Patagonia: ‘O’ Circuit Trek & El Chaltén
Overview
Torres Del Paine National Park ‘O’ Trek & El Chalten
Torres del Paine National Park and El Chalten offer some of the most spectacular parts of the Patagonia region and the southern Andes.
This itinerary will cover the striking pointed peaks and massive glaciers of the Paine Massif and Southern Patagonia Ice Field; along what is popularly known as the “O” route based on its circuit shape.
In just under a couple of weeks; you will trek through almost 100 km+ of trails and stay at a variety of lodges, shelters (refugios) or camping for the overnights.
Thus; this tour is best suited for trekkers with hiking experience; or physically-fit adventurers who are willing to practice hiking trails with demanding conditions. Crowds of trekkers/travellers are more prevalent during the high season; which also overlaps with pleasant summer weather in the Southern Hemisphere.
First of all; arriving in Torres del Paine; the tour of the Paine Massif, where nature invites you to challenge your body and mind. For 8 intense days you will be amazed by the granite towers that give the park its name, the legendary Francés Valley, or the striking Grey Glacier seen from the John Garner mountain pass where the ice blends into the clouds on the horizon. An experience that will take your breath way.
Following on; from Torres del Paine; you’ll then transfer to El Chalten. The variety of views from steppe to the forest; from huge glacier moraines to colourful lakes and the views makes this itinerary a unique and fantastic way to explore the best of the National park.
Highlights
Explore famous landmark sites such as Las Torres, Glacier Grey, Las Cuernos, Dickson Glacier.
Spend just over a week discovering the awe and stunning scenery of Torres del Paine.
Encounter numerous flora and fauna, including grazing wild guanaco.
Climb the John Gardner Pass for a section of the park that is rarely visited.
Walk alongside the magnificent lagunas of Nordenskjold, Pehoe and Grey.
Included
All camping Equipment (incl. sleeping bags)
Professional bilingual guide
Campsites or Refugio Reservations |
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Not Included
International Airfare
Hotels before & after (can be organised as part of trip)
Tips for crew
Any additional extras
Domestic flights (can be organised as part of trip)
Transfers – (FYI: The bus journey from Puerto Natales lasts about two and a half hours (112 km)) Approx. $22-24 usd per person for Round Bus Trip.
Park entrance fees to be paid for in cash at park entrance. |
| Joining Arrangements |
There will be a pre-trek briefing held usually the evening before departure, at your hotel, to go over the details of the trek and any specific requirements not already captured. |
| Food & Water |
Prior to setting off we recommend you steer clear of street food and only eat in good restaurants, to avoid any stomach complaints. Likewise with tap water, it is largely untreated, please only consume bottled water only or sterilised water if you have the right equipment. |
| Special Diets |
We’ll ensure that we cater for all of your dietary needs, at the point of booking we’ll collect this information from you. We can secure special menu requests also for your trek party. |
| Trekking Crew |
We are able to customise our treks to suit you, but usually our treks are guided by a professional bilingual guide/cook, porter to carry camping equipment (passenger horses also available on request). They become a large part of your trekking expedition and it’s a great experience working together. |
| Acclimatisation |
This is a really important part of your trip planning process, please find a link below which explains a little more about preparing for altitude. Altitude Preparation |
| Preparation |
Attached below are a couple of links which will explain how to prepare for your trip & trek in advance of your arrival. We recommend being prepared in advance to save time & stress whilst you’re in Peru. Trip Planning | Trek Planning |
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| Covid-19 (Coronavirus) |
We are working with the latest protocols issued by the Ministerio de Salud (Ministry of Health) to ensure our operations are safe and compliant for the future. We also have access to on-call health services for your time with us. |
| Covid-19 (Useful Links) |
World Health Organisation | World Health Organisation – Peru | Covid-19 Data – Peru | Covid-19 Daily Statistics |
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| Reservation |
Please contact us to reserve your trek and we will send you our deposit & payment options. |
| Customer Service |
Please feel free to contact us at any point before your trip for any queries or problems. |
Details
Itinerary
The day before you start your adventure, you will arrive in
