[simage=3170,200,n,left,] Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chilean Patagonia is a fabulous destination for trekking. The main attractions are the Valley Torres del Paine, Valley Frances, and Glacier Gray.
The granite Paine massif rises up to 3,000 m from the near-sea level steppe. Two famous valleys – Vale del Frances and Vale de las Torres – contain towering mountains with unbelievable cliffs, peaks, and glaciers. The geology and geomorphology of the entire park is amazing, but the highlight for us (and most people) is seeing Glacier Gray, a huge tongue of ice 28 km long and 5.5 km at its widest point, which emerges from the vast Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Emerging through the Paso John Gardner and looking down on the entire reach of Glacier Gray is simply breathtaking.
As part of our Christmas Chile trip, we planned five nights in the park with one night at either end in Puerto Natales. We really wanted to backpack the Grande Circuit (a full loop around the massif including ascending the two valleys). The shorter “W” just wouldn’t cut it, so it was the “O” in five nights!
Is it possible to hike the Grand Circuit in Five Nights?
Yes, but you need to be very fit, very determined (slightly crazy?), and have a little luck with the weather.
If we had started our trek two or three days earlier, the John Gardner pass was closed because of a blizzard and a meter of snow. Starting a day earlier and the pass would have been a real slog through deep wet snow. The day we went through the pass, heavy overnight rain had cleared most of the snow. We met several hikers doing the circuit anti-clockwise like us who were re-tracing their steps having waited for one or two nights at Campamento Los Peros for the pass to open.
You also need to ignore the ludicrous official trail closure times (e.g. midday for Mirador Britanico). Luckily the park rangers are relaxed about these, as they should be when it is light until 11pm! We hiked up to Mirador Britanico at 4 pm and caught the Vale del Frances in wonderful evening sunlight – the rangers were among those hiking with us.
Our five night anti-clockwise assault on the O was:
- Day 1 (half day) – Porteria Lago Amarga to Campamento Seron. 16 km with approx. 400/-300 m elevation gain/loss.
- Day 2 – Campamento Seron to Campamento Los Peros (lunch at Lago Dickinson). 30 km with approx. 1300/-900 m elevation gain/loss.
- Day 3 – Campamento Los Peros to Refugio Gray (lunch overlooking Glacier Gray). 17 km with approx. 1100/-1600 m elevation gain/loss.
- Day 4 part a (with backpack) – Refugio Gray to Campamento Italiano. 18 km with approx. 500/-400 m elevation gain/loss.
- Day 4 part b (without backpack) – round trip to Mirador Britanico. 10.5 km round trip with 550/-550 m elevation gain/loss.
- Day 5 – Campamento Italiano to Refugio Chileno. 17.5 km with 900/-650 m elevation gain/loss.
- Day 6 (half day) – Refugio Chileno to Mirador Base de los Torres and down to Hotel Torres in time for the 2pm shuttle bus. 16.5 km with approx. 800/-1050 m elevation gain/loss.
Getting there
Like most people, we flew into Punta Arenas and planned to travel by one of the many private buses for the three-hour journey to Puerto Natales. In relaxed Chilean style, we thought we would just arrive and catch a bus at the airport since they “must” stop there enroute to Puerto Natales – wrong assumption and we were lucky to get to Punta Arenas in time to get the last two seats on the day’s last bus.
Day 1: Getting to the Park and hiking to Seron
There are only two times each day when private bus companies depart for the two-hour journey to the park – 07:30 and 14:30. We needed to take the later bus because we needed to buy fuel (bensina blanca) for our stove. We picked this up at the hardware store, had a good lunch and left on time. An annoying 20 minute stop at a cafe near the park and another 30 minutes going thorough the registration process at Porteria Lago Amarga meant it was 17:30 before we could start hiking.
In the induction, we were informed of heavy snowfall and closure of Valley Frances and Mirador Torres. We were also informed on the trail closing times – 17:00 for the 18 km trail we wanted to take to Seron. We rapidly had to reassess our original plans and consider taking the bus to another part of the park and only doing the W. We decided to hike to Seron anyway, knowing we are swift hikers and the evening was long. The park weather forecast was also for improved and we thought it was better to for it.
