After a good night’s sleep and breakfast, we leave Punta Arenas heading north cross the pampa to reach the Torres del Paine National park (4-5h). This is our first introduction to the wild Patagonian landscape, passing estancias and sheep farming country. For our trek today we start with an easy loop walk from our camp. 

After a good night’s sleep and breakfast, we leave Punta Arenas heading north cross the pampa to reach the Torres del Paine National park (4-5h). This is our first introduction to the wild Patagonian landscape, passing estancias and sheep farming country. For our trek today we start with an easy loop walk from our camp. 

After breakfast we have a short transfer to Pudeto’s pier to take the ferry and cross Pehoe lake (40min). Our first big trek takes us up towards the Grey Glacier on a 3-4 hour walk. From here, we may have our first views of the Southern Patagonian Icecap spilling into Lago Grey. We stop at the mirador from where we can watch as chunks of the icecap tumble into the water to form icebergs. We camp at Paine Grande tonight.

Today our route takes us along one of the most spectacular cirques in the Paine range. There is opportunity to climb up to a mirador, or viewpoint, which commands views of the mighty Frances Glacier from which the valley derives its name. Here magnificent panorama of glacial lakes is supplemented by the back of the famous Towers that mark Paine Grand. After spending some time admiring the permanent ice of the glacier and the surrounding mountain peaks we return down the valley to the Italian Camp and  trek the last steeply undulating hours above Lago Nordenskjold to our next accommodation set below the strangely weathered Cuernos del Paine

After a camping night, we set off on a relatively short easy day hiking following Lago Nordenskjold to Las Torres. The track undulates for some time along the lake presenting magnificent views of Paine Chico and the Towers ahead of us and the Cuernos behind. We descend for half an hour, crossing several gushing rivers over the rolling forested terrain and then climb steeply away from the lake over a pass. We come to a flat stretch around a small lake and then gradually descend to Las Torres good camp.

Today is definitely the highlight of our stay in the national park, with an early start as we set off up the Torres valley to The Torres del Paine. The huge granite towers are a truly magnificent sight. The five-hour trek begins with a steep climb, with Paine Chico 2668m on our left, before following the river and the spectacularly situated Chileno refuge. It is a further two and a half hours of tough climbing up the huge glaciated valley to the towers themselves, the last stretch over rocks and boulders. After spending some time at the towers absorbing the views and atmosphere, we return to Las Torres for a final evening celebration our achievement tonight in the midst of the national park at Las Torres.

We leave our camp for the last time and head out of the park. After a few hours, we stop in Puerto Natales to enjoy a tasty lunch. We then catch our afternoon transfer to Punta Arenas for our evening flight to Santiago and on to the UK.