Dream Destination: W Trek (Torres Del Paine – Patagonia)

If you are considering an adventure in Patagonia, Torres Del Paine and the W Trek is a great way to see the highlights in a reasonable period of time that allows you to tack on adventures in Argentina or Chile before or after. The scenery in Torres Del Paine is incredible and the W Trek is like a “best-hits” tour. It’s a great way to explore the natural wonders of Patagonia and come out feeling proud of what you accomplished.

Planning your trip & costs

This is not a trip where you need to go on a guided tour. The trail is well marked, there will be lots of other hikers out heading in the same direction, and there are “Refugios” you can self-book so you don’t need to carry all your camping gear with you (or even camp at all if you’d rather book a room). A 6-day camping guided tour with G Adventures can cost up to $2,899 CAD per person. Instead, through self-booking the campsites and pre-booking meals, the W Trek cost us $1,050 CAD per person. Do it yourself!

High level costs (as of Feb 2023)

• Roughly $61USD/per person/per day for “full board” meals – Hot dinner, breakfast, and packed lunch.
• Accommodation costs vary based on campsite and your selected stay:
  • Campsite/tent/Mat/Sleeping bag rentals worked out to roughly $52USD/per person/per day
  • Dorm was more expensive at $92USD/per person/per night but we got spoiled by getting a private two person room at Refugio Del Paine
  • There are more premium “raised tents” and cabins that you can consider booking, but these are more expensive than the above options and probably not worth it unless you hate camping and Refugios are booked
• You can decrease the above costs by carrying more with you – if you bring your food and own camping gear, you can book a camping spot for $12-25USD depending on the Refugio

While normally booking all the campsites and transport might be a challenging process, we found it incredibly easy to use Booking Patagonia, a 3rd party website that allows you to book all the campsites and bus tickets you need. If you are planning to hike in Torres Del Paine, your first decision is if you want to do the 5-day “W-Trek” or the full 8-day “O-Trek”. The O-Trek allows you to do the full circuit of Torres Del Paine, but given the longer timeframe and some of the more “basic” campsites it’s typically done by more experienced trekkers that are carrying their own supplies & making their own meals. The W-Trek is the “highlights reel” of Torres Del Paine and includes the stunning Grey Glacier and the intimidating “Las Torres” (The Towers of Torres del Paine).

We opted to do the classic 5-day “W-Trek”, traveling from West to East. We personally think the West to East route is ideal, as it allows you to warm up to the longer hiking days of Day 3 / Day 5 and saves the iconic towers for last. It also makes it more reasonable if you want to make the journey to the Torres for sunrise on your last day.

We recommend booking 5-6 months in advance to ensure you can book the dates and refugios that you want.

How Difficult Is It?

You will be covering ~80-85km over 5 days with ~3,300 meters elevation gain (based on my AllTrails tracking), so this isn’t a “walk in the park” but it is manageable. You need a reasonable level of basic fitness to do this hike, with most of the hike classified as “Moderately challenging”, but none of it is ‘technical’. The most challenging days will be day 3 and day 5, as outlined in the day-by-day overview below, but both have options / variation to cut out some of the distance. We would recommend doing some warm up hikes to prepare for the hike in the boots you will use for the hike and with a loaded backup. You will want to ensure you feel comfortable hiking 15-20km (with a loaded bag) and would be comfortable doing that over multiple days. If you are concerned about doing the full W Trek, there’s options to do some of these hikes as day-trips.

EZ Tip Emily isn’t a fan of heights and was worried about whether we’d be hiking along cliffs for most of the hike. Luckily we weren’t and this is probably one of the best multi-day hikes to do if you don’t love heights. Of the full 5 days, there is only one 20 min section where you are walking closer to a ridge and feel the height (or slight vertigo if you get vertigo). This is through the Windy Pass on your way to Las Torres. You do have to pass this area twice as its a roundtrip, however, this section has a very wide path so you can hug the mountain side and avoid getting close to the cliff. If you are afraid of heights, you can get through this! It really isn’t that bad.

