The Gaucho Way - Glacier Hike

3- to 6-Day Guided Backpacking in Patagonia, Chile

Explore an untouched and largely unknown part of wild Patagonia.  The Gaucho Way is our signature route.  It follows traditional routes used by the Gauchos, Chilean cowboys who are friends and neighbors.  On horseback, they herd cattle to market and return to their homesteads with flour, sugar, yerba mate and other sundries.  The Gaucho Way denotes both their passage through the mountain landscape and their distinctive, gracious culture.   We trek through beautiful valleys, lush forests, craggy mountain trails, and sandy beaches all with the Northern Patagonia Icefield rising 10,000 feet above you.

A 3 to 6-day guided glacier hike, designed for experienced backcountry travelers on the Carretera Austral who are looking to get off the beaten path. For these trips, guests are expected to have backcountry experience, have and carry all their own gear (including tents), assist in carrying any group gear and food rations provided and in camp setup/take down. Lengths can be adjusted. If you are looking for more support take a look at our supported treks!

3-Day Guided Backpacking Trip Day by Day at a Glance:

  • Day 1: Boat shuttle from Puerto Bertrand to Patagonia Frontiers Main Ranch. Orientation and begin multi-day guided backpacking. 12 km. (7 mi.). Overnight Tent Camp.

  • Day 2: Trek to view Northern Patagonia Icefield. 12-18 km. (7-11 mi.). Overnight at Tent Camp.

  • Day 3: Complete guided backpacking trip. 12-16 km. (7-10 mi.) Boat shuttle to Puerto Bertrand.

6-Day Guided Backpacking Trip Day by Day at a Glance:

  • Day 1: Meet at dock in Puerto Bertrand. Boat shuttle to Patagonia Frontiers Main Ranch. Orientation and gear check. Optional day hike dependent on arrival time. 16 km (1 hour boatshuttle). 0-7 km (0-4mi). Overnight Tent Camp.

  • Day 2: Day hike Entrada to PF Main Ranch. ~12 km. (7 mi). Overnight Tent Camp.

  • Day 3: Begin multi-day guided backpacking in Soler and Cacho Valley. ~12 km. (7 mi.). Overnight Tent Camp.

  • Day 4: Trek to view Northern Patagonia Icefield. ~12-18 km. (7-11 mi.). Overnight Tent Camp.

  • Day 5: Return to PF Main Ranch. ~12-18 km. (7-11 mi.). Overnight Tent Camp.

  • Day 6: Leisurely morning at the ranch. Boat shuttle to Puerto Bertrand. Departure time dependent on transportation arrangements made by group. 16 km (1 hour boat shuttle)

*Itinerary is referential and subject to change.

3-Day Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Puerto Bertrand is your departure point for Patagonia Frontiers.  You board a boat and travel 16 kilometers (10 mi.) across two connected lakes to reach our dock and main ranch.  There are no roads here.  Once you’ve met your guides and staff and had a look around you’ll prepare for our trek up the Solér Valley, toward the icefield.

The long valleys, lush temperate forests and mountain peaks offer a wide variety of terrain in which to trek and it’s not uncommon to see soaring condors or even the elusive huemul, a small endangered deer that appears on the Chilean coat of arms.  The varied terrain means that you’ll be able to experience everything from craggy mountain trails to long, sandy beaches, and always with a backdrop of the majestic mountain panorama.

Tonight’s destination is situated on the banks of the Cacho River. This tent camp is located just beyond the intersection of two large valleys facing each other, across the Solér Valley floor.  This is one of our favorite spots and we always sense energy here, be it from the massive peaks, the open space, the flowing water, or the pristine landscape. There’s contentment here in an evening fire, while enjoying good company, and watching the horses graze against a slowly darkening backdrop that reveals southern stars above white, jagged peaks.

One-hour boat shuttle. Trekking distance is approximately 12 kilometers (7 mi.).

Day 2:  Mate and breakfast are served around a campfire as you watch the long, creeping approach of the morning’s sun slip down from the peak tops to the valley floor.  Today, you will hike and explore an untouched depth of wild Patagonia that is seldom revealed. 

If the day is clear your views will encompass the immediately surrounding peaks and glaciers, five and six thousand feet in elevation above you, as well as the awe-inspiring and formidable Northern Patagonia Icefield with Cerro Hyades standing firm at the head of the Cacho Valley.  The difference in elevation between the valley floor at the far end of our Cacho Ranch and the summit of this monumental peak is 10,000 feet!

Along the way is the old-growth forest of Coigüe, or Dombey’s beech, with its elegant branches and thick, lustrous evergreen leaves.  The large Magellanic woodpecker is frequently seen or heard here, with its resoundingly deep echo reverberating through the air as it searches for grubs in the ruin of aged trunks.  This is also home to the endangered huemul, or South Andean Deer, as well as predators such as the Geoffroy’s Cat, Patagonian Fox, and Puma.  Hidden in plain view, inconspicuous amongst the grandeur of the landscape, is a marble mountainside.

Weather, river levels,  and the group’s pace and energy will ultimately influence the furthest point of the trek. If conditions permit, it is possible to reach as far as the massive glacier’s edge before returning to the tent camp for the night.