The trail from Amarga to Seron is an unexpected pleasure. Less frequently hiked than the trail from Hotel Torres to Seron (which is a little shorter because a shuttle bus takes you to the hotel). The trail is through gently undulating grassland and woodland along the impressive Rio Paine. The Torres massif is on the left and the clouds cleared to provide a great view into the snow-covered Torres Valley. We could see the imposing towers – a fabulous sight in our first hours of the hike.
Much of the trail is through the private land that strangely forms and island in this part of park. The grazing land was a brilliant sea of white daisies. As we approached the campsite we saw a juvenile Southern Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus), within a few metres and an adult feeding its young – amazing!
We arrived at Seron at 9:15 pm and were welcomed by the friendly park ranger. Seron is a lovely grassy camping area with lots of space a views of the meadows and mountains. The Refugio is the smallest looking of all. There is a reasonable open sided cooking shelter for campers and new showers look like they will be operational soon. We pitched the tent, cooked, and went to bed while it was still light.
Day 2: Seron to Los Peros
We broke camp and hit the trail at 9am – the first to leave heading anti-clockwise. After some more grazing land, there is the first small climb and then you enter the expansive Rio Paine valley. Overlooking Lago Paine we met some trekkers heading towards Seron with news that the pass had been closed for a few days because of the snow. We decided to keep going hoping it would be open by the time we wanted to go through – the next morning! From Lago Paine we continued on towards Lago Dickinson. The last 5km before lunch seemed to take forever, the trail being quite muddy. However, this was a first hint that the distances and times on the Park map were not always accurate. We viewed Lago Dickinson and the lovely setting of the Refugio and campsite. This would be a lovely place to stop, but we had to keep going. It was a cold and windy afternoon so we ate our own lunch inside the Refugio.
With 19km under our belt already, we set off for the 9km climb up the Valle de Los Perros. The first 4 km is through lovely mature beech forest to the Mirador (viewpoint) Valle Los Peros. This really is a great vantage point to Lago Dickson and Glacier Dickinson in the northwest, Tridente Capeza del Indio to the southeast, and the valley leading to Los Peros to the the west. After a brief pause for a snack, we headed on for the last 5km. Again, this seemed to take forever, even considering the end of day climb and muddy forest path.
We finally emerged at Lago Los Perros, which is a small grey lake formed by the terminal moraine of the retreating Glacier Los Perros. It was as impressive and welcome site. At almost 7pm, it was cold and windy and we did not linger. We dropped into the forest past a lateral moraine and emerged into the muddy Los Perros campsite. It appeared to be very busy, but most of the pitched tents are loaners for those not wanting to carry a tent on the circuit. We pitched the tent and were delighted to discover the small camp office sold beer, wine and treats. A tube of chips, 2 beers, and a Twix were a welcome supplement to our dinner.
The Los Perros cooking shelter has seen better days – a German hiker commented that it reminded him of the Viet Cong campsite displays at the US-Vietnam War museum in Ho Chi Minh City. We agree. With the rain falling we found a spot with fewer leaks and cooked. The same German guy had crossed the pass that day, but informed us that the snow was wet and hard going with a backpack.
We went to bed and the rain in the night was torrential, but at least the temperatures seemed fairly mild. We hoped it was not snowing in the pass.
Day 3: Los Peros to Refugio Gray
We woke at 7am and the rain was still heavy. We decided that an attempt on the pass needed decent visibility so we enjoyed a lie in. Luckily the rain started to ease by 9 am and we headed out of Los Peros by 11 am.
This is a highlight of the hike, the views quickly become impressive as you emerge from the forest through stunted and wind shaped trees into the alpine boulder field. Most of the snow had melted in the overnight rain and the streams and rivers will in full flow. We enjoyed the climb including the few snow fields still to cross. The John Gardner pass cuts between the Olguin and Punta Puma glaciers and emerges to deliver stunning views of Glacier Gray and the whole valley all the way to where this tongue of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field begins. The clouds were high in the sky and visibility was great – and we did not have the extremely strong winds that are infamous at the pass.
