A day at EcoCamp with the Patagonia Wildlife Safari Tour

I finally made it to the acclaimed Torres del Paine National Park, which has become the main image of Chilean Patagonia. Our lodging for this adventure was EcoCamp, one of the most special locations in the park with a deep connection to the nature and an incredible view of the Paine towers.

My accommodation was in a Suite Dome, shared with my colleague Cheska, and it was just amazing, so much attention to detail that we loved the space from the first moment. The dome has a sitting area, a heating system and even a coffee and tea station for us.
Just before dinner we met the team of guides that will accompany us the next day on the adventure that we chose. Every day there is an option between 3 excursions with 3 different activity levels. Our option for the next day was the French Valley hike, one of the sections of the W trek that includes a boat ride on Lake Pehoé to start at Refugio Paine Grande the actual hike.
At dinner we are allocated on a table with four other fellow travelers that arrived on the same evening, and we enjoyed a great meal prepared with local food. We were also given instructions on the logistics for the next day.

Our day started early in the morning with breakfast, featuring nice details such as a little sign on each table with the name of the participants and the guide and the excursion of the day. The breakfast is a full spread of many food options, cold and hot station, sweet and savory treats, and the best part, we are given a metallic container to pack our own box lunch for the day.
We met with the guide and after a short van transfer we arrived to Pudeto Pier, where we line up for the boat departure. The wind was strong, but we couldn’t help spending most of our sailing time on the top deck, as the view was one of the most spectacular of our trip, including Almirante Nieto, Los Cuernos, and Paine Grande mountain.

We arrived at Refugio Paine Grande and started our 5 hour round trip hike. The terrain is sometimes uneven, other times we encountered platforms and dense vegetation, and the main denominator was the quick changes to the weather, from cold and windy to light rain followed by strong sun.

After crossing a hanging bridge, our guide calculated that in order to have enough time to return to the pier, this spot will be our summit and stop for a well deserved lunch.
The hike back felt somehow shorter, surrounded by the moody nature of Patagonia.
Upon sailing back on the boat, we were welcomed to the van by our driver, who is waiting with refreshments. Back at the lodge there are some minutes to catch a quick shower before the briefing for the next day’s activity, and another spectacular dinner.