PATAGONIA WINTER WILDLIFE SAFARI

After a hearty breakfast we set off from Ecocamp 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 snowy 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 (2,850 m/ 9,350 ft) consists 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 and rise 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. This common trail is more challenging during the winter season. Due to the snow in winter, we may advise travelers to use snowshoes.

On this excursion, we will focus on touring the eastern and central sectors of the park. Around 9 AM we will begin the adventure, stopping by the picturesque Sarmiento Lake, Mellizas Lagoon and Pehoe Lake. From here we will take a short hike to admire the magnificent view of the Paine massif and Salto Grande. It’s a great spot to admire the native flora and fauna, as well as learn about hydrology.

We leave after a tasty breakfast at EcoCamp to head to Cerro Paine, a nearby mountain characterized by its two imposing peaks. We hike along the snowy mountain for half an hour, which allows us to warm up while admiring the view of the surrounding pampas. The challenge begins as we start climbing the eastern part of Cerro Paine. We cross the lenga forest with the sound of the local birds and enjoy a few stops to observe the immense Almirante Nieto Mountain and its glacier on our left side. With any luck, we will follow the tracks of the puma as the towers come into full view. A nice place for lunch, isn’t it? As we are ready to start the steepest part of the hike, we leave the forest and hike on the rock. As we go up, we admire the spectacular panoramic view of the immense pampas and the mountains in the distance, like the Balmaceda mountain. We walk upward for about an hour up to 1500m/4920ft to reach the eastern peak of Cerro Paine, which offers an unforgettable lookout of the towers and the ascencio valley. After chilling and taking in one of the most striking views of the national park, we backtrack along the same trail and return to EcoCamp. This excursion is absolutely magical, but also very challenging. Due to the snow in winter, we may advise travelers to use snowshoes.

We start off driving across the park, admiring the view of Paine Grande and its snowy peaks, and Los Cuernos with its black, granite horn-like spires. We stop at Pudeto Dock to leave travelers doing Grey Trek and some viewpoints on the way observing and photographing herds of guanacos, Andean condors, and interesting flora. As we walk along the snow covered shores of the stunning Lake Pehoe, we will see the furious Salto Grande waterfalls where the water from Lake Nordenskjold cascades down into Pehoe. From here, we drive up to Grey Lake and wander along the beach. Here we enjoy a tasty box-lunch by the lake before embarking on a boat ride across the icy waters to the towering blue walls of Glacier Grey. After this incredible up-close look at the glacier, we drive back to EcoCamp. - *Please be aware that the Grey Glacier boat trip is subject to availability and weather conditions, so please confirm your reservation in order to participate on the day of your arrival. (*During shoulder season -September, October, April the boat trip to Glacier Grey may be canceled as the boat requires a minimum of 15 passengers to sail, which might not be reached in some cases. If this is the case we will plan an alternative excursion in the park.)

Please Note: During May, the Grey Navigation is not working. The alternative excursión is the Pingo Trail Nature Walk (9km).

We begin the drive to Lake Grey where you should pause and raise your eyes to the huge peaks of the east. This wind-swept rock monster is Cerro Ferrier which, standing at 1599m/5246 ft, makes a rewarding (but intense) hike.

First, you’ll pass through a forest that gives a fascinating insight into the diversity of austral trees. Here you’ll meet all the classics, lenga, coihue, ñire, and if you’re lucky you’ll meet the famous South American deer, the huemul, which is a national natural monument (keen-eyed watchers will remember it from the Chilean coat of arms) Pingo Trail: From Lago Grey, we’ll begin our trek along the Pingo River. After about 1.5 hours of walking, we’ll arrive at the Pingo Valley and walk through a pristine forest. This forest has not been impacted by any forest fires and has been kept completely intact. We’ll continue on the pathway, encountering a few challenging climbs and descents along the way. After leaving the forest,we’ll encounter a unique view of the Paine Range and continue walking for 2 to 2.5 hours until arriving at a viewpoint of the Pingo Cascade.

