Paine Big Circuit

This is the most famous trekking route of Patagonia in Torres del Paine National Park.

This budget gateway allows you to do the whole trail around the Paine Massif Mountains, spending most of the nights in comfortable mountains huts.

You will hike the most famous trekking route in Torres Del Paine National Park walking an average of six hours daily in a circuit covering over hundred kilometres.

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Itinerary / Highlights

Day 1 At 7:30 we pick you up at your lodging in Puerto Natales. Our transfer takes us along an unpaved road heading to Torres Del Paine. When entering the Park, we will have excellent picture taking opportunities of guanacos (llama family) and Grey foxes, driving alongside lagoons frequented by Chilean flamencos and black-necked swans. We left our bags in the Refugio and pick up our pack lunch. We will start our first day trekking to the base of the Towers, following the Ascencio River to enter the Ascencio Valley. Our walk will be uphill for one hour before stopping to observe the first glimpses of the valley surrounded by unbelievable beech forests, glaciers and waterfalls. We'll continue through the valley for another hour and a half before ascending a huge terminal moraine to a lookout (900 M), excellent for picture taking. At this point we will be surrounded by three giant granite towers (2850 M) and a lagoon with slurry waters due to erosion produced by glaciers. This amazing view will be accompanied by lunch to add to the enjoyment. After being awed by the towers we'll start our descent, following the same path back to the hut.
(2 hours by transfer, 7-8 hours round-trip hiking, 18 KM) (BL-D) (Night at Refugio Torres)

Day 2 We will begin this day early morning, and weather permitting, to enjoy an impressive view of the Tower's peaks painted with orange light. We will start our walk through a very old tall deciduous beech forest with the chance to see a woodpecker or fresh puma tracks. We follow a well marked trail, slightly sloping, that will lead us to an excellent viewpoint of Paine Chico Mountain in the distance, to finally arrive at the Serón camp site where we will set up our camp and enjoy a good dinner.
(4-5 hours, 9 KM) (B-BL-D) (Night at Serón Campsite)

Day 3 This is the easiest span but especially interesting for flower lovers who, depending on the season, will see orchids, calceolarias, violets and oxalis. We will go around Paine Lake along a flattish path with views of many mountains, including Cerro Escudo (The Shield) and Cerro Cabeza del Indio (Indian Head Mountain -the profile of an Indian is observed in the rocks). Lastly we will arrive at the beginning of the Paine River, from where we will be able to see the incredible Cerro Cubo (Cube Mountain) and Dickson Lake.
(6-7 hours, 18.5 KM) (B-BL-D) (Night at Refugio Dickson)

Day 4 At this point we will start one of the most beautiful sections of the park, walking through some of the oldest beech forests, along an undulating path, following Los Perros River, with breathtaking views of mountains, waterfalls and exuberant vegetation. We will cross a hanging bridge over Los Perros River to arrive at the terminal moraine of the hanging glacier, giving birth to a lagoon with sedimentary waters. Half an hour from this point is Los Perros campsite where we will stay overnight.
(5 hours, 9 KM) (B-BL-D) (Night at Los Perros Campsite)

Day 5 This is the most difficult day of the whole circuit, but at the same time has a dramatic beauty worthy of the effort. We will head up on a pronounced path through forests to arrive at a swamp area, keeping us busy for a couple of hours. We will continue ascending, maybe finding some snow, until coming to the John Garner pass at 1200 mts above sea level. From here we have an outstanding view of the Grey Glacier and the Southern Ice Field, with its many unclimbed peaks. We will head off alongside the glacier, on an up and down path through fallen trees, contrasting with the exuberance of the Nothofagus forests, walking underneath the Cordon Olguín with its huge thick granite walls. If lucky enough we will see ice calving from the front wall of the Grey Glacier, before ending up on a beach of sedimentary sand where we will spend the nights in a comfortable hut.
(9-10 hours, 22 KM) (B-BL-D) (Night at Refugio Grey)

Day 6 Today you have the opportunity to take an optional adventure on the Glacier Grey. (The Ice Hike excursion is not included in the price; US$ 140 per person APROX.) The ice hikers will take a zodiac for 20 minutes until arriving on the western side of the glacier, where specialized guides will supply you with the necessary technical equipment (crampons, harness and piolet). You will walk on the glacier, observing unique deep blue cracks, where, weather permitting, will have the opportunity of doing some ice climbing. The way back will be the same until arriving back at the refugio to enjoy lunch. In the afternoon we start our walk to the Pehoé Lake.,br> (Optional Ice Hike: 1 hour by zodiac, 3 hour ice hike and 3 ½ hours walk, 11 KM). (B-L-D) (Night at Refugio Paine Grande)

Day 7 We will start our day with a 2-hour walk going around the southwest side of Paine Grande, the highest peak in the Park, through native forests of Chilean fire bush and evergreen beech, up to the hanging bridge over the French River for our first glimpses of the hanging glacier. Then we will ascend (300 M) for one hour through a surreal Japanese garden landscape, crossing beech forests, to reach the French valley viewpoint gifting us with a magnificent view of both mountains and lakes. We will lunch here with good possibilities of seeing avalanches from the hanging glacier or simply observe the west side of the Cuernos (2600 M), Espada (2400 M) and Fortaleza (2800 M). Our way back will be the same until we reach the entrance of the valley where we will continue on a different undulating path for an hour or so until reaching the Refugio Los Cuernos along the shores of Lake Nordenskjold.
(7 hours hike, 16 KM) (B-BL-D) (Night at Refugio Los Cuernos)

Day 8 We will start early morning to enjoy, weather permitting, a magnificent dawn filled with orange-pink colors. As we leave the Refugio we will follow the path until crossing the Bader River to start ascending around (200 M) toward the base of Almirante Nieto mountain (2750 M). Chances are, on this path, we may see the flight of an Andean condor or eagles hunting hares or small rodents. We will arrive at Inge lagoon, and after an hour we get to Hotel Las Torres from where we take a private transfer back to Puerto Natales.
(5 hours hike, 11 KM, 2 hour by transfer) (B-BL)

REGARDING THE SCHEDULE
The schedules indicated above are subject to change due to weather conditions or unexpected circumstances beyond our control, but we will try our best to keep them unaltered

Other Details

Accommodation Details

Camping Chile Nativo
Our clients sleep in 4 seasons, North Face VE 25 (3 person capacity) tents, based on twin-share occupancy. We have a Mountain Hardwear domo dining tent.