WINTER MULTISPORT IN TORRES DEL PAINE (4 DAYS)

In the morning, your guide and private transfer will pick you up taking you just outside of Puerto Natales to a private reserve not open to the public who frequent the Natural Monument Milodon Cave. Once at our starting point, we begin with a smooth, moderate ride bordering Cerro Queso (Cheese Hill) where we continue riding to a beautiful view of the Sofia Lagoon. On clear days we can see Paine Grande and other surrounding peaks set off among the far reaching fjords. Riding onward, we continue along a path closely bordering the Sofia Lagoon which connects us with Cueva de la Ventana (Window Cave). We continue through eaves and cave paintings left by the ancestors of the Ultima Esperanza. We’ll take time along our ride to stop and get up close to the history stored deep in these caves and trails.

We’ll incorporate gentle hikes throughout certain sectors of the reserve both during and after our ride. We’ll visit a viewpoint over the “Cueva Grande” (Large Cave), ascending 600 meters (1,968 ft.) where we’ll be introduced to the fauna and flora of Patagonia.

With sweeping views of the surrounding landscapes, this is a great spot for some first photos and for watching condors soar above us. We’ll pass by natural condor colonies and through native lenga forests, later arriving to the ‘Sofia Lagoon viewpoint’.

After resting a moment and enjoying the spectacular views of the far reaching fjords below, we’ll continue alongside mountainous walls to see our first cave paintings of the day. Our guide will tell us about their significant value and history.

Moving along, we’ll enter another cave equipped with headlamps to discover the millenary stalactite minerals which have taken millions of years to form above.

After carefully inspecting these incredible formations, we leave the cave and head towards the eaves of “Two Horseshoes” where we live an experience in the forest and discover yet more cave paintings on the rocky walls.

As we make our way back, we will visit the Milodon Cave Natural Monument, a 200 meter (656 dt.) long cave where the remains of a mylodon (a large ground sloth) and other early Patagonian animals were discovered.

After our time exploring this magnificent natural formation, we will enjoy a delicious, locally prepared lunch with fresh ingredients. Once we are finished, we’ll take our transfer to the small community of Cerro Castillo location just outside of Torres del Paine National Park. Here we’ll dine together enjoying a delicious meal before tucking in for the night in our charming and cozy accommodations.

After a delicious breakfast in the spacious dining area, we’ll set out 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 the Rio Serrano area where we are greeted with a freshly prepared welcome dinner and stunning views of the Paine Massif as we settle into our accommodation for the evening, Konkashken Lodge & Cabins.

After an early breakfast your transfer will drive you to Grey Lake to meet your kayaking guide. Here, with views of Paine Grande and Grey Glacier as our morning backdrop, you’ll be briefed on kayaking safety and paddling techniques.

You’ll paddle Grey Lake for approximately 2 hours, weaving amongst the floating icebergs that have calved from the glacier and been whittled into natural ice sculptures by the wind and sun.

While paddling, take time to look around you: the granite peaks of Paine Grande, Cordon Olguín and Los Cuernos interplay beautifully with the water’s multiple shades of turquoise.

Leaving Grey Lake we’ll begin our descent of Grey River, which snakes through canyons bubbling with rapids and framed by steep rock faces.

Accompanied by views of the imposing Paine Massif, we’ll paddle for 25 km (15.5 miles) down Grey River until it joins the Serrano River.

After 4-5 hours of paddling we’ll arrive to our end point where we will change out of our wetsuits head back to our cozy cabins to warm up, enjoy dinner, and get an early night’s rest in preparation for our next adventure tomorrow.

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 1.5 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.