Patagonia holidays, Wilds of Patagonia
| country: | Argentina, Patagonia, Chile |
| location: | Patagonia |
| trip type: | Moderate to very challenging trekking holidays |
| departures: | 2008: 11 Oct, 25 Oct, 8 Nov, 22 Nov, 6 Dec, 20 Dec 2009: 3 Jan, 17 Jan, 31 Jan, 14 Feb, 28 Feb, 14 Mar, 28 Mar |
| price: | From £1940 (20 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This challenging twenty-day trekking adventure in the southern Patagonian Andes of Chile and Argentina takes in three of the natural wonders of South America: The Los Glaciares (Fitzroy) National Park, the Torres Del Paine National Park, and the Perito Moreno Glacier. From our starting point, the southern Argentine city of El Calafate, we cross the Patagonian plains and pass the huge turquoise Lakes Argentino and Viedma.
Approaching the awesome spires and towers of Fitzroy via pre-Andean heath, we enter the Los Glaciares National Park at El Chalten. We dedicate the next eight days to trekking in the park, with nights spent camping.Altitude does not pose a problem, but the climate can be fickle; be prepared for the fierce winds which periodically blow up. Effort is amply rewarded by the spectacular scenery.
This unique trekking itinerary gives us the opportunity to get up close to the north wall of Fitzroy (3441 metres).Given suitable weather conditions, we trek on the vast Torre Glacier below the magnificent Cerro Torre spire (which features a vertical 1500 metre high wall) and to the Paso del Viento (Windy Pass) for a view across the ice field.
We travel south, then west before crossing into Chile and the town of Puerto Natales. After a free day on the shores of Last Hope Sound, we continue to the Torres del Paine National Park. Condors, rheas and guanacos can be seen in the area. A wonder of natural sculpture, the two thousand metre high Cuernos (Horns) and Torres (Towers) must be seen to be believed.
The massif is encircled by a glacial hydrological system linking numerous opaque, silica-rich lakes of various hues of blue. Our six days in the park take us up to the vertical Torres, into the spectacular French valley, and to the spectacular iceberg-filled Grey Lake.
Approaching the awesome spires and towers of Fitzroy via pre-Andean heath, we enter the Los Glaciares National Park at El Chalten. We dedicate the next eight days to trekking in the park, with nights spent camping.Altitude does not pose a problem, but the climate can be fickle; be prepared for the fierce winds which periodically blow up. Effort is amply rewarded by the spectacular scenery.
This unique trekking itinerary gives us the opportunity to get up close to the north wall of Fitzroy (3441 metres).Given suitable weather conditions, we trek on the vast Torre Glacier below the magnificent Cerro Torre spire (which features a vertical 1500 metre high wall) and to the Paso del Viento (Windy Pass) for a view across the ice field.
We travel south, then west before crossing into Chile and the town of Puerto Natales. After a free day on the shores of Last Hope Sound, we continue to the Torres del Paine National Park. Condors, rheas and guanacos can be seen in the area. A wonder of natural sculpture, the two thousand metre high Cuernos (Horns) and Torres (Towers) must be seen to be believed.
The massif is encircled by a glacial hydrological system linking numerous opaque, silica-rich lakes of various hues of blue. Our six days in the park take us up to the vertical Torres, into the spectacular French valley, and to the spectacular iceberg-filled Grey Lake.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive El Calafate |
| Day 2: | Bus to El Chalten |
| Day 3-9: | 7-day Fitz Roy trek |
| Day 10: | Bus to Calafate |
| Day 11: | Perito Moreno visit |
| Day 12-18: | Bus to Paine for Paine trekking |
| Day 19: | Bus to El Calafate |
| Day 20: | Tour ends El Calafate |
how this holiday makes a difference
|
We employ local guides who have an intimate knowledge of the areas we trek through. We keep our group sizes to a maximum of 12 people to minimize impact on the environment. It is our policy to carefully dispose of all waste. All non-organic waste is carried out and organic waste is buried at a suitable depth. Food is purchased locally and we aim to use food products with minimum packaging, and encourage cooking with local products. We cook with gas and use recyclable glass as opposed to plastic wherever possible.
When out on tour we encourage learning about the country we are travelling in, the local culture of the teams we work with and the areas we pass through. Our guides hold informal talks with groups to inform about and discuss with them all aspects of local life. This helps understanding of the area and appreciation of the people who live there. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |