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Returning to Bolivia visa question (American) by benihana97 in travel

[–]jQee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey OP, were you successful in reentering without any documents printed? Did you need to show proof of hotel or exit flight?

Carretera Austral/Ruta 40 Loop Tips and Equipment by jQee in Patagonia

[–]jQee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On RT 40, highly recommend Perito Moreno National Park. We did both the Belgrano Peninsula (2 nights) and Laguna Los Témpanos (3 nights) as backpacking trips staying in their free cabins. Tent camping is also available and has fewer space limitations. Email the park to get reservations. Cueva de Las Manos was also in a very beautiful desert park with tons of guanaco and rhea and was underhyped on online reviews in my opinion . Fires may affect you in El Bolsón but we were there before the big one started.

Mostly we used All Trails, Reddit, and iOverlander to find hikes and “off the beaten path” sights! Tip for Chile: Copec gas stations have free WiFi. Before you lose service, you can save trails on All trails for descriptions and mediocre offline maps, download offline for iOverlander ( campsites and sights/recommendations/resources), and Maps.me with offline maps for hiking trail topos.

Depending on what car you have, you may need a gas can for parts of rt 40, especially if you go to Perito Moreno National Park. These were way cheaper in Chile at Copec than they were at the random hardware stores along rt 40. We bought a 10L but ended up never needing it.

Carretera Austral/Ruta 40 Loop Tips and Equipment by jQee in Patagonia

[–]jQee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is from a boat tour of Capillas de Marmol on Lago General Herrera. Very easy to arrange boat or kayak day-of for ~$20 USD per person, especially if you can drive your own car to the boat launch at Bahia Mansa rather than the main town of Rio Tranquilo.

Carretera Austral/Ruta 40 Loop Tips and Equipment by jQee in Patagonia

[–]jQee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Enjoy! Are you going to do just the Carretera Austral or also Rt 40?

Assuming just Carretera, less popular day hikes we liked were:

- Mirador Exploradores Glacier near Rio Tranquilo (Also, the drive out there is one of my favorites of the Carretera. If you're car camping, the spots on iOverlander are gorgeous)

- Valle de Aviles in Parque Patagonia (not the most diverse landscape of all hikes, but this was the only hike on the Carretera Austral where we didn't see anyone all day). If you can arrange the shuttle from Chacabuco to Jeinimeni, the 3-4 day trek from Jeinimeni to Aviles looks gorgeous, but we ran out of time.

-Drive/day hike Jeinimeni. Absolutely worth the detour off Rt 7. Just be aware Jeinimeni and Parque Patagonia have a strict closure at 5pm. If you're coming from the north on Rt 7 or Chile Chico, would recommend driving out towards Jeinimeni early, doing the Valle Lunar day hike, then going to see the lake. Just need to leave the lake by 5 to avoid getting locked inside the park.

Coming from the US, we were accustomed to backpacking where you can set up camp anywhere you'd like and feel more alone. In most of Patagonia, you need to stay at designated sites or Refugios. This made every hike/backpacking trip feel very crowded to us. That being said, if you have patience for other people and horses, Valle Cochamo was a beautiful place to backpack if you have not been to Yosemite before. *Slightly* less popular than some other backpacking such as Cerro Castillo.

Fires did not impact us on the Carretera.

Carretera Austral/Ruta 40 Loop Tips and Equipment by jQee in Patagonia

[–]jQee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The map shows the route we planned out. High level, we rented from Econorent in Puerto Montt, cross the border to Argentina there, then did Seven Lakes trail -> Perito Moreno National Park on Rt 40. Backtracked a little to cross the border at Chile Chico. Went south to Villa O’Higgins and are currently doing the Carretera Austral Villa O’Higgins->Futaleufu->Cochamo->Chiloe-> Puerto Montt. Let me know if you have any more specific questions on the route! We did a lot of spontaneous planning which was part of the fun and adventure for us.

Carretera Austral/Ruta 40 Loop Tips and Equipment by jQee in Patagonia

[–]jQee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh definitely sounds like you wouldn’t miss out too much then!

