Carretera Austral, Puerto Williams to Puerto Montt, March 10 --> April 3, 2024

Sun 3/10. The bus delivered us to Punta Arenas about 8pm. It was a pleasant evening for a long walk to our hostel downtown. We found it without difficulty. It was characteristically large, old and unadorned, but the staff were very friendly and helpful.

Mon 3/11. We enjoyed a slow, domestic morning before we headed out to secure plans for the next phase of our adventure. Andrés, our host at the hostel, gave us a lead on a Patagonian agency for a one-way car rental to Puerto Montt, but it didn’t pan out: the one-way charges were higher than the rental fees! We walked six km to the port and were delighted to discover that seniors over 70—including extranjeros like us--get a 50% discount. We booked a return from Puerto Williams—the southern-most town in the world—for next Saturday, and struggled online to book an out-bound flight for Tuesday, tomorrow.

We went back to the Free Trade Zone looking for freeze-dried dinners but found none. We’ll have to eat ramen. By the time we were done, it was too late to go to a Claro store to recharge the SIM for my phone—assuming that that might be the source of my problem getting online. We also stopped by the visitor center for information about the Carretera Austral.

Walking around town we were seeing and remembering places from our prior visit eight years ago. We learned to use the bus, though on our first ride we got off 1.5km short of downtown and our third ride detoured a long way through neighborhoods before arriving near—not in—the centro.

Tue 3/12. Up early. Taxi to the airport. Plane was delayed for maintenance. Flight was only 40 minutes. The view from our window was mostly the wing and turbine, very little of the Beagle Channel. The Puerto Williams airport doesn’t have a real terminal: they unload the bags directly on the ground at the head of the short walkway to the road. Good thing it wasn’t raining! There was a shuttle for 5000 pesos to take everyone to their hotels, or in our case just dropping us downtown. We had a bit of a wait, but he got us all in. We were last, standing room only. We walked all over town looking for camping gas and groceries. Most places were closed for lunch hour. We finally found both, plus the Carabinero office for our backcountry permit for hiking the Los Dientes circuit.

We headed out about 3pm. It was a 3km walk to the end of the road where the trail starts. The route was longer and steeper and we were slower than expected. We got to Cerro Bandera about 5pm. Past that it was exposed and getting very windy. We found a small lake and decided to camp there: we were getting too cold and the trail conditions to the next campable site was uncertain. We set up the tent, cooked soup and ramen with soy protein, and went to bed about 9pm. We ate protein bars and slept with all our clothes on. It was hours before our toes were warm. The wind was blowing hard, with gusts up to 40 knots, so the tent was shaking and pushing against me.

Wed 3/13. The wind calmed down and it dawned sunny. We stayed in the tent until the sun was on it and it got warm, about 8:30. Simple breakfast. Started hiking a little before 10. We warmed up enough to take off some layers. We were traversing a long, shale slope with gorgeous views of the Beagle Channel behind us, the Dientes mountains in front of us, and several lakes surrounded with scrubby alpine trees below us on the right. The trail was not easy: it reminded us of the Goat Trail in Alaska. We are hiking in running shoes, not as good as real hiking boots for these conditions. It took us another two hours to reach the mirador and the lake. Glad we hadn’t tried it last night! We decided to camp two nights here so we can just hike all the way out in one day (Friday). Also we didn’t want to carry the packs up to the next pass.

We spent the afternoon hiking around our lake, scouting a way down to the next lower lake, and hiking around that. There was lots of evidence of beavers, though we didn’t see them. We saw their lodge, their dam and lots and lots of cut down trees. Old, not fresh. We saw a few other hikers—three at a distance and one near the mirador and we chatted. He runs a guiding business and was scouting for some new hiking tours. Terry’s company was named Terra Adventures or something like that. He is based in Viña del Mar, but grew up in northern Patagonia.

It amazed us how warm it was in the sun with no wind, how cold when a cloud came over and some wind, and how fast it changes back and forth. We decided that when we hike out on Friday we will take the “trail” from the lower lake, not return on the high trail that we came on. We were not interested in climbing back up the loose shale to the traverse.

Had soup. A sprinkle of rain motivated us to set up the tarp over our tent. More ramen for supper and early to bed.

