Chile på langs hiking route logistics and geographical challenges AI-pedia

Chile på langs ("Chile lengthwise") is an informal name for walking the full length of Chile, normally from the border with Peru in the far north to the southern end of the South American mainland. The phrase is borrowed from Norwegian. In Norway, Norge på langs ("Norway lengthwise") is a well-known long-distance challenge from Lindesnes in the south to Nordkapp in the north. Chile is often compared with Norway because both countries are long and narrow, have mountainous borders with a single main neighbour, and have heavily indented fjord coastlines.

Chile på langs is not an official trail. No continuous, signposted route covers the whole country. The idea is a self-defined challenge, and people who discuss or attempt it must choose their own start, finish, rules and route. It is generally regarded as considerably harder than its Norwegian model. Chile is longer, and its climate runs from one of the driest deserts on Earth to some of the wettest temperate coastlines and largest ice fields outside the polar regions.

This article describes the geography a walker would face, the logistical problems of each region, the border and legal issues, the existing trails that cover parts of the distance, and the open questions about what counts as a "complete" traverse.

Origin of the term

The Norwegian expression på langs means "along the length of". It has been used for end-to-end journeys through Norway, especially on foot or on skis. A recurring point in the Norwegian tradition is that the most practical routes in the far north run partly through Sweden, and sometimes Finland, because the Swedish side of the border has easier terrain and established trails. This creates a debate between "purists", who want to stay inside Norway the whole way, and walkers who accept crossings into neighbouring countries.

The same debate applies to Chile in a sharper form. In several places the easiest or only practical overland route crosses into Argentina, and in one area the international border itself has not been fully defined. "Chile på langs" is therefore used both for the general idea of walking the country and, more narrowly, for the question of whether a strictly all-Chilean walk is possible.

Defining the route

Starting point

Most proposals start at the Peruvian border just north of Arica, Chile's northernmost city. The land border between Chile and Peru was set by the Treaty of Lima of 1929. The first official border marker near the coast is known as Hito 1.

The exact starting point carries a small border complication. Peru and Chile disagree about where the land border meets the sea. Chile holds that the border reaches the coast at Hito 1. Peru holds that it reaches the coast slightly further south, at a point called Concordia. The area between the two positions is a small triangle of land, often called the triángulo terrestre ("land triangle"). In 2014 the International Court of Justice ruled on the maritime boundary between the two countries, but the land triangle was not part of that ruling and is still disputed. In practice, a walker would usually start at or near Hito 1, or at Arica itself.

Some walkers prefer an inland start in the Altiplano (the high plateau of the Andes) near the point where Chile, Peru and Bolivia meet. This gives a high-altitude, mountain-based route from the beginning instead of a coastal desert route.

Finishing point

The choice of finishing point depends on how strictly the walker interprets "the length of Chile":

• Cape Froward (Cabo Froward), on the Brunswick Peninsula south-west of Punta Arenas, is the southernmost point of the South American mainland. It can be reached on foot from the end of the road south of Punta Arenas by a multi-day coastal trek with river and stream crossings. For a walker who refuses to cross salt water, it is the natural end.
• Punta Arenas is the largest city in the far south and the practical end of the road network on the mainland.
• Tierra del Fuego is a large island south of the Strait of Magellan, shared between Chile and Argentina. Reaching it requires a ferry or a boat crossing.
• Cape Horn, on Hornos Island, is the traditional southern landmark of the Americas. Reaching it requires a boat journey through islands and channels.

Walkers who stay on land the whole way can therefore end only on the mainland. Any finish further south involves water transport, and any finish at Cape Horn involves a long sea journey.

Rules and styles

Because no governing body exists, rules are a matter of personal choice. Commonly discussed variables include:

• whether crossing into Argentina (or briefly into Peru or Bolivia) is allowed;
• whether ferries are allowed across fjords, lakes and straits, or whether only human-powered crossings count (for example by packraft, a small inflatable boat light enough to carry in a backpack);
• whether road walking is acceptable, or whether the route should use trails and open country where possible;
• whether the walk must be continuous in one season, or may be completed in sections over several years;
• whether supply caches, support vehicles or motorised water deliveries are acceptable in the desert.

