Patagonia Challenge

CanToo Adventure Challenge

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Trek Dates
23 February - 1 March 2025

Registration
$1,256

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Trek Cost
$5,280

 

Fundraising
$3,300

Country
Chile and Argentina

Take on the Patagonia with CanToo to help raise much needed funds for cancer research.

Challenge Highlights

  • Join CanToo Founder Annie Crawford and raise vital funds for cancer research
  • Stay at award?winning EcoCamp Patagonia and enjoy a cozy EcoCamp Dome
  • Private group services, including guides and transfers
  • Take on the visually stunning, world-famous ‘W’ trek
  • Experience beautiful nature and the best of Torres del Paine National Park
  • Explore unique local fauna and flora
  • Trek scenic Valle Frances
  • Journey by boat to Grey Glacier
  • Enjoy the base of the Towers and views of Los Cuernos

 

Read More About Annie Crawford Here

Overview

Torres del Paine in Patagonia is one of the world’s most beautiful wilderness areas. An unrivalled landscape of craggy granite peaks that pierce the skyline, impossibly blue lakes, cascading waterfalls and lush valleys carved by ancient glaciers. Experience all of this on the guided W Trek, one of the world’s great walks.

An astonishing landscape of twisted volcanic peaks, tumbling glaciers and aquamarine lakes, it zigzags across the Cordillera del Paine like a giant W. The trip is designed so that you visit the three main valleys of the park that make up the W and include hiking to the lookout point to the famous Towers, the rushing French river and the hanging glacier of the French Valley. Most nights will be spent in the cosy and unique EcoCamp with its comfortable dome tents, perfectly immersed in the park’s wilderness. 

This trip is not to be missed. We hope you can join us.

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What's Included?

  • 6 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 6 dinners
  • Airport transfers on Day 1 and Day 7
  • 4 nights Ecocamp in standard domes twin share
  • 1 night accommodation at Camping Paine Grande
  • 1 night at Camping Los Cuernos or Camping El Frances
  • Camping equipment incl sleeping bag is provided if needed
  • Experienced English-speaking guides
  • Park fees for Torres del Paine National Park
  • Boat crossing on Grey Lake
  • Transportation of luggage within the park
  • Transportation to/from El Calafate 

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Additional Deposit Required

This trip requires the prepayment of a 20% deposit of the value of the tour being booked. This deposit is included in your registration fee and is non-refundable if you cancel the trip or change the trip departure date. It is recommend you take out travel insurance at the time of booking.

Patagonia Trek Itinerary

Day 1: To Torres del Paine National Park

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The trip begins with you being picked up from your hotel in Punta Arenas or Punta Arenas airport (please arrive before 3pm) and driven to EcoCamp Patagonia, which is located in the world-famous
Torres del Paine National Park. (Alternatively, you can start your trip in Calafate or Puerto Natales.)

En route we make a stop in Puerto Natales, a small, lively town on the shores of “Seno de Ultima Esperanza”, where we enjoy a hearty local lunch. The journey is very scenic, with wild birds and wonderful landscapes. The day ends with our arrival and overnight stay at EcoCamp Patagonia, which is nestled in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park and boasts a prime view of the majestic Torres. Sunset is usually around 11 pm during the summer months. For this reason, upon arrival, there will still be enough daylight for you to admire the Patagonian steppe with its guanacos and snow-peaked mountain horizon.
Overnight: EcoCamp Patagoniae. 

Day 2: Trek Paso Los Cuernos trail, in Torres del Paine National Park)

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The experience of walking in the Torres del Paine National Park will leave you awe-inspired by the wonderful scenery. It is worth remembering that the Andes is the youngest chain of mountains in the world. One can imagine the great pressures and movements of the earth that created these spectacular peaks. We begin our Patagonian adventure with a pleasant walk through the sinuous Cuernos Trail which leads us alongside the beautiful Lake Nordenskjold. During this warm-up walk we will have the opportunity to admire the park’s exquisite flora and fauna, as we enjoy the magnificent views of the park’s central lakes and the Paine’s Horns, majestic black horn-like peaks of slate atop gray granite which crown the center of the Massif. The trek ends at Refugio Los Cuernos, a small and cozy mountain refuge located on the shores of Lake Nordenskjold.

