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IMG 2013 Patagonia Trek Itinerary
| Day | Date | Itinerary |
| Day 1 | (9 Feb) | Depart home. |
| Day 2 | (10 Feb) | Arrive Punta Arenas. Overnight in Punta Arenas. Group dinner and a gear check. |
| Day 3 | (11 Feb) | Private transfer from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales with a stop at a local penguin refuge area along the way. This evening we'll relax, enjoy our official welcome dinner at our 4 star accommodations. |
| Day 4 | (12 Feb) | We'll enjoy an early morning breakfast before our private transfer from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine National Park where we begin our trek up the Ascencio Valley along the wild river (of the same name) making our way through a forest of Lenga trees getting closer and closer to the towers eventually reaching the glacial moraine. In the late afternoon the towers (weather permitting) will appear right before our eyes as if they came from nowhere! We'll arrive at the towers in the early afternoon. After soaking in the moment and snapping a few photos we'll make our way back down to Refugio Chileno for the night. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) • Trekking: 7hrs • Distance: 11km) |
| Day 5 | (13 Feb) | Today we wake up nice and early to explore the area. We'll leave the bulk of our weight at the hut and head up the Silence Valley making a side trip back up to Los Torres if the weather prevented viewing them the day before. We'll break out of the trees and onto the moraine eventually wrapping around to the north side of the towers for a view of that most people don't get to see. A little extra effort goes a long way here! Once we've taken it all in, we'll make our way back down to Refugio Chileno where we'll stay for the night. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner • Trekking: 9hrs • Distance: 18km) |
| Day 6 | (14 Feb) | After breakfast we will trek along Lake Nordenskjold (named after the Swedish geologist whose studies formed an important contribution to world glacial geology) and below the hanging glaciers of Mount Almirante Nieto, where we will reach the base of Los Cuernos. Today is a touch easier than the previous two days giving our legs a bit of a break. We'll stay the night lakeside at Refugio Los Cuernos. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner • Trekking: 5hrs • Distance: 11km) |
| Day 7 | (15 Feb) | After breakfast we'll head into Bader Valley with light packs. The Bader Valley, also known as the Forgotten Valley, is one of last virgin areas in the park and is surrounded by the granite walls of Mascara (Mask — 2,300 meters), Hoja (Leaf — 2,200 meters) and Espada (Sword — 2,500 meters).The huge surrounding walls, glacial lagoons, is a unique experience for anybody who gets to visit this hidden gem of a valley. Lodging back at Refugio Los Cuernos. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner • Trekking: 7hrs • Distance: 10km). |
| Day 8 | (16 Feb) | Today we'll trek to the famous French Valley . This valley, the most beautiful in the park and one of the most unique in the world, is surrounded by hanging glaciers (where you can see and hear the ice calving off at various times during the day) and an amphitheater of granite walls and spires. There are amazing views throughout this trek and the further you trek into the valley the better they become! After the French Valley we'll make our way over to Lake Pehoe where we'll board our first boat of the trek. We'll cross Lake Pehoe and hop in our waiting van and head to the perfectly located Hosteria Tyndall for the night, but not before checking out the signature waterfall in the park, Salto Grande. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner • Trekking: 9hrs • Distance: 17km) |
| Day 9 | (17 Feb) | A leisurely morning at the hotel or some optional horseback riding — it's up to you. Late in the morning we'll head back into the park for a hike up to the lookout on Mt. Ferrier — one of the best views of the park. The entire park is on display from this lookout location. Truly amazing! After our 3 hour afternoon trek we'll make our way back down to Hosteria Grey for an afternoon snack before our second boat ride of the trek. We'll take the Grey II across Lago Grey enjoying the views of the floating icebergs along the way. Dinner awaits as does another bed and hot shower. Overnight at Refugio Grey. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner • Trekking: 4hrs • Distance: 7km) |
| Day 10 | (18 Feb) | Today we trek alongside the Grey Glacier trying to digest the massive size of this glacier. We'll make our way up to the first significant lookout and if the weather & our legs permit, we'll head on up to John Garner Pass eventually making our way back down to Refugio Grey for the night. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner • Trekking: 8hrs • Distance: 12km) |
| Day 11 | (19 Feb) | We' will enjoy nice a casual breakfast today before walking down to the beach to see the icebergs that have run ashore. After enjoy a mid-morning nap with the icebergs we'll head back to the hut for lunch and to pack up before boarding the Grey II For our final boat ride of the trek. En route back across Lago Grey we'll cruise right in front of the Grey Glacier hoping to see catch glacier calving of a chunk or two of ice all while sipping a fresh pisco sour chilled by glacier ice pulled right out of the lake. A perfect end to a wonderful trek. After the boat ride we'll make our way back to Puerto Natales via private transfer for a little afternoon souvenir shopping and our celebration dinner. Our final night of the trek will be spent in 4-star accommodations. (Spa services available for an extra charge). |
| Day 12 | (20 Feb) | We'll have an early breakfast before heading back to Punta Arenas for afternoon flights home. |
| Day 13 | (21 Feb) | Arrive home with time to spare before work next week. Unpack at your leisure, shake off that jet lag and get the photos off your camera and start bragging to all your friends! |
I am just back from Patagonia with IMG and had a wonderful time. Tye did a great job; he was the perfect host/leader. He was very personable with excellent attention to detail. I felt that he really cared about each and every one of us — how we felt physically and about the trip. For a new trip, it seemed seamless to me. I really liked the itinerary — the side trip to Serrano was a real treat. I have told all of my friends about what a good time I had with IMG, and how well I was taken care of.
