Patagonia Adventure and Tierra del Fuego
This tour explores the highlights of this remote and beautiful mountain area of Southern Patagonia. The treks will take you close to the stunning features of Paine and Fitzroy.
You are rewarded, for your efforts, with superb views of Fitzroy, Cerro Torre and the Torre Glacier. There is also an entire day dedicated to seeing the enormous Perito Moreno glacier.
Then it’s on to Chile and Paine National Park and its mountain and ice gems: the base of the triple towers of Torres, the French Valley and trekking on the Grey Glacier.
We head next to Ushuaia through some historically and geographically rich areas before exploring the Tierra del Fuego National Park and the Beagle Channel.
If you wanted a shorter trip, consider our 13 day Patagonia Adventure.
Itinerary
Day 1 We meet you at El Calafate Airport and from there you are transferred to El Calafate.
At 7 pm the group and guide meets at Hostal del Lago Libertador.
El Calafate is a small town of some four thousand inhabitants. It was, for several decades, a tiny staging post for the wagons transporting wool between remote estancias (sheep stations) and the coast.
El Calafate lies on the shore of the vast, turquoise lake Argentino and is today a gateway to the natural wonders of the Los Glaciares national park. (accommodation options – Lago Libertador with shared bathroom, hotel room or single room with private bathroom). D
Day 2 After breakfast we travel by bus to El Chalten, a small colourful town next to Mount Fitz Roy. We drive along 190 km of gravel road through the Patagonia steppe.
When we arrive in El Chalten we set of walking into the heart of the national park.
Our first day's trek takes us along a beautiful trail next to the Las Vueltas river, which gives us our first panoramic views of Mount Fitz Roy. We then head upwards through old beech forest towards the Laguna de los Patos and on to our fully equipped campsite next to the Capri Lagoon. (3 hours approx.) B, L, D.
Day 3 Early in the morning and carrying only waterproofs, some water and a camera, we walk towards Fitzroy. We have the impressive spires of the Fitzroy mountains above us. The first 2 hours are mainly flat, through forest and open grassland and bog areas, with diverse bird life; this leads us to Fitzroy Roy base camp.
From here it is a 400 metre/1,300 ft climb to Laguna De los Tres up a steep trail that takes around an hour and a half at a gentle pace. This walk is one of the highlights in the Los Glaciares national park; the views of Cerro Poincenot, Monte Fitz Roy and the other peaks surrounding these are splendid. We return to Capri Lagoon Full Camp. (5 hs approx). B, L, D
Day 4 This morning we hike around Capri Lagoon, down a trail to Madre and Hija Lagoons, then through a dense forest following the Fitz Roy River. We reach the Mount Torre Valley and continue to the glacier-fed Laguna Torre where the Fitz Roy river begins. Full camp, Torre Lagoon. B, L , D.
Day 5 In the morning we explore the area close to Laguna Torre, with very good views of the Mount Solo and the Adela Glacier. Optionally, you can choose to do a trek on the Torre Glacier. We don crampons (provided) and trek on the glacier’s surface and develop our ice climbing skills (harness and ice axes provided). We return to El Chaltén to our hostel. B, L, D.
Day 6 In the morning there is free time. Options include: exploring the town of El Chalten, visiting the Climbers Chapel; or the Mazden family country house, one of the pioneering families in the area; the Del Desierto Lake located 45 Km out of town or the vistor centre of the national park. Around 5 pm we head for El Calafate by bus, arriving around 21.00 and transferring to the hostel. B
Day 7 After breakfast we depart by bus to the Magallanes peninsula, the entrance of The Glaciers national park. Its centrepiece is the Perito Moreno Glacier, which, because of unusually favourable local conditions, is one of the world’s few advancing glaciers. We go down to the lakeside to board a boat (optional trip) that takes us on a spectacular short cruise along the front of the glacier. We return to El Calafate. B
Day 8 We depart early in the morning (around 7 am) from El Calafate to Torres del Paine through a spectacular landscape of Patagonia steppe. In the afternoon, we visit several panoramic viewpoints along Nordenskjöld Lake, with superb views of the Cuernos del Paine (Paine Horns). Camp at Pehoe. B, D
Day 9 After breakfast, we transfer by bus to the trail head at Las Torres hosteria. We cross a suspension bridge and head up the slopes of the Almirante Nieto mountain, alongside the gushing Ascencio River. After one hour of climbing the trail flattens out, and we reach the Chileno Refuge. From there the trail leads us through the forest, through beautiful old southern beech forests, to Las Torres base camp. This is where climbers wait for good weather conditions to climb the granite spires of Las Torres. We trek for one more hour up rocky morraine - a bit of a scramble in places - and reach the Las Torres viewpoint, an amazing natural amphitheatre at the bottom of the vertical granite towers. We return the same way - a 7/8 hour trek in total. Full camp at Pehoe. B, L, D.