Puerto Natales. You have to be at 6.30 in the morning at the Rodoviario de Puerto Natales (bus station; Spain 1455), to take the bus leaving at 7:00 am to the
Torres del Paine National Park (PNTP). Your entrance to the park will be through the Laguna Amarga Lodge, where you will show your ticket and then take the approach bus to the Welcome Center of the
Cerro Paine Reserve where you can enjoy the impressive silhouettes of the Torres del Paine and the
Almirante Nieto Massif . Once there, start your first trekking. This will lead you through a huge forest of lichens called "old man's beard". Once you have crossed the forest you will contemplate in the distance an extensive valley covered by margaritas flanked by the
Paine River on the right, who will accompany you during the second half of your trek until you reach the Serón campsite, where you will dine and stay
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation: Camping or Refugio
- Hiking distance: 9.6 miles (15.5 km)
- Hiking time: 6.5 hours
This will be a long and unforgettable day of trekking. The first part of the trail will take you up and down, surrounding the hillsides of
Cerro Paine where you will feel the strength of the wind. There, you will begin to descend to continue bordering Lake Paine, which on clear days works as a mirror of the summits that surround it. If the weather is in your favor, you will be able to see the northeast summit of the Paine Massif, including silhouettes and peculiar shapes such as "Cabeza del Indio", "Escudo", "Cube" and
Dickson. The night will be in the
Dickson Sector, located next to the glacial lake at the edge of the Southern Ice Field that gives it its name to the sector.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation: Camping or Refugio
- Hiking distance: 8.1 miles (13 km)
- Hiking time: 4 hrs
Today you will begin to move towards the south west. Along the way you will see the
Dickson glacier falling into the lake of the same name. You will enter a beautiful lenga forest, where you will see Magellanic woodpeckers beating the lengas. In the middle of the forest you will find a clearing. Stop there to look forward and backward, because in front of you and behind you you can see glaciers, awesome! Further on, you will also pass through the
Los Perros glacier, with incredible views towards its lake. Half an hour after the walk, you will arrive at
Camp Los Perros, located in a quiet and ancient forest. In the
Perros Sector the food service consists of rations of the trek, there is no restaurant service.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation: Camping or Refugio
- Hiking distance: 11.2 miles (18 km)
- Hiking time: 6 hrs
It is likely that today is the most exhausting and at the same time most spectacular day of your trip. Attention: there will be slippery roads, swampy terrain and steep climbs and descents. The departure from
Los Perros must be very early. The first part of the way is through a swampy land and then start a steep and long climb to the windy
Paso John Garner. Once up, the overwhelming view will make you feel very small. In front of you will have one of the huge tongues of the Southern Ice Field, full of cracks and ice of the strangest nuances of blue and green. A landscape in which you do not know where the glacier ends and where the clouds begin. Once you catch your breath, start the long descent between rocks, to continue skirting the
Grey Glacier, which will accompany you all the way to Lake Grey. A few kilometers after arriving at the site "El Paso", you will cross two impressive suspension bridges over 50 meters long that pass over huge gorges with a fantastic view of the
Grey glacier, an image that is hard to forget. Tonight we will stay in
Sector Gray
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation: Camping or Refugio
- Hiking distance: 6.8 miles (11 km)
- Hiking time: 4.5 hrs
The first part of the road will be between many ups and downs. Crossing forests of ñirres, cohigues and notros, and with the majestic
Cerro Paine Grande (the highest summit of the Massif with 3050 masl) and its hanging glaciers on your left, you will reach the
Paine Grande Refuge. There you can stop for a while to have lunch and enjoy the amazing view from the place to the Cuernos del Paine. Then, you will continue your way towards the
French Sector now with horns in front,
Lake Pehoé on your right and another face of Cerro Paine Grande on your left. After a quiet but long walk you will reach the French Sector where you will dine and sleep.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation: Camping or Refugio
- Hiking distance: 13.7 miles (22 km)
- Hiking time: 11 hrs
This day you will visit another of the most emblematic and magical places of the Park, the impressive
