2018-19 Patagonia Trek Itineraries Patagonia Trek Itinerary: Trek #1 (*Optional Fitz Roy Extension) Day Trek #2 Details Day 1 Dec. 28, 2018 Depart Home [**You may need to depart home Dec. 27. w/ stopover in Santiago to catch the Dec. 29 connection to Puerto Natales in Santiago] Day 2 Dec. 29, 2018 Fly LATAM/LAN Airlines Santiago Puerto Natales. Afternoon arrival in Puerto Natales. Transfer to hotel. Check-in and settle in! Afternoon/evening gear checks. Day 3 Dec. 30, 2018 Free Day to explore. Puerto Natales is a great little town. Some of us might rent bikes, others might choose to explore town on their own. Day 4 Dec. 31, 2018 We'll enjoy an early morning breakfast before our private transfer from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine National Park where we begin our trek up the Ascencio Valley along the wild river (of the same name) making our way through a forest of Lenga trees. We ll check into Refugio Chileno and drop off some gear before continuing up the trail to the towers. We ll reach the towers in the early to later afternoon. The towers stay pretty well hidden throughout the day and eventually (weather permitting) appear right before our eyes as if they came from nowhere!. After taking in the towers we ll head back to the refugio for dinner. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 7hrs / Distance 15km / Refugio Chileno) Day 5 January 1, 2019 Day packs today! Today we ll wake up and head back up towards the towers but will continue past them and on up into the Silence Valley. The Silence Valley requires a special permit to trek in so it s quite common to have the entire valley to ourselves. As we make our way up above tree like we continue around the corner eventually finding the backside of the towers. We can continue on as far as we like once we re satisfied with the day we ll head back down to Chileno for our second night. Note that if we missed the towers yesterday due to weather we ll take the morning or afternoon opportunity to see them again, a nice insurance policy built into our itinerary. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 8hrs / Distance 15-20km / Refugio Chileno) Day 6 January 2, 2019 After breakfast at Refugio Chileno we will trek down to, and alongside, Lake Nordenskjold and below the hanging glaciers of Mount Almirante Nieto, until we will reach Refugio Los Cuernos at base of Los Cuernos. We ll stay here for two nights. The refugio is in a great location, right on the lake and is a popular spot for great sunrise and sunset photos. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 6hrs / Distance 14km / Refugio Los Cuernos)
Patagonia Trek with International Mountain Guides page 2 of 6 Day 7 January 3, 2019 Day packs today! After breakfast, we'll head into Bader Valley. Bader Valley, also known as the Forgotten Valley, is one of last untouched areas in the park and is surrounded by the granite walls of Mascara (Mask - 2,300 meters), Hoja (Leaf - 2,200 meters) and Espada (Sword - 2,500 meters). Like the Silence Valley, the Bader Valley requires a special permit making our group likely the only people in the valley. The huge surrounding walls, and ever growing views is always a highlight for trekkers. Look up condors are often circling in the thermals above. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 8-9hrs / Distance 12km / Refugio Los Cuernos) Day 8 January 4, 2019 Today we'll trek to the famous French Valley. A lot of trekkers consider the French Valley the most beautiful in the park and one of the most unique in the world. It is surrounded by hanging glaciers (where you can see and hear the ice calving off at various times during the day) and an amphitheater of granite walls and spires. There are amazing views throughout this day and the further you trek into the valley the better they become! After the French Valley, everybody notices the unique turquoise color of Lake Pehoe, where our next refugio awaits. We'll spend the night at Lodge Paine Grande where you can enjoy a Pisco Sour in the bar that overlooks Paine Grande and Los Cuernos. