Lesser Patagonian Trail : Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez to Coyhaique

Kilometres this section : 150

Kilometres completed : 1,443

After finding the last eight days or so of walking very hard work indeed, I decide to take things a bit easier, from Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez it is around 40km to another small town, Villa Cerro Castillo, and I am doing it in two days.  So, I don't even start until 11:30, walking north on provincial road X735.  As is often the way, the road is a lovely walk, following Río Ibáñez but without any need for steep up and down.  I stop for lunch by the astonishing Salto del Río Ibáñez, vast quantities of water gushing down the rocky hillside.  Then a gentle enough climb, onto route X723 which runs alongside Río Claro in a dramatic gorge.  Then up to a pass, the road levels off despite the rocky cliffs rising on all sides, and an early camp, not even 6pm yet.  I am so lazy.  I don't work much harder the next day of course, a little more road, then one of the best footpaths I've encountered here, passing between Lago Central and Lago Tamango, before climbing into glorious natural parkland, pine trees and grassy clearings, with a view north to the towering mountains I'll be walking through next.  The route is regularly marked by poles with red and white stripes, and the gates even have steps for walkers!  By mid-afternoon I am in Villa Cerro Castillo, another lovely campsite, and a fine dinner, a massive salmon fillet with 'mil hojas de papas' - basically pommes dauphinoise.

Right, into the mountains then, this route is supposed to be pretty special, through the Cerro Castillo national park.  Six kilometres out of town to the trailhead, I am expecting to have to pay to get in, but in fact it's much worse, the official simply won't accept my plan to walk north.  Apparently there is a rule, you see, this route can only be walked the other way - from here it would be difficult, and steeply uphill.  The horror!  Well, no help for it, I retrace my steps, then head up the Carretera Austral.  It certainly is a very scenic road, climbing via a series of switchbacks to a viewpoint looking back over Río Ibáñez.  From here, easy walking up to a high point, between dramatic walls of rock, and a gentle descent alongside a river.  Eventually I reach Las Horquetas, the other end of the oh so difficult trail - recommended pace for it is four days, I gather, although my route involved veering off north before here.  Well, an easy enough day at least, and I find a sneaky spot to camp by the river without difficulty.

I think I am only 60km or so from Coyhaique, along the Carretera Austral - it is annoying not to be on my planned route, which has waypoints every 5km so I always know the distance pretty well.  So anyway, my thinking is, rather than walk the highway all the way there, I can detour onto minor roads, avoid the traffic, and even get back to my route this afternoon.  Well, the first detour, on route X678, works well, it is indeed traffic free, barring a couple of friendly Gendarmerias.  Lovely countryside here too, seems more agricultural than what I have seen prior to now, lots of cows and mown fields with bales of fresh hay.  Back to the highway, wow, lots of cars now, I can't wait to get off it, onto route X674 now.  Again charming, through green Valle Simpson, with mountains ahead.  But when, getting into late afternoon, I see a sign reading, 'Villa Frei 20km' I am not best pleased, this means I am still nearly 60km from Coyhaique.  Nothing for it but a forced march until 8pm or so before camping.  From Villa Frei I take route X648, there are signs telling me I am on the Sendero de Chile, well nice to be on a named trail, and indeed it is a pretty route, winding past numerous lakes.  I can see why this way is so much longer than the highway, the road snakes back and forth, but it's pretty flat and I make good time.  I could really do without the resurfacing work on the last 10km past the airport though.  But I make it before 6pm, time enough to check in to a hostal, and have a shower before heading out for beer and yes, a giant burger.  Coyhaique - a fun name for non-native speakers of Spanish to say - is the provincial capital, big enough to have supermarkets and a variety of restaurants.  Still not the most impressive place, but good enough for me.

Incidentally, keen readers (ha) may notice that I have changed the name of this little adventure.  It turns out that Mr. Dudeck, who came up with the name 'Greater Patagonian Trail', feels a... strong sense of ownership of the name, and the idea of a collection of routes with that name.  Out of respect for that, and given that I am walking my own route which only sometimes follows his, I am changing the name.  At time of writing, posts prior to this one still use the GPT name, but I will go back and edit them at some point, adding a note to the first post.

