SLOGGETT BAY

Day 1: Moat to Casa Vieja

• DISTANCE: 16 KM
• ELEVATION GAIN/LOSS: +170M / -170 M

We will leave Ushuaia early in the morning. After a three-and-a-half-hour drive, we will start the expedition at the end of Route J, at the Moat outpost of the Argentine Naval Prefecture. We will alternate between walking along the coast, forests, and grasslands, but always next to the Beagle Channel, which opens its way to the Atlantic. Approximately two hours after starting the walk, we will ford the Chico River.

Day 2: Casa Vieja – Puesto Ibarra

• DISTANCE: 9 KM
• ELEVATION GAIN/LOSS: +410M/-390 M

From Casa Vieja we begin to ascend through the grasslands to a high path, from where we will later have a view of Cape San Pío and its homonymous lighthouse. This point represents the southern end of the Argentine Republic. If the weather conditions are favorable, we will approach the lighthouse.

Later we descend to the beach until we reach the Río de las Vacas, which we must ford. On the famous «matacaballos» descent, the terrain becomes muddy and somewhat slippery. However, that challenge to our balance is forgotten in the face of the panorama we have when looking towards the coast through the recurring balconies.

We camp in the vicinity of the Ibarra outpost, whose owner, the gaucho Luis Andrade, may be in the place to receive us.

Day 3: Puesto Ibarra – Rancho Julián

• DISTANCE: 15 KM
• ELEVATION GAIN/LOSS: +230 M/-255 M

Again we descend to the beach and sometimes climb the forest when the tides are unfavorable to us. We walk along the flank of the Carpa hill and later rest at El Orero ranch, formerly occupied by Ramón Orellana, who spent long years of his life searching for the precious metal. From that point we can appreciate the Nashachata sailboat, motionless on the rocks, which was shipwrecked in 2010.

On the beach of Sloggett Bay, we spend some time near the immense gold dredge next to the López River, used in 1907.

We continue along the coast, passing through the ruins of the old Estancia Remolino, where we can still see the remains of the old sheepfolds. We end the day in the vicinity of the Rancho Julián, where we will camp.

Day 4: Sloggett Bay

We take a day off to rest and explore the surroundings of Sloggett Bay.

During low tide, we can visit the Nashachata shipwreck. We spend the night near the Playa Ranch.

Day 5: Sloggett Bay – Puerto Ibarra

• DISTANCE: 14 KM
• ELEVATION GAIN/LOSS: +230 M/-230 M

Having made the same way back, our eyes are more attentive to other details that we did not perceive before.

At the end of this day we camp in the vicinity of the Ibarra outpost.

Day 6: Puesto Ibarra – La Mesita

Distance: 15 KM Elevation gain/loss: +400 m / -400 m

We once again see the iconic San Pío lighthouse from above and pass by Casa Vieja again. However, our shelter for the night is a site sheltered by a forest, known as La Mesita, very close to an archaeological site of the Yaganes, the canoeists who inhabited the coasts from the Beagle Channel to Cape Horn.

Day 7: La Mesita – Moat

• Distance: 10km
• Elevation gain/loss: +150 m / -150 m

The last day of the expedition serves as a time to reflect on the journey and share stories. The nostalgia of the end of the adventure mixes with the happiness of having shared unique and intense moments, and of having experienced a true disconnection from society.