The trek W in Torres del Paine National Park is the most emblematic in Patagonia, Chile. How to book the W trek? What are the stages of the trek? How to visit Torres del Paine National Park? And how to prepare for the trek w? We tell you everything!
Trek W in 4 days, which stages?
The Trek W is usually done in 4 stages. That is 5 days and 4 nights in the Torres del Paine National Park.
The most emblematic trek of Chile has the name “W” because of the shape of the trail.
At the end of February 2022, Sala from Ready four travel tested the W trek for our travelers. She did it from East to West. The first step (the most difficult) which gave its name to the National Park was the ascent to the Base Torres! She arrived the day before stage 1 at the central refuge to sleep there and start the trek very early the next morning.
Stage 1 of trek W: ascent to the base of Torres
15 km. 7 to 8 hours of walking. +870 m / -870 m of difference in altitude.
Waking up at 3 am to climb to the Torres base by headlamp and watch the sunrise over the granite towers is a magical experience. This morning we started from the central refuge, east of the W circuit.
The ascent starts with a first beautiful hill, followed by a relatively flat path. Then we enter a forest of lengas (endemic tree of Patagonia). We arrive, 2 hours later (walking with a good step), at the chileno refuge. After a short coffee break, we start the ultimate climb, almost climbing imposing rocks.
And there, the spectacle is as high as the efforts made! We are about twenty hikers only to have got up in the middle of the night to walk in the almost total darkness until here. Twenty lucky ones to see the three granite towers facing us change color minute after minute. They go from pale yellow to bright yellow, then to orange, then to red! Finally, little by little, the gradation is reversed until reaching a yellow color, then white. It is 7 am.
The time to take some pictures with our cameras and our retinas of this exceptional place then we begin the descent.
What happiness to discover these landscapes, crossed a little earlier at night, now bathed by the delicate light of the daybreak.
We arrive at the central refuge around 1 pm. A small recommendation: the pizzas of the restaurant of the hotel Las Torres (a few hundred meters from the refuge) are particularly appreciated after 7 hours of walking! Not to be missed for the gourmets who, like us, will have finished their picnic before going back down.
Stage 2 of trek W: Los Cuernos summit and Francés Valley
15 km. 7 to 8 hours of walking. +600 m / -400 m of ascent.
This morning we leave at 9 am from the central refuge where we spent the second night. We take the path that goes along the lake Nordenskjöld with turquoise waters on our left. On the right, the impressive Cerro Cuernos and its waterfalls will accompany us throughout the day.
The glaciers, perched on the side of the mountain, sublimate this already grandiose landscape.
The path makes us pass on the banks of the lake. The sound of the waves, the turquoise water, the pebble beaches, and the blue sky could almost make us think of the French Riviera!
The arrival at the Cuernos refuge is majestic: in the background, along a waterfall that emanates directly from the glaciers and the Cuernos mountain (which forms 2 horns by far, or cuernos in Spanish). On the other side, a breathtaking view of the lake, and in the distance, the Patagonian steppes of Torres del Paine National Park.
Stage 3 of trek W: Mirador Británico, Mirador Francés and Paine Grande refuge
15 km – 7 hours of walking – +1000m / -1000m of ascent.
Today we start early in the Francés Valley. Once again we witness a sublime sunrise on the hanging glacier that faces us. The morning mist has even created a rainbow.
While we stop to take pictures of this moment out of time, a small owl observes us. It is a Chuncho (local name), Glaucidium Nanum (scientific name) This owl of 20 cm only can be observed in Chile and the north of Argentina. It has large eyes and its plumage is coffee-colored. It is a great moment of emotion because they are very difficult to see, especially during the day.
It is thus full of spirit that we take again the way to arrive at the Mirador Francés which offers us a breathtaking panorama of the eponymous glacier.
We continue the ascent to the British Viewpoint crossing new forests of Nothofagus Antarctica, these endemic trees that seem to be bent by the wind. On the arrival, the weather is overcast, but we still have the chance to see the back of the Cerro Torres seen the day before and all the other peaks (from 2100 m to 3050 m) of the park.
We return by the same way to reach, at the end of the day, the Paine Grande refuge.
Stage 4 of trek W: Grey glacier
22 km. 7 hours of walking. +600 m / -600 m of ascent.
Last night, the wind blew, and the rain fell. This morning, the peaks of the Torres del Paine National Park are covered with snow.
We woke up cold, but we were motivated to start the last step of the trek: the Grey glacier. This glacier is part of the southern Patagonian ice field, which extends over the Andes Mountains, on the border between Argentina and Chile.
On the Argentine side, the most famous glacier of this campo de Hielo Patagonia (local name) is the Perito Moreno glacier.
The path, quite steep on all the second half, skirts the Grey lake. After an hour and a half of walking, we can already see this huge tongue of blue ice which advances on the lake. The Grey Glacier is 6 km wide and 50 m high.
