This past week I visited the Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile to do a multi-day trek called the ¨Paine Circuit.¨ The trek is basically a big loop around the Paine massif. In addition to the loop, there are also a few side trips that you can do that are part of another, shorter trek often done called the ¨W.¨ In the map below the black line is the ¨circuit¨ and the red line is the ¨W¨ It is recommended that you take 8-10 days to complete the entire circuit plus the side trips of the ¨W¨. I did the entire thing in 5. Here´s the story....

A map of the park showing the trek that I did

So prior to starting the trek I had been in contact with Ted, a guy who was planning on renting a car from El Calafate and driving it straight to Torres Del Paine to start the circuit. He was looking for someone to share the ride and a trekking partner as well. I decided to join him for both the ride and the trek, since I was currently without transportation or a trekking partner.

Last Saturday afternoon, after flying in from the states, Ted picked me up at my hostel and we were off to the park. The drive should have taken us about 4 hours, but due to some missed turns, closed borders and gravel roads, it ended up taking us more like 7. We arrived in around 3am, threw our sleeping bags out on the refugio beds and crashed for the night.

Day One (35.5 km) : The Day that got Ted
Hosteria Las Torres to the Torres Lookout and Back, then to Campamiento Puesto Seron

Upon waking up that first morning, Ted and I took a hard look at the maps and realized that if we were going to finish the trek in the six days we had available, we would need to start off with a pretty long day. The advantage to making the first day a long day was that we could hike up to the Torres Lookout (one of the side treks) without our packs, then head back to the car, grab our gear and make it to the first campsite by dark.

The Torres Lookout hike was very beautiful, but also involved a good bit of climbing and I was loving the fact that I wasn’t lugging my full pack up the mountain with me. We made it to the top in time to catch an almost completely clear view of the Torres before making our way back down to the car. At this point Ted started mentioning that he was not feeling so well so we took a long break, had some food and then decided to press on to the campsite. The 16.5 km hike to the camp was not necessarily physically difficult, but the long day, combined with the lack of sleep from the night before was definitely affecting both of us. This is when I started to worry about Ted, as it seemed he was a bit more exhausted than he should be, and was really not feeling well. We both arrived in just before dark, set up our tents, and were asleep in no time.

A view of the valley on the way up to the Torres Lookout

A view from the Torres Lookout

Day Two (27.5 km): The Day that Dragged On Forever
Campamiento Puesto Seron to Campamiento Los Perros

We both woke up that morning with the realization that it might not be the best idea for Ted to continue on. He mentioned that he thought he might be running a fever and was not looking so well. After a little contemplating, Ted decided it would be in his best interest to turn back while he still could, as the next days would involve a very committing and inaccessible section of the park. We made a plan to meet back up after I finished the trek and I said goodbye to him as I pushed on to the next camp.

That second day took me around the back side of the Paine massif, past many lakes and a beautiful glacier. It was also the windiest section I experienced and the wind literally blew me over at times (I was just glad the wind was blowing me onto the mountain and not off of it). I knew that the day would be another long one and it really did feel like it went on forever. I took a lunch break at the Refugio Dickson, a beautiful spot staring up at the mountains and overlooking the lake. A big part of me wanted to stop there for the night, but I knew I needed to continue on so that I could do the John Garner Pass, known to be the most difficult and exposed section of the trail, first thing the next morning. I arrived into the Los Perros Campsite after a long and tiring 10 hours of hiking.

A self-portrait photo I snapped while experiencing a very windy moment

A classic view from the trail on Day Two

My lunchbreak spot

A distant view of the Dickson Glacier

On the way to Campamiento Los Perros

Day Three (33 km) : The Perfect Day
Campamiento Los Perro to Refugio Lago Pehoe

I woke up that third day feeling unbelievably well. Maybe it was the clear skies and the bright sun shining through the trees, but either way, I woke up ready to hike. I packed up camp and took off alone towards the pass. That day started out with a difficult to follow and muddy trail, but finally I made it to the rocky section above tree-line that would take me up and over the pass. The weather could not have been any better! I was standing on top of the pass two hours after leaving camp staring out at one of the more amazing vistas I have ever seen.

