Hike Torres del Paine National Park - The French Valley, Torres del Paine

This excursion involves a visit to one of many iconic areas of Torres del Paine National Park: The French Valley. Led by an expert guide the adventure begins at the Pudeto Ranger Station, which is located on the shore of Lake Pehoé, which sits beside Lago Grey and is fed by the Paine River. From here it's a half-hour catamaran cruise across the lake where the trailhead begins for an unforgettable wilderness trek.

The first part of the trail is relatively flat and leads along the north side of Lago Skottsberg to Refugio Italiano, which is located at the bottom of the French Valley. After breaking for water and snacks, the trail continues deeper into the French Valley along a steep trail through lenga forest. Roughly 1.5 miles (2.5 km) from Italiano, there's a viewpoint near the iconic "Horns of Paine" landmark (the three granite peaks of the Paine Massif) that affords wide vistas of the French Glacier hanging down from Mount Paine Grande.