A spectacle is as fabulous as upsetting. Indeed, as a consequence of global warming, the Grey glacier has lost 19 km2 of ice over the last 30 years. It is thus charged with emotions that we make the inverse way to find refuge in Paine Grande. For the first time on the trek, we walk under the rain and in an icy wind, very specific to Patagonia.
We join the Pudeto pontoon by catamaran, crossing the lake Pehoé which offers us a magnificent panorama of the mountains of Torres del Paine as well as the 75 km covered.
When to do the W trek in Torres del Paine?
The best season to do the W trek is the austral summer (from October to the end of March). Indeed, outside this period, most of the refuges of the circuit are closed. Moreover, the temperatures quickly go down below zero. It is thus more difficult to camp!
The Chileans, who are the first visitors to the Torres del Paine National Park, are on vacation in January and February (the equivalent of our July-August). So, if you want to stay away from the crowds, avoid going during this period.
Finally, we advise you to anticipate the booking of the W trek. Usually, the huts or campsites are already full 10 months in advance.
How to prepare for the Torres del Paine trek?
Physical preparation
Even if the W trek is accessible to the general public, we recommend that you prepare yourself physically. Some of the stages (especially the one that leads to the Torres base) can be challenging.
Thus, resuming or intensifying your physical activity a few weeks before the departure is a good option.
You’ll need good cardio and breathing to climb. You can work on this with endurance exercises. And of course, the more strength you have in your legs, the more you will enjoy the hike!
Trekking equipment
To complete the W trek, you will need a minimum of equipment.
First of all, get good hiking boots. Prefer hiking boots for good support of the ankle and make sure that the toes are reinforced. This way you will avoid toe injuries on rocky descents!
If you buy them new, remember to wear your shoes before the trek to limit the risk of blisters.
Then, invest in a pair of technical hiking socks to limit foot pain in general. We have a small preference for merino wool socks. They keep you warm while letting your feet breathe. Moreover, they dry very quickly.
Ideally, equip yourself with hiking pants that can be converted into shorts. They have the advantage of drying very quickly in case of showers. Moreover, they don’t take up much space in your bag.
For the upper body, we highly recommend light merino wool fleeces. They keep you warm without retaining perspiration or bad odors. The long sleeves will protect you from sunburn.
Over that, you will be able to wear a second fleece with a little more coverage for early morning or evening departures.
Finally, take a small down jacket and a waterproof windbreaker, which are essential in case of rain or strong winds. Keep in mind that it can be 25 degrees one day and -2 degrees the next. We are in Patagonia!
As for accessories, remember to take a cap, a hat, gloves, a neck warmer, sunglasses, sunscreen (factor 50), and a headlamp.
A 30 L backpack is enough to carry your personal belongings and your lunch (given by the refuges in the morning). You will find drinking water everywhere in the park (thanks to the rivers that flow directly from the glaciers!).
A sleeping bag sheet, a stainless steel water bottle, and a microfiber towel will be given to you on the first day of the trek.
Sleeping bags for the southern temperatures are lent to you for the 4 nights (in the refuges and campsites), as well as the tents for those who choose the fully equipped camping option.
For those who are more comfortable, the purchase of an inflatable trekking pillow can be a real comfort gain without weighing down the backpack.
Finally, you will find sockets in all the refuges.
How to visit Torres del Paine National Park?
The Torres del Paine National Park is huge. It has several entrances and can be visited in different ways. Thus, you can choose a day trip, in small groups or private service.
For the means of transportation, it is possible to go by bus, minibus or private car. Once there, you can go catamaran (especially to get closer to the Grey Glacier), horseback riding, kayaking, rock climbing, and crampon walking on the Grey Glacier.
As for hiking, there are many trails. The most famous being, as you will have understood, the W trek. But you can also decide to extend the adventure and to make the trek O. This one makes the tour of the park by forming a loop which follows the trail of W. The O trek takes 7-8 days, compared to 4-5 for the W.
To get to Torres del Paine National Park from Santiago, the capital of Chile, you must first fly to Patagonia.
The fastest way is to fly to Punta Arenas (3 hours flight). Then, you can take a bus from the airport to Puerto Natales (3 hours drive). Finally, from Puerto Natales, it is necessary to count between 1h30 and 2h30 of road and track (according to the weather and the place where we go in the park) to reach the entrance.
Trek W in Torres del Paine: the opinion of Sala, from Ready four travel
It is without doubt the most beautiful trek in Latin America. After having realized the trek of the Colca Canyon and the Inca Trail in Peru; the 3 days of walking and bivouac in the dunes of the Lençois Maranhenses in Brazil; the 5 days to Ciudad Perdida in the Colombian jungle and the 2 days around the Fitz Roy in Argentine Patagonia; the W trek appears to be the one that gathers the greatest diversity of observable landscapes on the same circuit.
Being a Patagonia fanatic, I loved walking for 5 days in the lenga forests emblematic of this southern region, between glaciers, granite peaks, and turquoise lakes.
The Torres del Paine National Park is an exceptional place. The landscapes are breathtaking. And this bluish light of the end of the world (already observed in Ushuaïa) specific to the lowest latitudes of the planet moves me each time.
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