If you’ve ever hiked in Chile or Argentina, you’ve likely heard whispers of a super adventure that few dare to embark on: The Greater Patagonia Trail (GPT). But once you learn more about the trail, you see it’s barely a thru-hike and more of a backcountry adventure. This is because it is not an official trail. The GPT combines single track, trails, private land, mountain ranges, roads, and even some rivers (if you choose) into a 3000+ kilometer informal route network.
Few people have fully completed the trail, but their accounts all confirm that this trail is a test of Spanish fluency, cultural fluidity, and flexibility more than speed or strength. There is a lot of bush-whacking and stealth camping involved and even sections as long as 200 km without access to re-supplies.
That said, the Greater Patagonia Trail is something of dreams for people around the world because of its untamed Andean wilderness.
Classifying the Greater Patagonia Trail
The trail is broken into roughly 90 sections, each between 40-200 kilometers long. The Main Route consists of sections GPT01-40, about 3000 kilometers from Santiago Chile to the Southern Patagonia ice field.
The Southern Route is the sections GPT41- GPT69. This route is newer from 2020 and continues the trail to the Cabo Froward, the southernmost tip of the mainland Americas, and onto Isla Navarino the southernmost populated island of the Americas.
Finally, there is the Fjord Route, a pack rafting option for how to journey this network. It is sections GPT70-GPT78. These sections are west of the Main Route and are suitable for first-time visitors and GPT veterans alike.
Good to know
Accommodation
This trail is almost entirely wild camping, except in national parks, where campsite reservations will be required. Because a large portion of the route network runs through private property, it is imperative to be the “friendliest trespassers” as Fidget, a GPT thru-hiker, put it. This means sticking to leave no trace principles religiously – for your safety and to respect the land that you’re trespassing on.
Between sections, it’s possible to hitchhike or grab a bus to resupply in a nearby town. Here, you can also spend the night and recuperate before continuing onward.
Planning
The Greater Patagonia Trail is a new venture for ambitious hikers. It is recommended to attempt the Main Route as a first go because it has been thoroughly completed by multiple groups, while the Southern Route and Fjord Route are still being hiked by the first groups.
The founder of the trail, Jan Dudeck, has published a hiker’s manual, a 1279-page, detailed catalog of all the information on the trail up to August 2022 for prospective hikers. Find the manual here.
Useful links
Greater Patagonia Trail Wikiexplora
