In a joint effort with the AAC, MSR, OR & LNT, erratic rock has started the first Patagonian Travelers Recycle Center at the new Puerto Natales Base Camp...
Torres del Paine 'Q' tour
Torres del Paine National Park is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, as well as one of the most pristine and remote places on earth. The most highly trekked route in Torres del Paine National Park is called the ‘W’. Named after its trail system that navigates up and down out of the mountain valleys. This trail system can be done in a variety of ways, from more rugged camping style treks, to full room and board in refugios (well stocked trail huts) along the trail, where beds, food, and showers await you at the end of each day. You could also have the best of both worlds: camping in tents but eating meals in the refugios. You can decide from one of our standard trips, or create your own adventure. Options include ice hiking on Glacier Grey, or cruising up Rio Serrano in a zodiac motor boat, or entering the Park via horseback. It is even possible to hire porters to help you with your gear. Any way you look at it, this trip will be the outdoor adventure of a lifetime. There are endless variations you can choose from.
The Full 'Q' trekking tour
This trek starts on the southernmost tip of Torres del Paine and travels north, bypassing the ‘W’ trek. It incorporates the ‘W’, but lets you trek in from the south, as well as adding five extra days to circumnavigate the northern side of the park. It is there you will experience the true beauty of peace and serenity in the park. With far fewer trekkers and no day-hikers around, you can have a genuine wilderness experience. Camping is a must at the more isolated stopovers. We head out as a self-sustained team, or with porters to help us complete this ten day adventure. Weather is always a factor. We cross water, tip-toe high cliffs, and ascend the steep John Gardner Pass. All this makes for a challenging, yet supremely rewarding trek.
The 'Q' - The full circuit - 9 nights, 10 days
1990 USD 1-5 trekkers / 1750 USD 5-10 trekkers
Day 1: After you arrive in Punta Arenas, your private airport pick up will start by taking you exploring at the penguin colony at Seno Otway. From there we transfer to Puerto Natales were we make preparations and do a gear check for Torres Del Paine. On the trip to Natales we have the chance of seeing out first rheas and guanacos. Travel time including penguin colony - 6 hours.
Day 2: After a good breakfast we transfer to Torres del Paine National Park. We begin at the south end of the Park, near the Administration Center. This is where your adventure begins. The park stretches in front of you like a dream. This part of the trek is not quite as impressive if you do it on the way out, because the views lay behind you. We enjoy every step of this hike. We camp this first night at camping Pehoe, on the edge of Lago Pehoe.
Day 3: Today we push on another two hours to Campamento Italiano. Italiano is a magnificent camp area and sits at the mouth of spectacular Valle Frances. We camp next to a beautiful river, protected nicely by a forest of old Lenga trees. We have some free time on this day, so weather permitting, we head up into the valley for a sneek-peek.
Day 4: This morning, we leave everything behind and we only pack up our backpacks with some food, rain gear, camera, and just a few basics, and head up into Valle Frances light. It’s a steep hike, so going light is nice. The valley offers natural lookouts; ice falls, avalanches, condors... impressive. A true highlight of Torres del Paine national Park. And after a day exploring Valle Frances, we head down again and pack up our camp and progress another two hours to Refugio Los Cuernos. A great camp site, located directly under the Cuernos and a stones throw from the beach. We retire to our tents that night for a well deserved night's sleep.
Day 5: Today, after a big breakfast we take on our longest day yet. Our trek takes us around the base of Mount Almirante Nieto (2500m), up into Valle Asencio, to our camp at Campamento Las Torres. This is a long day and we take many breaks for view points and photo stops. Here again we make camp in a thick Lenga forest which protects us from harsh winds.
Day 6: On this morning we get up and ready before dawn. This is our big chance to see the three famous Towers of Paine (2800m) get hit by the first morning rays of sun, which can turn the towers bright red. We again leave our camp behind and only bring our packs loaded with our warm layers. We head up the steep trail for 1 hour to the Towers view point, and some of the most amazing photos ever. We get warm, have some hot drinks at the base of the Towers and do this morning right! We pack up and head downhill to our next campsite next to Refugio Las Torres. It's been a long day. We close the book on the first half of our trek, and take a long afternoon to repack, reassess and we call it a day.
Day 7: Today, we start the back side of the circuit, early and refreshed. And it’s a good thing because we have an 8-10 hour trek to Refugio Dickson. It seems like a real distance, but the terrain is milder then the ‘W’ and you cover a lot of ground fast. This is a much different experience than the ‘W.’ We canp this night at camping Dickson, next to Lago Dickson.
Day 8: Today, we progress to Campamento Perros, only 4 hours. We are not in an hurry today, so we can enjoy a late sleep or an early morning hike. But our next camp, Los Perros, is a remote campsite, and although it seems like a short day, we only have enough time to make it to this next camp by dark. At Perros we call it camp for the day.
Day 9: This is the day of the famous John Garner Pass. The hardest thing about the Paso John Gardner is the wind. The terrain is manageable, and the view from the top of the pass is breathtaking. The view below of Glacier Grey (and the Patagonian Ice Field on a clear day) is one of the most amazing moments you’ll experience in Patagonia, hands down. We push on and make camp at the Glacier Grey camp site.
Day 10: After a good breakfast we trek 4 hours to camping Pehoe, where we spent out first night. We cross Lago Pehoe via catamaran and head back to Puerto Natales. Congratulations, you did the Q.
