ITINERARIO
Our representative will meet you at Puerto Natales airport, transfer to your hotel. Lodging in Puerto Natales at Natalino or Costa Australis hotel. Welcome dinner and meeting to discuss trip program. (D)
Transfer by van to Torres del Paine National Park eastern end. This is a two-hour journey crossing the Patagonian pampa. Arrival to Torres del Paine whereupon you will start the 2hr trek up and in to the Ascencio Valley, stopping off at Refugio Chileno. After a short stop here, the trek will continue for an hour, through a forest of the native Lenga (Beech) trees until reaching the glacial moraine. From this point it is another hour to the top where the high, three vertical towers can be seen at close range. The return trek is a little easier and takes about 4hrs to get back down to the trail end. Transportation to our Torres del Paine base beside the Serrano River. Dinner and night at Kau Rio Serrano lodge. (B/L/D)
After breakfast you will be transferred to Pudeto to board the catamaran that takes passengers on a 25-minute trip across Pehoe lake to Refugio Paine Grande. From Paine Grande lodge it is a 2.5hrs trek to the entrance of the French Valley where there are hanging glaciers and an amphitheatre of granite walls and spires. There are amazing views throughout this trek and the further you trek into the valley the better they become. For this day there are two hiking options: Option A: consists in getting to the end of the trail, to where the British Camp is located, this is all the way to the end of this natural congregation of mountains.
• Distance: 24 Kilometers (15 miles)
• Duration: 09-10 hours round trip
• Elevation Gain: 660 meters (2,165 feet)
• Elevation Loss: 660 meters (2,165 feet) Option B: Involves reaching the French Valley main viewpoint, from where you can appreciate the natural amphitheatre created by glaciers millions of years ago, it is an absolutely breath-taking view. • Distance: 16 Kilometers (10 miles)
• Duration: 06—07 hours round trip • Elevation Gain: 549 meters (1,801 feet)
• Elevation Loss: 549 meters (1,801 feet) Cross Pehoe lake by catamaran, transfer back to your hotel. Dinner and night.
Transfer to Pudeto, cross Pehoe lake by catamaran. We will trek along enchanting Lake Grey (3-4 hours 11 KM) with magnificent views of Glacier Grey and floating icebergs. Visit to the glacier lookout point and to the lakeshore for up-close views of vibrant-blue icebergs (Paine is a Tehuelche Indian word for “blue”). Kayaking. Short walk to Bigfoot Patagonia basecamp, located on the northeast coast of Lake Grey. Here our guides introduce us to the equipment needed for the tour and we will have a safety briefing. After this, we will carry the kayaks approximately 20 meters to the lakes’ edge. Now the tour really begins! We will be paddling around icebergs that are floating in the lake and afterwards we paddle towards the eastern side of the Grey Glacier to wonder at the spectacular scenery in this special place. If conditions permit, we can paddle closer to the glacier to get a really good view. After this, we will paddle back to the start point. Dinner at Grey lodge, accommodation in lodge or camping. (B/L/D)
Ice Hike. After breakfast, the guides will have an introductory chat explaining the route, the time the tour will take and also testing the equipment adjusting it correctly for each passenger. Then, we go in a zodiac boat for 15 minutes until we reach the west side of the Grey Glacier. On arrival, we will disembark on the island at the glacier (nunatak) and we will walk on it for about an hour until we reach the ice. Before walking onto the glacier, the guide will talk to us about the safety aspects, and they will explain the techniques of displacement in the ice and the correct use of the equipment. Once the safety briefing is complete we will begin our exploration of the Grey Glacier which will last approximately 3 hours. During this time we will be able to observe cracks, rivers, lagoons and tunnels with their different tones of blue. After 3 hours on the glacier, we return to the zodiac boat and ride back to the base camp.
• Distance: 5,6 Kilometers (3.5 miles)
• Duration: 03 hours round trip
• Elevation Gain: 184 meters (603 feet)
• Elevation Loss: 184 meters (603 feet) After lunch navigate in Grey III catamaran. Two hours navigation in this magic lake surrounded by ice bergs where the boat does a circuit right up to the front of the glacier whilst you stand on deck sipping your pisco sour served with glacial ice! Transfer from Grey lake to Puerto Natales. Farewell dinner and night at Natalino or Costa Australis hotel. (B/L/D)
After breakfast transfer to El Calafate, five hours drive through the Patagonian pampa. Lunch at local restaurant and continue to El Chalten. Accommodation at Destino Sur or similar. Dinner and night. (B/L/D)
After having breakfast at the dining room, we’ll leave in our private vehicle to Hosteria El Pilar. Once arrived, we start to walk on the trail to Poincenot camp thru a forest of “Lengas”, typical Patagonic tree, having the Blanco River on our right. During our way we do different stops to learn about the typical fauna and flora of our National Park. After an hour, we’ll stop at Piedras Blancas glacier viewpoint where we’ll have the opportunity to take pictures and notice the trace left by this glacier during its setback along the last years. Following our way to Poincenot camp we’ll have an excellent view of Fitz Roy’s massif to get even closer after we cross the Blanco river’s bridge heading the last part of this trail all the way up to De los Tres lake. At this point, we’ll take some time to have our lunch, take pictures and have some rest at the lake shore. After we recover from this last effort, we’ll begin our way down to Poincenot camp where we’ll enjoy some snacks while we wait for the dinner. During the night we’ll have dinner at our private camp including beverages and dessert. Overnight at Poincenot. (B/L/D)
Distance: 20 Kilometers (12,4 miles)
Duration: 08 hours Elevation Gain: 750 meters (2,462 feet)
Elevation Loss: 750 meters (2,462 feet
We begin our day having a full breakfast at our private dome preparing for the second day of our itinerary. Once we’re ready, we got onto the trail towards the valley of Lake Mother and Daughter leaving the Fitz Roy massif behind us to our final destination the valley of Cerro Torre. During the trail we’ll have enough time to stop at the lakes to take some pictures of the area around and with some luck to a small colony of typical Patagonic gooses. After this stop, we continue thru the trail towards Cerro Torre’s valley enjoying the emblematic Patagonian forest of Lengas and Ñires till the final part of our trek crossing an old moraine to face Lake Torre and Grande glacier. If the weather looks good, we could continue to the Maestri viewpoint, from where the famous Italian climber Cesare Maestri outlined his strategy to conquer Cerro Torre and having, at the same time, a closer view of Grande glacier. Once we completed this traverse, we’ll return to town thru Cerro Torre valley along the Fitz Roy river till the classic viewpoint and then reaching a beautiful waterfall called Margarita closing our itinerary returning to El Chalten. Night at Destino Sur hotel, Free dinner. (B/L)
Distance: 18 Kilometers (11 miles)
Duration: 07 hours
Elevation Gain: 245 meters (800 feet)
Elevation Loss: 245 meters (800 feet)
After breakfast transfer to El Calafate, stop for lunch and continue to Perito Moreno glacier. You will visit the glacier walking through the footbridge having views from different points. OPTIONAL: (not included in the price) one hour navigation in Argentino lake. Night at Splendor Hotel. (B)
Breakfast and transfer to El Calafate airport. End of our services. (B)
