I couldn’t find many tips on hiking the W trek before I set off. I’d heard there’s a great, informative talk at the Erratic Rock hostel in Puerto Natales, daily at 3pm, but we arrived later than this the day before we were due to set off. I hope this post will help fill anyone short on time in on the essentials.
CAMPING VS REFUGIOS
For me, this was a no brainer. Refugios, although very nice, cost about US$50 a night. If you camp, you can hire gear in Puerto Natales for next to nothing. Some of the campsites are free, and the others are around the CH$4000 to $8000 mark. Sure, you will have to lug food, a stove, gas, your tent, a sleeping bag and a roll mat around with you, but surely that’s part of the challenge? Also bear in mind that you can leave your bags in campsites and hike come sections with just a day pack. It’s also possible to use the facilities at the refugios. One night, we treated ourselves to a 3-course meal for CH$12,000.
HOW MANY DAYS?
We did it in 5. If you’re up for some long distances each day, it’s possible to do it in 4. Spreading it out gives you more flexibility though, which makes it more likely you can coincide the best views with the clearest skies.
WHICH ROUTE?
Before I’d researched the W trek, I assumed you’d get dropped off at one end and hike a wiggly line, getting picked up at the other end. This isn’t the case. If you go west to east (saving the Torres del Paine until last), you actually get a boat to the bottom of the first slant of the W. This was our route:
DAY ONE
The bus transfer to the park entrance (Laguna Amarga) left around 7am. Two hours later, we paid the park entrance fee and continued by bus to the ferry port at Pudeto. We had one hour to check out a nearby waterfall, then took the catamaran to Refugio Paine Grande. After a quick lunch, we walked up to Refugio Grey (CH$4000 a night), set up camp and strolled further north for better views of Glacier Grey.
DAY TWO
Retracing our steps, we returned to Refugio Paine Grande, had lunch in the covered cooking area for campers, then hiked to campsite Italiano (free).
DAY THREE
Leaving all our camping gear behind, we spent 6 hours hiking up into the stunning French Valley. The views are incredible, so if you can time this so it’s sunny, you’re quids in. After packing up our gear, we walked the 2-hour path to Refugio Cuernos (CH$8000).
DAY FOUR
Thinking this would be a massive slog, we set off early and hiked towards the Las Torres campsite and refugios. Before you get there, there’s a short cut that heads up the mountain towards the Torres del Paine. It doesn’t cut out anything spectacular and I’d advise you to take it. It’s well signposted. The path leads up to Refugio Chileno, where we had lunch at about 1pm. Afterwards, it was a short climb (about 1 hour) to Torres campsite (free). The whole hike took just over 5 hours (stops not included), which was way less than the map suggested.
DAY FIVE
We got up at 4am and set off up the path to the Torres del Paine viewpoint so we’d be there by 5:30am (sunrise). We sat on our roll mats and waited for the mist to clear. Returning to camp, we had a leisurely breakfast and walked back down the mountain to Refugio Las Torres, where a transfer bus takes you back to the park entrance for CH$2500. If you think this is a bit steep, you can walk it in about 2 hours, or risk being able to thumb a lift with the park rangers, as we ended up doing! The bus back to Puerto Natales left at 2pm.
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED?
Tent, sleeping bag, roll mat, stove, gas, food, plates, cups, spoons and appropriate clothing. Optional items include walking poles (not really necessary), waterproof trousers (it tends to spit rather than bucket it down) and a camera with charger (there are some opportunities to recharge your batteries in the refugios, even if you’re not staying in one).–
WHAT WILL THE WEATHER BE LIKE?
Your guess is as good as mine! I went in December – Chile’s summer. We had glorious sunshine, battering winds that knocked us off our feet (see above), rain, sleet and hail. It could change from one minute to the next. Come prepared for every eventuality—a lightweight waterproof jacket is vital—and wear sunscreen even if it’s cloudy.
HOW MUCH FOOD SHOULD I BRING?
