. 800m down. 5 Days. This section is more straight forward as I follow a mix of trails, rough forest tracks, seldom used farm roads for 2 days as I cross over the shallow spine of the Brunswick Peninsular from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts. I have heard the authorities can frown up people walking some of these roads so I will have to walk with some degree of stealth until I reach the large intel of Seno Otway. From here I leave the small gravel Y-510 road and head north along a vast gravel beach for a day to reach the provincial Y-50 road following it for 2 days to reach the hamlet of Rio Verde. There is a very small shop here selling non-perishable food and wares and perhaps a bed. This section is on the Great Patagonia Trail (GPT) as devised by Jan Dudek and is known as GPT48 (Seno Otway)
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 02 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3502347718776387456
Section 03. Rio Verde to Puerto Natales. 185km. 950m up. 950m down. 11 Days. The first 70 KM are relatively easy as you follow the very rural Y-50 track along the northern side of Seno Skyring to Bahai Pinto. Here the road ends and you have to bush bash through wild country for at least 25 kilometres until you reach the terminus of the Y-340 rural track on the border of the Magallanes and Ultima Esperanza Provinces. This very wild land, to the west of the Cordillera Pinto mountains, is a large turba or moss moor covered in sphagnum with many shallow lakes. It will be slow going and perhaps take 3 days. Once on the rural Y340 track. I can follow it north for 90km crossing the Rio Blanco and then reaching the coast at Seno Obstruction. Continuing north on it I aim to pass on the east side of Admiral Pinto Lake before reaching the coast again and head to the fleshpots of Puerto Natales where I will recuperate and restock for a couple of days. This section is on the Great Patagonia Trail (GPT) as devised by Jan Dudek and is known as GPT47 (Seno Skyring).
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 03 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3502342095661962112
Section 04. Puerto Natales to Cerro Castillo. 92 km. 1000m up. 910m down. 5 Days. It is a hard decision to leave the Greater Patagonia Trail at Puerto Natales and bypass some of the best mountain scenery in South America, namely the Torre del Paine National Park. The main reason I did this was I am not confident about getting prior permission (from both Chile and Argentina) to go over the border legally at the remote mountain pass of Paso Zamora. In addition to that the bureaucracy and regulations of going into the Torres del Paine Nation Park are quite onerous for a free spirited hiker. Luckily I have been into the heart the park twice some 35 years where I went well off piste and did a variation of the O circuit, and 8 years ago when I did the official O circuit. The route I will now take are very rural tracks Y-290 for 50km through the mountains and then the Y-200 for 40 km along the pampas of the huge Rio del la Chinas valley. I will still see the mountainous towers across the Del Toro Lake but will not be at their feet. After an easy 5 days I will reach Cerro Castillo which is on the Chilean side of the manned Paso Río Don Guillermo border crossing where I can cross legally. I will be able to restock and find a bed in Cerro Castillo.
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 04 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3529727237788679736
Section 05. Cerro Castillo to Calafate. 175 km. 2850m up. 2780m down. 9 Days. This is a more challenging section going through the heart of the Piniculo Range. The route starts easily as it crossed the Paso Río Don Guillermo border post and then north on the gravel Provincial Route 7 and then 61 for 70km, crossing the Rio Las Vizcachas, until it peters out into a farm track and veers east for 20 km to reach the Rio Las Vizcachas again. The route now veers NW up the Las Vizcachas valley on cow paths climbing gradually and then more steeply to reach a high pass at nearly 1800 metres after 30 kilometres. The height of this pass means it will be very cold and it is not to be underestimated. I am expecting snowfields on each side of this pass. On the north side of the pass the route drops quickly down into a valley for 10km to reach the end of the very remote Provincial Route 10. For the next 30 kilometres the very remote and rough track winds between the mountains on the pampas at an altitude of about 1000 metres before the final descent to the shores of Lago Argentino. Calafate is a larger town which sits on the shores of the lake and it will enjoy its comforts for a day or two after the rigorous crossing of the Piniculo Range.