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 8hrs / Distance 20km / Refugio Paine Grande) Day 9 January 5, 2019 Today is a relatively easy day. After breakfast, we ll load up and trek alongside Lago Grey. The Grey Glacier comes into view after a couple hours on the trail and remains the prominent feature for the next few days. The Grey Glacier is as stunning as it is huge - 104 square miles - 17 miles long. We ll pull into Refugio Grey for lunch and spend the afternoon exploring the area. If it s a nice day we ll take advantage of the weather and take the optional ($100) 2-3 hour kayak tour it s worth every penny! (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 4hrs / Distance 11km / Refugio Grey Day 10 January 6, 2019 Day packs today! We ll spend the day trekking along Grey Glacier taking in the panoramic views of the glacier. We ll cross a couple bridges and maybe even a ladder or two to get to a few different viewpoints. If we missed the kayaking yesterday we ll jump in the kayaks in the morning or afternoon today, weather permitting of course. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 6hrs / Distance 10km / Refugio Grey) Day 11 January 7, 2019 Early risers will wake up to take advantage of the morning light; others might sleep in a bit. No big agenda today. It s an opportunity to get packed up, kayak if we missed it the previous two days or head down to the lookout again. We ll meet back up for lunch then we'll hop on board the Grey III which will take us across Lago Grey not before swinging right up next to the calving glacier. We'll sip on our Pisco Sour as we recant the highlights of the trek or take a nap. Our van awaits us on the other side of the lake. 2hrs in the van we re back in Puerto Natales for showers, some souvenir shopping and a farewell dinner. (Breakfast & Lunch / Trekking: 0hrs / Distance: 0km / Hotel in Puerto Natales)
Patagonia Trek with International Mountain Guides page 3 of 6 Day 12 January 8, 2019 For those not on the extension you can enjoy a casual morning in Puerto Natales before your flights to Santiago. Extension Begins: We'll hop in our private transportation across the Chile/Argentina Border and make our way to El Calafate. Total drive time is 4-5 hours depending on the border crossing. We'll enjoy lunch en El Calafate and explore the town in the afternoon. (Breakfast / Trekking: 0hrs / Distance: 0km / Hotel) Day 13 January 9, 2019 We'll enjoy a full day in El Calafate exploring the Perito Moreno Glacier area of Los Glaciares National Park. A 1-hour boat tour to get an up close and personal view of the glacier will be the highlight of the day. We'll return to Calafate for dinner at a local restaurant & stay at our hotel. (Breakfast / Trekking 4hr / Distance 7km / Hotel) Day 14 January 10, 2019 Today we'll wake up and make our way to El Chalten, home of Fitz Roy! The drive is a pleasant one featuring views of South America's 3rd largest lake, Lago Argentino. Keep your eyes open for Fitz Roy! We'll hit the trail in the afternoon for a relatively easy hike up the Cerro Torre trail. Highlights on this hike include views of Cerro Torre, Fitz Roy and the Torre Glacier above Laguna Torre. Keep your eyes peeled for ice calving off the glacier. The day wraps up back at our hotel in Chalten & dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants. (Breakfast / Trekking 7hrs / Distance 18km / Hotel) Day 15 January 11, 2019 Today is a big day. After a short drive to the trail head we'll start our trek along the Rio Electrico & Rio Blanco making our way to the Fitz Roy climbers base camp area for a nice break. From there we'll continue our ascent to Laguna de Los Tres. From the lakes edge we'll soak in the vertical walls of the east face of Fitz Roy and it's surround spires. Don't miss the Piedras Blancas Glacier! After a picnic lunch, we'll make our way back down to the climber's base camp and on down to Chalten for the evening. (Breakfast, Lunch / Trekking 8hrs / Distance 19km / Hotel) Day 16 January 12, 2019 Another full day today! We'll leave Chalten on foot and take the less traveled Loma del Pliegue Tumbado trail. The trail takes us through the forest to the tree line where we'll hike across scree eventually getting to the summit of one of the three peaks of Pliegue Tumbado. From here we'll be able to appreciate Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre and their surrounding valleys. From here, you guessed it, it's back to Chalten and a dinner at another one of our favorite local restaurants. (Breakfast, Lunch / Trekking 8hrs / Distance 19km / Hotel) Day 17 January 13, 2019 After breakfast, we'll make our way to the airport in El Calafate to start the long journey home. We'll arrive at the airport around 12:00pm requiring afternoon or evening departure flights. Day 18 January 14, 2019 Home
