Hiking Itinerary
Each day brings a new journey, six to eight hours of trekking in pristine wilderness, anywhere from 3 to 12 miles a day, while carrying packs (15 pounds) including our own sleeping bags and mattress pads. See our Gear & Packing recommendations for full details.
This trek is accessible for most age levels who maintain good physical fitness and are prepared for the demands of backcountry hiking. We recommend guests be able to maintain a pace of 1.25 to 2 miles per hour with a loaded backpack, over rough and uneven terrain. Although we’ll use the following itinerary as a guide, circumstances like weather conditions, individual ability, and safety may cause us to deviate or modify parts of our itinerary. Out here, we roll with what Mother Nature gives us.
Day 1
Arrival Day! No hiking takes place this day.
Day 2
After breakfast we’ll transfer as a group to Cerro Castillo, where we’ll start our 10.5-mile hike into the reserve. We’ll follow an old logging road in a flat mountain valley where we’ll pass old gaucho camps that are used to take livestock to the mountains in the summer months. We’ll get our first glimpse of crystal clear waters of Patagonia, then finally reach the reserve entrance, register at the park office, and set up for the evening at Camp Rio Turbio before enjoying dinner.
Total distance: 10.5 miles
Day 3
Today we begin our ascent into the mountains. We’ll cross Pinon Pass, at an altitude of 1,300 meters (4,265ft), then descend in slightly difficult terrain where the rock scree is a bit loose. We’ll pass alongside the hanging Pinon Glacier along the way. We’ll camp at La Tetera tonight, which is a prime spot set up for us to take an optional side hike up the glacier in the evening, or early morning for an amazing sunrise over the peaks of Cerro Castillo.
Total distance: 7.5 miles
Day 4
Today we climb up Morro Negro, peaking at 1,700m, but before we start the climb we’ll pass by the famous lagoon of Cerro Castillo and take in the beautiful view. After we ascent Morro Negro, we ascend down the rock scree before arriving at Camp Porteadores.
Total distance: 5.6 miles
Day 5
We begin our last day in Cerro Castillo by taking a short hike, without our packs, to the upper camp, Camp Neozelandes. Here we can check out the views of the north face of Cerro Castillo and the glacial basis that is made up of Cerro Palo and Castillo. It’s beautiful in this area of the reserve, and if it’s warm enough, we can continue to Laguna Duff. After, we’ll head down to retrieve our packs and then to Villa Cerro Castillo. The hike down is easy, through Southern Beech forest. We’ll then transfer to a B&B where we’ll have hot shower, delicious dinner, and have a full night’s rest in a bed.
Total distance: 4.5 miles daypacks + 2.7 miles down from camp Porteadores to Acceso Estera Parada with backpacks
Day 6
We'll continue our journey to Chile Chico, bordering Chile’s largest lake, Lago General Carrera. The massive glacial lake is split by the border of Argentina & Chile and surrounded by the Andes, and the brilliant blue color is the result of what is known as ‘glacial flour’, or tiny sediments. We’ll continue a drive for 30 miles to Lago Jeinimeni, where we being our completely off-grid portion of this adventure. We’ll hike next to the peaceful Lago Jeinemeni until our first river crossing near Lago Esmeralda. It’ll be a short hiking day to our first campsite next to Lago Verde.
Total distance: 3 miles
Day 7
After breakfast in a small shelter made by volunteers, we’ll star our journey to Valley Chacabuco and Patagonia National Park through the Gloria Mountains. We’ll walk along the river bed of the Jeinemeni, before ascending over the Gloria Pass to breathtaking views of the Wester side of Lago Verde. This is our hardest day, with a steep but short incline as we reach the pass. From there, we will descend to the shores of the lake and hike to a beautiful old shelter newly renovated for camping overnight. If we’re still motivated, we’ll head out for a side hike this afternoon to check out one of Jeinimeni’s famous hanging glaciers.
Total distance: 5 miles
Day 8
Today we’ll make our way through the Hermoso Valley to striking views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Expect to get our feet wet as we zig zag through the valley and cross the Ventisquero stream several times. Heading south, we’ll begin to make our way to the Aviles Valley. We’ll have a short ascent in the Lenga forest before heading back down and connecting with the Aviles trail. This is one spot where we’ll truly appreciate the towering mountains all around us as we hike toward Mount Jeinemeni. There are several places to camp as we enter the Aviles Valley, and we’ll decide where to spend the night based on how we feel.
Total distance: 9.3 to 10.5 miles depending on where we camp
Day 9
Today is our final day of trekking! We’ll gradually descent to the Aviles Valley and follow the Pinturas and Aviles rivers throughout the day. We’ll clearly see the changing habitat and look for the first sights of guanacos as we search for vizcachas along the trail. Once we reach the Stone House, transportation will be waiting to take us to our accommodations for the night. We’ll be staying at Terra Luna Lodge, where we’ll stay in beautiful panoramic lodging overlooking the Lago General Carrera.
Total distance: 11.8 miles