Pictures on this site have
been provided by Kordian Waronski, James & Tatiane Hodson and
Embratur
South
American Adventure - Argentina
VUP
Torres Del Paine Turnaround Circuit 13
days – 12 nights (strenuous
expedition)
Departures:
Saturdays, each 14
days.
Season:
November to March
Starts
at: El
Calafate
Ends
at: El
Calafate
Group
Departures
Minimum
Group Size:
3 passengers
This
wonderful trek is the most
complete traverse you can do
through the National Park.
We turnaround the whole
massif from the arid steppe
to the majestic Ice Field.
We pass forests, bushes,
always with the scenery
compose by mountain, lakes
and Glaciers.
Physically demanding, it’s
a rewarding trip. We cross
in our trek guanacos,
condors, wolfs, a wide range
of birds and flowers.
We combine the comfort from
our Full Camp with the
logistic provided by the
Refuges. All the nights we
lodge in tents. When there
are refuges, we use them to
have meals.
Our staff is in charge of
purvey our Expedition Camps.
Passengers will carry their
personal items, sleeping
bags and insulating mattress.
Day
1 El
Calafate Airport - El Calafate
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
expedition partners while chatting on the
program details for tomorrow
Lodge at Hostel Room with shared bathroom
Meals Included: Dinner
Day
2 El Calafate - Torres del Paine. Las
Torres
We depart in the morning, by a pavement
route (approx 90 km/55 miles) until reach
the Route 40, where we turn south 70 km/45
miles more in a gravel route After almost 4
hours we arrive to the border crossing with
Chile, Cancha Carrera Cerro Castillo Path.
After complete custom procedures we continue
2 hours and arrive to the Torres del Paine
National Park, entering by Amarga Lake side,
with Las Torres in front of us.
Finally we arrive to our Las Torres Full
Camp
Lodging at Las Torres in Full Camp double
base (area with sanitarium services)
Included meals: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner.
Day
3 Las Torres - Valle Ascencio
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.
At evening we prepare our backpacks with the
necessary for the next days trekking,
leaving the rest in our bus, which will meet
us again at Refugio Pehoe Camp Lodging at Las Torres in Full Camp
double base (area with sanitarium services)
Included meals: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner.
Day
4 Las Torres - Seron
Today we start the traverse departing our
Las Torres Camp at the beginning of the
Ascencio Valley. We cross plane bush fields,
on the border of the Paine river, until
arrive to Seron Camp. It’s around 5 hours
trekking, without big ascents. We are going
into the more wild part of the massif. Lodging at Seron in Expedition Camp
double base
Included meals: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner.
Day
5 Seron - Dickson
From Seron we walk the Paine river valley.
After an significant ascent we lead to the
west, offering us to see the first views of
massif’s rear part. We can see on the
horizon the John Garner path (1250 meters/4100
ft), the higher point of our expedition.
After 3 hours of ascents and descents, and
another 3 hours walking the valley, we
arrive to Dickson Lake, where the Dickson
refuge is located. Lodging at Dickson in Expedition
Camp double base
Included meals: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner.
Day
6 Dickson - Los Perros
From Dickson we enter into the forest, and
you feel you were entering the Lord of the
Ring story. Imagine how do feel yourself
arriving at the end of the world, in this
day you will feel like that. After some
ascents, the Lengas trees forest of the Los
Perros Valley look like a magical place.
We cross the forest, the lake, and the
glacier Perros, and camp in the forest
beside the glacier moraine. Lodging at Los Perros in Expedition
Camp double base
Included meals: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner.
Day
7 Los Perros - Paso John Garner
We continue trekking by a region with some
mud and water, which is our main obstacle
before ascending by the pebbles trail which
lead us to John Garner Path (1250 meters/4100
ft). After 3 hours of ascent, we reach the
path, where we have a brilliant perspective
of South Patagonia Ice Filed, the Grey
glacier and a ridge of mountains, most of
them untouched by the men. A last ascent
lead us to our next camp. Lodging at John Garner Path in
Expedition Camp double base
Included meals: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner.
Day
8 Paso John Garner - Refugio Grey
From our Garner camp, we round through a
dense forest, always with the Grey glacier
on our right side. It’s the most wet
sector of the Park, which is seen in the
kind of flora we find. We trek 6 hours until
the north shore of the Grey Lake, in front
of the glacier and the refuge where we camp. Lodging at Refugio Grey in
Expedition Camp double base
Included meals: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner.