The main supermarket in Puerto Natales is no ordinary supermarket. It has rows upon rows of dehydrated food. This is what 3 of us chose to take for 5 days (with one meal in a refugio):
BREAKFAST
- Cuppa soups, tea bags and coffee
- 24 hard boiled eggs (a Godsend, even if we did get funny looks from people who thought we were carrying them raw!)
- Porridge mix
LUNCH
- A pack of cheese slices
- Four bread rolls each
- A pack of Triton biscuits each
- Some Old English toffees and bags of raisons and nuts as snacks
DINNER
- Two bags of pasta (enough for 2 meals for 3)
- Two cartons of tomato sauce
- One can of tuna for the first night to go in the pasta
- Dehydrated potato ‘smash’ and gravy powder
WHERE CAN I STOCK UP?
Most of the campsites have a left food shelf, where you can also usually pick up unfinished gas canisters. There are also shops at Regugio Grey, Refugio Paine Grande (does not sell gas), Refugio Cuernos (very limited supply of snacks and wine), Refugio Chileno, and Refugio Las Torres. The free campsites (Italiano and Torres) do not sell anything so plan ahead.
ARE THERE SHOWER FACILITIES?
The only places we stayed where we could shower were Refugio Grey (only hot water in the evenings) and Refugio Cuernos (long queues but very worth it!). The toilet blocks at the campsites are generally just toilets and not very clean. If you need to use the bathroom while hiking, they ask you to bring the paper back with you or bury it. DO NOT BURN IT! A guy who did this last year set fire to most of the park and the damage is clear.
ADDITIONAL TIPS
- When you board the ferry, get on last. They pile everyone’s bags on top of each other. You want to try to get off first with your stuff still intact
- Take your roll mat to the Torres del Paine so you’re more comfortable as you admire the view
- Plan ahead where you might stay and figure out where the nearest Refugio is to your campsite so you can pick up treats on the way past (ie, the boxed wine!)
- Avoid paying for the final transfer to the park entrance by hitch hiking (possibly a risky strategy if you can’t face the hike)
- Travel with interesting people. My friends were a constant source of entertainment, from one of them tearing her trousers trying to demonstrate the ‘David Brent’ dance, to the other thinking the shit rock to the right of the lake was the Torres del Paine. When the torres actually started to appear from behind the mist, she pointed to the top and said ‘It’s the moon!’ The look on her face when she realised her mistake was priceless. I’ve never laughed as much as those 5 days
FIND ACCOMMODATION DEALS
I’ve recently started using HotelsCombined to search for accommodation as I travel. It’s become one of my favourite tools because it aggregates the results of online searches from over 40 travel sites to bring you the best deals much faster than if you had to look them up to compare them separately.
An amazing trip!!!
Highlight, Christina: “is that the moon?!!”
Rebecca recently posted..Admirations for a letchy alpha-whore
I wish she wouldn’t kill me if I added the video of that moment…
She wouldn’t mind….. :-p
Rebecca recently posted..Admirations for a letchy alpha-whore
I think there’s enough emabarrassing photos, comments and stories of me throughout Ari’s blogs!
See! I need to stay on her good side – there’s still all the embarrassing stuff she did in Brazil to post about ;)
ARI!!!
:)
Definitely one of the best hikes I ever had to do. Too bad you missed the info talk at Base Camp (right next door of erratic rock), but your post is just as fine for those who also miss it; the entertainement at Base Camp are the guides and their little tips and tricks ;-)
this stretch of the End of the World is a gem not to be missed.
Cheers to your great travels!
Les Petits Pas de Juls recently posted..Weekly Photo Challenge : Lost in the details
‘had to do’? :) Yeah, I really wanted to see the talk, but our bus arrived at 3:30 and we had to set off on the trek the next day. Good job our friend had been there longer to get the equipment together!
Killer tips! (especially the ferry one)Looks like a real adventure! That pic of Torres del Paine is amazing!
