Trekking in Torres del Paine: our ultimate guide

Even before I set off on a round-the-world trip, I had placed the complete Torres del Paine circuit at the very top of my to-do list. I only needed to see one picture of these giant granite towers during our preparations to be convinced… I had to be able to admire this with my own eyes! And frankly, the show was well up to my expectations.

But as you were told in our trekking story (read it here), not everything went exactly as planned. The very changing weather conditions in the park make hiking more difficult than it appears on paper. As a result, it is better to leave with full knowledge of the facts and be prepared for all eventualities. So I have prepared some kind of instructions for you to prepare the best your trekking adventure in the Torres del Paine National Park.

Table of contents Torres del Paine

1. Should you do the W trek or the full circuit
2. In Autonomy or in refuges ?
3. Highlights of Torres del Paine
4. The weather in Torres del Paine
5. Trekking Equipement you should have
6. How to plan your food?
7. Campings and Refuges
8. Transports to and in the park
9. Conclusion

The W trek or the complete circuit?

The first question that everyone asks themselves before doing Tores del Paine is: “Do I do the W or the O circuit? ”. So although these are the 2 “classic tours”, you don’t have to do either!

You can quite simply go to see the Tours and return to Puerto Natales or simply admire the Grey Glacier. But already while doing the W, you can admire all the main attractions of the national park and if you let yourself be tempted by the complete circuit, you will see even the most remote corners. (You can download below a very detailed map of the plot in full resolution by clicking on the image)

The W trek in Torres del Paine

This classic of the Patagonian classics is realized in 4 – 5 days for a distance of 76kms. You can either start the hike from the “Hosteria las Torres” or on the other side from the “Paine Grande” refuge. So to determine the direction in which you will go on the trek, there is a simple rule: If the weather looks good on the 1st day, start directly at the “Hosteria las Torres” to go up to see the famous tours because you may not have twice that chance.

As I will explain below, the weather in the park is very “complicated” and you have to enjoy the good weather when it is there ;). And if the weather is mixed, simply take the catamaran to “Paine Grande” hoping that the sun will be out 4 days later;).

As far as the stages are concerned, it’s actually quite simple…. But you can still sleep at the Torres and Italian campsites which are free (but I’ll talk about the campsites below). Of course, don’t miss the “torres del paine” (the three granite towers) but also the “French Valley” and the impressive Grey Glacier.

The complete circuit, the O

The Torres del Paine circuit is actually a loop that includes the W trek plus a whole section that goes around the whole mountain range from behind to return to the starting point (about 150kms). It takes a minimum of 8 – 10 days (or more) to complete the loop and be flexible. The thing is that with the weather, you may have to shorten a day or be stuck before the “Paso John Gardner” (which was our case) which is sometimes closed.

It is therefore better to have a few days extra just in case. The direction in which you do the loop doesn’t matter but just like the W, if the weather is fine on the first day, start by going to see the towers! Alternatively, you can start directly from the “Amarga Laguna” to the Seron camp and hope to have something beautiful at the end of the trek. As far as the steps are concerned, it is quite obvious from the map provided above. It is possible to save one or two days by doing big steps but it is difficult to get out of it in less than 8 days in all.

Torres del Paine Park: in autonomy or in a refuge?

The W trek can be done without camping and by sleeping only in refuges. For the full tour, you will need to camp for at least one night. But as you can imagine, going on these hikes without camping or carrying your food has a price. If you do not want to carry your equipment, all campsites also rent tents, sleeping bags, mattresses. But if you rent all the equipment, it will be as expensive as a dormitory bed ;).

The same goes for food! You will find some food in the small shops of the refuges, but the prices are 3 – 4 times more expensive than in Puerto Natales…

Thus, If you want to gain a few pounds in your backpack, you will have to put the price on it 😉

Camping and torres del Paine refuges

This section was added in November 2019 and the prices indicated below are those in effect for the 2019-2020 season. (We will try to keep this up to date in the future).

Important note: many agencies have put themselves on the “it’s complicated to book” slot and offer “packages” with all the accommodation for the hikes. If you want our humble opinion, the vast majority of these agencies have completely fallen apart and are asking for huge sums of money. Organizing it solo and booking each accommodation individually on the official website takes a little time, but it will save you a LOT of money.

There are 3 types of Camping – refuges in Torres del Paine:

Camping and refuges in the private area (in purple on the map):

They are managed by the company Fantastico Sur and are more expensive than the others. The campsites  as well (chileno, cuernos and seron). The price of food in shops and restaurants is also higher than elsewhere. On the other hand, the infrastructure is great. There are hot showers, tables, cooking shelters… nothing to complain about on that side.

