Our Intense Trekking & Camping programs in Southern Patagonia use Full Camp lodging most of the nights, to allow you to trek extensively across the National Parks and natural trails. You travel Patagonia as part of a group, trekking with a dedicated Mountain Guide. Some of these Full Camps are pre-mounted, while others are mounted by our crew when arriving to the campsite.

You bring your own sleeping bag & insulating mattress. We transport all the general trekking equipment (tents, food, first aid, etc.). You have to carry your personal effects, including sleeping bag and insulating mattress; plus what you will need during the trek: clothes (polar, jacket, insulating underwear, shirts, socks, etc. both to use and spare ones), flashlight, water bottle, photo camera, hygiene elements, a towel, personal medication, etc. But you won't have to carry all your belongings every day, as it depends on which trip you take: VFR or PW8. Let's see:

- Backpacking on VFR
At the Fitz Roy area trekking, when you arrive to El Chalten, we will offer the possibility of selecting appart 8 Kg of your personal belongings that will be sent by us to Torre campsite. You will meet with these belongings when arriving there and will also be able to send back to El Chalten another 8 kg of belongings like used clothes. So you only carry belongings for a couple of days, then you find the other belongings at that middle campsite and you can replace the used ones, sending them back to Chalten. Besides that if you follow the itinerary you will see that not all days you will hike with your belongings as a couple of times you return back to the same campsite, so that day you just hike with daily belongings, leaving the sleeping bag & insulating mattress at the campsite.

- Backpacking on VPW
During the trekking at Torres del Paine National Park you will carry your personal belongings for 2 days/1 night, only during the traverse from Las Torres campsite to Los Cuernos refuge (where you spend the night) to Refuge Pehoe campsite. The other belongings will be carried by us from Las Torres campsite to Refuge Pehoe by vehicle and catamaran boat so you will meet them on the second day when you arrive there. In all the other occasions the transportation will take your belongings to the campsite and you will hike from that campsite and return to the same one, so you only need to carry the daily belongings while hiking: photo camera, polar, wind/rain jacket, lunch bag we provide, water bottle, lips balm, solar protector, extra pair of socks, etc.

To get the most out of these Intense Trekking & Camping programs you should be in good physical condition. Previous technical skills on trekking are not necessary, because this hiking program is not technically difficult. We trek approximately six to nine hours a day, at gentle pace, with intermediate stops. The treks involve several ascents and descents (some long and steep). Previous experience in walking and camping in remote areas would be beneficial, because we extensively use campsites. We do not hike above 1500 meters/4920 ft. In fact it’s one of the strong points of these trips, where you can trek wonderful mountains trails without having to reach high altitudes where oxigen is low.

How to select your Intense Trekking Trip

It seems an easy task as there are only 2 trekking trips: Fitz Roy Wild Trails (VFR) and Torres Del Paine “W” Circuit (VPW), each one on both Patagonia´s best National Parks: Los Glaciares (in Argentina) and Torres del Paine (in Chile). But it's not easy to choose which one to take, as both Southern Patagonia National Parks are astonishing magical landscapes. So for those trekking lovers who want to have a really intense trekking experience and have 3 weeks available we join both trips and create the 20 days trip Patagonia Wild Trails (VAT), which certainly is our most recommended Patagonia travel & trekking trip.