Good company makes all the difference and always will!
Thanks! Yes, we almost took being last on too far – as in the ferry left 20 seconds after we boarded!!
So jealous of the gorgeous weather you had! We missed huge parts of the trek because of poor visibility, rain and ice when we we visited. Enjoyed your photos!
Andrea recently posted..Dog Sledding In Northern Norway
Yes, we were really lucky – especially the day of the French Valley. I was a little disappointed by the fog at the torres, but at least they made a brief appearance. It must have been so disappointing for you.
Some great tips. We are hoping to go to South America next year (if we can ever part from Cambodia) and this trek is on the top of my list!
TammyOnTheMove recently posted..Flashback Friday: The time I thought I’d be eaten by a shark
Yes, you should definitely do it. It’s a long way south, but it’s more than worth the night buses.
The W-trek was one of my biggest and best highlights in South America. What made it even better was the perfect weather we had all 5 days! It’s hard to top that kind of experience. I definitely prefer Patagonia/Torres del Paine surroundings better than Buenos Aires!
Antoinette recently posted..When Things Don’t Always Go Right
Oh, you lucky thing! I have heard about some people barely seeing a thing because of all the fog. I think I would like to live in BA and go hiking in Patagonia on the weekends. Not very feasible I know, but a girl can dream!
Great write up Arianwen. Love the shot you got at the Grey Glacier. I didn’t bother going down to the water level, but the shot of the ice in the water is awesome.
Well done on the meals, i don’t think i could have done pasta every night.
Did you finish up with any left or did you use it all?
The CounterIntuitive recently posted..The Incredible Scenery on the 8 Day Full Circuit Trek in Torres del Paine, Patagonia
Haha. We didn’t have pasta every night…we had potato smash mixed with gravy smash one night instead…yum! I think we measured it out just right. There was a little bit of powdered soup left, which we gave to another hiker, but otherwise not a crumb – we even got through the entire box of hard boiled eggs!!
Probably the best write up I’ve seen so far, great stuff. We are looking at January and will be bringing our own gear to camp. Did you have to reserve any of your sites beforehand? I’m getting conflicting answers the more I google it. Thanks!
That’s very kind of you. It was definitely one of those activities I had a lot of questions about beforehand. We took gear to camp and we didn’t bother to reserve anywhere. We were absolutely fine. We just rocked up and pitched our tent. A lot of the campsites are really big and you just need to find a spare patch of grass. Some have specific spots to pitch but we didn’t have a problem. Booking the refugio would be more important as you would have to rely on a bed being available. It may also depend on how fast you walk. The earlier you get up and the faster you walk, the more chance you’ll grab a spot. I can’t say what it will be like in January. I was there in December. If it was me, I wouldn’t book, but you could always ask at your hostel/gear rental places in Puerto Natales to see if they can give you an idea of how busy it is before you set off.
Great Post, Arianwen! Love it. I couldn’t find any of this info when I went down there completely unprepared and had to hike Fitz Roy instead. Really great information that I haven’t seen anywhere else. I’ve included this in my Best February Travel Experiences page so people don’t make my same mistakes.
Brad Bernard recently posted..The 50 Best February Travel Experiences -myWanderlist-
Fitz Roy is pretty spectacular too, but it would be a massive shame to miss out on the Torres del Paine. Thanks for adding me to your post! I really appreciate it! :)
This is such helpful information! I’m heading to Torres del Paine in December and am going to camp as well. Did you juSt rent your tent, sleeping bag and mat in puerto natales? I have all this gear at home but it would be much easier not to haul it all around with me during the rest of my trip. If you did rent all the gear, was it reasonably priced and did you have to make a reservation or did they have plenty of selection? Same question with the camp stove and propane tank? Have it at home but wondered if I should rent as well.
I rented all that stuff because this was the only hike in South America I needed it for and it’s not worth lugging it around. You can rent things cheaply and easily in Puerto Natales. There are a few places that do it. If you’re worried, get there a day or two early. Having said that, there’s not that much else to do there! Have a great time!
