TREKKING AT THE END OF THE WORLD

Would you like to see the glaciers, the snow-covered peaks, the lakes, and the waterfalls of the beautiful Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia? This video shows the breathtaking panorama which Laura Bocalandro, Olga Vaca-Soto and myself had the pleasure of enjoying in our hikes through Torres del Paine, and the Perito Moreno Glacier and the Fitz Roy peak in Argentina.

We landed in Puerto Natales, a small port town facing the Señoret channel and the fiords of Magallanes. It is the town closest to the Torres del Paine National Park and serves as a gateway to the Torres. Puerto Natales is a typical Patagonian town. Its people are friendly and welcoming and the exquisite taste of its native food (lamb on a stick and king crab) surpasses any “gourmet” food.

Torres del Paine is located 112 km from Puerto Natales and 312 km from Punta Arenas. We hiked the trail named “W” which is 71 km long and has  1,844 meters of elevation. The hike lasted 4 days and we hiked an average of 18 km per day. We saw the majestic French and Grey glaciers and for two days the winds were so strong that on several occasions it managed to knock us to the ground. The three night we camped allowed us to enjoy the calming noise of the waterfalls, the fresh air and the incessant wind of the Patagonia.

Once our hike through Torres del Paine ended, we rented a car and crossed over the border to Argentina where we hiked in the spectacular Perito Moreno glacier. This glacier is located in the National Park of the Glaciers in the province of Santa Cruz. The glacier measures 250 square meters and is 30 km long. In fact, it is the third largest reserve of fresh water in the world!

We finalized our trip doing day hikes from the quaint town of Chalten, which is also located in the National Park of the Glaciers, and is near countless majestic trails that go up the peaks of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. The Fitz Roy peak is known worldwide by rock climbers.

We hope you enjoy the video!

Patricia  Meduña