Thurs 3/14. Waiting for the sun to hit our tent, but it never did. High overcast. Got up about 9, hit the trail a little after 10. The trail up to the first pass was steep and watery. Hard. We were glad not to have full packs. There was a campsite in the first cirque with a substantial rock wind block—several actually—and one guy camped. The second pass was the high divide between the Dientes and the next mountain. Descent, then traverse a steep rocky slope with a lake below. We came out to a lower pass and a series of lakes. We hiked down to the lower lake and circumnavigated it.  Lots of beaver activity. Wind coming up and getting colder. Turned around about 1:30. I was a bit worried about severe wind and cold at the high pass, but it turned out okay. There was a bit of tiny snow crystals in the air.

The rocks are amazing. Lots of layers, lots of colors, some like marble. Looking up at the pyramid mountain the face was gorgeous. Sometimes the trail is hard to follow and the cairns and paint blazes are hard to find, but never get too far off because the terrain where the trail is going is pretty obvious. Back to the tent about 5pm. Soup, reading, ramen, then nighty nite.

Fri 3/15. It snowed overnight. At least the air was still, so not unbearable cold. Stayed in the tent until almost 10, hoping the sun would warm it up, but no deal: the overcast was too thick. We managed to pack up, shake off the snow, get wet gloves and cold fingers, but on our way. The slope down to the lower lake was even more slippery than before. We picked up the trail markers, but lost them again and had to bush whack around a bit to find a large muskeg meadow with a clear and marked trail. No more snow but lots of mud. The trail followed the stream down through the wood back to the trailhead at the end of the road. Looked at the signage and wished it had more information about the trails.

Booked an Airbnb. Walked into town. Went to the carabinero to check out. No confirmation yet on the Airbnb. Looked for a restaurant. Mostly closed. Finally found a Columbian one just about to open at the town center. Had pisco Calafate, papas fritas, and a really excellent and big cheese empanada. Still no confirmation. Walked to the place on the Google map, the approximate location of the Airbnb, and walked around asking the neighbors where Alban lived. They directed us. We rang the bell. Alban and her husband answered, confirmed they had a room, then on her phone confirmed the Airbnb reservation. All good. Took showers, washed the mud off our pantlegs, put our shoes and socks on the drying rack by the stove. Made love and rested. Went out for a take-out pizza. While waiting for it we went back to the Columbian place next door for a glass of wine. Back “home” to eat. Bed at 10pm.

Sat 3/16. Alba prepared a nice breakfast and told us her story. Her parents were communists. She finished her degree in social work two days before the Pinochet coup shut down the social sciences department at the university and took all the students and faculty away into mass detention. Most of them were tortured and killed and never seen again. Her parents were arrested an imprisoned. She married an a-political young man whose brothers were carabineros. His family took her in. That association provided some protection for her. She was never investigated. 

We left our packs and walked into town. Sra. Teresa at a local package store solved my problem recharging my Claro SIM. We bought some souvenirs. We walked to the tiny yacht club. Back to the Yangun museum which was closed, but got to admire the whale bones. Went grocery shopping—three stores to find the things we wanted. Looked for empanadas. The panaderias had none—in fact, not much of anything. Bought muffins, fresh and hot, and some of the round flat breads that are common here. Went to the Columbian restaurant for the third time looking for empanadas vegetales, but they had none. Interesting conversation with a French geologist on his way to do tectonic fieldwork near Cape Horn, by Zodiac. Back home to get our packs and walked to the ferry dock. On the way passed a dry marina. Struck up a conversation with a young Swiss couple with a new 2012 sailboat: Ovni 365 with a beautiful aluminum hull. They sailed last year through the Northwest Passage, around Alaska, then down to Tahiti. They met an older couple on the same transit who decided to sell them their boat. They reconnected in Puerto Montt for the transaction. They will sail to Alaska next year, then return to Tahiti.

Now we are on the ferry transiting up the Beagle Channel. The young people sitting behind us just did the Dientes circuit in three days. They also came to Puerto Williams from Ushuaia on the S/V Austral—the one we passed up. The girls are Claire and Cleo. Both do ecology studies for the National Park Service. Clair has worked a couple times in Alaska, in Gates of the Arctic (this summer?) and Lake Clark. She’ll be doing field work on the Noatak this summer. (The things these young people are doing with aplomb make me feel old.)

