PATAGONIA in AUTUMN CLASSIC ITINERARY 26 MARCH - 8 APRIL 2018 Ignacio Palacios – Nick Melidonis
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PATAGONIA IN AUTUMN CLASSIC ITINERARY 26 MARCH - 8 APRIL 2018 Ignacio Palacios – Nick Melidonis 1 PATAGONIA IN AUTUMN Patagonia is a sparsely populated region located at the southern end of South America. Shared by Argentina and Chile, it is the land of wonders and certainly, a photographer’s paradise. The mountains, glaciers and lakes in Patagonia are also some of the most beautiful in the world. Patagonia offers the photographer remarkably clean air that provides saturated colours of lush vegetation, especially during the autumn season. 2 3 PATAGONIA Chilean Patagonia is an amazing area of unlimited and unspoiled nature. Torres del Paine is a national park known for its soaring mountains, electric-blue icebergs that cleave from glaciers, lakes, waterfalls and golden pampas (lowlands) that shelter rare wildlife such as guanacos, pumas and condors. The three granite towers from which the park takes its name and the horn-shaped peaks called Cuernos del Paine are some of its most iconic sites. 4 5 LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK Fitz Roy is the highest spire in a compact range of granite (granodiorite) peaks in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, that remains among the most technically challenging mountains to climb on Earth and it can be seen from El Chaltén. The word Chaltén comes from a Tehuelche word meaning “smoking mountain”, due to a cloud that usually forms around its peak. 6 7 PERITO MORENO GLACIER ARGENTINA Perito Moreno is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field located in the Andes system shared with Chile. This ice field is the world’s third largest reserve of fresh water after Antarctica and Greenland. The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of only three Patagonian glaciers that is growing. It is very famous because of its dynamic changes, which produces a cyclic phenomenon of forward and backward movement, with spectacular ice falls from its front walls. 8 9 EL CHALTÉN GLACIERS NATIONAL PARK ARGENTINA The postcard-perfect landscapes of El Chaltén have named this little town as “the trekking capital of Argentina”. It is a hiking paradise and the trails around Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre are incredibly scenic. It is a network of world-class trails that will take you to breath-taking lookouts and especially in autumn, the colors of this National Park are just amazing. 10 11 Joining the classic itinerary tour will give you PATAGONIA the opportunity to discover some of the most IN AUTUMN remarkable landscapes in the Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia. Prepare to be amazed at incredible glaciers, rugged mountain peaks and dramatic skies where lenticular clouds are often seen. In this itinerary will cover all the iconic locations for photography at the right times of day with the best light, but we will also enjoy the culture of the region. Ignacio Palacios has travelled the region countless times, and you will learn about its history “ I often wonder how my and its customs. Patagonia is famous for its great images can be influenced food as well, and we will enjoy the finest local meals such as its delicious empanadas and its most by how I feel inside. I am famous sweet (alfajores/dulce de leche). sure that the connection I feel for a landscape has an influence on what and how I capture an image and the final touch I give it when I am editing it at home.” 12 Mt Fitz Roy 13 DAY 1 - 26 March - Arrive Puerto Natales ITINERARY Meeting point: Hotel Singular Pick-ups from the airport and transfers to hotel. Depending on availability it is possible to fly to either Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales. Puerto Natales is known as the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park and Hotel Singular is arguably the best hotel in South America. We will gather before dinner for presentations and briefings. https://thesingular.com/en/hotel/patagonia “ I seem to have a particular DAY 2 - 27 March - Cruise from Puerto Natales love affair with Patagonia. to Rio Serrano (Torres del Paine) It is an unpredictable Cruise from Puerto Bories (Natales) to Balmaceda landscape; the weather and Serrano glaciers along the “Ultima Esperanza” fiord. Visit to Balmaceda glacier and walk in the changes very quickly, bush to the footsteps of Serrano Glacier. Lunch at wind, rain, snow, barren, Hosteria Monte Balmaceda and cruise with views exposed – it is one of to the South Ice Field to Rio Serrano hotel. the most challenging Note: This cruise is subject to weather conditions landscapes I have ever and water levels at Serrano River. If the cruise is seen and photographed.” canceled, we will access the National Park with our vans. We