The Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) is a camelid native to South America that stands between 107 and 122 centimeters (3.5 and 4 feet) at the shoulder and weighs about 90 kg (200 lb). The color varies very little, ranging from a light brown to dark cinnamon and shading to white underneath. Guanacos have grey faces and small straight ears. They are extremely striking with their large, alert brown eyes, streamlined form, and energetic pace. The name Guanaco comes from the South American language Quechua word “huanaco”. Young guanacos are called chulengo(s).

After getting a chance to walk among a heard of guanacos we continued on our tour of the Easter Lakes to Lago Azul (aka The Blue Lagoon). Lago Azul provided us with a chance to look back at the mountain range where we had been trekking with the bright blue of the lagoon in the foreground. Since it was summer there were also patches of gorgeous pink and purple flowers that are indigenous to Patagonia that were in full bloom. Needless to say all the elements of the area added up to a great place to take some departing photos to remember our time in Torres del Paine National Park.

Read more about our trek in Patagonia:

• Patagonia Trek – Intro
• Patagonia Trek – Recommended Gear
• Patagonia Trek – Milodon Cave (Day 1)
• Patagonia Trek – Paso Los Cuernos (Day 2)
• Patagonia Trek – Valle del Frances (Day 3)
• Patagonia Trek – The Grey Glacier (Day 4)
• Patagonia Trek – The Towers (Day 5)
• Patagonia Trek – The Eastern Lakes (Day 6)

The trail was broken down into 3 sections (see route map). The first 1.5 hours of the ascent was rocky with vegetation close to the ground which leaves you pretty exposed to the elements. This portion ends when you cross the river at Refugio Chileno. From the refugio the next 2 hours of the ascent meanders through a lush forested area that is very similar to trails in the Cascade Mountain range outside of Seattle and other trails in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. You eventually exit the forest to enter a large boulder field which is when the trail becomes extremely sandy. You have to continue to climb through the boulder field for another hour before you reach the Mirador Las Torres lookout.

By the time we made it up to the lookout, The Towers were unfortunately completely hidden by clouds so instead of rejoicing at the wonderful vantage point the AllTrails Team celebrated the fact that we had successfully completed the Torres del Paine “W” Trek. Like completing any ascent, only half the work was done since there was still a long journey back down the mountain before Day 5 would be complete.

Read more about our trek in Patagonia:

• Patagonia Trek – Intro
• Patagonia Trek – Recommended Gear
• Patagonia Trek – Milodon Cave (Day 1)
• Patagonia Trek – Paso Los Cuernos (Day 2)
• Patagonia Trek – Valle del Frances (Day 3)
• Patagonia Trek – The Grey Glacier (Day 4)
• Patagonia Trek – The Towers (Day 5)
• Patagonia Trek – The Eastern Lakes (Day 6)

The trail from Refugio Paine Grande to the Grey Glacier lookout near Refugio Grey was pretty easy going. We headed up for the first hour and then made our way over the next few hours down towards the Lago Grey shore. Like the rest of the trek, this portion of the “W” trail offered some great views. One that especially stood out to me was our first glimpse of some small icebergs in Lago Grey that were giving off the brightest blue hue I’ve ever seen in nature.

As we came over the ridge at the Grey Glacier lookout the first thing that stuck me was just how massive the ice field behind the Grey Glacier was. Once we took in the glacier from the lookout we headed down to Refugio Grey and jumped on a boat to get a closer look. As you can see in the photos below seeing the glacier up close was truly awe inspiring.

After the boat trip we jumped in a van and headed back to EcoCamp which would serve as home base for the last couple days of the trek.

Read more about our trek in Patagonia:

• Patagonia Trek – Intro
• Patagonia Trek – Recommended Gear
• Patagonia Trek – Milodon Cave (Day 1)
• Patagonia Trek – Paso Los Cuernos (Day 2)
• Patagonia Trek – Valle del Frances (Day 3)
• Patagonia Trek – The Grey Glacier (Day 4)
• Patagonia Trek – The Towers (Day 5)
• Patagonia Trek – The Eastern Lakes (Day 6)

Most of the morning we were hiking on an upward sloping ridge next to a river aptly named Rio del Frances that serves as the main waterway for all the melt water from the glacier. About 1.5 miles into Valle del Frances the trail opened up to offer a spectacular view of the glacier.

It was also at this point that we started noticing the periodic rumbling and rushing of snow caused by frequent avalanches coming down the glacier into the valley. From this point we ventured deeper into the valley another 1.5 hours (round trip). While the higher vantage point did offer a slightly different view of the glacier and terrain you could probably forgo this portion of the hike if you wanted to cut down the length of the day.

