Expedition to Chile: northern and southern Patagonia, Maipo and Atacama valleys

Today, the group gathers after a long transcontinental flight. We’ll go to the “food market”, get acquainted with Chilean seafood cuisine. An evening walk around the city. Rest.
Night at the hotel.

We’ll be back in Santiago, so we’ll leave everything we don’t need at the track in a storage room at the hotel. We take the morning flight to Punta Arenas, a city on the shores of the Strait of Magellan. Here we will take a bus to the city of Puerto Natales. A small fishing town on the bay. We buy food, get ready for the track in the mountains.
Overnight in an apartment/guest house.

Early in the morning we travel by bus to the Torres Del Paine Nature Reserve, the journey takes two hours. We pass through control and receive permission to visit the national park.
Overnight at a campsite on the shores of Lake Peoe. The campsite has electricity and showers. After lunch, we explore the area around Lake Peoe.
Night in tents.

In the morning, we take the first boat across the lake (30 minutes) and get to the starting point of the W-track, the Pine Grande campsite. Here we will set up tents and, without backpacks, go and admire the lake and the Gray Glacier. The campsite also has a shower, electricity and wi-fi.
The journey takes 30 minutes by boat, 22 km (there and back to the Gray lennik).
Night in tents.

Early in the morning we leave the campsite. In 2.5 hours we will go to the Italian campsite, where we can leave some of our things and go radially to a very beautiful valley – 7 km, 1.5 hours.
We go back, pick up our backpacks. The walk to the French campsite is another 40 minutes.
Night in tents.

Today we will have a picturesque path along a large lake with an interesting name. We go to the Las Torres campsite. The distance is about 16 km.
Night in tents.

In the morning, a radial (about 9 km) climb to the Torres towers. The Torres towers are the finale of our trekking in Patagonia. At the foot of the mountain is the lake of the same name, in the reflection of which the towers of the mountain are visible. Back to Puerto Natales late in the evening.
Check-in to the apartment.

Today we take a bus and move to the port city of Punta Arenas, which is located on the shore of the Strait of Magellan. Here we have a meeting with penguins. The largest colony of penguins in Chile is on Magdalena Island, in the Strait of Magellan.
Navigation through the strait is highly dependent on wind and wave size, as the excursion takes place on small boats. Accommodation in apartments/guest house. After lunch we will walk to the Upper Allo lake, which is located at an altitude of 3380 m. The place is very wild and remote from people. There is a special energy here, you want to stay longer in solitude, contemplating the beauty of these unusual mountains. Overnight in a tent.
A long trek of about 10 km, 4-5 hours.

If navigation is not possible on this day, then as an alternative – an excursion to a small colony of king penguins on Tierra del Fuego. Also this day can be devoted to exploring the beautiful and colorful Puerto Arenas, because the city was once the southern gate of all America, from here expeditions to Antarctica usually start.
Puerto Montt, founded by German colonists in the mid-19th century, is one of the most interesting cities in Chile and the gateway to the Lake District. Dozens of lakes with crystal clear water, surrounded by deciduous and coniferous forests, are surrounded on all sides by majestic mountain peaks and volcanoes. Pureto Montt is also called the northern gateway to Patagonia. There are almost no settlements on the stretch from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas and these places are absolutely wild.
Here we will have an easy climb to the “South American Fujiyama” – the Osorno volcano 2652 m, and we will also visit the “Valley of the Seven Lakes”, see the picturesque Petrohue waterfall, which is located at the foot of the volcano.

In the morning we will have a short one-hour flight to the city of Puerto Montt. Here a driver with a minibus will meet us or we will rent a car. Transfer to the city of Puerto Vares. Along the way we will stop at one of the richest fish markets in Patagonia. Here we will have lunch and admire the bays, where you can often see sea lions. Check-in to the apartment.
In the afternoon, you can walk around the very beautiful Puerto Varas. When you get here, you get the impression that you are somewhere in Switzerland. In addition, the city is located on a lake, here you can rent a kayak and swim with a view of the Osorno volcano.

After an early breakfast, we will climb one of the highest volcanoes in the South of Chile – Osorno (2652 m), we will start our ascent from a height of 1600 m. The entire ascent will take about 3-4 hours, part of the ascent is by cable car.
Ascent to 2200 m, higher you will need crampons and mountaineering equipment. The ascent is not technically difficult and most of it is on a snow-ice slope of 30 degrees.
In the afternoon, return to Puerto Varas, on the way we will stop by the Petrohue waterfall, swim in the lake. Back to the apartment.
Attention, for those planning a full ascent to the summit of Osorno, you will need to arrive at the shelter at the foot of the mountain, 1600 m, the night before in order to start up the mountain as early as possible.

In the morning we fly to the city of Santiago. We pick up things from the hotel, move to the ocean to the city of Valparaiso. We enjoy the warm sea air.
Night at the hotel.

Today we are going to one of the wineries of the Maipo Valley. Tour of the valley, tastings. Return to Valparaiso.
Night at the hotel.

This ends the main part of our program; those who wish will be able to continue the journey and go with us to the Atacama Desert. Where we will have a jeep ride in the heart of the desert. In the second half, we will fly to Copiapo, a city in northern Chile.
Night at the hotel.

We rent jeeps. We buy provisions, load the jeeps with equipment. The road to the mountains, to Atacama takes about 3 hours. Upon arrival, accommodation in a shelter.
Overnight at the shelter.

Today we will see the picturesque landscapes of the Laguna Rosa National Park. More than hundreds of flamingos, vicunas, foxes and many other animals live here. The lake is salty and most of it is practically without water. Part of the lake is a salt marsh where natural salt can be mined.

In the morning, transfer to one of the largest salt lakes in Chile – Laguna Verde. The color of the lake is emerald. The lake is deep and very salty, but those who wish can try to lie on its waters.
There is a camping area around the lake where climbers to Ojos Del Salado (the highest volcano on Earth) usually stop; by the way, we will see it when we drive along the road. There are also thermal springs here.
In the evening, back to Copiapó. Closing ceremony of the program.

If you wish, you can extend the trip and stay a couple of days on the ocean in the area of ​​the city of Copiapo (50 km from the city).