PROGRAM OUTLINE:
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| 27th Dec: | Arrive Santiago, Chile Arrive in the Chilean capital over the course of today. Make your own way to your hotel. |
| 28th Dec: | Travel to Patagonia. Arrive Puerto Natales We will start the day with a group transfer to the airport in time for your flight south to Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia. From here you will travel by road the three hours to Puerto Natales, gateway to Torres del Paine. You will spend the next three nights in this charming small town as the conference gets underway. (d) |
| 29th Dec: | Puerto Natales MOTE conference First full day of MOTE conference. (b) |
| 30th Dec: | Puerto Natales MOTE conference Second full day MOTE conference. In the evening you will have a trek briefing to prepare yourselves for the hike starting in the morning. Excess baggage can be left in Puerto Natales as you will need to travel into the park with minimal equipment. (b) |
| 31st Dec: | Torres del Paine - Camp by a lake After breakfast you are driven to the start of the circuit trek in Torres del Paine National park. While walking your overnight gear is carried for you by porters, leaving you to walk with just a daypack. Bags go ahead to the next campsite so you do not tend to see them during the day. At nights you will stay in remote campsites though you will be looked after by a large team who will make sure that you are as comfortable as possible. Your tents are pitched for you before you arrive at the campsite so all you have to do is get there to enjoy some lake-chilled wine and snacks while dinner is prepared for you. There is not much in this world that beats sitting out under the Patagonian night sky with tired legs, a full stomach and a glass of wine. The start of the trek will be across across a landscape of meadows, rivers and mountains. After a few hours hiking you enter an ancient southern beech forest. Here you pass into the beautiful Dickson Valley. On a clear day there are stunning views across the PaineRiver towards the towering mountains that surround this remote valley. Lunch is taken in the valley before continuing on to the Dickson campsite, where you stay tonight and share a unique New Years Eve location with your fellow trekkers. (b,l,d) There will be a 90 minute educational session in our campsite tonight (see course outline) |
| 1st Jan: | Torres del Paine - Los Perros Glacier A shorter but steeper walk today takes you along the Los Perros River and a pretty forest under the shadows of the Indian Head mountain. There is a great look out point en route with spectacular views of the immense Dickson Glacier. Camp this evening just below Los Perros Glacier. Dinner is served at the nearby refugio. (b,l,d) There will be a 90 minute educational session in our campsite tonight (see course outline) |
| 2nd Jan: | Torres del Paine - Cross the pass Today is the hardest day of walking as you cross the Paso John Gardner, the highest point of the circuit (1,210m). An early start is needed for a walk of between eight and ten hours. One lovely feature of hiking in the park is that streams are so pure that you drink the most delicious water straight from them – it also means that you aren’t carrying lots of water. Setting off from the campsite you cross an area of marshland before the long, steady 645m climb towards the pass. You will need to wear gaiters for the marshland and also for the snowfields up near the pass. After four hours, some through snow, you will stand at the pass. On a good day you have incredible views of the icefield below. Bear in mind that the weather can be fierce up here – wind, snow and rain. From the top of the pass you have another five hours to go. The first two hours are very steep downhill. You literally swing downhill from tree to tree to steady your descent. From here the last three hours are still downhill but much slower. Overall you are going down but there are lots of up and down so it’s hard work. The last hour is downhill until the welcome sight of Refugio Grey on the beach at the face of the glacier. Stay at an organised campsite with facilities this evening. (b,l,d) |
| 3rd Jan: | Torres del Paine - Lakeside walk Enjoy a day of gentle walking, continuing along the lake fed by Glacier Grey. You will have fantastic views of the glacier for most of the morning as you walk along the ridge line. Each year the landscape on top of the glacier changes. It is invariably a spectacular and memorable walk. Stay at an organized campsite beside the crystal blue waters of Lago Pehoe this evening. This campsite can be quite busy, but has good facilities (b,l,d). There will be a 90 minute educational session in our campsite tonight (see course outline) |
| 4th Jan: | Torres del Paine - Walk past mountains Today the scenery is some of the best of the trip as you walk in the shadow of huge peaks alongside turquoise lakes. Walk under the mountain of Paine Grande then a steady uphill and a steep downhill towards the shores of Lake Nordenskjold. You might also be lucky enough to enjoy a side hike up into Valle Frances for fantastic views out across the glacial lakes to the south of the park. Stay tonight at the campsite set below the imposing horns of Paine. (b,l,d) There will be a 90 minute educational session in our campsite tonight (see course outline) |
| 5th Jan: | Torres del Paine - Condors and lakes Continue your trek along a good path in the shadow of the mountains throughout today. You should see lots of condors as you pass beneath the high peaks. Stop for lunch alongside a small lake populated with fantastic bird life. The path is intersected by streams at certain points – crossing these can involve stepping stones or the occasional rope bridge. Towards the end of the day you reach the base of Valle Ascencio. Stay at a campsite at Los Torres this evening. (b,l,d) There will be a 90 minute educational session in our campsite tonight (see course outline) |
| 6th Jan: | Puerto Natales - Walk to the ‘Torres’ Early start to hike up to the distinctive mile-high granite towers. The day starts off on an undulating path leading through a pretty beech forest. Once you emerge from the forest you find yourself at the foot of the glacial moraine beneath the towers. It is a steep walk to get through this maze of huge boulders but you emerge on the edge of a small lake at the base of the towers. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the shadow of these granite peaks whilst watching the icebergs drift across the glacial lake. Head back downhill to the campsite where your vehicle awaits for the drive to your very comfortable hotel in Puerto Natales. Celebrate your completion of the famous circuit route around Torres del Paine with a delicious meal and perhaps the odd glass of wine or two. (b,l) |
| 7th Jan: | Santiago to the capital We will all head back together to Punta Arenas for the flight north to Santiago. Transfer to your hotel for one last night in Chile. (b) |
| 8th Jan: | Travel head home Free to head home or travel on (b) |
b: breakfast included l: lunch included d: dinner included
