rasholnikov

Hi, I am planning 4-5 days in torres del paine in the first week in april. We fly into El calafate and hope to travel directly to the park. Here is our proposed plan:

Day 1: Arrive TDP around 12-1. Hike up to Mirador Las Torres in the afternoon. Spend night at Hosteria Las Torres or Refugio Chileno.
Day 2: Hike to refugio Las Cuernos (easy day).
Day 3: Hike Valle Frances and then down to Refugio Pehoe. Take ferry to Hosteria Pehoe and spend night there. (long day)
Day 4: Day hike to Salto Grande and Lago Nordenskjol. Spend night at Hosteria Pehoe.
Day 5: Short morning hike in the area and then take bus back to El Calafate (need to be back in time to fly out at 7PM)

Questions for anyone who has been to the park and might have some insight:

Is Day 3 too long and hard? Will be still be able to catch a ferry in the evening to Hosteria Pehoe if it takes us all day to get there?

This route is mostly east to west, but it seems most people do west to east. Is that because the logistics are easier going in that direction or the wind or what?

Any chance we could do a day trip to Valle Frances from Hosteria Las Torres, with them giving us a van ride to the italian camp in teh morning and then dropping us off at refugio los cuernos at end of the day? I think this might make day 3 easier (then we just hike from los cuernos directly to the ferry dock at refuio pehoe).

Anyway, if anyone has thoughts or insight on this trip, we greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.

Scarlett

Just in case you did not see this,
http://tinyurl.com/2cny2g
I cannot wait to go to Patagonia..have a great trip. Hope someone comes along and gives you some answers

owlwoman

The only comment I can make, I believe it's about a five hour bus ride from El Calafate - Puerta Natalas, from there, it's another 2-3 hours into the park (mostly on unpaved roads). So, you need to plan accordingly there. I don't think I would want to take a flight out of El Calafate the same day I left the TDP.

Sorry I can't be helpful about getting around the park, we only spent a day there with a private guide. But, don't miss the Glaciers, they are amazing.

KensingtonGirl

Day 1 looks like a very long day also especially if you're staying at Hosteria Las Torres. That's easily a 5-6 hour roundtrip hike and if its bad weather not really worth going all the way to the base of the towers. You might consider a plan to spend the night at Refugio Chileno. Then once you get there you can decide whether you want to go on to the base of the towers the first day or early on the second day before you hike out of the valley. The last km of the trail to the towers is climbing up a boulder field so its takes some time (My map shows 45 minutes for the last km but it depends on the hiker.)

lifelist

Agree that Day 1 is a bit rough. The trail to the Mirador is uphill the entire way and not very good. However, plenty of people do it this way, so if you're strong hikers, it's do-able. If you want to stay at the Refugio, make sure to make reservations ahead of time.

Day 3 is long dependent upon how far you go up the Valle Frances. From Campamento Italiano to the ferry at Lago Pehoe, the trail is easy. So, I'd figure out the ferry schedule, and set a reasonable turnaround time for the Valle Frances.

Or, why not just stay at Refugio Pehoe? That way you don't have to run to catch the ferry. The Refugio is very nice - the biggest and most modern of the refugios - they even have internet access. The next day, take the morning ferry across the lake, and hike to Salto Grande from Pudeto. After that, you can hike down to Hosteria Pehoe.

You'll find most of the circuit hikers do west to east because it's easier to cross the John Gardner pass in that direction. It's got nothing to do with winds or logistics. Some even say that the scenery is a bit better going west to east since you have the views in front of you most of the time.

I don't see how a van can give you a ride to any of the locations you mention. There are no roads to Los Cuernos or Campamento Italiano. It's all by trail.

The best a van could do is give you a ride to Pudeto, where you catch the ferry across the lake to Refugio Pehoe. From Refugio Pehoe, you could dayhike up to the Valles Frances. All you lose out on is the hike between Las Torres and Los Cuernos. That hike is nice enough, with good views across Lago Nordenskjold, but it's not as spectacular as other hikes.

How are you getting to El Calafate? Do you have a bus that goes directly from TdP to El Calafate in the morning? Most buses from TdP to Puerto Natales leave in the afternoon. It's going to very hard to make your 7 p.m. flight in El Calafate if you're leaving TdP in the morning. You may have to give up a night in TdP. I'm not saying it's not possible, but try to find a bus company with this schedule before you go.

There is a flight from Puerto Natales to El Calafate (around $50-100 a person), but I don't know the schedule.

andycrisconi

Hi, all comments below are valid. Day 1 looks a bit ambitious. Again, as mentioned before, if you are strong hikers or even trail runners this may be okay. Day 3. The last ferry when I was there last Feb was at 4pm. On Day 5, get an early start and make sure what your bus schedule is! With only 4-5 days you are pushing it so try to get some transportation info in advance to save some time.

Have fun,
Andy Crisconi
One World Trekking