Sports and leisure activities Parque Nacional Torres Del Paine

The W, which is the most famous and popular trek, consists of following the valley that leads to the foot of the Torres, then the Valle del Francés and finally along the Grey Lake towards the glacier of the same name and then back to the park administration... or vice versa. The west-east direction (i.e. from the park administration) is easier: the walk along the Grey Lake is much less strenuous than the one along the Valle del Francés, which is itself less difficult than the one to the viewpoint of Les Torres. However, we prefer the panoramas in an east-west direction, except perhaps for the views of the Cuernos on the last day. The W circuit can be completed in four days for good walkers, five days for regular walkers who want to enjoy the joy of early mornings in nature.

On the first day, from the hotel Las Torres, you can climb up to the camp Las Torres in about 3 hours 30; another 30 to 45 minutes are needed to reach the lagoon and the Torres. That said, you can climb up and down the same day; it is much more convenient. Don't think that the campsites at the top are necessarily less crowded than those at the bottom: many nice hikers will have exactly the same idea as you and, by running away from the crowd, you might find it again.

On the second day, you reach the Los Cuernos camp and hut, or even the Italiano camp. The first one is paying, the second one is free.

On the third day, we visit the Valle del Francés, a marvel. Leave your things at the Italiano camp, climb to the top and come back down to sleep in the same place. That said, if you slept the first night at the Las Torres hotel campsite, you had time to get to the Italiano campground in the early afternoon the night before and visit the valley until sunset. Lovers of wide open spaces and solitude will sleep at the Británico campground.

On the fourth day, you can go to the Grey hut and campground, superbly located on the lakefront, and especially convenient in terms of timing. It takes about 5 hours to walk from the Italiano camp via the Cerro Paine Lodge. Walk around the glacier in the afternoon.

On the fifth day, return to Paine Grande Lodge, and cross to Puedeto hut with the catamaran, or walk to the administration. Don't forget the bus return times: if you plan to walk to the administration, leave early from the Grey campsite and don't spare your efforts.

To make the Circuit O (Circuito), it is necessary to count at least 7 days and consider the possibility of being blocked by bad weather at the John Garner paso. The circuit, more strenuous and longer than Circuit W, consists of starting from the Laguna Amarga station (for example, but you can start in the opposite direction, from the administration or from Cerro Paine Lodge), going around the massif and coming back along the Grey Glacier to the Pehoe sector. It is of course recommended to combine this circuit with the W, in order to get to know the superb Valle del Francés and the ascent to the belvedere on Les Torres. You never get tired of the show, nature becomes mesmerizing very quickly! Here is the program:

The first day: from the entrance, go to the hotel Las Torres (count between 1 to 1 hour 30 of walk, but there are paying shuttles). Turn right (a sign indicates the direction) and you will arrive in about 4 hours (3 hours for good walkers) at the Serón campsite, where you can spend the first night. It is also possible to continue to the Dickson campsite, but it will take about 9 to 13 hours to walk from the entrance to the Laguna Amarga (a little less or... a little more, depending on your pace). It's up to you... From the Las Torres hut, next to the hotel of the same name, it takes between 8 and 12 hours to walk to the Dickson hut. The sooner you leave, the better.

On the second day, you will leave the banks of the Paine River and turn left at Campamento Coirón, then at the Dickson hut and campsite, which can be reached in about 6 hours of walking. You can spend the night there or continue for 4.5 hours to the Los Perros refuge and campsite (but be advised: you will have to prepare for a very long day). Paying or not camping there, incredible panorama of glaciers and waterfalls. If you have walked to Dickson on the first day, we advise you to take a moment to discover the surroundings, sublime at dawn, and to spend the night in any case at the Los Perros hut: the ascent to the paso Garner is complicated and it is better to start it in the morning, well rested.

On the third day, you will tackle the most difficult part, the one that leads along the río de los Perros to the campamento Paso, 9 or 10 hours away from the Dickson campground and 5 hours from the Los Perros campsite. We have to admit that the weather is usually bad in the area and the path is a bit tricky. Don't get involved if, in the early morning, you notice that the weather is really "rotten": you might regret it. You might as well wait in Los Perros. Moreover, the panorama on the glacier, when you've finished your ascent (because it's quite steep, especially in this direction), is Dantesque when the sun is shining. To sum up, we recommend sleeping the second night in Los Perros, whether you slept in Dickson or Serón the night before. It should be noted that the Paso camp has recently been improved and now has a shelter and a cooking area. If you are not dead tired, you may have time to reach the Las Guardas camp, 3 hours 30 minutes away. But it's a bit rough on the legs! This last campsite is free and has a cooking shelter and toilets.

On the fourth day, you will walk along the eastern side of the glacier. It will take you about 5 hours of walking to reach the Grey hut and campsite from Campamento Paso (about 2 hours from Las Guardas). Enjoy the long walk as close as possible to the glacier.

On the fifth day there are several options. First of all, you have the possibility to take the boat to approach the glacier and finish at the hostería Lago Grey (departures take place every day). You can also decide to continue to Cerro Paine Lodge (a 3.5 hour walk) and sail to the Pudeto hut (to catch the bus). Finally, for those who would like to prolong the pleasures of walking, you can hike along the Grey River (4 hours 30 of walking) to the administration (to catch the bus as well).

If you are still hungry for wonders, continue your trek by circuit W. Roughly speaking, sleep at the Italiano camp (which is free), visit the Francés valley on the sixth day, then spend the night at the Los Cuernos campsite and refuge and, on the seventh, reach the area of the Las Torres hotel (about 4 hours and 30 minutes walk). If you have enough strength, you can climb up to the free camp Las Torres (3 more hours) to visit the lagoon and the Torres at sunset (camping) and, on the eighth day, you will go down to the Laguna Amarga. Take the bus back in the morning to Puerto Natales which you can leave in the afternoon.

Of course, this route is not exhaustive and depends on the weather conditions, your physical condition and a whole host of elements that make walking so attractive. It is important to note that this trek, although increasingly popular, is still much less busy than the W circuit. You should therefore expect to be alone, sometimes for several hours at least, and therefore arm yourself accordingly with all the equipment that might be necessary (medication, water, food, etc.).