A Tough Hazelnut to Crack – Torres del Avellanos

Ad·ven·ture (noun): an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity…

Maggie and I were heading into the mountains on a suggestion, a trip report translated from Spanish to English, and a low resolution screenshot of the route. We weren’t entirely sure what to expect, but we knew we were in for a big adventure…

***UPDATE JANUARY 2025***

I have heard that the road to access Torres del Avellanos has been closed off with a gate marked “Private Property”. Access from the north/Villa Cerro Castillo may be closed to the public. However, entering from the south by way of the Greater Patagonia Trail may be possible. If you’re using this blog as a guide to Torres del Avellanos, attempt at your own risk!

20 January 2023

Maggie and I packed up and hit the road towards the Avellanos (hazelnut) Mountains, just a 35 minute drive from Villa Cerro Castillo. Shortly turning off Ruta 7, we crossed a single lane suspension bridge. Our rental car was barely small enough to fit!

We drove past small farms, winding through the hills, and parked on the side of the road. The trip report we found online recommended only 4×4 vehicles beyond this point. With the scare we had nearly getting stuck in Cerro Castillo the day before, we didn’t want to risk it on these remote mountain roads. However, parking early obviously meant more hiking, or rather, road walking.

So we walked on the road, setting off with our backpacking gear around 11 am. Cliffs and stony peaks were scattered around, small previews of what was to come. The sun was blazing, and we were soon sweating profusely.

I asked Maggie how many people she thought we might see out on this hike, and I think we agreed a few, but not many. Shortly after, we rounded a bend and saw a pair of hikers in the distance walking towards us. We crossed paths with this Spanish speaking couple, although the man spoke some English, translating for his partner. “This hike… This is not easy an easy hike… three days…” Hmmm. Maggie and I had budgeted two days, accounting for the incoming inclement weather. That said, Maggie and I felt confident in our hiking abilities, especially after all of our trails on the PCT.

Between the late start and the burning heat, it didn’t take long for us to stop for lunch under a collection of old beech trees. The shade and the snacks were revitalizing. Road walking in full sun is not my idea of fun, but we were committed now.

After lunch, a little further down the road, we came upon a small booth to sign-in for the Torres del Avellanos hike. As we were finishing up, an old woman emerged from the farm house across the road. I don’t recall what we exchanged in broken Spanish, but I think she too said something along the lines of, “Three days”…

We had been steadily climbing for 5 miles, and now the road started up more steeply now. At least the trees were growing tall over the road, providing relief from the sun. The road was getting rougher and eventually we came to the first creek crossing. Shallow, but wide, we skipped across some rocks.

The road followed this creek up a narrow valley for the next five miles, crossing back and forth a couple more times. We crossed paths with a pair of young guys hiking out, seemingly stoked, but equally worn out from their adventure. We were starting to get some more nice views of the peaks all around, though the miles slogged on…

After nearly six hours on the road, we were starting to feel like we had gotten ourselves into more than we bargained for. At last, the introduction was over. We reached the trail junction around 5 pm and began descending down into the next valley through steady beech forest. The occasional peak peeked through the canopy.

We got to the bottom and crossed another stream. Following the trail was not straightforward. We would get lured by a seemingly worn down footpath, only for it to peter out into the bushes. Cow trails… We knew we just needed to continue following the stream south, and we tried some cross country travel for a bit. Progress was slow and confusing, so we searched for the trail.

Eventually, we passed through a small meadow and found the trail returning to the woods. A short distance through scraggly, lichen adorned trees, and we emerged at the mallín grande, the big meadow. Clouds had replaced the sun, and a cool, damp breeze blew across the clearing. Straight ahead to the south we could see the precipitous mountains we hoped to reach. Rarely have I felt I was in such a remote place on Earth. A feeling that you’re truly alone. No one is coming to help should you need it. And that only adds to the thrill.

We plodded across the meadow, weaving between a sizable herd of cows, then horses. It would seem this area was devoid of trees because the water flowing off the mountains produced a muddy estuary where the stream switched from flowing north to flowing south. Try as we might to avoid the sloppiest puddles, it was only a matter of time before our shoes were soaked with mucky soil. The upshot is that once your feet are wet, it doesn’t matter where you step!

