Patagonia Hiking: Torres del Paine W Trek

Your Patagonian Adventure Begins!

You’ll be picked-up from your hotel or the airport in Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales (depending on your preferred flight) and driven to the basecamp located in the world-famous Torres del Paine National Park. For guests coming from Punta Arenas, we’ll stop in Puerto Natales, a small town on the shores of “Seno de Ultima Esperanza,” where we enjoy a hearty local lunch.

The journey is scenic and highly atmospheric, featuring many wild birds and wonderful Patagonian landscapes. The day ends with our arrival and overnight stay at our basecamp, nestled in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park, with a prime view of the majestic Torres. Sunset is usually around 11 PM during the summer months, meaning that there will still be enough daylight for you to admire the Patagonian steppe with its guanacos and snow-peaked, mountainous horizon once you arrive.

Los Cuernos – Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

We will begin our trek with a pleasant walk along the sinuous Cuernos Trail, which meanders beside the beautiful Lake Nordenskjold. During this warm-up walk, we will have the opportunity to admire the park’s exquisite flora and fauna as we enjoy the magnificent views of the park’s central lakes and the Paine’s Horns—majestic, black, horn-like peaks of slate atop gray granite, which crown the center of the Massif. The trek ends at Refugio Los Cuernos, a small mountain refuge located by the shores of Lake Nordenskjold. Alternatively, the trek ends at Domo el Francés, located between Cuernos and Italiano camping sites, with an amazing view of Lake Nordenskjöld. The evening will be free for relaxing and enjoying dinner.

Prior to departing for the trek, you will be asked to remove your luggage from your dome accommodations since you will not be returning to basecamp until day 4. Luggage will be stored inside the secure storage dome and will be placed inside a new dome upon your return.

Hiking miles: 7.5 / ~5 hours
Total elevation gain: 1,000 ft; Loss: 1,118 ft.
Highest point: 800 ft.

The Paine Massif’s Heart: Valle Frances

After breakfast at the refugio, we will begin the challenging trek to Valle Francés (French Valley), along a steep trail that leads to the very heart of the Paine Massif. How far we go depends on our group’s trekking rhythm. A swifter walk will lead us to the hanging bridge over the French River, located at the foot of the southeast face of the Massif, where we will be treated to fantastic views of the valley. We will then continue to ascend towards the upper section of the valley where we will marvel at the extensive mass of the valley’s geological formations: Hoja (Blade), Máscara (Mask), Espada (Sword), Catedral (Cathedral), Aleta de Tiburón (Shark’s Fin), and the magnificent Fortaleza (Fortress).

After our upward trek, we will pause for a picnic and relax a while. This day’s trek will end as we descend through an undulating terrain of mixed grassland and light forest which will take us to Paine Grande Refugio.

Hiking Miles: 16 / ~10 hours
Total elevation gain: 2,778 ft; Loss: 2,893 ft.
Highest point: 2,250 ft.

Grey Glacier and Lake Pehoe

Today we’ll hike from Paine Grande Refugio, along the shores of Lake Pehoe, to the northern side of the beautiful, glacial Lake Grey. We will feast on a picnic lunch before boarding a boat that sails right to the huge, crystalline facade of Grey Glacier, where we will have plenty of time to marvel at the calving glacier. From the southern end of Grey Glacier, we will transfer back to basecamp. 

Due to the temperamental weather of the region, boat trips across the lake may occasionally be restricted during Shoulder Season (October and April) or canceled if the required minimum of 10 passengers is not reached. If either is the case, we will trek up to the sightseeing point and enjoy panoramic views of the glacier instead. Then we will return on foot to Paine Grande and take a catamaran to Pudeto’s dock, where we will be picked up and driven back to the basecamp.

Hiking Miles: 7 / ~4 hours.
Total elevation gain: 1161 ft; Loss: 1,158 ft.
Highest point: 800 ft.

The Big Challenge: Torres del Paine

The goal of our fifth day of our 7-day Trek will be to complete the most famous trekking trail in Torres del Paine National Park! We will walk from the basecamp towards Hostería Las Torres before ascending to Ascencio Valley on the Tower’s eastern face. Mountain ridges, beech forests, and small rivers line the scenic walk toward the valley. Our big challenge will come in the form of the steep moraine, a huge mass of boulders that will lead us to that iconic base-view of the Towers—three gigantic, granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by the forces of glacial ice. After a tough uphill climb, the Towers will eventually come into full view, rising majestically before us, with the glacial lake visible below. Is there any better place in the world to have lunch? After feasting on the view and our picnic, we’ll backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to basecamp for a well-deserved dinner.

Hiking Miles: 14 / ~9 hours.
Total elevation gain: 3,608 ft.; Loss: 3,608 ft.
Highest point: 3,000 ft.

The Eastern Lakes

This day consists of a less strenuous trail in order to counter the exhausting efforts of the previous day. After breakfast, we will take a leisurely car journey towards Laguna Azul, passing Cañadón Macho—home to many wild guanacos and ñandúes. We will pause occasionally to admire the views of the Patagonian steppe and the towers from a different perspective. At Laguna Azul, we will hike to the lookout point, where we will be treated to a gorgeous view of both the lagoon and granite towers. (Depending on group interest, cycling to Laguna Azul may be an option.)

After lunch, we will drive to the northern shore of Sarmiento Lake where the Fauna Trail begins. As we hike northbound, we will spot an impressive range of Patagonian fauna on the vast plains, including guanacos, ostrich-like ñandús, and maybe the occasional puma print! We will pass the charming Goic lagoon and, after approximately 3 miles of relaxed walking, we will reach the Laguna Amarga Ranger Station, where we will be picked up and driven back to basecamp to celebrate over our farewell dinner.

Hiking Miles: 4 / ~3 hours.
Highest point: 590 ft.

Adiós Torres del Paine!

After another hearty breakfast, we’ll take a scenic ride back to Puerto Natales and on to Punta Arenas. The included transfer arrives at the Punta Arenas Airport at approximately 1:30 PM, in time to catch flights departing later in the afternoon.