This predominantly flat trek boasts stunningly diverse natural scenery and offers the chance to feast your eyes upon a startlingly blue lake, which is secluded from all the other water systems of the area. There will be ample opportunity to spot many graceful guanacos and great grebes along the way. First we will examine the geology of the area’s turbidite rock folds, before descending the isthmus which separates Lake Sarmiento from Lake Sarmiento Chico (the two lakes were once a single mass of water), walking along a slight slope, and ambling beside the eastern edge of Lake Sarmiento Chico. We will eventually arrive at an impressive bay on the western side of Lake Sarmiento, admiring a breathtaking view which could easily be mistaken for a piece of art! Then begins our ascent back to the van, and along the way we will stumble across an awe-inspiring, panoramic vista of Lake Sarmiento from its western shore, looking towards its eastern coast glimmering on the horizon. From here we drive back eastwards along the northern shore of Sarmiento Lake until we reach the starting point of the Fauna Trail. As we walk northwards along the trail we see park fauna on the Patagonian plains including guanacos, ostrich-like ñandús and maybe the occasional puma print! We pass by Goic lagoon and after an approximate 5 km relaxed walk we reach the Laguna Amarga ranger station where we’re picked up and driven back to EcoCamp.

After breakfast, we will be driven to Pudeto dock, located on the shores of Pehoe Lake. We will board the catamaran that will take us to the north-western sector of the Lake where we will begin the challenging trek to Valle Frances (French Valley) along a steep trail that leads to the very heart of the Paine Massif. How far in we go depends on our group's trekking rhythm. A faster pace will lead us to the hanging bridge over the French River, located at the foot of the south-east face of the Massif, where we will be treated to fantastic views of the valley.We will then continue to ascend towards the upper section of the valley where we will be able to marvel at the extensive mass of the valley's geological formations: Hoja (Blade), Máscara (Mask), Espada (Sword), Catedral (Cathedral), Aleta de Tiburón (Shark’s Fin) and the magnificent Fortaleza (Fortress). After our upward trek, we will pause for a picnic and relax a while. This day's adventure will end as we descend through an undulating terrain of mixed grassland and light forest which will take us to Refugio Paine Grande, located on the peaceful shores of Lake Pehoe. From here, we will board the catamaran which will take us back to Pudeto, where we will be collected and transported back to EcoCamp.

N.B. The excursion to French Valley varies throughout the season depending on the catamaran connecting Pudeto and Refugio Pehoe:

During May (low season) the catamaran service will be out of operation. Therefore, the excursion will be replaced by an approx. 15km/7.50mi hike to Valle Encantado (Seron Woods). [Read more about the Seron Woods hike]. We will leave EcoCamp and walk on the first kilometers of the famous Torres del Paine Circuit. Some of the most beautiful Lenga trees can be found in the Seron woods, which is home to the elusive Magellanic Woodpecker and Tucuquere owl - the biggest owl in Chile. After a few gentle ups and downs we will reach a lookout where you can admire the immensity of the steppe and lakes like Laguna Azul and Laguna Amarga.The path is smooth and will allow you to relax with the constant sound of the Paine River whose waters flow from the Southern Patagonian Ice Fields.

After a hearty breakfast we set off from Ecocamp 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.

This predominantly flat trek boasts stunningly diverse winter scenery and offers the chance to feast your eyes upon a startlingly blue lake, which is secluded from all the other water systems of the area. There will be ample opportunity to spot many graceful guanacos and great grebes along the way. First we will examine the geology of the area’s turbidite rock folds, before descending the isthmus which separates Lake Sarmiento from Lake Sarmiento Chico (the two lakes were once a single mass of water), walking along a slight slope, and ambling beside the eastern edge of Lake Sarmiento Chico. We will eventually arrive at an impressive bay on the western side of Lake Sarmiento, admiring a breathtaking view which could easily be mistaken for a piece of art! Then begins our ascent back to the van, and along the way we will stumble across an awe-inspiring, panoramic vista of Lake Sarmiento from its western shore, looking towards its eastern coast glimmering on the horizon. From here we drive back eastwards along the northern shore of Sarmiento Lake until we reach the starting point of the Fauna Trail. As we walk northwards along the trail we see park fauna on the Patagonian plains including guanacos, ostrich-like ñandús and maybe the occasional puma print! We pass by Goic lagoon and after an approximate 5 km relaxed walk we reach the Laguna Amarga ranger station where we’re picked up and driven back to EcoCamp.