The trees closed in on the south end of the big meadow. We crossed more streams and continued for a couple more miles through the woods to a tent site at an old cowboy camp.

As Maggie and I descended the last small slope, I saw a young man walking towards the camp 25 yards away. He noticed us and nearly jumped out of his skin! Hand on his heart, “Oh my gawd! I didn’t think anyone else was out here…” he said with an Australian accent. I had seen another party was ahead of us on the trail register, and we finally caught up to them. The Australian was accompanied by a Dutchman, both in their early 20s, and they had already set up camp here. They asked where we started, and we told them a few miles before the sign-in station. “Whoa, that’s like, 30 kilometers!” Indeed, we had hiked in 18 miles, and we were spent. Maggie and I set up our tent, made dinner, and got to bed. Daylight at 9 pm was no problem for our tired bodies.

21 January 2023

We awoke in the cowboy camp, a light drizzle tinkling on the tent. We took our food and stoves to the small shed to make breakfast. Our camp friends joined us and we all got to know each other a little better. The guys had been hitchhiking north through Patagonia, like so many travelers we had met. They gave us some recommendations for El Chaltén and the Torres del Paine trek, and we gave them some recommendation further north.

It was a dreary day. Fog obscured the peaks we were seeing the day before. Since the whole point of this silly adventure was to get a nice view of the mountains, we debated whether or not it was even worth it to continue hiking out. By the time we had packed up camp, it looked like there were periodic gaps in the clouds. We had made it this far, we would probably never return, so might as well push a little further to see what we find. We left the bulk of our gear in the shed, taking only fanny packs with some snacks and rain jackets.

Setting off, we again found ourselves in a maze of cow trails. The trail to the left looked promising, but it ended on a steep slope of loose dirt and small shrubs. I had had enough. I did not want to hike any further. This “trail” was ridiculous, we only had enough food for the hike out, and our view point was ensconced in the clouds.

Maggie and I had a discussion. She wanted to press on. I wanted to turn back. After several minutes at a standstill, I saw the light. You only live once, so we continued down the sketchy slope. Down by the roaring creek at the bottom, we found the trail again, thank goodness.

All that goes down must go up, so we trudged up the final valley through dense, lush forest. We hiked as fast as we could to cover ground, but more sketchy slopes and downed trees had other plans for us. The beech tress grew smaller and more closely packed, requiring us to turn our shoulders sideways to get through some spots.

Finally, a little over an hour after setting off, the trail met up with the nearby creek. Here we got a view of the towers over head, the mist tickling their summits.

The true terminus of this route was still another three miles up the valley. Going much further would probably mean camping out for another night, which we didn’t bring food for. There was no sign of the clouds clearing, so we decided to turn back here. There was a twinge of disappointment for ending early, but clearly we hadn’t prepared for the full magnitude of this trek.

Back at camp, we made lunch in the shed. A steady downpour began as we munched on our wraps, and we were happy to have shelter from the rain. Maggie and I packed up and began the long hike out. The rain ceased, saving us from many wet, sweaty miles in a rain jacket.

It was day one in reverse. Back through the big meadow. Back along the creek. Back up the hill to the road. Back over many monotonous miles of road walking. We hiked at a steady clip to get back to the car at a reasonable hour. We hardly took any photos on the way out, it was the same views just with less sunlight than the day before.

Despite the long day of hiking, 25 miles all said and done, we were in high spirits as we neared the car. A flock of Austral Parakeets squaked on a nearby tree a few miles from the end. Social and chattery, we channeled that parakeet energy for the last half hour of road walking.

We finished a little after 8 pm and decided to drive back to the campground we had stayed at in Villa Cerro Castillo. We checked in around 9 pm, set up the tent as the hanger was setting in, then made dinner in the refugio. It was a whole new crowd compared to our first night, that is to say, a bit rowdier. We silently exchanged exasperated looks over dinner. The noise was the last thing we needed after a huge day out in the mountains. Having hiked 60 miles in the last three days, we were exhausted. We retired to the tent, looking forward to a couple of easy days on the road.

For all the struggle we endured, this was an epic adventure. Often times when outings are hard, we look back on them more fondly. Type two fun. It was beautiful and novel and isolated. Perhaps someday we will return to finish our hike to the Torres del Avellanos.