Travel Patagonia, Full Program (Days: 17)

Day 1 :

Reception and transfer to Hotel. Free Afternoon. This big city is often called "The Paris of South America". Drive down the widest boulevard on earth, 9 de Julio, past the Obelisk commemorating 400 years of history, past the Colon Opera House and many other places of interest in this sophisticated European style city. Afternoon at leisure to explore at your own pace. There is an outdoor antique flea market in historic San Telmo and a street artisan fair in fashionable Recoleta

Day 2 :

We receive you at El Calafate Airport from there you are transferred to El Calafate City, where at 7 pm the group meet by first time at the Hostal del Lago Libertador, at Del Libertador 587, El Calafate. You meet your guide, and you enjoy a dinner with you adventure partners while chatting on the program details for tomorrow. D

Day 3 :

After breakfast we travel by bus to El Chalten, a little and colorful town next to Mount Fitz Roy. To arrive to El Chalten we will cross 190 km of gravel road through the Patagonia steppe and we will stop at La Leona, a picturesque inn to enjoy his homemade cakes. From here, the views on the Viedma Lake are superb.

When we arrive to the town, carrying only the necessary for this three days trip, in which we will lodge in a Full Camp. A beautiful trail next to ¨Las Vueltas¨ river will take us to the first panoramic views of the Mount Fitz Roy. From now on, we will be approaching to De los Patos Lagoon and finally we will arrive to our camp next to the Capri Lagoon. (3 hs approx.) The Camp has been previously mounted, featuring spacious dome tents, used in double or single base. Each tent has sleeping bags, inner sheet and insulating mattresses. The camp has a large dining tent with table, benches, dishes and kitchenware. The sanitary services are provided with chemical bathrooms. BLD

Day 4 :

Early in the morning and carrying only your coat and the photo camera we overcome the Chorrillo Salt, always with the impressive needles of the glacier in front of us. The first 2 hours are mainly flat, through forest and open glade and bog areas, with diverse bird life, lead us to Fitz Roy base camp. From here it is a 400 meters/1300 ft climb to the De los Tres lagoon on a steep trail that takes us around one hour and a half at gentle pace. This walk is one of the highlights in the National Park Los Glaciares; the views of Cerro Poincenot, Monte Fitz Roy and the other peaks surrounding these are splendid. We return to Capri Lagoon Full Camp. (5 hs approx) BLD

Day 5 :

This morning we hike surrounding Capri Lagoon down by the trail to Madre e Hija Lagoons through a dense forest following the Fitz Roy River. We reach the Mount Torre Valley to glacier-fed Laguna Torre where Fitz Roy river begins. This lagoon contained between moraines, generally piles floes that come off of the Grande Glacier that falls in its west extreme. The impressive group of Mount Torre needles with its slender 3128 meters/10262 ft height, frame the landscape. BLD

Day 6 :

In the morning we walk the area near Torre Lagoon, with nice views of the Solo Mount and the Adela Glacier.

Optionally, you can choose to do a trek on the Torre Glacier, the Holiday On Ice Excursion. We put on our crampons (provided) and trek on the glacier`s surface and develop our ice climbing skills (harness and ice axes provided).

We return on the same trail to El Chaltén, where the passenger will lodge that night. BLD

Day 7 :

In the morning each participant can opt to explore the town of El Chalten freely, with the possibility of visiting The Climbers Chapel; or the Matzen family country, one of the pioneering families in the area; the Del Desierto Lake located 45 Km out of town or to visit the Interpretive Center of National Parks. Around 5 pm we move toward El Calafate retracing the same road we did, arriving to El Calafate around 21 hs.

Lodge at Hostel Room with shared bathroom. B

Day 8 :

After breakfast we depart by bus to the Magallanes peninsula, where is located the entrance of The Glaciers National Park. Its centerpiece is the Perito Moreno Glacier, which, because of unusually favorable local conditions, is one of the world`s few advancing glaciers. Huge icebergs from the glacier wall collapse into the De los Tempanos Channel. The roar of the gigantic ice rocks falling and crashing into the waters of the channel is a unique experience. Our bus will lead us just in front of the Glacier, allowing us to walk the gangplanks to view the Glacier from different viewpoints.

Then we go down to the lakeside to board a ship that carries us very near the Glacier ice walls. We return to El Calafate using a different route that we used to arrive. B

Day 9 :

We depart early in the morning (around 7 am) from El Calafate to Torres del Paine through a spectacular landscape of the Patagonia steppe. Choiques and flamingos are very common in this area. Almost 4 hours from starting our journey, we will be at the border crossing between Chile and Argentina called ¨Paso Cancha Carrera¨. We continue until reach the Torres del Paine National Park. UNESCO gave to this park the World Heritage status, due to its unique wildlife and magnificent scenery. We arrive to our camp at Camping Pehoe Full Camp after 6 hours of travel.

