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.
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