How long are the stores in Puerto Natales open? Is it safe to hike as a girl alone?
Hi Katharina, I’m sorry I can’t give you an accurate answer to your first question as I was only there for one night before the trek and this was 3 years ago. To play it safe I’d make sure you have enough time to shop before 5 pm… I think you’d be fine as a girl on your own. You might meet people before you start your trek and you’ll definitely meet people at the refugios/campsites who you might be able to continue your hike with the next day. There’s also the chance to meet people on the bus/boat to the start of the trek. If you are on your own, you should be fine. It’s not difficult to follow the paths and you’ll see other people en route. As far as safety goes, it’s pretty damn safe. We only met super friendly hikers and park wardens. I would have done it alone if I hadn’t met people on my travels who wanted to do it too. I hope you have a great trip!
Thanks for this great post. Great pictures and tons of useful information. Can’t wait to do this hike in December!
Ohhhhh, enjoy! It’s so beautiful. The best hike I’ve ever done.
Hello- my husband and I will be doing the W trek this December! We plan on going from Los Chileno to Grey Glacier. We are super excited but have a few questions-
– Did you guys use a backpacker’s GPS? I’m looking into them and they are super expensive so I’d rather not buy one if it is unnecessary.
– Are the trails well marked? Did you buy any additional maps apart from that given to you when you pay the park entrance fee?
Thanks!!
Hi, thank you for your comment. No, we didn’t use GPS. We just had the maps that they give you when you enter the park and it was easy to follow the trails. They’re all well marked, with indications of how far away each campsite or refuge is. You will also probably find that you pass a few people on the footpaths so you can ask them what to expect. The whole of Puerto Natales pretty much caters for tourists who are doing the trek so there’s a lot of information and the park wardens go out of their way to ensure that you know where you’re going and respect the environment. Have a great time, and feel free to let me know if you have any more questions.
I read a lot about TDP treks and most bloggers tend to recommend a guided tour. Do you think it’s worth hiring a guide or is it fairly straightforward just to use a map? Is it allowed to camp in the wild? How would to judge the difficulty of the paths, as in how fit do you have to be to do the W circuit on your own? thanksa lot for sharing your tips, it’s by far the most useful post I’ve read about the TDP treks!
I don’t think I even met any groups of hikers with a guide. It’s pretty easy to follow the map. If you’re travelling alone you can probably find other hikers in Puerto Natales who’ll let you tag along with them. No, you can’t camp anywhere. There are campsites and refugios and you should plan your hike around these. They’re very clearly indicated on the map. As for fitness, I’d say you need to be reasonably fit but no marine. You’ll be carrying a reasonably heavy bag and sometimes walking up steep hills. At least for some of the climbs, such as the valley in the middle of the W and the last bit of the torres themselves, you can leave your heavy bag in the camp. Bear in mind as well that the weather can change a lot and sometimes it makes the hiking less comfortable. Our group was three girls. Two of us had been travelling a few months and had done some other treks. The other came across just for the hike and hadn’t done anything to built up to it. Most people would have no problem. I hope you have a great time. If you have any more questions, just let me know!
Thanks for the amazing write-up! Is there plenty of access to water for cooking and re-filling drinking bottles?
No worries! I hope it was helpful. Yes, we had no problems getting access to water. Some of the campsites have taps, while others have natural mountain springs you could drink straight from. I remember having to scramble down the river bank at the French Valley campsite to fill our bottles! I took purifying tablets and didn’t even use them.
Hey,
Thanks for the detailed write up! I’m headed there as a solo-hiker in April and hoping to meet up with others. Did you have to book your camp sites in advance, or did you just show up and handle it all when you got there?
Thanks!
