T D P I S EcoCamp Patagonia INTRODUCTION EcoCamp Patagonia is situated in the very heart of Torres del Paine National Park and provides the re- gion’s fi rst fully sustainable accommodation, complete with green technology. EcoCamp Patagonia is an innovative leader in adventure trekking, with expert guides taking travellers through the wild Patagonian plains, past glacial lakes, snow-capped mountains, powerful waterfalls and exquisite wildlife. After a day’s trek, guests return to EcoCamp to dine and relax in Community Domes before retiring to sleep in the warm and comfortable accommodation domes. Surrounded by nature and spectacular views, the domes are resistant to the Patagonian elements and feature ceiling windows that enable you to gaze up at the star-fi lled night sky as you drift off to sleep in readiness for the next day’s adventure. Contact us: 235B Dairy Flat Highway, Albany, Auckland 0632 New Zealand 1 Phone: +64 9 950 5918 Email: [email protected] T D P I S EcoCamp Patagonia CONTENTS Introduction 1 Weekly Excursions Chart 3 Entering and Leaving the Park 3 Excursions - Easy Day Excursions 5 Excursions - Active Excursions 8 EcoCamp Programs 11 5 Day Short W Trek EcoCamp 11 7 day W Trek EcoCamp 14 EcoCamp 3 Day 18 EcoCamp 4 Day 18 EcoCamp 5 Day 19 EcoCamp Dome Accommodation 21 Suite Domes 21 Standard Domes 22 Transfer Information 23 Chile 24 Argentina 25 General Information 27 Emergency Contact List & Contact Information 30 Contact us: 235B Dairy Flat Highway, Albany, Auckland 0632 New Zealand 2 Phone: +64 9 950 5918 Email: [email protected] T D P I S EcoCamp Patagonia WEEKLY EXCURSIONS CHART Please consider that you will need one full day to arrive in the Park and another full day to leave it, without excursions. For example, if you take a 5-day/4-night Safari program, then day 1 and day 5 will be used to enter/leave the Park and days 2, 3 and 4 will be available to do the excursions indicated above. Excursions might vary depending on weather or safety conditions. ENTERING AND LEAVING THE PARK First day, arriving in Torres del Paine NP ? e trip starts in the morning in the city of Punta Arenas, either at your hotel or at the airport. From Punta Arenas we drive to EcoCamp Patagonia located in the world famous Torres del Paine National Park. We make a couple of stops en-route. ? e fi rst is at Puerto Natales, a small but lively town on the shores of Seno Ultima Esperanza - “Last Hope Sound”. You can leave your luggage in EcoCamp’s offi ce whilst you explore the town and fi nally enjoy a lunch of delicious local food. ? e second stop is at Cueva de Milodon, a massive prehistoric cave where the remains of a giant ground sloth were discovered in the 1890’s. Once at EcoCamp we will learn more about the camp and our itinerary for the following days. Distances and driving: From Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales: 254 km / 158 miles / 3 hrs driving. From Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine C. Torres: 147 km / 91 miles / 2.5 hrs driving. From Calafate to Torres del Paine: Please refer to the Transfer Information section. Contact us: 235B Dairy Flat Highway, Albany, Auckland 0632 New Zealand 3 Phone: +64 9 950 5918 Email: [email protected] T D P I S EcoCamp Patagonia Last day, leaving Torres Del Paine NP After boarding an early morning vehicle, sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenic ride back to Punta Arenas, arriving in time to catch the evening fl ight to Santiago. If heading to Argentina then we board an earlier transfer heading to the Chile/Argentina border. Distances and driving: From Torres del Paine / Puerto Natales: 147 km / 91 miles / 2.5 hrs driving. From Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas: 254 km / 158 miles / 3 hrs driving. From Torres del Paine to Calafate: Please refer to the Transfer Information section. Contact us: 235B Dairy Flat Highway, Albany, Auckland 0632 New Zealand 4 Phone: +64 9 950 5918 Email: [email protected] T D P I S EcoCamp Patagonia EXCURSIONS . EASY DAY EXCURSIONS Western Lakes & Grey Glacier* Walking distance: 0.8km / 0.5mi Max altitude point: >200m / >660ft Estimated walking time: 0.45h We drive across the Park with views of Paine Grande and its snowy peaks, as well as Los Cuernos - the majestic black horn-like peaks of the famous granite towers and one of the most iconic sights of Torres del Paine National Park. We stop at various viewpoints on the way to observe and photograph herds of guanacos, Andean condors and other interesting fauna and fl ora. We drive down to stunning Lake