Trekking the Highlights of Patagonia, Argentina and Chile

The Trip

Patagonia is a remote, unspoiled, and untamed wilderness, and the southern part is where nature is at its wildest. Measuring about twice the size of France, the Patagonian landscape ranges from towering granite peaks and turquoise glacial lakes to windswept steppes and icy seas. Two countries, Argentina and Chile, share this sparsely populated, wide-open space, split by the Andes Mountains and bodies of water -- and we will see the best of both!

Our trip starts in El Calafate, Argentina, and ends in Punta Arenas, Chile. The centerpiece of the Argentinian side of Patagonia is Los Glaciares National Park, where the awe-inspiring Perito Moreno Glacier is found in the southern part. This groaning, grinding river of ice is vast and seemingly endless and, in fact, is one of the few glaciers in the world that is still advancing. In the north of the national park is the famous Mount Fitzroy massif, named after the Beagle's Captain Fitzroy, who sailed Charles Darwin's expedition up the Rio Santa Cruz in 1834. The vertical granite fin of the mountain is 11,290 feet high and is surrounded by icy glaciers. To get there, we’ll hike through forests of Lenga and Nirre trees (deciduous beeches).

One of the most beautiful areas of the Chilean side of Patagonia is Torres del Paine National Park. Filled with stunning mountain peaks, brilliant turquoise lakes, and calving glaciers, it is considered by many to be the finest travel destination in Chile. The "W," one of the classic treks in Patagonia, winds along the edge of the mountains next to a chain of glacial lakes and ends at the breathtaking Torres for which the park is named. Our trip will spend several days lodging and day-hiking within this park.

Hiking in Patagonia is "high altitude" hiking, in the sense that we are often above tree line, but, in fact, we will actually be at relatively low altitude -- our daily hiking explorations will take us to altitudes between 1,000 to 3,400 feet.

The itinerary may be modified due to inclement weather and unanticipated circumstances. The order of the activities in Torres del Paine NP (Chile) may also be changed. It is highly recommended that you arrive at least a day early in El Calafate, Argentina, as the national Argentina airlines frequently change schedules and missed flight connections are possible.

Day 1: We’ll meet in El Calafate, the gateway to Patagonia, located on the shores of Lago Argentino. We’ll have an orientation meeting and a welcome dinner, and settle in for the night as we prepare to be introduced to the wonders of Patagonia. Overnight at our hotel in El Calafate.

Day 2: We will  visit a memorial site honoring the approximately 1500 rural farm workers who lost their lives between 1920-1922 in the “Patagonia Rebelde”. We’ll continue our drive to an authentic Argentinian estancia (ranch), where we’ll embark on a warm-up hike in the Cordon de los Cristales, offering panoramic views of Lago Roca, turquoise glacier-fed Lago Argentina, and distant snow-covered mountain ranges, and glaciers. Following our hike, we’ll enjoy a traditional asado (barbecue) meal. We’ll learn about the importance of the estancia in the history of Patagonia and discover the work and challenges of ranching in this austere landscape. Dinner will be on our own tonight in town. Overnight at our hotel in El Calafate.

Day 3: We will explore the Perito Merino Glacier, one of the few advancing glaciers in the world. We’ll walk along steel boardwalks directly across from the glacier. We may witness icebergs calving and listen to the cracking sounds as chunks of ice fall into the water. We’ll board a boat and journey close to the face of the glacier to observe the beautiful deep blue colors created as the light penetrates glacier and ice. We’ll have a bag lunch. On the way back, time permitting, we’ll visit the Los Glaciares Museum outside of El Calafate, which explains the power of glaciers and how they have sculpted the Patagonia landscape. We’ll have dinner together at a local restaurant. Overnight at our hotel in El Calafate.

Day 4: We will travel three hours to El Chalten, taking in views of Lago Argentino and Lago Viedma. As we approach El Chalten, the splendor of majestic Mount Fitz Roy and surrounding massifs greet us. We’ll have a bag lunch then embark on a moderate hike alongside the Rio Electrico, across the graveled Rio Blanco Valley, and through woodland Lenga (beech) forest to Piedra Del Fraile. Along the way, we’ll take in views of the Andes Mountains. Hiking out and back distance 10 miles on mostly level trail with some undulating hills. At trail’s end, we’ll drive to our lodging where we will stay for the next 3 nights. We’ll have dinner together at the hotel.