When To Go

The park is open for self-guided trekking from October to April, with December – February being peak times for the W Trek (booking up well in advance). Winter treks from May – September is possible with a guide, but we would not recommend this for most travellers. February is the best month of the year, with slightly weaker winds than January and less rain than March.

W TRek Day-to-Day (West To East)

• Day 1 – Paine Grande to Grey Glacier (11km, 3-4 hours): Take the bus from Puerto Natales to Pudeto where you will catch the ferry to the starting point of your hike, the Refugio Paine Grande. Bus service is well organized and comfortable – you can book the bus tickets directly through Booking Patagonia. You will need $30 USD cash per person for the ferry which you pay at the departure terminal. We stopped at Refugio Paine Grande for food, but it would be a good idea to bring a packed lunch for the first day. From Refugio Paine Grande to Refugio Grey it will be 11km (around 3.5 hours of hiking). You will get some great views of the Grey Glacier along the way.
  • EZ Tip: Spots on the ferry aren’t guaranteed. Don’t wait around in Pudeto for the ferry to arrive. Once you get off the bus, immediately get into line and make sure you aren’t at the back. If you miss the morning ferry, there isn’t another trip for 4 hours so you will lose substantial time. We got one of the last spots and were sitting with the luggage.

• Day 2 – Grey Glacier to Paine Grande (11-18km, 3-6 hrs): The second day of your hike will be exploring the Grey Glacier area and then re-tracing your steps back to Refugio Paine Grande (11km). Start the morning by hiking further out to Grey Glacier to capture the view at Mirador Grey. If feeling tired from the prior day, consider keeping this day shorter and once you’ve seen the lookout, do the 11km to Paine Grande and enjoy an afternoon to recover and get ready for a long hiking day the next day. However, if you’re up for it we recommend you expand your day. You have two options: 1) Consider Kayaking out to Grey Glacier with Bigfoot Patagonia Adventures ($100 USD per person) 2) You can hike 2.5km further and visit some rope bridges and closer views of the glacier, before heading pack to Paine Grade.

• Day 3 – The French Valley – (21-25km, 8-10 hours): This will be the most challenging day of the hike, racking up 21 to 25km depending on which Refugio you are staying at (~10 hours of hiking time). If you are able to book at “Frances”, this will be the closer campsite and cut some time out of your day. Frances was booked, so we ended up at the further campsite Refugio Cuernos (leading to a longer Day 3, but shorter Day 4). This leg of the hike is the middle of the “W” where you will be hiking into the French Valley and back out for some spectacular views. You do have an option to cut out ~3 hours / 7km of this if you do not hike all the way to Mirador Britanico and instead turn around at Mirador Frances. If you can do it, we highly recommend going all the way to Britanico where you will be surrounded by a vista of mountains and the site of Cuernos del Paine. We ended up hiking ~4 hours of this day in pouring rain, so it was a relief when we finally arrived at Refugio Cuernos!
  • EZ TipLeave your bags at the no-longer operational Refugio Italiano to lighten your load for the up-hill hike out to Mirador Frances / Britanico and give your back some relief! Bring a small day-pack to carry your water and packed lunches.

• Day 4 – The French Valley to Central – (12-16km, 4-6 hours): Day 4 you will be hiking away from the French Valley over to the Central Las Torres region to get ready for the big Towers hike on day 5. We highly recommend you book Refugio Chileno for the night if you can, as it is closer to the Towers and it will be easier to hike up to Mirador Las Torres for sunrise the next morning without having to get up at 2am. It also means you will hike through the “Windy Pass” on Day 4 and avoid hiking through this in the dark if you are trying to do sunset at Mirador Las Torres on Day 5. Again, there will be some variations to your Day 4 depending on the campsites you end up at. Chileno was fully booked so we ended up doing the Cuernos to Refugio Las Torres (Central) route – which is a 12km, 4 hour hike. If you stayed at Refugio Frances and manage to book Chileno, you will be in for a 15.5km, 5 hour moderately challenging hike. You will want to get a good sleep this night, especially if you want to see sunset at Las Torres the next day.