Afternoon, we will visit several panoramic viewpoints of the Nordenskjöld Lake and the "Cuernos del Paine" (Paine Horns), to finally arrive to the Camping Pehoe Full Camp. Duration of the journey: 6 hs approx. BD

Day 10 :

We dedicate this day to one of the most spectacular and classical trekking in the park: the Torres Trail. We transfer after breakfast by bus to the trail start at Las Torres area. We cross a suspended bridge and remount the slopes of the Almirante Nieto Mount, bordering the Ascencio River. After one hour ascending we go into the Valley, and reach Chileno Refuge. From there the trail leads us through the forest, in the middle of unforgettable landscapes, to Las Torres base camp. There the climbers wait good weather conditions to climb Las Torres. We trek one hour more to reach the Las Torres Viewpoint, an amazing natural amphitheater at the bottom of the vertical granite towers that reach 2800 meters height. We return by the same way. It`s a total 7-hour trek. BLD

Day 11 :

Early in the morning we cross sailing 45 minutes the Pehoe Lake embarking at puerto Pudeto and arriving at the Pehoe Refuge area. We walk from there until get the Del Frances Valley. It`s a beautiful mountain valley descending from the middle of the massif toward the Nordenskjold Lake. Flanked by The Horns to the east and by the impressive Paine Grande (3050 meters/10006 ft) to the west. We ascend the valley until the upper viewpoints located in a natural amphitheater surrounded by some of needles and walls most wonderful of the massif: Cuernos, Espada, Mascara, Hoja, Aleta de Tiburon, Catedral, and Paine Grande. The forest and the suspended glaciers that cause continuous ice and snow fallings, give us a unique scenery to this walk. We descend the same trail and turn west rounding Skottberg Lake until arrive to our Camp for this night at Pehoe Refuge area. It`s a total 7-hour trek. BLD

Day 12 :

Another unforgettable day dedicated to the Grey Glacier, impressive Glacier 300 square kilometers of surface (115 square miles), 25 kilometers long (16 miles). It overflows from the Continental Ice Field falling into Grey Lake. The Glacier produce enormous amount of blue icebergs that sail over the lake pushed by the wind toward the south, given the characteristic feature to this lake.

The trail leads us to a wonderful viewpoint where we can appreciate the whole lake, the glacier and the mountains that emerge from the west of the Ice Field.

Two more hours walking and we arrive to another viewpoint just in front of the Glacier. All the trek is develop between Andean bush and lengas forest, at the shadow of the ice blocks that drape the Paine Grande Mount. We walk this day about 7 hours. At the end of the day we sail again the Pehoe Lake to the south shore to return to our Full Camp at Camping Pehoe area. BLD

Day 13 :

We drive away Torres del Paine after breakfast, to Puerto Natales, when we arrive after 90 km/55 miles . There we have time to lunch freely and walk by this little town and its port. At 3 pm we continue traveling south to visit the Ottway Colony of Magellanic penguins. Finally we arrive to Punta Arenas around 8pm. B

Day 14 :

From Punta Arenas we depart early to First Narrow, to sail the Strait of Magellan by Ferry. On the other side another bus will be waiting for us to continue south into the Tierra del Fuego Island. After lunch at Rio Grande we continue to visit Fagnano Lake, and driving a mountain path in the De Los Andes Cordillera we arrive to our Mountain Refuge, located in the Tierra mayor Valley, around 6pm

After get there we visit a close zone full of castors. We could appreciate the hue changes the castors are producing to this area. BD

Day 15 :

In the morning we trip to the Tierra del Fuego National Park, in the island corner that limit Argentina and Chile, where the Andes Cordillera goes under the sea, characteristic an spectacular landscape of this island.

After having our Box Lunch we navigate the Beagle Channel. The Beagle Channel, in the south shore of the Tierra del Fuego Island, forms part of the border between Argentina and Chile. In addition to spectacular scenery, we should see many species of marine mammals and birds. We enjoy our last dinner in the most Austral City in the World. BLD

Day 16 :

After breakfast we start a 3 hour low demanding trek by the "World`s End Edge" of the Martial glacier, a spectacular trekking that pass over the edge rounding Ushuaia City and the Beagle Channel. You will get the panoramic views of the city of Ushuaia and its surroundings, the Beagle Channel, and the Chilean islands of Navarino. (3 hs approx). We return to Ushuaia when we have free time to get around the city, situated on the north shore of the Beagle Channel. Transfer to the Ushuaia Aiport. Flight to Buenos Aires. B

Day 17 :

Transfer to International Airport. End of our services. B

THIS INCLUDES:

" Domestic airfares.
" Mentioned Meals (B: Break-fast/ L: Lunch/ D: Dinner)

In Buenos Aires:

" Airport/Hotel/Airport transfers
" 02 nights in selected hotel or similar with breakfast included.

In El Calafate:

" Airport/Hotel/Airport transfers
" 03 nights in selected hotel or similar with breakfast included
" A full day tour to Perito Moreno glacier, regular service.
In El Chalten:

" 01 night in El Chalten town in selected hostel or similar with breakfast included.
" 03 Nights in Full Camp-site. Exclusive Service.
" Expedition to Mount Fitz Roy and Mount Torre in private service. All in National Park Los Glaciares.

In National Park Paine (Chile):

" 04 Nights in Full Camp-site. Exclusive Service.
" Expedition to Torres and Cuernos Paine, Del Frances Valley and Grey Glacier in private service. All in National Park Paine.
" Pehoe Lake Navigation.

In Punta Arenas (Chile) :

" 01 night in Punta Arenas town in selected hostel or similar with breakfast included.

In Ushuaia:

" Airport/Hotel/Airport transfers.
" 02 nights in selected hotel or similar with breakfast included.
" Half-day tour to Tierra del Fuego National Park, regular service.
" Half-day tour to Beagle Channel (Bridges Archipelagoes) Personalized Service.

NOT INCLUDED:

" International flights.
" Airport and/or port fees.
" Excess baggage
" Entrance fees to places mentioned.
" Tips.
" National local or international phone calls.
" Personal expenses and extras not mentioned.