PATAGONIA
 
Torres del Paine
Hiking and Camping in the NP
Friday 23 February 2018
The stunning Torres del Paine National Park boasts jagged mountain peaks, powder blue glaciers and picturesque lakes, not to mention a varied array of flora & fauna including the elusive Patagonian Puma which, alas, I was not lucky enough spot!
The 'W' trek is a popular 4 to 5 day hike that takes in much of the above. My hike started to the east, camping at Refugio Chileno. Waking at 4:30am, I hiked in the dark to witness the magnificent sun-rise over Lago Torres. The 3 peaks of Torre Sur, Central and Norte are a stunning sight drenched in dawn red sunlight.
After spending my second night camping at Los Cuernos Refugio, I trekked to Paine Grande on my third day to take the morning catamaran to Pudeto. This is distinctly off-piste for the classic W trek but I wanted to get a wide view of the full Torres del Paine massif to complement the closer up experience of trekking the W.
After a final night under canvas at Refugio Paine Grande, I had an easy hike along Lago Grey to the stunning Grey Glacier, before taking the catamaran tour of the glacier and bus back to Puerto Natales.