After a quick stop we retraced our steps back down the valley to begin our 5 hour hike to Refugio Paine Grande. Once out of Valle del Frances we crossed Rio del Frances at which point the trail flattened out and started meandering around Lago Skottsberg through light forest and meadows . A little over 10 hours after leaving Los Cuernos Refugio earlier that morning we made one last stop 2 miles out from the next refugio. At that point a handful of us including our guide decided to break into a run and race to Refugio Paine Grande. Needless to say our guide beat us pretty handily covering the remaining distance in 18 minutes with a 50 lbs pack on his back while it took the rest of us 23 minutes even though all we were carrying were our daypacks. The rest of our group staggered in at around 45 minutes which was still a very respectable time considering the length of the day.

To give you some more details on Refugio Paine Grande, it offers 2 different accommodation options: hostel or camping. We stayed in the hostel which was a step up from our accommodations at Los Cuernos Refugio. One advantage Refugio Paine Grande has is that it is able to get supplies via boat which definitely showed in its construction. To be honest it felt much more like a hotel than a hostel. The price of food and drinks was also cheaper than the previous night and they even offer a small convenience store where you could buy necessary food supplies.

Read more about our trek in Patagonia:

• Patagonia Trek – Intro
• Patagonia Trek – Recommended Gear
• Patagonia Trek – Milodon Cave (Day 1)
• Patagonia Trek – Paso Los Cuernos (Day 2)
• Patagonia Trek – Valle del Frances (Day 3)
• Patagonia Trek – The Grey Glacier (Day 4)
• Patagonia Trek – The Towers (Day 5)
• Patagonia Trek – The Eastern Lakes (Day 6)

Los Cuernos Refugio offers 3 different accommodation options: cabins, hostel, or camping. We stayed in the hostel which was more than adequate since it had running water, hot showers, and a dinning area where you could pay for breakfast, dinner, & other refreshments. Since the refugio is in the middle of nowhere everything has to be brought in by porters which fully justifies the $5 they charge for a single beer.

One thing to note if you’re considering hiking Torres del Paine, you can drink water straight from the stream without needing to add any tablets. The water in the local streams is basically melt water from the glaciers that is very well filtered by the rocks on its way down the mountain. Everyone in our 14 person group drank glacier water almost exclusively without any ill effects. If you’re heading to Torres del Paine don’t worry about stocking up on water or water tablets for that matter since you can simply fill up at one of the many streams to keep yourself hydrated.

Read more about our trek in Patagonia:

• Patagonia Trek – Intro
• Patagonia Trek – Recommended Gear
• Patagonia Trek – Milodon Cave (Day 1)
• Patagonia Trek – Paso Los Cuernos (Day 2)
• Patagonia Trek – Valle del Frances (Day 3)
• Patagonia Trek – The Grey Glacier (Day 4)
• Patagonia Trek – The Towers (Day 5)
• Patagonia Trek – The Eastern Lakes (Day 6)

While we were all pretty anxious to start the trek we made a quick stop at Cueva del Milodón which was fascinating. According to our guide, the Milodon was thought to have inhabited Patagonia as recently as 5,000 years ago but has since become extinct. According to Wikipedia:

The monument (Cueva del Milodón) is notable for the discovery in 1896 of skin, bones and other parts of a giant ground sloth called Mylodon (Mylodon darwini). The remains of a Mylodon that had walked throughout Patagonia is still visible today.

After we hit the road again it was another 2 hours before we arrived at Torres del Paine National Park which was renamed in 1970 after its most notable feature, Torres del Paine, or the 3 tower rock formation located at the very center of the park.

The first thing that really hit me about Patagonia was the high winds which the region is known for. Gusts of what must have been up to 50 mph made everyone realize that we didn’t overpack and that we in fact had brought the right gear for the trek. On a related note, if you are considering a trek during winter you’ll be happy to know that there is supposed to be very little wind that time of year which makes it slightly more pleasant.

After arriving into the park the first obstacle we hit was a small bridge that required us to get out of our vehicle and walk across. This prompted me to create a new personal rule – Don’t trust bridges that require people and vehicles to cross them separately. This proved to be the first of many crossings that all went smoothly so I guess the bridge can’t be too bad.

After another short drive in the park we arrived at the EcoCamp where we were staying the night. For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to stay in an EcoDome, I would equate it to staying in a very sturdy canvas tent (in a good way). Each dome was more than enough space for two people and provided plenty of shelter from the elements. For me personally the domes were a major upgrade from the tents and huts I had stayed in on previous treks. In retrospect the one additional feature the EcoDomes could have used was a cover to block the clear window panels since there were almost 19 hours of sunlight in Patagonia during our time there (in early January) with the sun rising at 4:30am and setting at 11:30pm. After a long day of traveling we settled in for a good night’s sleep before setting off on our 65 km (39 mi) trek early the next day.