Overview of Chilean geography

Chile runs roughly from latitude 17.5° S to latitude 56° S, counting its outlying southern islands. The mainland is commonly said to measure around 4,300 km from north to south, while its average width is less than 200 km. The Andes form most of the eastern border. A lower coastal mountain range runs along much of the Pacific side. Between them, in the centre of the country, lies the Central Valley.

The country is usually divided into broad natural zones. From north to south they are:

Zone	Approximate extent	Main walking problems
Far North (Norte Grande)	Arica to around Copiapó	Extreme dryness, long distances between water sources, high altitude inland, intense sun, cold nights
Near North (Norte Chico)	Around Copiapó to around the Aconcagua valley	Semi-desert, scattered settlements, dry valleys separated by ridges
Central Chile	Santiago region to around the Biobío River	Fenced private land, agriculture, dense population and roads in the valley, high Andes to the east
South (Lake District)	Biobío to around Puerto Montt	Volcanoes, large lakes, east–west rivers, heavy rain, private and indigenous lands
Northern Patagonia (Aysén)	Puerto Montt to around Villa O'Higgins	Fjords, dense rainforest, very high rainfall, Northern Patagonian Ice Field, sparse roads
Southern Patagonia (Magallanes)	Southern Patagonian Ice Field to the Strait of Magellan	Ice field, fjords and channels with no road connection to the rest of Chile, strong winds

The north: Atacama Desert and Altiplano

Water

The Atacama Desert is widely described as the driest non-polar desert in the world. Some weather stations in its core have recorded rainfall so rare that they average almost nothing over long periods. For a walker, the central problem is water. Surface water is absent across large areas, and settlements along the coast and the Pan-American Highway (Ruta 5) can be separated by long stretches with no reliable source.

The usual solutions are:

• Water caches, meaning water left in advance at known points, usually placed by vehicle;
• Following roads, especially Ruta 5 and coastal roads, where roadside restaurants, mining traffic, police posts and small towns provide occasional resupply;
• Vehicle support, which many walkers consider a departure from self-sufficiency;
• Carrying very large loads of water between sources, which limits the distance that can be covered between resupplies.

Along parts of the coast a dense sea fog called camanchaca forms. It supports small patches of vegetation, and some communities have used fog-catching nets to collect drinking water. Fog does not provide a dependable supply for a passing walker.

Coastal desert versus Altiplano

A northern route can follow either the low coastal and central desert or the high Andes.

The low route mostly follows roads. It is hot by day, often cool at night, and has intense sunlight. It is relatively safe and well connected, but much of it means walking on the shoulder of a highway used by heavy trucks, including mining traffic.

The high route through the Altiplano and the Puna (the high, dry plateau and basin region of the central Andes) passes through areas such as Lauca National Park and the salt flats and volcanoes east of San Pedro de Atacama. Much of this ground lies between roughly 3,500 and 5,000 metres above sea level. Here the problems include altitude sickness, below-freezing nights, strong winds, very few settlements, and lakes and springs whose water may be salty or contain high levels of minerals such as arsenic. Further south along the border lies Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano on Earth at about 6,890 metres.

In the Altiplano, much of the yearly precipitation falls in the southern summer, roughly December to March. This is sometimes called the "Bolivian winter" or "Altiplanic winter". It brings thunderstorms, snow at altitude, and flooding of roads and dry riverbeds.

Other hazards in the north

• Former minefields. In the 1970s Chile laid anti-personnel and anti-tank mines in several border areas, including near the borders with Peru and Bolivia. Chile later joined the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines and carried out a long clearance programme. Chilean authorities reported completing this programme around 2020. Walkers in remote border areas are still generally advised to respect any remaining warning signs and to avoid unmarked tracks close to the border.
• Mining areas. Large copper and other mining operations occupy big areas of the north. Access to their land and roads may be restricted.
• Sun exposure. High altitude, clear air and reflective salt flats produce very strong ultraviolet radiation.

Central Chile

Central Chile, including the capital Santiago, holds most of the country's population. It has a Mediterranean-type climate, with dry summers and wet winters.

The main problem here is not wilderness but land access. Much of the Central Valley and the Andean foothills is private land: farms, vineyards, forestry plantations and large rural estates. These are often fenced and gated. Public rights of way of the kind found in some European countries are limited. Walkers commonly use roads, ask landowners for permission, or move up into the Andes, where traditional mule and horse tracks used by arrieros (livestock herders) lead between summer grazing areas.

