The more challenging 8day o trek winds along the northern side of the massif, crosses the john gardner pass and then takes in all the attractions of the w trek. Torres del paine w trek complete guide updated 2020. Hey there, my husband and i will have 4 nights in the tdppunta arenas region in january. Nov 22, 2019 the w trek takes in the southern half of the paine massif exploring the stunning grey glacier, the gorgeous french valley and drum roll las torres. The grey glacier is located in the torres del paine national park and it is part of the southern ice fields. One of the highlights of the park for us was seeing and hiking glacier grey, one of the regions smallest glaciers at 270 square kilometers and receding rapidly each year. Torres del paine has long been worldrenowned for its beauty and is chiles most popular national park, which means it also has topnotch infrastructure. Grey glacier hike in torres del paine sling adventures. We took the bus from puerto natales, arriving at the park at 9. Me, looking out of glacier grey in torres del paine national park. Book campsites beforehand and bring a printed booking confirmation. The iconic grey glacier with your feet firmly on dryland having crossed the scenic lake pehoe from the pudeto dock, youll head out towards the western part of the torres del paine national park. Hiking the torres del paine the daily adventures of me.
Parque nacional torres del paine hiking and climbing. From our base camp located in torres del paine, we go in a zodiac boat for 15 minutes until we reach the west side of the grey glacier. Details of this experience go back to simpler times and forget that modern day society exists. Night 1 refugio grey get the bus to the park and then ferry read more about the ferry below to the start of the trail. It is adjacent to the grey lake, where the pieces of ice that come off from the glacier float. Torres del paine is even more spectacular in person than the photos youve. Hiking in patagonia nomadasaurus adventure travel blog. Everything else can stay in the van that you arrived in. In 1996, it occupied a total area of 270 km 2 100 sq mi and a length of 28 km 17 mi.
The shameless selfregard on the day where the trail finally joins up with the dear diary, i still. Torres del paine granite towers, refugio chileno, hotel las torres. From the lago grey hotel, we arrive in minutes at the pingo river where we cross its. While you will still need to book campsites with directly with conaf, vertice. Torres del paine national park spans over 180,000 hectares and lies 112 km north of the coastal city. It may not look like it, but this glacier is indeed the biggest one in torres del paine park 6 kilometers wide and to reach it, we passed the. Nasa grey glacier, torres del paine national park, chile. It is most famous for the w trek, but dig deeper and youll find this is the perfect place to experience this region at its wildest and most remote. Glacier grey as a day trip torres del paine, chile life. Torres del paine national park trail trek patagonia chile. Lago grey trail hiking trail, puerto natales, chile. Grey glacier is a great day hike in the torres del paine national park.
Winding in a w shape from one end of the paine massif mountains to the other, the trek takes hikers past some of the regions best sights. Please note that you must book your place in the campsite well in advance. Spend four days walking through stunning landscapes surrounding grey glacier, french valley, and the imposing three towers. The o circuit in torres del paine is about exploring the remote, everchanging landscapes of the patagonian backcountry. Torres del paine the w trek in chile, south america g. And one of the most spectacular hikes you can do there is a thrilling ice hike on glacier grey with bigfoot patagonia, the only licensed vendor in torres del paine. Torres del paine national park, with its iconic granite towers, is one of the most popular destinations in patagonia. Hiking the torres del paine w circuit patagonia day 2. Oct 19, 2018 after deciding to trek in torres del paine your next step is to decide which trek to do, the w trek or the o circuit. Hiking in torres del paine swoop patagonias trekking guide. This is the best guide to the torres del paine w trek and circuit treks. After deciding to trek in torres del paine your next step is to decide which trek to do, the w trek or the o circuit. Keep hiking toward the glacier through sometimes dense forests to refugio grey. Winding in a w shape from one end of the paine massif mountains to the other, the trek takes hikers past some of the regions.
