Patagonia: Torres del Paine ‘O’ Circuit Trek

Duration

8 Days

Tour Type

Adventure
Couple
Family
Trek

Group Size

Max People : 15

Chile

Patagonia: Torres del Paine ‘O’ Circuit Trek

Overview

Patagonia – Torres del Paine National Park is one of the most spectacular parts of the Patagonia region and the southern Andes. Located at the southern tip of the Americas; the park is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve and one of the most visited in Chile. Torres del Paine lies between the Andes Mountains and the Patagonian Steppe in southern Chile giving on to the Atlantic coast. It is an area of great scenic beauty; with many ridges, crags, glaciers, waterfalls, rivers, lakes and lagoons.

Following then; this itinerary will cover the striking pointed peaks and massive glaciers of the Paine Massif & Southern Patagonia Ice Field; along what is popularly known as the “O” route based on its circuit shape.

Then, in just over a week, you’ll trek through almost 80 miles (128.75 km) of trails and stay at a variety of lodges, shelters (refugios) or camping overnight.

This tour is best suited for trekkers with hiking experience; or physically-fit adventurers who are willing to practice hiking trails with occasionally demanding conditions. Crowds of trekkers/travelers are more prevalent during the high season. Following then; this also overlaps with pleasant summer weather in the Southern Hemisphere.

Highlights
Spend just over a week discovering the awe and stunning scenery of Torres del Paine.
Climb the John Gardner Pass for a section of the park that is rarely visited.
Explore famous landmark sites such as Las Torres, Glacier Grey, Las Cuernos, Dickson Glacier.
Walk alongside the magnificent lagunas of Nordenskjold, Pehoe and Grey.
Encounter numerous flora and fauna, including grazing wild guanaco.

Included
All camping Equipment (incl. sleeping bags)
Professional bilingual guide
Campsites or Refugio Reservations
Full meal service at refugios (B,L,D)

Not Included
International Airfare
Hotels before & after (can be organized as part of the trip)
Tips for crew
Any additional extras
Domestic flights (can be organized as part of the 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 a 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

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

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: 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)

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