Day 3 - Francés Valley / Paine Grande
Recommended time to begin the trek: 8am.
After approximately 1,5 hours trekking, the traveler will reach a sign pointing the way to El Francés sector. From here, he/she will follow the path in the direction of Domos El Francés (5 minutes), where all large backpacks can be left before continuing onwards with a small daytime rucksack (with water, food and warm clothing). The climb begins from the valley of River Francés and continues all the way up to the Francés Glacier Lookout (1.5 hrs). From there, the climb continues along the path until arriving to the area called “Británico” and the “Británico Lookout”, which offers one of the national park’s most impressive landscape views. The peaks that can be appreciated from this lookout are Paine Grande, Catedral, Hoja, Máscara, Espada, Aleta de Tiburón and Cuerno Norte. The return trek follows the same path down to “Camp Italiano” and then onwards to the Pehoé sector where the shelter is located.
Level of difficulty: High.
Time: 11-12hrs ( 25 Km )
NIGHT 3: Paine Grande Lodge.