Travel Answers

We're 2 experienced trekkers planning to do the O circuit in mid April, bringing all our own gear and camping as much as possible. Are the free campsites open for use year round (or until end of April at least)?

I'm planning to hike the W in Torre del Paine this September. However, reservations for the refugios are not possible through the 'Fantastico Sur' and 'Vertice' online sites. Are the refugios already booked up? Are there any other way to find vacancy? Thank you.

I am doing the W circuit at the end of February. And found some information about trail closure time from CONAF. parquetorresdelpaine.cl/deta... Anyone knows what is trail closure time? Does it mean no trekking the trail during that time or no park ranger during that time on the trail? Here is trail closure for this trail: 12:00 hrs Campamento Italiano - Campamento Británico As I am planning to trek from Refugio Los Cuernos to Campamento Italiano, then leave my big backpack there then continue to French Valley, then return on the same day later to Campamento Italiano and head to Lodge Paine Grande. Is it ok to leave the pack there? Will the park ranger help to store the pack? Thanks alot.

Hi all, In a couple of weeks, my wife and I will be doing a multi-day trek in Torres del Paine. I have been researching into hike times very closely, and am very torn between doing the cicuit and the W. My question is for those that have done the entire circuit. Now if we get bad weather during the hike, and have to wait at John Gardner pass or something, we are going to have to skip Valle de Frances, and maye (although hope not) los Torres. Would those that have done the circuit say that these are the two best parts? i.e. if you could do the "W" OR a "short" circuit without those two legs, which would you choose? Our other option is to take the W easy, and say go to Valle del Silencio, do one of the other hikes in the park (laguna verde, laguna azul, Sarmiento etc.). Can anyone who has done any treks that are NOT in the circuit or the W comment on the quality of these? Are they worthwile, or just second to those views encountered in the circuit? Thanks in advance. Tom

I have only a short time at TDP--3 nights max in December. Can anyone give me a suggested itinerary--trekking routes and refugios to stay in? And is it necessary to book refugios in advance? I am coming from Calafate and will probably take one of the transports that take me directly to Guarderia Amarga. Thanks!

Hey! We're a couple of 27 year old girls not really experienced in trekking, so it was important for us to get your opinion on out trek plan. The trek is 4 days long: Day 1 - Departure from Puerto Natales in the morning, arriving at the park, going up to the torres observation spot and comming back to sleep in Torres Central. Day 2 - From Torres Central walk west to the Italian camp. Day 3 - From the Italian camp, to the French Valley, then south to Refugio Paine Grande. Day 4 - From Paine Grande to Glacier Grey, back, and then a ferry ride to Pudeto and bus to Natales on the same day. 1. Are the walking distances and times planned for each day reasonable? Including the bus transport? (According to the park map it looks like at most nine hours walking a day - does it makes sense to walk so much every day?) 2. We are considering whether to sleep in the lodges (really expensive!) or in a tent we'll hire from Natales. We never really slept in a tent before and we are afraid it will be too hard for us. What do you recommend? We thought we could sleep two nights in a tent and one night in a lodge? Thank you!

Do I need to pay in advance for meals at Refugios? We are uncertain about our exact hiking dates and don't want to have to rush from place to place if we feel like checking something out. Thanks Jeanette

We are a group of 6 that plan to hike the circuit in the beginning of December. Please add any hint you think usable. I know the weather is problematic. Is beginning of December worsens the problem? Regarding food, I heard in one place you have to carry it with you, at least for the non-W part. Still in another place they say you can buy it in the refuigios on the way (though it is expensive). Any information? which specific refugios has food to buy? Many thanks, Yaakov

I'll arrive from 12 - 18 April in P Arenas. I prefer to see Glacier (if possible without Trekking) but back to P Natales every day and only sight seeing (incl. to be close to the Glacier/iceberg of e.g. Grey, P Moreno, Balmaceda or Serrano). Is this a right way to spend 5 days in South patagonia? or should I take a trek? Thanks in advance. regards, William (Note: any special offer for tour package during April/Easter shoulder season)?

Looking to do the W circuit, or a version thereof, in March. However, Chileno, both refugio and campsite, is sold out for the entire month. My questions are: a) Can I get from Refugio Torre Norte up to the Torres lookout and back in a day's hike? I'm young and fit, but not an expert trekker. I would be prepared to leave very early to give myself plenty of daylight. b) If I can't do that, can I get far enough up the path to get a good view of the towers? c) Is there any alternative accommodation to Chileno? I'd be prepared to pay a reasonable sum. Say US$100. d) Given the recent fires, if I wanted to cut part of the circuit off, which bit would be wisest? Thanks.

Hi, I'm looking to do a multi-day group hiking trip through Torres del Paine and Fitzroy. Looking for something basic - nothing technical, moderate to strenuous hiking, 7-15 days. Travelling alone. Any recommendations on tour companies? Thanks a bunch!

My husband & I hope to visit Torres del Paine mid-January 2011 & are not sure what weather conditions/temperatures to expect. Is it "shorts & t-shirt" or "merino-wool-layers" weather? Would really appreciate any guidance. We also intend visiting Bariloche on same trip & equally confused as to appropriate attire. Thanks

Hello guys, We're going to be travelling to Chile in February and Torres del Paine is part of the itinerary - staying for 4 days. Altghough we're planning to do a few hikes, I was wondering if there's a driveable road through the park as well which allows you to stop at different points? I've read somewhere that there is a route where you enter the park from one place and go around it to exit through another entrance but I can't find any more details. Any suggestions??? thanks a lot!

