| Kuyay GLBT Travel | Patagonia, Chile | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Hike the "W" in Torres del Paine — 9 days / 8 nights | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Type of Tour | Special Package | Price per person, double occupancy | US$ 1,690 | |||||||||||||||||
| (trekking mostly self- guided on marked trails) |
Single supplement, if required | US$ 400 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Entry Point | Santiago, Chile | Estimated internal airfare | Included | |||||||||||||||||
| Exit Point | Santiago, Chile | Is this tour customizable? | Yes | |||||||||||||||||
| Departure Dates | Daily (Oct. through Apr.) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Included in Tour | Not Included in Tour | |||||||||||||||||||
— Internal airfare from Santiago |
— International airfare
to Santiago, from Buenos Aires, — Alcoholic drinks, — Activities not included in program, — Souvenirs and other personal "extras", — Travel insurance, — Discretionary Tips for guides, etc. |
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| Daily Itinerary | click for Color e-Brochure | |||||||||||||||||||
| Day 1 | Hostal Natales | Puerto Natales | ||||||||||||||||||
Arrive into
Santiago's international airport where you will take an internal flight
(approx. 4 hours) down to Punta Arenas on the Magellan Strait. There
you will be met at the airport for your transfer up to Puerto Natales
on the Last Hope Sound (roughly 3 hours), where you will have the rest
of the afternoon free after a long day of traveling. |
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| Day 2 | Lodge Paine Grande | Torres del Paine | ||||||||||||||||||
Morning
pick-up at the hostel for your 2-hour transfer into Torres del Paine
National Park, designated a Unesco World Biosphere Reserve in 1978,
being the home to at least 25 species of mammals, including guanacos,
pumas and foxes, as well as more than 115 species of birds. You will
see various lakes (Sarmiento, Nordenskjold, Pehoé), the famous North and South Towers and the more photographed Paine “Cuernos”, or Horns. At Pudeto, you will take a 30-minute catamaran across lake Pehoe to the Lodge Paine Grande for your first night in the park. Rest of the afternoon free to enjoy the clean air and majestic surroundings. |
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| Day 3 | Refugio Grey (3.5 hours trekking) | Torres del Paine | ||||||||||||||||||
Today will be an easy
day of hiking, as you begin your trek by taking the western section
of the "W", up the Grey Trail, along the lake to a lookout of the Grey Glacier. Your destination for the night is the Refugio Grey, between the Grey Glacier and Paine Grande, the tallest peak in the park at 3,050 meters, or 10,000 feet. |
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| Day 4 | Lodge Paine Grande (7.5 hours trekking) | Torres del Paine | ||||||||||||||||||
Since today you will
return to the Lodge Paine Grande, you will have time in the morning
to hike farther up the Grey Trail at least to the Las Guardas Camp,
1.5 hours away, which is right on the edge of the Grey Glacier. Then
you can take your time returning to the lodge, having your box lunch
on the way. |
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| Day 5 | Refugio Los Cuernos (10+ hours trekking) | Torres del Paine | ||||||||||||||||||
Today will probably be
your longest day of hiking in Torres del Paine, requiring an earlier
start. You will head east, and then north along the shore of the Skottsberg
lake, around Paine Grande and up into the Frenchman's Valley beginning
at the Italian Camp. From here up to the British Camp is roughly 2.5
hours, and time allowing you can continue up to a lookout for a wonderful
view of the valley. Then you will return down Frenchman's Valley heading
east along the Lake Nordenskjold to the Refugio Los Cuernos for the
night. |
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| Day 6 | Refugio Chileno (6.5 hours trekking) | Torres del Paine | ||||||||||||||||||
This morning after breakfast you will continue east along the Los Cuernos Pass Trail, right at the base of the famous Cuernos, or Horns. You will begin the eastern section of the "W" by heading north at the Inge Lagoon and up to the Refugio Chileno for a hot shower and a good meal. |
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| Day 7 | Refugio Torre Norte (7+ hours trekking) | Torres del Paine | ||||||||||||||||||
Today you will experience the last section of the "W" by hiking up the Ascencio Valley and along the river of the same name, heading west around the Torres, or Towers to the Las Torres Base Camp by the lagoon, yielding the best views of the Towers in the park. After enjoying the silence and the magnificent granite massifs, you will return to the Refugio Torre Norte, close to the Hosteria Las Torres, for your last night in the park. |
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| Day 8 | Hotel Plaza | Punta Arenas | ||||||||||||||||||
After breakfast you will
have a transfer back down to Punta Arenas, where you will have the rest
of the afternoon free to relax and recuperate. We recommend visiting
the main square. Legend has it that if you touch the toe of the Tehuelche
statue there, you will return to Punta Arenas sometime in the future. |
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| Day 9 | Santiago, Home | |||||||||||||||||||
This morning you will have a transfer from the hotel to the airport just outside of the city for your flight back to Santiago in time to make your international connection home, or to continue your vacation. |
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| © 2009
Kuyay Travel Puerto Varas, Patagonia - Chile |
info@gaypatagonia.com 56.65.438.990 / 56.98.923.2106 |
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