Trekking in Chile

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 Robert Lavin 12 Nov 2014
Evening All,

Apologies if this isn't quite the right forum.

I'm trying to plan a three or four week trip to Chile in January. I've been looking into multi-day walks and perhaps some simple peaks but I'm having trouble working out an itinerary.

The problems I'm having are that:

1) It's a very long country;
2) Distances between potential bases are considerable.
3) There is a lot to see and I can't choose.

I'm thinking of having a North and South base and working out from each location. Patagonia needs to be in there somewhere. I'm not planning taking any mountaineering kit, but could be persuaded.
Has anyone here tried something similar?
Any recommendations as to where to base myself?

Thanks,

Rob.
 Damo 12 Nov 2014
In reply to Robert Lavin:

Puerto Natales for walks in the Torres del Paine and maybe Pucon for the volcanoes.

Natales is the main town for TdP and the walks are well worth doing. I've been twice, did the W Trek a few years ago, but the circuit is also popular. Bear in mind January is high season and things will be relatively crowded in TdP and the towns, making accommodation and transport harder. Get the weather right though, and it's one of those places that looks just like the postcards.

In Pucon you should be able to join commercially guided trips up Villarica, Osorno etc. and there is an adventure tourism infrastructure, but that also means it will be busy.

There are plenty of wild places in Chile but with only three or four weeks you won't have much time to do multi-day walks and travel between. Note that in the high mountain areas, from the Chilean side, you are supposed to have a permit to go close to the Argentine border. This applies to the peaks east of Santiago, where there is some great stuff.
 sheelba 12 Nov 2014
In reply to Robert Lavin:
Hi Rob

Apparently my partner works (Naomi Dalton) with your partner so I'd be more than happy to meet up and give you some advice in person. I lived in Chile for 8 months and did various bits and pieces while I was there.

Here is a trimmed down version. With only three or four weeks I'd spend all my time in Patagonia. Chile is a stunningly beautiful country but Patagonia is undeniably the jewel in it's crown. Torres Del Paine as mentioned above is the most popular place, with good reason. It can easily be combined with Fitz Roy in Argentina as well. You would probably want to do multi-day backing packing there.

In the north of Patagonia there are lots of options from Puerto Montt and nearby for both easy peaks and multi-day treks. The opportunities available are huge and you should be able to get away from the crowds if you desire. Again treks can be linked with Argentina which is most popular via Bariloche .

I have a soft spot for central Chile as it's where I did most of my trekking and your unlikely to see many foreigners but it's probably not as impressive as the stuff further south. There are lots of options and I never needed a permit for anything I did nor heard that it was necessary.

I turned down a job in the north in San Pedro de Atacama and consequently never visited that region. From what I've heard from others the Bolvian side is more worth visiting. Tours are generally down by jeep as you generally need to carry all your own water although there are various peaks that can be climbed. I had a friend who visited a year or so back who would know more.

This website was created by a friend and very useful, especially if you can speak Spanish. There are some English articles written by me and others by Chileans in their second language:
http://www.wikiexplora.com/index.php/Trekking_Chile
If you are planning something particularly adventurous I can get in touch with Joaquin or people at the German mountaineering club (DAV) who would be more helpful

This website is excellent.
http://www.trekkingchile.com/indexEN.html

In terms of books the lonely planet is good for just Patagonia and the Bradt guide to trekking in Chile is good for the whole country, including stuff in the north. Unfortunately I gave it to a friend in Chile. I do however still have a very rare copy of adventures in central Chile if you were planning on going to that region, a beautifully researched and produced book which is useful to almost no-one. Finally I have created a google map of Chile with all the information from my guidebooks on it which I could share with you as well.
Post edited at 22:57
 Brass Nipples 12 Nov 2014
In reply to Robert Lavin:
How about chochamo which is like a Chilean Yosemite? Spectacular area to visit. Not on the usual tourist circuit like TdP either.
Post edited at 23:02
 Brass Nipples 12 Nov 2014
In reply to Robert Lavin:

From San Pedro you can visit the Valle de Luna and the highest hot springs in the world. You can book a week's trip to the salt flats in Bolivia from there. Also some 6,000m volcanoes to trek from there, easy enough to organise from San Pedro. You get to Antofagasta and turn right for San Pedro. Public transport is great once you are is right locality for your base. I spent 4.5 months in region, so just used the buses to get around, plus the one train to Temuco when travelling to Pucon and volcanos in that region.

 WrekinMC 13 Nov 2014
In reply to Robert Lavin:

I spent five months in Chile and Argentina last year.

http://cathybowler.wordpress.com

I would go for Patagonia rather than the tourist trap of San Pedro de Atacama which is a victim of its own success.

We did three longer treks.

If you like wild then do the Dientes de Navarino from Puerto Williams. This is south of the Beagle Channel so you get a boat over from Ushuaia - we only saw eleven people in five days.

The full Torres del Paine circuit we did clockwise so we met the crowds coming the "correct" way as they liked to tell us. On the back of circuit we only saw around 90 people a day. On the W areas it was hundreds.

Then from El Chalten we trekked for eight days onto the Southern Patagonian Icefield around the back of Fitzroy and Cerro Torre then over the windy pass back to town. For this trek we joined a guided group with Serac Expeditions. The others we did on our own.
http://serac.com.ar/ingles/expeditions/marconi_pass_patagonian_icecap_patag...

Wherever you go you will have a great time. The problem is you will want to go back.

Dave

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