Paine Circuit

Nuestro representante lo recibirá en el aeropuerto de Punta Arenas. Autobús a Puerto Natales, un viaje de tres horas a través de la pampa patagónica. Puerto Natales es la puerta de entrada al Parque Nacional Torres del Paine y a la aventura al aire libre en la región de la Patagonia. La pequeña ciudad está ubicada en el Canal Señoret a lo largo de un fiordo pintoresco, con el espectacular telón de fondo de los picos más australes de los Andes. Como centro turístico, podrá encontrar excelente comida, suministros y más para recargar energías para su caminata, junto con atracciones locales para explorar.

Accommodation in Puerto Natales at the Natalino hotel or similar. Dinner and meeting to discuss the travel program. (D)

Advice:

Visit this charming little art shop “Pueblito Artesanal”. Shop for handmade ornaments, art, crafts and decorations inspired by the culture of Patagonia. These amazing products are handmade from natural materials and are loved by Magallanes locals and tourists. Next to Pueblito Artesanal you will find a fantastic mural depicting the indigenous people of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, as well as typical Patagonian traditions.

We begin our trip with a transfer by van to Torres del Paine National Park. This two-hour drive through cattle country includes a stop at Cerro Castillo, the main export site for wool and meat to Europe during the 1960s. Arrival in Torres del Paine. Trekking to the base of Las Torres (7 hours round trip), a spectacular hike to see the three pink granite towers that made the park famous. Accommodation and dinner at Nash refuge (B/L/D)

Early breakfast to hike to Dickson Lake, a glacial lake on the edge of the Southern Patagonian Ice Sheet. We will walk among flowering Notro bushes and cross a stream along the lake. A beautiful and peaceful hike (hiking time 6 hours). Here we can take hot showers at the refuge and you can buy a cold beer! Accommodation and dinner at Dickson Refuge. (B/L/D)

Transfer to Pudeto, crossing of Lake Pehoe by catamaran. Trekking on the lovely Grey Lake (3-4 hours, 11 KM) with magnificent views of the Grey Glacier and floating icebergs. Visit to the glacier lookout and the lake shore to see the vibrant blue icebergs up close (Paine is an indigenous Tehuelche word meaning “blue”). Kayaking; short hike to the Bigfoot Patagonia base camp, located on the northeast shore of Grey Lake. Here our guides will introduce us to the necessary equipment for the tour and we will have a safety briefing. After this, we will take the kayaks approximately 20 meters to the lake shore. Now the tour really begins! We paddle around the icebergs floating on the lake and then paddle to the east side of Grey Glacier to marvel at the spectacular scenery of this special place. If conditions allow, we can paddle closer to the glacier to get a very good view. After this, we will paddle back to the starting point. Dinner at the Grey Hostel, accommodation at the hostel or camping. (B/L/D)

HOW TO CARRY PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

Today you will carry your backpack every day, which will weigh about 10kg. Items you will need to carry include: your clothes for the trip, lunch for the day, and any other personal items. If you wish to have a porter, there will be an additional cost of US$ 120 per day. Each porter can carry a maximum of 15kg, meaning one porter can be used by two hikers.

Today we pack up and head out for a walk, one of our favourite routes, through a pristine, ancient beech forest. We almost always see the incredible red-headed Magellanic woodpecker. Just before reaching our campsite, we pass by the Perros Glacier, with fantastic close-up views of the glacier and its lake. We spend the night camping at the base of John Garner Pass at Los Perros. 5 hours. (B/L/D)

Today is our longest day of hiking as we ascend John Garner Pass and descend through thick forest directly above the massive Grey Glacier. Once at the pass, we will observe the rugged glacial peaks and the Southern Patagonian Ice Cap – a sight not to be missed! The Grey Glacier stretches out below us like a huge white highway. 5 hours. After breakfast, we begin the 5-hour hike that continues down towards Grey Lake through a lenga forest where every now and then a terrace appears with a view of the Grey Glacier and the Southern Patagonian Ice Cap. Accommodation and dinner at the Grey Refuge. (B/L/D).

KAYAKING (OPTIONAL AM) From our base camp, located on the northeast shore of Grey Lake, our guides will introduce us to the necessary equipment for the tour and we will have a safety briefing. After this, we will take the kayaks approximately 20 meters to the shore of the lake. Now the tour really begins! We paddle around the icebergs floating on the lake and then paddle to the east side of the Grey Glacier to marvel at the spectacular scenery of this special place. If conditions allow, we can paddle closer to the glacier to get a very good view. After this, we will paddle back to the starting point.

During the afternoon we will cross a high plateau overlooking Grey Lake with its icebergs and Grey Glacier on our way to Pehoe Lake, “hidden lake” in the Tehuelche language. 3-4 hours. The afternoon will be free to relax at Lodge Paine Grande and enjoy the area. Accommodation and dinner are at Lodge Paine Grande, where you can enjoy a pisco sour at the bar overlooking the Paine Grande and Los Cuernos mountains in the beautiful evening light. (B/L/D)

Hike to the French Valley. This valley is the most beautiful in the park and one of the most unique in the world, it is surrounded by hanging glaciers and an amphitheater of granite walls and needles. After leaving the valley, we will continue towards the extraordinary turquoise lake Nordenskjöld, where the Cuernos Refuge is located (hiking time 8 hours). Accommodation and dinner at the Cuernos Refuge. (B/L/D)

Trekking along Lake Nordenskjöld and under the hanging glaciers of Mount Almirante Nieto, until reaching Hostería Las Torres (5-6 hours), our van awaits us in the parking lot. Transfer to Puerto Natales. Farewell dinner and accommodation at Hotel Natalino or similar. (B/L/D)

Breakfast, bus to Punta Arenas or El Calafate. End of our services. (B)