Full Patagonia Adventure
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This is a camping and hiking program, which features the very best of the Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre and Torres del Paine National Parks trails, together with a visit to the Moreno glacier (one of the few advancing glaciers in the world) and a land trip from Paine to Tierra del Fuego, across the magellan Strait which we cross on a Ferry. The trip is a perfect combination of hiking, camping and lodges, with land transfers from location to location.
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Day 1 El Calafate airport – El Calafate
We welcome you at Calafate airport and transfer to town to check in at your hostel. In the evening, enjoy your welcome dinner together with your fellow travellers. Lodging in a hostel or in a double or single room with private bathroom. Meals we provide: Dinner. Day 2 Bus to El Chaltén – Camp Poincenot After breakfast we take our bus for the 220 km long drive to El Chaltén, a small and picturesque village at the foot of Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre massif. We make a stop half way to enjoy local pastries and hot coffee. Once in El Chaltén, we start our trek. We carry in our packs only the necessary items for these 2 nights and 3 days in which we’ll overnight in our Full Camps inside the National Park. What we don’t need is left behind at our office and you will find it back at your accommodation when we arrive back to El Chaltén on day 4. We hike up a gentle slope on Fitz Roy trail to gain height over the River de las Vueltas valley up to the first viewpoints over Fitz Roy massif, which we will first spot after a couple of hours walking. From these first viewpoints, another 2 hours of gentle walking across bogs and forests take us to our camp, from where we will enjoy a spectacular view of all the Fitz Roy group spires rising from the surrounding glaciers. Lodging in Full Camp Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner. Day 3 Cerro Fitz Roy, Laguna de los Tres Early in the morning, before the first coffee, we can try to match up the morning Light getting pink in Fitz Roy granite walls. You only need this to feel the trip is worthwhile. But of course the day offers much more. After breakfast, carrying only day personal items such as our parka, gloves, our camera, water bottle and box lunch, we hike along Fitz Roy trail up to Rio Blanco, climbers basecamp to the east side of the mountain. From here a steep 1 h trail leads us to one of the most spectaculars viewpoints of the National Park: Laguna de los Tres, with its zephyr blue colour, lays at the foot of the massif, offering full close up views of Fitz Roy massif spires and glaciers. Each wall rises something from 600 to 1500 mts above the surrounding glaciers. Fitz Roy, with its 3405 mts above sea level, is considered the “King of Patagonia” and also considered one of the three most beautiful mountains on Earth (together with Alpamayo in Perú and K2 in the Karakoram). We hike back to the camp in the late afternoon. Walking time is 5 to 6 hs. Lodging at Full Camp in double or single tent (rural area) Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner. Day 4 Cerro Torre Today we walk south along Lagoons Madre and Hija Valley and down to Fitz Roy river valley, where we meet Cerro Torre trail. The trail runs along beech forest, bogs and shrubland and leads to Laguna Torre, enclosed by moraines and with Glacier Grande calving in its west side. It is usual to see icebergs pushed by the wind in the coast of the lagoon. The thin and elegant 3128 mts of Cerro Torre group and the Adela range in the background complete this spectacular view. In the afternoon we hike back to El Chalten along Cerro Torre trail. Lodging: lodge Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch. Day 5 - El Chalten – Loma del Pliegue Tumbado This mountain, 1500 meters tall, is located immediately south of Cerro Torre valley and offers some of the best views over the different group of mountains, glaciers and lakes that features the area. From the lower terraces to the summit, you can get spectacular views of Fitz Roy, Torre and the spectacular glacier valley in between both. From the summit the bonus is the sight of Paso del Viento and some of the mountains that stick out from the Patagonian Icefield. According to the group capacity, we choose the lower terraces or try the summit, a long but gentle climb in scree. The lower part of the mountain is covered by shrubland and forest. We are back in Chalten by late afternoon. Lodging in a hostel, or in a double or single room with private bathroom. Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch and dinner. Day 6 El Chalten – El Calafate Morning at your own to visit the picturesque village or to make optional excursions such as Lago del Desierto (in spite of its name, its a beautiful, beech forest surrounded lake, with hanging glaciers in its west side), or to see very interesting information at the National Park Visitor Centre. By 5 pm we take our bus to our next destination, El Calafate, gateway for the glaciers area of the Park. Arrival time is scheduled for 9 pm. Driving distance: 220 km Lodging in a hostel or in a double or single room with private bathroom. Meals we provide: Breakfast. Day 7 El Calafate – Perito Moreno Glacier We dedicate this day to one of the World’s Natural Wonder: the Moreno glacier. This ice field- type glacier flows down from the Patagonian Icefield, a big sheet of ice that with its 22.000 square kilometres is the third largest glacier area in the world, after Antarctica (14 M sq km) and Greenland (1 M sq km). Because unusual favourable local conditions, this glacier is the only one in the world that shows a closure and rupture process. The road leads to the very front of the glacier, which will be only meters away from your eyes. A beautiful, short trail, will lead us from the shores of the lake to the upper viewpoints. The roar of the chunks of ice falling inside the glacier or from the glacier into the lake, the frequent collapse of the front seracs into the turquoise water, makes out of this day a very special and unique experience. We will drive 80 km (1 and a half hour) to get and come back from the glacier across the steppe, watching a wide variety of birds. Lodging in a hostel or in a double or single room with private bathroom. Meals we provide: Breakfast. 
Day 8 El Calafate – Torres del Paine National Park
Early start for a 6 hs drive to our camp in Paine. We drive across the steppe, still following by parts the legendary route 40, to get around Sierra de los Baguales, an impressive range in between Calafate and Paine. We cross the Argentinean Chilean border at Cancha Carrera/ Cerro Castillo. After the border crossing, we start our final sprint to Paine National Park, World Heritage by the UNESCO (United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization). Approaching the Park, we start to see the different mountains that feature the area: Paine Grande, the Horns, Admiral Nieto and the Towers. We enter the Park by Porteria Sarmiento. A rich wildlife: guanacos, lesser rheas, condors and all types of wetland and buzzard birds, will be available for our eyes and cameras. We’ll stop in the Lake Nordenskjöld and in Salto Grande viewpoints for short walks. In the afternoon we continue to visit the westernmost side of the National Park, lake Grey area, where a short and easy hike along the south shore of the lake allow us to enjoy the blue icebergs that calving from the glacier in the northern side of the lake are pushed by the wind to this side. Las Torres Full Camp keeps the style of Laguna Capri and Cerro Torre Full Camps, but combined with the first class facilities provided by the campsite: good and clean bathrooms and hot water showers, water and electricity in each camping site. Lodging at Las Torres Full Camp in double or single tent (area with sanitary services) Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner. 
Day 9 Paine Towers – Ascensio River Valley
We drive an tour to get to Estancia Cerro Paine, headtrail for the world famous Paine towers. We “warm up” hiking a steep one hour slope, to get inside the Ascensio river valley, a narrow “V” shape alpine valley coming from inside the Paine massif. A gentle downhill leads us to Refugio Chileno, a cozy and comfortable mountain lodge, which can be a good turnaround point for those not willing to make a full day hike. We then walk in a gentle slope along the river side and inside beech forest. A final climb on moraine take us to the Towers viewpoint: a glacier origin lagoon and the three towers rising vertically 1000 mts from the glacier. The lack of breath will be either because the climb and the sight!!!! We go back to our camp on the same way we came. Walking time: 7 to 8 hs. Lodging at Las Torres Full Camp in double or single tent (area with sanitary services) Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner. Day 10 Lake Pehoe crossing – French Valley Early in the morning a 1 hour drive takes us to Port Pudeto to board