will spend 2 nights at Hotel Rio Serrano, a beautiful hotel where we will stay in ‘superior’ rooms with views to Torres del Paine’s horns. http://www.hotelrioserrano.cl/home_en DAY 3 - 28 March - Torres Del Paine National Park, around Pehoe Lake Drive to hotel Rio Serrano. During the day, we will photograph around Pehoe Lake for beautiful views of Pehoe Lake and the Horns. We will also visit Salto Grande and visit Nordenskjöld lake/Mirador Cuernos. Hotel Rio Serrano. DAY 4 - 29 March - Torres Del Paine National Park, Grey Lake and Grey Glacier Boat round trip to Grey Glacier. There will be opportunities to photograph the glacier, its icebergs and capture the beautiful peaks of Paine Grande from the boat. Hotel las Torres. http://www.lastorres.com/en/ http://www.hotelrioserrano.cl/home_en 14 Base of the Towers 15 Puma Tours (Optional and depending on tracker availability) If some participants are keen we will check tracker availability within Torres del Paine. If a good tracker is available, we will inspect the puma (mountain lion/ cougar) hunting grounds in the park and private land and if we find one, we will follow it at a prudent distant. Torres del Paine is the best place in the world for watching this magnificent predator. Puma ‘hunting” will only be possible depending on the availability of trackers in the park. This activity is optional and will have an extra cost for two sessions. Each session will be about 2 hours at sunset another 2 hours after sunrise. Although puma sighting is not guaranteed, if we manage to find a good tracker/guide, we have a good chance of spotting it. 16 17 DAY 5 - 30 March - Torres Del Paine National Park trekking day Trek to Torres ITINERARY Campsite (Base de las Torres). CONTINUED The hike to Base de las Torres is a very difficult walk and if the weather is not perfect to trek, we will photograph the Towers from Laguna Amarga (sunrise) and Cascada Paine. Another night at Hotel Las Torres. DAY 6 - 31 March - Torres Del Paine National Park to El Calafate - Drive to El Calafate in Argentina. Drive to Argentina, border crossing. On the way, the views are spectacular and we will stop to photograph whenever possible. Hotel Alto Calafate. http://www. hotelaltocalafate.com.ar DAY 7 - 1 April - Parque Nacional los Glaciares, Perito Moreno Glacier Early in the morning, we will head to Parque Nacional los Glaciares to see the impressive Perito Moreno glacier. Appreciate the imposing glacier and the height of its massive walls. At the lookouts enjoy a magnificent view of the glacier, an unforgettable moment. Optional: Big Ice Experience - Journey to the center of the Glacier Perito Moreno – Maximum age limited to 50 Years Old 10 minutes navigation across the Rico Arm, enjoying breathtaking views of the Perito Moreno glacier’s front walls. Walking on the glacier is an amazing experience and one of the most spectacular Ice-hikes in the world with breathtaking views of the immense plateau of ice. During the walk you will photograph huge moulins, crevasses and ice caves. You will hike for about 3 and a half hours. Optional: Minitrekking Experience - Walk on the Glacier - Maximum age limited to 65 Years Old The 1:30 hours circuit that follows introduces you to the fascinating landscape of the glaciers: streams, small lagoons, gullies, crevasses and plenty of ice formations of the most incredible blues. The trekking is moderate. The ice surface over which you walk is irregular, but firm and safe. Back on the moraine we start our descent back to the port, to take the boat and navigate for 20 minutes, very close to the southern wall. Hotel Alto Calafate. DAY 8 - 2 April - Upsala Glacier discovery, Estancia Cristina This tour combines the navigation to the Upsala glacier area with a picnic day in Estancia Cristina, located on the right bank of the glacier. The tour departs, from port De la Cruz, which is located in Punta Bandera. You sail in the north arm of Lake Argentino to the Upsala channel and reach the western front of the Upsala glacier where you can appreciate it from the boat. Enjoy browsing icebergs and stunning landscapes. When you get to Estancia Cristina, you will experience panoramic views from the Upsala Balcony. Then, you will get to the shelter of Hielos Continentales and take a 30 minutes’ walk on ground of glacial erosion. There, you will have a great view of the Eastern Front of the Upsala Glacier, Lake William, Southern Ice and Cordillera de los Andes. We will walk through “Cañadon de los fosiles” back to Estancia Cristina (3 hrs). Finally, you will go back to the estancia and to the boat towards port De La Cross and then on to El Calafate. Hotel Alto Calafate. 18 Paine Horns 19 DAY 9 - 3 April - Drive to El Chaltén and ITINERARY trekking briefing CONTINUED El Chaltén is the starting point to explore Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy granite peaks.