Hiking In A Thin Country

13 days - from $4380

Discover Chile's deserts, lakes, volcanoes and glaciers on foot
Chile offers a fantastic range of environments for trekkers, from the arid Atacama Desert in the north to the glacial landscape of the Torres del Paine National Park in the south. Through a series of daywalks we cover them all, walking on volcanic slopes, through ancient forests, past glistening salt-lakes and alongside remote, cactus-lined canyons. In Patagonia, where icy waters flow from dramatic mountain scenery, we see impressive glaciers and hike in the shadow of the world's largest ice field. To fully appreciate the variety of hiking in Torres del Paine we spend 4 nights in refuges located within the national park boundaries.

Itinerary:

Day 1 Start Santiago; walking tour of the city. 2 Fly to Puerto Montt; transfer to mountain refuge near Osorno Volcano. 3 Full-day 'Paso Desolacion' hike including Osorno Volcano and Todos Los Santos Lake; short transfer to Puerto Varas. 4 Fly to Punta Arenas; transfer via Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine N.P. 5 Full day trekking to the base of the Towers of Paine. 6 Cross Lake Pehoe by catamaran and hike to Lake Grey for amazing views of the glacier and ice fields. 7 Hike to the French Valley for views of the Torres Massif. 8 Catamaran across Lake Pehoe and trek around the Cuernos del Paine viewpoint; transfer to Punta Arenas. 9 Fly to Calama; transfer to San Pedro de Atacama. 10 Free morning; afternoon trekking in the Cornizas and Moon Valleys. 11 Full day at turquoise altiplano lagoons and Atacama salt lake. 12 Trekking at 'Death Valley' and Quitor pre-Columbian ruins; optional trip to El Tatio Geyser. 13 Transfer to Calama; fly to Santiago; end.

Mode of travel: 7 days walking. Altitude maximum 4500m, average 1000m. Travel by internal flights and private/public bus.
Group size: Normally 8 to 16, plus leader and appropriate local staff.
Accommodation: 7 nights hotels with en suite rooms, 5 nights mountain refuge with shared facilities.
Food: All breakfasts and 8 lunches included.
Optional Single Supplement: from $350.00
Trip Reference: TAW
Reverse Itinerary: trips that run in reverse are specified with an 'R' in the dates and prices table below.
Trip Reference: TAW