Lesser Patagonian Trail : Lago Verde to Palena

Kilometres this section : 96

Kilometres completed : 1,824

I make a late start from Lago Verde, the hospedaje is indeed hospitable and it is hard to leave, well the walking goes easily enough for the first 20km or so, on the usual gravel track. Then a horse trail, with actual cowboys, one driving a bunch of cows, and some more going the same way as me, I see them a few times. It's hard to find the way now, makes for slow going, and then a thigh deep ford, OK I can do that. The path returns to this river, so it should be flat, right? Haha, no it's a brutal slog up, to 900m or so, and worse, there are so many deadfall trees, I either clamber over or detour around. Clearly at one time there was a trail here, massive sawn logs, and even occasionally a post marking so many kilometres, bear witness to the work of the ancients who laid it out, but now little of their work survives, it takes over four hours to do 8km, but I need to get back to that river for water and somewhere flat to camp, just have to keep going - it is past 9pm when I get there.

Second day of this section, the path is a bit better, flatter, with fewer deadfalls, this is actually nice walking through the forest. Still slow going though, I have to face it, I'm not making this section in three days as I'd hoped, but no matter, I've actually planned for this and have enough food for four days. So, after yesterday's heroics, I only need to do 20km today, how hard can it be? Well, there is lots more water, I walk beside a lake, mostly in the lake as it turns out, and also in a freezing river for a while. The worst bit is late in the day, my map has the trail as a dead straight line, but of course that is not the reality. So, when I lose the trail, I have no way to find it again, no choice but to struggle through the dense woods as best I can for several km, this is such hard work. All the while a light rain is falling, no problem in itself, but of course the plants I am pushing through are wet, soon my trousers are soaked. At least, I find a nice grassy spot to camp at, and I did the 20km.

Another day, and I am looking to do 20km again, but, a there's a problem with not following a path - I basically walked a straight line last night, I know where I need to be, at one end of Lago Palena, so I headed towards that point. It turns out I am way above it, the descent without a path is very slow, and the path is little better when I finally reach it, there's no sign anybody ever comes here. I struggle on, walking in the lake for a bit, checking my watch the first 6km today has taken over 4 hours, at this rate I will need another day, and one with no food at that. But, the path up from the lake is better, sure it's super steep but it seems used. Even better, it takes me above the tree line, to some lovely mountain walking, oh wow there are no deadfalls here! Of course now it's down again, but the path is still good, though I lose it for a while, and walk along Río Azul instead, this includes much wading, nonetheless I manage 18km, and Palena is now only 27km away.

So, I was assuming that the remaining 9km or so of trail would be just as hard as what I've done over the last two days - not so much, it turns out. Before very long I'm walking along a track used by vehicles, oh so easy, and then it turns out I got the distance to Palena wrong, it is two kilometres less than I thought, oh no. I enjoy a few hours of easy enough walking, and reach Palena before 4pm, this is good, I have time to find a hostal and do shopping, including desperately needed new socks. This week I learned - if the sole of your sock is full of holes, you can still get some use from it by wearing the thing back to front!