February 25 -
March 10, 2009
Plan your departure from the U.S. for
February 24 or earlier
Plan your departure from Argentina for March 11 or later
March 1-10, 2009
Plan your departure from the U.S. for
February 28 or earlier
Plan your departure from Argentina for March 11 or later
Printable
version of itinerary
Discover the
best mountain hikes in Argentine and Chilean Patagonia! In
northern Patagonia's "Lake District" a wonderland of deep forests and
cobalt lakes adorn the feet of the craggy peaks of the Andes in
Argentina’s Nahuel Huapi National Park. In southern
Patagonia the iconic spires of Monte Fitzroy, Cerro Torre and the Torres
del Paine massifs pierce the wind-scrubbed skies above the Patagonian
icecap. We've assembled a series of hikes
that deliver "mountain and view" experiences so you can thrill
to some of the planet's most exciting mountain landscapes! Evenings spent in comfortable inns and "hosterias"
add a touch of comfort to your experiences in these wild lands at the end of the earth! |
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Day 1
Overnight in Bariloche area
Dinner included
Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina and connect with your flight to Bariloche in the Argentine Lake District. You will be met on arrival in
Bariloche. In the afternoon, travel by vehicle to a lovely hosteria at the foot of the ice-clad
volcano, Monte Tronador. |
Day 2
Overnight in Bariloche area
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Enjoy a selection of hikes in the Monte Tronador area. A hike to the
hanging Castaño Overa Glacier or the Otto Meiling Refuge (more strenuous)
are possibilities on this day. Your accommodations this evening are just
outside Bariloche town
directly on the shores of the lovely Lago Nahuel Huapi. Settle in for a
three-night stay!
Day 3
Overnight in Bariloche area
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
From the settlement of Villa Catedral, hike through lovely
southern beech woodlands following the course of the Arroyo van Titter to
the curious Refugio Piedritas tucked under the overhang of a large boulder.
Continue ascending to the Refugio Frey situated on the shores of the
beautiful Laguna Tonchek. The spiky mountain ramparts of the Cerro Catedral
form an impressive backdrop to a classically "alpine" landscape! A cable
car/chairlift ride to the mountain-top Refugio Lynch is also a possibility
this day, weather conditions permitting!
Day 4
Overnight in Bariloche area
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Follow a lovely trail up the slopes of Cerro Lopez enjoying
ever-expanding views over the majestic Lago Nahuel Huapi. From the Refugio
Lopez perched on a rocky shelf just above the timberline you'll survey the
jagged crest to Cerro Lopez etched against the blue Patagonia sky. Energetic
and sure-footed hikers can choose to ascend the rock-strewn route from
Refugio Lopez to the summit of of Cerro Lopez and the Pico Turista. Panoramic views over
the lake-studded parklands of Nahuel Huapi await!. Andean condors can sometimes be
seen here, and on a clear day, the view westward extends to the symmetrical,
snowcapped summit of Volcan Osorno in Chile! |
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El Calafate lodgings. |
Day 5
Overnight in El Calafate
Breakfast & dinner included
10-Day Option begins this day
Morning at leisure. Transfer to Bariloche Airport for an afternoon
flight to the old wool trading station of El Calafate on the southern shore
of the enormous Lago Argentino. Upon arrival in El Calafate,
transfer to your hotel. Remainder of afternoon is at your leisure in El Calafate. |
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5 The
Glaciar Perito Moreno.
(A. Sagripanti)
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Day 6
Overnight in El Chalten
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Spend morning visiting the
viewpoints at the Perito Moreno Glacier in the Los Glaciares National Park,
a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Later, travel by vehicle to the Fitzroy Sector
of Los Glaciares park. Spend the evening in a lodge in the village of El Chalten
whose unpaved streets lend it the air of a frontier town. |
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5 Cerro
Torre (center) & Monte Fitzroy (right of center) seen from the road to El Chalten.
