A guidebook to 8 walking and trekking routes in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park and Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park. Exploring the beautiful scenery of Patagonia, the routes are suitable for trekkers with some experience.

The routes are presented as 4 multi-day treks, ranging from 3 to 11 days in length, and 4 shorter day walks. The 10-day, 141km (88 mile) Torres del Paine circuit (or ‘O’) and 5-day, 71km (44 mile) half circuit (or ‘W’) are detailed with side trips to the ‘towers’ and the Valle Francés. A 4-day, 39km (24 mile) trek in the Cerro Fitz Roy area of Los Glaciares National Park is also described.

• Sketch maps included for each walk
• Detailed information on accommodation and facilities
• Advice on planning and preparation
• Highlights include excursions from Puerto Natales and El Calafate

Map key

Overview map

Torres del Paine National Park

Location of routes

Introduction

Geography and geology

Climate

Wildlife and plants

History and culture

Early exploration and mountaineering

Getting to Chile

Transport within Chile

Agencies and tour operators

Visas and arrival

Accommodation

Language

Food and drink

Money and costs

Keeping in touch

Safety

About this guide

Trekking in Torres del Paine National Park

Refugios, campsites and hotels

Booking ahead

Transport to and around the park

Maps

Equipment

Low-impact trekking

What to do in an emergency

Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

Walk 1 Torres del Paine circuit (the ‘O’)

Stage 1 Refugio Paine Grande–Campamento Italiano

Stage 2 Campamento Italiano–Valle Francés (return)

Stage 3 Campamento Italiano–Refugio Las Torres

Stage 4 Refugio Las Torres–El Chileno

Stage 5 El Chileno–Mirador Las Torres (return)

Stage 6 El Chileno–Campamento Japonés (return)

Stage 7 El Chileno–Refugio Las Torres

Stage 8 Refugio Las Torres–Campamento Serón

Stage 9 Campamento Serón–Refugio Dickson

Stage 10 Refugio Dickson–Campamento Los Perros

Stage 11 Campamento Los Perros–Campamento Paso

Stage 12 Campamento Paso–Refugio Grey

Stage 13 Refugio Grey–Refugio Paine Grande

Stage 14 Refugio Paine Grande–CONAF Administración (the ‘Q’, optional)

Walk 2 Torres del Paine Half-Circuit (the ‘W’)

Stage 1 Refugio Las Torres–Mirador Las Torres (return)

Stage 2 Refugio Las Torres–Campamento Italiano

Stage 3 Campamento Italiano–Valle Francés (return)

Stage 4 Campamento Italiano–Refugio Grey

Stage 5 Refugio Grey–Refugio Paine Grande

Walk 3 Salto Grande and Mirador Los Cuernos

Walk 4 Puente Weber

Walk 5 Mirador Lago Toro and Laguna Verde

Walk 6 Mirador Cóndor

Walk 7 Río Pingo and Mirador Zapata

Stage 1 Guardería Lago Grey–Campamento Zapata

Stage 2 Campamento Zapata–Mirador Zapata (return)

Stage 3 Campamento Zapata–Guardería Lago Grey

Other walks within the national park

Laguna Amarga–Portería Sarmiento

Laguna Azul and trail to Lago Dickson

Excursions from Puerto Natales

Excursion 1 Cueva del Milodón

Excursion 2 Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers (Bernardo O’Higgins National Park)

Excursion 3 Sierra Baguales

Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina

Excursion from El Calafate

Excursion 4 Perito Moreno glacier

Walk 8 Cerro Fitz Roy (El Chaltén) and Cerro Torre

Stage 1 El Chaltén–Campamento Agostini

Stage 2 Campamento Agostini–Campamento Poincenot

Stage 3 Campamento Poincenot–Laguna de los Tres (return)

Stage 4 Campamento Poincenot–Laguna Piedas Blancas (return)

Stage 5 Campamento Poincenot–El Chaltén

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Gateway towns and cities

Appendix C Accommodation within Torres del Paine National Park

Appendix D Language notes and glossary

Appendix E Contacts and online resources

Appendix F Further reading

Seasons

December-April. January-February is high season, when most visitors arrive, so can be a little crowded. Overall, March is best.

Centres

Puerto Natales is the gateway to Torres del Paine, and also the base for short trips to the Balmaceda Glacier and Sierra Baguales. There are multiple bases in the national park itself.

Difficulty

No technical difficulties, but the Torres del Paine Circuit is a long and, at times, remote undertaking from which there is no convenient exit point half way through. Sudden changes in weather, gale force winds and torrential rain can turn it into a far more difficult undertaking.

Must See

The magnificent granite spires of the towers (Torres), and distinctive, banded form of the horns (Cuernos); vast glaciers (Grey, Tyndall and Dickson) spilling out from the largest sheet of ice in the southern hemisphere outside Antarctica; unspoilt southern beech (or lenga) forest; rich and varied animal and birdlife; remote valleys and immense, cloud-streaked skies.

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