Dientes, Navarino Island

Though we are now back safe and sound from our travels, I wanted to talk about our last few days of our trip on the Island of Navarino and our ferry ride through the beagle canal and straight of magellen. 

The week before we left Patagonia we took a ferry from Ushuaia to Puerto Williams on the island of Navarino. Puerto Williams is the southernmost town on earth, with only a couple more small island separating it from Cape Horn. The ferry ride was short, but in typical South American fashion we arrived a couple hours later than we were supposed to. This meant we started on the trail of Dientes a couple hours later than we wanted to.

The trail Dientes de Navarino is also known as the end of the world trail since it is the southernmost trail on earth (outside of any trails that might exist on Antartica). It has been built up over the last couple years and more people now come to do it, but it is said only 100 hike it per year. Fitness wise I would rate the trail as moderate, it has some climbing, but nothing to hard. What makes the trail so challenging is that 90% of it exists above tree line and hugging the rugged slopes of the mountains. On the trail you are exposed and vulnerable to the weather, which is unpredictable. The winds can be come very high. Since the trail is narrow and rocky one could easily slip and fall with high consequences. 

That being said, we were lucky and had relatively good weather. Unfortunately we did not have 5 days to do the trail. We only had 2 1\2. The only ways off the island are either flying to punta arenas on a small plane, flying to Ushuaia, ferry to punta arenas or ferry to Ushuaia. We were planning to fly to punta arenas, but all the planes were booked in the time frame we needed to fly. We were left with the option of the ferry from Puerto Williams to Punta arenas, which leaves once a week, on Saturdays. So we did as much of the trail as we could in the time frame we had.

The first day we hiked for about 4 hours, we made our own camp in tree line, building a wind shelter and clearing up an area so we could set up our tent. The next day we hiked without our packs further up the trail. We were there in the peak of fall so the trees are beautiful. We hiked through rain, sleet and rain for half the day and hiked past the Diantes peaks. They are some of the most rugged peaks I have seen. The weather cleared up once we turned around. We spent a second night at our campsite and then hiked out the next morning. 

In town we boarded the ferry for Punta arenas. It was on a cargo ship that has a very comfortable passenger section. The ride took about 40 hours and goes through the beagle channel and straight of Magellan. We went through beautiful islands and mountains, watched seals play alongside the boat and saw gorgeous sunsets and sunrises. 

We spent our last few days of vacation in Punta Arenas and Santiago. It was a perfect vacation and we were sad to leave such a beautiful and wonderful land.

Paso de la Ojeva, Ushuaia

We just finished Paso de la ojeva, outside of Ushuaia. Gorgeous trail and quite different from where we've been further north. In reading about the trail we expected it to be poorly marked and thought we would have to consult the gps quite a bit. The latest blog we read was written about a year ago. Thankfully, the trail has been updated and is marked quite well. Anyone wanting to do this trail will not find it hard to stay on. It is said to be a 2 day trail, camping 1 night. We camped 2 nights so that we could explore the surrounding mountains on the second day and hike out the third day.

The first day we took a taxi from the city to the trail head. Walked down what looked like a cow path for awhile, before the trail turned into a single track trail. Within the first hour my feet were wet, even with my good water proof la sportiva boots. The trail is very wet with streams running through it and marshes. A few times my foot would slip off a rock or log and my boot would sink about 6 inches in the mud. My foot was never soaked, but definitely nice and damp. 3/4 of the trail was like this, up until you started climbing. We climbed up to the turn off for laguna del caminente. A gorgeous lake hidden between the mountains. It's about a 20-30 hike beyond the turn off from the main trail. After the turn off you climb up a bit more and then descend down to the lake. The trail going down is deceiving, it ends up becoming a stream bed so it can be a little tricky going down it and not slipping on the rocks. The camping area is under the trees by the lake on a little island. We pitched our tent under the trees. It took us about 5 hrs to reach the laguna, not the 7 we had read.

