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In Two Places at Once: Walking from Villa O’Higgins, Chile to El Chaltén, Argentina

06/27/2016 by Kristin Addis 27 Comments

Quick note: This post should have come before the last one but due to some internet issues with uploading the photos, I had to flip flop them. Back to the chronological order, guys!

After a couple of gorgeous weeks hitchhiking along the Carretera Austral in Chile, it was time to bring my time along the Ruta 7 to an end.

Though the accommodation was basic, the WiFi barely worked, the ability to speak Spanish was a basic necessity, and the gravel road meant hours of traveling to go even short distances, there’s a special quality about this part of Chile that doesn’t exist elsewhere.

The people are humble, open, and curious. The landscape is unmatched in its rugged beauty, and the remoteness and desolateness of it all meant a truly off the beaten path experience that most foreigners don’t get to have in Patagonia (though if you read the rest of my posts on the subject I tell you how!)

It takes someone intrepid and in the know, and that’s what I liked the most about it.

How to Walk from Villa O'Higgins to El Chaltén
Such a gorgeous place

Villa O’Higgins

The town of Villa O’Higgins, named after General Bernardo O’Higgins who lead Chile’s independence movement from Spain, is a sleepy, incredibly peaceful little town at the end of the Carretera Austral. From here, most people either take a boat onwards to Candelario Mansilla, truly one of the most remote parts of South America, or turn back several hundred kilometers towards Chile Chico in order to cross into Argentina.

There’s no way to take a car any further, but since Steve and I were just on foot, we elected to do a couple of day hikes in Villa O’Higgins, simply because it was such a pleasant place to be, and then hoof it onwards.

How to Walk from Villa O'Higgins to El Chaltén
It’s the end of the road!

There I experienced my first parilla (BBQ) when a couple of locals whom we’d met at a sunset spot invited us to join, speaking Spanish very slowly for me so that I could understand. It was a really nice way to finish off the adventure that was the Carretera Austral, full of hitchhiking adventures and gauchos.

The boat and O’Higgins Glacier

A boat runs from the town of Villa O’Higgins to Candelario Mansilla, a small farm at the edge of the Lago O’Higgins, a few days per week. It costs roughly $100 to take the transport and also to stop at the glacier. Since this is such a remote part of South America, it’s a rare chance to be on a boat that visits a glacier and isn’t positively packed with tourists.

How to Walk from Villa O'Higgins to El Chaltén
Looooove
How to Walk from Villa O'Higgins to El Chaltén
Such a gorgeous glacier over a gorgeous green (yes, green!) lake

Plus, as a bonus, you get a glass of whiskey with some 10,000-year-old glacial ice inside. Who doesn’t love that?

How to Walk from Villa O'Higgins to El Chaltén
I can dig it

The boat takes a few hours in total before docking at the Candelario Mansilla farm which doubles as a campground and guesthouse. This is where you can make a deal with the local gaucho to have his horses take your bags onward the next day. The only catch is, this is all dependent on him actually being there and wanting to have his horses work that day.

I didn’t get so lucky.

He came in around dusk as we were eating dinner (by the way, definitely get the dinner at the farm, it’s so good and cheap!) and said that the horses wouldn’t be available. My heart sank. I had a 70L backpack full of all of the things I had taken to Finland and Austria with me, plus an additional 10 kilos or so of tech equipment. I figured altogether it was probably about 20 kilos (like, almost 45 pounds guys). I didn’t think there was any way that I could carry that the 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) all the way into Argentina.

For 10,000 CLP, he offered to take the bags partway in his car. That would leave 6 kilometers left to carry the bags. With no real choice in the matter, I simply had to do it (but I really didn’t want to!)

How to Walk from Villa O'Higgins to El Chaltén
Sitting at the Candelario Mansilla, the edge of Chile

No-Man’s Land

I awoke early the next morning, left my big bag in the barn for the gaucho to take it in his Jeep, and got to walking with the morning sun and dew still on the leaves. In about ten minutes I was at the border post to leave Chile. I still remember the words inscribed across the entrance as I walked in:

“Though grave is my loneliness, stronger is my devotion to my country,”

(or something like that, given my rough Spanish abilities).