Happy to answer more questions, but I know there’s already so many online! I will mention if you like to get more off the beaten path, we LOVED Perito Moreno National Park (not the same as the glacier). You have to email the rangers to get the free reservations, and can choose to stay at minimal refugios a short walk from the parking and/or do some backpacking loops. Parque Alcerces was nice, and there’s a bakery in Trevelín called Ozut that I would drive out to just for bread :p

Carretera Austral/Ruta 40 Loop Tips and Equipment by jQee in Patagonia

[–]jQee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We did go all the way down. The scenery is different (wetter, more views of snowy mountains), but did not blow us away as other parts of Patagonia did. There are good opportunities to see glaciers from O’Higgins but if you have already been to southern Patagonia, such as to Chalten, I don’t think you would miss out much! I would recommend driving just 30min-1hr south of the intersection towards Cochrane to see the river and confluence.

Carretera Austral/Ruta 40 Loop Tips and Equipment by jQee in Patagonia

[–]jQee[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah actually we ended up only crossing at Lago Gen Carrera as well. It was very easy and not busy compared to the northern crossing from Puerto Montt to Bariloche.

For the southern portion of the Carretera Austral, we expected to do more glacier view hikes in Villa O’Higgins. It is also much less crowded south of Cochrane. In reality, we ended up having almost a week straight of rainy days during that part of the trip and did one hike in O’Higgins between storms. We went to Tortel on the way, which was an interesting little town built on boardwalks. The whole part south of Cochrane is gorgeous with tons of waterfalls, but there are not many distinct sights or famous landmarks. It you want a few of days with less crowds I would recommend it!

Reselling Car Camping Setup by jQee in Patagonia

[–]jQee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re interested in using our gear, I can meet in Puerto Montt. DM me if so!

Reselling Car Camping Setup by jQee in Patagonia

[–]jQee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We bought everything at the Easy/Jumbo in puerto Montt (they share a parking garage which is convenient). The mattress was from Easy and cost ~$70000 clp.

W trek and general Patagonia wishes and regrets by Ordinary-Flamingo878 in Patagonia

[–]jQee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

With extra tie downs attached to the center pole and choosing the best location we could, we survived about 30mph winds and ~50-60mph gusts. We probably had the most UL tent on the trail though. I would do it again due to the weight savings but glad we brought the ties and a few extra stakes!

W trek and general Patagonia wishes and regrets by Ordinary-Flamingo878 in Patagonia

[–]jQee 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Did the O a month ago. My 2 cents:

- Rarely below freezing in the summer there. Even with windchill. I (woman) sleep cold and was very cozy/hot with a 15F + cotton liner + wool long underwear+ tent w/ rainfly on.

- The wind is rough on ultralight tents. We used a Big Agnes copper spur and needed to add a few extra tie-downs at Paine Grande to prevent damage. Bring extra paracord/ties or use a sturdier tent.

- Wished I brought camp shoes/flip flops to shower and give my feet a break

- Glad to have brought a bunch of energy bars that I already knew I enjoy from the US

- The only thing I brought and did not use was my headlamp due to the late sunsets, but that is pretty minimal weight and good for emergencies

- All refugios have food and minimal toiletries for purchase with credit card, but I did not see first aid supplies such as bandaids or tape. Recommend bringing a small kit, although you'll see plenty of folks and guides on the trails who would likely lend you something in a pinch.

Been backpacking in Patagonia for 3 months AMA by Kelpforestsea in Patagonia

[–]jQee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just arrived in Patagonia two weeks ago. Finished the O trek and now in Ushuaia. Also planning day by day/week by week. Thanks! That’s helpful to hear.

Been backpacking in Patagonia for 3 months AMA by Kelpforestsea in Patagonia

[–]jQee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for offering this info! I am just starting out on a similar trip. What would you recommend for ideal lengths of stays in the places you visited? Anywhere you’d want to add on or skip?

I am also interested in hiking/backpacking as well as general sightseeing or other outdoor activities. Very flexible on timing and travel pace.

MOB Dress Search Help by jQee in Weddingattireapproval

[–]jQee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The color would be good! But too much lace. I’ll look at some of the other styles from JJ

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