It had started sleeting on us by the time we turned towards the laguna so we set our tent up quickly, staking it down real good and then got in the tent to get warm. We cooked polenta under the tent fly so we didn't have to get wet again. The sleet and snow continued overnight with strong gusts of wind sweeping across the lake. My 3 1/2 season mountain hardware tent that I got 10 years as a high school graduation present stood up well to the Patagonian winds, rain, snow and sleet. We stayed nice and warm in our tent and double sleeping bag. 

In the morning the snow had turned to rain, a nice steady drizzle. We were in no rush so mid morning we finally convinced ourselves to brave the cold and rain. I was very thankful Reed had convinced me that we needed waterproof pants. Between pants, hard shell and good boots we enjoyed exploring the mountains upstream from our campsite. There's no set trail so we blazed our own. It ended up being a very enjoyable day. We started in boggy marshlands and then stayed to the right side of the stream, going up and down hills and mountains. We ended up working our way higher, towards the snow and eventually worked our way over a pass where we were rewarded with new set of mountains to see. 

The third day we packed up camp and made our way to go over the pass and back to Ushuaia. I experienced the true Patagonian weather. We started with clear skies and just 20 minutes later we were in sleet and heavy winds. The weather changed pretty quickly as we made our way over the pass. It was harder to see the trail as we climbed up, but there were enough signs to direct you. We were hiking on loose shale for this part. We made it over the pass and I thought the worst was over. I was wrong. We descended a short ways and then the trail became quite narrow, about 2 ft wide as it traversed the side of the mountain. We were still in the loose shale, on our left was the steep mountain and the right was a 500 ft or so drop off. What made this section dangerous was the high winds we had. The wind gusts were coming from off the pass, behind us and from off the mountain, pushing us to the right. There were at least 3 times when the gusts were so strong they nearly blew me off the mountain. We both made slow progress down this long section, bending low over our poles, trying to anchor ourselves with each step so as not to be blown over. I was relieved when we eventually made it down to the treeline, safely.

The rest of the trail descended through the wet forest. Once we got off the trail and on the main road we hitch hiked back into Ushuaia. We're headed to Puerto Williams now, which means a ferry across the beagle canal. The winds are strong this morning so we ll see how it goes.  

El Calafate and El Chaltan

Calafate and Fitzroy

I would highly recommend traveling Patagonia in the shoulder season, the crowds are much less and getting buses to places is so much easier. Instead of having to follow a strict itinerary with the inability to deviate from it, we have been able to be flexible with ours which has been nice. That being said, when we arrived at the bus station in Puerto Natales after finishing the O we planned to buy bus tickets to calafate for the next day so we could see the Perito Mireno glacier. But the main bus company was sold out till Saturday. We found a smaller company that could take us on Friday, but still we would be losing a day. When we only have a couple weeks left losing a day is sad. However, it would seem luck was on our side.

That evening we met up with several others we had done the O with for dinner. We were fortunate to meet a German couple who had rented a vehicle for the month and had the same travel plans as us for the next two days. Driving to calafate to see the glacier and then chaltan. We enjoyed traveling and getting to know them over the next two days.

The Perito Mireno glacier is huge and impressive. There's a nice walk one can take that provides great views of it. We witnessed several large ice chunks fall off the 70 meter glacier, providing an impressive sound and creating decent size waves.

El chaltan is a small town providing the base for people wanting to hike around Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. We stayed there two nights. There's a couple treks recommended with the most popular being a circuit that goes to Cerro Torro and Fitzroy. There are 3 campsites on the circuit so it can be easily backpacked. We decided to shorten our time there and instead of doing the circuit in 3 or 4 days, we figured we could run/hike it in a day.