Day 10 Early in the morning we take a catamaran for the 45 minute crossing of Pehoe Lake, embarking at Puerto Pudeto and arriving at the Pehoe refuge area. We walk from there to the French Valley. This is a beautiful mountain valley descending right in the heart of the massif toward the Nordenskjold Lake, flanked by the Horns to the east and by the impressive Paine Grande (3050 meters/10006 ft) to the west.
We head up the valley to some excellent look-out spots. These are located in a natural amphitheatre surrounded by some of the most spectacular needles and walls of the massif. We descend the same trail and turn west, skirting Skottberg Lake until we arrive back at the Pehoe camp. B, L, D
Day 11 Another unforgettable day dedicated to the Grey Glacier viewpoint. We get several breathtaking views of the glacier during our two hour trek to the viewpoint. From the viewpoint it is possible the whole lake, the glacier and the mountains that emerge from the west of the ice field. We head back to Lago Pehoe for the noon boat across the water, pick up our stuff at camp, and then drive to Puerto Natales. This is a picturesque fishing town located on the shores of the Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope) fiord, where you can relax and enjoy a shower and a beer! B, L.
Day 12 We leave Natales and continue south and reach the legendary Magellan Strait, which stays in view until we reach Primera Angostura. Here, we board a ferry in which we cross the Strait. This Pass, discovered by Hernando de Magallanes in 1520, was the natural and logical way for all vessels to go around the continent until the Panama Channel was opened at the beginning of the 20th century. You find yourself wondering how those men dared to sail those waters in such fragile boats.
Once in Tierra del Fuego (literally, Land of Fire - due to the fires seen by the first white sailors arriving on the coast. These fires were made by the local Indians to cook with and for heat) we head back into Argentina through Paso San Sebastián. After a couple more hours, we reach Estancia Las Hijas, where our Full Camp is waiting for us, as well as a lamb cooked in the classical Patagonian barbecue style. A dining saloon, toilets and showers are available tonight. B, L, D
Day 13 In the morning we learn about the Estancia's working activities. At mid morning, we travel south to Solar del Bosque, a small and cozy mountain refuge located in the Tierra Mayor valley, where we spend the rest of the day.
After lunch, we hike to Laguna Esmeralda, a beautiful lagoon with Glacier Ojos del Albino in the background. We walk back to our lodge across terrain that has been modified by the beavers, which were introduced in the area from Canada in middle of the last century. Lodging in Mountain Lodge with shared bedrooms and bathrooms B, L, D
Day 14 In the morning we head to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world - and the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Here, the snow-capped peaks drop dramatically into the sea and we head off for a series of short walks through this coastal park.
After having lunch, we have a short boat trip on the Beagle Channel. The Beagle Channel forms part of the border between Argentina and Chile. In addition to the great scenery, we should see many species of marine mammals and birds before we return to our hostel or hotel. B, L
Day 15 Morning at your own leisure to visit the town which features some interesting museums and architecture. In the afternoon we take you to Ushuaia Airport. (Breakfast)
Please note: You carry all your personal belongings (about 50 litre rucksack) with you in Fitzroy - sleeping bags and mats are provided at the full camps.
Day 2 is half a day with a full rucksack.
Day 3 is day pack only.
Day 4 is a half day with a full rucksack.
Day 5 is a half day with a full rucksack.
You carry a day pack only in Paine.
Check our Books and Maps section where you will find a range of literature to help you get the most out of your South American adventure.
|
