W TREK PLUS (5 DAYS)

Our journey begins from Puerto Natales as we travel 2 hours to Estancia Lazo, a 13,000 hectare (32,123 acres) cattle ranch founded over a century ago and still operating today beneath striking views of the Paine Massif on the shores of Laguna Verde. From here we’ll hike into Torres del Paine National Park along a generally flat trail through peaceful stretches of native beech and coihue forests teeming with wildlife. As you walk, watch for condors and caranchos circling the skies; guanacos grazing on the hills; and woodpeckers, owls, and lesser-known species such as the cachaña (Austral parakeet), peeking out from the leafy trees. We’ll reach Honda Lagoon and continue on to the Toro Lake lookout (559 m / 1,834 ft.), where 360 degree views of mountains, rivers, lakes and glaciers await. Take a moment to identify the Grey, Serrano and Paine Rivers, Serrano Valley, Mount Balmaceda and the Geike and Tyndall Glaciers. After our short descent to the Weber Bridge, our private transfer awaits to take us to our campsite located on the shores of the Serrano River where we are greeted with a freshly prepared welcome dinner and stunning views of the Paine Massif.

*Chile Nativo Transfers allow us to continue our commitment to sustainability by minimizing our carbon footprint whenever possible. For this reason, Chile Nativo Transfers are semi privarte, sharing among our clients who are coming in or out of the park.

Following a plentiful and freshly made breakfast, our private transfer takes us along a 30 minute drive to the trailhead of our day’s trek of the Pingo Valley. This 3-hour hike in the valley takes us to a breathtaking viewpoint at “Cascada los Salmones”, a waterfall where salmon are sometimes seen. Be alert as we return – you may see the elusive huemul (Andean deer) hiding nearby! After a picnic lunch on the shores of the Pingo River we’ll make our way through a woodpecker-inhabited beech forest to our boat’s departure point. The 3 hour-long boat trip takes us around blue-hued icebergs to the immense face of the Grey Glacier, where we’ll stay for a while to admire its textures, lines and colors. If we’re lucky, we’ll witness a glacial calving, where chunks of ice break off and plummet spectacularly into the freezing waters. On your return journey you’ll see the wind-sculpted “ice mushrooms” atop the massive peaks of Paine Grande. Later, we’ll drive to the Serrano River area where a gourmet meal and good night’s rest await us at our riverside camp.

After a energy-packed breakfast admiring the sunrise on the Paine Massif from our dining lodge, a private transfer will take us to Lake Pehoe where we will take a short 35 minute catamaran to Refugio Paine Grande. Here we begin our hike to the the entrance to the French Valley – a huge glacial moraine where we follow undulating trails over boulders to catch the first sight of incredible hanging glaciers atop the valley.

From this point, we ascend for an hour through a dreamlike Japanese garden landscape before arriving at the French Valley viewpoint (the “Plateau”).

We are rewarded with a heart-stirring bird’s eye view of granite peaks and hanging glaciers. To one side, the French Glacier and Paine Grande (3,050 m / 10,006 ft.); while to the other, La Espada, La Hoja, La Máscara and the main and north “horns” of Los Cuernos arch upwards. In the upper section of the Valley, Cerro Catedral and Cerro Fortaleza loom like turrets above the landscape.

We’ll take our time to enjoy lunch at the viewpoint, surrounded by these imposing peaks and open skies. Our return hike is along the same track back to Refugio Paine Grande & Lake Pehoe where we will take the short catamaran ride back across the lake where our private transfer awaits to take us back to our Riverside Camp.

A deliciously prepared dinner welcomes us at the dining lodge before turning in for the evening in your private double deluxe dome on the shores of the Serrano River.

This hike is demanding and many parts of the trail are steep. This trek is a minimum of 8 hours along challenging, rugged mountainous terrains. This trek is suitable for travelers with a strong physical stamina.

Early in the morning after a hearty breakfast, we head out to meet up with a local puma tracking guide. Our destination today will depend on where the pumas were last spotted, but generally they are found near a nature trail along the border of Lago Sarmiento & Juncos Lagoon.

If we are fortunate enough to  spot them, we will take advantage to capture photos – but not for too long! – in order to respect the puma and to not alter too much their daily life and routine. We’ll continue to observe these spectacular felines while hiking in particular sectors of the park, making our way in vehicle to Laguna Azul, taking some pictures along on our way.

Once we arrive to Laguna Azul, we will enjoy this special place walking along the wetlands and beach where we will see a number of different water fowl and bird species who inhabit this area.

We will be treated by exceptional views of the iconic towers in the distant, the changing Patagonia sky and surrounding mountain peaks that make this area picturesque.

After an exceptional picnic lunch and our final photos, we make our way back to the Serrano sector to our camp. Dinner in the dining lodge is served before another night’s rest in out lotus belle tents.

Today, we begin early with a energy-boosting breakfast to prepare us for our final trek – the base of the iconic Towers. Along with our guide, we take a 2 hour transfer to the Las Torres Sector of the park where our trek begins with an ascent, following the Ascencio River into the Ascencio Valley.

After about an hour, we’ll stop to observe how the valley’s beauty unfolds with rich beech forests, glaciers and waterfalls.

Past this lookout point, we continue uphill and through lush beech forests before ascending a gigantic terminal moraine (the ridge formed at a glacier’s end point) where we’ll be rewarded by the arresting sight of the three Towers themselves.

At this lookout point 900 m (2,953 ft.) above sea level, we’ll rest, take photos and have lunch. Our descent is along the same path, taking us back where our private transfer awaits to take us to Puerto Natales.

This hike is demanding and many parts of the trail are steep. This trek is a minimum of 8 hours along challenging, rugged mountainous terrains. This trek is suitable for travelers with a strong physical stamina.

*Chile Nativo Transfers allow us to continue our commitment to sustainability by minimizing our carbon footprint whenever possible. For this reason, Chile Nativo Transfers are semi privarte, sharing among our clients who are coming in or out of the park.