Connecting the Dots: The W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park

Torres del Paine National Park

I was nervous as I assembled all my gear into my pack. For the first time in my life, I was embarking on a trek without the help or guidance of anyone else—no porters, no guides, no one. I repacked my backpack at least four times to get the best weight distribution I could conceive. My sleeping bag, cooking gear and food remained near the bottom; however, certain items (like my roll mat and tent) had to be attached to the outside because there was no extra internal space. The entire assembly weighed at least 30 pounds and I had to carry the full pack for more than 25 miles over the following few days (with an extra 25 miles without the full pack).

I arrived to the park at 5:30 pm and reached the Torres campsite at 7:20pm. I was planning on ascending to the famous Towers on that first night; however, the trail had been closed due to weather—not an ideal situation considering that increased my distance for Day 2. The first night was cold...bitterly cold. Although I entered my tent and sleeping bag fairly early, I did not fall asleep until after sunrise (5:30am the following morning). I flickered in and out of sleep after 5:30 until I got out of the my sleeping bag at 7:30.

As I worked my way to the Towers lookout on Day 2, dark clouds hung in the sky and snow gently fell around me. I reached the Towers and curled up behind a massive boulder that provided a little shelter from the wind and cold as I waited (and hoped) for the clouds to clear. On two separate occasions, the clouds parted enough to see about 60% of the towers; however, after the clouds rolled back in the second time, I knew I had to leave. There was a long journey ahead (all with my full backpack) and I needed to start. About 5 kilometers from the 2^nd campsite and my sleeping location, the pack started to hurt—my shoulders were tired and a rash had started forming on my lower back where the strap had been rubbing all day. Immediately after arriving, I set up my tent, grabbed my cooking gear, cooked dinner, and returned back into my tent. I really regret not being able to socialize in the camps; however, the cold was absolutely unbearable after about 7:30pm and if you were not in your tent, trying to sleep, you might not get to sleep until morning when the temperature rose again.

Day 3 was brilliantly clear in every direction—blue skies, fluffy white clouds, epic! The weather, while amazing, provided an inconvenient question. My view of the towers on Day 2 (the most iconic part of Torres del Paine) was inhibited by clouds, so I had to decide if I wanted to rush and finish the W trek in two days (allowing me to complete the Towers walk a second time on Day 4). I reached the middle lookout after 1.5 hours and while enjoying the scenery, decided to attempt finishing the hike that day. I raced back down to the basecamp, grabbed my gear and headed off towards the western campsite. I even ate my lunch of salami, cheese and crackers as I rushed the 7.5 kilometers, because the last ferry back across the lake departed at 6:30pm and I still had 15 kilometers even after dropping my gear at the western campsite. I somehow managed (painfully) to finish the trek that day and get back in time for the ferry.

The weather for Day 4, while not as perfect as Day 3, was far better than my first journey up that trail. My knees hurt badly (especially on the decent), but I am glad I did it. I might only be in Torres del Paine once in my life and I did not waste any opportunities to experience the exceptional National Park.