GPT Section 3 – Rios Claros

Coya to Aguas Buenas

Section miles: 56.7

Total miles: 151.2

Elevation gain: 16,089 ft.

Days taken: 3

Total hiking hours: 26.5

SECTION SUMMARY:

From Coya to Aguas Buenas the route remains mostly on cattle trails through the desert foothills. The climbs are manageable and water is abundant, but there is a section about a mile long that requires frustrating bush whacking. Unless you’re committed to connecting footprints, I’d recommend skipping this section…it just isn’t that attractive.

RESUPPLY:

In Coya there was a small market where I easily could have resupplied, but since there was no WiFi in town I decided to take a bus to the larger town of Rancagua. The bus comes every hour, cost 1250 pesos, and the ride look less that 30 minutes.

In Rancagua you can find everything you’d expect from a large city. I stayed at the Manquehue Hotel. It was a solid spot. The staff spoke English, and it was conveniently located within a large shopping center with a Lider (grocery store) attached.

DAY 1:

Miles hiked: 14.5

Time hiked: 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM

After some confusion with the bus system in Rancagua, it ended up taking me longer than I’d hoped to get back to Coya, thus the late start. When I finally made it back to where I’d left off I headed out of town via a bridge and a paved road that wrapped its way up a mountain.

It didn’t take long for the road to turn into a trail that followed the Rio Cachapoal for a bit before turning off into the foothills.

I had to cross this janky bridge that doubled as an aquifer, which was actually some pretty clever engineering.

From there the trail continued its climb up into the hills.

While hiking along a man on horseback approached from behind, offering me a sip of his Coke as he passed. It was hot as hell out, so I welcomed the treat.

After my second creek crossing I was tempted to make camp at this sweet spot, but I still had daylight so decided to push on.

Next I found this gate blocking the path, but luckily I was able to easily squeeze through the bars.

About an hour later I found some level ground with a decent view to call home for the night.

DAY 2:

Miles hiked: 22.8

Time hiked: 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

For the first few hours the trail remained relatively well groomed and flat, but as the day wore on things degraded quickly.

At this point the trail became completely overgrown with thorny vines. I attempted to push through it, but that was a mistake. The sharp thorns grabbed onto my clothes, pack and skin, stopping any forward progress. Frustrated, I began looking for a way around the thicket. Luckily I was able to climb above and around it with a bit of bush whacking.

From there I crossed the Rio Claro multiple times and passed through another fence before the trail gave way to cross country travel.

The push up towards the pass was rough, and the views at the top didn’t pay me back.

Things went from bad to worse as I began my descent. The route led straight into heavy vegetation, with my only option to go through it. I slowly bush whacked my way through the next mile, shredding my arms in the process.

It took about two hours to get through the dense bush. When I finally spotted the trail again I nearly cried tears joy.

From there the trail brought me down to the Rio Claro, which had grown tremendously since I’d seen it last higher up in the mountains.

This was the first crossing on the GPT that I chose to keep my shoes on for. After making my way across I dropped my pack to soak in the cool water for a bit…it felt amazing.

From there I followed a dirt road for a while where I passed a honey farm, before heading back up into the mountains to cross the next pass.

I was happy to find decent trail all the way up to my campsite for the evening.

DAY 3:

Miles hiked: 19.4

Time hiked: 6:30 AM to 2:00 PM

From my campsite the trail quickly led up to the pass, allowing me to make the ascent before the day had the chance to heat up.

I was glad to find the trail in good condition for the rest of the route as I descended the foothills.

As I continued to descend the flora changed from desert shrubs and dry grass to a vibrant green canopy that felt like the jungle.

The dense canopy made it so hard to see at times, I almost missed this neat tarantula.

Eventually the trail popped out into a settlers backyard. In order to leave their property I had to jump their fence as dogs barked at me from behind. It was an uncomfortable feeling, and I’m glad I didn’t have to confront the land owner.

From there the route continued along a dirt road for about 5 miles. I walked past a few more properties and farms as I made my way into town.

When I arrived in Aguas Buenas I discovered it wasn’t much of a town. Luckily there was a teeny market that was open, so I grabbed a Diet Coke to sip on as I waited for the bus to the larger city of San Fernando.

P.s. I’ve decided to get off trail to enjoy Christmas somewhere extra special! I bussed back to Santiago where I hopped on a flight to Punta Arenas. From there I grabbed another bus to Puerto Natales, where I spent the night in a hostel before busing my final leg to Torres del Paine National Park. Woot!

Happy holidays!