Derrick
Hi Derrick! Thanks for your message. I’m sure you’ll have a great time on the hike and you should have no problem finding others to hike with. Definitely check out the Base Camp/Erratic Rock talk in Puerto Natales. It’s a great place to meet people. You’re also likely to meet other hikers on the bus or boat as you head to the start point of the walk, and failing all that, people are very chatty on the footpaths and in the campsites. As far as camping is concerned, we didn’t book any campsites ahead of time. There was one site where it took us a while to find a spot, but we had no real issues. I’m not sure whether this is the case all year round. I would recommend checking with the guys at Erratic Rock if you’re in any doubt. You could email them in advance. Otherwise, a handy tip is to get up early, pack up fast and walk at a good pace to you beat everyone else to the next camping ground!
Hi Arianwen,
thanks a lot for sharing….that’s very useful
it may sound like a stupid question…but i m actually concerned about pumas and mountain lions…is the hike safe from this point of view? have u heard anything about attacks on humans?
thanks
Tiziano
Actually, at the end of our walk we hitched a ride with some park wardens to the place where the bus picked us up and one of them thought he saw a big cat as we drove. I’m not sure if he was winding us up! I honestly think you’d be lucky to see one. I say lucky because sightings are extremely rare and they’re very unlikely to attack a human. They’re very reclusive animals. If you’re concerned, perhaps you could ask one of the local tour companies for more information, but I don’t think it should be a reason not to go.
Hi Arianwen,
Thanks for a great post, I am researching for a trip in November and we plan to do the O circuit.
Looking forward to what looks like an amazing trek. Just one question do we carry US dollars or do they prefer you pay the fees in Chilean Peso.
Thanks!
Hi Phil. Thanks for your comment. I’m not sure how easily you’d get by with dollars. I had Chilean peso the whole time. You might find you can pay for some things in dollars, but not everything. As you’ll be nowhere near an ATM for the whole trek, I’d opt for pesos to be on the safe side. You could always ask around whichever town you’re using as a base before the trek and see what the local experts suggest before getting pesos out of an ATM if you’re told you definitely need them…?
Thanks for getting back to me Arianwen,
I think the local Chilean Peso will be the way to go. Only asked because so many sights list the cost in US dollars.
No worries! I hope you have an amazing time!
Arianwen,
Thank you for posting information about your trip. I’m trying to throw a trip together quickly for end of November/December and I had a few questions I am hoping you will answer for me. I am heading down there just to do the W trek then would like to get back to Santiago for some other trips and will only have 14 days in Chile. How many days do you think I should allot for this trek beginning with the day I leave Santiago for a flight to Punta Arenas? Would you stay in Punta Arenas or catch a bus right to Puerto Natales? Do you have to make reservations for any of this in advance (park entrance, hostels, renting camping gear)? Do you reserve campsites in advance or can I just show up and pay the fee or pitch a tent? Not knowing how far I will hike in a day makes me question which sites to try to reserve. I know for Machu Picchu I had to reserve arrangements in advance and would not plan a tight schedule due to the flexibility and patience required for South American travel. Thank you in advance for any help!
Hi Michael. Thanks for your message. I’ll do my best to help, but I can only really base any advice on my own experience, which was three years ago. It’s also worth noting that the park is probably busier at certain times of year, so my experience might not be representative of everyone’s. We based ourselves in Puerto Natales before the hike and didn’t make any reservations in advance. I was lucky that one of my friends arrived a few days before me and had already gone around asking about renting gear, but I think you’d be fine to just show up and get it all sorted then. There are loads of hostels and loads of rental places in Puerto Natales and I would assume the same is the case in Punta Arenas… We didn’t reserve campsites. We just pitched on arrival and then went to pay the fee at the cabin on site. One or two campsites were quite full, but we always found a spot. If you’re a little concerned, just set off earlier in the mornings or walk a bit faster! I would recommend you spend four or five days on the hike, with a day beforehand to sort out what you need and book transport to the start of the walk. The best source of information on the trek is Erratic Rock. Check out the website and information pages and then you could try emailing them if you still have questions.
Thanks for all the tips!
