Points Adventure

Points Adventure Blog




  • Saverocity
  • Blog
  • About

My Best Trip – Torres del Paine “W” Hike

January 18, 2018 by Points Adventure 2 Comments

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

Filed Under: Featured

Comments

  1. zozeppelin says

    January 20, 2018 at 9:00 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Points Adventure says

      February 7, 2018 at 4:33 am

      Awesome. Good memories. GNP = Glacier NP in Montana?

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *




Recent Comments

  • Philip on Barclay Aviator Red 60k Offer – Generous, (Likely) Churnable
  • Bk on Barclay Aviator Red 60k Offer – Generous, (Likely) Churnable
  • The Ultimate Guide to the Best Things to do in Luang Prabang, Laos | The Atlas Edit. on Where to see REAL Alms Giving in Luang Prabang, Laos
  • P on Amex Airline Credits (May) Trigger Even if You Select Airline After Purchase
  • 2018 Year in Reflection - Points Adventure on 2017 Travel Highlights – Part 2 (Banff, Qatar, Sri Lanka)

Featured Posts

The Great Paradox of My Travel Aspirations

The Great Paradox of My Travel Aspirations

My Best Trip – Torres del Paine “W” Hike

My Best Trip – Torres del Paine “W” Hike

My 10 Favorite SPG Low Category Redemptions

My 10 Favorite SPG Low Category Redemptions

My 10 Favorite Low Category Hilton Redemptions

My 10 Favorite Low Category Hilton Redemptions

$10 for a Flat Bed in Chicago? I’ll Take It

$10 for a Flat Bed in Chicago? I’ll Take It

Copyright © 2019 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to personalize content and ads and to analyze traffic. Our ad partners may combine this information with other information you have provided them or that they've collected from your use of their services elsewhere. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use this website.OkNoRead more
Revoke Cookies