For those looking for more of a challenge, the alternative treks in the park, the Q and the Circuit or O, are just the ticket. 2) the one from fantastico sur is located at the hotel las torres down in the valley – the free one is called campamento torres and is operated by CONAF, it is located only 40mins away from the highlight of the park, 3) I haven’t done that one but indeed there are companies who offer this. […] in the other Guides for the shorter W trail I’ll first explain the standard route and then give examples of longer & shorter […]. Additionally, how did you book your free campsites through CONAF? I will have an extra day either before or after the W. trek. Hiking boots would be better but for most parts of it you should be fine with your Nike if it isn’t raining ;), Hi Steve! Hi Steve! They are amazing and I cannot wait to get there next month. The W Trek in Torres del Paine is by far the most famous trek in Patagonia. The W in Torres del Paine is the perfect destination for the adventurous traveller. Please make sure to reserve all camping spots in advance as this trek is the most popular one and visitor numbers increased during the last 3 years. Especially curious on your methods of camping. The W stands for the shape of the route if you look at it from a bird’s eye perspective. Hi! 1) usually the space is always limited and it is a first come first serve base – in march you should be totally fine. Keep walking in the direction of Paso. at the time you want to do the W it shouldn’t be a problem as the high season is over by then. I have email these sources and it has been slow awaiting a response. Hi Steve. Bus Sur). The five-day W Trek through Torres Del Paine National Park is, perhaps, the most quintessential experience in the south of South America and a rite of passage for any avid hiker. Also the tour by car along the road offers some spectacular views. I have a few tips to share, but they unconventional…please feel free to delete my comments if you don’t want your readers using these tips. If you stay in Puerto Natales I’d highly recommend the full paine tour and the day hike to the Torres! Unlike the shorter W-Trek, the O-Trek can be worth 7 days of hiking. EcoDome - Torres Del Paine W Trek, Patagonia - 7 Days . ERRATIC ROCK is a hostal & travel advice/camping rental, etc.is outstanding. Fantastico Sur seems to be a criminal organisation judging by their prices. Local authorities should really do something about Fantastico Sur group though, as they have monopoly in the eastern part of the park and their outrageous prices really aren’t justified. Do I need to book buses in advance, or are there many buses that travel in between. Sure you can – make sure to consult the bus companies in Puerto Natales for the exact departure times! Enjoy! Visit South America and travel to Patagonia – a fascinating region in the far south of Chile and Argentina, rich in natural beauty, dramatic vistas and cosmopolitan cities oozing with passion and culture. is a map of the Star Trek setting, from their official Star Charts product. You write that there is no need to book? Thanks, Steve! We used this map everyday on our O Trek. Compared to a lot of lofty hiking destinations in South America, like the Andes and Cordillera Blanca in Peru, Patagonia is low altitude. we watched multiple people get turned away in November at every stop along the way. The name "W" comes from the formation of a perfect W with the coming together of the paths that surround the southern sector of Torres del Paine national park. The "W" Circuit in Torres del Paine is Patagonia’s most famous trek and often gets mentioned among the world’s top trails. My thoughts on this are to go sneaky as much as possible, wait for the trails to be closed (one couple did see a Puma on one of the trails at night), so you can claim fear of being eaten by a wild animal and that should keep you in your tent til morning. On the fantastico website, I can’t find the campsite for 8,500 pesos. Just back from a memorable experience on the “W”. An option to see the glacier would be a boat trip from Hotel Lago Grey (see my preparation guide), it is an expensive but wonderful day trip which brings you up close to the glacier itself (you can still do it afterwards). [click on map to enlarge]. This (southern hemisphere) fall I got the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do the Torres del Paine W trek in Chilean Patagonia with Chiletour Patagonia. thanks for pointing this out – I updated most of the information to keep the guides up to date! I think you recommend West to East route, do you have any suggestions on how I can make the best of the East to West route. The challenging trek we did was well