Into the Unknown, Three Women Attempt Patagonia's Untouched Cerro Balmaceda ~ part 1

We set out to explore the possibility of putting down some first snowboard descents on various Patagonian peaks. Three girls, from different parts of the world (Canada, Argentina/Slovenia and Chile), all united by the same passion – snowboarding and mountain exploration.

The mission of undertaking Cerro Balmaceda was an ambitious attempt, combined with the harsh Patagonian weather – almost impossible. Through a variety of challenges, like permits, sickness, even injury – we came out stronger than ever, together as a team. It was a beautiful quest, we did snowboard Cerro Balmaceda, but unfortunately not from the tippy top summit, but around a 100 meter below. It took us 5 days total and a lot of work, a lot of bushwaking, and mostly finding the trail that isn’t known, because the mountain only had 4 ascents in the last 75 years.

What Makes an Expedition Successful?

Is it coming home alive and in one piece, or is it reaching the summit and completing your objective? My answer lies somewhere in between, to be completely honest with you. Snowboarding in a remote peak requires preparation, a lot of work, training and logistics. More than anything, it requires trust that things will flow smoothly and line up to maximize the chances of success.

Cerro Balmaceda is a beautiful mountain, very imposing if you’re standing in Puerto Natales. It was an obvious choice when making a list of objectives for this trip with Irie Smith and Isi Assler. We wanted to go explore the Patagonian mountains and what that meant to us, is choosing objectives that are rarely attempted, far away and hard to get to.

We arrived in Puerto Natales on Friday, September 7th 2025. A windswept desert full of basalt pebbles and jarilla bushes, surrounding a small puerto town, bordered by the Pacific Ocean.

Our objective was to snowboard the east face, and if successful, that would’ve been the first female descent. Third ski descent in general and probably one of ten ascents in the history of the mountain. It isn’t very difficult when put on the grand scale of the mountains of the world, per se. But it can be technical compared to other Patagonian skiable peaks. Its remoteness and the difficulty of the approach are what keep most people away. The top part has a challenging ocean of crevasses and overhanging fire that can slow you down but its not impossible. I thought it was an objective well within the experience of the group, but it would still be the place where we could push ourselves. A perfect match.

Echoes of the Past and Strong Bonds

Cerro Balmaceda held another meaning that went beyond our own climb. Its story was intertwined with ours in a way that felt destined. On November 8th, 1957, Marko’s grandfather, Ivan Arnšek, stood on its summit as the very first person to do so, etching his name into its history. Decades later, we found ourselves tracing his footsteps. I know it was special for Marko to be there, but it was also very special for me. Our grandfathers were very good friends, and three generations later, the bond between the two families is still there.

Irie, Isi and I connected through friends in the snowboarding community. Isi and I competed together in freeride events, but then truly connected out of the start gate, in the backcountry. Our group is honest, fun and there is no ego. I feel very blessed to call them my friends. 

Emotional Reunions in Puerto Natales

The reunion with the girls was ecstatic. We have been dreaming about a mission in Patagonia for so long! There was no shortage of tears and laughter when we got together. Months have passed since we last saw each other, each girl on her own continent. Living her own life, living her own ups and downs and there was a lot to catch up on! Everything and anything can change and each one of us lives a very dynamic life.

The Red Tape Nightmare

The permit process was something I wanted to get started on as soon as possible. From my experience climbing Torre Norte and Cuerno Principal (both also in Patagonia), the permits aren’t an easy task. Three of our four-person team aren’t from Chile, so that added an extra step to the process. We didn’t hear back from the government officials as fast as we were hoping to, whichto which started to slow things down. Without a permit, it’s not “encouraged” to go after an objective, but after a few days of calling, stressing and looking at the weather every 5 minutes, we started to consider that option. We exhausted every single resource we had. Calling friends, who would connect us to other friends, who could connect us to anyone in the administration office at Bernardo O’Higgins National Park. Nobody wanted to touch our case. The answer was always the same. “Ok, I will connect you with this guy, he can help you.” Until we got to the last guy that oversaw permits in the park that straight up told us; “Sorry girls, this isn’t a mission for you. It is a dangerous undertaking that requires mountaineering experience. You aren’t aware of what you’re about to experience on that mountain and it is a risk too high to take, for us to let you go up that peak.”