Valle del Francés. The trekking will begin with a gentle walk towards the Italian camp. Here, you will start to climb the valley and after an hour and a half of ascent, you will reach the "French Lookout". Here you will see very closely one of the hanging glaciers of Cerro Paine Grande and, with some luck, you will be able to witness an ice fall (avalanche). With that impressive sight circling in your head you will continue advancing through a forest of lengas, up to the British sector. Get ready, it is probably the only time in your life that you see such a show: the magnificent Valley of the French, floated by its colossal mountains and granite walls whose unique shapes and colors will leave you breathless. The return will be by the same path, passing through the Italian Camp, until reaching the
French Sector.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation: Camping or Refugio
- Hiking distance: 6.8 miles (11 km)
- Hiking time: 3.5-4 hrs
With the spectacular
Cuernos del Paine on the left, and the colors of
Lake Nordenskjöld on the right, you will walk towards the Central sector. This day the walk will be calmer, there will be no big slopes and the journey will be shorter and faster than the previous days. A few kilometers to reach the Central Sector, you will have left behind the Cuernos to skirt
Mount Almirante Nieto (2,670 masl), a massif with a temperamental climate. At night, and as in the rest of your adventure, you can live the relaxed and cosmopolitan atmosphere in the Central Sector; Take a well deserved beer and share with other hikers experiences and anecdotes. If you feel tired after so many days of hard walking, you can stop by the Hotel Las Torres Spa to get a well-deserved massage, or try a roast lamb on the stick (these activities are not included in the program)
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation: Camping or Refugio
- Hiking distance: 10.7 miles (17.3 km)
- Hiking time: 7 hrs
Today you'll be up early to visit one of the most famous landmarks of the park, the
Mirador Base Torres. During the first part you'll walk through the pampas, crossing the
Ascencio River and then climb about 3 km until you reach the '
paso del vientos'. Here you'll enjoy incredible views of the valley, lakes and glaciers that surround. Continuing until you reach the
Chilean Refuge and then enter a forest of lengas and reach “La Morrena”, where the hardest part of the trekking begins. After 45 minutes of arduous ascent along a rocky path, you'll reach the spectacular
Mirador Base Torres where you can enjoy the majesty of the
South Towers (2,850 masl),
Central (2,800 masl), and
North (2,600 masl). After contemplating the spectacular scenery, you'll return to the Central Sector where at 7:00 p.m you'll take the bus that will take you back to Puerto Natales..
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
- Hiking distance: 7.5 miles (12 km)
- Hiking time: 4.5 hrs
- Accommodation. Hotel IF
Bus to El Chalten (10 hrs)
Change at El Calafate for El Chalten
This is a warm up day but the views are already breath taking, starting with the
Cerro Torre view point that reveals the chain of mountains in a clear sky. Within around 3 hours you will arrive at the Campamento de Agostini where you will camp tonight. There are icebergs ported by the wind on the shore of the Laguna Torres, making this place a living dramatic theatre. Allow around 1h to explore the Laguna.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation: Camping
- Distance: 10 km (4h)
Today you'll be up early this morning as there is quite a lot to see. After checking Laguna Torres one last time, you'll hike towards Campamento Poincenot. Passing along Laguna Hija and Madre and you will get your first glimpse of the day over
Fitz Roy. Upon reaching camp, you'll have a bite for lunch. After the break, packing a small day pack with clothes, water and a snack you'll make your way towards Laguna de los tres. You will pass a small campsite reserved for climbers, after the slope gets steeper. Note that the trail is exposed to the elements -winds, snow-, checking the situation before leaving. After a
climb of 400m, you'll reach the fantastic
Laguna de los tres, with its turquoise water, at the foot of Fitz Roy. Magical and so impressive. There are also the emerald waters of
Laguna Sucia on the west side.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation: Camping
- Distance: 19km (3h + 3h)
This morning you will start with a short hike. Bringing a day pack and following the
Rio Blanco to reach the glacier and
Laguna de las Piedras Blancas, it is a peaceful place as few hikers make it a visit, preferring their more famous neighbours. Leaving the campsite on the return from the lagunas and heading back towards
El Chalten. After another 1h30 of trekking, you´ll reach the
Laguna Capri, and its campsite a bit less crowded. If you have extra time available it is possible to extend the experience by camping here also and returning back to town the following morning.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
- Distance: 17km (5h30)
Domestic flight to Santiago.
