Puerto Mont to Punta Arenas

Between Pto Montt, Chaiten and Coyaique, I'm pretty sure that you can take small buses. I took one btw La Junta and Coyaique and to my understanding these were privately organized, with no regular schedule. But everyday there was one leaving, as Chilean also need to get transported.
From Coyaique I guess there should be something more regular as I heard that now it's entirely paved down to Pto Ingeniero Ibanez. From here there is a ferry to Chile Chico, 1-2 per day. At Chile Chico, there were some small buses waiting for passengers. These are also privately organized. It's there we met an Argentian guy who was looking to fill his minibus to El Chalten (via Los Antiguos in Argrentina where we spent the night).
From El Chalten, there're buses to El Calafate. We bought tickets via the hostels there. From El Calafate to go to Torres del Paine, we manage to organize a private transport shared with some other people. It looked quite easy to get this organized. The hostels again can do it for you. But it was the most expensive stretch. Actually we got 2 transports: one from Calafate to El Castillo in a big jeep and then a minibus to Torres del Paine.
From Torres del Paine, there is no problem to get a bus to Pto Natales and then to Pta Arenas.

This one-way bus trip takes 36 hours and costs about 90.00 US$.

www.busescruzdelsur.cl</a><BR><BR>Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.

thanks for the info
does anybody know the duration of these individual stretches and if it is possible to connect on the same day?

1) Puerto Montt - Punta Arenas: Bus via Bariloiche and along the coast, boring and very long
2) Puerto Montt - Bariloche, several posibilities, direct bus, boat tour, etc... and then Bariloche - El Chalten with a kind of tour bus with El Chalten travel
3) best option if you have enough time: Ouerto Montt - Chiloe and ferry to Chaiten. Then Chaiten to Cohaique by buses along the carretera austral. From Cohaique on to Villa O higgins and from there is a crossing to El Chalten(takes some time). One more posibilty is to go from Cohaique to Chile Chico and then cross to Argentina at Los Antiguos, but onward transport to Calafate or El Chalten is difficult if you don´t go along the coast again (Los Antiguos - Comodoro Rovadavia - Rio Gallegos - Calafate)

The combinations along the carretera austral are not always easy and you will need some time. The scenery is amazing and it is worth to take your time if you have it. Have a look at previous posts: Post 1
Post 2
Post 3
Post 4

there is a ferry from Montt to Chaiten, takes 10 hours. Wed, Friday, Sunday I believe. Also, you could fly Montt- Chaiten. From Chaiten by bus to Coyhaique, from Coyhaique to Cochrane, lateron to Villa O Higgins. With the Quetru cross lago O Higgins. You would need to walk a bit to reach Argentina. Connection via small boat and bus to El Chalten. From there Buses easy to El Calafate.

Careful with the ferry Ibanez to Chile Chico. Sometimes it is out of order, and the second ferry is used mainly for the Fachinal mine. THere are however buses from Coyhaique to Chile Chico now, or to Comodoro Rivadavia, from there as nahuel said a boring drive down the coast to R Gallegos then inland to El Calafate.