This is the most remote border post in Chile, but an important one as it’s an area that has been disputed in the past between Chile and Argentina. Word on the street is that the residents at the farm and Villa O’Higgins are not only honored for being willing to live in such a remote area, but are given a monetary incentive to do so.

Though it was absolutely gorgeous, you could not pay me to live at the end of the world.

The hike thereafter can only be described as a trek through no-man’s land. It’s neither Chile nor Argentina. It’s like being in two places at once, literally.

How to Walk from Villa O'Higgins to El Chaltén
Patriotic trees

At some point the trees that bear Chilean flags come to an end, and there’s a sign welcoming you to Argentina. That’s where we ended up meeting the Jeep to pick up the bags for the onward journey.

How to Walk from Villa O'Higgins to El Chaltén
The end of no-man’s land

Unfortunately for me, what lay ahead was the forested part of the trail. Before it had been a gravel road but it made way for a lot of ups and downs, tree roots on the narrow trail, and lots of super dense mud.

Imagine lugging 20 kilos on your back and front through calf-deep mud and trying not to fall on your face. That was a real challenge, and after a few much-needed periodic breaks, I can’t tell you how excited I was to finally see the Fitzroy.

Entering Argentina

This is a unique view of the Fitzroy as it’s a view from the back, totally different to the iconic view that you see on the Patagonia brand labels and post cards, and from the town of El Chaltén. There’s even a small campground at the border patrol station, right on the lake.

How to Walk from Villa O'Higgins to El Chaltén
Such a cool view of the Fitzroy

Some people trek an additional 15km around the lake to get to a bus that can take them to El Chaltén, but by then, I was happy to fork over the $20 for the boat across the lake. This is a truly outrageous price all things considered, but I was also outrageously tired by then.

From there it was a hitchhike into El Chaltén, where I’d take on the Huemul Circuit, the most difficult hike I’ve ever attempted.

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About Kristin Addis

Kristin Addis is the founder and CEO of Be My Travel Muse, a resource for female travelers all around the world since 2012. She's traveled solo to over 65 countries and has brought over 150 women on her all-female adventure tours from Botswana to the Alaskan tundra.

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Comments

  1. Ijana says

    06/27/2016 at 6:34 pm

    This just sounds like an amazing trip! You make me want to go there right now! Maybe not right now, but I definitely plan on doing so within the next few years. I love love love reading about the places you go because you go places that are super awesome, often involve nature, and that often most people have never even heard of.

    Reply
  2. Stephanie Be says

    06/28/2016 at 10:17 am

    These photos are stunning, and so inspiring! I love this trip.

    Reply
  3. Sonja Riemenschneider says

    06/28/2016 at 11:53 am

    Holy crap, girl! Major kudos, that is so intense. But that view of Fitz Roy, I bet that made it all worth it.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      06/28/2016 at 12:04 pm

      Plus it was the only way to get there so it was a literal must-do! definitely a really cool way to come back into Argentina 🙂

      Reply
  4. Ian says

    06/30/2016 at 4:02 pm

    That is one of the more unique border crossings I’ve ever heard about … might have to try it someday!

    Reply
  5. Alyssa says

    07/05/2016 at 11:21 pm

    Thanks for sharing! I’ve wanted to visit the region for so long. That whiskey with glacier ice seals the deal. So spectacular!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      07/06/2016 at 5:32 am

      In some places they offer pisco sour with glacier ice too!

      Reply
  6. Naga says

    07/27/2016 at 10:07 am

    Hi Kristin, Beautiful post. I have been planning since early this year and doing it this mid November. I sent emails to the organizers of this hike but haven’t got any reply if there will be a boat from Higgins in Nov 3rd week. Did you not book the entire trip that includes all the ferries, bus, room?
    I am so eager to do this more than anything in my south america trip 🙂

    Cheers

    Naga

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      07/28/2016 at 8:50 am

      Hi Naga. No I just showed up and did everything in person. I don’t know who you emailed but keep in mind these guys at the farm don’t have internet so I don’t even know if it’s possible to do it all ahead of time. I’d suggest bypassing the tour and doing it independently. That’s almost always the better way

      Reply
      • Naga says

        09/24/2016 at 11:20 am

        Hi Kristin,

        I checked the villaohiggins website and they updated the dates for the tour this summer Nov to March. Even today I don’t get any response from them though I sent emails and called the numbers. The total cost of the trip is 140 USD and am planning to do the same way as you without horses but just trekking with my backpack, hopefully it will be lighter :). Probably I will just turn up like you to take the boat and hitchhike to El Chalten. My South America trip will be the most adventurous trip for me and am eagerly waiting for November.