Sun 3/17. The ferry, Transbordadora Austral Broom, is small, with an open vehicle deck on the port side, a two-story passenger area with reclining seats, and an upper open viewing deck all on the starboard side. The semi-cama seats are the most comfortable yet for sleeping. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that meals are included. Nothing to write home about, but better than the provisions in our bag. The 30-hour transit is spectacular: endless islands, fjiords, rounded hills with a mix of glacier-scoured bedrock and green, low vegetation, and beyond that an assortment of jagged, snow-covered peaks. The area of glaciers we passed at night so I did not get to see them. It was dark and stormy the first half of the night and not conducive to being outdoors or seeing much of anything. Today is a constant mix of dark clouds, cotton clouds, patches of sun, some hail, light winds, strong winds, calm seas, and high seas frosting with spray. The waves crashing on the reefs send up explosions of brilliant white spray. We passed only one sign of humans: the ferry made a quick stop at a road-end with no buildings to unload a forklift of building materials and load a cargo truck. Lots of light beacons with no visible light, and a Navy ship and Zodiac apparently trying to land on a rock to repair that light. We have met more interesting people on board. The latest are a couple from Barcelona, Guillermo and Marina, who are travelers, trekkers, and wanna-be sailors. Mike invited them to come sail with us in Alaska.

Arrived at Punta Arenas about 11pm. Started walking, looking for a taxi. Then several passed us heading to the port. We called a taxi and waited in front of the Toyota dealership. Checked into our hostel.

Mon 3/18. Spent the day catching up on email and researching our next moves. Too many choices and not enough information. The tourist office was totally useless. We finally decided on a TABSA ferry from Puerto Natales to Yungay, the start of the Carretera Austral (Highway 7). Took the bus out to TABSA to buy the tickets, a bit of shopping at the Zona Franca, and use the WiFi. We originally reserved two nights in Puerto Natales thinking the ferry leaves at 5am, but learned we need to board the night before, so had to cancel the second night. A bit of souvenir shopping. We’d had salad for lunch and bought a loaf of onion bread. For dinner we cooked soup and ate the last of our cheese. PS: also bought Bus Sur tickets to Puerto Natales. Finally found an open Claro office to resolve my problem with internet.

Tue 3/19. 11am bus to Puerto Natales. Walked to our Airbnb hosted by Liber. It had a giant king bed, and super comfortable too!. Private bath and good light. More internet research on our route north. Went to TABSA office to ask for our senior discount—not available on this route. Did laundry. Salad and dessert for lunch. Some tourist shopping and the best ever dinner: salmon ceviche, pasta putanesca and pisco sour.

Wed 3/20. Leisurely morning. Went to TABSA office to ask about busses. They advised us to disembark at Tortel, not Yungay, to catch the bus the next day. Grocery shopping and the history museum, then home for lunch: more soup and bread and cheese. Went to Etnia where Mike had bought his favorite hat last time we were here, but found nothing. Went to a panaderia and more tourist shopping. Dinner back at our dessert place, this time Greek salad and veggie calzone. Went to a bar for another pisco sour to pass the time before picking up our packs and checking in with TABSA. Slept on board. Our seats were interior, not window, but we diligently watched until everyone was on board then switched to the last available window seat.

Thu 3/21. Fall equinox. While not as spectacular as the journey from Puerto Williams, the landscape of fjords, ringed with scoured bedrock and mature green scrub, with snowy peaks behind, and lots and lots of waterfalls. The ferry is pretty much the same but the passengers are quite different: far fewer international backpackers and more middle-aged Chileans. Fewer cargo truck and more passenger cars and vans. Some pet dogs too. And the kitchen area is even smaller. 

Fri 3/22-Sat 3/23. Continued the passage. Met a USA woman with a Peruvian fiancé. Played cards and talked and talked and talked. Enjoyed ach others company. They have a car so are disembarking at Puerto Yungay. All the backpackers got off at 3:30 am in Caleta Tortel. Most of us slept in a shelter at the ferry dock. Two by two, we went our own ways in the morning. 