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 05 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3529723525088417336
Section 06. Calafate to Tres Lagos. 159 km. 1210 up. 1160 down. 7 Days. This is an easier section sandwiched between two hard sections and is more of a link section. Initially I had thought about walking along National Highway 40 for ease but then remembered how humiliating I find road walking and how I would squander the opportunity to walk in the desert-like pampas. The distance is quite long but the terrain is easy. For the first 40 kilometres or so until I cross the enormous Rio Santa Cruz I will be on a gravel track adjacent to the Provincial Route 11. The views to the west will be spectacular over to the Southern Ice cap and the larger mountains of Cerro Torre and Cerre Fitzroy even if they are 100 kilometres away. Just after the bridge over this river I will head off on the very rural Provincial Route 21 for an arid 60 km. About half way is a single estancia or homestead where I must collect 10 litres of water as I assume the streambeds are dry. When the Provincial Route 21 turns west I leave it and head NNE down a streambed on cattle tracks for 20 km until I reach the National Highway 40. I now intend to walk on tracks adjacent to this highway heading east for 30 kilometres until I reach the small town of Tres Lagos where there are some stores and simple accommodation. I will need the stores to stock up for the next very arduous section. The reason I have to walk this route is because everything to the west is blocked with either water or glaciers all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 06 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3538845406579962696
Section 07. Tres Lagos to Paso Mayer. 215 km. 3000m up. 2800m down 10 days. Perhaps the most demanding section of the entire trip due to its extreme remoteness, a high mountain pass at 1750m, very little information on the area, river crossings and the fact I will have to carry provisions for much of the next section also. This will really be in the spirit of exploration. Initially the route is easy and follows the gravel Provincial Route 31 for 60 km to the NW and towards the snow covered ranges until it reaches Lago Tar. It then leaves the track and heads north up the Rio Tar climbing slowly across the high barren pampas for another 60 km to reach a pass in the mountains at 1750 metres. As with the crossing of the Piniculo Range 2 weeks earlier I can expect snowfields here. From the pass there is a quick descent down into the Rio Mayer valley for 20 kilometres to the treeline and a remote farm at the end of a track. I then follow this track for a further 40 km down through a large forested valley of famed beauty to reach the gravel Provincial Route 81. I follow this gravel track to the NNW down the Rio Mayer valley for 15 km to reach the Argentinian border post where I must get stamped out of Argentina as I am heading for Chile again. There are still another 15 kilometres of very scenic walking along the road to an infamous suspension bridge over the Rio Carreras and the Chilean border post a little beyond as Paso Mayer. There are no facilities here other than the hospitality offered by the border guards and a simple hut for shelter. There are still another hard 150 kilometres over 8 days to reach Cochrane.
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 07 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3508911580468868198
Section 08. Paso Mayer to Cochrane . 149 km. 2150m up. 2450m down 8 days. This section brings me back to the the GPT (Great Patagonia Trail) and is also a named hike called the Ruta De Los Pioneros, the Route of the Pioneers. It was once the only overland connection between the towns of Cochrane and Villa O’Higgins before the Carretera Austral road was built. Its trail and paths were forged by early settlers and cattle herders. However now these trails have now largely fallen into disrepair but there are still vestiges of paths and homesteads. I will join this trail at Lago Christie just above Paso Mayer and hike north through nothofagus beech forest for 2 days passing lakes Christie and Alegre before reaching the Rio Bravo valley. I follow this wooded valley for two days on an arduous path with much windfall trees to the pass at 1300 metres. After crossing the pass the trail descends for a day to the Mirador del Glaciar Calluqueo which is where the arduous trail ends and the easier gravel Ruta X-901 begins. I can now follow this gravel track north for 2 days in a deep Rio del Salto valley passing old homesteads in forest clearings to reach the town of Cochrane 50 km to the north. At Cochrane I can resupply, enjoy some comforts and relax for a couple of days before continuing north again.
This section is on the Great Patagonia Trail (GPT) as devised by Jan Dudek and is known as GPT36 (Ruta De Los Pioneros).