The Full 'Q' trekking tour
This trek starts on the southernmost tip of Torres del Paine and travels north, bypassing the ‘W’ trek. It incorporates the ‘W’, but lets you trek in from the south, as well as adding five extra days to circumnavigate the northern side of the park. It is there you will experience the true beauty of peace and serenity in the park. With far fewer trekkers and no day-hikers around, you can have a genuine wilderness experience. Camping is a must at the more isolated stopovers. We head out as a self-sustained team, or with porters to help us complete this ten day adventure. Weather is always a factor. We cross water, tip-toe high cliffs, and ascend the steep John Gardner Pass. All this makes for a challenging, yet supremely rewarding trek.
The 'Q' - The full circuit - 9 nights, 10 days
1990 USD 1-5 trekkers / 1750 USD 5-10 trekkers
Day 1: After you arrive in Punta Arenas, your private airport pick up will start by taking you exploring at the penguin colony at Seno Otway. From there we transfer to Puerto Natales were we make preparations and do a gear check for Torres Del Paine. On the trip to Natales we have the chance of seeing out first rheas and guanacos. Travel time including penguin colony - 6 hours.
Day 2: After a good breakfast we transfer to Torres del Paine National Park. We begin at the south end of the Park, near the Administration Center. This is where your adventure begins. The park stretches in front of you like a dream. This part of the trek is not quite as impressive if you do it on the way out, because the views lay behind you. We enjoy every step of this hike. We camp this first night at camping Pehoe, on the edge of Lago Pehoe.
Day 3: Today we push on another two hours to Campamento Italiano. Italiano is a magnificent camp area and sits at the mouth of spectacular Valle Frances. We camp next to a beautiful river, protected nicely by a forest of old Lenga trees. We have some free time on this day, so weather permitting, we head up into the valley for a sneek-peek.
Day 4: This morning, we leave everything behind and we only pack up our backpacks with some food, rain gear, camera, and just a few basics, and head up into Valle Frances light. It’s a steep hike, so going light is nice. The valley offers natural lookouts; ice falls, avalanches, condors... impressive. A true highlight of Torres del Paine national Park. And after a day exploring Valle Frances, we head down again and pack up our camp and progress another two hours to Refugio Los Cuernos. A great camp site, located directly under the Cuernos and a stones throw from the beach. We retire to our tents that night for a well deserved night's sleep.
Day 5: Today, after a big breakfast we take on our longest day yet. Our trek takes us around the base of Mount Almirante Nieto (2500m), up into Valle Asencio, to our camp at Campamento Las Torres. This is a long day and we take many breaks for view points and photo stops. Here again we make camp in a thick Lenga forest which protects us from harsh winds.
Day 6: On this morning we get up and ready before dawn. This is our big chance to see the three famous Towers of Paine (2800m) get hit by the first morning rays of sun, which can turn the towers bright red. We again leave our camp behind and only bring our packs loaded with our warm layers. We head up the steep trail for 1 hour to the Towers view point, and some of the most amazing photos ever. We get warm, have some hot drinks at the base of the Towers and do this morning right! We pack up and head downhill to our next campsite next to Refugio Las Torres. It's been a long day. We close the book on the first half of our trek, and take a long afternoon to repack, reassess and we call it a day.
Day 7: Today, we start the back side of the circuit, early and refreshed. And it’s a good thing because we have an 8-10 hour trek to Refugio Dickson. It seems like a real distance, but the terrain is milder then the ‘W’ and you cover a lot of ground fast. This is a much different experience than the ‘W.’ We canp this night at camping Dickson, next to Lago Dickson.
Day 8: Today, we progress to Campamento Perros, only 4 hours. We are not in an hurry today, so we can enjoy a late sleep or an early morning hike. But our next camp, Los Perros, is a remote campsite, and although it seems like a short day, we only have enough time to make it to this next camp by dark. At Perros we call it camp for the day.
Day 9: This is the day of the famous John Garner Pass. The hardest thing about the Paso John Gardner is the wind. The terrain is manageable, and the view from the top of the pass is breathtaking. The view below of Glacier Grey (and the Patagonian Ice Field on a clear day) is one of the most amazing moments you’ll experience in Patagonia, hands down. We push on and make camp at the Glacier Grey camp site.
Day 10: After a good breakfast we trek 4 hours to camping Pehoe, where we spent out first night. We cross Lago Pehoe via catamaran and head back to Puerto Natales. Congratulations, you did the Q.
| 2010 | |
| September 23, 2010 |
pending |
| October 01, 2010 |
pending |
| October 09, 2010 |
|
| October 14, 2010 |
|
| October 20, 2010 | confirmed |
| October 27, 2010 |
pending |
| November 2, 2010 | confirmed |
| November 08, 2010 |
|
| November 15, 2010 |
confirmed |
| November 21, 2010 | |
| November 28, 2010 |
|
| December 6, 2010 | |
| December 12, 2010 |
|
| December 19, 2010 | pending |
| December 23, 2010 |
|
| December 28, 2010 |
confirmed |
| 2011 | |
| January 04, 2011 | |
| January 12, 2011 |
|
| January 20, 2011 | confirmed |
| January 27, 2011 |
|
| February 4, 2011 | pending |
| February 9, 2011 |
|
| February 17, 2011 | |
| February 25, 2011 |
confirmed |
| March 3, 2011 | |
| March 9, 2011 |
|
| March 15, 2011 |
|
| March 22, 2011 | confirmed |
| March 30, 2011 | |
| April 07, 2011 | |
| April 14, 2011 | pending |
| April 19, 2011 |
|
| April 25, 2011 |
|
| May 03, 2011 | pending |
| May 09, 2011 |
|
| May 14, 2011 |