Reliable information about the bus to Cochrane was hard to come by and very mixed. We ended up getting a ride with a Dutch couple who had gotten off in Yungay, but drove to Tortel looking for coffee. Never found it: everything was closed. The town is all stairs and boardwalks. Scenic, but a long slog with packs to the parking area for busses and cars. The ride in the camper rig/RV they had rented was marvelous, but we had to keep wiping the fog off the windows to see anything. They let us out in Cochrane. We walked to the bus terminal, which was closed till 4pm. We ate lunch on the bench, browed the info at the terminal, learned that two busses a day go to Cochrane, at 7:30 and 8:00 am. So we are stuck spending the night in Cochrane. 

We walked around until 4:00 and came back to buy our tickets, then sat and used their WiFi till the terminal closed at 7:30. We recognized some of the backpackers from the boat and Tortel who finally arrived on the bus. They looked wet and tired. We went out for dinner. Found only one open option, a pub/restaurant. We ordered two glasses of red wine, a veggie burger and a salmon dinner. Nothing very special, but it was still expensive. Went back to the bus terminal and slept in a covered area outside.

Sun 3/24. Early bus to Coyhaique. Mike had slept very poorly and was very tired, so he mostly slept on the bus. It was hard to see out the fogged windows, but the landscape was changing. The road was still dirt until almost Coyhaique. Got more and more bucolic/rural and developed with agriculture, cattle and sheep. Also some real forests with big trees and some pine forests. Several huge lakes and big rivers. Some snowy peaks beyond. Stops in Rio Tranquillo and Cerro Castille.  Arrived about 2:45. Pretty nice town. Walked to the Airbnb, then went out looking for cars to rent. Everything was closed (Sunday). Found a couple outdoor shops in case we decide to buy another pad. Came back for showers and love making. Felt great! Cooked pasta and broccoli for dinner.

Mon 3/25. No breakfast provided in the “bed and breakfast.” We cooked oats and hard boiled some of their eggs. Went out to find a car rental. Checked with half a dozen companies, then decided on RecaSur—the same company we had been referred to in Punta Arenas. They were closed midday, so we went shopping for food and a new waffle style camp pad and had lunch. Picked up the car then fetched our packs from the BnB and were off! Actually, we stopped by the bus station too for information about buses to Chaiten. Left about 3:45 and drove to Parque Nacional Cerro Castillo. Picked up a trail map from the visitor center and drove down the road to check out the trailhead. Well, almost. It was a dirt road with a hill too steep without 4-wheel drive. So we figured we’d have to walk the last 1km. We camped by the river near the bridge across from the village. Very pleasant spot on a warm evening.

Tues 3/26. Up at 9. Actually, I had been awake for an hour, and finally decided it was time to rouse Mike. He’s been trying to sleep ten hours to more per night. Baby gruel for breakfast and hot chocolate and a hard-boiled egg. Walked to the trailhead where we were charged $16 each to enter the park across private property. A two hour hike up through the woods over cow fences, up to alpine to a park ranger guard station where our permits were checked again and our names recorded. Then up to the mirador, the lagoon, hanging glacier, and the dramatic Cerro Castillo. The rules are we have to head down by 4pm, which left us a couple hours to explore. We followed the trail down the boulder slope, across the stream, and down valley to ever more spectacular alpine and glacial terrain. Some fall color too. Back to the mirador just at 4, in time to meet the young rangers who were carrying a sign saying its 4:00 and time to leave. Our knees were getting tired on the way down. We used poles and I took Ibuprofen. Checked out the showers at the bottom, but they were not operational. Started to walk the road back to our car, but a pickup offered us a ride. Yes! Dinner and camping in the same spot by the river.

Wed 3/27. Decided to skip Rio Tranquillo and drive north to the parks near Chaitén. Stopped in Coyaique to buy to buy bus tickets, yogurt, wine, another pad for the car, camping gas, and a FABULOUS salmon poke lunch. The drive was gorgeous! Down a lush valley with tall sheer cliffs on the sides, down almost to the Port Chacabuco, then up a side valley to a high pass, and down a very step, windy, dirt road (highway!) to follow another river out to the fjord Canal Puyu Huapí. We stopped in the Parque NationalQueulat, but we were discouraged by the $11 per person entrance fee for a piddling 3.3km hike to see a glacier. We also had sore knees and thighs from the hike yesterday. So we continued on. Stopped at the visitor center in Puyahuapi to get more information about hikes, kayaks and hot springs, but decided to drive on.

