Patagonia Hiking Photo Adventure
International Photo Workshop
Tour starts
El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Description
Daily itinerary
Day 1 - El Chalten
On the first day of the hiking trip we will collect you at 14:00 from your hotel in El Calafate. We recommend staying at the Kosten Aike hotel, but there are other options if you want to shop around. Alternatively, we could pick you up from the airport at between 3 and 4 in the afternoon. Having said that, we feel it’s best that you give yourself time to acclimatise after a long flight, so encourage you to arrive one day before the start of our adventure.
We will then take a private bus to El Chalten and check in into a comfortable hotel for the evening, have dinner together and meet up with our local mountain guides to talk some more about the upcoming adventure.
Read moreDay 2 - Thorwood Camp
The group will leave our big suitcases in the hotel lobby, and we’ll grab some breakfast before setting out on the trip. We will hike only with camera gear and some spare clothes. If we’re lucky with the weather and conditions, in less than an hour we will reach a point where the mighty Cerro Torre peak will become clear on the horizon, like a huge stone lighthouse guiding our way. For around four hours we will hike the easy trail through the forest, stopping at plenty of waypoints on the way. To give you some idea of the difficulty, the hike will be around 10 km long with an overall ascension of 200m. We will have lunch on the way.
Our final destination for the night will be the Thorwood camp, but after setting up the tents we will head back out to one of several magical sunset destinations. After a great sunset session we will have delicious dinner with meat and wine. The Thorwood camp has plenty of geat photography spots nearby, including:
- Laguna Torre, with amazing icebergs and clear views to Cerro Torre
- Fitz Roy river, framed by autumn leaves with plenty of cascades and charming meanders
We will spend one night at the Thorwood camp, changing our shooting locations depending on the weather.
Read moreDay 3 - Poincenot
We will rise early and fill up on some fresh coffee, before heading out to another of our secluded sunrise spots. After breakfast the group will begin the 10km hike to the next private camp, Poincenot.
The next camp is around 200m higher up, so we will ascend through Patagonian forest, passing along a valley and several stunning lagoons. This trip usually takes around 3 hours, and we’ll stop for lunch on the way if the weather allows us. From the camp we will have fantastic views of Fitz Roy mountain, while the nearby area has plenty of quality locations for wondrous photography, from autumnal forests to rivers, waterfalls and small pools. As with the first camp, the locations we choose will depend upon the conditions. After a glorious sunset session, we will enjoy a meal together before hitting the hay.
Read moreDay 4 - Fitz Roy
The fourth day will start with a much needed morning coffee, before we head out to one of the locations mentioned above for a sunrise shoot. After, we will go back to camp for breakfast, and either spend the day discussing photography topics or go for an optional hike along the river. The group will enjoy lunch at the camp, and head for another sunset session. Another gourmet dinner at the camp will end the day in tasty tranquility.
Read moreDay 5 - Laguna Los Tres
Day five will begin with coffee and a photography session at one of our chosen sunrise locations. After breakfast we will remain in the camp area to go through photography topics with our expert guides, while there will be an optional hike in the area. For those keen on some more adventure, there’s a chance to ascend to the famous Laguna Los Tres, where there are incredible view towards Fitz Roy mountain.
However, this is a 2.5 - 3 hours trip before sunrise to be there as the sun comes up. It's an uphill hike with 2km of trail, so we may split up into 2 groups, to allow for those who don’t feel up to it.
For the rest of the day, we will enjoy lunch and plan out where we want to be for another perfect sunset shoot, followed by a delicious dinner back at camp.
Read moreDay 6 - El Chalten
Our final day will begin very much like the others, with an early morning coffee and a sunrise photography session at one of our chosen locations.
After breakfast we will be ready to pack up and descend to the village of El Chalten. As we go we will make plenty of stops to take in all of the views and angles available. We will have lunch in the village, before departing for El Calafate. We will drop everyone off back to their hotels in the town, and would love to have a final group meal together to celebrate a week of incredible photography and fun.
Read moreDay 7 - Departure
You will depart El Chalten for your return trip home or onwards to your next destination.
Read more Disclaimer
We highly recommend that you get a travel and medical insurance. Your own domestic medical insurance and private health scheme will not cover you whilst you are overseas.
The tour will always dependent on weather, as the weather can be highly unpredictable.
Departure Schedule
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Guides
Renowned landscape photographer, Daniel Kordan, is an explorer at heart. Having realized his passion for photography and traveling at a young age, he now spends his time sharing his vision and the many wonders of the world with people all around him.
Raymond is an award-winning photographer with a worldwide reputation. Known for his magnificent landscape photos, his career took off in 2011, when he was voted as ‘Best Nature Photographer’ by one of Europe’s largest online photo communities.
One of his photos was even elected as one of the best photos in the 10 years history of the organization. Raymond’s work has featured in various publications, from books to newspapers and magazines, and he actively takes on assignments for publishers and advertising agencies.
These days he works as a nature photographer, mostly leading expert tours across the stunning nordic nations. He is an ambassador for the Lucroit filter system, and has won awards in a range of international photography contests.