Fantastico Sur the prices:

• 21 USD per person for the use of the campsite
• 49 USD per person to camp by renting the tent, mattress and sleeping bag
• 116 USD per person for one night in a dormitory (5 USD discount if you bring your sleeping bag… but this must be announced at the time of booking)
• 180 USD per person for a private cabin (based on 2 people) in the Cuernos area.
• Meals: 80 USD for full board (3 meals) or 57 USD for half board (dinner and breakfast)

The Fantastico Sur Homepage

Vertice Patagonia campsites and refuges (in yellow on the map):

The Vertice Patagonia network, These are the refuges – camping Dickson, Paine Grande and Grey. They are cheaper than the Fantastico Sur but just as well equipped. In addition, food shops are much better in these 3 refuges than in the others (especially the one in Paine Grande which even has vegetables 😉 ). A small special mention for the Grey refuge where we spent Christmas and which is really great…. They have a beautiful common room with a bar where you can enjoy a nice beer after your trekking day… very nice!

At Vertice, prices vary according to the refuges:

Paine Grande:

• 11 USD per person for camping (no equipment included)
• 56 USD per person for the campsite (with rental of all equipment, based on 2 people)
• 57 USD per person for the dormitory (with its own sleeping bag)
• Meals: 27 USD for dinner, 17 USD for breakfast, 19 USD for lunch (picnic), 57 USD for full board

Grey:

• 9 USD per person for camping (no equipment included)
• 54 USD per person for the campsite (with rental of all equipment, based on 2 people)
• 37 USD per person for the dormitory (with its own sleeping bag)
• 87 USD per person for a bed with sheets
• Meals: 27 USD for dinner, 17 USD for breakfast, 19 USD for lunch (picnic), 57 USD for full board

Dickson / Los Perros:

• 9 USD per person for camping (no equipment included)
• 54 USD per person for the campsite (with rental of all equipment, based on 2 people)
• 37 USD per person for the dormitory (with its own sleeping bag)
• Meals: 27 USD for dinner, 17 USD for breakfast, 19 USD for lunch (picnic), 57 USD for full board

Free campsites (in red on the map):

Other campsites such as Paso or Italiano are managed by CONAF. They are free of charge but you can only stay there for one night (officially). The infrastructures are basic (no hot water, very small space to cook) but as it is free we are not going to complain, are we? On our side, we stayed in these campsites as soon as we could.

Attention: it is imperative to book your night there even if it is free!

the official website to book

Note: by writing this section in mid-November 2019 I see that everything is already full for the 2019-2020 season… It’s crazy if you ask me!

The highlights on the circuit

So in our opinion, you shouldn’t miss out on any of the following:

The mirrador de las torres

This is THE viewpoint to admire the towers! It is 45 minutes above the “las torres” camp and it is really a must see. We went there once in the evening and once at daybreak (it is at daybreak that the lights are the most beautiful)… Unfortunately for us, we didn’t have a sunrise that morning because of the weather but we had already had the chance to see them in the evening. And believe us, it’s already not bad ;)…

The Cuernos del Paine

To my taste, it is the most impressive mountain in the whole massif with its two different rock colours…. Indeed, the peaks of the “cuernos” are almost black while the rest of the mountain is light grey. The contrast is simply stunning. The “cuernos del paine” can be admired from the “los cuernos” refuge or up the French valley.

The British mirrador

This is the spectacular viewpoint at the end of the French valley. We have the impression to be in an amphitheatre of granite peaks all more impressive than the others… not to be missed under any circumstance!

Glacier Grey

This gigantic piece of glacier will leave you speechless. There is a nice mirrador between Paine Grande and Grey Hut but in our opinion, the best place to admire the glacier is 4km after Grey Hut towards John Gardner Pass. If you decide to do the full tour, you will necessarily go through it but even if you do the W, it is a small detour of 8kms that is well worth it.

John Gardner Pass

Unfortunately we couldn’t cross the pass because it was closed, but it seems that if the weather is clear, it is the ultimate viewpoint to admire the Grey Glacier and the surrounding mountains… We’ll save it for next time 😉

The Dickson refuge

Located at the other end of the park, this refuge is a real haven of peace. The view of the surrounding mountains, Dickson Lake and Paine River is simply magical… When we were there, we were even treated with some snow that only made the landscape more beautiful.

The view over the whole Paine massif from the catamaran

So that, my friends, was our icing on the cake. For our last day in the park, the weather was really gloomy but once again, everything magically cleared up when we were on board the catamaran on Lake Pehoe. For me, simply one of the most beautiful panoramas I have ever seen in my life 😉

Weather in Torres del Paine

The main enemy

So what is certain is that I have never seen such unstable weather conditions before as in Torres del Paine. On our 10 days in the park we had absolutely everything except the hail ;)… Imagine, in 10 days we had temperatures that varied between -5°C and +20°C, we had a lot of rain, snow, a lot of wind (up to more than 100km/h) and still a little sun… Crazy, isn’t it????

That’s why I’m telling you that the main difficulty of this trek is the weather! The elevation changes on the W or even the circuit are not huge. You should never climb more than 500-600m in the same day (except for the John Gardner 800m paso) and the trails are in great condition. But over 8 – 10 days, the constant wind and rain (see snow) could gradually make you feel down. There is nothing worse than having to store the equipment every morning in the rain and having to hide in the wet tent in the evening….

The weather changes all the time

And don’t try to look at the weather forecast to leave in a good period. The weather changes almost every half hour (and according to a guide we met it is always like that). So, the best thing is not to look at the weather and just go well equipped and enjoy the days when the weather will be fine. For example, the night we went up to see the towers, it was snowing and as if by magic, when we arrived at the viewpoint, the clouds flew away to let us admire these fabulous granite columns… a magical moment!