Pehoe and take a scenic walk along the tip of its southern shores, with views of the vast Lake Toro. From here we drive to Lake Grey and wander along the beach on the shores of the glacial water. After relaxing with a box-lunch by the lake, we embark on a boat ride across the icy waters to the towering blue-coloured walls of Grey Glacier. After this incredible close-up view of the glacier, we drive back to EcoCamp. *During Shoulder Season (September, October, April & May) the navigation on Grey Glacier may be cancelled if the boat does not reach the minimum of 10 passengers required to sail. If this is the case we will plan an alternative excursion in the Park. Laguna Azul Walking distance: 5km / 3mi Max altitude point: 200m / 660ft Estimated walking time: 2h We start the day by driving towards Laguna Azul in the north eastern side of the Park. On our way to Laguna Azul we will have the chance to enjoy some fantastic views of the famous Torres, as well as passing through the Pampa Guanaco, where we should be able to spot many elegant gua- nacos and even hop out of the van to walk amongst them. After soaking up these beautiful sur- roundings, we continue our drive to Laguna Azul, where a picnic lunch will have been prepared for us. We eat our picnic lunch looking out over the lake, with a view of the three granite towers in the distance. After lunch, we will walk south to Macho Cañon, where we can observe the typical fauna of the Torres del Paine National Park, including more guanaco herds. From here we will return by vehicle to EcoCamp in time for cocktail hour. Contact us: 235B Dairy Flat Highway, Albany, Auckland 0632 New Zealand 5 Phone: +64 9 950 5918 Email: [email protected] T D P I S EcoCamp Patagonia EXCURSIONS . EASY DAY EXCURSIONS Salto Grande & El Condor Lookout Walking distance: 6km / 4mi Max altitude point: >500m / >1640ft Estimated walking time: 4h After breakfast, we head westwards by van, taking a route along the southern shore of Lake Nordenskjold. Our fi rst stop is the magnifi cent Salto Grande Waterfall, with its impressive cascad- ing waters falling from Lake Nordenskjold into Lake Pehoe. From here it is a short walk to Cuernos viewpoint, with a panoramic view of the mighty “Horns”. From the viewpoint we drive to Lake Pehoe and begin the two hour round-trip walk from its shores to El Condor Lookout. We go gently uphill through the steppe vegetation which gives us a great opportunity to learn about the local fl ora. Here we witness the piercing blue colour of Lake Pehoe and the Paine River. On a clear day we can see the immensity of the Southern Patagonian ice fi elds in the distance. We re-energize by taking in the vista of the whole Paine Mountain range and its stunning snow-capped peaks. After lunch in this perfect location, we backtrack along the same trail and the drive back to EcoCamp. Sarmiento Lake & Fauna Trail Walking distance: 6km / 4mi Max altitude point: >200m / >660ft Estimated walking time: 5h Contact us: 235B Dairy Flat Highway, Albany, Auckland 0632 New Zealand 6 Phone: +64 9 950 5918 Email: [email protected] T D P I S EcoCamp Patagonia ? is predominantly fl at trek boasts stunning, diverse natural scenery and off ers the chance to feast your eyes on a startlingly blue lake that is secluded from all the other water systems of the area. ? ere will be ample opportunity to spot many graceful guanacos and great grebes along the way. First we will examine the geology of the area’s rock folds, before descending the isthmus that separates Lake Sarmiento from Lake Sarmiento Chico (the two lakes were once a single mass of water), walking along a slight slope and ambling beside the eastern edge of Lake Sarmiento Chico. We eventually arrive at an impressive bay on the western side of Lake Sarmiento. Here, we begin our ascent back to the van, along a path that takes us past a panoramic view of Lake Sarmiento from its western shore, looking towards its eastern coast glimmering on the horizon. We then drive eastwards along the northern shore of Lake Sarmiento until we reach the starting point of the Fauna Trail. As we walk northwards along the trail we see Patagonian park fauna in- cluding guanacos, ostrich-like ñandús and maybe the occasional puma print! We pass picturesque Goic Lagoon and after a relaxed 5 km walk, we reach the Laguna Amarga Ranger Station where we will be picked up and driven back to EcoCamp. Contact us: 235B Dairy Flat Highway, Albany, Auckland 0632 New Zealand 7 Phone: +64 9 950 5918 Email: [email protected] T D P I S EcoCamp Patagonia EXCURSIONS .