Day 5: Heading out from our hotel, we will  walk to the edge of town to begin our moderately strenuous hike climbing above the Las Vueltas river valley through Lenga Forest. We’ll pass alongside Laguna Capri and hope to capture a distant glimpse of Mt Fitz Roy.  We’ll have a bag lunch. After some uphill hiking, we’ll enjoy the relatively wide and flat valley trail with views of the nearby mountains and glaciers, before taking on the difficult climb up steep rocky trail to Laguna de los Tres and the base of Mount Fitz Roy. Hiking up to Laguna de los Tres extends the hike to 13.5 miles and 3 to 4 added hours of hiking, with 3,000-foot cumulative elevation change that includes gaining 1312 ft (about 400 m) of elevation in only 0.6 mi.  After a long day of hiking (9 hours), we’ll have a pizza dinner together in El Chalten.

Day 6: Today we will  hike through Lenga Forest to the glacial lake Laguna Torre and observe the Glaciar Grande that feeds it. We’ll revel in dramatic views of Cerro Solo, the Adela range, the towering granite spire of Cerro Torre, and Mount Fitz Roy. We will have a bag lunch at Laguna Torre and hike back to our El Chalten Inn and have dinner together. 12 miles, moderately difficult, 1771 cumulative elevation gain.

Day 7: Today, we will  travel seven and a half hours (crossing the border into Chile) to Torres del Paine National Park. We’ll take in incredible panoramas of nearby mountain ranges and stop for wildlife viewing and short breaks. It is common to see herds of guanacos, flocks of rheas and flamingos, and possibly foxes and condors along the way. We’ll have a bag lunch. It is difficult to predict how long the border crossing will take. We’ll stay two nights and have dinner together at our hotel in Torres del Paine.

Day 8: Today we will  make the classic hike to the base of the Torres (vertical monoliths that are the namesake of the park). The last section of the trail steeply climbs alongside rocky talus slope and ends with amazing views of vertical rock, a glacial cirque with a turquoise glacial lake at its center, and breathtaking views of the iconic Torres. We’ll have a bag lunch before descending and returning to our hotel and have dinner together. Our moderately strenuous 13-mile hike will take all day to complete. 3,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain and 3,000 feet of descent.

Day 9: After breakfast, we will  transfer to Pudeto and board a catamaran that will take us 30 minutes across the crystal-clear waters of Lago Pehoe to reach the Paine Grande refugio. We’ll be awed by the fantastical views of the Cuernos del Paine and the glaciated Cerro Paine Grande. We’ll then set out to hike to the Glacier Grey Lookout. The view of Lago Grey, Glacier Grey, and Paine Peaks are absolutely stunning. Glacier Grey is a beautiful glacier that extends into the lake. We’ll have a bag lunch. Our lodging for the next two nights will have coed multi-bed bunk rooms. We’ll have dinner together at our refugio. 10 miles, 1,000-foot elevation change.

Day 10: Today we will  hike to Campamiento Italiano (Italian camp) at the entrance to the Valle del Frances (French Valley). We will have views of Lago Pehoe, Lago Skottsberg, and Lago Nordenskjold and we will have glimpses of Los Cuernos (the horns). Fierce winds may prove challenging, and our hike may be altered for safety.  We’ll have a bag lunch. Weather and time permitting, we’ll hike a little further up the French Valley to a beautiful overlook across the valley from a large glacier, before returning to our refugio and having dinner together. 11 miles to overlook, 1800 feet cumulative elevation gain.

Day 11: After breakfast, we will  board the catamaran and return across the lake to Pudeto, then embark on a couple of moderately easy, and windy, out and back hikes to Salto Grande and Los Cuernos Lookout. We’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of Cuernos del Paine. We’ll have a bag lunch. After our hikes, we’ll bid farewell to Torres del Paine and drive 2 hours to our hotel in Puerto Natales. We’ll have dinner on our own in town. 5 miles total hiking distance, 635 feet elevation gain.

Day 12: After breakfast and time permitting, we will  do some souvenir shopping, then travel 2 hours to Puntarenas and our next hotel. We’ll have a bag lunch. We’ll embark on an afternoon boat tour to Magdalena Island to explore the Los Pingüinos Natural Monument, habitat of one of the largest Magellanic penguin colonies in Chile. This area is also home to protected species of gulls, albatrosses, and cormorants. Participants who may experience seasickness should prepare. Afterward, we’ll return to our lodging and enjoy a farewell dinner together at the hotel.

Day 13: After breakfast, our trip ends and we’ll say our goodbyes. Participants will coordinate their own transportation and departure to the nearby Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International Airport or other adventures in South America.

