7-Day Patagonia: Torres del Paine W Trek with EcoCamp

The trip starts in Punta Arenas city during the morning either at your hotel or at the airport (arrive before 12:30pm). From Punta Arenas we drive to the Torres del Paine National Park. During summer the sun sets around 11 pm, so as you drive in you'll have plenty of light to admire the Patagonian steppe with its guanaco and snow-peaked mountain horizon. On the way to the park we'll stop in Puerto Natales on the shores of Seno Ultima Esperanza - "Last Hope Sound". Here you'll enjoy a hearty lunch with delicious local food. We'll also visit the Cueva de Milodon, a massive prehistoric cave where the remains of a giant ground sloth were discovered in the 1890's. The surrounding area is very scenic with plenty of wild birds.

Meals included: Dinner
Mid-Range Accommodations: EcoCamp

We start our adventure in the Park with a pleasant walk through the Cuernos trail located beside beautiful Lake Nordenskjold. As we advance through the trail we enjoy magnificent views of the park's central lakes and the Paine's Horns which are majestic black horn-like peaks of slate atop gray granite which crown the center of the Massif. The trek ends at Refugio Los Cuernos, a small and cozy mountain refuge located by the shores of Lake Nordenskjold.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Budget Accommodations: Refugio Los Cuernos

After breakfast, we begin a challenging trek to Valle Frances (French Valley), a steep trail that goes into the very heart of the Paine Massif. An active walk leads us to the hanging bridge over the French River, located at the foot of the south east face of the Massif. From this point, we can enjoy our first truly wonderful view and then continue up the trail until reaching the upper prospects of the valley. The entire group of geological formations of the high valley can be admired here: Hoja (Blade), Mascara (Mask), Espada (Sword), Catedral (Cathedral), Aleta de Tiburon (Shark's Fin) and the magnificent Fortaleza! (Fortress). Next, we descend through an undulating terrain of mixed grassland and light forest until reaching the Refugio Paine Grande, located in the peaceful shores of Lake Pehoe.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Budget Accommodations: Refugio Paine Grande

Today we'll hike from Paine Grande Lodge along the shores of mountain-lined Lake Pehoe to the northern end of glacial Lake Grey. We'll enjoy a picnic lunch before boarding the boat that sails to the blue face of Glacier Grey. You?ll have lots of time to marvel at this calving glacier before the boat ride across Lake Grey with its floating pieces of ice. From Lake Grey's southern end we transfer to the EcoCamp. If the weather conditions do not allow us to navigate Lake Grey, we'll instead hike to Glacier Grey and return, then at Paine Grande's dock we'll board the catamaran to Pudeto.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range Accommodations: EcoCamp

Our goal is to complete the most famous trekking trail in Torres del Paine NP. We walk from the camp site towards Hosteria Las Torres and connect with the winding uphill path to Ascencio Valley - the valley which supports the eastern face of the Towers' base. It's not a difficult walk, but energy should nevertheless be saved for the final challenge: the moraine. This mass of boulders is the last guardian before our face to face meeting with the uplifting Torres del Paine. This is one of the most breathtaking sights of the world! The famous Torres del Paine (2,900 m / 9,400 ft) consist of three gigantic granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by the forces of glacial ice. We then hike back to the EcoCamp.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range Accommodations: EcoCamp

We hike to the Laguna Azul lookout where we have a gorgeous view of both the lagoon and granite towers. We continue along the eastern side of Lago Sarmiento to the calcium formations on the lake's shores where guanacos are often seen. Later we trek to Paso Las Corneas with spectacular views of Rio Paine, Lake Pehoe and the massif of Paine. Depending on the group, we can also hike to the Toro lookout point. Upon returning to the EcoCamp, a farewell dinner is celebrated.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range Accommodations: EcoCamp

We board an early morning vehicle, sit back, relax, and enjoy a scenic ride back to Punta Arenas on time to catch the evening flight to Santiago (depart after 16:00pm).

Meals included: Breakfast