• Day 5 – Mirador Las Torres – (15-20km, 6-8 hours): Congratulations! It’s the last day of the W Trek and today you will see the iconic Mirador Las Torres. If you want to be there for sunrise, it’s going to be an early start! If you are camping at Refugio Las Torres (Central), this means starting out at 2:30AM. Although technically you aren’t supposed to hike for sunrise if staying at this campsite, lots of people do it. It will mean passing the “Windy Pass” in the night, which can be quite intense depending on the weather. If you are staying at Chileno, you’ve managed to cut out 1 hour and 45 minutes from your morning and can start at 4AM. We camped at Las Torres and opted to skip sunrise but still get there early, starting our hike in the dark at 4AM and managing to have Mirador Las Torres mostly to ourselves. Timing was perfect as we arrived after the sunrise group had left and before the day trippers arrived). This section of the hike will be the most busy, with many day trippers coming in just to see Las Torres in one day vs opting to do the full trail. Note, your bus back to Puerto Natales doesn’t actually leave from Refugio Las Torres, you will need to hike an additional ~1km down the road to the “Welcome Centre” where there are shuttles that will take you to Laguna Amargo to meet your bus ($5USD / $3k pesos per person for the shuttle, cash). The shuttles leave the Welcome Centre 30-45 min before the schedule bus times. If you can’t get the shuttle from the Welcome Centre to Laguna Amargo, you can walk it, but its another 1.5 hours. After taking the shuttle to the bus station, we caught the last afternoon bus at 3pm and there was a later bus around 7pm (bus schedule posted below for reference). It was nice to take the 3pm and be able to get back to Puerto Natales in time to have a nice dinner and re-pack our stuff.

Packing List

Clothing

• Hiking boots / hiking shoes: Try what’s comfortable for you and ensure you break them in. 100% waterproof is critical given the rain (we also had to do a river crossing at one point). The trail is well travelled, but there are rocky areas and some scrambling, so good traction and ankle support is recommend. Emily can’t stand high ankles, so she used hiking shoes which have the same base as a hiking boot with a lower ankle and less weight, which worked perfect. If you are carrying your gear, a sturdier boot may be needed, but if you are travelling light then a hiking shoe (or even trail runner) can do the job.
• Hiking boots / hiking shoes: Try what’s comfortable for you and ensure you break them in. 100% waterproof is critical given the rain (we also had to do a river crossing at one point). The trail is well travelled, but there are rocky areas and some scrambling, so good traction and ankle support is recommend. Emily can’t stand high ankles, so she used hiking shoes which have the same base as a hiking boot with a lower ankle and less weight, which worked perfect. If you are carrying your gear, a sturdier boot may be needed, but if you are travelling light then a hiking shoe (or even trail runner) can do the job.
• Flip flops / sandals: Bring a pair of comfortable shoes to wear around the camp. Open toe shoes feel great on your feet after a long day!
• Waterproof & windproof jacket: Get a good quality waterproof jacket that has sealed seams. You won’t regret it!
• Waterproof pants: If it doesn’t rain while you are hiking in Patagonia, count yourself lucky. Waterproof pants are optional but probably a good idea.
• 1 Warm Fleece: Nights and mornings are cool. Bring a breathable fleece that you can layer during the day and also wear at the camp. Avoid something really bulky which will be too hot and uncomfortable under your rain jacket.
• 1 Down Jacket: We get cold easily, so found it was helpful to have a lightweight packable down jacket. We didn’t often wear this hiking, but wore it at night in the camps.
• 2-3 Long Sleeve Active Shirts: Mornings are cool and afternoons sunny and windy, so we wore light athletic long sleeve shirts which were breathable but provided wind and sun protection.
• 1-2 Short Sleeve Active Shirts: If you get hot, or get really warm weather, it’s good to have 1-2 short sleeve shirts for optionality.
• 2 Hiking Pants / Leggings: You don’t want to be doing this in jeans, get some active hiking pants or leggings. If you get hot, you could bring a pair of shorts as well, but we found that with the wind and cool mornings pants were better.
• Comfortable Lounge Clothes / Sleepwear: You’ll want a comfy pair of clothes to change into at the camp. A cozy pair of leggings and long sleeve shirt / tshirt is ideal. We also slept in these clothes.
• 4-5 Pairs of Socks: We double socked (thin sock inside, thicker layer outside) to help reduce blisters. The number of pairs needed will depend on if you decide to wash mid-way and if you decide to double sock. Smartwool is our favourite brand for the outer sock and then you can use a thin liner underneath.
• 5-6 Underwear
• 2 Sports Bras (women)
• Sunhat / Baseball Cap
• Toque (i.e., winter hat for non-Canadians)
• Gloves: Ideally waterproof/windproof
• Buff: It gets really windy in Patagonia, good to have something that can help keep off the chill and protect your neck and face. Scarfs are bulky so buy yourself a buff or bandana.