Were you at all apprehensive about leaving your gear in your tent or at the ranger’s station while you hiked into the French Valley, or while hiking up to the Torres?
Hi Brad! I don’t remember being particularly concerned. I think we left most of our valuables in a hostel safe and so the gear we had in the campsite during the trek was just camping stuff. Hikers/campers tend to be pretty trustworthy. I wouldn’t be too concerned, but if you can take smaller items with you in a day pack it would save you worrying. Have an amazing time!
Sound like you had an awesome time! I’m planning on hiking the W circuit in December.
My daughter is already in Chile doing volunteer work and I’m planning to meet here in Punta Arenas and then travel to Torres del Paines for hike.
I’m a little nervous on traveling alone. How safe do you think it is traveling alone in chile for a female and do locals speak any English? I don’t speak Spanish and don’t travel much but can’t pass up this opportunity.
That sounds fantastic! I think you’ll be fine. Chile is pretty safe. I travelled most of it as a solo female and had no problems. Staff in guesthouses usually speak English and, if not, you’re bound to find other travellers who can help translate. The buses are quite modern and well run, but it’s hit and miss whether or not the ticket vendors or bus staff speak English. Again, though, you should be able to find someone who can help you if you’re really stuck. All you really need to say is the name of the place you want to go (and perhaps the day/time, which you can point to on their screen when you book). Tickets should have departure gates and seat numbers on them. You can show your ticket to terminal staff and they’ll point you where to go. No Spanish is really required. The only time you might be a bit nervous is if your bus stops somewhere for a rest/food and you’re not sure what time to return to the bus. Either keep an eye on what other people from your bus are doing, or ask around as you disembark until someone who speaks a little English can tell you. It’s also a good idea to note the bus number and the bay you park in. Some service stations are really big and one time in northern Chile our bus left during the break to get cleaned up and top up with petrol. I thought I’d missed it, but couldn’t ask where the bus was because I didn’t know its number. Also, when you’re on buses, put your big luggage underneath and take your valuables in a smaller bag onto the bus with you. Never put your bag in the overhead compartment. Keep a close eye on it, take it with you when you have a break and try to tie it to yourself if you’re sleeping on a night bus. I’m not saying you’re likely to get mugged, but you never know and it’s good practice in most parts of the world. I hope you have an amazing time. I’m sure you will!
This is a great post that will be very helpful when I plan my trip this year. Thanks a bunch! How and in which city did you cross over from Chile to Argentina (or Argentina to Chile)? I see from your other posts you did El Chalten and El Cafalate as well.
Yes, we took a bus directly from El Calafate to Puerto Natales. We just bought the tickets when we were in El Calafate. It was a pretty straightforward border crossing (unlike on the journey from Santiago to Mendoza, which took hours and involved full searches of people’s bags and the bus!)
Thanks for the information. So you recommend starting from West to East? Did you fly in to Punta Arenas?
Thank you very much.
That’s the way I did it! I think it’s better that way because you save the Torres until last. I took the bus to Puerto Natales from El Calafate in Argentina. Then on the first day of the tour, we took a bus and then a boat to the first refugio, where the hike started :)
Hi,
Thanks for the blog post. I am planning to do this hike in late december, hopefully 6 days I have some questions,:
-how much money did you bring for transportation, campsite fees,park fee, food?
-did you bring some food from before or did you buy all the food there?
-do you know if there is a way to fly in to santiago and then start where you started?
-is there alot of mosquitoes?
Thanks for your time!
Thanks!
Hi Martin. Thanks for your comment. I’ll do my best to answer, bearing in mind that this was three years ago for me…
– I’m afraid I couldn’t give you an accurate answer on how much money I spent.
– We bought all of the food in the stores in Puerto Natales. They specialise in camping stuff, so you can pick up loads of dried meals, etc
– You could fly to Santiago and then get buses to Puerto Natales. That would take you a few days and not be that cheap though. Your best bet is probably to fly from Santiago to Punta Arenas and then take a bus to Puerto Natales from there.