Trekking distance may vary and is approximately 12-18 kilometers (7-11 mi.).

Day 3:  As the morning sunlight edges toward camp, you’ll sip yerba mate around a fire, and marvel as the light plays over the peaks of snow, ice and rock.  There’s plenty of time to take in the beauty before packing up camp, and heading back home down valley. Upon departing we will travel one of several routes back down the valley to the main ranch.

Take a walk in the pasture and share a moment with the horses, or simply relax as you prepare to say goodbye to the ranch before departing by boat to Puerto Bertrand. 

Trekking distance is approximately 12-16 kilometers (7-10 mi.). One hour boat ride.

6-Day Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Puerto Bertrand is your departure point for one-hour boat shuttle to Patagonia Frontiers. It is a tiny hamlet located at the headwaters of the Baker River, Chile’s largest volume river, a world-class fishery and the centerpiece of a dormant, yet contentious dam-building project by the SpanishEnergy Consortium, Endesa. From there you board a boat and travel 16 kilometers (10 mi.) across two connected lakes to reach our dock and main ranch.  There are no roads here. 

Once you’ve met your guides and staff and had a look around you’ll setup tent and we will do a gear check in preparation for the backpacking portion of the trip. Optional hike dependant on arrival time.

Day 2: After breakfast you depart taking a short boat shuttle to the start of the day’s hike. You will carry a daypack loaded with essential items. Today holds a spectacular segment of the trek. The route rises up intermittently forested slopes to a high shoulder overlooking the joining of waters between Lago Bertrand and Lago Plomo. These waters connect through a breach in the long, narrow moraine that forms a peninsula separating the two lakes. This short gap demarcates where the deep blue of Lago Bertrand abruptly changes to the jade green of Lago Plomo.

After the trail’s initial ascent, you will hike along rocky outcroppings, across high alpine valleys, and through enchanted forests of moss-covered beech trees. The glaciated peaks are at your shoulder and the waters of the lake are below your feet. Keep an eye skyward in search of an Andean condor with its distinctively broad wingspan. Near the lake’s end are spectacular views far up the Soler Valley to where the afternoon sun stands watch over the enormous expanse of the Patagonia Icefield summits.

Finish the day with a descent past a marble outcropping, sculpted by time and the elements, and walk across a forested pasture to the dock, boats, houses and barns of the main ranch.

Day 3-4: Awake to yerba mate and breakfast around a campfire as you watch the morning’s sun slip down from the peak tops to the valley floor. These days we will explore an untouched depth of wild Patagonia that is seldom revealed.

If the days are clear, your views will encompass the surrounding peaks and glaciers, five and six thousand feet in elevation above, and the awe-inspiring and formidable Northern Patagonia Icefield, with Cerro Hyades standing firm at the head of the Cacho Valley. The difference in elevation between the valley floor at the far end of our Cacho Ranch and the summit of this colossal peak is 10,000 feet!

Along the way is the old-growth forest of Coigüe, or Dombey’s beech, with its elegant branches and thick, lustrous evergreen leaves. The large Magellanic woodpecker is frequently seen or heard here, with its resoundingly deep echo reverberating through the air as it searches for grubs in the ruin of aged trunks. This is also home to the endangered huemul, or South Andean Deer, as well as predators such as Geoffroy’s Cat, Patagonian Fox, and Puma. Hidden in plain view, inconspicuous amongst the grandeur of the landscape, is a marble mountainside.

Weather, river levels, and the group’s pace and energy ultimately influence the furthest point of the trek. If conditions permit, it is possible to reach as far as the massive glacier’s edge before continuing towards the Soler Valley.

At night the long song of rumbling ice falls and murmuring tree branches gives way to the crackle of the campfire and early morning calls of the Chucao and Hued-Hued.

We will camp at various locations along the valley. Perhaps we will have an opportunity to pass by one of our neighbor’s homesteads, subsistence ranches deep in thewilderness, an enclave of human presence and friendly hospitality. Trekking distances will be approximately 12-18 km (7-11mi.). always sense energy here, be it from the massive peaks, the open space, the flowing water, or the pristine landscape. There’s contentment here in an evening fire while enjoying good company against a slowly darkening backdrop that reveals southern stars above white, jagged peaks.

Day 5: There’s plenty of time to take in the beauty before packing up camp and heading back home down valley. Upon departing, we will travel one of several routes back downthe valley to the main ranch.

Day 6: Breathe in the refreshing, cool morning air. Today you have the option for a relaxing morning at the ranch, taking a stroll along the beach, or through the orchards, gardens, and greenhouses before departing to Puerto Bertrand.

We hope that these sample itineraries highlight what these trips offer.  Ideally, each trip is best crafted by working together with our guests to best meet their needs. Each trip’s length, activity types, and skill level may be adapted to meet each party's goals and desires.

Whether you choose an established itinerary or create one of your own, our commitment is to accommodate your interests and to provide you with a thoroughly enjoyable, safe and memorable experience. We look forward to hosting you at our wilderness ranch home.

Other Sample Itineraries: