The Torres del Paine area in Patagonia is without doubt a highlight for any traveller in the Americas - this spectacular trip undertakes the extended circuit, one of the world's classic treks. Rather than camp, we mainly overnight in well built refuges, offering food and comfort in this wild region.
BUENOS AIRES & PATAGONIA
We explore Argentina's cosmopolitan capital, Buenos Aires, for a day before flying into Patagonia and the small town of El Calafate, where we can relax before embarking on our hike. Travelling into Chile, we arrive at our first camp, where we are met by our trek crew and horsemen, home to a rich variety of birds. Our first distant views of the Torres Towers are an amazing sight.
LAKES, GLACIERS & ANCIENT FORESTS
Taking paths too narrow for horses, we journey through ancient beach forests, criss crossing streams until we reach our camp beside Laguna Los Perros, surrounded by the peaks of the Torres Massif, the summit of Paine Grande rising to 3050m. From our camp we can observe icebergs on the nearby lake - this is the wildest and least accessible part of the trek. Crossing the John Gardner pass (1241m) the enormous Patagonia Icefield is revealed to us, along with Glacier Grey, a huge mass of fractured ice which covers the valley.
THE MAJESTIC TORRES DEL PAINE
The next four days trekking leads us to the base of the granite Cuernos (horns) of these remarkable mountains. Passing through pastures where the Guanaco may be encountered, and along the shore of Lake Nordenskjold, our trail takes us into the very heart of the mountains. Rising above a tranquil green lagoon, the three giant monoliths of the Torres del Paine dwarf us, the rock walls rising sheerly to 2900m, a fitting highlight to an already remarkable trek. On our return to El Calafate we may get the chance to visit the famous Perito Moreno Glacier.
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