Cruise through the waters of Patagonia’s Giants
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 92.95 nm
- Elevation gain
- 112 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 112 ft
- Max elevation
- 951 ft
- TrailRank
- 29
- Min elevation
- 883 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Coordinates
- 54
- Uploaded
- July 6, 2014
- Recorded
- July 2014
near Villa O'Higgins, Aisén (Chile)
Viewed 1398 times, downloaded 3 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Waypoints
Waypoint
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Villa O'Higgins
Just about the time that you begin to take the Patagonia landscapes for granted, you’ll reach Villa O'Higgins and your amazement and wonder will return. O’Higgins is one of the most remote villages in Chile, situated at the end of the Carretera Austral and surrounded by the peaks of the southern Andes, the deepest lake in the Americas, the fjords of the Pacific, and the Southern Patagonia Ice Fields. Several lodges and operators have opened doors in Villa O'Higgins offering a range of activities in the local area including hiking, horse treks, fly-fishing, and trips to the Southern Patagonia Ice Fields. Nevertheless, Villa O’Higgins is still very much an authentic Patagonian pueblo, maintaining its traditional economic activities which revolve around ranching and forest resources. Many pioneer traditions remain intact, including the daily dependence on horses, woodworking, using native woods and rustic tools, knitting, smoking meats, etc. Being a remote community limits access to modern luxuries, but if you are prepared for that, you'll find Villa O'Higgins full of simple comforts, including excellent options for lodging, cellular service and Internet, a rural first-aid post, grocery and hardware stores, great restaurants, travel companies and guiding services. In fact, you can even find some creative luxuries, like a wood-burning stove assisted sauna at the El Mosco hostel, and the wood-burning hot tubs at the Robinson Crusoe Lodge. Reservations: It is advisable to book well in advance to ensure your place in the boat. The Quetru is operated by Robinson Crusoe – Deep Patagonia; their lodge is located along the Carretera Austral, Km 1240; (02) 23341503 - 23341504; (067) 2431909; info@robinsoncrusoe.com; www.robinsoncrusoe.com. You can book online.
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O'Higgins Glacier
O’Higgins forms a frontal wall for another of this area’s giants, the Southern Patagonia Ice Field; third biggest extension of continental ice, after Antarctica and Greenland. As you navigate the waters toward the frontal wall of the glacier, the icebergs floating quietly in the water begin to become more and more frequent, until eventually the huge mass of ancient ice descending from Southern Patagonia Ice Fields is revealed. The boat will take you within a few meters of the immense wall of the giant O’Higgins Glacier which is 3 km in width and 80 m in height. Here, you’ll have ample time and opportunity to admire the shape of the ice, with its abrupt cuts and angles in some places and soft curves in others. You will probably be treated to the loud sounds and explosions of pure whites, deep blues and pale turquoises produced from the constant calving of this glaciers’ ancient ice. To celebrate your voyage, you’ll be treated to a glass of whisky, or even better - a Chilean pisco, with ice from the O’Higgins Glacier before beginning the return to Villa O'Higgins. Both on the outbound and the return, you’ll make a brief stop in Candelario Mansilla, to drop off and pick up passengers embarking on the trekking between Chile and El Chaltén, Argentina.
Waypoint
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Puerto Bahamondes
You’ll set sail at 8:30 a.m., from Port Bahamondes, located 7 km south of Villa O'Higgins, on scheduled tour days.
Lake
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O'Higgins Lake
The southern reaches of the Aysén Region are the home for giants; enormous geographic landmarks of incredible mass and beauty. Let's start with the binational lake through which you will sail on this adventure: O'Higgins of the Chilean side, San Martin of the Argentinian side. This lake is one of South America’s largest, with an area of 1,013 km², spread out like a giant octopus. It has a maximum recorded depth of 836 m, earning it the honor of being the deepest in all of the Americas and the fifth deepest in the world. The most striking feature for most of its visitors is its intense turquoise color, produced by the large amount of sediments that flow into the lake from the glaciers of the Southern Patagonia Ice Fields. You’ll travel aboard the Quetru, a modern well-equipped vessel, which accommodates up to 70 persons and is capable of sailing in a variety of weather conditions. When the skies are clear and the wind is calm, the navigation is extremely relaxing, and you’ll want to head to the top deck for the best views of the mountains and hanging glaciers that surround you. But when the weather conditions are not favorable, the O'Higgins Lake becomes a not-so-gentle giant, with 4 meter waves and wind that can reach 50 knots (92 km/h). That is why it is important to allow a few days in your itinerary for this excursion in case the sailing is delayed by a day or two, waiting for the winds to subside.
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