Overview
A short and sweet, highlights-only Torres del Paine experience. Hike and boat the famous W trail’s three major attractions. On this 3-day trip you’ll trek the French Valley, come close to the icy walls of Grey Glacier and hike to the Base of the famous Towers, while recharging each night in a private and intimate deluxe belle tent in our Riverside Camp.
Trip Highlights
• Hike the Challenging French Valley • Get Up Close to Pristine Rivers, Glaciers, & Lakes • Daily Panoramic Views • Experience Wild Fauna in Their Natural Habitat • Boat Navigation Across Iceberg-Dotted Grey Lake • Trek to the Base of the Famous Three Towers • Secluded Deluxe Belle Tent in Our Riverside Camp
Trip length
3 Days
Trip Level
2
From USD
$1,395 per person
Start / End
Puerto Natales
Spaces:
Min 2 / Max 8 People
Season:
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL
Itinerary
Day 1
Transfer Puerto Natales - Round Trip Hike of the French Valley
2 hours by private transfer
35 minutes by catamaran each way
7-8 hours hiking, 17 km
30 minutes by private transfer
Night at Chile Nativo Riverside Camp (BL-D)
Our day begins at 7:00AM in Puerto Natales where your guide and private transport picks you up from your hotel or accommodation. As we travel to Torres del Paine along unpaved roads and past lagoons and pampas we are accompanied at times by the guanacos (relatives of llamas), grey foxes, Chilean flamingos and black-necked swans that call this region home. Entering the National Park, we’ll cross Pehoe Lake by catamaran and arrive at the starting point of today’s return trek. Our destination, the French Valley, is a spectacular natural basin surrounded by peaks and hanging glaciers. At the entrance to the French Valley - a huge glacial moraine - you’ll scramble over boulders and catch the first sight of the hanging glacier atop the valley. From this point, you’ll ascend for an hour through a dreamlike Japanese garden landscape before arriving at the French Valley viewpoint (the “Plateau”). Your reward is a heart-stirring bird’s eye view of granite peaks and hanging glaciers. To one side, the French Glacier and Paine Grande (3050 m); while to the other, La Espada, La Hoja, La Máscara and the main and north “horns” of Los Cuernos arch upwards. In the upper section of the Valley, Cerro Catedral and Cerro Fortaleza loom like turrets above the landscape. Take your time to have lunch at the viewpoint, surrounded by these imposing peaks and open skies. Our return hike is along the same track. We’ll take the short catamaran ride back across Pehoe Lake, and a 35 minute private transfer will drive us to Chile Nativo´s Riverside Camp. A freshly prepared welcome dinner welcomes us as we share unforgettable views of the Paine Massif from the spacious dining lodge. Turn in for the evening to your private double deluxe dome on the shores of the Serrano River.
Day 2
Round Trip Hike of the Pingo Valley - Glacier Grey Boat Navigation
30 minutes by private transfer
3 hours hike, 10km
3 hours navigation
30 minutes by private transfer
Night at Chile Nativo Riverside Camp (B-BL-D)
Following a plentiful and fresh breakfast, our private transfer takes us along a 30 minute drive to the trailhead of our day´s trek of the Pingo Valley. This 3-hour hike in the valley takes us to a breathtaking viewpoint at “Cascada los Salmones”, a waterfall where salmon are sometimes seen. Be alert as we return - you may see the elusive huemul (Andean deer) hiding nearby! After a picnic lunch on the shores of the Pingo River we’ll make our way through a woodpecker-inhabited beech forest to our boat’s departure point. The 3 hour-long boat trip takes us around blue-hued icebergs to the immense face of the Grey Glacier, where we’ll stay for a while to admire its textures, lines and colors. If we’re lucky, we’ll witness a glacial calving, where chunks of ice break off and plummet spectacularly into the freezing waters. On your return journey you’ll see the wind-sculpted “ice mushrooms” atop the massive peaks of Paine Grande. Later, we’ll drive to the Serrano River area where a gourmet meal and good night’s rest await us at our riverside camp.
Day 3
Transfer to Las Torres – Round Trip Hike to Las Torres Lookout Point – Transfer to Puerto Natales
1.5 hour transfer
8-10 hours round-trip hiking, 22km
2 hours by transfer (B-BL)
Our final day begins with a sight filled transfer across the National Park to the starting point for our trek to the famous three Towers lookout. Your hike begins with an hour’s ascent following the Ascencio River into the Ascencio Valley. Here we’ll stop to observe how the valley’s beauty unfolds with rich beech forests, glaciers and waterfalls. Past this lookout point, we continue uphill, this time ascending along a gigantic terminal moraine (a ridge formed at a glacier’s end point) where we’ll be rewarded by the arresting sight of the Towers themselves. At this lookout point 900 meters above sea level, we’ll rest, take photos and have lunch. Our descent follows the same path and our private transfer awaits to take us back to Puerto Natales where our journey ends.
INCLUDED
All Private Transportation Indicated in Schedule
Entrance Fee to Torres del Paine National Park
Two Nights Lodging in Chile Nativo Riverside Camp (comfortable deluxe tents with 2 premium inflatable mattresses with fresh linens & bedding)
Round Trip Catamaran to Cross Pehoe Lake
Round Trip Boat Navigation at Grey Lake
All Meals Indicated in Schedule (B: Breakfast, BL: Box Lunch, D: Dinner)
Guide/Driver (English-Spanish Languages)
NOT INCLUDED
Any Additional Nights
Medical Expenses
Insurance of Any Kind
Personal Expenses
Gratuities for Guide/Driver
Lodgings
RIVERSIDE CAMP
Perfect for families or groups, Chile Nativo´s Riverside Camp is a fully-equipped site located on the shores of the Serrano River, away from the crowded refugios and campsites. Equipped with men´s & women´s restrooms, hot showers, and electrical outlets for charging and operating electronic devices. Delicious meals are shared in a dedicated dining lodge with views of the Paine Massif. A spacious lounge offers the perfect spot for relaxing and enjoying with great company!
Comments