The high Andes east of Santiago and further south are rugged and glaciated, with peaks above 5,000 and 6,000 metres in the north of this zone. Snow can block high passes well into the southern spring. In summer, central Chile has repeatedly suffered large wildfires, which can close areas and make air quality poor.

The south: the Lake District

South of the Biobío River the landscape becomes greener and wetter. The Lake District (Región de la Araucanía, Los Ríos and Los Lagos) contains many volcanoes, including some of the most active in South America, as well as large lakes and temperate rainforest. Several national parks in this area have established trails, such as those around volcanoes and lakes.

Problems in this zone include:

• Rivers that run east to west. Most rivers flow from the Andes to the Pacific, so a north–south walker must cross every one of them. Large rivers can be crossed only at bridges or by boat.
• Rainfall. Annual rainfall increases sharply southward and with altitude, and trails can become waterlogged.
• Volcanic activity. Eruptions occasionally close areas around active volcanoes.
• Land ownership. As in central Chile, private land, forestry plantations and Mapuche community lands affect where a walker may go. Permission and local knowledge are important.

Northern Patagonia: fjords and the Carretera Austral

The coastline breaks up

Near Puerto Montt the Central Valley ends and the coast breaks into islands, channels and fjords. South of this point the Chilean mainland is a maze of steep, forested peninsulas separated by deep inlets of the sea. The coastal side receives very high rainfall, in some places several metres per year.

The Carretera Austral

The main overland route through this region is the Carretera Austral (Southern Highway, Route 7). It runs south from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins, a distance usually given as about 1,200 km. It was built in stages from the 1970s onwards, and many sections remain unpaved. In its northern part the road is interrupted by water. Travellers use ferries, for example between Hornopirén and the Pumalín area, before reaching Chaitén.

For a walker who refuses ferries, the fjords north of Chaitén are a serious obstacle. Going around them on land means very steep, roadless, densely forested terrain, or crossing into Argentina to the east. Packrafts are one way to cross inlets and lakes without motorised transport, but crossing open fjords in a small inflatable boat carries real risks from wind, tidal currents and cold water.

The Northern Patagonian Ice Field

Further south, between roughly 46° and 47.5° S, lies the Northern Patagonian Ice Field, with an area of roughly 4,000 km². It is surrounded by outlet glaciers such as the San Rafael Glacier on its western side. The Carretera Austral passes to the east of it. A walker can therefore pass the ice field by road or valley routes without going onto the ice.

The end of the road

The Carretera Austral ends at Villa O'Higgins, near Lake O'Higgins (called Lake San Martín on the Argentine side). South of here the Chilean mainland has no road connection to the far south. A well-known crossing used by hikers and cyclists leads from Villa O'Higgins across Lake O'Higgins by boat, then on foot over the border near Laguna del Desierto to El Chaltén in Argentina. That route leaves Chile.

Southern Patagonia: the Southern Patagonian Ice Field

The ice barrier

Between roughly 48° and 51.5° S lies the Southern Patagonian Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Patagónico Sur). It covers about 12,000–13,000 km² and is often described as the largest continuous area of ice in the Southern Hemisphere outside Antarctica. It feeds many large glaciers, including the Pío XI Glacier on the Chilean side and the Perito Moreno Glacier on the Argentine side.

To the west of the ice field lies a complex system of fjords and islands that reaches the Pacific. To the east lies Argentina. A walker who will not cross salt water and will not enter Argentina has essentially one option: to travel along or across the ice field itself for a long distance. This is a mountaineering and polar-style expedition. It requires:

• glacier travel skills, including crevasse rescue;
• equipment for ice and snow, often including skis or snowshoes and sledges;
• the ability to cope with some of the strongest and most persistent winds on Earth, created by the westerly winds of the Southern Ocean;
• long periods of low visibility and storm;
• carrying all food and fuel for many days or weeks.

Expeditions have crossed and traversed the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, but these are serious undertakings and are not normally treated as hiking.

Alternatives

Practical alternatives for reaching southern Chile include:

• Through Argentina. Walkers and cyclists commonly cross to El Chaltén, travel south through Argentine Patagonia, and re-enter Chile near Puerto Natales or Torres del Paine.
• By sea. Ferries operate through the inner channels of southern Chile. Services have included routes connecting the Aysén region (for example Caleta Tortel or Puerto Yungay) with Puerto Natales, and longer routes from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales. Schedules and routes change, so they must be checked before any trip.
• By packraft or kayak. Some expeditions have travelled through the channels west of the ice field using small boats, which is a specialised sea-kayaking or packrafting challenge.

