Help with Argentina/chile/Torres Del Paine
Replies: 7 - Last Post: Oct 30, 2012 1:22 PM Last Post By: trent84
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Help with Argentina/chile/Torres Del Paine
We have two weeks - a buddy of mine and I are heading to Argentina. We have booked the tickets in and out of BUE end of november. This is the rough plan. can someone comment please?Day 1-3 BUE
Day 3,4 - Fly to El Calafate and stay
Day 5 - Bus to Torres Del Paine (I see various options - but what is the shortest way to get to the start of the Trek)
Day 6-11 - W Trek (Where is the best place to start the trek? Do refugios need booking in advance or can we just show up? we are planning to stay in refugios instead of tents/camping)
Day 11 - head back to BUE (Whats the best way to get back to BUE, most economical seems back to El Calafate and then flying to BUE, but seems long)
(I want to leave a couple of days extra so that we can take some side trips if we need to)
Thanks for the help.
1
From El Calafate you have a few options:- Shortest way is hire a car and drive there.
- Next is to get on an expensive tour bus there and back (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1531230 has the details).
- bus to Puerto Natales and then onto TDP.
You will almost certainly have to ditch food at the Chilean border (its rather strict) and this is one reason why I suggest going to Puerto Natales. So you can stock up on food there.
I would start the W from the West and work East. But be flexible, if the day you get there is good, head up to Mirador Torres (it might be in cloud in 4 days time).
If you can take side trips, head to El Chalten. Its amazing.
And by BUE, you mean Buenos Aires? Best way is Flight back. And it'll probably cost as much as taking the bus. Plus itll only be 2 hours or so.
If you can afford to hire a car then it would make this easier as you could pick up the car, drive to the glacier, then head to Chile that night. Pick up gear etc and then go to the Park that day and start.
I would think about your time in El Calafate - you could easily see the glacier in an afternoon (your arrival day) and then head to Puerto Natales the next morning. Theres no other reason to stay in El Calafate longer.
2
Thanks a lot for the info. Does this sound doable? I am planning to stay in RefugiosDay 1 flight from buenos aires to el calafate, see glaciers
Day 2 transit to puerto Natales and get all hiking stuff
Day 3 start hike at the west end
Day 4 hike
Day 5 hike
Day 6 hike
Day 7 back to El calafate (probably takes a bus directly from Laguna amarga to el calafate orr through Puerto Natales)
Day 8 flight from el calafate to buenos aires
3
Have you booked any refugios? Then I doubt you'll be able to stay at one. They book out fast.That sounds good and do-able. But there is no time for stuff ups.
You need to work out times - it might be hard to get a bus back to El Calafate (most buses go to Puerto Natales.
Getting hiking stuff (renting stuff) - this would mean returning them in El Calafate.
Check here for bus times
4
Thanks your trip report s very helpful since i am planning the exact route. Would you change anything there?Day1 bus to tdp, catamaran to paine grande, checkin and take off for glacier gray and back, stay in paine grande
Day 2 hike to compamdnto Italiano, drop packs and hike villa Frances and come back ( are they ok with dropping the pack there?) and hike to Refugio cuernos
Day 3 hike to camp chileno, is it better or campamento torres?
Day 4 hike up mirador torres and then head back
Is this about right?
5
Thats exactly what I did. And it was fine. We had plenty of time to get to each thing. The hike to Glacier Grey and back should be done pretty quickly. We didn't spend too long at the Glacier (we did just see Perito Moreno so we weren't too fussed).Leaving bags at Campamento Italiano is fine. You just drop them at the Guards House there. Take any valuables with you but.