Jettisoned icebergs are dispersed across the lake by frigid katabatic winds. The torres del paine w trek is the worlds best multiday trek without high altitudes, according to lonely planet. For a quieter perspective, some offthebeatentrack hikes also offer beautiful views from different directions, making them some of the most interesting. Discover the 5 days torres del paine w trek and live the authentic patagonia. This blog will explore the similarities and difference between the two treks so that you can choose which one is the best fit for your patagonian adventure. The ice hike lasts 5 hours and there are departures in the morning and afternoon from november until march. Heres a quick sixday trip thats simply perfect as an addon to other patagonian adventures. Below us lay the eightmile expanse of grey glacier spread out like an icy sea. The complete guide to the w trek in torres del paine, chile stingy. Grey glacier in the torres del paine national park, patagonia heiko beyerrobert harding a trail of luminous blue icebergs in the milky lake below our path gave clues as to the sight that was to come a magical, jagged river of ice spilling forth from misty mountains. Jun 17, 2016 if youre planning to visit chiles famous national park torres del paine, hiking is probably high on your list.
Grey glacier, torres del paine national park, chile 06. The complete guide to hiking in torres del paine, chile. How to hike the torres del paine w trek without a tour 20192020. There is a conaf office in puerto natales where you can book free. People with bad knees or other physical difficulties should not select this activity. Hiking to refugio grey, passing by different viewpoints overlooking the lake and the glacier. Then, as you hike day five and come over the john garner pass, you see the huge and stunning lago grey glacier below. We did it as a day hike, which was tough but absolutely doable.
May 18, 2015 day 2 of my 5 day hike of the w circuit in the torres del paine national park took us back the same route as the prior day but on reverse. All you need to know about hiking in torres del paine, chile. How to hike the o circuit in torres del paine travel outlandish. It is cold, but we forget about it in the company of other tourists who also want to meet the giant. Mirador base torres, mirador britanico, valle frances and glaciar grey. Besides grey glacier, highlights include the vividly blue lake pehoe, encircled by mountains. Moderate, but participants must be in good physical shape. Ultimate guide to torres del paine national park chile. How to prepare for hiking in torres del paine, chile back. Nearly three decades ago, under a military dictatorship, chile attracted few foreign visitors, and hiking torres del paine was a solitary experience. Hiking through the french valley, torres del paine.
Glacier grey as a day trip torres del paine, chile. Only one company holds the concession to operate ice hiking on glacier grey, which means that groups are between 2 people to 10 people max. The park has superb hiking infrastructure with exceptionally maintained trails along with campsites and refuges at regular intervals. Parque nacional torres del paine hiking and climbing moon. Incredible day hike in torres del paine laidback trip. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and backpacking and is best used from october until may. You can learn more about the trekking routes in torres del paine in more detailhere. Torres del paine s w trek is celebrated by active travellers globally as one of the most scenic treks anywhere. Apr 26, 2018 hiking to grey glacier in torres del paine is for many a bucket list adventure. The famous rock formations steal the show in the national park. The first day is a long one but all you need is a day pack. Ive sworn to return one day to complete the below torres del paine hiking trails in full.
The complete guide to hiking in torres del paine, chile stingy. The o circuit starts out in the rugged backcountry and joins up with w so you dont have to miss highlights like glacier grey, valle del frances, and obviously las torres. Glacier grey is a favorite amongst visitors to torres del paine national park. It may not look like it, but this glacier is indeed the biggest one in torres del paine park 6 kilometers wide and to reach it, we passed the pingo river and endure strong winds in some of the sections. Want to know how to book the campsites mentioned in this itinerary. On this trek well enjoy long days on the trail taking in all of the postcard moments of torres del paine national park in chile. Jettisoned icebergs are dispersed across the lake by frigid katabatic winds which hurtle down from the southern patagonian icefield. The best time to travel to patagonia for this trek is during octobermarch. Hikers on the torres del paine w trek, patagonia with views across glacier grey. This glacier grey ice hiking experience is a one of a kind adventure, only torres del paine can offer. On my swoop recce to torres del paine i spent an afternoon ice hiking on glacier grey.