Day
9 Refugio Grey - Refugio Pehoe
We dedicate the morning to visit the front
part of the glacier, and afternoon we start
our trek to Pehoe Lake, walking 4 hours with
ascents and descents. We cross some
viewpoints to observe the Park.
When we arrive to Pehoe Refuge we meet our
Full Camp and the personal luggage we left
at Las Torres. In these two days we travel
the Grey valley almost completed. Lodging at Refugio Pehoe in Full
Camp double base
Included meals: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner.
Day
10 Refugio Pehoe - Valle Frances
Today we visit Frances Valley, the inner
valley of the massif, which descent to the
Nordenskjold lake, between the Cuernos del
Paine and Paine Grande, two of the most
impressive pieces of the massif.
Walking around the Skottberg lake, we get to
the end of the valley where we view the
Frances glacier. For those who reach the
upper viewpoints they will be rewarded with
the amphitheater surrounded of needles and
vertical walls. It’s a 9 hours trek we do
carrying only a daily backpack. Lodging at Refugio Pehoe in Full
Camp double base
Included meals: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner.
Day
11 Refugio Pehoe - Lago Pehoe
We cross sailing Pehoe Lake with all our
luggage, in a boat to arrive to Puerto
Pudeto, where our bus is waiting for us. We
transfer Camping Pehoe where our next Full
Camp is located. After a brief lunch, we
visit Salto Grande of the Paine River, and
the south shore of the Grey Lake, a place
full of icebergs separate from the glacier.
It’s a dream place. Lodging at Camping Pehoe in Full
Camp double base
Included meals: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner.
Day
12 Lago Pehoe - El Calafate
In the morning we start our return to El
Calafate where we arrive around 16 hs. We
lodge there and share our farewell dinner Lodge at Hostel Room with shared
bathroom
Included meals: breakfast and dinner.
Day
13 El Calafate - El Calafate Airport
After breakfast we transfer to El Calafate
Airport where our services end.
Included meals: breakfast.
Certified Mountain Guide from AAGM Mountain
Guide Argentina Association.
Tents and Camp equipment
All the land and sail transfers detailed in
the program
All the meals and lodges detailed in the
program.
Medical Services
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.
Cartage Service.
Carrying equipment and luggage.
We transport all the equipment and the
passengers are expected to carry their own
luggage, including their sleeping bags and
insulating mattresses.
When we operate this Expedition for your
Private Group under your own brand, we are
able to provide Cartage Services to carry
passenger personal belongings up to 8
kilograms per passenger.
More Explanations
Camino Abierto retains the right to change
the itinerary or to suspend some of the
activities when some climatic cause or other
cause of any other nature justifies it in
favor of the security of each member of the
group.
Previous experience in trekking and camping
is required.
List of Equipment and Clothes you
should bring
Backpack 70/85 litres capacity,
Sleeping bag, duvet, for -20ºC,
Sleeping pad (therm-a-rest type
recommended),
Interior synthetic clothes
(polipropilene, lifa o capilene): 1
long-sleeved shirt, 1 long pant,
1 cotton t-shirt,
1 pant of polar fiber,
1 polar fiber jacket or coat,
Goretex jacket with hood or similar,
Goretex shell pants with full-length
sided zippers,
1 pair of gaiters,
2 pairs of wool or synthetic mittens,
waterproof mitten shells (goretex or
similar),
1 pair of thin synthetic gloves,
2 pairs of thick synthetic socks,
polar fiber or wool,
2 pairs of synthetic liner thin socks,
Ski sticks, telescopic type,
Thin scarf or handkerchief for your
neck,
Balaclava of wool or polar fiber,
Cap of wool or polar fiber,
Sunglasses with UV filter for high
solar radiation,
Snow goggles,
Sun protector creme for skin (factor
30) and for lips (balm),
Thermo or plastic bottle,
Wide adhesive tape (cloth athletic),
Personal hygiene kit, elements reduced
to minimum necessity,
Swiss Army knife, Victorinox or
similar,
Headlamp (miners type, like Petzl)
with batteries.
Services
Not Included
Medical and Life Insurance
Tips
Air flight tickets and Airport fees and
taxes
Services not detailed in the program
