Day 1: Puerto Natales – Torres del Paine National Park (Regular Bus).
Transportation from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine National Park (Laguna Amarga Main Entrance), with a short stop at Cerro Castillo Village, located 54 Km north of Puerto Natales.
• Please arrive at the Bus Station at: 2:15 PM
• Departure: 2:30 PM / Arrival at Laguna Amarga: 4:30 PM
When you arrive at Laguna Amarga entrance you will have to buy your entrance ticket and take the shuttles that will be waiting for you to take you to Las Torres sector where the Refugio is located.
Accommodation: Refugio Torre Central.
Day 2: Trekking to “BASE TORRES” (7 - 8 hours, 13 Km).
Recommended time to start: 9.00 AM. The first hour and a half walk is steep with fantastic views of Lake Nordenskjöld, Almirante Nieto Mn (2,670 m above sea level), and its hanging glacier until you reach Refugio El Chileno to recover energies and leave your luggage. Then, carrying just a small back pack, you will continue the trail through a millenary Lenga forest (1 hour) until the base of “the moraine” whose challenging ascent (45 min), will take you to one of the most impressive lookouts in the park: “Base of Torres del Paine” where you will have the view of Torre Sur (2,850 m above sea level), Torre Central (2,800 m above sea level), Torre Norte (2,600 m above sea level) and Cerro Nido de Cóndor.
Accommodation: Refugio El Chileno// If this Refugio is not available, the only alternative is going back to Torre Central (2 more hours trekking)
Level of difficulty: High.
Day 3: Trekking from El Chileno to Los Cuernos Refugio (4 – 5 hours, 11 Km).
Recommended time to start: 9.00 AM.
About 30 minutes after leaving Refugio El Chileno you will notice the sign to take the “shortcut” that leads to Refugio Los Cuernos. The trail goes through the Base of Mt Almirante Nieto. – part of the Paine Massif-, with great views of Lake Nordenskjöld; from December the flora presents different colours specially the “Ciruelillo” or “Fire Bush” which take its name from the red colour of its flowers. After about 4 – 5 hours you will get to the Base of Los Cuernos where our Refugio is located, considered by many, one of the coziest places in the whole park, a perfect spot to rest and recover energies for the next day challenging trek: “The French Valley”.
Accommodation: Refugio Los Cuernos (we recommend Cabins Los Cuernos, you may check the prices below, don´t forget your swimming suit for the HOT TUB, shared service for Cabin´s guests).
Level of difficulty: Medium.
Day 4: Trekking to French Valley (10 - 12 hours, 25.3 Km).
Recommended hour to start: 8.00 AM. The first 2 hours are with some ascents, descents and views of Lake Nordenskjöld, until “Campamento Italiano”. The ascent goes for about 1 hour and a half until theFrench Glacier lookout, where you’ll be able to observe its hanging glacier and have the opportunity to see small avalanches. After that the trail continues until “Campamento Británico” and after about 20 minutes you will reach the lookout point considered by many as one of the most overwhelming spots in the Circuit: “Mirador Británico”, where you will admire: “Paine Grande”, “Cerro Hoja”, “Cerro Máscara”, “Cerro Catedral”, “Cerro Aleta de Tiburón”, “Cuerno Norte”, etc.
The return is the same way back to the “Campamento Italiano”, and then to Los Cuernos sector.
Accommodation: Refugio Los Cuernos or Domos El Francés (depending on availability).
Leve of difficulty: High.
Day 5: Trekking to Pehoe sector – Catamaran and Bus to Puerto Natales (4 – 5 hours, 13 Km).
The trek goes from Los Cuernos (or Francés) to Pehoé sector to take the catamaran that crosses Lake Pehoe in 30 minutes and connects with the regular bus that will take you back to Puerto Natales.*
Level of difficulty: Medium.
* During OCTOBER and APRIL the walk on Day 5, must start at 7:30 – 8:00 AM, because there is only one Catamaran frequency at 12:30 PM.
For the rest of the months (Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar) you have two options, either at 12:30 PM or 6:30 PM Catamaran frequencies.
If you choose the 12:30 PM Catamaran, you will arrive at the Bus Station in Puerto Natales at 4:30 PM approx.
If you choose the 18:30 PM Catamaran, you will arrive at the Bus Station in Puerto Natales at 10.00 PM approx.