My wife is blind. She hikes in lots of places and conditions. Her biggest challenge is trails with lots of rocks. Can anyone who has hiked TDP-W give an idea of the trail conditions? Obviously some of the trails will be rocky in some places but how much? Are certain sections of the W more rocky than others? How would you like doing it with your eyes closed?

Hello everyone, I'm planing a trip to TDP in the middle of January. Since this is the time when basically everyone is going there I was wondering what happens if you don't have a reservation for one of the campsites. Do they send you away? And where? I've read somewhere here, that it is recommended to book a camping spot in advance and I think I'm going to do that (or can I get a spot without that?), however how does it work with those campsites that work on a first come first serve basis? Do they also have limited space? And what happens if I'm standing in the middle of nowhere, not being allowed to camp in the wilderness and without a place to stay? Does anyone have experience with that? Thanks a lot for any help.

Hi everyone ! Do they sell hot food at the refugios in the 'W' trek?? Thank you =]

Quick ques. Is it allowed to light camp fires at campsites and refugios? Thank you. Andre

Hi everyone, i have a quiry about the camp sites in TDP "W" trek. Are all camp sites the same or are some worse than others [worse as in weather, terrain, altitude, popularity- is it full all the time, etc. I'm going end of year so it will be summer and im guessing theres going to be alot of people. I appreciate any help. Andre

Hi! We plan to visit TdP by rental car in late Sept. Because we are seniors, we cannot do much walking.. Is it still worth visiting TdP? Can I see most of the attractions from the road? Any advice where to stop and walk a bit? Thank you so much! Basia

Hi! I plan to visit Torres del Paine in mid September - we will visit the place by car. I have a few quick questions. 1. Lago Grey * how long is the boat trip? * what is the schedule? * where can I see the icebergs on the lake? do I have to go by boat to see them or I can see them from the shore on the southern side of the lake (where I can get by car)? 2. Lago Pehoe * can I start the boat trip from where the hotel is? * how long is the boat trip? * what is the schedule? * what interesting can I see if I take a boat? Thanks a million! Basia

I was wondering if there are toilet, eating and water facilities along the "w" trek. Thank you

Hi All I'm thinking about visiting Paine in early Sept since I will have a couple of weeks to kill around that time. I know it will be pretty cold, but I also heard the weather condition tends to be more stable than summer. My question would be: is Sept really a good time to hike Paine? will those refugios open? Thanks!!

I will be staying at Refugio Grey at the north end of Lago Grey, and I wish to travel to Hosteria Lago Grey at the south end of the lake. Is there a boat that I can take between these locations? Do you know the schedule and cost? The maps imply that the boat from Hosteria Lago Grey sail near the glacier face, but don't stop at the refugio.

According to internet directions and travel distances it would take about 8 hours to drive from Punta Aremas to Torres del Paine. Is that a reasonable assumption given road and other conditions. We will be traveling in a rental car in early March?

I have 3 nights to spend in Torres del Paines and am looking for some sort of tour that offers me a little treking and perhaps a little horseback riding. I am not an avid hiker so I am not looking for anything too intense but a chance to see some of the key sights in an interesting way (hiking, rafting, horseback riding, 4by4 all acceptable). Any suggestions? Looking to travel mid-March and would be coming from El Calafete

Hello to all the experienced people, Currently we are planning our travel to Chile in Februar 2011. We plan to stay for about a week in TdP and around Mt. Fitz Roy. My question to the community is for any suggestions about a 2 day hiking trip in this areas - this will be supplemented by dayhikes and some traveling around by rented car. This means that a long trekking tour -like the W- will be out of scope. Thanks for your ideas and recommendations on this, have a great day from Germany Hubert

A group (with children) will be driving to Torres del Paine. We will be hiking the W trail, starting at the Refugio Las Torres, and ending at Refugio Pehoe. We would like to take the boat across Lake Pehoe. My question is- FROM the boat, is there a way to get back to my car at Las Torres WITHOUT WALKING?? We will not be going through Puerto Natales, since we are coming from El Calafate. Thank you

Planning to hike full circuit in early December. Most itineraries plan for 9 nights, 10 days. We are very experienced hikers and cannot understand why Lonely Planet and others call for 10-15 km and 4-5 hours of hiking a day. This seems extremely mild. Does anyone know why this might be and if it can be done comfortably in a shorter time span? Thanks!

Is there mini bus travel between these two locations? Does regular bus make stop at Lago Pehoe camping site? Thanks.

Hi friedns, I plan staying in TDP park from Aug 30 until Sep 3, so almost end of winter... I'm very worried what we can and can not do during this time. So I put some question below: 1 - Can I do the whole W trail during these 5 days? 2 - Is the weather supportable? 3 - What am I supposed to bring? what kind of shoes, clothes, etc? 4 - Will the "Refugios" be opened? How can I contact them? 5 - Does the ferry on lake Grey work? 6 - Do you have contact info of Park administration? 7 - How long does the day (sun light) last this period? Thanks a lot for the help. Best regards, Alexandre