ADVENTURE PATAGONIA
“Torres del Paine and Serrano river experience”
PROFILE
Adventure
DURATION
8 Days
SEASON
01 Oct – 30 Apr
ACCOMM
7 Nights
Day 1
Our representative will meet you at the Punta Arenas airport. Bus to Puerto Natales, a three-hour drive through the Patagonian pampa. Puerto Natales is the gateway to the Torres del Paine National Park and outdoor adventure in the Patagonia region. The small town is located on the Señoret Channel along a scenic fjord, set against the dramatic backdrop of the southernmost peaks of the Andes. As a tourist hub, you’ll be able to find great food, supplies, and more to fuel up for your trek, along with local attractions to explore.
Lodging in Puerto Natales at Natalino hotel or similar. Dinner and meeting to discuss trip program. (D)
Tip:
Visit this charming little art store “Pueblito Artesanal”. Shop for handmade ornaments, art, handicrafts, and decorations inspired by Patagonia’s culture. These amazing products are handmade from natural materials and loved by the inhabitants and tourists of Magallanes. Next to the “Pueblito Artesanal” you will find a fantastic mural depicting native indians of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego as well as typical Patagonian traditions.
Day 2
Transfer by van to Torres del Paine National Park. This is a two hour journey crossing the pampa Patagonica. Arrival at Torres del Paine. We will begin trekking to the Ascencio Valley where from above you see the river (of the same name) running wildly past refugio Chileno. After a quick stop here we will continue through a forest of the native Lenga (Beech) trees until reaching the glacial moraine. From here it’s a 1 hour trek to the top where the towers appear from nowhere! This trek is spectacular where you get to view the 3 pink granite towers with its glacial lake below that made the park famous. (8 hours round trip, 19 KM). Lodging & dinner at Nash Lodge. (B/L/D)
Day 3
Transfer to Pudeto, cross Pehoe lake by catamaran. Trek to the French Valley. This valley, the most beautiful in the park and one of the most unique in the world. Its surrounded by hanging glaciers (where you can see & hear the ice calving off at various intervals) and an amphitheater 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 we have two hiking options: A consists in getting to further 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 24km and 7-8 hours hiking. B consists on reaching to the French Valley Main Lookout, from this point you can appreciate the whole natural amphitheater created by glaciers millions of years ago, it is absolutely breathtaking. If you take Plan B, you will have hiked for 5-6 hours and completed 16km. The options will depend on fitness level, timing and weather conditions. Cross Pehoe lake by Catamaran, lodging and dinner at Nash Serrano Lodge. (B/L/D).
Day 4
Transfer to Pudeto, cross Pehoe lake by catamaran. 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 at lodge or camping. (B/L/D)
HOW TO CARRY PERSONAL GEAR
Today you will carry your pack everyday which will be around 10kg. Items you will need to carry include: your clothes for the trip, lunch for the day and any other personal items. If you would like a porter, there will be an extra cost of U$ 120 per day. Each porter can carry 15 kg max, which means that one porter can be used by two trekkers.
Day 5
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 techniques of displacement in the ice. 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. 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 Serrano river. Dinner and night at Nash lodge. (B/L/D).
Day 6
Your trip will begin at our Nash Serrano Lodge. Here we will prepare and distribute the kayaks and begin with the safety and paddling instructions. Our guides will help to recommend the appropriate equipment you will need to take during the trip and the rest of your luggage will be taken directly to Puerto Natales by a private transfer and will be stored in the Antares Patagonia office. This day start with one hour paddling across the first section of the Serrano river, this is a calm zone and gives us the opportunity to see and assess the level and comfort of kayakers during paddling. The first team activity will take place on arrival at a small waterfall in the river and we will carry the kayaks roughly 100 meters. After that we will continue paddling alongside National Park lands & privately owned lands and in these we will see the typical cold forest vegetation of Magallanes & the associated fauna. We will also be able to observe from a distance, the glaciers of the Southern Patagonian ice field. At the end of the day, the encounter with the “Ultimo Esperanza” fjord always offers a touch of adrenaline with its waves. Finally we will arrive at Puerto Toro (Bernardo O’higgins National Park), our camp base here is in middle of the forrest with a beautiful view of Serrano glacier.
Day 7
With an early start and depending on the weather conditions, we will carry the kayaks 100m to the lagoon of the Serrano glacier to paddle in & amongst the icebergs until 11:00am. We will have enough time to pack away the camp, before boarding the boat, which departs at 13:00 (either the 21 de Mayo or Tonina catamaran). We will stop off in a local ranch to enjoy a farewell BBQ. Arrival at Puerto Natales will be 17:00 hrs approx. Farewell dinner and night at Natalino hotel or similar. (B/L/D)
Day 8
Breakfast, bus to Punta Arenas or El Calafate. End of our services. (B)
MAP
INCLUSIONS
- All ground transportation with professional driver.
- Lodging as noted in program.
- Expert guiding.
- Meals noted on program (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
- All entrance fees where applicable.
- Local excursions as indicated.
- Domestic airfare.
- Travel Insurance.
- Meals not indicated in the itinerary.
- Gratuities for guide, driver, porters.
- Alcohol unless otherwise noted.