Patagonian wind is a living thing. On the second day of the W Trek, it knocked me sideways on a ridge above Lago Nordenskjöld, and I laughed out loud because there was nothing else to do.
The shape of the W
The route traces a W-shape across Torres del Paine National Park, with three dramatic "spokes": the Base de las Torres, the Valle Francés, and Grey Glacier. Most hikers take four to five days and stay in refugios or campsites booked months ahead.
The towers at dawn
The final climb to the Base de las Torres starts at 4 a.m. by headlamp. The last hour is a scramble over boulders. You arrive in darkness, sit on a cold rock, and wait. Then the sun hits the three granite towers and they ignite — orange, then gold, then white.
- Book early. Campsites and refugios sell out by October for the summer season.
- Pack for four seasons. Sun, rain, hail, and sun again — sometimes in one hour.
- Walk west to east to save the towers for last.
Grey Glacier
On the final day, we kayaked among icebergs calved from Grey Glacier. They were blue in a way that doesn't seem physically possible — a colour you feel more than see.