Moral of the story: Never get discouraged because of the weather because it can change in 5 minutes… and as a guide told us, in Tores del Paine, “No hay mal tiempo, solo hay mala ropa” (there is no bad weather, only bad clothes)… hence the importance of the equipment…

Essential equipment for the trek

So I had already detailed the essential equipment for an autonomous trek recently. I am not going to rewrite the same thing but just to supplement or emphasize one or two things that are absolutely essential in Tores del Paine National Park.

Hiking poles

With the gusts of wind that will cause you to oscillate, you will need sticks to stabilize yourself…. In our opinion, this is even essential if you trek with all your gear on your back to reduce the load on your legs. See the king of hiking poles we use online

Hiking shoes

So we did the trek with trail running shoes (and that’s more than enough for the W) but if you plan to do the full tour, we would advise you to wear real moutain boots (and waterproof of course). The main reason is the famous John Gardner pass which is at an altitude of 1200m and which is often under the snow (in our case the pass was even closed with more than 40cm of fresh snow). In addition to shoes, you can also add gaiters to make sure your feet are dry.

Trekking Clothes for Torres del Paine

The theory of the 3 layers is still valid for the Torres del Paine National Park. But make sure that your outer layer is perfectly waterproof and windproof… You will need it! A leggins, a hat and a pair of gloves are also “must have”.

Another little tip: take with you a walking gear (which will always be the same, even if you go 10 days) and a sleeping gear. It is very important to have dry clothes to sleep in… to do this, a leggins, a small sweater and a pair of socks will do (the sleeping bag should be enough to keep you warm). And if the idea of walking for 10 days with the same clothes disgusts you, tell yourself that you can clean your walking clothes from time to time in a river or at a campsite. With the wind, clothes dry very quickly. 😉

The Tent

You can already imagine the deal, the main problem of the tent is the wind. The best thing is to have a good quality tent and more or less aerodynamic ;)… But with gusts of more than 100km/h, even with a good tent, it is better to find a camping spot sheltered from the wind. A good part of the campsites have a space in the woods, protected from rain and wind. But these sites are crowded and in high season, you may not be able to find any. Try to get to the campsite not too late so you still have a little choice.

Information to plan your food for the trek in torres del Paine

As I mentioned above, it is better to buy everything you feel able to carry in Puerto Natales because the prices are so high in the park! We were told that food was 30 to 40% more expensive in the park but in fact it is actually 300 to 400% more expensive;). To give you an idea, a 400gr package of pasta costs 1500 pesos, the tomato sauce 1000 pesos, a can of tuna 2000 pesos or a pound of bread 5000 pesos.

If you don’t feel like carrying all the food (it can be scary if you go for the full tour 😉 ), you will find small shops at all the shelters that sell this kind of stuff (but it’s very basic!). On the other hand, at campsites without a refuge, it is generally not possible to buy food.

If you are not sure what to buy, choose foods that are simply prepared in boiling water (polenta, couscous, instant noodles, mashed potatoes) and garnish them with a few tinned meals (for the evening). For breakfast, we usually eat oats with powdered milk, sugar, cinnamon and dried fruit. It’s delicious and very nourishing. At lunchtime, we usually have bread or fajitas wraps filled with ham, cheese, tuna, avocado or other ingredients that are good for making sandwiches.

Note that it is also possible to have hot meals in the refuges but count about 25-30€ for an evening meal… Frankly, we paid this for Christmas but otherwise it’s not worth it…

Bus and catamarans

Note: Prices in this section are for 2014. I have not (yet) found a reliable update. If you can help us to update all this, your help is welcome! 🙂

There are an incredible number of buses that shuttle between Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine National Park. Frankly, just take the cheapest bus because it’s strictly the same. We found the best offer at Kaweskar backpackers for 10000 pesos per round trip (departure at 7h30 in the morning).

The bus will first stop at the entrance of the park (which costs 18,000 pesos) at the Amarga lagoon. From there, you can walk or take a bus to Las Torres (this is what you have to do if the weather is good 😉 ) or start the full tour by heading directly to Camping Seron. If you want to go to Paine Grande to do the W in the other direction, continue with the bus to Guarderia Pudeto to take the Catamaran which costs 15000 pesos/pers.

Conclusion

The Torres del Paine National Park is a little jewel to discover absolutely. But be aware that this is probably the most touristic place in Chile (with San Pedro de Atacama). You will by far not be alone on the hiking trails (even on the big loop) and the prices in the park are totally disproportionate. Bring everything you can carry from Puerto Natales and keep your money to pay for buses/catamarans, park entrance and campsites.

Otherwise, I will repeat it one last time, prepare yourself for bad weather conditions. The wind is the only constant in the national park and it can change from rain to sunny weather in a few minutes ;). To get an idea of the wind strength in the park, watch this short video.

We met elderly people and little kids who were walking in the park on those days… Honestly, we wouldn’t have wanted to be in their shoes!

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