Patagonia, Chile - Part 3 - Cerro Castillo

Cerro Castillo

This area isn't well known, but is absolutely spectacular.  It's less than two hours from Coyhaique, so we ended up visiting it multiple times hiking and fishing.  At the end of our stay in the area, we backpacked for four days and 45 kilometers across the Cerro Castillo Reserve.

Cerro Castillo

Hiking above Laguna Cerro Castillo

Looking from Morro Rojo up the Ibanez Valley

Cerro Castillo Range

Cerro Palo - the next time I come to Patagonia, it will be to climb this peak

Day One: Horquetas Grande - Rio Turbio

Katie - Day One

Alex - More excited than Katie on Day One

Keri on Day One

Meadow at the start of our backpacking trek

The trek starts by following this river (also fun fishing!)

Barefoot backpacking

Crossing the creek was a little cold

Dandelion Katie

Looking towards our destination

It's all good as long as Fluffy stays dry

Katie cracking herself up

Peaks above Rio Turbio

Sunlight finally breaking through in the late afternoon

Day Two: Rio Turbio - Estero del Bosque

The trail and the weather got tougher

Alpine girls

Katie on reconnaissance

Wet log...no problem!

Old man in the mountains

Still smiling...barely

"I'm never getting up"

View from our campsite

Day Three: Estero del Bosque - Estero Parada

Dancing in the rain

Alex is never alone with Fluffy in his pack

Midway through day three, and Katie is a zombie

Keri dressed to match the laguna

Sun, rain, and wind...all at once

Hanging snowfield on Cerro Castillo

The last high pass to conquer

<insert your caption here>

Bella dama

Villa Cerro Castillo and on into Argentina

At the pass summit

Starting down into Estero Parada

Day 4 - Estero Parada - Villa Cerro Castillo

Purple...something...for breakfast

Still happy after four days of hiking...or happy it's over!

View from Villa Cerro Castillo

Next up...

The final part of our Patagonia posts will include Futaleufú and Cochamo Valley as we head back to Puerto Montt.