They are some of the best hiking trails on the continent, if not the world. And after making a few financial considerations we returned to the black sand beach surrounding grey lake for the boat that would take us to the glacier which each year disappears in a slow goodbye. Continue to the notoriously windy grey lookout, where you get an excellent view of grey glacier. If youre planning to visit chiles famous national park torres del paine, hiking is probably high on your list. Climbing a scree field up to the john garner pass to reveal the 6km expanse of glacier grey. Torres del paine gets its name from three soaring granite towers, best seen from a lookout point visited on both the w trek and o circuit, and you can also trek up on a day hike. Torres del paine w circuit magallanes, chile alltrails. On arrival, we will disembark on the island at the glacier. How to hike the w in torres del paine trekking guide. Refugio paine grande hikers trekking multiday w or o trek need to book. Everything you need to know to trek patagonias torres del paine. Grey glacier is in torres del paine national park, and no matter if you plan on staying in puerto natales and travel forth and back every day or if you are going to stay in one of the few lodges within the park, you need to get to the park anyway. A oneday hike to grey glacier was challenging but also our favorite trek. The heavier the pack the heavier the boot, simple, if you are camping and carrying all your gear, a twisted ankle on the back side would be a hassle, if you have a down sleeping bag and are only staying in refugios, trail shoes are fine.
Grey glacier is a glacier in the southern patagonian ice field, just west of the cordillera del paine. This mighty glacier forks like a snake tongue as it reaches the edge of the magnificent grey lake. Patagonia trek torres del paine chile mountain guides. Therefore, you need to stay overnight at grey camping and refugio and hike back to. Guidebook to trekking chiles 1011 day torres del paine circuit in patagonia. Incredible day hikes in the torres del paine national park. Day 3 trekking to grey breakfast at the cafeteria and box lunch pick up.
Puerto natales bus pudeto ferry paine grande grey glacier, 11km6,8 miles. Torres del paines w trek is celebrated by active travellers globally as one of the most scenic treks anywhere. Before dividing in two at its front end, the glacier is 6 kilometers wide and over 30 meters high. Day 2 of my 5 day hike of the w circuit in the torres del paine national park took us back the same route as the prior day but on reverse. We spent a month recently discovering the incredibly huge and long country of chile and only a week of that was spent in torres del paine national park. The geology at torres del paine national park is unique because there is such a clear distinction between the granite and sedimentary rocks. View of the grey glacier from john gardner pass on the o circuit in torres del paine where to stay before and after hiking if youre planning to do day hikes in the park the best option is to stay inside the park or in one of the nearby places, itll save you a lot of time compared to staying in puerto natales and spending 45 hours every. How to hike the o circuit in torres del paine travel. The w trek takes in the southern half of the paine massif exploring the stunning grey glacier, the gorgeous french valley and drum roll las torres. From puerto natales, you need to take a regular everyday bus to torres del paine. The best views, though, come from the w trail along the north shore of lago nordenskjold, between hosteria las torres and lago pehoe. Nov 14, 2019 view of the grey glacier from john gardner pass on the o circuit in torres del paine where to stay before and after hiking if youre planning to do day hikes in the park the best option is to stay inside the park or in one of the nearby places, itll save you a lot of time compared to staying in puerto natales and spending 45 hours every. While the trek alone is challenging enough, the real contest.
Typically glaciers will grind away any sedimentary rocks leaving only the granite for us to appreciate, but in this case, there is still a clear layer of. Mirador grey grey viewpoint provides an excellent viewing platform across grey lake and is the most popular place from which to see the impressive glacier. Grey glacier is different from serrano its the edge of a huge icecap, and icebergs calve into the lago grey, which is large. Highlights iconic view of the torres themselves and seeing glacier grey in all its glory. Its such great activity and id recommend everyone doing a trek in torres del paine should add it to their itinerary.
Ice hike glacier grey torres del paine by experience chile. With its abundance of stunning scenery, torres del paine national park is one of chiles mostvisited attractions, despite its remote location. We were at the entrance for an hour because everyone needs to buy tickets, watch a safety video, and then if needed get back on the bus. Hiking to grey glacier in torres del paine is for many a bucket list adventure. Aug 11, 2016 guidebook to trekking chiles 1011 day torres del paine circuit in patagonia. Glacier grey ice hike october to april torresdelpaine. Visit grey glacier in torres del paine national park. The w trek on torres del paine leads hikers along the side of lago grey.
473 1349 81 572 1512 57 469 885 442 418 263 1457 445 847 834 72 971 164 983 1164 1427 126 999 1121 1119 1072 775 611 271 1448 301 283