the catamarán that crosses lake Pehoe twice a day. Once at the far side of the lake, we leave unnecessary items in our tents and we set out to the French Valley trail. The trail skirts Paine Grande south slopes and lake Skottberg, to take us after 2 hs and a half of continuous ups and downs, to the hanging bridge upon the French River. This breathtaking location is at the foot of both the 2700 mts south east face of Paine Grande (to the west) and the Horns, with its characteristic black sedimentary topping, to the east. We continue walking 1 h further by Italian camp to reach breathtaking viewpoints over the area. After lunch and photos we retrace our steps back on time to board the boat that crosses Lake Pahoe back to Puerto Pudeto. Upon arrival we drive to our full camp located in Camping Lake Pehoe. Walking time: 5 to 6 hs. Lodging at Camping Lake Pehoe Full Camp in double or single tent (area with sanitary services) Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner. Day 11 Grey Valley - Puerto Natales Lake Grey trail leads from Pehoe valley across ridges to reach Grey valley. This magnificent valley flows down 60 km from the Patagonian Icefield, featuring the huge glacier calving down in the grey colour lake. Our trail skirts the lake, going up and down the westerns slopes of Paine Grande, offering some of the most impressive sights of the Park. From the trail we can see the south end of the lake where the blue icebergs gather, the mountains rising far in the distance above glaciers Grey and Tyndall. We come back along the same trail, crossing bogs, shrublands and forest. Once again at Paine Grande Refuge we take the boat to cross lake Pehoe back and then we go to our accommodation in Puerto Natales, a picturesque fishermen town located in the shores of the Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope) fiord. Lodging: Lodge Provided meals: Breakfast, Box Lunch Day 12 Puerto Natales - Ushuaia We leave early in the morning Puerto Natales, taking the bus to our next destination: Ushuaia. Once we arrive in Ushuaia, a transfer will take us to our hotel. Lodging: Lodge Provided meals: Breakfast Day 13 - Free day in Ushuaia Lodging: Lodge Provided meals: Breakfast Day 14 Ushuaia – – Beagle Channel and Penguin Rookery After breakfast we walk to the Ushuaia Tourist Pier for a full day of activities: we will navigate the Beagle Channel to the iconic Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, we will see Los Lobos Island and Los Patos Island, we will visit the Acatushun Museum at the pioneering Estancia Harberton and we will have the unforgettable opportunity to walk among penguins on Isla Martillo. Lodging: Lodge Provided meals: Breakfast We recommend to take food and drinks for the day before starting the activity. Day 15 Ushuaia – Ushuaia Airport Morning at your own to visit the town, which is located in the north coast of the Beagle channel. Then town features interesting museums and its typical architecture. In the afternoon we are transferred to Ushauaia airport to take our flight to Buenos Aires. Our services end at the airport. Meals we provide: Breakfast. Health, safety and hygiene measures for Covid 19 Group management: We reduce from 15 to 10 the maximum of passengers in our regular departures. We implement social distancing and safety protocols. Once our passengers arrive at their first destination, we will do a screening to check the health of all the members of the group and provide safety guidelines before joining the group. All our staff will be trained with group management techniques and protocols to reinforce safety of all the member of the group and staff. Transport and Excursions: Our tour combines private and semi-private transportation that will reduce their capacity. We guaranteed a free seat between passengers that do not share booking/room. Drivers will take all the necessary precautions to clean and sanitize the vehicles. Accommodation: All the members of the group will be in the same hotel in each destination. We will use small accommodations that reduce contact with the staff of the hotel but always available to provide assistance Breakfast will be provided in the rooms or at the restaurant with reduced capacity and no buffet service. As long as we cannot guarantee safety measures in hostels, we will not sell hostels in shared room and bathroom tours. We drastically reduce our single base rates so our solo travelers can still join a group at a reasonable fare. Trekking Activities: We will keep social distancing at all times and we will encourage the use of masks in reduced areas where social distancing is not possible. |