Can you imagine what that did to three wound up, tired and frustrated girls who wanted to climb a mountain? It pushed us over the limit.

It was a stressful few days. Because nothing seemed to be clicking and some members of the team were slowly starting to lose hope in our plan.

On Sunday we decided to say screw it. We are going up.

The public boat transportation that brings tourists to the bottom of the glacier was out of the plan. They dock right in front of the ranger’s office and it would be impossible to blend into the crowd of tourists with our 30 kg backpacks and skis/snowboards. We had to look for an alternative. It seemed like one problem disappeared and three more appeared in front of us.

A private boat charter was a good option, but expensive. But as soon as we started making calls, we also started to lose hope on that. One sentence, confirming we don’t have permits, quickly ended the call. Nobody wanted to take us up without a permit.

Rerouting: River Kayaks and Unpredictable Fjords

A friend of mine mentioned an option of kayaking down Rio Serrano, and ending at the base of Cerro Balmaceda, right where the river meets the ocean. I loved that option, but it added a whole new spin to the expedition. That way would take us at least 2 days, plus we then have to figure out how to return. With stable weather, that is not a problem, but this was Patagonia. Nothing is stable here.

Kayaking on rivers isn’t to be taken lightly. None of us were expert kayakers, so we had to be honest with ourselves about what we can take on. Apart from that, returning back to Natales on the unpredictable fjord with the storm coming right after our weather window wasn’t the best plan in the world. We decided to contact a local kayak guide, who would take us down the river. We met up with Angelo for dinner on Monday night. He would accompany us to the base of Cerro Balmaceda, and we would not have to worry about the water aspect of this expedition. I felt calm again… for the time being, anyway…

Journal Entry: September 9th 2025 – Puerto Natales

”The last few days haven’t been a big emotional rollercoaster. Yesterday’s 22 km hike to Base Torres was great for my soul, but maybe less for my body that needs rest. The full moon on September 7th was intense. Irie told us it was a chaotic full moon. Not in a bad way, but the kind of moon that flips everything around and stirs shit up. It is the time to let go of the outcomes and immerse ourselves with the process and this beautiful place we get to call home for a month. Puerto Natales is an incredible place. Then again, it’s not hard to impress me these days. A good mate, granite towers, good company and fresh air. I’m a happy girl. Today, some unexpected news entered my mailbox. We received a permit from the government. What does that mean? We need to decide; do we go to the local CONAF office or simply proceed with our plans?”

Isi and I decided to go to the CONAF office and ask for their blessing to climb Cerro Balmaceda. We explained our experience and showed them we were prepared for every aspect of the trip. They agreed to let us go.

Journal Entry: 9 am, September 10th – in the fjord approaching base of Cerro Balmaceda

“I woke up early after lying in bed all night. The night before a mission, I never sleep that well. I am always too excited to close my eyes. A slow morning quickly turned into a chaotic one, putting everyone in the cars with our endless kilos of gear. But by 8 am the catamaran from 21 de Mayo departed from Puerto Bories.”

Journal Entry 7.05 am, September 11th – Cerro Balmaceda base camp

“Dark clouds are hugging the mountain. I think I woke up too early. It’s very dark and a little discouraging. Strong winds rolled me in and out of my dreams all night long. Yesterday’s approach slowly killed our souls in 7 or 8 hours of bushwhacking and scrambling up the mountain. It was grueling, steep, and long. After navigating the ocean, climbing over rocks to avoid getting wet for the first couple kilometers on the coast before turning left and straight up into a Patagonian jungle. Patagonia is unforgiving. Raw. And to approach a big mountain that has no trail or marks of direction isn’t easy. My shoulders hurt from a 35 kg backpack. But my mind is clear.”

To be continue…

Words and Photos: Alenka Mali