– Mosquitos were not a problem when we were there, and I went at a very similar time of year, so you should be fine.
I hope that helps answer at least some of your questions! Have an amazing time!
Hello!
I will be going to Torres deal Paine in mid December and I have already booked a tent in each of the campsites because I don’t want to have to carry it around. I will be traveling by myself, do you think I should keep my tent reservation and just go for it? Or should I cancel it and just turn up in p natales and hope to be ble to do the trek? Also because of the unpredictability of the weather is it a bad idea to have my camp sites already booked? Do I only need one day in p natales to prepare for the trek before hand?
Thanks for your help withheld blog and everything!
Hi! That’s exciting! I hope you have a great time. It’s difficult for me to say for sure what your best option is, as I only have my own experience to base my advice on. I guess at least the way you’ve planned it you have certainty that you’ll have somewhere to sleep, and you won’t have to carry so much (we had a lot and we shared cooking and camping equipment between three). We had no problems pitching our tent, but I can’t promise everyone’s as lucky as us, so a reservation is probably a good idea. Also, if you happened to meet someone you want to do the hike with, you could always ask if they’d like to share your tent and pitch in some cash. I don’t think the weather will really affect which campsites you stay in. The weather is very changeable in Patagonia. It might slow you down each day, but you shouldn’t have a problem reaching your planned camping ground. You have to camp in specified places, so carrying a tent wouldn’t make much difference. I guess it’s possible the weather could be so bad that they close the park and you might lose your deposit, but that’s unlikely. I think one full day in P Natales is ample time to prepare. It’s a small town. You can walk between rental stores and the supermarket in minutes, and have everything you need within a couple of hours. I hope that helps!
Hi,
My friend and I are planning on doing the W trek in December. It will be high season so we are wondering if we need to book campsites ahead of time. Do you know? Are we better off to rent tents and sleeping or bags or to buy them before we leave? Is just a sleeping bag enough or should we bring extra blankets?
We are so excited for this trip and thank you for writing this blog, it is a great guide!
Sincerely,
Brenda
Hi Brenda, I’m not sure if it’s necessary to book. Speaking based on my own experience, I’d say probably don’t bother. I did the trek in December and just showed up at each of the campsites. Sometimes there wasn’t a lot of room left, but we were never left with nowhere to stay. If you’re concerned you could always set off on each day’s hike really early in the morning so you beat the crowds. I would definitely rent the tent and sleeping bag. Those things would cost a lot to purchase just for this occasion, and it will be a pain to have to carry them around with you. When we did the trek, we just rented a sleeping bag each and we were warm enough. Take a few layers of clothing as the weather is really changeable. You can sleep in your hiking gear (fleeces/leggings, etc). Noone will judge you as everyone is a bit dirty! If the weather is especially cold, the rental stores will be able to advise on whether or not you should take an extra thick sleeping bag or any additional blankets, but I think you’ll be ok. I hope you have a wonderful time. It’s such a beautiful hike. I’d love to hear how you get on!
Hello!
Can you comment on the difficulty level of hiking the W? Is this something a novice can/should consider?
Maybe on a scale from 1 – 10?
Thanks!
Yikes! I don’t know if I’m qualified for that! Perhaps a 6. I would say that most people should be able to do it. There are some steep climbs, and you have to carry all your gear, which makes it more challenging, but I’m by no means a particularly good or fast hiker and I made it. At least you don’t have to deal with altitude. You can spread it over more days if you’re a bit concerned.
Hello everyone!
I’d love to do this hike somewhere between dec 20th- jan 9th but would really like to find someone to hike with as carrying all equipment by myself would be veery hard, I think. I’m an easygoing 24 year old girl from Sweden who is doing an internship in Paraguay right now. I have no equipment and would need to hire everything, warm clothes included. I have hiked some times in northern Sweden and Norway before but am not super experienced. Someone?? :)
/Ronja
I hope you find someone Ronja. If you arrive in Puerto Natales the day before, you might find people to hike with, and people are also very friendly at the campsites, so I doubt you’ll be alone much even if you don’t find someone in advance. Have an amazing time!