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 08 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3508923012209574530
Section 09. Cochrane to Cerro Castillo. 212 km. 5290m up. 5110m down 11 days. This section brings me to the fourth of Southern Patagonia’s giant lakes, Lago General Carrera. However with this one I am not forced by the Icefields to go to the east of it and have an option, which I take, to go to the west. The icefield rises west of the lake leaving a mantle of land between the two. The GPT veers off to the NE for 150 km to the town of Chile Chico and crosses the lake on a ferry which I have chosen not to do as it breaks my walking journey. Instead I will follow the main road, the Carretera Austral to the north for 140 km easy kilometres where I can eat well and sleep in roadside cafes and cabins or hostels. These 6 days will probably be the most comfortable and convivial of my journey so far and they will deliver me to Puerto Murta. Although I will be hiking on the Carreterra Austral it is still a smaller unpaved road and the scenery will more than make up for the occasional traffic. After Puerto Murto the character of this section changes completely and I leave the road and head up the Rio Resbalin valley through thicker beech forests on cow paths or non-existent trails for 25 km to a pass at Mallin in the heart of an immensely spectacular Avellano Massif. The crown jewels of this massif are the Torres de Avellano, the Towers of Avellano, which are slightly smaller versions of the Torres del Paine. From the pass at Mallin there is a track down to the Estero Alto valley for 25 km to Lago Lapparent. Here I intersect the Ruta X725 track which is easy to follow for another 25 km as it runs through spectacular rural landscape well to the south of the Carretera Austral to reach the fleshpots of Cerro Castillo town.
The section from Puerto Murta to Cerro Castillo is on the Great Patagonia Trail (GPT) as devised by Jan Dudek and is known as GPT33 (Torres de Avellano).
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 09 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3503675666341555540
Section 10. Cerro Castillo to Coyhaique. 98 km. 3070m up. 3110m down 5 days. The start of this section involves the steep 1100m climb up to the very spectacular viewpoint towards Cerro Castillo mountain. Thereafter the path heads NE down to the Estero el Bosque stream and into the forest where there is a campsite. Continuing NE the route now climbs over a steep pass and descends steeply into the Rio Turbio valley where there is more camping. However this valley descends into a steep pathless gorge and then Lago Azul and to continue it is necessary to climb up over another pass and head down through the forest on the NE side of the pass to reach the grazing in the valley between the lakes of Lago La Paloma and Lago Monreal. It is a mere 50 kilometres here but due to the terrain it is likely to take 3 days. From here the route is simple as it follows the rural gravel track Ruta X696 north got 15 km to reach the village of Villa Friel on the large fertile Rio Simpson plain. From Villa Friel the route continues for another 30km on public rural gravel roads keeping to the westside of the nearby large Rio Simpson. The route crosses the river just before the city of Coyhaique, which is the capital of the Aysen Region of Chile and the largest settlement since Punta Arenas. It will have everything I need to continue north.
This section is on the Great Patagonia Trail (GPT) as devised by Jan Dudek and is known as GPT32 (Cerro Castillo) and GPT31 (Valle Simpson).
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 10 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3503676016453973578
Section 11. Coyhaique to La Tapera. 210 km. 4860m up. 4580m down 11 days. This is a mixed section with many parts on small tracks but with the occasional bush bash to link these together. For the first 20 km the route follows the Carretera Austral which is initially busy until much of the traffic disappears down the highway 240 to Puerto Aysen. The route initially goes on farm tracks to meet the Ruta X-554 track. It then leave this for a few km cross country to reach at track beside the Estero Rondaneli which is followed down to a bridge over the Rio Emperador Guillermo and the Caretera Austral again. The route crossed the road and begins a difficult 15 km section of cross country over a 1450 mountain pass and down to Lago Largo where it meets a track again following it for 10 km before more cross country through sparse high forest to reach the foot bridge over the large Rio Nirehuao and the hamlet at shop at El Gato nearly 90 km and 4 days from Coyhaique. From El gato the route is more straightforward as it follows the Ruta X421 track for 40 km as it make a big loop to the north into the Rio Torqui valley and heads west downstream to meet the Carretera Austral road again. I will now follow the Road north for 35 km to reach the village of Villa Amengual where there are small stores and cabins. The last 50 kilometres of the section follows the Ruta X-25 track east for 50 km along the floor of the large Rio Cisnes valley to reach the end of the section at La Tapera where there are small stores and cabins.
This section is on the Great Patagonia Trail (GPT) as devised by Jan Dudek and is known as GPT30 (Coyhaique) and GPT29 (Rio Cisnes).
