Adventure in Patagonia |
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Adventure in Patagonia - 12 Days/11 Nights Unique in-depth adventure to Argentina-Chile Patagonian. Patagonia’s Southern Andes are generally lower than in the north. However, the mountain range is interrupted several times by impressive granite massifs of extraordinary forms which soar upwards to high altitudes. These forms cause the strong feeling - as it really is - that the great erosion forces that model the landscape are still at work. Mount Fitz Roy & Mount Torre, in Argentina, and Cuernos and Torres del Paine, a bit southwards on the other side of the border in Chile, are some of these granite towers. The unmistakable silhouette of these mountains is the best symbol of Patagonia. They form part of an extraordinary gathering of mountains that resisted the glacier abrasion, forming wide semicircles of granite pinnacles and jagged spires at the boundaries of the continental ice-field.
Departures: Every Saturday from November to April from Rio Gallegos
Includes:
NOTE : The treks included in this program are mostly easy, except for the last ascent to the upper valleys, which can be done at the passenger’s choice. We only have to carry our sleeping bag to our camp at Lago Capri, and a daypack during the hikes
Day 1 – Saturday – Rio Gallegos / El Chaltén Rio Gallegos. This city is located at the southeastern continental corner over the Atlantic coast. Reception at the airport and transfer to El Chaltén. During this 480 km drive, heading the mountain range, we will have the opportunity of experiencing the vast Patagonian steppe. El Chaltén is a very young town (founded in 1985!) which is located exactly at the gate of Fitz Roy & Torre Massif valleys. Accommodation at Hostel.
Day 2 – Sunday - Mt. Fitz Roy Valley Hike – Lake Capri Camp We start our hike climbing the flank of a low hill, just at the back of El Chaltén. Abruptly, we get a stunning view of Mt. Fitz Roy emerging at the end of a large valley. After 2 hours walking we arrive at the camp over the shore of Laguna Capri. We leave our equipment here and we continue hiking the valley up to Mt. Fitz Roy’s foothill. From there, we could climb a steep slope up to the upper valley where Laguna de Los Tres lays, and eventually approaching the huge glaciers that descend from the flanks of Mount Fitz Roy and its satellites. We descend returning to our camp at Laguna Capri, where we overnight.
Day 3 – Monday - Cerro Torre Upper Valley Hike - El Chaltén This day we head towards the valley dominated by Mount Torre, which lays just beside the one we trekked the day before. After sorting a hill at the gate of the valley and attaining a spectacular view of Mount Torre, we hike an easy trail up to Lake Torre. We return to El Chaltén. Accommodation at Hostel.
Day 4 – Tuesday - El Chaltén We reserve this day for optional activities such us: Trekking Glacier (Exigent trekking including ice-walking with crampons and a river-crossing by Tyrol’s technique); Excursion Lake Viedma (boat tour getting into a fiord up to the impressive glacier Viedma), Laguna del Desierto (Bus excursion to the really end of the road with some short hikes to excellent "balconies"); Loma del Pliegue Tumbado (moderate ascending hike up to one of the best views of the area). Return to Hostel.
Day 5 – Wednesday - El Calafate Regular transfer from El Chaltén to El Calafate, 265 km southward, passing Lakes Viedma and Argentino. There are two options: morning or afternoon departures. Transfer Bus Terminal to Hotel. Accommodation.
Day 6 – Thursday - El Calafate Regular tour to visit Perito Moreno Glacier. The excursion takes us 40 km to the National Park Los Glaciares, up to a viewpoint in front of the glacier, where zigzag gangplanks have been built to allow a full view of it from several different angles. After appreciating the stunning phenomenon of massive ice blocks collapsing continuously we return to the Hotel in El Calafate.
Day 7 – Friday - El Calafate We reserve this day for optional tours. We suggest a regular boat excursion that navigates Lake Argentino up to Upsala and Onelli Glaciers. Hotel.
Day 8 – Saturday - Torres Del Paine National Park Drive from El Calafate to the Chilean town of Mount Castillo (243 km.) and then northwards 70 km to Torres del Paine National Park up to a point in the core of the Park, over the shore of Lake Pehoé, where we have a permanent place at a camping. Accommodation at the camp.
Day 9 – Sunday - Las Torres Trek We drive half an hour to Estancia Las Torres. From here we start a moderate trek, with a long tract in ascension along a well-marked trail, and a last steep and rocky tract up to Lago Las Torres. People who don’t want or can not spend such effort, can spend the day with the driver visiting Lake Azul and having short walks there. We return to the Camp at Lake Pehoé.
Day 10 – Monday - Lake Grey After paying a visit to the little Museum at the Administrative Center of the Park, we drive to Lake Gray where we take a gentle hike to admire this beautiful lake plenty of floating icebergs. In the afternoon we can either climb to a fantastic viewpoint on the slope of Mount Ferrier, or we can take a hike up to Refugio Zapata. We return to the Camp at Lake Pehoé.
Day 11 – Tuesday – Paine / Punta Arenas Very early in the morning, at about 6 a.m. we leave the Park driving southwards 150 to Puerto Natales, to board a regular bus line down to Punta Arenas, for another 250 km. Accommodation at hotel.
Day 12 – Wednesday – Punta Arenas Transfer to Punta Arenas airport or Río Gallegos Airport.
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