I just want to say a few words, then I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. I went to Torres del Paine (TDP) in March 2016 and did the 5-day “W” hike on my own (actually, I stayed an extra day, and am very glad I did). It remains arguably my favorite travel experience to date. My pictures don’t do it justice, but they’ll give you some ideas. I started a “trip report” in the forum but didn’t get very far. Here’s what I said then:
Imagine a land at the edge of the world where you drink from unspoiled mountain streams. Guanacos roam freely on the plain, and pumas reveal themselves to the keen eye. Glaciers extend for hundreds of miles to form the 3rd largest icefield in the world. The weather can go from freezing with snow to warm and sunny in minutes, and 70 MPH winds are common. This is wilderness. This is Torres del Paine National Park, crown jewel of Chilean Southern Patagonia…
That’s a pretty good introduction. Here I experienced 4 seasons in one day. Every drop of water I drank in those 5 days were fetched from streams while hiking. All of the trip conditions that make me happy were there: stunning scenery, lack of crowd, freedom to explore, authentic, and forced extraversion with the right people. The strenuous hike only made it more rewarding. Being here forever amplified the travel bug in me. Anyway, time for pictures. If you want to know more, please hit me up.
Setting sun
Glacier hike
Catamaran view
Scenic camping. Must be prepared for constantly changing weather
Wild guanacos
Grey Glacier – part of Southern Patagonian Ice Field, world’s 2nd largest contiguous extrapolar ice field (3rd largest overall?)
Grey Glacier
Domos Frances, where I stayed one night (recommended)
Low visibility at this hour
The 3 towers, for which the park is named after. Getting up here was the hardest hike
Can you sense the wind howling across the lake?
This was one scary suspension bridge to cross. Probably 50 stories to the bottom.
Los Cuernos
View from Refugio Paine Grande
Glacier Hike
Agreed, best hiking experience I’ve ever had. Close second would be GNP and the Inka Trail. I did the W, but want to go back for the O or Q at some point. We did 50/50 camping/refugio, which means you have extra weight from tent, food, cooking supplies, stove, etc … but well worth it for the favorable campsite locations (Italiano, Frances). Refugios we stayed at were really nice and new but lacking in some of the ‘atmosphere’ of those we just went to on TMB.
Quite the journey to even get there, but that is half the adventure.
Awesome. Good memories. GNP = Glacier NP in Montana?