Getting There

This trip starts in El Calafate in Southern Argentina and ends in Punta Arenas, Chile. The nearest airports are the El Calafate Airport (FTE) in Argentina, and the Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International Airport (PUQ) in Chile. A multi-stop booking may be the best flight plan option for this trip. Buenos Aires is the major city international flight connecting hub with two airports, EZE and AEP. U.S. citizens entering Argentina or Chile must have a valid passport (good for six months AFTER you leave either country) with at least four empty pages. Travel time for flights to and from Argentina and Chile, combined with in-country connecting flights, may take up to 2 days.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

We will be staying in several different hotels and a refugio (mountain hut) during our trip. On the two days when we are staying at the refugio, we will be sleeping in multi-bed co-ed dorm rooms (possibly shared with other visitors), with common eating areas and shared bathrooms. The refugio does not have cell reception or free Wifi access. In some cases when the lodge in the national park is at capacity, (due to in-country organizations having priority placement), it will be necessary to “overflow” to tent camping. Group flexibility and an adventurous mindset will be key if we are faced with this predicament.

While in the towns, we will stay in basic but comfortable local hotels that have double rooms with private bathrooms. 

All meals (except two dinners) are provided in the trip price. Patagonian food is fresh, and mostly local. It is very meat based. Salads and vegetables are served with most meals, and vegetarians can be accommodated. Breakfasts are simple (cereal, toast, fruit, and eggs) and lunches will also be a simple bag lunch. Most dinners will be eaten at our lodgings or local restaurants while in town. Dinners at the refugio are generally cafeteria-style aimed at supporting a large volume of diners.

Trip Difficulty

This is a moderately strenuous trip and participants should be in good physical condition to fully enjoy the hikes. Cold temperatures, wind, and rain can make our hikes more difficult. On all of our treks we’ll be carrying day packs with food, water, clothing, and a personal first aid kit. Most of our daily treks are out and back, returning the same way. The two most strenuous hikes are the strenuous climb up to the base of Mt. Fitz Roy (Argentina) and to the base Torres in Torres del Paine NP (Chile). Participants who choose to forego the final ascents can return to the trailhead in a group, with a guide.

Equipment and Clothing

The weather in Patagonia is very unpredictable. We can get extreme wind, torrential rain, brilliant sunshine -- all in the same day. Clothes made of a wicking fabric are essential as are good rain clothes and warm layers. You will need a good pair of broken-in, waterproof, over-the-ankle hiking boots. Hiking/Trekking poles are strongly recommended. A detailed equipment list will be sent to participants.

References

Books:

• Chatwin, Bruce, In Patagonia.
• Herrera Traybel, Juan Manuel, The Book of Patagonia
• Moss, Chris, Patagonia, A Cultural History
• Bridges, E. Lucas, Uttermost Part of the Earth
• Any guidebook e.g. Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Frommers etc.
• "Patagonia: The Wild, Wild South" National Geographic, January 2004.

Websites:

• www.argentinaturistica.com
• www.turismo.gov.ar
• www.gochile.cl
• www.interpatagonia.com

Maps:

• Patagonian South Icefield & Monte Fitz Roy Map by Zagier & Urruty
• Park Nacional Torres del Paine:  https://backpackersreview.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/map_overall_conaf.pdf
• Torres del Paine Waterproof Trekking Map (English/Spanish Edition) Map by Sergio Zagier (Author)

Conservation

Since its founding in 1892, the Sierra Club has worked to preserve and restore the natural environment we all share on this planet. Thousands of grassroots-level volunteers spearhead our efforts to conserve and sustain resources, both in our own backyards and on a global scale. Through direct experience in the outdoors, Sierra Club outings enable participants to better understand, advocate, and participate in the environmental conservation goals of the Club.

Patagonia is a beautiful region that is facing several major challenges to its fragile environment. As more and more tourists are attracted to this region, the infrastructure is not growing fast enough to handle the increased demand for sewage, garbage, etc. Cattle overgrazing has caused severe damage to the natural landscape and loss of natural habitat. Industrial over-fishing of squid has decreased natural food sources for Magellanic penguins. Industrial farming has contributed to air and water pollution. Wood fuel used by many households for cooking and heating has contributed to deforestation of native forests. We’ll discuss these impacts and learn about the organizations that have been working to address them.

For several decades, The Tomkins Conservation Foundation, founded by business leaders Kristine Tompkins and the late Douglas Tomkins, has been partnering and collaborating with the Chilean government (Chilean Parks Agency -- CONAF) to create and expand Chilean National Parks, and improve parklands management. The Tompkins Foundation has been instrumental in funding and executing large-scale conservation projects in Argentina and Chile. To date, these efforts have resulted in 28 million permanently protected acres. The “Re-Wilding” Argentina and Chile project, aims to restore native species to their lands, including huemul deer, Darwin’s rhea, guanaco, puma, and Andean condors.

Torres del Paine National Park is one 11 protected areas of the Chilean Antarctica and Magellanes Region and is part of the National System of Protected Forested Areas of Chile. It is one of the largest and most visited parks (averaging around 252,000 visitors yearly). The total protected forested areas -- which includes Torres del Paine National Park, four other national parks, three national monuments, and three national reserves -- comprise approximately 51% of the land of the region.

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.