trekking guide book - Torres del Paine - Chile - South America

• Location
• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
• Maps
• Reviews
• Further Reading

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

Duration                 12 days for the route as described here (some of the stages can be combined into a single day), but longer if bad weather prevents a crossing of Paso 
                                John Gardner.
Distance                 140.5km
Start/finish              CONAF Administración (Lago Toro)/Refugio Paine Grande
Maps                        See sketch maps and the CONAF map given free when paying your entrance fee to the national park.
Transport                Take the bus from Puerto Natales to the CONAF Administración office on Lago Toro (the last stop). If you want to start from Refugio Paine Grande, get off
                                 the bus at Pudeto and take the catamaran from there; for Refugio Las Torres, get off the bus at Laguna Amarga and take the shuttle (or walk, see below) to
                                 Refugio Las Torres.
Accommodation     Huts are an option for most, but not all stages, otherwise there is a mixture of serviced/unserviced campsites. Camping is the only option at Stages 2/3
                                 (Campamento Italiano), Stages 5/6 (Campamento Torres), Stage 9 (Campamento Serón) and Stages 11/12 (Campamento Los Perros, Campamento Paso).
                                 Further accommodation options include EcoCamp Patagonia and Hotel Las Torres (Stage 4) and Posada Río Serrano (Stage 1). Meals are available from
                                 huts, whether you’re camping or staying in a room. Refugio Paine Grande is marked as Refugio Pehoé on some maps. See Appendix B for a full list of huts,
                                 campsites and other accommodation options.

The Torres del Paine Circuit, also known as the ‘O’, is a circular route through the national park, taking in many of its scenic highlights. An extended trek through remote, ever-changing and often spectacular mountain scenery, it is without doubt the finest walk in the park, and one of the world’s truly great treks. The route includes side trips to the ‘towers’ and the sublimely beautiful Valle Francés, and passes beneath the iconic Cuernos (‘horns’) del Paine as well as above and alongside the awe-inspiring expanse of the Grey glacier, and through beautiful forests of Megallenic Coigüe, Antarctic Beech and Lenga. Although not technically difficult, it is a fairly committing undertaking – there’s no convenient exit point halfway through. The highest point on the Circuit, Paso John Gardner, is only 1180m, but the wind can make it almost impossible to stand up.

While the Circuit can be walked in either direction, following the route anticlockwise – as described here – will give you the most impressive views from Paso John Gardner. The route includes a walk-in to Refugio Paine Grande from the CONAF Administración office on Lago Toro, rather than taking the catamaran from Pudeto to the refugio, a variant which turns the walk from an ‘O’ into a reversed ‘Q’ shape, so to speak.

Alternative start: walking from Laguna Amarga ticket office to Refugio Las Torres
If you wish to start the Circuit from Refugio Las Torres, it’s possible (and arguably more pleasant) to walk there from Laguna Amarga, rather than taking the shuttle bus. Allow just over 1hr.

From the ticket office turn right and follow the road downhill to the narrow bridge (passengers in the shuttle bus have to get out here and walk anyway). After the bridge, take the path on the left, cross a small stream and ascend to rejoin the road. Follow the road, with views of the ‘towers’ ahead, and pass through the gate to Estancia Paine – this part of the national park is still private land – before rounding a corner and descending to reach Refugio las Torres.

Short walks from CONAF Administración
There are fine views of the Cuernos from the Administración. Just walk over the road and up the bank beside the old cottages, 2mins away. If you arrive early at the Administración and have a little spare time, consider hiking back along the road to the Weber Bridge (Puente Weber, see Walk 4) or further to Mirador Lago Toro (see Walk 5).