3 days5-Day Torres del Paine W Independent Trek
Length
5 days
Itinerary
5 days planned
Group
Max 15
Guides
English, Spanish
Overview
Built for physically-active travellers, this circuit takes you to the heart of the wild Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, one of the world’s most spectacular trekking areas. Zigzag across the Cordillera del Paine, viewing high mountain peaks, tumbling glaciers, brilliant blue and green lakes, and native Lenga forests along the way.
The W name comes from the formation of a perfect W when joining the trails that access to the 3 highlights in the Circuit: Base Torres, French Valley and Grey Glacier.
Make your ascent to the base of Torres del Paine with its monumental peaks towering over glacier lakes and a rocky moraine. Trek through the stunning French Valley to reach Grey Lake, with spectacular views of the Grey Glacier. Sleep in ‘Refugios’ or campsites amongst superb mountain sceneries, and absorb the peaceful vibe of this pristine national park with vibrant flowers and crisp mountain air.
Day by day itinerary
1Puerto Natales - Torre del Paine, Chile⌄
You will start by picking up your vouchers and map becore catching a bus to Torres del Paine National Park. This will take around 2.5 hours, arriving in the afternoon for dinner and to rest in preparation to the great adventure ahead. Overnight in Central Sector.
Meals: Dinner · Lunch
Overnight: Overnight in Central Sector
2Hike to Las Torres Base (B/L/D)⌄
Start your adventure by heading towards one of the landmarks of the park, the Las Torres Base Lookout Point. During the first stretch, you will walk through the pampa, cross the Ascencio River and then climb 3 km up to Los Vientos Mountain Pass. Continue your journey to the Chileno Mountain Reduge before getting deep into a Lenga beech forest up to la Morena. This is where the hardest part of the hike begins! Continue the rock trail to the amazing Las Torres Base Lookout Point where you will witness breathtaking views. Later, begin your descent to the Central Sector for dinner and a good night's sleep. *19.5 km *High Difficulty *Initial Altitude: 120 m, Highest: 870 m
Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Overnight: Overnight at Central Sector
3Hike to the Francés Sector (B/L/D)⌄
Today you will walk along the shore of Nordenskjöld Lake, Almirante Nieto Hill and the striking Cuernos del Paine. Discover incredible views, glaciers, lakes and local flora and fauna. Tonight you will sleep in Francés Sector after dinner. *13.5 Km *Difficulty Medium *Elevation gain 200m
Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Overnight: Overnight in Paine Grande Sector
4Hike to the Francés Valley (B/L/D)⌄
It´s time to reach one of the highlights of the circuit, the Francés Valley! Start bright and early with a light hike to the Italiano Campsite to continue to the Franbcés River Valley. You will continue to the Francés Lookout Point, where you will enjoy one of the most breathtaking views of the circuit, the view to the valley framed by the Hills Paine Grande, Catedral, Hoja, Máscara,Espada, Aleta de Tiburón, and Cuerno del Norte. Later, you will begin the descent to the Paine Grande Sector, where you will spend the night. *8 to 10 Trekking hours *20.5 km *Difficulty: High *Initial altitude: 120 m Highest: 709 m
Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Overnight: Overnight in Paine Grande Sector
5Hike Grey Glacier Sector - Pehoé Lake Boat Trip - Return to Puerto Natales (B/L)⌄
Today you will reach the third milestone of the circuit, one of the most unforgettable sceneries of the park, the magnificent Grey Glacier. The trail goes around the Paine Grande Hill, the highest peak in the mountain range (3,050 m), with incredible views of its hanging glaciers. Walking amidst Antarctic Beech (ñirre), Dombey's beech (coigüe), and Chilean firebush (notro), you will reach the first lookout point of Grey Lake, where we will see floating pieces of glacier. We will continue to walk towards the imposing view of Grey Glacier to reach the Grey Mountain Refuge. Later, you will return to the Paine Grande Sector and take a catamaran that will take you to Pudeto. There you will meet the bus that will take you back to Puerto Natales. *8 - 10 Trekking hours *22 km *Initial Altitude : 43 m Highest: 313 m
Meals: Breakfast · Lunch
What's included
- ✓1 night in the Francés Sector
- ✓2 nights of lodging in the Central Sector
- ✓Lunch
- ✓Dinner
- ✓Breakfast
- ✓1 night in the Paine Grande Sector
Not included
- ✕Guide (this is an independent trek)
- ✕Porter (please check availability & cost)
- ✕Beverages
- ✕Services not indicated in program
- ✕Medical insurance of any kind
Good to know
Cancellation: All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Moderate-High Level of fitness required. (You must be capable of carrying a backpack with your belongings and hiking along steep and uneven mountain trails)
- IMPORTANT INFO: In Chile there is a 'Foreign franchise' (Chilean Law) to improve tourism, where tourists are exempted of paying the tax of 19% at the check in, so please do not forget to bring the ORIGINALS of your Passport and Tourist card (given at the border when entering to Chile). If you do not carry and present these documents you will have to pay the tax in Chilean pesos at the check in.
- Patagonia has an unpredictable weather, that’s why we recommends you to bring: 40 litres Backpack, 20-25 litres Backpack for day hikes, Waterproof jacket and trousers (GORE TEX), Warm clothes (Polar Tec), Comfortable trousers for trekking, T-shirts, Long sleeve shirts, Trekking boots, Sandals (for showering, resting and crossing streams), Flashlight, Earplugs, Sunglasses, Towel, Enough battery supplies for the whole trek (there are no places to charge batteries), Padlock, Warm hat, Sun hat, Gloves, Sunscreen, Camera (with charger, memory cards and waterproof bag), Binoculars, Water bottle (Nalgene), Ziploc bags (for taking your trash back), Trekking Poles.
- Other Useful Information:
- IMPORTANT: In 2016 the Torres del Paine National Park service has prohibited campers to cook their own food at the campsites in efforts to protect the cleanliness and preservation of the park environment. Therefore, we no longer offer options 'without meals'
- The Refugios have the following referential meals schedules:
- Breakfast: 07:30 - 09:30
- Lunch: 12:00 - 15:00
- Dinner: 19:30 - 21:30
- Note: Guests must go to the office in Puerto Natales at 18:00 one day before the start of the program for a briefing. There, guests will receive kit/voucher and program information.
- For environmental purposes, in some of the Refugios, the electricity is turned off during the night, between 23.00 PM and 07.00 AM. The use of certain electronic devices is not possible due to the fact that they may overcharge our systems (example: hairdryers). Please bring enough batteries.
- Concerning connectivity: The National Park and the Lodges don't have cellphone or Internet connectivity due to its remote location. GPS devices work properly all over the Torres del Paine National Park.
- Please note this is an independent tour, which means you'll enjoy the flexibility of being on your own for most of the trip and will only have a guide for certain experiences along the way.
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