We lingered for while and then decided to drop to the edge of the tree line for lunch in a sheltered spot to absorb the view. After this we dropped into the trees for the steep descent to Campiamento Paso and continued down to an elevation just above the Glacier itself. The descent is tough – muddy with lots of roots to climb down. It reminded us of many of our Indonesian volcano descents and we were thankful that for our trekking poles and strong legs.
The trail then leads you up and down along the steeply sided Glacier Gray valley. There are three large river gorges to cross along this route – two of which have steep metal ladders to descend and ascend as well as a stream to cross. The stream crossing would be fairly simple under normal summer conditions, but the snowmelt meant they were raging. We carefully picked our crossings and didn’t get too wet.
We enjoyed the views of Glacier Gray as we hiked, especially the impressive ice cliffs at its terminus. This also meant we were closing in on the campsite.
Campiamento Grey is a lovely grassy area at the foot of Ostrava mountain near to the lake. There are great hot showers and a cooking shelter. There is also a well stocked camp shop. Another chip, beer, chocolate combo was welcomed. High prices quickly become irrelevant. There are also hot showers! Needless to say, we slept well knowing that we had got through the biggest challenge (weather and physical) of the John Gardner Pass.
Day 4: Campiamento Grey to Campiamento Italiano AND Mirador Britanico
Following the mountain pass, glacier views, and canyon crossings, the hike to Paine Grande and then to Italiano is pretty gentle and straightforward. There a few small climbs and descents, but nothing challenging.
The trail between Grey and Paine Grande has been badly affected by the fire in December 2011; lots of dead trees, but the vegetation is recovering. There are some good views back to Glacier Grey. The main thing we noticed is how much busier the trail was with the day hikers and “W” hikers. Fresh faced and clean trousers – some in for a shock regarding muddy trails.
Paine Grande is in a nice setting on the lake and has the ferry service. As part of our effort to travel light and fast, we planned to buy lunch here at the “cafeteria-style” restaurant. This is actually very nice and were at the head of the line for midday service. They serve one main meal but had a great vegetarian option. We also enjoyed soup and a baked apple for dessert. Luxury comes at a price.
From Paine Grande the trail to Italiano is similar, but less fire-affected. The views of the Punta Bariloche are good and provide a teaser of the spectacular hike to come.
Gill started to have some trouble with her knee – IT-band syndrome. We arrived at Italiano at about 3 pm after keeping a decent pace. Italiano is a crowded campsite in a slopping wooded area at the foot of the Valley Frances. It’s quite over-capacity with a tiny cooking shelter, but the park rangers do a good job of keeping everything in order.
At 4 pm the weather was looking up and clearing and we decided to head up to Mirador Briticano as planned. Otherwise, the circuit in five days is not possible. Of course, 4 pm is well past the official trail closing, but we started the hike with three rangers who were also hiking hard for the viewpoint. Gill stopped at the first viewpoint, but Andy went to the campsite and Mirador in only two hours.
The views from the first viewpoint are excellent. The Glacier Frances and views further into Valle Frances. The wind was fierce, with the regular sound and sight of cracking and falling ice from the glacier.
Towards Britanico campsite and viewpoint there are some clearings in the forest that give provide increasingly impressive views. As Andy passed through Campamento Britanico, it was completely empty. There are no facilities at all and given the steep and rough climb it is probably not a good destination for those with backpacks and limited time.
The views of the mountains of Valle Frances in evening sun at Mirador Britanico are superb, especially Cuerno Norte. Only a handful of people were there, including one of the rangers still only wearing a t-shirt. For those with a lot more time, camping at Britanico would give the chance to explore this huge and spectacular valley. Reluctantly, Andy mad a quick descent for a dinner at the tent at an even more crowded Italiano campsite.
Day 5: Italiano to Refugio Chileno
The final push would take us from Italiano via Los Cuernos (the Horns) to Chileno.
The Horns are Cuerno Principal and Cuerno Este and mark either side of a steep hanging valley. A spectacular sight and a valley that only climbers typically explore. The trail from Los Cuernos is straightforward with some gentle climbs and descents. Muddy sections threatened the clean trousers and training shoes of some of the W-crowd.
