Patagonia Torres del Paine 5 Day Short-W Trek - Temporary Modified Itinerary

Our new, temporary itineraries following the fire in Torres del Paine. We have modified our itineraries to avoid areas of the park which remain closed, giving hikers the opportunity to get to know lesser known but equally beautiful areas of the park.

 

 

Day 1: EcoCamp Patagonia arrival

Day 2: Trekking to French Valley (Hike limited to Italian Camp) & Lake Pehoe (11km). Night Los Cuernos refugio

Day 3: Trekking along Los Cuernos & Bader Valley (18km). Night at EcoCamp 

Day 4: Towers base viewpoint (22km). Night at Ecocamp

Day 5: EcoCamp Patagonia departure

 

The trip begins with you being picked up from your hotel in Punta Arenas or Punta Arenas airport in the morning and driven to EcoCamp Patagonia, located in the world-famous Torres del Paine National Park. Alternatively you can start your trip in Calafate (see Prices and Facts section) En route we make a couple of stops - First in Puerto Natales, a small, lively town on the shores of "Seno de Ultima Esperanza", where we enjoy a hearty local lunch, and second at Cueva de Milodon, a massive prehistoric cave where the remains of a giant ground sloth were discovered in the 1890’s. The whole journey is very scenic, with plenty of wild birds and wonderful landscapes to be seen.

The day ends with our arrival and overnight stay at EcoCamp Patagonia, nestled in the heart of the park with a view of the Torres. During summer the sun sets around 11pm, so upon arrival there's plenty of light to admire the Patagonian steppe with its guanacos and snow-peaked mountain horizon.

 

After breakfast we drive to Pudeto dock and cross Pehoe Lake to start trekking to the beautiful Valle Frances (French Valley), on a picturesque trail that heads into the heart of the Paine Massif. We pass by the hanging bridge over the French River, located at the foot of the south east face of the Massif, and continue up the trail walking to Italian campsite. The entire group of geological formations of the valley can be admired here: Hoja (Blade), Máscara (Mask), Espada (Sword), Catedral (Cathedral), Aleta de Tiburón (Shark’s Fin) and the magnificent Fortaleza (Fortress). Here we enjoy our picnic and recover from the walk, soaking up the surrounding views. After lunch we descend through an undulating terrain of mixed grassland and light forest until we reach the base of valley, from where we head east to Refugio Los Cuernos, a small and cozy mountain refuge located by the shores of Lake Nordenskjold, to spend the night. 

 

 

Time for a big breakfast and lots of enthusiasm - Our goal today is to complete the most famous trekking trail in Torres del Paine NP! We walk from the camp site towards Hostería Las Torres and join the uphill path to Ascencio Valley on the Tower's eastern face. Dry mountain spots, beech forests and small rivers line the scenic walk towards the valley. Our big challenge comes as we climb the steep moraine, a mass of boulders leading us towards one of the world's most famous views overlooking the Towers. The famous Torres del Paine (2,900 m/ 9,400 ft) consist of three gigantic granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by the forces of glacial ice. After an uphill slog, the Towers eventually come into full view, rising majestically before us, with the glacial lake visible below. Is there any better place in the world to have lunch? After feasting on the view and our picnic, we backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to EcoCamp.

 

We board an early morning vehicle, sit back, relax, and enjoy a scenic ride back to Punta Arenas in time to catch the evening flight.