We arose with the sun and set off on the trail. Saw Cerro Torre first, a famous climbing area with an interesting history and then Fitzroy. The trail is pristine, smooth and fairly flat for the most part. We had some modest elevation gain at the beginning and middle, but for the most part a nice trail to run or backpack. The climb up to the base of Fitzroy is a kilometer off the main trail and climbs about 400 meters. Similar to the climb up to the base of the towers in Torres del Paine. Steep.

We saw Fitzroy around 11:30 in the valley and it was glorious. The clouds had not enshrouded the peaks yet, so we could see Fitzroy and the satellite peaks clearly. It has now become my new favorite place on earth. It'll take a lot to change that. We made the climb up to the base and took pictures in many different areas, staying up there for an hour or two. I didn't want to leave. But the weather was starting to look menacing and the peaks were covered in clouds so we descended down and then made our way back to Chaltan.

The entire run/hike was about 33 km. A doable distance in a day for anyone who wants to travel light and fast. It was nice not carrying our backpacks for the day.

Today we arrived in Ushuaia, known as the southernmost city in the world. We found good flight deals so we were able to fly out of calafate this morning. Tomorrow we start on another 4-5 day backpacking trek through mountains in Tierra del Fuego national park.

Torres del Paine - O circuit

O circuit

The O circuit was unbelievable, beautiful, breathtaking and so much more. It's been a couple days since we finished it, but with unpredictable and slow wifi and traveling the last couple days I wasn't able to write a complete blog about it. But now, I'll jump right into describing and sharing pictures from the trek.


Day 1 - Hotel Torres to Seron, ~13 km
As you may remember, the airlines lost Reed's baggage so we spent the morning buying stuff for him and replenishing our food supply and took a later bus out to the park. Thankfully, as this is low season the bus had few people so we were able to go through the park orientation fairly quickly and got on the trail by 4 pm. I haven't backpacked in awhile and man, putting on that pack with food and such for 8 days was no walk in the park. It was heavy! The scenery from Torres to Seron was pretty, but nothing spectacular beyond the view you see when you drive into the park. We made it to the campground around 8 or so that night, set up camp, cooked a quick dinner and went to bed.

Day 2 - Seron to Dickson, ~ 18 km
We started the morning with cloudy skies, but still were able to see Paine Lake. The first portion of our hike was overlooking this lake. By noon the clouds had blown off to reveal gorgeous snow covered peaks. The afternoon we hiked through meadows and hills surrounded by beautiful mountains and glaciers in the background. Reed and I have been in continual discussion about which view we liked the best, Dickson is definitely one of my favorites. We spent the evening around the lake and drank our morning coffee overlooking it as well. I couldn't get enough of the view. Contentment. That is what I felt as I drank my coffee on the lake. The state of complete happiness and satisfaction. The stress of life forgotten for a time.


Refugio Dickson

Day 3 - Dickson to Los Perros, ~ 12 km

After our leisurely breakfast of instant oatmeal and coffee along the lake at Dickson we packed up our bags and hiked over to Los Perros. There was a bit of up on this hike, we gained about 400 meters over the 12 km. We were slowly making our way to the pass of John Gardner which we had to go over the next day. The weather was once again perfect, barely a cloud in the sky. We arrived at Perros mid afternoon, set up camp and then walked up the hill behind our campsite to overlook what Reed told me was a cwm, a glacier run off with no outlet. I was skeptical the word actually existed as it has no vowels, but apparently it is a word.

It was peaceful at the top of the hill overlooking the glacier. A time to reflect, meditate, take in the surroundings and just breathe. We spent a couple hours up there. Despite the fact that we made a decision not to specifically study medicine, both of the books we brought backpacking with us are medically inclined. Reed is reading House of God by Samuel Shem, which I think in some ways helps one mentally prep for intern year. I'm reading Forgive and Remember by Charles Bosk, which is essentially the philosophy and theory behind surgical residency training. Also a good book to help mentally prep for intern year. It was nice to take the time up there and read and write in such a peaceful location.