We have really been enjoying the vistas from the car—so much better than the bus—and the freedom to stop anywhere, go anywhere, sleep anywhere. (If only our car bed was more comfortable.)

It was starting to get dark, so we looked on I-overlander and found a place to stop near a bridge and creek. Lentils for dinner and left-over poke.

Thu 3/28. Another fine morning. It is getting steadily warmer as we go to lower latitudes, and less windy too. The forest is getting more lush, tropical almost, with giant ferns and bamboo. We stopped to hike a glacier view trail in the southern Amarillo section of the Parque Nacionale Pumalin, founded and donated by Doug Thompkins. We signed in at the guard station. The road she directed us to was barricaded, so we drove up to the Termal road, past the hot springs baths which have been closed since a landslide, and up to the end of the road about 24km. Beautiful valley with small scale lumber operations and small homesteads with goats and cows. Back to the guard station. She told us to just move the barricade and replace it. So we did.

We picked up a walker on his way and our way to the trailhead. Drove to the Camping Grande where the road was closed and the trails began. On the mis-advice of people in the parking lot, we walked down the wrong trail. Our Belgian friend Agustin walked back saying his GPS showed it was the wrong trail, so we backtracked to the parking lot and walked up the closed road to the real trailhead. Thinking it was an easy trail, we didn’t take our poles. It was harder than expected: steep with log stairs. I (we?) was dragging well before we got to the first mirador. We stopped for lunch. Turned out the “real” mirador with the glacier view was only 50 feet farther. We saw three condors flying overhead. Mike and I hung at the 2nd mirador waiting for Agustin, who didn’t arrive. Getting cold, we decided to go back and tell him we were going on—it was a loop trail. He had gotten waylaid eating a second sandwich and talking with some newly arrived Europeans. Turned out the trail down joined another section of road, so we walked mostly down the road. Augustin is fast and caught up with us. We drove him to his hostel in Chaltén.  We liked it a booked reservations for our bus connection next week. 

Then we went and bought our bus tickets. Walked on the beach. Drove past the ferry terminal to a gravel lot for the night. Ate the best sopa de mariscos ever, at Resturante Flamenco. Also enjoyed the rolls and pisco sour.

Fri 3/29. We saw lots of dolphins near our beach. Yogurt for breakfast. Headed out to hike the volcano trail. It was cloudy enough that we didn’t know whether we would see it, but wanted the hike anyway. Once again, we expected it to be a moderate trail and left our poles, but then wished we had them. The trail was in poor repair, wet and steep with broken log steps. Up in an hour. Sure enough, no view, but the sun was working hard to clear out the mist. Finally, we got a stupendous view of the still steaming volcano. It had erupted in 2008. The blast had broken and killed all the trees, so there were lots of bare, standing large trunks. It had also melted the glacier and sent a major flood don the river to the town. Lots of photos of the devastation. The forest on the way down was subtropical, very different than southern Patagonia or any place I’ve ever seen. 

Augustin showed up at the summit, took pictures, and hurried back down for a 1pm phone conference. Going down without poles was less traumatic than I expected. Down in half an hour. Drove back to Chaitén and had lunch in the benches at the waterfront promenade. Then continued to drive, heading to Futuleufu, famous for world-class white water rafting. It had started to rain hard, and we were hoping to escape the rain. It was another scenic drove up a valley with sheer cliffs on the sides and green pasture in the bottom. It was gentler by the time we reached the town. We picked up a hitchhiker, a local woman returning from a hike. Then we looked for a café for a cup of tea and a pastry. The one we found was very slow: one worker and a number of customers. Stopped at the visitor center, but he had no information on road conditions in Argentina or elsewhere. Good thing I speak Spanish: fewer than hald of the tourist information staff speak English. Anyway, we decided to continue east toward the Argentine border to see new territory and get out of the rain. But it turned out we couldn’t get across the border without a factura from the car rental agency. So we drove back dowb to Highway 7. It was well after dark by the time we got down, but we had no trouble finding on I-Overlander a viewpoint parking pad, next to the road, above the river, but quiet overnight. Not enough water to cook, so we ate salad, crackers and cheese, hard boiled eggs, and red wine and chocolate for dessert. The rain had stopped and the sky was clear. Beautiful views of the Milky Way, Orion and the Southern Cross.

