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All Routes

Walk overview

General route information

Volcan Osorno

  1. Bahia Cox to Refugio Picada
  2. Refugio Picada to Volcan Osorno's derelict refugios
  3. Volcan Osorno's derelict refugios to the edge of the plateau
  4. Edge of the plateau to Petrohue

Rio Sin Nombre

  1. Chilcon / El Rincon landing
  2. Two swinging bridges
  3. Food for Sale
  4. Thermals at El Callao
  5. Laguna los Quetros
  6. Reaching Lago Rupanco

Lago Rupanco

  1. Las Gaviotas
  2. El Diablito minimart and cafe
  3. El Poncho free camp spot and minimart
Map of the section 2 route, all contained image map links are available from the textual links on this page Reaching Lago Rupanco Laguna los Quetros Thermals at El Callao Hassmann river to the El Callao thermals Two swinging bridges Chilcon / El Rincon landing
part i Section 2: Click on the "i"s above for information and photos of the route. part k

j. Reaching Lago Rupanco

View of the end of Lago Rupanco

From Laguna los Quetros the route climbs a little before descending steadily towards Las Gaviotas at the north end of Lago Rupanco. After the initial 15 minute climb, the path arrives at a small pond covered in floating plants before heading downwards towards the lake. After two hours of hiking through forest with patches of farmland, the path crosses a small river ( there is a difficult to see but well made bridge on the left ) and then leaves the forest entirely and to pass through farms. Food is available from some of these farms. The path soon runs alongside a small school.


Jagged points of the Cerro Cenizas

Options from the school ( escuela ):

  1. Exit to El Poncho by foot - Directly after the school, a less traveled path splits off to the left (west), this leads to a great overlook of the lake (see above picture) followed by a steep descent towards the lake and meets up again with the main path towards El Poncho. It is also possible to follow the main path down towards the lake and take the westerly split at a later point. From El Poncho, buses run to Osorno, leaving at 6am and 2pm every day except Sunday, when it only leaves once at 2pm. The cost to ride to Osorno is 1900 pesos per person and takes around three hours.
  2. Exit to El Poncho by boat - Locals living along the lakeside are becoming tuned in to the wants of some visitors and offer boats from Las Gaviotas to El Poncho ( and vice versa ). Quotes were around 18000 pesos per boat trip. Details from El Poncho to Osorno are given above.
  3. Continue hiking to the north - Routes available include Lago Puyehue and Volcan Puyehue, a cross-country hike to Cerro Frutilla to the north-west, and/or a visit to the free thermals on the Los Baños. Hiking on requires two river crossings by locals in rowboats during the main hours of the day. If more supplies are required, there are mini-mercados at El Diablito and El Poncho along the southern shore of the lake.