r/CampingandHiking

The southernmost trek in the world. This title and its reputation as one of the hardest treks really captivated me during my research for my trip. So immediately after I finished the O trek, I took the 2 day ferry to Puerto Williams and after waiting out some bad weather, I started the hike. Hopefully, my experiences will help some of you!

Day 1

Puerto Williams to Laguna del Salto

this was a shorter day, starting directly out of town. After about an hour you should reach the tourist office, right before the first ascent. Do notice that the tap water at the office wasn't functional when I was there, and there's no stream to fill water until about 2.5-3 hours into the hike. the first ascent is a bit long but beautiful, going through a forest with occasional views of the Beagle channel. At the end of the ascent is the plateau of Cerro la Bandera, Where the trail kinda fades so navigate carefully; you should generally stick to the right and not go much further up, until the trail reappears. Unfortunately here my day deteriorated, as on and off waves of snow and hale started. It was also really cold! The next part is a walk along the mountain slope, until a steep descent down a boulder field as reach. The campsite next to the laguna is beautiful but can be exposed - it took me a couple of tries to set up my tent with the wind. The ground can also be quite wet here. I don't know why, but when I was there every campsite had at least one big guided group, so maybe try to not grt there super late so you can find a nice spot.

Day 2

Laguna del Salto to Laguna Martillo

A really epic day that starts with an ascent straight up a stream. Here is another possible camping spot, but it's very rocky and exposed. The way up to Paso Australia is otherworldly, with big granite spires poking out everywhere. After the pass, the nature of the trail starts to reveal itself: with the vast majority of the track being either boulder fields or really muddy paths with lots of bushwhacking. The only relief is during the occasional gravek trail and the ascents to the passes, surprisingly. The mud might have been extra bad due to heavy rain the days before my hike, but it was pretty much inescapable for me. So expect to walk slower than you usually would. Traversing the difficult terrain slowly, I passed by Laguna de los Dientes and Laguna Escondida, where you can camp by if you wish. I think it would be quite the gorgeous spot. The way up Paso Ventarron is straightforward. At the top make sure you go north and not immediately down, the path will become clear quickly. The next section was very muddy. I camped at the NE end of Laguna Martillo. If you wish to hike with the same itinerary as me I really recommend to try to camp as far north as you can, to make the last day easier.

Day 3

Laguna Martillo to Puerto Williams

This was a rough day. the start is very muddy, with unclear trails. As if that's not enough I was feeling a bit unwell, and had a near miss, almost slipping down a 10 meter drop. Thankfully, after a couple of hours I felt better. Unfortunately here came the second worst part of the trek, a horrible ascent in a hot, sweaty forest, with no distinguishable trail outside of the occasional pink ribbon that some angel must have hung. My advice is to follow the path of least resistance while trying to stay next to the gps marking of the trail. At some point you should get to an opening in the forest, where you can follow a stream up to a mountain path and then to Paso Virgina, the highest point of the trail.

The descent from the pass is the steepest of the trail. The first part is very sketchy, as it's compacted ground which is sloped sideways, but after that you get to a steep scree slope which I Love! I feel so fast going down those. About 30 minutes more and you'll get to the northern end of Laguna de los Guancos, where there's a viewing platform and a possible campspot. And now, for the worst part of trail.

First, a bit of context: Isla Navarino is unfortunately infested with invasive beavers. The bastards flood the forest every year, destroying any trail and changing the landscape. Couple that with the stromy weather, and you get a muddy hell. Sometimes, the trail disappears, and finding it is very hard as the forest is dense and full of high grasses. The terrain is really challenging, with the worst mud of the trip, endless bushes, and lots of fallen trees. I managed to find some faint trail that had clear footsteps and the occasional pink ribbon, but it strayed away from the marked trail and got sketchier and sketchier. At some point, I tried to cross the forest to get to the marked path but I couldn't find it, and I believe here I had a small panic attack as I was afraid of getting completely lost. Thankfully, I managed to calm myself and continue, eventually trying again and to my relief, finding the true path. from here the navigation was easier as the vegetation was less dense, even though the trail was basically a collection of horse paths. Honestly I probably didn't make all of the right choices, and with my experience today, I would've been pretty fine, but yeah, definitely an experience. If you find yourself in a similar situation, remember that worst case scenario you can just continue north and at some point you'll hit the road, even it it'll take a while (in this section 4 km took m3 3 hours).

The final road walk is about 2 hours.

Some other tips:

Logistics

You can get to Isla Navarino via a flight or a ferry from Punta Arenas, or a boat transfer from from Ushuaia. I loved the ferry, as I got to see amazong views and glaciers, and it was a really cool experience. In town, there's one really good supermarket with everything you'll need. There's also a small outdoor shop, where you can rent or buy some basic camping equipment. I believe that they should also have gas canisters, and if you wish to cross to Ushuaia, arrange it with them.

Before you start the trek, you need to register at the local police station and give them info about your gear and itinerary. If you don't report back after your trek they will start a rescue operation so don't forget!

Weather:

I was there during peak summer. It was 5C. And the altitude is less than 1000m! So yeah, pretty insane weather. Be prepared for cold wind and snow - a sound advice for anywhere in Patagonia and especially here.

My thoughts:

I think that this hike is very special. You get to see a unique and wild landscape, with a real end of the world feel. The town of Puerto Williams is quite cozy.

It is very difficult, I would not go out there with out a satellite device and proper research. But if you have the right experience you will have the time of your life. I will also say, that I believe this trail is starting tk get popular. the president of Chile hiked it! Unfortunately, it is not maintained, so please, LNT. Don't try to avoid the mud. Don't create new paths. This is a pristine area of the world, and I hope it will be like that for years to come.

🇨🇭Approach trek to the North-East face of Pizzo Forno (a stunning peak over 2,900m) in Leventina Valley, Switzerland 🇨🇭 As you can see in the second photo, the "drop" from the Dalpe plateau (at 1,400m) to the summit is a massive 1,500 meters.

My fiancé and I spent the better half of the Easter week and weekend 🙃 out at the DUGWAY Geobeds in toole County.. We had a AMAZING time.. Most of the Hiking we did was not Trailhead Hiking, it was rough and tumble but blazing your own path is much funner... The Geobeds were a Blast and We scored BIG!!! 10/10 RECOMMEND... The Wild Herds of Horses 🐎 though was Breathtaking 💯❤️‍🔥