Amazing Paine

Our representative will meet you at the Punta Arenas airport. Bus to Puerto Natales, a three-hour drive across the Patagonian pampas. Puerto Natales is the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park and outdoor adventure in the Patagonia region. The small town is located on the Señoret Channel along a picturesque fjord, with the spectacular backdrop of the southernmost peaks of the Andes. As a tourist center, you will be able to find excellent food, supplies and more to recharge for your hike, along with local attractions to explore.

Accommodation in Puerto Natales at the Natalino hotel or similar. Dinner and meeting to discuss the trip 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.

Transfer by van to Torres del Paine National Park. This is a two-hour drive across the Patagonian pampas. Arrival at Torres del Paine via the main entrance to Amarga Lake. We will begin the hike to the Ascencio Valley, where from above you can see the river (of the same name) running wildly past the Chileno refuge. After a short stop here, we will continue through a forest of native Lenga (beech) trees until we reach the glacial moraine. From here it is a 1-hour hike to the top where the towers appear out of nowhere. This hike is spectacular, where you can see the 3 pink granite towers with their glacial lake below that made the park famous. (8 hours round trip, 20 KM). Transfer to the Serrano River area, dinner and overnight at the Nash-Serrano refuge. (B/L/D).

Transfer to Pudeto, crossing of Lake Pehoe by catamaran. Trekking to the French Valley. This valley, the most beautiful in the park and one of the most unique in the world. It is surrounded by hanging glaciers (where you can see and hear the ice breaking off at various intervals) and an amphitheater of granite walls and needles. There are incredible views throughout this trek and the more you walk in the valley, the better they become! For this day we have two hiking options: A consists of reaching the other end of the trail, to the British Camp, this is all the way to the end of this natural congregation of mountains. If we reach this point, we will have completed 24 km and 7-8 hours of hiking. B consists of reaching the Main Viewpoint of the French Valley, from this point you can appreciate the entire natural amphitheater created by glaciers millions of years ago, it is absolutely stunning. If you take Plan B, you will have walked for 5-6 hours and completed 16 km. Options will depend on physical condition, time and weather conditions. Crossing Lake Pehoe by catamaran, accommodation and dinner at Nash Serrano Lodge. (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 lake shore to see the vibrant blue icebergs up close (Paine is an indigenous Tehuelche word meaning “blue”). Short hike to 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 really good view. After this, we will paddle back to the starting point. Dinner at 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.

Ice Trekking: After breakfast, the guides will have an introductory briefing explaining the route, the time it will take, and also testing the equipment, adjusting it correctly for each passenger. Then, we will go on a zodiac boat for 15 minutes until we reach the west side of the Grey Glacier. Upon arrival, we will disembark on the glacier island (nunatak) and walk on it for approximately one hour until we reach the ice. Before walking on the glacier, the guide will talk to us about safety aspects and techniques for moving on the ice. Once the safety briefing is over, we will begin our exploration of the Grey Glacier, which will last approximately 3 hours. During this time we will be able to observe crevasses, rivers, lagoons and tunnels with their different shades of blue. After 3 hours on the glacier, we return to the zodiac boat and ride back to base camp. After lunch, we will sail on the Grey III catamaran. Two hours of navigation on this magical lake surrounded by icebergs, where the boat makes a circuit to the front of the glacier while you enjoy your pisco sour served with glacier ice on deck. Transfer from Grey Lake to Puerto Natales. Farewell dinner and night at Natalino hotel or similar. (B/L/D).

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