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 11 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3502424163097147786
Section 12. La Tapera to Palena. 173 km. 3670m up. 3960m down 9 days. The first 3 days or 75 km of this section is easy as it follows gravel tracks and paths for the whole distance to Lago Verde. Initially there is a thigh high wade across the large River Cisnes to gain a track on the north side of the river. Thereafter The tracks and paths weave through the mountains on the valley floors passing from Beech forest to clearings. It passes through a cultural landscape of cattle herding and homesteads. From all reports it is a beautiful section and I am looking forward to it. At Lago Verde there are shops to restock at and perhaps even simple accomodation. From Lago Verde there is a rough track leading 20km north to a lonely homestead on the valley floor. However the next 60 km are arduous with the route just on a small muddy path with lots of windblown trees and a few challenging river crossings, the first over the Rio Claro and after Lago Palena the Rio Azul which has to be crossed a few times. After these wild 60 km the route reaches another lonely homestead where the Arroyo Las Materas stream descends from the east. Just north of the homestead there is another river to wade, the Rio Salto, and the going gets easier again as a rough track starts. This track continues down the Rio Salto valley for 20 km getting larger and eventually joining the Ruta W-955 for the last kilometres to the town of Palena where there are stores, accommodation and cafes to mark the end of this beautiful section.
This section is on the Great Patagonia Trail (GPT) as devised by Jan Dudek and is known as GPT28 (La Tapera) and GPT27 (Lago Palena).
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 12 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3502625029035642862
Section 13. Palena to Villa Lago Rivadavia. 182 km. 4680m up. 4400m down, 9 days. It is a short 10km paved road to the border crossing and the town of Carrenleufu on the Argentinian side. From here I will be in Argentina for nearly all of the final 1000km. Much of it will be on the remnants of the Huella Andina, a once grand 1200km hiking project, which was abandoned a decade ago. Much of the path is now unmaintained and reclaimed by the forest but some is still marked. Initially I head north, cross the Palena river to the north side on a wire bridge and then follow a series of small unmarked paths to the Heilo stream and cross it after 30km from Carrenleufu. For the next 45 km I follow a series of small forest tracks along the base of the mountains which rise to the west to reach the small town of Aldea Escolar some 85 km from Palena. Here there are simple shops and cabins. North of Aldea Escolar I continue on forest tracks in the Los Alerces National Park for 25 kilometres until I reach the gravel track called Provincial Road 71 and a little later the National Park Gate. After the gate I follow the same track for 15 kilometres to reach Lago Futalaufquen. I am not confident of the route so far from Carrenleufu to Futalaufquen as it goes across private lands and also in the National park and both can have fickle regulations. As a back up plan I could also walk along Regional Route 17 from Carrenleufu to the Welsh origin town of Trevelin and then up Provincial Road 71 to Futalaufquen which would be roughly the same distance. From Villa Futalaufquen the Provincial Road 71 continues north for 55km to Villa Lago Rivaldo. Occasionally beside it there are remnants of the Huella Andina trail but I have heard they are erratic and sometimes closed. My plan with this section is to walk the initially paved but largely gravel road the whole way, and where local knowledge and regulations indicate Huella Andina is viable I will detour onto it. I will make two small detours off it, following the Huella Andina, to viewpoints in the Lago Verde area.
