It’s dumping snow here in Denver. Luckily for me, I’m headed down south in 5 days. I only just returned from Spain and Morocco a week ago, and on Friday my girlfriend Kalyn and I will depart for an adventure in Patagonia. Currently, it’s the tail end of summer down there and daylight should stretch around 14 hours. Located on the southern tip of South America, Patagonia is a stones’ throw from Antarctica. Because of this geography, the landscape and the weather should be magnificent and ever-changing.

south america
map source pinterest

As I make my last minute REI runs and packing list, I wanted to share my itinerary for the 15-day trip. We are flying internationally in and out of Santiago, Chile. We have a couple treks planned- Torres del Paine (Chile) and Los Glaciares National Park (Argentina). The adventure is as follows:

Day 1

  • Arrive in Santiago, Chile in the morning
  • Fly to Punta Arenas, Chile in the evening

Day 2

  • Bus from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales in morning
  • Stock up on food and supplies for “W” Trek in Torres del Paine
  • Sleep in hostel

Days 3-7 – “W” Trek in Torres del Paine

w trek map torres del paine 5
See, it’s shaped like a “W” Source: stephandben.com

Day 8 – Into Argentina

  • Bus from Puerto Natales to El Calafate, Argentina in the morning
  • Restock on food and fuel
  • Bus from El Calafate to El Chalten, Argentina in the evening
  • Sleep in hostel

Day 9 

  • Explore El Chalten in the morning
  • Hike into Los Glaciares National Park and setup camp
  • Hike around park
  • Camp at Campamiento Poincenot

Day 10

  • Hike around park
  • Camp at Campamiento Agostini

Day 11

  • Hike back to El Chalten in the morning
  • Bus to El Calafate around mid-day
  • Camp

Day 12

  • Bus to Perito Moreno Glacier in the morning
  • Explore glacier
  • Return to El Calafate and camp

Day 13

  • Bus from El Calafate to Puerto Natales, Chile in the morning
  • Bus from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas in the afternoon
  • Fly back to Santiago in the middle of the night

Day 14

  • Arrive in Santiago early in the morning
  • Explore Santiago
  • Sleep in hostel

Day 15

  • Explore Santiago during the day
  • Fly back home at night

So that’s how it’s goin’ down. There will be some serious bus-riding in my future. I guess the upside to that is the beautiful landscape I’ll be looking at out of the window. Regardless, I’m just excited to see another part of the world. Getting out into the wild and camping under the stars is never a bad idea- I just can’t believe I’m about to do it at the end of the world.

Stay tuned for my “What’s in the Pack” article in a few days. Explore on!

 

 

Header photo source

 

6 comments

  2. Last year march I was in El Calafate and El Chanten but didn’t have time to see the other places in Patagonia. Next time I hope I will visit other place you mentioned in your post.

    Reply
  3. Pingback: The “W” Trek in Torres Del Paine National Park – the modern magellan

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