Backpack Remote Central Chilean Patagonia to Cerro Castillo and the North Patagonian Icefield

Backpack through the unspoiled heart of Chilean Patagonia's remote center - first, 6 days through lenga forest, past glaciers, over passes and along a rushing glacier river to the foot of the stunning pinnacles of Cerro Castillo; and then 6 days mostly off-trail where very few people have ever tread, on foot interspersed with jetboats, tyrolean ropes and zodiacs, deep into the region's most remote glacier country in the wilderness of Laguna San Rafael National Park to the edge of the North Patagonian Icefield, the third largest in the world outside the polar regions. We'll carry our overnight gear and camp every night, but food and tents for the second half will be cached for us to reduce the load.

Most people know Chilean Patagonia for the glowing towers of Torres del Paine to the south and the volcanoes and lakes of the Lakes District to the north;  but the vast 1200 miles between them are the least populated in the country (just 1.2 people per square mile) but studded with dramatic peaks,  the Northern and Southern Patagonian Ice Fields, hundreds of large and small glacial lakes, and a significant percentage of Chile's 24,133 glaciers.    Cerro Castillo (2675m), a colossal mountain massif of rugged spires and hanging glaciers, attracts international climbers and trekkers but in far fewer numbers than the popular parks to the south and north.  Still, the peaks and glaciers are no less spectacular, and those who undertake the circuit trek around the formidable Cerro Castillo attracts solitude-seekers put off by the more crowded backpacking trails elsewhere. The route passes three major glaciers, turquoise lagoons and high alpine passes favored by Chile’s endangered huemul deer. 

Then, about 3.5 hours further south on the rugged gravel Ruta 7 (the Carretera Austral) is turquoise General Carrera Lake, with the little town of Puerto Guadal on its southeast bank, and the nearby  Marble Caves where waves have sculpted the calcium carbonate rock formations along the shore to produce brilliant multicolored swirls in the sunlight against the lake water.  Across the lake to the west from Puerto Guadal is Laguna San Rafael National Park, encompassing the highest peaks in Chilean Patagonia as well as most of the North Patagonian Icefield.   There are few developed trails here but immense space to ramble, and backpackers can find routes and camps with expansive peak and glacier views,  remote high passes, green valleys, and lakes studded with iceburgs from active glaciers.   The proprietor of the luxurious Terra Luna Lodge at the southeastern reach of General Carrera Lake is himself an international adventurer, and he has set up a system of jetboats to get intrepid travelers up into the park, tyrolean ropes, bridges and pre-set camps to support people to move through the rugged and remote terrain, a helicopter to cache gear and supplies at the camps, and zodiacs to transport people across the iceburg-studded lakes to glacier fronts and to starting points for hikes right up to the Northern Icefield.  It would be hard to find a more unique and spectacular adventure location!  It's possible to use the Terra Luna Lodge as a base for extended exploration all over this dramatic landscape.

GETTING THERE

Cerro Castillo and Puerto Guadal are accessed via the Balmaceda airport with 2 non-stop flights a day arriving through Santiago and more connecting through Puerto Montt.  The nearby gateway town is Coyhaique, which has plenty of nice hotels and services.    It takes a private vehicle or hired shuttle about 1.5 hours from Coyhaique to reach Las Horquetas and the starting point for the Cerro Castillo trek.   There are buses that can take you from Villa Cerro Castillo at the end of the trek, south to Puerto Guadal, and you can also drive or take a hired shuttle or taxi, but the roads are gravel so the ride is rough!  To get back to Balmaceda airport it's about a 4.5 hour ride from Puerto Guadal.

  • Suitable Activities: Backpacking, Global Adventures
  • Seasons: January, February, March, December
  • Weather: View weather forecast
  • Difficulty: Strenuous
  • Land Manager: Land Manager Varies
  • Parking Permit Required: see Land Manager
  • Recommended Party Size: 12
  • Maximum Party Size: 14
  • Maximum Route/Place Capacity: 12
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