INCLUDED:
14 breakfasts, 8 box lunch and 6 dinners. Not Included: Entrance fees to National Parks • Medical and life insurance • Tips • Drinks and beverages (all foods are without alcoholic or non alcoholic drinks) • Flights or airport taxes • Port tax at Ushuaia. • Optional excursions. • Services not shown or detailed in the program. Accommodations Description Full Camp is a camp previously mounted with wide igloo type tents we use in double or single base. Inside it each passenger has high mountain sleeping bags, individual sheets and insulating mattresses. The Full Camp comes with dining room tents, table, benches and complete kitchen with a cook in charge. Sanitary services in Capri Lagoon are solved with chemical bathrooms and Camp Pehoe has bathroom facilities. Hotel/lodge Room Single or Double Basis: It's a room in a hotel we reserve for only 1 or two passengers. It's a room at Inn with private bathroom. It can be double or single base, depending your choice. Details of Foods During the periods that we lodge in camp the four foods are served in abundant form achieving a menu that contemplate the tastes of the passengers but also their energy necessities, based on fresh foods. Breakfasts: We provide hot water and options to choose like tea, coffee and milk; accompanied by cookies, sweet, fruits and cereals. Lunches: They consist on a main plate and dessert or a lunch box that is enjoyed in a panoramic point; always accompanied with juices. The lunch box is compound by a potent salad or a sandwich, accompanied by a fruit and a candy or chocolate. Snacks: Infusions to election with cakes or cookies They are served when people return of the walks. Dinners: It includes Entrance (salads or soups), Main Plate (pasta, rice with squids, meats, stews, etc.), and Desserts as Pears with chocolate, Fruits, Fondue, accompanied by juice, wine and later the coffee. During the periods when passenger lodges at hostel or hotel the beverages are not included. Group's Size Usually groups are between 8 to 10 people, with a maximum of 10. Guides and Coordination All groups have assistance from their arrival to El Calafate. The program includes a Tour Leader in Los Glaciares and Torres del Paine National Park, which is in El Calafate, El Chalten, Torres del Paine and Puerto Natales (for groups of 6 passengers or more from El Calafate to Puerto Natales). This will be from day 1 to Day 13. The tour leader would not be with the group in Ushuaia but on their own with their local staff to coordinate transfers and excursions. All the groups will be guided by a professional Mountain Guide, who belongs to the Argentine Association of Mountain Guides and authorized by National Parks, in the journeys that requires it. Activities You will walk along a unique landscape, among lakes, mountains and glaciers, and the idea is to enjoy the journey, so there are no rush or hurries, no difficulties neither risky steps. When trekking in the El Chalten zone, where people spend two nights in Full Camp in Capri Lagoon, each person will carry his/her light backpack, only with personal equipment necessary for those two nights. The rest of the luggage will be stored in individual bags in the place where lodging in El Chalten, where we return after those two nights. We always walk slowly with some rests, enjoying the landscape and the environment while walking, with time to discover the flora and the fauna of the area. Although it's a mountain region, the average altitude of our trekking will be 450 meters, with a maximum possible altitude to reach of 1500 meters, which should not negatively affect reasonably fit hikers. Security The trip doesn't include medical assistance. The guides will carry a basic first-aid kit along the walks and VHF communication equipment for any emergency that could take place. Transports Transports will be done combining private and regular services. 2024-2025 Prices per person in US$: hostel = $4469, double = $4800, single = $5694 Holiday Supplement: Departures that include any of the following nights will have a supplement of USD 200.00 per person in all basis: December 24th, December 25th, December 31th and January 1st 2024-2025 Start dates: Oct. 26 - Nov. 9, Nov. 9-23 , Nov. 23 - Dec. 7, Dec. 21 - Jan. 4, Jan. 18 - Feb. 1, Feb. 1 - 15, Feb. 15 - March 1, March 1-15
To book the trip send your request by email. Once we confirm space, we will send a link and booking form so you can make a deposit in our account for 20% of the trip value.
