To prevent The Other Way’s readers from getting Florianed and carrying around a 20+ kilo pack (44+ lbs) for a three night trek where food and shelter can easily be provided and to enlighten a public ravenous for more information on Torres del Paine and The W trek, The Other Way is providing all of the tips and tricks you need to maximize your enjoyment of the park. These tips assume a trip in the summer when there is daylight until 9pm or later and trekkers are walking the W trek from east to west. Trekkers looking for information on the Circuit should look elsewhere.
Torres del Paine Park itself is located in Chilean Patagonia a two to three hours by bus from the town of Puerto Natales. Puerto Natales is a town where trekkers tend to stay before starting their trip in order to finalize preparations for the trip. Many hostels have a luggage drop, so it is no problem for longer term travelers with big bags to leave a bunch of smelly socks behind while they are out communing with nature and taking pictures of themselves standing in front of the Torres. From Argentina, one can get to Puerto Natales via bus from El Calafate (about six hours through a painfully slow border crossing) or one can fly to Punta Arenas and catch a roughly two hour bus from the Punta Arenas airport. I can’t comment knowledgeably on bus travel from Santiago or other parts of Chile.
From Puerto Natales there are daily buses in the morning and afternoon that one can take to Laguna Amarga, the eastern start of the trail, or further onward to Pudeto, where one can catch a boat to the western start of the trail at Refugio Paine Grande in order to begin the W in reverse.
The trek is called the W because it consists of an east to west hike with out and backs on the eastern and western edge of the trek along with another out and back in the middle, making the shape of a w. Those hiking the W have to first decide whether or not they want to camp or sleep in refugios. Please understand that “refugio” does not necessarily imply a basic shelter with inadequate heating. The refugios at Paine Grande and Las Torres, for example, have full bars for those in need of a pisco sour. The refugios are more like dorms of varying size and quality with huge mess halls. Choosing to stay in the refugios immediately reduces the amount of crap you need to carry with you. Double S and I carried our sleeping bags from Iruya in the north to Ushuaia in the south so that we had sleeping bags for the W. That helped build back strength, but was completely unnecessary given that sleeping bags or bedding are available for rent in any of the refugios. Unless one is staying at Refugio Grey, a towel is also unnecessary. You can rent towels at the refugios.
The next decision one has to make is to pack in food or to eat at the refugios. The refugios offer “full board” options which consist of dinner the night you arrive, breakfast the morning you leave and a boxed lunch (see below) to take with you on your hike to the next refugio. Bringing only a few snacks and a bottle of booze in your luggage eliminates food weight. As far as water goes, there is no need to carry in liters of water since, happily, the water in the park has not yet been polluted, so you can fill your bottles in a number of places along the trail or at the refugios.
For those choosing to stay in either the refugios themselves or to camp at the refugio campgrounds should book in advance. There are two companies that manage the refugios. Fantastico Sur manages the refugios on nights one (Torres or Chileno) and two (Los Cuernos) and Vertice Patagonia manages the refugios for nights three (Paine Grande) and four (Refugio Grey, for those choosing to stay an extra night). One can book with them directly in advance and then pay via credit card closer to the day of your reservation. There might be a few kinks, so be patient.
Day 1 - Refugio Las Torres to the Mirador Torres del Paine Out and Back
The normal way to start your trek is to take the 7:30am bus from Puerto Natales, arrive at Laguna Amarga and then pay for a shuttle to take you to Refugio Las Torres, where you should arrive around 10am. From there you can start the W.
The first day of the trek is a longish day, probably 6-7 hours of hiking RT, that brings you up to the Mirador Las Torres. The hike is broken into three sections. The first section, from Refugio La Torres to Chileno is a mostly uphill hike, followed by a flattish section that takes you to Campamento La Torres, where those camping and waking up early to watch the sunrise through the Torres will drop off their equipment, followed by a final steep, 45 minute uphill scramble to the Mirador. The view of the Torres from the Mirador is fantastic on a clear day and the viewing area is large enough that even though there will be a lot of people at the Mirador, one can find a rock to relax on to eat lunch and enjoy the view.
Notes: For those staying at the refugio, here is where a critical piece of equipment can help to make or break your trip. While Refugio Las Torres is a newer building with many amenities, the “six person dorms” do not have walls that go all the way to the ceiling. This turns them into, effectively, 24 person dorms. Unless you love the cacophony of snoring, wheezing and choking like sounds, one should pack ear plugs. Those in need of a foot massage after a hard day’s hike can consider staying at the fancy Hotel Las Torres (www.lastorres.com) instead of the refugio.
Day 2 - Refugio Las Torres to Refugio Los Cuernos
This is the shortest day on the trail, around 4 hours. The hike has some reasonable up and downs as you walk along the hills along Lago Nordenskjold, but nothing overly strenuous. At the end of the hike you end up at Refugio Los Cuernos. There you can relax in the refugio, check out the water fall behind the cabanas and take your pick of a polar bear plunge in either the stream behind the cabanas or in Lago Nordenskjold.
Notes: There are cabanas available at Los Cuernos which look quite nice. Good luck, though, they seem to book up well in advance. Campers can choose to continue on 2.5 hours more to Campamento Italiano and reduce the amount of hiking required on Day 3.
Day 3 - Refugio Los Cuernos to Refugio Paine Grande
This is the longest and hardest day on the trail and offers trekkers a number of potential variations. The first stretch of the hike is a casual 2.5 hour hike to Campamento Italiano. From Italiano one can choose to do an out and back through the Valle de Frances to form the middle portion of the W while the weary can simply continue on to Paine Grande.
