01
Tortel · arrive
Travel from Coyhaique; first dinner together; gear check at quayside.
↳ Sea · 12m elev.
North Reach
Apply for a place
— Chapter I —
−51.04°S 73.50°W
Crossing №14 · Patagonia · December → April
The great
southern
reach.
Twenty-two days through the Aysén ice cap and the Andes, on foot and by skiff. Twelve travellers, three guides. We move slowly, listen carefully, and write the day in a small black book at the end of every camp.
22days on the move
240kmdistance
12travellers
3guides
— Chapter II —
briefing
— The Brief —
A slow crossing,
kept by hand.
North Reach is not a tour. It is a slow expedition through one of the harder corners of the southern hemisphere, undertaken by twelve travellers and three guides who walk together for twenty-two days from the Aysén fjords to the Torres del Paine.
We carry our food. We carry our shelter. We do not use helicopters, snowmobiles, satellite phones for routing, or motorised transport between camps. The pace is two days slower than it strictly needs to be, because a crossing rushed is a crossing forgotten.
We've run this same crossing fourteen times since 2008. The route changes, season to season, with the ice; the rhythm does not. Below is the present plan for crossing №14, departing 2 December 2026.
— Chapter III —
240 km · 22 days
— The Route —
From the fjord
to the towers.
— Chapter IV —
22 days
— Day-by-day —
Twenty-two
days, in short.
An overview. We're happy to send the full leg-by-leg notebook on application, including refusal-of-permission terms and altitude/load tables.
02
Río Bravo
Skiff to the river mouth; first 14 km walk into the Bravo valley.
↳ 14km · +320m
03
Ventisquero
Approach the southern ice cap; lateral moraine bivouac.
↳ 17km · +540m
04
Glacier camp
Crampon day on the cap; weather hold likely.
↳ 9km · +780m
05
Off the ice
Descend onto Lago Cochrane; resupply camp.
↳ 12km · −620m
06–07
Cochrane rest
Two-day rest. Fishing, drying, written reflections.
↳ rest · 220m
08
Las Horquetas
Walk into the Reserva Cerro Castillo by the southern route.
↳ 18km · +860m
09
Cerro Castillo
Above the timberline; meadow camp under the peaks.
↳ 11km · +420m
10–11
Castillo crossing
Pass at 1480m; long descent into Río Ibáñez.
↳ 22km · −910m
12–13
Tres Pasos
Two days at an estancia, asado evening, gear repair.
↳ rest · 480m
14–17
Río Serrano
Four-day descent along the Serrano corridor; daily 18-20 km.
↳ 76km · −540m
18–22
Paine
Final five days in the Paine massif; the Towers on the morning of day 22.
↳ 48km · +1240m
— Chapter V —
a word from the trail
"Twenty-two days are not enough for the country we walked through. They are exactly the right number for the people we walked through it with."
— Notebook entry, 23 December 2024 —K. Bergh · Traveller, Crossing N° 13
— Chapter VI —
what we carry
— The Kit —
What goes
in the pack.
A short list of what we provide and what you bring. The full gear list goes out with the contract, six weeks before departure.
Hilleberg Akto tents
One-person tents per traveller. We pitch them in pairs on the camps.
↳ provided
Western Mountaineering bags
−9°C goose-down, dry-stuff bagged. Yours to keep on completion.
↳ provided
Hot food, three a day
Camp kitchen, fresh resupplies; one cook per leg. No freeze-dried.
↳ provided
Crampons & ice axe
Petzl Vasak / Sum'tec. Demonstration on day one, used on day four.
↳ provided
Camera body
You bring your own. Spare batteries get cold; pack them inside your jacket.
↳ you bring
Trekking poles
Adjustable, carbon, snow-baskets. Yours.
↳ you bring
The notebook
We give you a small black Moleskine on day one and ask for it back to read on the last evening, then return it.
↳ provided
Patience
You bring this too. Twenty-two days are not always pleasant. They are always worth the time.
↳ you bring
— Chapter VII —
2026 · 2027
— Departures —
Five crossings,
twelve places each.
Crossings run from December to April. Twelve places per crossing; three guides; you walk in pairs through every leg.
Date
Crossing
Places
Price (USD)
02 Dec '26
Crossing N° 14↳ Caleta Tortel → Torres del Paine
● 4 of 12 left
$9,800
14 Jan '27
Crossing N° 15↳ Same route, midsummer light
● 8 of 12 left
$9,800
22 Feb '27
Crossing N° 16↳ Late summer, dry ice cap
● 12 of 12 left
$9,800
15 Mar '27
Crossing N° 17↳ Autumn light, cooler nights
● 11 of 12 left
$10,200
02 Apr '27
Crossing N° 18↳ Closing of the season, hardest weather
▲ waitlist only
$10,400
— Chapter VIII —
apply for a place
— Application —
If you would
like to come
with us.
Applications are read by hand. We answer every one within ten days. We reserve the right to refuse on the grounds of fitness, expectation, or because the trip is simply full. You should be a confident hiker; technical skill is not required, but stamina is.
Office
Punta Arenas · MagallanesCasilla 27, Calle Errazuriz 412Telephone
+56 61 222 4416Mon – FriCorrespondence
office@northreach.clField office
Caleta Tortelopen Nov → AprA closer look / North Reach
A slower way into the wild.
Talk through the route, your walking experience and the kit you already own.
Choose your crossingBefore you set out
The details that make a journey feel easy.
Choose your experience
Find the setting, route or style of stay that fits the way you like to travel.
Make room for the details
Discuss dates, access, luggage and the small preferences that shape a comfortable trip.
Arrive prepared
Confirm the meeting point, inclusions and any changes before you leave home.
Good to knowA few things
A few things
you might ask.
How do I check availability?
Share your preferred dates and any flexibility. Availability and pricing should be confirmed directly before travel is arranged.
Can you accommodate specific access needs?
Describe your requirements before booking so suitability, transport and facilities can be checked for your particular visit.
What should I confirm before booking?
Check the inclusions, payment terms, cancellation policy and any weather-dependent arrangements with the provider.
The next step
Choose your crossing.
Talk through the route, your walking experience and the kit you already own.