(A. Sagripanti)
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Day 7
Overnight in El Chalten
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Hike along the Cerro Torre trail
following the course of the Rio Fitzroy into the
heart of Los Glaciares National Park. The trail passes through open
scrublands and scattered stands of lenga and ñirre, both
varieties of the southern beech (Nothofagus sp) before arriving at
the "Cerro Torre Lookout" from where you'll enjoy a impressive view of the
slender granite spire of the Cerro Torre. If you desire, you can continue
further to reach the shores of the
glacial lake called Laguna Torre. The view of ice-encrusted Cerro Torre
rising above the Glaciar Torre and the waters of the lake is stunning. If
there's time, energetic hikers can follow the glacial moraine that impounds
Laguna Torre to the Mirador Maestri for even more close-up views of Cerro
Torre and the icefalls that descend the serrated mountain wall known as the Cordón Adela.
Return to El Chalten for the evening.
Day 8
Overnight in El Chalten
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Today, enjoy a hike to lovely Laguna Capri. The view of Monte Fitzroy rising above the
serene waters of Laguna Capri is outstanding, and a Patagonian classic! A
number of hillocks surrounding the lake offer other vantage point. For a
longer and more strenuous outing, hike along the Rio Blanco enjoying the
sights (and sounds) of the Piedras Blancas Glacier spilling into its
namesake lake. From near the Campamento Poincenot, a stee[ trail ascends to
the Laguna de los Tres. You may well feel that the view of the Fitzroy
massif from the shores of this emerald-colored lake is alone "worth the
journey" to Patagonia! After enjoying the views, return to El Chalten via
the Laguna Capri. |
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5 Monte
Fitzroy! (A. Sagripanti)
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Day 9
Overnight at El
Chalten
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Hike to the Loma del Pliegue
Tumbado, a broad ridge south of the Rio Fitzroy. The views from atop the
Loma del Pliegue Tumbado are frequently considered some of the finest in the region!
This hike will take you through a variety of environments including
Patagonian steppe, lenga forests and the marshlands known as
mallín. From the open ridgetop, the 360 degree views can be
overwhelming! You'll be surrounded by a panorama of soaring peaks, glaciers
spilling into immense turquoise lakes and the vast Patagonian steppe
stretching away to the east. Overnight
at a lodge in El Chalten.
Day 10
Overnight
at Torres de Paine National Park, Chile (Cerro Paine area)
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Today, travel across the Patagonian steppes to the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. Overnight in a
very comfortable lodge (hosteria) on an old estancia within the
national park. |
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5 The
unbridled majesty of the Torres del Paine is alone worth the journey! (Photo
by John Osaki)
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Day 11
Overnight
at Torres de Paine National Park, Chile (Cerro Paine area)
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
From the door of the lodge, depart on a hike to
the renowned Torres del Paine Lookout. This is unquestionably the most
spectacular hike in the national park. Ascend the narrow valley of the
Rio Ascencio framed by the peaks of Cerro Paine and Cerro Almirante Nieto.
The route passes through heath meadows and dwarf lenga forests before
reaching the Campamento Torres (used by climbers as a base camp). The route
steepens and threads it way through boulders and to reach the Torres del
Paine Lookout. Enjoy the stupendous and "never-to-be-forgotten" view of the
Torres del Paine, three massive granite towers that ring a glacier-carved,
lake-filled cirque. The tallest tower, the Torre de Agostini, rises to a
height of 9,350 feet. When you're ready, retrace your steps to the
comfort of the hosteria. |
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5 The
Cuernos del Paine rise above the waters of Lago Pehoe. (Photo by Jan
Kessler )
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Day 12
Overnight at Torres
de Paine National Park, Chile (Lago Pehoe area)
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Travel by vehicle to the Pudeto boat dock on Lago Pehoe. Motor across the
lake to its western tip from where today's hikes begin. Heading north and
west, a trail leads past the small Laguna los Patos and continues to a
vantage point high above aptly named Lago Grey. From this viewpoint, enjoy
sweeping views over this ten-mile-long lake, speckled with luminous blue
icebergs calved from the Grey Glacier that descends into the lake from the
Patagonian icecap. Or, you can choose a more strenuous hike into the Francés Valley which separates the
Cuernos del Paine from the massive peak of Cerro Paine Grande.