This section is on the Great Patagonia Trail (GPT) as devised by Jan Dudek and is known as GPT26 (Carrenleufu) and GPT25 (Aldea Escolar) and GPT24 (Los Alerces)
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 13 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3539386970963862160
Section 14. Villa Lago Rivadavia to Lago Puelo. 96 km. 3050m up. 3380m down 8 days. From Villa Lago Rivadia continue E along the gravel Provincial Road 71 for 12 km then head NW on Ruta Provincial 32 for another 12 km to reach Lago Cholia where the track ends. Now I will continue NW on forest tracks and and shoreline path for another 6 km to reach the Arroyo del Turco stream. Here the going get tough as I follow the Turco valley up a barely tangible path for nearly 20 km through denser forest to a 1200m pass. It will be slow and taxing as I pass directly under the immensely lofty Cerro Tres Picos. Then there is a descent to the east and a very steep climb around the top of another valley head to reach a second pass 4 km from the first. Still not done I will veer NW and briefly drop into another valley head and after a 3 km climb to the top of a third and the highest pass at 1450m. From this pass there is a very steep 5km descent into the Rio Turbio valley where the terrain flattens out on the wooded valley floor. The 30 km from Lago Cholia shores to Rio Turbo are likely to take at least 2 days and be strenuous. Once on the valley floor I head north down river on cattle paths to the south shore of Lago Puelo and the ranger station. The next 10 km are on a more tangible path as it climbs and descend through forest on the east side of Lago Puelo to reach a ranch where the Rio Epuyen enters the lake. Just 2 km up the river on a track I will cross a bridge to the west side and then leave the track and climb over a ridge. The status of this path over the ridge is questionable and many say it is closed while others say it is arduous but marked with paint. I will do this path and keep a low profile as I cross the 10 km ridge and drop down to Lago Puelo town where there are many shops and accommodation to replenish. The area between Lago Cholia and Lago Puelo was recently affected by a large fire and I might have to deviate off this route if authorities demand it.
This section is on the Great Patagonia Trail (GPT) as devised by Jan Dudek and is known as GPT23 (Lago Puelo).
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 14 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3502669832957939658
Section 15. Lago Puelo to Bariloche. 172 km. 4180m up. 3600m down 9 days. Having been on the GPT for the last 1200km since Paso Mayer I now leave it. There are a few reasons but it is primarily because for my purist thru hike the GPT has to rely on a few ferries to cross inaccessible lakes or make impossible detours round them and there are some access concerns across private lands such as the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve. There is also the fact that the Chilean regions adjacent to my route, namely Los Lagos, Los Rios and Araucania are far wetter than their counterparts in Argentina and with El Nino being active Chile could prove more disruptive. On the other hand I have to pay for this security with about 200km of road walking in Sections 16 and 17. From Lago Puelo the route initially follows the Rio Azul valley north for 30km on smaller tracks on the east side of this tranquil river passing to the west of the town of El Bolsen. When the Azul veers to the west I will continue north on tracks and paths on the open forested valley floors for another 40km to reach the hamlets of Rio Manso and Rio Villegas where there are stores and cabins. Continuing north on a barely visible forest path for 10 km the route emerges at the east end of Lago Steffan. There is now a difficult to follow route along the valley floor over a shallow watershed and then down the Arroyo Yocondo stream for 20 km to reach Lago Mascardi and the small gravel Ruta Provincial 81. The route now follows this track along the shore of the lake heading west for 20 easy km to reach Los Cesares at the west end of the lake where the is a footbridge over the Rio Manso. Over the bridge there is now a faint 20 km difficult hike up the Casalata valley then up very very steeply to the Schweizer Pass, 1700m, before the short descent to Laguna Honda and the Refugio Jakob. These 20 km are a long day of 10-14 hours. There is a short 15 km well used path from the refuge down to Tambo Baez where the tracks and then the road starts. It is still 20 km to downtown Bariloche, 8 on tracks and then 10 on the Avenida de Los Pioneros road which will deliver me to the centre of this large bustling city.
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 15 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3502670324812440700
Section 16. Bariloche to San Martin.160km. 2400m up. 2570m down 8 days. From Bariloche the route has to go to the east of the enormous Lago Nahuel Huapi lake. I can walk on small roads and track along its southern shore for nearly 20 km until I get to the outlet where the huge Rio Limay leaves it. Here I cross the Ruta National 40 and find a track which goes up a rural track on the east side of the river for at least 25km to Villa Llanquin. There is a bridge here over to the west side and the main paved Ruta National 237. However rather than walk on this road if I judge I can wade (or swim) the river in another 15 km I will continue up the rural gravel track past homesteads and then cross when the track ends. I will then only have 15 km of the main road to follow (30 if I crossed earlier) as it heads up the west of the river in semi arid conditions. Some 3 days or 70 from Bariloche I reach a bridge over the large tributary, called the Rio Traful and here I turn of the main road and onto the gravel Ruta Provincial 63. I will follow this tranquil wooded track north for another 3 days over the beaitiful Cordoba pass, past the spreadout town of Villa Lago Meliquina and on to Lago Meliquina. About 10km after the west end of the lake my sojourn on this gravel Ruta Provincial 63 come to an end after 70km and I meet the busier Rota National 40 again. I have to follow it north through the beech forest as it climbs 13 km to a pass, where a view of the large Lago Lacar unfolds. From this pass it is an easy 10 km down on track and paths away from the main road to reach the town of San Martin de Los Andes, which has all facilities and I can restock here also for the next leg.
