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Trekking in the Torres del Paine |
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This
is the most visited route in the Torres del
Paine, giving you the chance to visit the
three main valleys, walking six hours daily
on average, staying overnight in campsites
and cozy mountain refuges. We will visit
glaciers, pass through southern beech
forests and enjoy impressive views of the
famous Torres. This route invites you to
live a unique experience at the boundaries
of the world.
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Sample Itinerary
Day 1
(Friday) We recommend you take
the early flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas (4 hours),
flying over the Andes and observing incredible views of the
Patagonian Ice Fields. Upon your arrival in Punta Arenas,
the most southern city on the continent, a private transfer
will be waiting to take you to Puerto Natales. (Chile Nativo
will offer a pick-up from the airport at 3:35 PM,
corresponding with LAN airline, Flight # 285, or at 3 PM
from your hotel in town).
As we leave Punta Arenas we will be able to see the Strait
of Magellan and the island Tierra del Fuego. Shortly after
leaving the airport, we will stop at the Magellan penguin
colony on Otway Sound. Our 3-hour drive will take us through
open pampas and huge ranches (estancias) and chances are we
will be able to observe one of the most typical animals in
this area, the ñandu, (similar to ostrich). We arrive to
Puerto Natales, located on the Sound of Last Hope, a typical
fishing town surrounded by mountains and our lodging for the
first night, the Weskar Lodge, with an amazing view of the
mountains and located in front of the ocean. After we settle
in, we’ll have a welcome dinner with the Chile Nativo guide
regarding the program.
(4 hours by private transfer) (D) (Night at Weskar Lodge or
similar)
Day 2
(Saturday) Early in the
morning our transfer takes us along an unpaved road heading
to Torres Del Paine. When entering the Park, we will have
excellent picture taking opportunities of guanacos (llama
family) and Grey foxes, driving alongside lagoons frequented
by Chilean flamencos and black-necked swans. We will then
drive toward Lago Grey with its impressive glacier of the
same name, forming part of the South Patagonian Ice Field,
third largest reserve of ice in the world, 350 kms. long. We
will stop to enjoy a picnic lunch alongside the Pingo River.
Then we go up to the Grey Lake by boat. In order to get to
the boat we will walk through a mature beech forest where we
might observe woodpeckers. We will navigate about one hour
through icebergs of different tones of blue up to the Grey
glacier, where we will stay for a while in front of the
glacier in the hope of seeing icebergs calve. We stop at the
peninsula Grey and stay overnight at Refugio Grey.
(2 hours by private transfer, 30 minutes walk, 2 hours by
boat) (B-BL-D) (Night at Refugio Grey)
Day 3
(Sunday) Today you have the
opportunity to take an optional adventure on the Glacier
Grey. (The Ice Hike excursion is not included in the price;
average cost US$ 120 per person.) The ice hikers will take a
zodiac for 20 minutes until arriving on the western side of
the glacier, where specialized guides will supply you with
the necessary technical equipment (crampons, harness and
piolet). You will walk on the glacier, observing unique deep
blue cracks, where, weather permitting, will have the
opportunity of doing some ice climbing. The way back will be
the same until arriving back at the refugio to enjoy lunch.
For those in the group who prefer to stay close to camp,
we’ll offer a morning hike to a lookout point above the Grey
Glacier. (3 hours round-trip). In the afternoon we start a
walk to the Pehoé Lake to spend the night in Paine Grande
lodge.
Morning: Optional Ice Hike Excursion: 1 hour by zodiac (30
minutes each-way), 3-hour ice hike.
Optional Hike to Glacier Grey look out point, 3 hours walk.
Afternoon: 3 hours walk. (B-BL-D) (Night at Lodge Paine
Grande)
Day 4
(Monday) We will start our day
with a 2-hour walk going around the southwest side of Paine
Grande, the highest peak in the Park, through native forests
of Chilean fire bush and evergreen beech (Nothofagus
Bethuloides), up to the hanging bridge over the French River
for our first glimpses of the hanging glacier. Then we will
ascend (300 M) for one hour through a surreal Japanese
garden landscape, crossing beech forests, to reach the
French valley viewpoint gifting us with a magnificent view
of both mountains and lakes. We will lunch here with good
possibilities of seeing avalanches from the hanging glacier
or simply observe the west side of the Cuernos (2600 M),
Espada (2400 M) and Fortaleza (2800 M). Our way back will be
the same until we reach the entrance of the valley where we
will continue on a different undulating path for an hour or
so until reaching the Refugio Los Cuernos along the shores
of Lake Nordenskjold.
(7 hours hike) (B-BL-D) (Night at Refugio Los Cuernos)
Day 5
(Tuesday) We will start early
morning to enjoy, weather permitting, a magnificent dawn
filled with orange-pink colors. As we leave the refugio we
will follow the path until crossing the Bader River to start
ascending around (200 mts.) toward the base of Almirante
Nieto mountain (2750 mts.). Chances are, on this path, we
may see the flight of an Andean condor or eagles hunting
hares or small rodents. We will arrive at Inge lagoon and
keep ascending for one hour (300 mts.) to reach the start of
Valle Ascencio. We will descend for half hour until reaching
the Refugio Chileno where we will stay overnight
(6 hours hike) (B-BL-D) (Night at Refugio Chileno)
Day 6
(Wednesday)From the refugio we
will start our walk through incredible tall-deciduous beech
forests (Nothofagus Pumilio), with views of glaciers and
waterfalls to continue ascending through a huge terminal
moraine up to a view point (900 mts.) with excellent picture
taking opportunities. From here we will be surrounded by
three giant granite towers (2850 mts.) and a lagoon with
slurry waters fed by glacial erosion. We will enjoy lunch in
front of this breathtaking scenery. We will descend,
following the same path down to the Refugio Las Torres,
located at the mountain's plateau where we will spend the
night. While dinner is being prepared we will enjoy an
excellent Pisco Sour, the favorite Chilean drink made from
Pisco, liquor fermented from the Muscatel type grapes, mixed
with lemon juice, sugar and ice.
(6 hours hike) (B-BL-D) (Night at Refugio Las Torres)
Day 7
(Thursday) We will take a
private transfer to Punta Arenas. (Clients should take the
flight at 4:25 PM, from LAN airline, flight #284, arriving
to Santiago at 8:40 PM), if you decide to stay the night in
Punta Arenas; we will drop you at your hotel.
(5 hours by private transfer) (B)
REGARDING THE SCHEDULE The schedules indicated above are
subject to change due to weather conditions or unexpected
circumstances beyond our control, but we will try our best
to keep them unaltered.
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