|
Trek the Paine Circuit that offers you the most spectacular landscapes
of Patagonia and Torres del Paine National Park: windswept pampas,
breathtaking mountains, beautiful lakes and massive glaciers that
descend into evergreen temperate rainforests.
Join us on this supported trekking and camping tour, where you won't have to
carry a heavy backpack, but simply enjoy exploring the nature at the
end of the world.
Besides your trekking guide and our porters,
who take care of the group camping gear as well as parts of your personal equipment,
you will be part of a small group with a maximum of 12 members.
Without doubt,
this trekking tour offers you what you are looking for in your journey to
Patagonia!
|
|
Los Cuernos del Paine
© Johannes Schache
|
Punta Arenas - Torres del Paine National Park
Take the morning flight from Santiago de Chile to Punta Arenas.
Meet your trekking guide and your travel companions at the airport
and go straight to Torres del Paine National Park by private van.
The closer we get to the park, the better become the first vistas of
the Paine massif as it pops up all the sudden out of the fairly flat
Patagonian pampa. With a bit of luck, you may observe some native
guanacos (lama-like animals) before you arrive at our eco camp, where
you will stay for the first 2 nights. Here we enjoy the comfort of
our own group tent and the culinary art of Claudio, our cook.
Hot showers are available at this camp site.
[S, D]
|
|
At the Torres del Paine lookout
© Johannes Schache
|
Torres del Paine lookout
After a good breakfast, we depart for a full-day hike to the famous
Torres del Paine lookout (8 hours). This unforgettable excursion
takes you at first through Patagonian scrub land into the
Ascencio Valley, where you will cross some small streams and
forests. All the effort and the gained 720 meters in altitude (2,400 feet)
is rewarded by a unique panorama: the peaks of the granite towers,
Las Torres, after which the park is named, stand in front of you,
2,000 meters (6,700 feet) above a glacial lake. In the afternoon,
return to our eco camp at the foot of the mountain massif.
[B, L, D]
|
|
Hikers in Torres del Paine National Park
© Johannes Schache
|
Las Torres Camp - Camp Serron
Strap on your hiking boots and start trekking the next stage of the Paine Circuit.
This part is relatively easy and takes you through mature forests and open grass
land that is sprinkled with wild flowers. There are good possibilities to observe
some of the bird species that inhabit this natural reserve, such as: buff-necked ibis,
southern lapwing and the majestic Andean condor. Camping. (4 hours hiking,
hot showers are available).
[B, L, D]
|
|
Cerro Cubo
and Dickson Glacier
© Turismo Aonikenk
|
Camp Seron - Lago Dickson
Hike to Lago Dickson. On the way, cross a low, but steep pass and continue east
along Lago and Rio Paine, always along the northern slopes of the Paine massif.
In the evening, enjoy some time at the shore of Dickson Lake, from where
you can see Cerro Cubo and Dickson Glacier in a distance. Total walking time
is about 6 hours. Hot showers are available at the campsite.
[B, L, D]
|
|
Trekking in Patagonia
© Johannes Schache
|
Lago Dickson - Los Perros Camp
Today, follow Los Perros River through a very old tall deciduous beech
forest (Nothofagus) to reach a campsite that bares the same name after only
about 4½ hours. Later, you may rest for the upcoming day or
join us for an optional hike to Punta Puma Glacier (2 hours round trip).
Camp in a wonderful old-growth forest.
[B, L, D]
|
|
Grey Glacier near
Paso John Garner
© Johannes Schache
|
Los Perros Camp - Lago Grey
This is probably the most demanding day of the Paine Circuit, but at the same time
the rewards make up for the effort. We cover 2,350 feet in altitude to reach
Paso John Garner after about three hours. The view is one of the most spectacular
in the park! We see big parts of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, including
many unclimbed peaks (weather permitting). Later, descent steeply towards Grey Glacier and continue
in a rolling up and down to our campsite. Total walking time is about 10 hours.
[B, L, D]
|
|
Ice hiking on Grey Glacier
© Turismo Aonikenk
|
Lago Grey - Lago Pehoe
Take an optional Ice Hiking tour to explore Grey Glacier from up close
and be challenged to try yourself in Ice Climbing. This makes for one
of the most fantastic adventures within the park. This afternoon,
continue hiking with wonderful views of Lago Grey and its icebergs along
the way. After about 4 hours, we reach Pehoe Camp that peacefully lays
ashore the turquoise-colored Lago Pehoe. Here, once more our comfortable
eco camp with our own group tent and cook is set up.
Hot showers are available.
[B, L, D]
|
|
Lookout in French Valley
© Gerd Anders
|
French Valley and Glacier
Take off for another unique experience and hike to Valle Frances,
a valley dominated by vertical granite walls and Frances Glacier
that descends from Paine Grande mountain, the highest peak in the
park (10,004 feet / 3,050m). We watch noisy avalanches from a beautiful
lookout in a safe distance. From here, we have 2 options: we can hike
back to our base camp at Lago Pehoe (5-6 hours round trip in total) or continue
hiking (another 4-5 hours round trip) further up the valley to get
even more incredible views of the surrounding mountains, such as Fortaleza,
Catedral and Aleta de Tiburon amongst others. Weather permitting, the second
option truly offers one of the most celebrated vistas within Torres del Paine.
[B, L, D]
|
|
Magellanic Penguins
(Spheniscus magellanicus)
© Turismo Aonikenk
|
Penguin Colony - Punta Arenas
Today, we cross the turquoise-colores Lago Pehoe by catamaran and drive
to Punta Arenas. On the way, visit the penguin colony at Seno Otway, where
during the Patagonian summer months hundreds of Magallanic penguins hatch
and bring up their offspring.
[B, L]
|
|
 |
Don't forget
to touch the toe...
© Gerd Anders
|
|
Farewell Patagonia
Enjoy your last morning in Patagonia at your leisure. Transfer from
the hotel to the airport according to your flight schedule to fly to
Santiago de Chile and connect with your homeward-bound flight.
[B]
|
|
|
General Cemetery
Santiago de Chile
 GFDL
|
Stay a Little Longer
Break up the long journey to and/ or from Patagonia and plan to extend your
trip by a day or two. We may book extra nights in Punta Arenas or Santiago
de Chile for you and organize according transfers from/ to the airports
and/ or tours to discover the surrounding. Just let us know, we are happy
to give you individual advise.
|
|
|
Dientes de Navarino
Mountain Range
© Turismo Aonikenk
|
Recommended extensions
We also offer other exiting tours in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
If you like this tour and are looking for a challenging extension,
you should take a look at our
Dientes de Navarino Circuit,
a 7 day wilderness adventure from/ to Punta Arenas to the southern-most
trekking region in the world. Other options include our
Soft Adventure tour to Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia (4 days/ 3 nights),
the southern-most city in the world.
|