Magallanes and the finish

South of the ice field, in the Magallanes region, the land includes Torres del Paine National Park, the town of Puerto Natales, wide wind-swept steppe, and the city of Punta Arenas. Torres del Paine has popular, well-developed trails, but its campsites and refuges require advance booking in the main season, and walkers must keep to authorised routes.

From Punta Arenas a road runs south along the Strait of Magellan. Beyond its end, a coastal trek reaches Cape Froward. This trek involves beach walking, headlands that may be passable only at low tide, and river crossings that can be dangerous after rain.

Border and legal challenges

The Chile–Argentina border

The border between Chile and Argentina is one of the longest land borders in the world, commonly given as more than 5,000 km. For most of its length it follows the Andes, generally along the line of high peaks and water divides set out in the Boundary Treaty of 1881 and later arbitrations. Many disputes have been settled over the years. One example is the area around Laguna del Desierto, which was awarded to Argentina by an arbitration ruling in 1994.

The undefined section on the ice field

In 1998 Chile and Argentina signed an agreement on the border across the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. It fixed the line for much of the area but left one section, in the region between Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Murallón, to be defined after detailed joint mapping. As of the most recent widely available information, that section had not been finally demarcated. Maps from the two countries and from international publishers often show this area with a note that the border is not defined.

This has a direct consequence for a purist Chile på langs. In this part of the ice field no one can say with certainty whether a given point is in Chile or Argentina. A claim to have "never left Chile" cannot be fully verified there. A comparable situation exists in a small area of the border between Alaska and British Columbia, which is sometimes mentioned in similar discussions about end-to-end routes.

Border crossings and paperwork

Walkers who do cross into Argentina must use official border posts and carry valid travel documents. Some remote crossings are open only seasonally, and some are staffed only at certain hours. Crossing away from an official post is illegal and can lead to serious problems with the authorities of both countries.

When entering Chile, travellers pass through inspection by the Agricultural and Livestock Service (Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero, SAG). Chile strictly controls the import of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy products, seeds and some other foods to protect its agriculture. A walker re-entering Chile with food supplies must declare them and may have to give some of them up. This affects resupply planning near the border.

Permits for border areas and protected areas

Mountaineering expeditions to peaks on or near the international border usually require authorisation from Chile's Directorate of Borders and Boundaries (Dirección Nacional de Fronteras y Límites del Estado, DIFROL). A walker planning high routes along the Andean border may also need this authorisation.

Many national parks and reserves are managed by the National Forest Corporation (Corporación Nacional Forestal, CONAF), and others by private or non-governmental organisations. Some require registration, entry fees, or reservations for campsites. Some areas close in winter or during fire danger.

Existing trails and routes

No single trail covers the whole of Chile, but several routes and projects cover large parts of it.

Greater Patagonian Trail

The Greater Patagonian Trail (GPT) is a long-distance route network developed in the 2010s, mainly through the work of a small group of hikers who mapped and published it. It runs from the region south of Santiago through the Andes into Patagonia, with a main route and many variants that together total several thousand kilometres. It is mostly unmarked and uses a mixture of horse and livestock tracks, rough roads, cross-country sections and, in some variants, packraft sections on rivers and lakes.

The GPT crosses the Argentine border several times where the terrain, access or connections are easier on the Argentine side. It therefore does not meet a purist all-Chile rule. It is, however, the most developed route for long-distance walking in southern Chile, and it is often cited as the obvious basis for a pragmatic Chile på langs, in the same way that routes through Sweden are used in Norway.

Sendero de Chile

The Sendero de Chile (Chile Trail) was a national project started in the early 2000s to create a trail running the length of the country. It was planned to link many regions and protected areas. Only some sections were built or marked, and the project as a whole was not completed as a continuous route. Some of its segments remain in use as local trails.

Route of Parks of Patagonia

The Route of Parks of Patagonia (Ruta de los Parques de la Patagonia) is a tourism and conservation initiative linking 17 national parks between Puerto Montt and Cape Horn over a distance often given as about 2,800 km. It grew out of large land donations by Tompkins Conservation and the expansion of the Chilean national park system in 2017–2018. It is a route connecting parks by road, sea and trail, not a continuous walking trail. It does show how the southern parks could form the framework of a southern section.