The balance is due 60 days prior to departure. Terms and Conditions Prices are per passenger in USD. All prices are subject to change without notice. Departures with less than 6 passengers include: Incoming Services and Mountain Guide during treks in Los Glaciares and Torres del Paine National Park. Departures with 6 or more passengers include: Mountain Guide during treks in Los Glaciares and Torres del Paine National Park and bilingual tour leader at El Calafate, El Chalten and Torres del Paine. Cancellation charges: 60 Days prior to the departure: 20%** 59 - 30 Days prior to the departure:40% 29 - 16 Days prior to the departure: 60% Less than 15 days prior to the departure: 100% ** This 20% can be transferred to other reservation. Travel Suspension or Interruption: If operator cancels a tour for cause of Force Majeure, not providing the contracted services, a credit note for the total of the amount will be provided to our clients. In case of a refund request, unrecoverable costs will be deducted. If a tour is interrupted for cause of Force Majeure, operator will provide an alternative itinerary to replace the services that can not be provided. Operator will not be responsible for potential extra costs regarding travel suspension or interruption for cause of Force Majeure Limitations of liability Our services don't include medical insurance nor life insurance. It's passenger's responsibility to contract his/her medical and life insurances previous to the start of the trip. Our trips are developed in zones far from big urban cities. Medical Services and other kind of services could be far from where the passengers are located in a specific moment. Operator will make all the efforts to reinforce and guarantee the security and well being of all the passengers. Terms and Conditions Each passenger accepts, when booking his/her trip with us, to be clear about the potential risks associated with this type of tourism. Operator will refuse any claim or responsibility related to accidents, damages, illness, negligence, physical or mental damage. Operator will not be held responsible for the delays and eventually extra costs due to Force Majeure: illness, weather conditions, war, terrorism, political events, natural disasters, technical difficulties, epidemic, pandemic, new requirements of any government or any other cause out of our or our supplier's control. When contracting your trip, the passenger and the travel agent accept that the total value from all the potential claims that eventually could be made, have a maximum value set by twice the total amount of money paid for the trip "We have made it back safely and I just wanted to let you know that we thoroughly enjoyed the Patagonian trip. The scenery and walks were fabulous. The organization of the tour was excellent and we were all well cared for. We were particularly impressed with our Tour Leader, Maita, who stood out for her professionalism, excellent organisational skills, strong command of English language and her delightful personality.Many thanks for a most enjoyable holiday." Annabel Szramka "Just thought I would give you a brief report on our Patagonian trip.Overall, the tour was very good - Maite (the overall tour leader) was very well organised, had excellent English, very helpful etc. All other staff also good, especially the two walk leaders: Mariano and Mauricio.Our driver on the Torres del Paine (Arnold) was also excellent - very safe (a relief for us older types). We found the difficulty of the walks to be appropriate to fit people of our age (low 60s).We also had excellent weather and saw all of the main sites. Cerro Torre was particularly good. The hostals, hotels we stayed in were of good standard - clean comfortable rooms, good food. Tent camping also good (lunches very good) although we could have done with thicker bed mats - maybe you could suggest that participants think about bringing their own mat (thermorest) to supplement the mats provided. I would definitely recommend your Patagonian Trip to others.Thanks again" Ken Page "I wanted to tell you, this was awesome Adventure of a Lifetime❤... I wanted to thank you for everything! The trekking: it said low on the itinerary but honestly, it was more moderate to high but I did it. Made it to the top and I kept up with the younger folks in my group. The camping was an experience! My favorite was El Chalten and Ushuaia but I love them all! Anyway, am looking for a Peru trekking in the future. Do you have a great one? Again, Thank you! " Shirley "This trip was the MOST STUNNING BEAUTIFUL trek I have ever been on!! The treks themselves were stupendous!!! Our guides Tomas, Fernando and Juan were EXCELLENT and very knowledgeable, helpful and just super pleasant people to trek and get to know!!! The food and accommodations were also excellent - we enjoyed pretty much all aspects of this tour. It was challenging as I had never really trekked on moraine before and never dealt with such strong winds!!!" Licea "The trip was incredible. Guides were thoroughly knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive to our needs." Steve "I just wanted to thank you with all your help/organization etc...This trip was excellent, it had easy/mid level hiking as well as beautiful surroundings + great people...I am very happy." Ferhat |