Sat 3/30. No breakfast. Drove to La Junta to fill up on gas. Had tea and chocolate croissants there. Didn’t find a panaderia, but did find some good looking cheese and a tomato at a supermercado. Drove on through intermittent rain showers to Puyuhuapi. Found a great panaderia and bought a loaf of roasted garlic bread. Called the hot springs resort Terma Ventisquero (“Snowdrift”). No answer, but they called back and made a reservation for 2pm. We walked around and found a major community festival at the city gymnasium, with food stalls, a kitchen contest, a DJ and a little live music. Time for the hot springs. CP15,000 each. Three outdoor pools. Conversed with a Brazilian woman living in Australia and a Spanish woman from Catalonia. Got hot enough to dunk in the cold saltwater fjord. Even Mike went in twice. Finished with a shower and hair wash and clean clothes. Felt really good. It was mostly sunny while we were there. 

Back to town for our sardine sandwiches, back to the gym for dessert, then walked around town. Moved the car to a spot by the dock at the end of town. A popular spot for people to come enjoy the evening light. Noted that I never felt like hiking today even though local trails are available.

Sun 3/31. It was a bad night. There were partiers nearby with their music until 8am, and a couple vehicles with lights came and went. Plus my hips were bothering me in the hard bed so I never got comfortable and kept changing my position. Baby gruel for breakfast and then hit the road. Short stop in town to use the public toilets. 

It was a beautiful day, though it never got warm. We enjoyed the scenery. Never found a trail to hike, but drove a few side roads just to explore and ended up on a long backcountry route to Coyhaique. Some pavement, but mostly gravel. The eastern side of the divide was noticeably drier an less green, but the mountains—the highest ones dusted with new snow—were unceasingly gorgeous. Enjoyed the flat green bottoms filled with animals an pasture too. Ended up back in Coyhaique. Found a trail for tomorrow morning—if its not too rainy—and sleeping on the dirt street near the trailhead, across from a play area, and with four cows wandering around eating paper garbage.

Mon 4/1. April fools! We weren’t at the trailhead, but on a street with the same name! Turns out the trailhead for Cerro Fraile is on the back side of the cerro, 45 minutes south of town. Mike found an alternative on maps.me, but that was a dud too: private property and new construction closed the trail. I found an option at the river on the north side of town so we went there. Not much of a hike. It was a picnic area with a social trail up river, and another trail down river. We explored both. The most interesting sight was a huge Kingfisher, and three large birds we couldn’t identify. No rain anyway. We packed up our gear, dropped our packs at the Airbnb, and returned the rental car. We celebrated with pisco sours at Tropero restaurant—the same place I’d bought the great poke a week ago. Shopping for tomorrow’s bus trip and back to the Airbnb. They have a new baby that cries so we are hanging out in our room using WiFi.

Tue 4/2. Bus from Coyhaique to Chaitén. Rained hard off and on all day. The bus windows were fogged so not much scenery., and we were on the right side of the bus with a post in the window, so not much to look at. And it was all road we’d seen before. Checked in to the hostel. Power was out city-wide, so we got out our headlamps. Chilled for an hour. Dinner at Flamenco with Swiss friends from the boat and bus and a French guy. The restaurant had a generator which they used until city power came back on.

Wed 4/3. Bus from Chaitén to Puerto Montt, with three ferry crossings. Rained off and on all day. We are not as impressed with the scenery in northern Patagonia as further south. The hills are lower, less fjord-like cliffs, and more dense tree cover. Arrived 9:30pm. Once again, Google misinformed us as to the location of the bus terminal: actually, the bus company had some facility near the hostel we had reservations for, but the stop where we got off was the city bus terminal down on the waterfront. It was late and it was raining, so we took a taxi. The hostel was more expensive than we like, and bigger with an extensive motel section. Good breakfast though.