10
JUN/JUL 2018
ADVENTURE TRAVEL|
DIENTES DE NAVARINO TREK
BY JEFF BERT
“I LOOKED OUT MY WINDOW. I SAW
WHAT COULD ONLY BE DESCRIBED
AS THE MOST JAGGED, INCREDIBLE
MOUNTAIN RANGE I HAD
EVER WITNESSED”
“DOZENS OF MONSTER PINNACLES ROSE STRAIGHT FROM THE GROUND”
monster pinnacles rose straight from the ground. We made our way around the southeast
edge of the peaks and came to Paso los Dientes, a windy, cold, unprotected pass. After
crossing it, we continued our hike to Laguna Escondida, a lake hidden by the tallest of
the Dientes. We spent half an hour looking for a campsite sheltered from the 40 mile
per hour winds. Finally, we found our haven in a small group of trees. Once again, it was a
quick evening with dinner in our sleeping bags and we were out for the day.
We woke up on the third day to howling winds that shook our tents. We quickly made
breakfast and got on our way. The hike from Laguna Escondida to Laguna los Guanacos
was our longest day. We luckily had clear skies, so the beginning of our hike was filled
with magnificent views and a fast pace. We still had Paso Virginia, the highest point on
the trek, looming ahead. We passed numerous lakes and forests of beaver chewed wood.
Eventually, we made it to the bottom of Paso Virginia. We summited the long, rugged
alpine pass and saw our final campsite below. The trail ended, and we could only see a
steep scree slope below. We had to ski down on our feet with heavy packs on. We made
our way down in minutes. We made camp, and slept our last night in the Patagonian
Andes.
After a slow morning, we made our way down to the road back towards Puerto Williams.
We got a ride from an officer from the Chilean Navy, and soon we were back in town. We
cruised back to where we had begun this adventure, and I thought of the spectacular
journey we had just completed. We have been to New Zealand and all over the Pacific
Northwest for backpacking, and now here we were, 7,284 miles from home, to see the
most incredible mountains of Chile. Our family’s Patagonia trip will be one to remember.
As our plane touched down in Puerto Williams, Chile, I looked out my window. I saw what
could only be described as the most jagged, incredible mountain range I had ever wit-
nessed. These were the Dientes de Navarino, the teeth of Navarino Island. For four days,
my family and I were going to hike around the most southern hike in the world.
After grabbing our backpacks from the small wooden airport, we began our walk into
town for lunch and fuel for the trip. After an hour on a dusty dirt road and a van ride from
a hostel owner, we made it into the small town. With only 2,500 residents, we had trouble
getting fuel, but we found a few cans, and were on our way.
Our 53 kilometer trek began with a dirt road out of town. Soon, we made it to the
trailhead. The trail began by winding up a steep hill called Cerro Bandera with a waving
Chilean flag at the top. After passing the flag, we followed cairns and minimal trail mark-
ers along the side of a ridge towards our first nights campsite. We experienced rain, sleet,
snow, and heavy winds as we kept hiking towards Laguna Salto. Finally, we made it. My
sister Heidi and I began to set up our tent. By the time we were done, it had snowed 3
inches. We got into our sleeping bags, ate our dehydrated meals and went to sleep.
The next morning, we woke up late, packed our gear and got back on the trail. Along the
edge of the lake, we met two guys from Germany. After we chatted for a bit, we followed
the extremely steep trail up a high alpine pass. As we crested the top, we could see
why the Dientes de Navarino capture outdoor enthusiasts across the world. Dozens of
11