Torres del Paine
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Average Heigh: 600 mts Max Elevation: 1.200 mts
The Torres del Paine National Park is one of the most incredible trekking and hiking places in the world. With near 2.400 km, it was declared a Biosphere reserve by Unesco.
This National Park has and incredible Flora and Fauna, such as Guanaco, Condor and Puma, and incredible Nothafagus forests, everything surrrounded by Granit Mountains.
Day 1: You arrive from Puerto Natales by bus to the entrance to the park, where some officials Conaf (National Forestry Corporation) will give the instructions of the park and then move on to register and pay the respective entry to the park. Completed the formalities of entry, some people will offer the service of transportation to the camp Las Torres, place where the circuit begins.
Day 2: Camp Las Torres - The Lookout Towers - The Towers Camp
You get up, prepare backpacks for the day and head toward the famous Torres del Paine. The trail starts on a plateau, to reach a suspension bridge, one can see that the road will not be easy. Followed by the bridge starts rising, it seems eternal and you can meet many people. The trails arrives at the camp Chileno. The Valley here is beautiful. It has a gentle but icy breeze.. The road becomes increasingly difficult with more obstacles and dangerous. The trails continues to the camp Torres, the road climbs more until the trail goes left and seetp to the Camp Torres. We see the Peineta, the Central Tower, the Tower Monzino, Dágostini Torre, the Cerro nest of Condors, etc. All those hills that make this park one of the 10 most beautiful on earth. After this, you can have a branch in this place before going back to your “Base Camp”.
Day 3: Camp Las Torres-Camp coiron
You must get up and prepare everything needed for the next few days and we start heading to Camp coiron (heading in a north east direction). This is a part of the trail with a sharp slope and dry, the sun is killer, but everything is arranged to arrive at a beautiful forest trail that is well marked. After 2 hours, we're in a little transition from one valley to another, a nice place, no doubt an excuse to eat and keep hydrated before. After another hour we are in the camp Serón, a plateau that is worthwhile only if you can not keep walking until coiron. Lunch and continue. After an hour we are next to a small but beautiful lake, another excuse to stop and swim, and we continue to recover forces. Finally, we're at Camp coiron. We are surprised sometimes about the number of mosquitoes there, the site offers nothing special, we eat and go to bed early.
Day 4: Camp coiron. - Camp Refugio Dickson
We are with the backpacks and made ready to leave. We're on a hill, from there you can see the camp, we have an incredible view, and the go to prepare camp and a lady charging us the value of the site. After a longer lunch we went to the beach where we spent the rest of the day
Day 5: Camp Refugio Dickson - The Camp Dogs
We left Dickson to enter into a huge forest cold but, after 3 hours of hiking we face a spectacular suspension bridge. The we arrive to Camp The dogs, we install our tents and soon take a time to see the value of the place, followed by a good shower. Now clean and have lunch, we are preparing to spend the rest of the day next to the glacier The dogs, that is next to our camp. After this, we go back to our tent and we go to bed, to get ready to the unforgettable next day.
Day 6: The Dogs Camp - Camp El Paso
Backpack should start very early because there is a kind of swamp or vegas which is very slow progress, gaiters are recommended. We spent the plains and we can see that it will not be easy, we see a huge rise with a slope amazing, but there is no turning back. We take a breath and continue. After 2 o 3 hours, you have little to reach the top, we can see at a time when all that fatigue is replaced by a single view with a huge tongue of ice, the famous Southern Ice Field. After the photos, you begin going downhill, be careful here. We have to take it easy, passing through an ancient forest. We arrived at the camp, which commonly is difficult to get a place to camp because this is very kid and usually is full.
Day 7: Camp El Paso - Refugee Camp Gray
We got up for breakfast on our penultimate day in this wonderful circuit. Once ready to quit, the path goes along this endless tongue of ice, we passed the camp guards and down to Gray. After 5 o 7 hours, we are in Gray, to prepare the camp on the beach and went to spend the rest of the day in this magnificent Glacier.
Day 8: Refugee Camp Gray - Refugee Camp Pehoe
We get up to camp and head to the final leg of our adventure, we went through a transition of valleys which was incredibly contrasting, on one hand the lake Gray and the other by the lake Nordenskjold After 4 to 6 hours, we have reached Pehoe, you in high season may find incredible the number of tents there. This is the place to take the boat to cross the lake and begin the end of this wonderful trekking.
Acces: There are many alternative buses from Puerto Natales to go trekking Torres del Paine, the main town near Torres del Paine National Park. Also you may reach this place directly from Punta Arenas, the biggest big city near the Park (here is where airlines arrive).
Equipment: Tents and sleeping-back, something for rain (quite common), some clothes for cold due the trails goes crosses a very high and sometimes cold area (El Paso), where you may have snow. Something for the wind is also very necessary due you have many places with strong wind. Also is recommended to take Tape in case you have blisters. Even you can be proactive and put some tape before your socks on those places you may have blisters. (this is very common). Be also aware to take Sun-Block and something to protect from sun because at this latitude, due the ozone whole, is very dangerous.
To make this full trip is better from September to April (sometimes in January and February can be very crowded). Nevertheless, you may come to the Park also in winter but is very cold and you may have too much snow to make this circuit.
Water presence: All the circuit of Torres del Paine National Park is full of pristine rivers and lakes, so you won’t have problems regarding water presence.
Risks: Be careful and strict in not making fire, this park was already on fired some years ago because of this. Also, be careful in “El Paso” trail because you may have snowstorms, always ask local guides or Park Guards before making this cross. Also if you have never done Trekking we suggest to chek out this trekking tips. And remember: leave no trace.