We begin our walk through the sinuous Cuernos Trail ,which leads us alongside the beautiful Lake Nordenskjold. During this walk we will have the opportunity to admire the park’s exquisite flora and fauna, as we enjoy the magnificent snowy views of the park’s central lakes and the Paine’s Horns, majestic black horn-like peaks of slate atop gray granite which crown the center of the Massif. We’ll continue, passing by Inge Lagoon, which is a great area for birdwatching. We’ll also have a great panoramic view of the area! Fianlly, we’ll pass a forest of Lenga and Ñirre trees before arriving at the mountain lodge.

After a hearty breakfast we set off from Ecocamp 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 snowy 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 (2,850 m/ 9,350 ft) consists 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 and rise 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. This common trail is more challenging during the winter season. Due to the snow in winter, we may advise travelers to use snowshoes.

On this excursion, we will focus on touring the eastern and central sectors of the park. Around 9 AM we will begin the adventure, stopping by the picturesque Sarmiento Lake, Mellizas Lagoon and Pehoe Lake. From here we will take a short hike to admire the magnificent view of the Paine massif and Salto Grande. It’s a great spot to admire the native flora and fauna, as well as learn about hydrology.

We leave after a tasty breakfast at EcoCamp to head to Cerro Paine, a nearby mountain characterized by its two imposing peaks. We hike along the snowy mountain for half an hour, which allows us to warm up while admiring the view of the surrounding pampas. The challenge begins as we start climbing the eastern part of Cerro Paine. We cross the lenga forest with the sound of the local birds and enjoy a few stops to observe the immense Almirante Nieto Mountain and its glacier on our left side. With any luck, we will follow the tracks of the puma as the towers come into full view. A nice place for lunch, isn’t it? As we are ready to start the steepest part of the hike, we leave the forest and hike on the rock. As we go up, we admire the spectacular panoramic view of the immense pampas and the mountains in the distance, like the Balmaceda mountain. We walk upward for about an hour up to 1500m/4920ft to reach the eastern peak of Cerro Paine, which offers an unforgettable lookout of the towers and the ascencio valley. After chilling and taking in one of the most striking views of the national park, we backtrack along the same trail and return to EcoCamp. This excursion is absolutely magical, but also very challenging. Due to the snow in winter, we may advise travelers to use snowshoes.

We start off driving across the park, admiring the view of Paine Grande and its snowy peaks, and Los Cuernos with its black, granite horn-like spires. We stop at Pudeto Dock to leave travelers doing Grey Trek and some viewpoints on the way observing and photographing herds of guanacos, Andean condors, and interesting flora. As we walk along the snow covered shores of the stunning Lake Pehoe, we will see the furious Salto Grande waterfalls where the water from Lake Nordenskjold cascades down into Pehoe. From here, we drive up to Grey Lake and wander along the beach. Here we enjoy a tasty box-lunch by the lake before embarking on a boat ride across the icy waters to the towering blue walls of Glacier Grey. After this incredible up-close look at the glacier, we drive back to EcoCamp. - *Please be aware that the Grey Glacier boat trip is subject to availability and weather conditions, so please confirm your reservation in order to participate on the day of your arrival. (*During shoulder season -September, October, April the boat trip to Glacier Grey may be canceled as the boat requires a minimum of 15 passengers to sail, which might not be reached in some cases. If this is the case we will plan an alternative excursion in the park.)

Please Note: During May, the Grey Navigation is not working. The alternative excursión is the Pingo Trail Nature Walk (9km).

We begin the drive to Lake Grey where you should pause and raise your eyes to the huge peaks of the east. This wind-swept rock monster is Cerro Ferrier which, standing at 1599m/5246 ft, makes a rewarding (but intense) hike.

First, you’ll pass through a forest that gives a fascinating insight into the diversity of austral trees. Here you’ll meet all the classics, lenga, coihue, ñire, and if you’re lucky you’ll meet the famous South American deer, the huemul, which is a national natural monument (keen-eyed watchers will remember it from the Chilean coat of arms) Pingo Trail: From Lago Grey, we’ll begin our trek along the Pingo River. After about 1.5 hours of walking, we’ll arrive at the Pingo Valley and walk through a pristine forest. This forest has not been impacted by any forest fires and has been kept completely intact. We’ll continue on the pathway, encountering a few challenging climbs and descents along the way. After leaving the forest,we’ll encounter a unique view of the Paine Range and continue walking for 2 to 2.5 hours until arriving at a viewpoint of the Pingo Cascade.