Greater Patagonian Trail : Cochrane to Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez

Kilometres this section : 154

Kilometres completed : 1,293

A few km of road takes me out of Cochrane, and to the entrance of Parque Nacional Tamango, I am expecting to pay a fee to get in, but the office is empty, it is New Year's Day I suppose.  There are various trails running through the park and I head off along one, Los Carpinteros, it runs alongside Rio Cochrane, then another trail, Los Coigues, skirts the western end of the huge Lago Cochrane.  Of course this means a series of near vertical ascents and descents, but here it is a lovely walk, these tracks are well maintained, there are wooden stairs and bridges, and someone has even cut back the grass!  The views over the lake to forested hills and snowy mountains are simply majestic, and I even see a huemul, a member of an endangered species of deer native to the region.  Only problem, it is slow going, I worry about getting to the next town in the four days I've planned, which would be annoying as I have a hotel booked.  So, on leaving the well maintained trails, I really need the next bit to be walkable.  Thankfully I get a well used path, even flat for a bit, then a steep climb on a track clearly used by vehicles, good enough, and from the high point, easy walking through lovely green valleys.  Still I only make 33km before camping, I will need to do better tomorrow.

My second day of the section starts with an easy, pleasant 20km on road X83, into Parque Nacional Patagonia.  Then onto Sendero Valle Avilés, following the river Avilés upstream, but this is not so bad, almost all up over many km, and not much down so the ascent is gentle enough, I make a decent pace.  The route has me wading the river just before I plan to camp, I hope it is OK, but in fact I hit a nasty crossing of a creek a few km earlier.  It's only a couple of metres across, but the middle is waist deep and the current is so strong, I can't get stable enough to take another step, I try and over I go, and end up floundering to the other side somehow.  A good thing it is a warm day, no harm done, and I cross the river itself easily enough.  I walk a couple more km to dry off, making for a rather better 41km today.  Lots of fords on the route for tomorrow, hopefully nothing that bad again.

As it turns out, the fords are OK, but there are so many of them.  It's a long walk down Valle Hermoso, it is indeed pretty, a broad gravel bed with a braided river threading through it, easy enough but with repeated crossings, I keep having to stop to empty stones out of my shoes.  Also the wretched insects are back, I think the spray helps a bit.  To Lago Verde, more blue than green, and of course, staying close to a lake means a brutal slog up to Portezuelo La Gloria, and it's just as steep going down, then it's time for more gravel and repeated wading.  It is very nice to reach Laguna Jeinimeni, which has an actual flat dirt road along the bank.  This leads to a popular campsite with various wooden shelters, and unbelievable numbers of caterpillars, I can't stop here though.  There's still 10 more km along a minor road, and I camp at 8 again.  But now, only 44km remain before that hotel room in Chile Chico.

It's so good to walk a gravel surfaced minor road, no need to wade raging rivers or watch every step lest I trip.  I can walk and enjoy the stupendous mountain scenery, and pause by Laguna Los Flamencos, where there are indeed flamingos.  The road follows Rio Jeinimeni, which is also the border with Argentina - I think I could wade it but probably best not.  All told, a lovely walk this, people even give me things, water from one nice lady, then a car stops, three locals I met yesterday, plus German Sophia who I walked with for a while, they give me almonds!  Only a shame it is so long, honestly I screwed up here, should have taken five days for this.  Well, a forced march gets me to Chile Chico, there is beer, and carne mechada, served like a hotdog, then because I am still hungry, on top of chips.  All good.  Indeed Chile Chico is a lovely place, on the shore of Lago General Carrera, Chile's largest lake, a great place for a rest.  I paddle in the chilly water, climb up to the Mirador de las Banderas, but mostly just relax.  Then, a vehicle journey!  A decent sized ferry takes me across the lake, to Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez - nice to see a town named for an engineer.  It is not the biggest place in the world, but the cabaña I have booked is lovely, and the site has what seems to be the only open restaurant in this tiny town.  They provide me with an enormous grilled trout fillet, oh yes.