ITINERARY
Day 1
You will be picked up early in the morning from El Calafate Airport or at your hotel.
A 2.5-hour drive towards our destination, “El Chaltén,” is ahead of us.
Once in town, we will start getting ready for our six-day adventure. We will be camping for five nights.
First campsite: Laguna Capri, a 4-kilometer trail with easy to moderate level of difficulty, which gains the most of its elevation in its first part. We should arrive in less than two hours.
We are going to set up camp at “Laguna Capri” and explore the area looking for some interesting compositions.
Day 2
During twilight, about an hour before sunrise, we will go to a nearby beautiful location. After photographing the sunrise, we will have breakfast there and then come back to our camp to pack and go to our next destination.
Second campsite: Poincenot, a 4.4-kilometer trail with a low level of difficulty. It will take us less than 1.5 hours.
Once there, as soon as we prepare our camp, we will go to explore the area in search of interesting compositions for the sunset. This place is full of trees of incredible shape with beautiful colors in the autumn.
Day 3
We will wake up three hours before sunrise. A 2-kilometer-long, steep trail with a moderate level of difficulty lies ahead of us. After reaching the top, we will immediately see the Fitz Roy mountain range and Laguna de los Tres in front of us.
With enough time in front of us, now is the perfect time to set up our gear to avoid missing a good shot at the right moment, and while we patiently wait, drink a hot coffee or a good Argentinian mate.
After going down to Poincenot, it’s time for lunch, have a little rest, and go to explore one of the most beautiful natural gardens straight out of a fairy tale.
And, like every night, we’ll be paying close attention to the sky above us so we don’t miss any possible Milky Way shots!
Day 4
Waking up early is well rewarded, especially in this area of Patagonia.
One hour before sunrise, we will head to a location that will leave you breathless.
This is a one-kilometer hike that will take around 40 minutes.
We will get everything ready to capture that dreamed-of sunrise photograph, and after that, we will have good light to spend a while there exploring and discovering corners and discovering amazing compositions.
After, it will be time to get back to the campsite, pack all our equipment, and, as soon as we finish having lunch, leave towards our next destination.
Third campsite: De Agostini (the closest campsite to Laguna Torre). A 10.5 km (3.5 hour) hike with an easy level of difficulty that passes by Laguna Madre and Laguna Hija.
We are going to set up camp and go straight away for sunset shots.
Day 5
We’ll leave our tents before dawn as usual, crossing our fingers for a clear view of Cerro Torre illuminated by the red colors of sunrise.
We have all day to explore the area and find interesting compositions for our night session.
Day 6
After our morning shooting, we will have lunch, pack up, and start our return to El Chaltén.
This is a 9-kilometer trail. Being of a low level of difficulty, it is very pleasant to walk since it does not present considerable elevation changes.
We will come across multiple beautiful compositions along this trail. That’s why we want to have some extra time to enjoy it as it deserves.
Once in town, it’s time to have a well-deserved shower and rest.
Day 7
After having breakfast in our hotel and before sunrise (around 7:45 AM), we will be picked up to go to a beautiful place for sunrise shots.
Wishing for a dramatic sky, we are going to capture some breathtaking scenes, including a classic Patagonia road shot.
After spending a few hours in that place, it’s time for everyone to take the rest of the day off. Day 8 is a big one.
Day 8
Our day starts at 2:30 AM!
It’s a long but VERY well-rewarded adventure.
Destination: Loma del Pliegue del Tumbado. A 21-km (return) trail with a moderate level of difficulty. Elevation gain: 850 m.
We will start to hike under the stars and go through a big forest. Once there, a panoramic view of all the mountains will be in front of us, as if it were a painting.
Depending on the arrival time and the weather conditions, we might be able to take some night shots before our expected sunrise.
Once back in town and as our workshop’s end is approaching, we will go out for dinner.
Day 9
After having breakfast, if the mountains are visible, we will go to the road to capture the sunrise.
We will then go back to the hotel to check out and do a post-processing class.
At around noon, we will start our way back to El Calafate.
