Torres del Paine – Trekking the O Circuit

After spending the last 10 days hiking some of the least attractive sections of the Greater Patagonian Trail, I decided to treat myself with something extra special for Christmas, Torres del Paine National Park.

GETTING TO TORRES DEL PAINE:

From Santiago the best way to get down south to Torres del Paine is by plane. The closest city to the park is Puerto Natales, but the airport there is small, so it’s a tough place to fly into. My best option was Punto Arenas, which is a two hour bus ride south of Puerto Natales.

I was able to book a round trip ticket at the airport for a flight that left the following morning for about $500. Twelve hours later I boarded the plane for a 3 hour flight down to Punto Arenas.

From the airport I hopped on a bus that ferried me two hours north to Puento Natales. That ticket cost $13 and I’d purchased it on my phone while waiting for my flight in Santiago. It all worked out surprisingly smoothly despite my lack of planning, so for that I was thankful.

When I arrived at the Puento Natales bus terminal I walked the short distance to the hostel I’d booked the previous day, The Singing Lamb. The ladies at the check in desk were super helpful. They set me up with a bus ticket to the park for the next morning and showed me on a map where things were around town.

DAY 1:

At 7:00 AM I left the bus terminal in Puerto Natales on the bus that I’d booked the previous night in my hostel. Two hours later the bus dropped me off at the park’s entrance, where I paid 21,000 pesos before continuing on into the park on foot. I didn’t really have a plan, so I figured I’d just start walking.

When I reached the main trail at Las Torres Hotel, I decided to hop on the O Circuit and hope for the best. Camping within the park is only permitted at designated campgrounds which typically book up months in advance. I hadn’t made any reservations, but it was Christmas and I was feeling lucky…so on I went.

Right off the bat the scenery was incredible. From dramatic glacier carved mountains, to calm glassy lakes and milky blue rivers, it quickly became evident that I’d made the right choice by making this my Christmas destination.

Just before reaching the Seron Campground I found a herd of horses blocking my path.

After petting a few I moved on to the campground where I found several hikers setting up their tents. It was barely noon, so I kept on moving.

From there I followed Rio Paine around some hills until arriving at the Coiron ranger station. There was no one home, so on I went. Had today not been Christmas I suspect there would had been guards there checking for proof of campsite registration. This would had likely been the end of my circuit, so I think I lucked out.

The next section was easy hiking with epic views of the mountains on all sides.

I passed by Paine Lake and continued along the Rio Paine until arriving at Dickson Campground.

As I approached the campground I noticed some rangers out front. I tried to avoid them, but was foiled when one called out to me. He wished to see my reservation paperwork….shit. He looked at me like I was a complete dummy as I explained to him that I hadn’t made a reservation. He told me to go into the lodge to see if I could make one for the night, otherwise I’d have to turn back. I’d been walking for about 7 hours, so this option didn’t really appeal to me.

Fortunately, I was able to score a spot for the night for 5000 pesos (~$7.50), as well as reserve a space for the following night at Grey Campground.

These campgrounds are shockingly well equipped. There was a small restaurant with a bar, a mini market, bathrooms and showers that amazingly had hot water.

Once I’d setup camp I joined some other hikers on the porch of the lodge to enjoy a beer over some conversation. Not a bad way to spend Christmas night.

DAY 2:

The next morning I got an early start in an attempt to beat the crowds so I’d have the trail to myself. This ended up being a good idea, as I didn’t see a soul until reaching the next campground, Perros.

The trail from Dickson to Perros spent most it’s time weaving through fascinating old growth forests. Clearly this side of the mountain gets more rain than the side I’d traversed yesterday.

Everything was a vivid green, with moss and vines hanging from the massive trees.

After Perros Campground the trail began to climb towards John Gardner pass. At 4000 ft., the climb from sea level took some work, but what I found on the other side of the pass was worth every drop of sweat.

When I reached the top I was stunned to find Grey glacier laid out before me. The incredible glacier worked its way down the mountain valley to Grey Lake.

After a knee busting decent through a jungle like forest I reached Passo Campground where I checked in before continuing on towards Grey Campground.

The trail from Passo rode the mountain ridge line, following the glacier down to Grey Lake. I crossed three rickety suspension bridges as I descended through the forest until arriving at Grey Campground.

At check in I paid another 5000 pesos before finding a spot to pitch my tent. Mission complete, I spent the afternoon lounging on the patio of the lodge, enjoying some delicious Chilean wine while conversing with hikers from around the world.

DAY 3:

The weather took a turn for the worst during the night. I woke to rain and high winds around 5:30 AM, so I decided to pack up and get moving.

The trail continued along Grey Lake as I made my way towards the terminus of my trek, Paine Lodge.

When I reached the lodge I paid 20,000 pesos (~$30) to take a catamaran that ferried me across Pehoe Lake to Pudeto Cafe. Here I waited a few hours for my 1:00 PM bus back to Puento Natales, which began my 3 bus, 3 plane and 3 day trip to New Zealand…but more on that later!

P.s. I’ve decided to bail on the Greater Patagonian Trail for now. It’s been an incredible adventure, but the language barrier is making it more of a chore than something I’m enjoying.

I not comfortable traveling through private properties when I’m unable to explain my reason for being there. This is a rugged, lonely route, that gains much from the people you experience along the way. I think you could hike this trail without speaking Spanish, but I’m not sure why you’d want to.

Plus I’m lonely as hell! Hiking alone is tough when there’s no trail community.

Anyways, for those reasons I’m heading over to New Zealand to checkout the Te Araroa!

Cheers!