        Reply
        • Kristin says

          09/25/2016 at 4:10 am

          Yeah, good luck getting a response. The internet is slow there and if it’s the people at the farm, they definitely don’t have internet. This is one of the most remote parts of South America so leave some wiggle room in your plans, turn up, and hope for the best. The price sounds right if you’re stopping by the glacier.

          Reply
  7. Nilla Palmer says

    08/19/2016 at 1:14 pm

    Spent 10 months backpacking through SA back in 2011 – your post brought back many excellent memories, thanks!

    Although didn’t get to Higgins, the amazing Perito Moreno Glacier was incredible and I would return in a heartbeat 🙂

    Reply
  8. Lucas says

    10/26/2016 at 7:17 pm

    What brand of whiskey is it?

    Reply
  9. NCwildgirl says

    12/26/2016 at 2:16 pm

    How long did it take you to do this trek? A day? I’m loving your website BTW. I just booked a very last minute trip to Patagonia, like I leave in a week! and you are helping me figure things out. I would love to hitch down from bariloche area to o’higgins on the Carretera but only have about a week to do that part. PLus I will be alone. Do you think its worth it?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      12/28/2016 at 10:01 am

      I’m glad you’ve found it helpful! It took a day to boat to the farm, then another day to hike from the farm to the lake where we took a boat across instead of walking another 14km or so. From there we could have caught a bus onwards to El Chalten but it was full, so we had to camp for the night there. The fastest you could do is in two days boating from O’Higgins to the farm and then onwards from there on foot.

      If you only have a week definitely don’t try to hitchhike the whole way! It took me two weeks just from Chaiten to O’Higgins. Here’s an itinerary guide that might help: https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/patagonia-itinerary/

      Reply
  10. Bob says

    01/10/2017 at 4:18 pm

    Great trip report!

    Did you need Argentinian pesos at all during the crossing? In particular, the last boat across the lake in Argentina… ? Or did they take Chilean pesos?

    Looks like the first place to get Argentinian pesos would be in El Chalten, correct?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      01/11/2017 at 12:57 pm

      You should get some beforehand because you’ll need to pay for the bus to get from the other side of the lake to El Chalten itself. Plus, you never know if the ATMs are working or have cash, so going in empty handed could be a bad call.

      Reply
      • Bob says

        01/13/2017 at 12:59 pm

        What currency did you use to pay for the boat across the lake?

        We’re coming down the CA on bikes without hitting Argentina until this point, so finding Argentinian pesos before El Chalten might be tough.

        Thanks for the info.

        Reply
        • Kristin says

          01/13/2017 at 2:22 pm

          Chilean Pesos for the first lake from Via O’Higgins because you are still in Chile and Pesos for the second one though that’s bikeable and getting to town is also bikeable if you’re happy to keep going.

          Reply
          • Kristin says

            01/13/2017 at 2:22 pm

            To clarify, bikeable with a bicycle not a motorcycle.

  11. asha says

    03/20/2017 at 7:02 pm

    Hi, do you know if it is fairly easy to go the other direction, from argentina to chile? Onn the chilean side, is bujng or hitching quite easy?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      03/23/2017 at 1:10 am

      Yes you can do the reverse.

      Reply
  12. Dora Czegledi says

    12/29/2017 at 1:25 pm

    Hi,

    …and where did you get stamp in your passport??

    I am in Patagonia now and I am lookng for nice places. 🙂

    Thanks,
    Dóra

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      12/29/2017 at 1:54 pm

      They stamped me out just after the farm in Chile and then right when I got to the next lake in Argentina

      Reply
  13. Patrick says

    05/14/2022 at 11:54 am

    So how can I book the guesthouse at The farm at Candalario Mancilla? Wife and I are trekking but want to carry a light load. We don’t want to carry a tent and sleeping bag

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      05/19/2022 at 10:38 am

      We had to just show up.

      Reply

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