W Trek Torres del Paine National Park

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. En route there will be a couple of stops - First in Puerto Natales, a small, lively town on the shores of "Seno de Ultima Esperanza", where you will 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 journey is scenic and highly atmospheric, featuring many wild birds and wonderful Patagonian landscapes. The day ends with arrival at EcoCamp Patagonia (optional) for an overnight stay. The EcoCamp is nestled in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park and with a prime view of the majestic Torres. Sunset is usually around 11pm during the summer months, meaning that there will still be enough daylight for you to admire the Patagonian steppe with its guanacos and snow-peaked mountain horizon once you arrive.

You will being your Patagonian adventure with a pleasant walk through the sinuous Cuernos Trail which leads alongside the beautiful Lake Nordenskjold. During this warm-up walk we will have the opportunity to admire the park's exquisite flora and fauna, as well as magnificent views of the park's central lakes and the Paine's Horns. The trek ends at Refugio Los Cuernos, a small and cozy mountain refuge located by the shores of Lake Nordenskjold. Alternatively the trek ends at Domo el Francés, located between Cuernos and Italiano camping sites, with an amazing view of Nordenskjöld lake. The evening is free for relaxing and enjoying dinner.

After breakfast at Refugio Los Cuernos, you 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 you go depends on the group's trekking rhythm. A swifter walk will lead to the hanging bridge over the French River, located at the foot of the south east face of the Massif, where you will be treated to fantastic views of the valley. You will then continue to ascend towards the upper section of the valley where you 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 the upward trek, you will pause for a picnic and relax a while. This day's trek will end as you descend through an undulating terrain of mixed grassland and light forest which will take you to Refugio Paine Grande.

N.B. An optional trek to Mirador Britanico is also available.

Today you will hike from Paine Grande Refugio along the shores of Lake Pehoe to the northern side of the glacially beautiful Lake Grey. You will feast on a picnic lunch before boarding the boat that sails right to the huge, crystalline facade of Glacier Grey, where there is plenty of time to marvel at the calving glacier. From the southern end of Glacier Grey you will transfer to EcoCamp.Due to the temperamental weather of the region, boat trips across the lake may occasionally be restricted during Shoulder Season (October and April) or cancelled if the required minimum of 10 passengers is not reached. If either is the case, you will trek up to the sightseeing point and profit from wonderful, panoramic views of the Glacier instead. Then you return on foot to Paine Grande and take a catamaran to Pudeto's dock, where you will be picked up and driven to EcoCamp.

The goal of your fifth day of the 7-day Trek will be to complete the most famous trekking trail in Torres del Paine National Park! You will walk from the campsite towards Hostería Las Torres before ascending to Ascencio Valley on the Tower's eastern face. Mountain ridges, beech forests and small rivers line the scenic walk towards the valley. The big challenge comes in the form of the steep moraine, a huge mass of boulders which will lead us to that iconic base-view of the Towers - Three gigantic granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by the forces of glacial ice. After a tough uphill climb, the Towers eventually come into full view, rising majestically before you, with the glacial lake visible below. Is there any better place in the world to have lunch? After feasting on the view and your picnic, you will backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to EcoCamp for a well-deserved dinner.

The sixth day will consist of a less strenuous trail in order to counter the exhausting efforts of the previous day. After breakfast, you will take a leisurely car journey towards Laguna Azul, passing Cañadón Macho, home to many wild guanacos and ñandúes, en route. You will pause occasionally to admire the views of the Patagonian steppe and the towers from a different perspetive. At Laguna Azul, you will hike to the lookout point where you will be treated to a gorgeous view of both the lagoon and granite towers. After lunch, you will drive to the northern shore of Sarmiento Lake where the Fauna Trail begins. As you hike northbound, you will spot an impressive range of Patagonian fauna on the vast plains, including: guanacos, ostrich-like ñandús and maybe the occasional puma print! You will pass the charming Goic lagoon and after approximately 5km of relaxed walking, you will reach the Laguna Amarga ranger station where you will be picked up and driven back to Ecocamp to celebrate over a farewell dinner.

*Please note that if there are more than 6 travelers in the group, there's an option to split into two groups, with one group (or the whole group if everybody's in the mood!) cycling to Laguna Azul!

You will board an early morning vehicle, sit back, relax, and enjoy a scenic ride back to Punta Arenas in time to catch the evening flight to Santiago. Or, alternatively, board an early morning vehicle to the border to continue your journey to El Calafate.