Gear

• Hiking Backpack w/ Rain Cover: We each used a 36L backpack with rain covers. Make sure your rain cover is attached to your bag as the winds get really strong. Emily’s blew off halfway through the hike!
• Cross Body Bag: Emily brought the Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag and it was really convenient to wear across her front. She kept her phone, sunglasses and other key items in there and it provided easy access throughout the day without having to keep going into the backpack for small things or bulking up pant pockets.
• Headlamp: Critical for any early morning / later evening hiking and also in your tent at night
• Hiking Poles: Helpful for long treks **
• Sleeping bag liners **
• Camping gear: Tent, sleeping mats, sleeping bags – only if bringing your own gear, we opted to rent this equipment
• Cooking equipment: Food, gas cooking stove, pot, cup / bowls, utensils, etc. – only if cooking your own food, we opted to buy meals
• Snacks: We brought 4-5 protein bars each for a mid-afternoon snack
• 2L Camelbak: Get one of these for your backpack as it distributes the weight and is lighter than bringing 2-3 water bottles.
• Waterbottle: We brought an extra lightweight water bottle to use at the camps and extra drinking water storage. It’s also easier to sanitize water if it’s in the bottle. If you aren’t worried about drinking straight from the tap / rivers, then you are probably fine with just your camelbak.
• Water Sanitizer: The water in the park is safe to drink straight from the rivers and taps, but Emily is extra cautious so we brought UV water purifier. If you are travelling in other places in South America, we recommend you get a UV sterilizer pen to be safe. We sanitized our water when drinking out of taps or in lower-quality accommodations and didn’t get sick at all on our 2 month trip.
• Microfiber Towel: Bring a small microfiber towel for showering or to dry off after the rain.

Accessories

• Sunglasses
• Camera / GoPro (with rain cover)
• e-Reader / Deck of Cards: You’ll have extra time to relax in the evenings so it’s nice to have a book or game
• Electronics Adapter
• Portable Charger (ideally holds 5+ charges): There are plugs to charge your electronics at the Refugios, but depending on the camp it can be hard to ‘get a spot’ as everyone is trying to charge their phone at the same time. Highly recommend bringing a portable charger with enough charges to get you through a couple nights.
• Plastic Garbage Bags: When it rains, it can really rain. Even though your backpack might have a cover, rain will get it. We brought 3-4 white kitchen garbage bags which we used to line the interior of our backpack and provide an additional waterproof liner to protect our stuff. These bags also worked well to store and separate our wet clothes after we got caught in the rain one day. You could also bring a dry bag for your valuables, but garbage bags are lighter and are big enough to keep the rest of your clothes dry too!
• Small Lock: If you are worried about leaving your stuff in your tent, bring a small lock that you can lock up the zipper of the tent when leaving your valuables.
• Personal Documentation: Print out copies of your passport, insurance details, vaccine information (if applicable) and booking confirmations, just in case your phone gets damaged or you run out of battery
• Trail Map: Print out a copy of the map or bring a W-trek travel guide, just in case your phone gets damaged or you run out of battery. Write down the distances and the duration of each leg so that you plan your time properly.
• Cash: While all the Refugios took credit card, we heard sometimes the network is down and they only take cash. Bring enough cash to pay for food / drinks if needed.