Day 4 - Los Perros to Grey, 13 km

This was by far the hardest day, because we had to cross the pass and then descend down to grey. We hiked up 600 meters in a few kms and descended 1200 kms. It was a tough day, with the long down being the hardest part. Our knees and calves were feeling it by the end.

We woke before sunrise, about 5:30 to get on the trail early and get over the pass before bad weather could hit. We were lucky once again. We were over the pass between 8 and 9 and the weather was pristine. The going up wasn't as hard as any of us expected. At the top we could see glacier grey. We got into the campground at Grey around 4:30 or 5. Set up camp and then hung out in the Refugio for most of the evening with others from the circuit.

Day 5 - Grey to Paine Grande, 11 km

After crossing the pass the day before, we took our time in the morning. Hiked out to the mirador to see more of the glacier and the lake, ate our instant oatmeal and drank coffee then got on the trail around 11. The hike over to Paine grande mostly overlooked the lake. We had a few climbs and then descended down again to Lake Pehoe. Reed had been telling how beautiful Paine Grande was and I remember telling him when we were a few minutes out that yeah, it's okay...but I was thinking, huh, why was he so ecstatic about this view, it's a nice lake and all and pretty hills, but really, I was a little underwhelmed...then it hit. The horns. . We took a run along the lake trail and took so many pictures of the horns and the lake. Absolutely gorgeous.

Day 6 - Paine Grande to Italiano plus French valley, 13 km

The weather forecast for this day predicted rain with a little reprieve mid morning so Reed convinced me it would be a good idea if got up around 5 to pack up and get to Italiano so we could drop our stuff off and hike up to the French valley in hopes the clouds would clear enough to see the valley. It rained some overnight and we woke up to some sprinkling, but nothing heavy enough to hinder packing up camp and heading out.

We arrived at Italiano around 9, set up camp, made a quick breakfast of our usual, instant oatmeal and coffee and then hiked up the 600 meters to the French valley. And the view...Absolutely incredible. And the weather, besides being a little cold, it was perfect. Reed had told me this was his favorite place on earth and I am inclined to agree that it is one of the best I've seen.

Day 7 - Italiano to Campmento Torres, ~20 km

Once again we got up before sunrise, though I must say sunrise at this time of year isn't until like 8, but still, we got up around 5:30/6 to get out early and catch the sunrise along Los Cuernos. Normally I love waking up early, but when our sleeping bag is so nice and warm, braving the cold air is not the first thing I want to do. Anyway, we got out early and caught the sunrise at Los Cuernos. It was, as everything else here is, spectacular. The horns turned red and orange as the sun hit them. It made for incredible views with the horns on the left and the lake on the right as we hiked. After passing Cuernos the views decreased. It was mostly the plains like we hiked on the first day. We made our way up to chileno, stopped and bought lunch there because our food rations were running pretty low and we were hungry. The lunch was simple but oh so good. A big bowl of warm lentil soup and bread.  We felt energized and hiked up the rest of the way to Campmento Torres. Set up camp and then made our way up the towers, probably the most iconic view of Patagonia.

Day 8 - Campomento Torres to out, 9 km

Our last day in the park we awoke yet again before sunrise, around 6 so we could hike up in the freezing cold to the towers and watch the sunrise over them. It snowed overnight and was close to 20 degrees when we climbed out of our sleeping bags, pulled on our warm clothes and climbed up the mountain with everyone else from the campground. It felt like a pilgrimage in a way. A bit of suffering seems appropriate for experiencing the towers at sunrise. We caught the pre dawn on the towers and then waited with several others as the sun slowly rose, casting its golden light on the towers until they were fully lit up.


The O circuit was an amazing 8 days and I was sad to leave, but the idea of a warm shower, a bed to sleep in and a huge meal sounded very appealing as we hiked down the mountain. Besides the beauty of the park and time to meditate and destress from life, we also met some awesome people from all over the world, had interesting conversations and had great weather. The nature we were in and the scenery we experienced was like nothing I have seen before.