Enjoy ski touring in southern Patagonia and discover the pristine snow terrain in Cerro Castillo and El Chaltén on this 12-day program led by AAGM mountain guide Merlín.
Andes
1 Day
Aug - Oct
High
Intermediate
* Have a wonderful time ski touring in southern Patagonia.
* Discover the remote areas around Cerro Castillo and El Chaltén.
* Contemplate incredible views of the lakes, glaciers and peaks in the Andes.
Follow me on this 12-day adventure in Cerro Castillo and El Chaltén and enjoy ski touring in southern Patagonia.
Situated in the Aysén region of Chile, Cerro Castillo is a mountain in the Andes range and a wonderful destination to enjoy ski touring and backcountry skiing. The base for our runs in this area will be the new Cerro Castillo Refuge, in the small Cerro Castillo Village.
On a long but very scenic day of driving, we’ll cross the border from Cerro Castillo Village to El Chaltén, mostly through the famous “40 road”. In El Chaltén, in the Argentinean province of Santa Cruz, we can enjoy climbing and skiing while admiring incredible views of the surrounding peaks and glaciers.
The following are some of the skiing possibilities: Loma del Diablo, Cerro Vespignani, Cerro Crestón or Cerro Madsen. These are very remote and seldom visited places from where we can contemplate Fitz Roy and the surrounding glaciers.
For a more detailed description of each day's activities, take a look below. However, consider that this is only a guide. The itinerary might vary due to weather or snow conditions.
Please, keep in mind that it’s mandatory for this program to have ski touring experience and a very good level of fitness. To approach the skiing area, we’ll need to carry our skis with us.
So, does this ski touring adventure in southern Patagonia sound exciting? Then don’t hesitate to send the request and make your reservation for this trip. You won’t regret your choice!
Looking for a shorter program? Then check out this 4-day ski touring trip that I lead in El Chaltén.
- Accommodation included
- Guiding fee
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Transport during the trip
- Porters
Not included: flights, personal equipment, personal insurance, restaurant meals, drinks, tips, any service not specified.
On day 1, we’ll meet at Coyhaique Airport and drive to Cerro Castillo Village. We’ll have a brief on the lodge and check the equipment.
On our first day of skiing, we’ll drive to “Portezuelo Ibáñez” and explore different valleys. If the conditions are good, we’ll make 2-3 ski runs during the day.
Accommodation: Cerro Castillo Village.
On day 3, we’ll carry our personal equipment and the porters will
carry the camping equipment and food, to help us on the approach Camp Neozelandés in Cerro Castillo. This will take around 3-4 hs. Optional skiing in the afternoon.
There will be several ski options according to weather and snow conditions. We’ll enjoy a full day of skiing in Cerro Castillo.
Night in Camp Neozelandés.
On day 5, we’ll have the possibility to enjoy ski touring in the morning and then head back to Cerro Castillo Village in the afternoon.
Lodging at Cerro Castillo Village.
This will be a long day on the road. The route goes along the Buenos Aires Lake and then through the historical “40 Road”.
Driving time: 12-14hs.
Accommodation in El Chaltén.
Our morning will begin with a drive to Mosquito Creek and then we’ll hike carrying the skis to the starting point. We will enjoy skiing in “Loma del Diablo” (1,800 meters).
Vertical gain: 1200 meters.
Accommodation in El Chaltén.
We’ll drive to Lago del Desierto (1,5 hours) and hike to Laguna Huemul to approach the base of Huemul Glacier ( 1 to 1,5 hours). With our skins on, we’ll go to Cerro Vespignani (2,146 meters). This descent will be fantastic, with breathtaking views surrounding us.
Vertical gain: 1,500 meters.
Lodging at El Chaltén.
On this day, we’ll drive to “El Pilar” and start the approach to Fitz Roy Basecamp (3 hours). After setting
camp, we’ll carry our skis across steep rocky terrain to Laguna de los Tres. Then, we’ll cross a frozen lake and enjoy skiing in Glacier de los Tres, the closest you can get to Fitz Roy Mountain!
Night at Camp Poincenot.
After breakfast, we´ll return to Laguna de Los Tres, and skin up Cerro Madsen (1,806 meters), where we’ll get to see fantastic views of the Piedras Blancas Glacier. Back to the camp and hike back to El Chaltén.
Vertical Gain: 1,000 meters.
Farewell dinner with a good “Asado” (traditional barbecue).
Accommodation in El Chaltén.
Transfer to El Calafate Airport. End of the services.
More info
EQUIPMENT LIST:
NOTE: If you need to rent some of these items, please let us know in advance.
Meeting point
4.8
(62)
Mountain Guide
Certified UIAGM-IFMGA Mountain Guide from Argentina.
I live in El Chaltén since 1998. I'm originally from Bariloche and I started with mountain activities when I was 15 years old. I've done climbing and ascents in many mountains of Patagonia, Perú, Bolivia, United States and Europe; such as Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre, Alpamayo, El Capitán, Mont Blanc and Aconcagua among others. I'm also a Ski Instructor and I am passionate for backcountry ski.
I speak fluent English, Italian and French and have been leading trips and expeditions for more than 20 years. I work together with a group of guides, so if I'm not available for the trip you request, one of my colleagues will guide you!
Languages
Italian | French | English
Certificates
AAGM | UIAGM
Man
5
Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!
Maxine
5
Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.
Valeriya
5
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Joshua
5
We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.
Cami
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Patrick was a great guide. He took us on an intermediate Via Ferrata at Passo Sella. Renato was quick to respond with any outreach on the Explore-Share platform. The booking process was straightforward, and once Patrick was confirmed, all went well. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d highly recommend the platform.
4.8
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