Personal Care / Health

• Environmentally-friendly soap, shampoo, conditioner
• Hair brush
• Facewash or face wipes
• Chapstick
• Toilet paper
• Ziplock bag to collect waste
• Sunscreen / SPF lip balm
• Hand sanitizer
• Mini-pack of kleenex
• Bug spray
• First-aid kit: Band-aids, tension bandage, Gravol, Immodium, antacids, Polysporin, antiseptic wipes
• New Skin: We used this to prevent developing blisters and managed to make it through the whole hike without any significant feet issues (other than general soreness from the distance traveled). It’s a liquid that gets painted on like clear nail polish and provides a barrier layer. On days 4/5 we also wrapped sensitive spots with blister tape to provide additional cushion.
• Medications: Bring medication if you are taking any. Emily also brought a prescription for Azithromycin, which is an antibiotic to treat food-born illnesses (i.e., traveller’s diarrhea) and a prescription for Ciprofloxacin (for potential UTIs, which if you are a women you know is something you do NOT want to suffer through on a multi-day hike…). Your family doctor can prescribe these.
• Mini scissors or Swiss army knife
• Safety pins / small sewing pack
• Hydration packs / crystals

** We rented hiking poles and sleeping bag liners from Rental Natales. The staff there were incredibly helpful and have a wide selection of any equipment you need from sleeping bags to rain jackets.

Bus Schedule

We used Bus Sur for our bus travel in and out of the park. The below schedule reflects their schedule for the 22/23 season.

Busses from Puerto Natales to the start of the W Trek (West to East or East to West)

Busses to return to Puerto Natales (Note: you need to get a shuttle from Refugio Las Torres Welcome Centre to Laguna Amargo for the pickup. The shuttle typically leaves 45-30 before the bus departure time, but check at Refugio La Torres Main Desk to confirm timing).

Weather

Each lodge will post the upcoming weather forecast for the next 4 days. It includes average wind velocity and gust speed (km/h), direction, temperature, cloud cover, and precipitation. Example forecast below.

Don’t under-estimate the winds, they can knock you off your feet if you aren’t careful. The good part is that you can hear the gust coming (they sound like a freight train coming closer to you). When you hear a gust just couch down for a few seconds until it passes, especially if you are hiking near ridges / cliffs.

What to do Puerto Natales

Where to stay: We stayed at Hostel Factoria Patagonia in a private room, which was small but perfect for our needs (~$100 USD per night). They also allowed us to store our suitcases at the hostel while we went trekking for a few dollars per bag per day.

Where to eat:

• Santolla: A unique restaurant located in shipping containers which is well known for their king crab dishes. We went twice it was so good. The highlights were the crab and scallops. No reservations, so you need to walk in around 6:30pm to get a spot. You can ask to have a drink at the picnic table outside the restaurant if full when you arrive.
• More casual options: La Guanaca Pizzeria, Hamburgueseria La Forastera

The Final Take

In our view, the W Trek is a must-do activity for anyone that is outdoorsy, adventurous, and looking to see some of the natural landscape of Patagonia. It’s also a perfect intro to overnight trekking if you haven’t done a multi-day hike as there are no concerns about altitude, the trail is well-travelled and it isn’t a technical hike. While 5 days of hiking isn’t for everyone, if you feel an itch to do this hike, do it! You will not regret it.