The view after emerging from the muddy forest

On my way up to the pass

A small lake halfway up the pass

Me standing on top of the pass with Glacier Grey in the background

A view looking back down the valley from the top of the pass

After climbing the pass, it was time to descend. The descent was almost straight downhill and lasted for another good two hours. Finally I made it down and was standing just above the massive Glacier Grey. I stopped to have lunch, but soon found myself alongside 35 Chilean boy scouts and realized that if I didn’t move on quickly, I would spend my entire day listening to their chanting. I decided to eat a clif bar on the trail and kept moving.

A view from my would´ve been lunch spot if not for the boy scouts

My first sight of Glacier Grey reaching the lake

One of many ladders that would take me down the walls of some mini gorges

The weather was still looking amazing when I arrived at Refugio Grey, which is where I had been planning on spending the night. I stopped there, made dinner, and realized that even though it was getting late, and I had already hiked over 20 kilometers on tough terrain, I was feeling great, the weather was great and I wanted to take advantage of every minute I could get. That said, I decided to head to the next camp. The final miles that day took me high above the Grey Lake, granting me some wonderful views of the glacier set so beautifully in the corner of the lake.

Another beautiful view of Glacier Grey

The trail leaving Refugio Grey

A view of the lake looking away from the glacier

One final view of Glacier Grey before the trail left the lake

Day Four (20.6 km): The Relaxed Day
Refugio Lago Pehoe up the French Valley and down to Campamiento Italiano

After putting in such a long day the day before, I was pretty excited about my plans for the fourth day. I left the Refugio Pehoe campsite that morning with the plan to head up to the base of the French Valley (a recommended side hike) and set up camp. I had some lunch and relaxed in my tent, waiting for a couple of Chileans who I had met the previous day and had planned to hike up the French Valley with. They arrived a couple hours later and we were off up the valley, thankfully without our packs. The hike was beautiful and the day wonderfully relaxing.

The view after emerging from my tent at Refugio Pehoe

Looking back on my hike up the French Valley

My Chilean friends and I on our hike up the French Valley

A view looking up at the French Valley

Me at the top of the valley

Day Five (16.5 km): The Final Day
Campamiento Italiano to Hosteria Las Torres

By the time the fifth day came around, I was started to worry more and more about Ted and his condition (as well as my passport and life belongings that I had left in the car). For this reason, I decided that I would end my trek that day, a day early. While this was my shortest day miles wise, it was one that I really tried to stretch out, as I was not completing ready for the trek to end. Eventually, after some extended breaks, epic river crossings and final views of the Torres Valley, I arrived back at the Hosteria Las Torres, where I had begun my trek five days earlier.

The standard scene on Day Five

Their system they have for ¨helping¨ people across the rivers (while I was crossing one of the more difficult rivers the wires actually broke)

One final view from the trail

In the end I trekked over 133km (about 83 miles) and logged multiple 20+ mile, 10-12 hour days. I found that hiking it alone was an amazing experience that I would not take back for anything. It turned out to be just what I had needed and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I spent that evening looking around for Ted, with no luck finding him. This made me a little nervous as I had really expected to see him either on the trail or at the refugio that night, but I was a day early and knew he would not be expecting me yet. I convinced the hosteria to let me use the $10 for 15min. internet for free to shoot Ted a quick email and was off to set up camp. Everyone I met that day was absolutely amazing, and a large group from Montana even bought me dinner, since they heard my story and knew at that moment I was short on money. The next morning Ted arrived (he had received my email) and we packed up my camp and headed back to El Calafate. That night I took the best shower of my life, had a huge meal and slept oh so well in my bed.

Me relaxing in the refugio while waiting around for Ted to pick me up