Those who do the out and back can leave their heavy bags at Italiano (locals claim there are never problems - do this at your own risk) and then perform an hour or so hike to the first mirador, where there are great views of Los Cuernos and Paine Grande. If the weather cooperates, one can use this spot to sit down and have lunch.
As an aside, I am told that Los Cuernos were formed by sediment sitting on top of cooling magma. When viewing the Cuernos one can see the distinct two tone rock colors which, to quote a Scottish geologist we met along the way, “looks like Hershey Kisses on top of the granite.” The incredibly steep rock formations, from the base a number of the peaks go roughly straight up for 1,000 meters or more, is, I am told, due to the fact the nature is apparently still working her magic on the peaks. The Cuernos, and the Torres for that matter, are still young enough that erosion hasn’t had time to do its work and turn them into rounded, lump like hills. As far as the lakes go, the varying color of the lakes is due to the fact that Mother Nature needs to store her leftover sediment somewhere and she chooses the adjacent lakes. The varying amounts of sediment mix with the water to give the lakes a full palette of colors from grey to turquoise to the darkest blue. The whole set of dramatic peaks, lakes of varying colors and glaciers in the distance give one the impression that Patagonia is where Mother Nature experiments with various designs before choosing which ones to use on her world.
After the first mirador, there is another 45 minute walk through a set of woods to get to a second mirador which provides one with similar views to the first. This is where most people turn around. For the truly hearty, one can hike another 45 minutes to hour to get to the final mirador. Andre, a guide the Scots hired and who was occasionally borrowed by us, said that he almost never goes to last mirador. Andre says that if you decide to go you can see another set of five granite peaks. I trust him.
From wherever you decide to turn around, you have to retrieve your larger bag at Italiano and then begin the final 2-3 hour walk to Paine Grande. Happily, this is an easier stretch. Nonetheless, if you went up Valle de Frances you are probably going to start getting tired on this part. Relax, take your time, enjoy the view of Lago Skottberg to your left and Lago Pehoe in the distance. When you finally reach Paine Grande you should head directly to the bar to grab a beer. You will have earned it.
At Paine Grande, if you are staying at the refugio and traveling as a couple or with a snore-free friend, this would be a good spot to rent a superior room. Some of them only have a double bunk in the room. After spending your nights in the dorms at Las Torres and Los Cuernos, you will kiss the floor when you walk into your room.
Day 4 - Refugio Paine Grande to Refugio Grey
From here one has a number of options. The boat back to the bus stop leaves from Paine Grande, so the temptation to skip the last leg of the W and simply hop on the first boat back is high. The next level is to hike out 1:45 min to the first mirador in order to get a glimpse of Glaciar Grey (and sample the famous Patagonian winds on your walk) before heading back to catch the 12:30pm boat. The next level up is to head all the way out to the mirador at Refugio Grey and back (3.5 hours each way) before catching the 7:30pm boat. Finally, one can choose to stay the night at Refugio Grey the most, um, rustic of the refugios. This is the one place where one should make sure to bring their own towel and soap. Towels cannot be rented and soap appears to be in limited supply. There is also a single double dorm room if one arrives early enough and sweet talks the woman at the front desk.
Overnighters at Grey have an additional set of options. Highly recommended (thanks again M&M for the tix!) is an ice hike on Grey Glacier. You can book the excursion from the guide outpost just across from Refugio Grey. You then have a three hour ice trek where two guides will tour your group through the glacier and you will learn about glaciers (who knew that glaciers are essentially frozen rivers?), gaze down crevasses, see more amazing shades of blue and take all sorts of cool pix. Another option, for the ice hike adverse, is to continue past Refugio Grey for another hour to Campamento Las Guardas, turn left through the camp to catch the next trail which you will then take to another mirador with a closer view of the glacier. Either way, head out of Refugio Grey early the next morning to make it back for the 12:30pm boat.
Final Tips
Mr. Lightpack says: Don’t bother carrying a sleeping bag, towel or tent if you plan on staying at the refugios. You can rent them.
Gourmet Glen says: You will begin to prefer llama fur to refugio boxed lunches after the third day on the trail. Catch the shuttle for C$5,000 from the eastern trailhead to Refugio La Torres and pack your own lunch for days 1 and 2. Your stomach and wallet will appreciate minimizing your boxed lunch intake.
Mr. Impatient says: People that are truly fit and on a tight schedule can skip the first night in Las Torres. The way to do this is to catch the 7:30am bus from Puerto Natales, catch the shuttle to Refugio Las Torres (arrival time 10am) hike the six and a half hours out and back to the Mirador Las Torres and then continue on for four more hours to Refugio Los Cuernos. The sun sets late in the summer, so there is plenty of daylight. It is insane, but you can tell your friends about how fast you are and what great shape you are in!
Select Costs
Bus from Puerto Natales (round trip): Ch$15,000
Shuttle from Laguna Amarga to Refugio Las Torres: Ch$5,000
Boat from Paine Grande to Pudeto: Ch$11,000
Park entrance fee: Ch$15,000
Full Board Refugios (bedding and towels are extra): US$68-US$71/pp/night Note: One can book multiple combinations of bed type and meals. Contact refugios for details.
Ice Hike: US$140/pp
The view of Las Torres from the mirador (photo courtesy of Double S)
Los Cuernos
Glaciar Grey
Caroline and Roeland demonstrating the appropriate amount of gear to carry for those staying in refugios.
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