This route skirts the western shore of Lago Skottsberg under the hanging
glaciers of Cerro Paine Grande before heading south into the Francés Valley
proper. The route crosses a boulder-strewn moraine before arriving at a natural
viewpoint. Directly across the valley is the hanging Francés Glacier which
periodically sends chunks of ice crashing into the valley. To the east, the
craggy summits of the Cuernos del Paine ("Horns of Paine") rise in splendor
while down-valley views extend all the way to the enormous Lago del Toro on
the southern perimeter of Torres del Paine Park. Retrace your steps to the
boat dock, ferry across the lake, and check into a simple, but spectaculary-sited
hosteria on the shores of windswept Lago Pehoe. |
Day 13
Overnight
at Torres de Paine National Park, Chile (Lago Pehoe area)
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
This day affords us some insurance against the vagaries of
Patagonia's notoriously unpredictable weather! If we're lucky enough to have
enjoyed fine weather on the previous two days, we can explore other trails
that lead to scenic viewpoints or provide close-up encounters with guanacos
and other wildlife. Return to the
hosteria at Lago Pehoe for the evening. |
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5 Beached
icebergs at Lago Grey, Torres del Paine, Chile. (Photo by John
Osaki )
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Day 14
Overnight
at El Calafate
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Depart Torres del Paine National Park this morning to travel by vehicle back to
El Calafate. Settle into your hotel and enjoy a farewell dinner this
evening.
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5
Buenos Aires (Photo: J.Osaki) |
Please note
that because this trip officially starts in Bariloche, Argentina, an overview tour of Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital, is not included
in as part of this trip. If you wish to experience Argentina's vibrant
capital (and attend a tango performance), we suggest you plan to
arrive in Buenos Aires two days before the start of the trip. We will organize a half-day "Buenos
Aires Highlights" tour (additional cost) for those who are
interested. We can also help you with any overnight accommodations you
require in Buenos Aires prior to the start of your Patagonia adventure. |
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Other Details about this Trip
Trip Dates: February 25 - March
10, 2009
Price: $5,395
(2009 price TBA)
Single Room for entire trip: $1,450
(2009 price TBA)
Single accommodations are subject to availability and may be
limited.
Meeting Point: Bariloche, Argentina (connect through Buenos Aires,
Argentina)
Departure Point: El Calafate, Argentina (flights to the U.S. connect in
Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Accommodations: Fourteen nights in small hotels/inns; all rooms
with private bath. Fourteen breakfasts, twelve lunches, and
fourteen dinners are included.
Trip Dates: March 1-10, 2009
Price: $4,995
(2009 price TBA)
Single Room for entire trip: $1,150
(2009 price TBA)
Single
accommodations are subject to availability and may be limited.)
Meeting Point: El Calafate, Argentina (connect through Buenos Aires,
Argentina)
Departure Point: El Calafate, Argentina (flights to the U.S. connect in
Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Accommodations: Ten nights in small hotels/inns; all rooms with
private bath. Ten breakfasts, nine lunches, and ten dinners are included.
Airfare (international and Argentina domestic flights) is
not included in the trip price. In addition to international
airfare, you will need to purchase three Argentina domestic
flights (Buenos Aires to Bariloche, Bariloche to El Calafate, El
Calafate to Buenos Aires) for the 14-day trip and two Argentina
domestic flights (Buenos Aires to El Calafate, El Calafate to
Buenos Aires) for the 10-day trip. We will be glad to arrange
the purchase of these flights for you so that they coordinate
well with the planned itinerary.
Optional extension to Argentine Tierra del Fuego: At the
end of the trip, it's a fairly simple matter to fly from El
Calafate to the town of Ushuaia set in the fjord-and-mountain
landscapes of the island of Tierra del Fuego. If you've ever had
the desire to visit Tierra del Fuego and the Beagle Channel,
this might just be your opportunity! If you desire, we can make
arrangements to book you into our favorite Ushuaia hotel
situated right on the shores of the Beagle Channel with stunning
views across the water to the San Pallo cordillera on Isla Hoste.
It's a perfect and superbly relaxing place to wind down after
your Patagonian hiking adventure! Penguin-viewing excursions and
day cruises on the Beagle Channel are some of the activities
available. |
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Author David Ebershoff writes about the resurgence of
Buenos Aires in the wake of its disastrous 2001 financial collapse. Read
more about the Argentine capital's "profound and thrilling makeover" in "Buenos Aires in Bloom" in the
February 2007 issue of Conde Nast Traveler magazine.