After Los Cuarnos, we reached the fork in the trail to Chileno or Hotel Paine. We began the occasionally steep climb to Chileno, back in the pastoral landscape similar to the start of the circuit.
As we arrived tired at the entrance to the x valley, the sun was coming out again. The valley is steeply sided scree slopes to the river below. A small ascent brings the Refugio into view. It’s in a great spot with views of the top of one of the Torres del Paine towers up the valley to the east. The Refugio on a sunny afternoon is very popular with day hikers. There was also a good number of horses tethered here from those riding up the valley.
The campsite is tiny and very crowded with rental tents taking the best spots on wooden platforms on the steep wooded slopes. Just about 50 metres upstream there are some good unofficial spots available – we took one of those.
Next came our only mistake of the hike (apart from doing it in five nights perhaps). We looked at the hiking time to Campamento Torres on the Park map and it suggested two hours for five kilometres. The climb to the Mirador Torres del Paine is another hour. We decided to camp at Chileno and go to the Mirador on the last morning, before our descent to Hotel Torres. The morning light is better for the west facing valley. We brought a bottle of wine at the Refugio and soaked up the evening sun before taking a shower and cooking a nice final meal.
During the night, it started to rain heavily and it was still wet in the morning. We cooked a fairly leisurely breakfast hoping it would brighten, which it did a little. We set out for the Mirador regardless of the weather, wanting to complete the full circuit and knowing the weather can clear suddenly.
It only took 1 hour to reach Campiamento Torres, not hiking at a fast pace. At the junction the sign to the mirador was for 45 minutes. We were kicking ourselves because this was doable in the sunshine the previous evening. We also realized that if we hiked fast, we could break camp and make it down to the Hotel for the 2 pm shuttle to the bus to Puerto Natales for New Years Eve. As we sped up to the Mirador it was snowing, but there was a brief clearance at the critical point and the towers loomed in the mist. Not exactly as hoped, but the circuit was bagged and now we aimed for the bus.
We took the tent down in record time and powered as hard as possible down. It only took us 1 hour from Chileno to Hotel Torres and we arrived with an hour to spare! We enjoyed chatting with fellow hikers and the bus ride to town.
Conclusions and Tips for the Grande Circuit
Five nights is not really enough time. One more night is advisable, even for fit and experienced backpackers. We would recommend:
- Day 1: Porteria Lago Amarga to Campamento Seron.
- Day 2: Seron to Dickinson – a nice campsite and an option to explore the lake and viewpoint of the glacier
- Day 3: hiking over the pass to Paso – this campsite looks much better than Los Peros. If the weather is good you could make it to Grey<
- Day 4: from Paso you can make Paine Grande.
- Day 5: half day to Italiano where you can drop your pack and hike to Mirdor Britanico. After descending, you can decide to go to Los Cuanos (recommended), or stay at Italiano.
- Day 6: you can easily make it to Campamento Torres for two chances at seeing the Towers (evening and morning).
- Day 7: break camp and get to the afternoon bus back to the city.
Other tips include equipment:
- Waterproof pants – essential gear, at least early in the season. Keep you clean and dry when stepping in deep mud and crossing streams. They also keep you warm in the strong winds. Wear lightweight pants or shorts under them. We met people who said the outfitting shops in town did not recommend them and were cursing wet feet and filthy pants.
- trekking poles. Take them – so useful for navigating the muddy paths, snowy slopes, and crossing streams. They help you to hike more efficiently with a backpack
- travel light. We took dried main meals – purchased in Canada – and lunch food like pitas and cheese. We also took a Cliff bar each per day. We kept the extra clothes and extras to a minimum. We planned to buy our treats and one lunch from the Refugios, and this works well at those with the cafeteria style service (Grande Paine, Chilena) if you get there between 12 and 2 pm
And finally… Don’t spend too long out there. We met people taking nine nights to do the circuit. This is way too long and the experience will certainly be getting old by the time the finish is in sight.
One more thing… Book your bus tickets from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas. We met several people stuck during high season waiting to get a seat.
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