‘The main supermarket in Puerto Natales is no ordinary supermarket. It has rows upon rows of dehydrated food.’
Where is this? All we can find is Unimarc in the centre of town. It’s very small compared to the supermarkets in other towns and has less choice. All we could find today was standard dried pasta.
Oh no! That’s a shame. We found quite a wide variety of foods specific to camping trips. As this was three years ago, I’m afraid I couldn’t tell you which supermarket it was. It was pretty big though, and quite central too. Maybe it’s closed down now…
Hi. Love your blog. I’m worried about rain pants. What type did you wear on the trek?
Aw, thanks! I actually didn’t wear rain pants. I had some quick dry hiking trousers and a light rain coat for my top half. It didn’t rain that much when we were there and usually the sun would come out straight after so we’d dry out quickly. I’m pretty sure you can rent waterproof trousers in Puerto Natales if you don’t have your own, and I can’t imagine they differ significantly, so as long as they fit and aren’t full of holes you should be good… I hope you have a great time when you’re there!
Hi what an amazing post and blog! We are getting ready to head to Chile in late November (around 3-4th week). SO excited. I was wondering if you could comment on how to dress for November? We know that winds are always around. Do we need fleece pants? or would wind breaking trekking pants do? Gloves? Wondering how many layers we really need to carry. And gorgeous pictures….I’ve been staring at these for a few years now>
Thanks so much! I’m really excited for you. It’s the most gorgeous hike I’ve ever done. Dressing for hiking in November can be quite challenging because Patagonia is known for its hugely changeable weather. Tip number one would be to layer up. At times, we were hiking in vest tops in glorious sunshine. Other times we were battling through winds that knocked us over, along with sleet and hail. It would come out of nowhere, so you might have one following the other just five minutes later! It can get quite cold at night, or if you’re heading up to the Torres del Paine early in the morning, so I would recommend warm layers too. I got by with some standard leggings and lightweight hiking trousers on my bottom half, and a vest top, thin merino wool jumper, second jumper for emergencies (!), fleece and thin rain mac on top. I also wore a hat quite often, as well as some cheap gloves I’d picked up in Peru. If you’re in any doubt, ask around town before you can set off. There are a lot of places that rent or sell hiking gear and clothing, and they can advise you. Also check the forecast up until the morning you leave. I hope you have an amazing time! I’d love to hear about it afterwards!
Hi,
Good information on your write up. I will be doing the W trek late of december. Would like to ask how much would cost to rent a tent, mat & sleeping bag in Puerto Natales? Are those gears heavy?sorry I know it sounds stupid. It is my first time doing camping trekking. How about stove? Do you rent it as well? thanks
I’m very excited for you! It’s a stunning part of the world. I’m afraid I was there four years ago and have subsequently forgotten how much it cost to rent equipment. I think it was very reasonable though. We rented mats, sleeping bags, tents, a stove and some utensils. They have literally everything you might need. We bought food in a supermarket that was catering especially to hikers. The town pretty much exists for people about to do the trek so I’m sure you will find what you need. Your bag will be heavy with all this stuff, but you should get used to it. It makes the achievement more satisfying when you reach the end! Have an amazing time!
Hi
Is the w trek worth it without glacier grey? Can’t find accommodations to stay at Paine grande camp site or Refugios so wondering whether to cancel the trip…vs going and missing out on the glacier!
Gillian
Hi Gillian. Yes, it’s absolutely worth it! The scenery is stunning throughout and, for me, the French Valley and the Torres del Paine were the highlights. If you were really keen to see the glacier, you could look into adding an extra day to your hike. You could stay at Refugio Paine Grande for two nights and visit the glacier as a day trip. I hope you have a wonderful time!