worthwhile. EcoDome - Torres Del Paine W Trek, Patagonia - 5 Days. Also thanks for all the tips! Get up early, leave your stuff at the camp and just take a daypack to hike up to Paso (at 8:00 a.m.). Thanks so much!!! I have had a look at the Torres Del Paine Website in an attempt to book a campsite for each night but as yet I can’t seem to book. I am planning to go solo on January 2018. Because many of our guests choose to at least spend one night in Puerto Natales, we feature some of the most popular hotels in the area so you can continue to tailor your stay even further. My friend and I are doing the W in 4 days, and 3 nights December 11-14, 2016. Go back down to Italiano, grab your backpack and keep going to Los Cuernos (03:00 / 3:30 p.m.). 4) The W in 6 days, 5 nights (100 km, around 137.000 CLP) – not in 2018/19! After our day hike to Valle del Frances, we stayed at the brand new (Dec. 1, 2014) Refugio Frances, which is about 1 hour from Campo Italiano. The W vs The O: Comly and I opted to hike the W during our 5 days and 4 nights in Torres Del Paine, but you could do this trek in 4 days and 3 nights as well. If you are short on time but good in shape you can also do the whole ‘W' in one day less. Hike Chile and Argentina and experience Patagonia's pristine beauty in two exceptionally scenic parks with National Geographic Adventures. For the rest just follow my advice in the “How to Prepare for hiking Torres del Paine” guide which I linked to at the beginning of this article. No need for reservations at the campsites. The park refers you to two private sites neither of which indicate any availability so we can only hope that some of the reservations get cancelled or were pre booked on spec by tour companies. This book includes travel guides for each region of Chile with a strong focus on Patagonia and is designed to save you a lot of time & will make your trip much easier! After around 1-1,5hours you'll reach a former campsite (signs with “no camping”) with a lookout nearby (you can see a small path which leads to the platform, hard to find!) Sure – if you want to use the tents which are already setup at the spots you should always check with the company who is renting it. You have done an amazing job covering TDP here. Since I’m a newbie hiker/trekker, seems the biggest challenge will be the weather conditions and being prepared for that. This park is the most visited hiking area in all of Patagonia, and hoards of trekkers come here each season to experience the unbelievable natural beauty of this park. This is the perfect schedule for a relaxed time in the park starting with a nice boat trip and the Glacier Grey, finishing with the sunrise at the Torres in the morning of the last day. Hey Bella, first of all the W is not really a very tough hike..so you should be fine. I met a lady in my hostel who was doing the w at the same time as me. It’s not true. Hey – I just updated the prices and all Info on the main article. The whole trek will take around 3-4 hours so you'll arrive in the afternoon, can setup your tent (5.000 CLP) and have dinner. However, we were able to rest at both Campamento Cuernes and Refugio Chileno before arriving late at Campamento Torres. Thanks for sharing your experience, lisa. Although I have to say that the part from lago grey to paso camp is stunning, you can stop at mid point after the second bridge but the other part i think is worth it as you walk on the edge of the the mountain and not in the forrest. What is another activity I should do besides the W trek. Day 2: Glaciar Grey – Paine Grande (19 km, 6.000 CLP)Campsite at Paine Grande. Waking up at Campamento Italiano made the day hike to Valle del Frances way more enjoyable. The W Trek is a moderately difficult hike lasting around four to five days, covering 46 miles on mainly gentle terrain, with more challenging days involving climbs of 600-800 metres.You need to be in good shape, with some experience of multi-day hiking and prepared for extremely variable weather. Cool – thanks for coming back and sharing your experience! It can be done in 3 – 5 days depending on your time and on how you want to tackle the trail. The good thing about the way to Paso: you'll have great views to the Glacier and see a bit more of the massive southern icefield. Where do you stay then? You've done the W in Torres del Paine and with that around 100 km by foot. What our customers are saying in. Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia is the most famous hike in the entire region. I will be hiking the W trek during the last week of march. A problem as the other itineraries turn up in Natales and organize most of the W-Trek Paine the. 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