Trekking in Southern Patagonia, DISCOVERING TORRES DEL PAINE (7D/6N) <br><font color=red>Special New Year's Departure!</font>

Day 1 We recommend you take the early flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas (4 hours), flying over the Andes and observing incredible views of the Patagonian Ice Fields. Upon your arrival in Punta Arenas, the most southern city on the continent, a private transfer will be waiting to take you to Torres Del Paine National Park. (Chile Nativo will offer a pick-up from the airport at 3:20 PM, corresponding with LAN airline, Flight # LA293, or at 3 PM from your hotel in town). (Flight numbers and times subject to change)
As we leave Punta Arenas we will be able to see the Strait of Magellan and the island Tierra del Fuego. Shortly after leaving the airport, we will stop at the Magellan penguin colony on Otway Sound. Our 3-hour drive will take us through open pampas and huge ranches (estancias) and chances are we will be able to observe one of the most typical animals in this area, the ñandu, (similar to ostrich). We arrive to Puerto Natales, located on the Sound of Last Hope, a typical fishing town surrounded by mountains and our lodging for the first night at the trendy Indigo Hotel, with an amazing view of the mountains and located in front of the ocean. After we settle in, we’ll have a welcome dinner with the Chile Nativo guide regarding the program. (4 hours by private transfer) (D) (Night at Hotel Indigo)

Day 2 After a good breakfast we head out driving along an unpaved road to the Torres Del Paine National Park. Upon entering the park we will have excellent photographic and birding opportunities as we drive alongside lagoons frequented by Chilean flamencos and black-necked swans. Today’s hike is on a gentle trail following the border of the park and offers opportunities to see guanacos (Llama family) and the Andean Condor. During the next two nights, you can take advantage of one of the services in the Spa Las Torres (the only full service spa in the park).
(2 hours by private transfer, 3 hours hike) (B-BL-D) (Night at Hotel Las Torres)

Day 3 We begin our first full day trek, heading to the base of the Towers lookout point following the Ascencio River before entering the Ascencio Valley. Our walk will be uphill for one hour, stopping to observe the first glimpses of the valley and panoramic views of the Lake Nordenskjold. During the following 2 hours, we’ll walk through unbelievable forests of tall deciduous beech (Nothofagus Pumilio) and waterfalls, and then continue ascending through a huge terminal moraine up to a photographic view point (900m). From here we will be surrounded by three giant granite towers (2850m) and a lagoon with slurry waters resulting from glacial erosion. We will stop here for lunch, taking our time to enjoy this astonishing scenery, before our descent returning along the same path back to our hotel.
(7-8 hours back and forth, 18KM) (B-BL-D) (Night at Hotel Las Torres)

Day 4 We drive to the west side of the Park going around Almirante Nieto Mountain (2750 M) with Nordenskjold Lake at its base. We will take a catamaran across Lake Pehoe to commence our out and back trek to the French valley. We will start going around the southwest side of Paine Grande, the highest summit in the Park, through native forests of fire bush and evergreen beech (Nothofagus Bethuloides), up to the hanging bridge over the French River to observe the first glimpses of the hanging glacier. Then we will ascend (300m) for one hour amidst a surreal Japanese garden landscape, crossing beech forests, to reach a viewpoint, gifting us with magnificent panoramic views, where we enjoy a good lunch. Our way back will be the same, taking the catamaran and then the private transfer to the administration area, where we lodge on the shore of the Serrano River with amazing views of the Paine Massif.
(1 hour and a half by private transfer, 6 hours walk, 35 minutes by catamaran each way, 17KM) (B-BL-D) (Night at Hotel Rio Serrano)

Day 5 Early in the morning we start our day by going to the Pingo Valley for a walk to the “Cascada los Salmones” where we’ll stop to take in the view before returning back along the same trail, with a chance to find the elusive Huemul (Andean Deer). We enjoy a picnic lunch at the shore of the Pingo River and in the afternoon we start our adventure to the Glacier Grey by boat.. In order to get to the boat we will walk through a mature beech forest where we might observe woodpeckers. We will navigate about one hour through icebergs of different tones of blue up to the Grey glacier, where we will stay for a while in front of the glacier in the hope of seeing icebergs calve. Our return journey offers views of Paine Grande with its impressive ice mushrooms.
(In the morning: 30 minutes private transfer, 3 hours hike. In the afternoon: 30 minutes walk, 3 hours by ship, 30 minutes by private transfer ) (B-BL-D) (Night at Hotel Rio Serrano)

Day 6 We will start a hike on a one-way path with panoramic glimpses of the park. According to the season we should be able to see specific flowers such as orchids, calceolarias, and neneos or maybe even experience the flight of the condor. Once we are at the highest point of the trail we connect to the rarely visited trail heading to Estancia Lazo and its Hosteria Mirador del Payne which are located outside the park. The Estancia Lazo, it is a huge cattle center dating from the last century, with magnificent views of the Paine Massive and Laguna Verde. The rooms are very comfortable; the main Estancia's house has been remodeled as a dining room-bar, keeping it cozy and country style. A typical Patagonian style lamb barbecue will be waiting for us at the Estancia-Hosteria where we will spend the night.
(20 minutes by private transfer, 5 hours hike) (B-BL-BBQ) (Night at Estancia-Hosteria Mirador Del Payne)

