ESSENTIALS / ESENCIALES

When > The best time to do this trek is between December and February, when the days are longer and temperatures higher.

Bring > Regardless of when you go, be prepared for cold, wind and snow. Thermal and waterproof clothing are a necessity and take additional food with you in case the trek takes longer than expected. And do bring a GPS and map. The GPS route tracker for the Dientes de Navarino route is marked with 38 waypoints and can be downloaded at an outdoor store in Puerto Williams. A detailed route description and map is available from Chile's Ministry of National Heritage.

Permits > There is no cost to hike Dientes de Navarino but you need to advise the police of your departure in Puerto Williams.

How to get there > From Punta Arenas you have two options. By air you can take a 35-minute flight with DAP (dapairline. com). Book in advance as their small planes fill up quickly. The luggage allowance is just 10 kgs, so to avoid paying additional weight charges stock up on food and gas in Puerto Williams. It's also possible to take a ferry with Transbordadora Austral Broom (www.tabsa.cl), which takes around 30 hours to get to Puerto Williams but is a beautiful journey through the Patagonian fjords and the Beagle Channel.

From Ushuaia there is a boat operated by Ushuaia Boating ( ushuaiaboating@ argentina. com.ar) that makes the crossing every day in about 30 minutes from December to February, weather permitting.