Lepinsky Travels to Chile For Adventures

Montana winters can be harsh. Harsh enough that some of us may desire a brief escape. Traveling south is the usual remedy and for five weeks I did just that. I spent most of this time backpacking through Patagonia in both Chile and Argentina. Needless to say, I experienced a mild yet interesting cultural shock.

I arrived in Santiago, Chile's capital, and spent a few days exploring this sprawling city of seven million people before continuing south to Patagonia. The beautiful architecture of older buildings, and churches, for example, contrasted nicely with the modern Costanera Center Torre, the tallest building in South America. Artistic murals on the sides of buildings were common and almost as ubiquitous as the sidewalk street vendors located on Avenue Liberator Bernardo O'Higgins. Pedestrians are rarely out of sight of public parks and plazas. And, if you get tired of walking, the municipal subway and buses are economical, well-maintained, and run-on time. However, you would be well advised to research your day trips because, like any big city, you should not exit the transit system in the wrong part of town. Now how would I know that? As thriving and vibrant as I found Santiago to be, a few days in the big city was enough for me.

I next traveled to Puerto Natales and Torres Del Paine National Park, which could be considered the heart of Patagonia. Torres del Paine is the gem of the Chilean national park system and is a must-see for any visitor to this part of the world. I did not explore the park's stunning landscapes as much as I would have liked due to crowds, permit/guide requirements, and the added costs of paying a tour company. Instead, after a brief visit, I decided to visit Argentina's Los Glaciares National Park.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, Los Glaciares National Park's many glaciers are fed by the South Patagonian Ice Field. However, there are several glaciers in the park independent of the ice field. I did numerous day hikes into the park from the small tourist town of El Chalten. The town's location proved to be a convenient walk to access park boundaries and trailheads. My hikes rewarded me with stunning views of mountains, glaciers, and glacier-fed lakes with icebergs. The Los Glaciares landscapes certainly rival those found in Torres Del Paine with the added benefit of no park entrance fees, and no permit or guide requirements. Minimal Park regulations made for a more pleasant visit, and I perceived park rangers' attitude toward hikers and mountain climbers alike to be "Relax, have fun, and be careful." As it should be!

I reluctantly departed easy-going Chalten by bus going north to the end of the road. The bus dropped me off at the south end of Lake Del Desierto before it turned around and headed back to El Chalten. I immediately began a two-day hike along the lake heading north. I intended to cross the Argentine-Chilean frontier over a remote pass in the Andes Mountains back into Chile. The trail was not always marked or even obvious which forced me to double back more than a few times to stay on the not-so-beaten path. To add to the confusion, the trail diverged many times into several different trails with one finally converging back to the main track. After six hours I arrived at Argentine customs on the north end of Lake Del Desierto. The officials instructed me to make camp for the evening and to clear customs the next morning.

After breaking camp the following morning, I cleared Argentine customs with a stern request to continue north over the pass into Chile and Chilean customs sooner rather than later. I figured, yeah, no problem. The trail between the two countries and their respective customs houses should be a little smoother going. NOT! The trail through the trees and brush, and over the pass was very ambiguous. At times, the only clue that I was on the right path was the horse tracks and horse apples left by mounted Argentine border guards on their infrequent patrols. Finally, I reached the actual border where the Argentine path turned into a Chilean dirt road. The road led to customs and the small village of Candelario Mancilla.

Candelario Mancilla, (population eight or ten) is located on the south side of Lake O'Higgins. Village accommodations included a small family-run hostel/camping area with meals, communal bathrooms, and Starlink WiFi. The village's small store had limited food items but an abundance and variety of beer. Needless to say, I was in no danger of running out of life's necessities! A small supply boat connects the village to the main road system when the winds are not too strong. I had a pleasant three-day rest exploring the area while waiting for the boat to arrive.

The supply boat arrived after favorable weather conditions and forecast prevailed. The passage across the lake to the town of Villa O'Higgins (Population under 1000) took about three to four hours. The town has accommodations ranging from lodges, private cabins, and of course the usual variety of hostels common throughout Patagonia. The town also has a small bus terminal, airport, the usual government facilities, and a small health clinic. However, there were no banks, ATMs, or post offices. The hiking was a bit limited, but I did manage day hikes on an established trail system before departing Villa O'Higgins to the north.

The bus from Villa O'Higgins meandered north through the steep mountainside gravel roads, little wider than one lane. The bus generally slowed to a crawl for oncoming and passing traffic. At times I would look straight up 1000 feet at mountain sides wondering how they dealt with falling rocks on the road. I would then look out the other side of the bus looking straight down the mountainside with no guard rail and forgot all about falling rocks!

The remainder of my stay in Chilean Patagonia was spent traveling by bus, ferry, and hitchhiking. I really enjoyed the stunning views of 3000-meter mountains, glaciers, and numerous waterfalls on the coastal ferry I took from Puerto Chacabuca to Quellon. The stops at isolated communities en route reminded me of my numerous commutes on the Alaska Marine Highway over the years. I also really enjoyed the two-day stay I had with a Chilean family who picked me up hitchhiking. They gave me a brief introduction to Chilean everyday life and Chilean Spanish. Chilean vernacular can be difficult for even the most fluent of Spanish speakers.

Would I visit Patagonia again? Most definitely. Would I travel by backpack on public transportation again? I'd definitely travel on the ferries again. Chilean ferries are clean, comfortable, and economical, (half-price for seniors). As for bus travel, the privately run double-decker buses with bathrooms were mostly new and in exceptional condition. However, I felt I spent too much time traveling by bus to destinations, instead of visiting those destinations. Also, bus travel limited my access to other more remote regions of Patagonia and its numerous mountains, glaciers, and trailheads. Next winter I'll consider touring by motorcycle, car, or if I'm fit and ambitious enough, bicycle.

Lastly, I'd like to thank John Moulton, who is an experienced traveler to South America, for the helpful tips he generously gave me before I departed on my tour of Patagonia.