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DURATION
8 days / 7 nights
DIFICULTY
Alta
QUANTITY
Por person
Day 1: Arrival at Torres del Paine National Park – Hike to Serón
Day 2: Hike to Dickson
Day 3: Hike to Los Perros
Day 4: Hike to Grey via John Garner Pass
Day 5: Hike to Paine Grande.
Day 6: Exploration of Valle Francés
Day 7: Hike to Refugio Central
Day 8: Hike to Base Torres – Return to Puerto Natales
To begin this experience, you will arrive at Laguna Amarga, the main entrance to Torres del Paine National Park, where you will need to register with CONAF (park rangers). You will then check in at the Cerro Paine Reserve and begin the hike to the Serón campsite. Although this stage is considered one of the easiest hikes on the circuit, the trail to Serón offers breathtaking views of the wildest side of Torres del Paine National Park. The route crosses a vibrant green carpet of native forests and continues along a pleasant slope that descends to a vast grassland on the Patagonian plain.
Following a mostly flat trail towards the Serón campsite, you will be able to appreciate crystal clear streams along the way. After settling into the campsite, you will have time to enjoy the immensity of the surroundings before dinner, which will be served in the small but cozy dining room at Serón.
Today begins with a long walk-through rolling hills and humid plains inside the park. Snowcapped mountains, pastel blue lakes, and vast expanses of grassland will be the backdrop as you explore the north side of the park, plus the stunning and commanding views of the Dickson glacier, Cubo hill (2.240 m.a.s.l.), and other rugged peaks that mark the border between Chile and Argentina. Once you reach the Dickson area, you must check in and, during the afternoon, you can take a walk along the stony shore of Dickson Lake, all before dinner at the refuge.
Take in the crisp, organic, earthy smell as you enter a sea of ancient trees. Today the walk will take place in the most remote area of the park, in the middle of a lush and green vegetation. You can feel the wind blowing in the middle of the bushes and hear the pleasant sound of Magellanic woodpeckers. Bordering Los Perros River, you will climb a large moraine where you will be breathless to see another picturesque mountain as a backdrop, the wonderful Los Perros glacier and its blue-green lagoon. Continue along a rocky path before reaching Los Perros campsite, which will be the accommodation tonight. It is recommended to rest, tomorrow will be a long day!
Take a breath and get ready for the most demanding day of the Paine circuit but, at the same time, a very rewarding one. After having breakfast early in the morning at the quincho and requesting your box lunch, you will begin to make your way through gnarled tree roots and large mud puddles, under the green treetops. Leaving the forest, you begin to ascend through worn and loose rocks (sometimes with snow) until you reach the highest point of this circuit, the famous John Garner Pass (1.200 m.a.s.l.m). Surrounded by the strong Patagonian winds while you are impressed with the Southern Ice Field and its wonderful shining carpet, the descent is made by the side of a giant wall of ice and the trail is continued by El Paso campsite, where there is a park ranger outpost. Then, you will go through the exciting hanging bridges before arriving to Grey for dinner and a well-deserved rest!
Enjoy your breakfast in Grey refuge before you start marveling at more spectacular views of the Southern Ice Field and the icebergs of Grey lake (remember to request your box lunch before you leave!). You will hike up through a mountainous forest until you reach the sometimes very windy Grey glacier viewpoint. Continue your trek until you reach Los Patos lagoon, where you will begin the descent through a narrow and windy valley that takes you directly to Paine Grande.
Get an early morning start for an all-day hike to the core of Torres del Paine National Park. After breakfast, request your box lunch and prepare yourself for a jaw-dropping Patagonian landscapes. Walk amidst arid landscapes and along the shore of the wonderful blue waters of the Skottsberg lake. After approximately 2.5 hours of hiking, you will arrive to the Italiano campsite, where you will begin your journey up to the Valley. Climb through the immense rocky terrain and continue until you reach the French plateau, where you will be rewarded with impressive landscapes of Los Cuernos (the Horns), turquoise glacial lagoons and wonderful hanging snowdrifts that fall in the form of waterfalls on the east side of Paine Grande mount (3,050 meters). If you are lucky, you will hear the rumble of water and ice falling! It is also a point where avalanches can commonly be observed. This is the ideal time to take some pictures and enjoy your box lunch.
Find your way back through the same path until the Italiano campsite and then hike to Francés or Los Cuernos refuge. Take it easy for the evening and enjoy a delicious dinner at the refuge you have chosen.
Whether starting your hike from Los Cuernos or Francés, you will make your way through pristine streams, admiring the hanging snowdrifts of Almirante Nieto mount (2,670 meters) and search for condors while bordering the captivating blue-green waters of the Nordenskjöld lake. Follow the well-signposted path eastward until you reach Torre Central refuge, where you will unwind for the evening.
Today’s hike follows the Ascencio Valley as its snakes through windswept hills and extensive forests. During the final ascent, you will traverse through an immense boulder field until reaching one of the most iconic mountain viewpoints in the world, the famous Base of the Towers. At an altitude of 900 meters above the sea level, you will marvel at the sheer granite walls of the north, central and south towers and the brilliant bright turquoise glacial lake at its feet. This is the ideal time to take pictures and enjoy your box lunch before returning along the same path, now downhill, to the Torre Central refuge and the Visitor’s Center.
At 7:00 pm hrs you must take “Las Torres” shuttle that goes to Laguna Amarga to connect with the regular bus that goes to Puerto Natales. The estimated time of arrival to Natales is 9:30 pm.
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