Grinfinch & Mathilde

Grinfinch & Mathilde.

Together we have bikepacked the spine of the Andes range by the less traveled tracks after we have hitchhiked the ancient Silk Road back and forth with barely much than a thumb.

Itinerary

Komoot collection

To plan those hikes, we only followed tracks we found on maps with no further documentation. To avoid the Tierra del Fuego National Park entrance, we improvised our way off track, hence the inaccuracy of some parts of the route. Dense forests, bogs, and steep faces made alternatives time consuming to explore. But those days of hiking were the first of our trip and very welcome. As we were hosted by the most generous man of Ushuaia in his humble and warm refuge in the mountain, we were quite close to the start and the end of each hike we reached by hitchhiking.

Location

Tierra del Fuego

Around Ushuaia
Season

Summer

January 2019
Duration

10 days

10 days hiking
Distance

158 km

158 km hiking
Elevation

5 890 m

From 0 m to 935 m
Surface

99% unpaved

14% off track
Tierra del Fuego National Park

Environment

Statistics

In southern Patagonia, the austral summer was quite rough still : the temperatures were cold, the precipitations were frequent and the west winds were fierce. The Tierra del Fuego National Park was wild, and with enough time and provisions, and a good sense of direction when straying from the path, exploration would be endless. There were numerous camp options with fire places along the route and even a few opened shelters. The track was quite faded though, and with poor visibility, the right way was sometimes hard to find. We often took the time to explore around the lakes, but there was no parts requiring more skills or equipment than sure footedness.

From -5°c to +15°c. Rainfalls & snowfalls almost everyday Very strong west winds

Equipment

Inventory

We were as light as we could, with very few spare clothes and food. This way, we weren’t independent and shared our equipment to have the least weight to bear. We had warm and waterproof camp and clothes though, and hiking boots to handle demanding terrain. We left behind all our equipment related to our bikes. Water from rivers and lakes was everywhere up there, even in the driest season, which we filtered because of the Giardia. Our food was put on rations, and we camped every night along the route, leaving no trace.

10 695 gr of equipment 8 165 gr of equipment when dressed 2 days of water & alcohol 4 days of food 4 days of battery

Story : first hike

The Camillo del Valle

Distance — 0 km Altitude — 235 m

The Encantada lake

Distance — 4,9 km Altitude — 555 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Encantada lake
Sat. 19 Jan. 19, day 51

The Témpanos lake, Argentina

Distance — 8,7 km Altitude — 710 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Témpanos lake
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Vinciguerra glacier

The Superior lake

Distance — 25,8 km Altitude — 655 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Superior lake
Sun. 20 Jan. 19, day 52

The Caminante lake, Argentina

Distance — 30,1 km Altitude — 610 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Caminante lake

The Oveja pass

Distance — 32,9 km Altitude — 820 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Oveja pass
Mon. 21 Jan. 19, day 53

The Pipo river, Argentina

Distance — 41,3 km Altitude — 80 m

The Guanaco summit

Distance — 68,1 km Altitude — 935 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Guanaco summit
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Darwin mountain
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The town of Ushuaia
Tue. 22 Jan. 19, day 54

The Negra lake, Argentina

Distance — 78,3 km Altitude — 30 m

The Lapataia bay

Distance — 81,6 km Altitude — 15 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The world southernmost postal office
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Lapataia bay
Wed. 23 Jan. 19, day 55

National Road 3, Argentina

Distance — 84,7 km Altitude — 25 m

Story : second hike

The National Road 3, Argentina

Distance — 0 km Altitude — 160 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Colorado & the Carbajal mountains
Fri. 25 Jan. 19, day 57

Along the Olivia river, Argentina

Distance — 16,5 km Altitude — 230 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Olivia river

The Valdivieso pass

Distance — 20,1 km Altitude — 610 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Valdivieso pass
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Mariposa lake

The Mariposa pass

Distance — 25,3 km Altitude — 875 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Mariposa pass
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Fagnano lake
Sat. 26 Jan. 19, day 58

The Azul fall, Argentina

Distance — 30 km Altitude — 315 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park

The Beban pass

Distance — 34,7 km Altitude — 805 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Beban pass
Tierra del Fuego National Park

The Esmeralda lake

Distance — 45,9 km Altitude — 410 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Esmeralda lake
Sun. 27 Jan. 19, day 59

The Bonete refuge, Argentina

Distance — 49,7 km Altitude — 330 m
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
The Bonete refuge
Mon. 28 Jan. 19, day 60

The National Road 3

Distance — 54 km Altitude — 250 m

Story : third hike

Ushuaia

Distance — 0 km Altitude — 250 m

The Martial Glacier

Distance — 4,8 km Altitude — 800 m
Tue. 29 Jan. 19, day 61

Ushuaia

Distance — 10,3 km Altitude — 280 m

The Medio summit

Distance — 14 km Altitude — 920 m
Wed. 30 Jan. 19, day 62

Ushuaia

Distance — 19,6 km Altitude — 95 m

Previously

Andean Traverse
Bikepacking
January 2019

Tierra del Fuego Great Island

Bikepacking around the southern end of the world. Lessons learned and second start northward.
Tierra del Fuego Great Island