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 16 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3539759618485203754
Section 17. San Martin to Curarrehue. 150 km. 2200m up. 2460m down 7 days. Half way through this section I leave the drier climate between arid pampas and eastern ranges of the Andes and head west back into Chile and the more verdant forests. My route will take me north on the gravel Ruta Provincial 62, past the small town and large lake of Lalog and almost on to Junin de Los Andes. Some 10km before this town and after 2 day, or 40km, on this section I think I can take a shortcut over a grazed ridge for 10 km to meet another gravel Ruta track. This one being the number 61. If this grazed ridge is private and unwelcoming I can choose to continue to Junin de los Andes but this will add another 20km to this section. Once I reach the gravel road after the ridge I will continue north for 10km to reach the west end of Lago Huechulafquen. At the west end of the lake the huge Volcan Lanin dominates landscape. I will continue along the north shore of the lake on the track for 5 km until there is another shortcut I can make by going over a long broad forested ridge on small paths and tracks. I am more confident about the access across this homemade shortcut as it is more remote. The shortcut will take a day and allow me to reach yet another Ruta Provisional – this one being the 60 and it is largely paved. I will follow it west for 30 km walking towards the huge Volcan Lanin and climbing gently in beech forest to reach the shallow Paso Mamuil Malal, or Tromen Pass where there is a border post and I leave Argentina for the last time. After a quick 15 km descent on a paved and scenic road in Chile passing through lush beech forests I drop down into the Rio Trancura valley. In the valley I can leave the road at last and follow a series of forest paths and then farm tracks on the verdant valley floor for 25 km to reach the town of Currarrehue, which has all facilities.
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 17 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3503879761352915284
Section 18. Curarrehue to Icalma. 111 km. 3280m up. 2520m down 6 days. From Curarrehue my route will initially head east for 10 km on the rural farm track S-969 through a cultural landscape of homesteads on the valley floor to reach the hamlet of Huincapalihue in the scenic Huirilil Valley with its strong indigenous Mapuche. I cross the valley floor and continue east for another 10km on a path now up the valley side and over a pass in the beech forest to gain a higher valley and the Laguna Hualalafquen lake. I now descent on a rural track for 10 km down the Rilul stream and past the CONAF guard post to the main Rio Machin valley and the village of Malte Centro. From here I will head north for 30km on the east side of the Rio Machin. These beautiful 30km with initially be on track S-967 until it peters out into an unnamed rural and farm track connecting the rural hamlets up this valley. There are occasional bridges up the valley connecting this route to the larger one on the west side of the river where most of the hamlets are, like Reigolil where there is a small store. After these 30km I reach a CONAF guard post and enter the Reserva Nacional Villarrica. The huge ice capped Volcan Sollipulli dominates everything now as I skirt round its eastern flank on a path over a small pass in the mixed beech and araucaria forest. Some 20 km from the first CONAF post I reach will another CONAF post on the NE side of Volcan Sollipulli. If the weather is suitable I will take a day off here to climb the mountain and reflect on the whole journey so far since Cabo Froward some 150 days ago. From this CONAF post on the north side of Volcan Sollipulli I will now head east on a series of paths, not always that visible, along a ridge between the international border and the Ruta Provincial S-61 for 25 km, or a very long day, until I reach this Ruta Provincial and the smaller Laguna Chico de Icalma. I now just saunter along the rural gravel road for 5km to reach the small town of Icalma beside Lago Icalma. This is the journeys end. There are many cabins, lodges and stores here and it will be a great time to reflect while I wait for the bus to Santiago.
This section is on the Great Patagonia Trail (GPT) as devised by Jan Dudek and is known as GPT14 (Curarrehue) and GPT14 (Volcan Sollipulli).
The intended route map for this section can be viewed here Section 18 Map
The route on Strava can be viewed here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3539964043813504464