Day 7 We will take a private transfer to Punta Arenas. (Clients should take the flight at 05:00PM, from LAN airline, flight #LA996, arriving to Santiago at 8:20 PM) , if you decide to stay the night in Punta Arenas; we will drop you at your hotel.(Flight numbers and times subject to change)

(5 hours by private transfer) (B)

REGARDING THE SCHEDULE The schedules indicated above are subject to change due to weather conditions or unexpected circumstances beyond our control, but we will try our best to keep them unaltered

INCLUDED

-All the private transportation indicated in the schedule

-Entrance fee to Seno Otway Penguin colony

-One night at Hotel Indigo (Twin standard room)

-Entrance fee to Torres del Paine National Park

-Two nights at Hosteria Las Torres (Canelo Twin room)

-Catamaran to cross Pehoe Lake

-Two nights at Hotel Rio Serrano (Twin Superior room)

-Boat to Grey Glacier

-One night at Hosteria Mirador del Payne (Twin standard room)

-All meals indicated in the schedule (B: breakfast, BL: picnic lunch, L: Lunch, D: dinner, BBQ: barbecue)

-Guide (English-Spanish languages)
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NOT INCLUDED

-Flight to Santiago, Chile

-Internal Flight Santiago - Punta Arenas

-Any additional nights

-Medical expenses

-Insurance of any kind

-Personal expenses

-Alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks

-Gratuities for Guide & Driver
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Weather in Patagonia

Chilean Patagonia is famous for its unpredictable weather. Because of the possibility of experiencing all four seasons in one day, it is important to be prepared for anything. The wind is the main factor prevailing during spring and summer, sometimes reaching over 100 kms/hour. Summer temperatures (December-March) fluctuate between 4°C (39°F) and 15°C (59°F), even sometimes reaching 25°C (77°F). In Winter the temperature is typically between -10ºC and 10ºC, but this is a dry cold. There is also a higher probability of stable weather between May and October.
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Aventura en la Patagonia

Nuestro viaje comienza en Punta Arenas, capital de la XII Región, conocida como Región de Magallanes. Esta ciudad es la puerta de entrada a la Patagonia Chilena, Tierra de Fuego y la Antártida y, como tal, nos recibe un furioso viento, que nos hace imposible imaginar cómo con un clima así el hombre europeo fue capaz en el siglo XVI de llegar en carabelas de más de cien toneladas a estas inhóspitas tierras. Tras esta pequeña reflexión partimos hacia Puerto Natales. Durante el trayecto la belleza agreste de la mítica Pampa y la compañía de los guanacos crean un paisaje espectacular, insólito y, a su vez, solitario, dándole un aspecto mágico y misterioso. Tras kilómetros y kilómetros de llanura divisamos Puerto Natales, antesala de hielos y montañas, y las inmensas Torres de granito del Parque Nacional Torres del Paine salvaguardando el horizonte. Una vez en la ciudad hacemos un pequeño descanso antes de empezar a sentir emociones más fuertes. El viaje ha sido largo y decidimos disfrutar, por un momento, de la apacible tarde paseando por los fiordos de alrededor contemplando cómo los cisnes de cuello negro nadan plácidamente entre cormoranes y otras aves marinas. Decidimos continuar nuestro viaje deseosos de poder llegar cuanto antes a nuestro destino final: el Parque Nacional de Torres del Paine.

Partimos en dirección al lago Grey bordeando la Laguna Azul y la Laguna Amarga. Esta última refleja en sus aguas color turquesa, siempre que el viento se lo permite, las colosales Torres del Paine con sus cumbres escarpadas. Seguimos bordeando el Lago Nordenskjöld para subir al Valle del Francés con su impresionante laguna glaciar en la base de las Torres del Paine. Aquí la sensación de grandeza e intimidad es difícil de describir, ya que en lugares como éstos es mejor no decir nada y limitarse a disfrutar de cada minuto que allí se pasa.

Dejamos atrás el Lago Nordenskjöld para atravesar el río Paine. Debemos cruzar por el puente Weber. Debido a que el río baja muy crecido ya que estamos en época de deshielo, el cruce es difícil y tenemos que extremar las precauciones. Un movimiento erróneo provocaría un fatal accidente. Nuestro guía, experto en situaciones como ésta, opta por explorar el terreno de forma exhaustiva. Al final decidimos pasar, no sin sufrir algún pequeño susto. La adrenalina fluye por nuestras venas casi a la misma velocidad que el agua transcurre por el río.

Tras esta intensa anécdota llegamos al Lago Grey y divisamos al otro extremo el impresionante Glaciar Grey. El Glaciar Grey se desplaza por un majestuoso valle rodeado de montañas, tomando la forma de una inmensa lengua de hielo. Para llegar a él lo podemos hacer o bien siguiendo senderos que bordean la ribera este del lago, o bien en bote navegando por el lago Grey.

Si elegimos la segunda opción navegaremos por un cementerio de témpanos que flotan por el lago como consecuencia del avance del glaciar hacia la costa del lago provocando ruidosas rupturas de bloques de hielo en su cara frontal.

Al llegar a las paredes del glaciar un escalofrío recorre nuestro cuerpo; la sensación de majestuosidad impresiona bastante. Las paredes frontales del glaciar alcanzan una altura de sesenta metros. La nieve que se acumula en las cuencas superiores se compacta eliminando el aire, y se transforma en la masa azulada del glaciar que luego avanza hacia el frente.

Oscar & Nieves

Noviembre 2002

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