Roads as routes

Ruta 5 (the Chilean part of the Pan-American Highway) and the Carretera Austral are the only continuous north–south lines through large parts of the country. Many long-distance travellers on foot or by bicycle use them because they provide water, food, shelter and safety. Their drawbacks are traffic, dust and the absence of the wilderness experience many walkers want.

Seasons and timing

The length of Chile makes it difficult to time a single continuous walk well:

• The Atacama lowlands can be walked in most months, but heat is greatest in summer.
• The Altiplano has summer storms (roughly December to March) and very cold, dry winters.
• The central and southern Andes have snow-blocked passes in winter and spring. They are most accessible from about December to April.
• Patagonia is generally attempted from about November to March, when days are long and temperatures are least severe. Wind is strong in all seasons, and rain is frequent all year on the western side.

A walker heading south would ideally pass the desert in the southern winter or spring and reach Patagonia in summer. Covering more than 4,000 km on foot usually takes many months, so a full walk in one season is very demanding. Many people who consider the project plan to complete it in sections over more than one year, or combine walking with cycling or other means of travel in some regions.

Resupply, communication and safety

• Resupply. Towns are fairly frequent in central and southern Chile, but there are long gaps in the far north and in Aysén and Magallanes. Small villages may have only basic shops with limited stock.
• Communication. Mobile phone coverage is good in cities and along main roads but absent in large remote areas. Satellite messengers or satellite phones are commonly carried for emergencies.
• Rescue. Search and rescue in remote Patagonia or on the ice fields can take a long time, and weather may prevent helicopter flights for days.
• Earthquakes and tsunamis. Chile is one of the most earthquake-active countries in the world. Coastal areas have tsunami evacuation signs and routes.
• Wildlife. Pumas live in many areas but rarely threaten people. Domestic dogs near farms and villages are a more common nuisance. Guanacos and other wild animals are generally harmless if left alone.
• Water quality. Apart from the mineral problems in the north, water in farming areas may be contaminated by livestock and should be treated.

Comparison with Norge på langs

Aspect	Norge på langs	Chile på langs
Typical walking distance	Roughly 2,500–3,000 km, depending on route	Well over 4,000 km in practice; no standard route
Main neighbouring country used for easier routes	Sweden (and sometimes Finland)	Argentina
Established trail network	Extensive marked trails and huts in many areas	Patchy; long unmarked sections
Public access	Strong legal right to roam (allemannsretten)	Much private land; no general right to roam
Climate range	Temperate to sub-Arctic	Extreme desert to wet temperate and glaciated
Main barrier to a purist route	Rough terrain in the far north	Southern Patagonian Ice Field, fjords, and an undefined border section

Debates and open questions

• Is a purist all-Chile walk possible? In principle a route staying in Chile could combine desert road walking, Andean tracks, fjord crossings by human-powered boat, and a long ice-field traverse. The ice-field section turns the walk into a technical expedition, and the undefined border means it can never be proved that the route stayed in Chile throughout.
• Do ferries count? Many walkers accept ferries where no land route exists, as is common practice on long trails worldwide. Others insist on continuous human-powered travel, which requires packrafting or kayaking.
• Which endpoints count? Arica or Hito 1 against an Altiplano tripoint start; and Punta Arenas, Cape Froward, Tierra del Fuego or Cape Horn as the finish. Each choice gives a different and differently defined challenge.
• Road walking or wilderness? A route mostly on Ruta 5 and the Carretera Austral is safer and easier to supply but very different from a trail or cross-country walk.
• Future development. The growth of the Greater Patagonian Trail, the expansion of national parks in Patagonia, and possible future extensions of the road network may change what is practical. Changes to ferry services and any future demarcation of the ice-field border would also affect the route.

See also

• Norge på langs
• Greater Patagonian Trail
• Sendero de Chile
• Route of Parks of Patagonia
• Carretera Austral
• Pan-American Highway
• Atacama Desert
• Altiplano
• Northern Patagonian Ice Field
• Southern Patagonian Ice Field
• Argentina–Chile border
• Chile–Peru border
• Cape Froward
• Tierra del Fuego
• Cape Horn
• Packrafting
• Thru-hiking