Patagonia Trek with International Mountain Guides page 4 of 6 Patagonia Trek Itinerary: Trek #2 (*Optional Fitz Roy Extension) Day Trek #2 Details Day 1 February 3, 2019 Depart Home [**You may need to depart home Feb. 2 w/ stopover in Santiago to catch the Feb. 4 connection to Puerto Natales in Santiago] Day 2 February 4, 2019 Fly LATAM/LAN Airlines Santiago Puerto Natales. Afternoon arrival in Puerto Natales. Transfer to hotel. Check-in and settle in! Afternoon/evening gear checks. Day 3 February 5, 2019 Free Day to explore. Puerto Natales is a great little town. Some of us might rent bikes, others might choose to explore town on their own. Day 4 February 6, 2019 We'll enjoy an early morning breakfast before our private transfer from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine National Park where we begin our trek up the Ascencio Valley along the wild river (of the same name) making our way through a forest of Lenga trees. We ll check into Refugio Chileno and drop off some gear before continuing up the trail to the towers. We ll reach the towers in the early to later afternoon. The towers stay pretty well hidden throughout the day and eventually (weather permitting) appear right before our eyes as if they came from nowhere!. After taking in the towers we ll head back to the refugio for dinner. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 7hrs / Distance 15km / Refugio Chileno) Day 5 February 7, 2019 Day packs today! Today we ll wake up and head back up towards the towers but will continue past them and on up into the Silence Valley. The Silence Valley requires a special permit to trek in so it s quite common to have the entire valley to ourselves. As we make our way up above tree like we continue around the corner eventually finding the backside of the towers. We can continue on as far as we like once we re satisfied with the day we ll head back down to Chileno for our second night. Note that if we missed the towers yesterday due to weather we ll take the morning or afternoon opportunity to see them again, a nice insurance policy built into our itinerary. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 8hrs / Distance 15-20km / Refugio Chileno) Day 6 February 8, 2019 After breakfast at Refugio Chileno we will trek down to, and alongside, Lake Nordenskjold and below the hanging glaciers of Mount Almirante Nieto, until we will reach Refugio Los Cuernos at base of Los Cuernos. We ll stay here for two nights. The refugio is in a great location, right on the lake and is a popular spot for great sunrise and sunset photos. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 6hrs / Distance 14km / Refugio Los Cuernos) Day 7 February 9, 2019 Day packs today! After breakfast, we'll head into Bader Valley. Bader Valley, also known as the Forgotten Valley, is one of last untouched areas in the park and is surrounded by the granite walls of Mascara (Mask - 2,300 meters), Hoja (Leaf - 2,200 meters) and Espada (Sword - 2,500 meters). Like the Silence Valley, the Bader Valley requires a special permit making our group likely the only people in the valley. The huge surrounding walls, and ever growing views is always a highlight for trekkers. Look up condors are often circling in the thermals above. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 8-9hrs / Distance 12km / Refugio Los Cuernos)
Patagonia Trek with International Mountain Guides page 5 of 6 Day 8 February 10, 2019 Today we'll trek to the famous French Valley. A lot of trekkers consider the French Valley the most beautiful in the park and one of the most unique in the world. It is surrounded by hanging glaciers (where you can see and hear the ice calving off at various times during the day) and an amphitheater of granite walls and spires. There are amazing views throughout this day and the further you trek into the valley the better they become! After the French Valley, everybody notices the unique turquoise color of Lake Pehoe, where our next refugio awaits. We'll spend the night at Lodge Paine Grande where you can enjoy a Pisco Sour in the bar that overlooks Paine Grande and Los Cuernos. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 8hrs / Distance 20km / Refugio Paine Grande) Day 9 February 11, 2019 Today is a relatively easy day. After breakfast, we ll load up and trek alongside Lago Grey. The Grey Glacier comes into view after a couple hours on the trail and remains the prominent feature for the next few days. The Grey Glacier is as stunning as it is huge - 104 square miles - 17 miles long. We ll pull into Refugio Grey for lunch and spend the afternoon exploring the area. If it s a nice day we ll take advantage of the weather and take the optional ($100) 2-3 hour kayak tour it s worth every penny! (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 4hrs / Distance 11km / Refugio Grey Day 10 February 12, 2019 Day packs today! We ll spend the day trekking along Grey Glacier taking in the panoramic views of the glacier. We ll cross a couple bridges and maybe even a ladder or two to get to a few different viewpoints. If we missed the kayaking yesterday we ll jump in the kayaks in the morning or afternoon today, weather permitting of course. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner / Trekking 6hrs / Distance 10km / Refugio Grey) Day 11 February 13, 2019 Early risers will wake up to take advantage of the morning light; others might sleep in a bit. No big agenda today. It s an opportunity to get packed up, kayak if we missed it the previous two days or head down to the lookout again. We ll meet back up for lunch then we'll hop on board the Grey III which will take us across Lago Grey not before swinging right up next to the calving glacier. We'll sip on our Pisco Sour as we recant the highlights of the trek or take a nap. Our van awaits us on the other side of the lake. 2hrs in the van we re back in Puerto Natales for showers, some souvenir shopping and a farewell dinner. (Breakfast & Lunch / Trekking: 0hrs / Distance: 0km / Hotel in Puerto Natales) Day 12 February 14, 2019 For those not on the extension you can enjoy a casual morning in Puerto Natales before your flights to Santiago. Extension Begins: We'll hop in our private transportation across the Chile/Argentina Border and make our way to El Calafate. Total drive time is 4-5 hours depending on the border crossing. We'll enjoy lunch en El Calafate and explore the town in the afternoon. (Breakfast / Trekking: 0hrs / Distance: 0km / Hotel)
Patagonia Trek with International Mountain Guides page 6 of 6 Day 13 February 15, 2019 We'll enjoy a full day in El Calafate exploring the Perito Moreno Glacier area of Los Glaciares National Park. A 1-hour boat tour to get an up close and personal view of the glacier will be the highlight of the day. We'll return to Calafate for dinner at a local restaurant & stay at our hotel. (Breakfast / Trekking 4hr / Distance 7km / Hotel) Day 14 February 16, 2019 Today we'll wake up and make our way to El Chalten, home of Fitz Roy! The drive is a pleasant one featuring views of South America's 3rd largest lake, Lago Argentino. Keep your eyes open for Fitz Roy! We'll hit the trail in the afternoon for a relatively easy hike up the Cerro Torre trail. Highlights on this hike include views of Cerro Torre, Fitz Roy and the Torre Glacier above Laguna Torre. Keep your eyes peeled for ice calving off the glacier. The day wraps up back at our hotel in Chalten & dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants. (Breakfast / Trekking 7hrs / Distance 18km / Hotel) Day 15 February 17, 2019 Today is a big day. After a short drive to the trail head we'll start our trek along the Rio Electrico & Rio Blanco making our way to the Fitz Roy climbers base camp area for a nice break. From there we'll continue our ascent to Laguna de Los Tres. From the lakes edge we'll soak in the vertical walls of the east face of Fitz Roy and it's surround spires. Don't miss the Piedras Blancas Glacier! After a picnic lunch, we'll make our way back down to the climber's base camp and on down to Chalten for the evening. (Breakfast, Lunch / Trekking 8hrs / Distance 19km / Hotel) Day 16 February 18, 2019 Another full day today! We'll leave Chalten on foot and take the less traveled Loma del Pliegue Tumbado trail. The trail takes us through the forest to the tree line where we'll hike across scree eventually getting to the summit of one of the three peaks of Pliegue Tumbado. From here we'll be able to appreciate Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre and their surrounding valleys. From here, you guessed it, it's back to Chalten and a dinner at another one of our favorite local restaurants. (Breakfast, Lunch / Trekking 8hrs / Distance 19km / Hotel) Day 17 February 19, 2019 After breakfast, we'll make our way to the airport in El Calafate to start the long journey home. We'll arrive at the airport around 12:00pm requiring afternoon or evening departure flights. Day 18 February 20, 2019 Home