Patagonia: Torres del Paine
Seven days in the park, walking the W from west to east.
Mountain Trekking · 7 days · November to March
The W trek done in the direction that saves the towers for last and puts the wind behind you: Grey glacier first, then the French valley, then the base of the towers at dawn on the final day. Lodge-based rather than camping, which is what makes it a holiday rather than an expedition.
Day by day
- Day 1
Into Puerto Natales
Fly in, sort gear, sleep before an early bus.
15:00Mylodon Cave
Twenty-five minutes out of town, and the ground sloth skin found here in 1895 is why Bruce Chatwin came.
- Day 2
Into the park
Bus to Pudeto, catamaran across Pehoe, and the first walk in.
11:00Salto Grande
The Paine massif rises straight out of the falls, and it is the first clear view of the whole range.
Fifteen minutes flat from the Pudeto car park, while you wait for the catamaran.
12:30Catamaran to Paine Grande
Thirty minutes across Lago Pehoe, and the only way to the western arm of the W.
Two or three crossings a day in season. Missing the last one costs a day.
- Day 3
Grey Glacier
The western arm, out and back.
08:00Mirador Grey
The Grey glacier front is six kilometres wide and calves into the lake in front of you.
About 11 km each way, undulating. The wind on the exposed ridge is the hard part, not the climb.
- Day 4
The French Valley
The middle arm, and the best day of the three.
07:30Mirador Frances
A hanging glacier avalanching off Paine Grande on one side and the Cuernos on the other.
The upper Britanico lookout adds two hours; rangers close the valley in high wind and mean it.
- Day 5
East to the towers
The long transit along Lake Nordenskjold to the eastern trailhead.
08:30Lake Nordenskjold shore path
The connecting day, and the only one where you see the massif side-on rather than head-on.
Roughly 18 km with the Cuernos above you the whole way. Little shade and less shelter.
- Day 6
The towers at dawn
Up at three, at the base for sunrise, back down by afternoon.
04:00Base de las Torres
The three granite towers turn red for about ten minutes at sunrise, and that is the whole reason the trek is shaped this way.
The last kilometre is a boulder field and takes an hour. Head torch, and check the forecast the night before — in cloud there is nothing to see.
- Day 7
Out
Back to Puerto Natales, and one last look from the road.
10:00Laguna Amarga viewpoint
Guanacos on the flats with the towers behind them, and it is the park exit anyway.
Questions
- How long is the Patagonia: Torres del Paine itinerary?
- The Patagonia: Torres del Paine itinerary runs 7 days and covers 8 stops across Puerto Natales, Torres del Paine.
- When is the best time to do the Patagonia: Torres del Paine itinerary?
- November to March is the best window for the Patagonia: Torres del Paine itinerary.
- What happens on day one of the Patagonia: Torres del Paine itinerary?
- Day one is into puerto natales: Fly in, sort gear, sleep before an early bus.
Sources
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