Trekking Torres Del Paine

The Park

Rising 2800m above the Patagonian steppe, the Torres Del Paine (Towers of Paine) are spectacular granite pillars that dominate the landscape of what is considered by many to be South America´s finest national park, Parque National Torres Del Paine (181,000 hectares). These towers are the are the famous Patagonian mountains that you see on book covers all the world over. For hikers and trekkers, TDP is an unequaled destination because the park is not just mountains.... Trails meander through emerald forests, alongside roaring rivers, past radiant blue glaciers, azure lakes, and wind up and up to jaw dropping lookouts. You can hike the steppe across muddy swamp and jump to your campsite over fast flowing streams. It offers not one, but five completely different landscapes in one trek and it is spectacular for that alone.

Our Trek - Day One

Depart: Hosteria Los Torres 4pm
Arrive: Cmpamento Torres 7:30pm
Distance: 10.5km
Difficulty: Moderate
Max Temp: 12
Description: The trek began by rising along the treeless tarn of the small canyon forged by Rio Ascencio and finished by weaving and meandering through deep green forests of lenga. We camped in a gorgeous crook of a crystal clear rock river.
Feelings: We were excited. Oh lord, so very very excited. Unpacking Doug and Dot and getting out our backpacks for the first time since Peru, you could just feel the buzz. Snap snap snap went the camera. And off we went! And boy did we go! 10.5km in just over 3 hours - with completely full backpacks. !Wowsers!

Our Trek - Day Two

Depart: Campamento Torres 5am
Arrive: Torres Del Paine Lookout 5:45am (for sunrise)
Distance: 1km
Difficulty: Ouch!
Description: A muscle burning scramble in the wee hours of the morning over huge bolders and glacier rubble following a trail marked only by orange dots.
Feelings: The lookout is the closest view of the famous towers you can get! And at sunrise....its certainly once-in-a-lifetime amazing if a lil on brisk side (bbbbrrrrrrrrr)!

Depart: Campamento Torres 8am
Arrive: Campamento Italiano 7pm
Distance: 27km
Difficulty: Seriously difficult
Max Temp: 14
Wind: 50km/hr
Description: We began by returning 7km along the trail from whence we came until a sharp veer southwest brought us onto the steppe trail running alongside a gorgeous lake of blue, Lago Nordenskjold. Behind us Mount Almirante Niete loomed and in front of us Valley Frances awaited. We camped beside a raging white river (Rio del France) amongst green valley forest and fell into bed absolutely completely exhausted at 9pm. And neither of us cared an ounce that it was New Years Eve.
Feelings: We walked and walked and walked. And then we walked some more! My most vivid memory of the day is counting my steps up hills in an effort to block out the effort. My best memory of the day is resting on a wooden bench eating salty nuts in a 45 minute break we took. For beginner trekkers, perhaps we were a wee bit over adventurous, si!?!??!

Our Trek - Day Three

Depart: Campamento Italiano 10am
Arrive: Valley Frances Lookout 1pm
Distance: 12km return
Description: Trekking further into Valley Frances, alongside the power of Rio Frances, the dramatic glacier scenery loomed on the right above us as we walked. After forests and white water, the final steep climb to the rocky Frances lookout provided an equally spectacular scene - a massive stadium of glaciers and mountains.
Feelings: The first hour was the hardest of the whole trek for me. I could have cried from exhaustion. But after reaching the lookout, it was as though the trekking gods turned and smiled...and we chatted happily on the slow return trek from the lookout and we were captivated trying to spot bits falling of the glacier at lunch. Ahhhhhh and my trekking yay returned!

Depart: Campamento Italiano 3pm
Arrive: Refugio Lago Pehoe 6:30pm
Distance: 9km
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Max Temp: 14
Wind: 50km/hr
Description: A rolling track between grassed over moraine mounds of dry notro bushes and wild flowers. Beginning south along the edge Lago Skottsberg the trek turns west around a headland and ends with at a campsite right next to the pristine blue waters of the windy Lago Pehoe.
Feelings: Just a truly nice, enjoyable walk. Best bit: scouting out and successfully crossing a deep and fast flowing river using only jumping rocks!

Our Trek - Day Four

Depart: Refugio Lago Pehoe 10am
Arrive: Glacier Grey Lookout 1pm
Distance: 22km
Difficulty: Medium
Max Temp: 15
Wind: 70km/hr
Feelings: The best most wonderful day of trekking! Perhaps because it was the last. Perhaps because our bodies and brains had finally got used to the trekking. Whatever it was...the walk along the windy cliff edge of Lago Grey was ever changing and always pleasing. Dry grass, colourful wild flowers, scrubby bush, and wet forest. Lake dotted with ice to the left. Vertical craggy mountain peaks to the right. We lunched alone no more than a couple of hundred metres from Glacier Grey. Can you ask for more from one park in one day!?!??!

Our Trek

TDP truly is spectacular. The landscape variations alone are something to marvel over. Every trek something is new, every lookout something to treasure. The most wonderful part of the trek was being able to drink the crystal clear stream water. The most suprising part of the trek was the lack of wildlife.
We completed the ´W´trek of TDP in 3 days and 3 hours, all the while carrying our home, our beds, our food and our clothes. Most people do it in 5 or 6 days. And whilst, I can not remember a time previous that I have ever felt so completely and continuously physically exhausted, I am super proud of my achievement!