Day 3: Trek the Valle del Frances Trail

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After breakfast at Refugio Los Cuernos, we will begin the challenging trek to Valle Frances (French Valley), along a steep trail that leads to the very heart of the Paine Massif. How far we go depends on our group’s trekking rhythm. A swifter walk will lead us to the hanging bridge over the French River, located at the foot of the southeast face of the Massif, where we will be treated to fantastic views of the valley. We will then continue to ascend towards the upper section of the valley where we will be able to marvel at the extensive mass of the valley’s geological formations: Hoja (Blade), Máscara (Mask), Espada (Sword), Catedral (Cathedral), Aleta de Tiburón (Shark’s Fin) and the magnificent Fortaleza (Fortress).

After our upward trek, we will pause for a picnic and relax a while.

This day’s trek will end as we descend through an undulating terrain of mixed grassland and light forest which will take us to Refugio Paine Grande.

Day 4: Trek along Grey Lake to Grey Glacier

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Today, we will hike from Paine Grande Refugio along the shores of Lake Pehoe to the northern side of the glacially beautiful Lake Grey. We will feast on a picnic lunch before boarding the boat that sails right to the huge, crystalline facade of Glacier Grey, where we will have plenty of time to marvel at the calving glacier. From the southern end of Glacier Grey, we will transfer to EcoCamp.

Boat trips across the lake may occasionally be cancelled due to weather conditions of the region. If that is the case, we will trek up to the sightseeing point and profit from wonderful, panoramic views of the Glacier instead. Then we will return on foot to Paine Grande and take a catamaran to Pudeto’s dock, where we will be picked up and driven to EcoCamp.

Day 5: Trek to the Towers

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The goal of our fifth day of this 7-day trip is to complete the most famous trekking trail in Torres del Paine National Park!

We will walk from the campsite towards Hostería Las Torres before ascending to Ascencio Valley on the Tower’s eastern face. Mountain ridges, beech forests and small rivers line the scenic walk towards the valley.

Our big challenge comes in the form of the steep moraine, a huge mass of boulders that will lead us to that iconic base view of the Towers - Three gigantic granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by the forces of glacial ice.

After a tough uphill climb, the Towers eventually come into full view, rising majestically before us, with the glacial lake visible below.

Is there any better place in the world to have lunch?

After feasting on the view and our picnic, we backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to EcoCamp for a well-deserved dinner. 

Day 6: Eastern Lakes, Fauna Trail walk

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The sixth day will consist of a less strenuous trail, in order to counter the exhausting efforts of the previous day.

After breakfast we will take a leisurely car journey towards Laguna Azul, passing Cañadón Macho en route - which is home to many wild guanacos and ñandúes. Occasionally we will stop to admire the views of the Patagonian steppe and the towers from different perspectives.

At Laguna Azul, we will hike to the lookout point where we will be treated to a gorgeous view of both the lagoon and granite towers.

After lunch, we will drive to the northern shore of Sarmiento Lake where the Fauna Trail begins.

As we hike northbound, we will spot an impressive range of Patagonian fauna on the vast plains, including guanacos, ostrich-like ñandús and perhaps the occasional puma print!

We will pass the charming Goic lagoon and after approximately 5km of relaxed walking, we will reach the Laguna Amarga ranger station where we will be picked up and driven back to Ecocamp.

Tonight have a special farewell dinner to celebrate an unforgettable Patagonian experience!

Day 7: Drive to Punta Arenas, trip concludes

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This morning, we board an early morning vehicle, sit back, relax and enjoy the scenic drive to Punta Arenas (in time to catch the evening flight to Santiago if required), and the trip concludes.

Waitlist

All places for the Patagonia Challenge have now sold out, if you wish to be contacted if a place becomes available, please leave your details below.