Read more about our trek in Patagonia:

• Patagonia Trek – Intro
• Patagonia Trek – Recommended Gear
• Patagonia Trek – Milodon Cave (Day 1)
• Patagonia Trek – Paso Los Cuernos (Day 2)
• Patagonia Trek – Valle del Frances (Day 3)
• Patagonia Trek – The Grey Glacier (Day 4)
• Patagonia Trek – The Towers (Day 5)
• Patagonia Trek – The Eastern Lakes (Day 6)

Like any outdoors activity you should be prepared by bringing the right equipment and layering your clothes to ensure you’re protected from the elements. If you are considering doing the Torres del Paine “W” Trek or another similar trek in Patagonia we recommend bringing the following gear:

Underwear

• Regular underwear. Synthetics are easier to wash and dry.
• Synthetic thermal underwear. You need a lightweight long underwear top and bottom of a polyester-type fabric. Wool and wool/synthetic blends are also suitable.

Shirts

• Long-sleeved, synthetic or wool shirt.
• Short-sleeved synthetic or cotton/synthetic T-shirts.

Sweater/Jacket

• Medium-weight sweater or jacket of synthetic fabric, such as fleece.
• Medium-weight down or synthetic-fill jacket (10-12 oz. of down or 15-20 oz. of fiberfill).

Trousers

• Full-length pants, preferably of quick-drying synthetic fabric.
• Hiking shorts, preferably of quick-drying synthetic fabric.
• Pile/fleece pants, ideal for around camp.

Headwear

• Sun hat with wide brim, preferably with a chinstrap to keep it from blowing off.
• Bandanna. It will keep your neck from getting sunburned and can double as a hand towel.
• Wool or pile hat or ski cap.

Bad Weather Gear

• Gore-Tex rain/wind parka (must fit over bulky clothing).
• Gore-Tex rain/wind pants, preferably with full-length side zipper (must fit over your other pants).
• (optional) Sturdy poncho to protect daypack and camera gear from rain.

Hands

• Gloves or mitts (wool or pile).
• Waterproofed shell gloves or mitts.

Socks

• Medium weight synthetic socks.
• Athletic socks (synthetic for easy washing and drying) that are suitable for the shoes you’ll be wearing while in towns.
• Inner socks (synthetic) that can be washed and dried quickly.

Footwear

• Medium-weight, all leather, sturdy hiking boots with padded ankle, good arch support, and a lug sole traction. Your hiking boots should be waterproofed, well broken in, and suitable for prolonged walking on rocky terrain and possibly snow.
• Running shoes or Nike hiking shoes are NOT appropriate for trekking in Patagonia.

Underwear

• Regular underwear. Synthetics are easier to wash and dry.
• Synthetic thermal underwear. You need a lightweight long underwear top and bottom of a polyester-type fabric. Wool and wool/synthetic blends are also suitable.

Shirts

• Long-sleeved, synthetic or wool shirt.
• Short-sleeved synthetic or cotton/synthetic T-shirts.

Sweater/Jacket

• Medium-weight sweater or jacket of synthetic fabric, such as fleece.
• Medium-weight down or synthetic-fill jacket (10-12 oz. of down or 15-20 oz. of fiberfill).

Trousers

• Full-length pants, preferably of quick-drying synthetic fabric.
• Hiking shorts, preferably of quick-drying synthetic fabric.
• Pile/fleece pants, ideal for around camp.

Headwear

• Sun hat with wide brim, preferably with a chinstrap to keep it from blowing off.
• Bandanna. It will keep your neck from getting sunburned and can double as a hand towel.
• Wool or pile hat or ski cap.

Bad Weather Gear

• Gore-Tex rain/wind parka (must fit over bulky clothing).
• Gore-Tex rain/wind pants, preferably with full-length side zipper (must fit over your other pants).
• (optional) Sturdy poncho to protect daypack and camera gear from rain.

Hands

• Gloves or mitts (wool or pile).
• Waterproofed shell gloves or mitts.

Socks

• Medium weight synthetic socks.
• Athletic socks (synthetic for easy washing and drying) that are suitable for the shoes you’ll be wearing while in towns.
• Inner socks (synthetic) that can be washed and dried quickly.

Footwear

• Medium-weight, all leather, sturdy hiking boots with padded ankle, good arch support, and a lug sole traction. Your hiking boots should be waterproofed, well broken in, and suitable for prolonged walking on rocky terrain and possibly snow. Running shoes or Nike hiking shoes are NOT appropriate for this trip.

Read more about our trek in Patagonia:

• Patagonia Trek – Intro
• Patagonia Trek – Recommended Gear
• Patagonia Trek – Milodon Cave (Day 1)
• Patagonia Trek – Paso Los Cuernos (Day 2)
• Patagonia Trek – Valle del Frances (Day 3)
• Patagonia Trek – The Grey Glacier (Day 4)
• Patagonia Trek – The Towers (Day 5)
• Patagonia Trek – The Eastern Lakes (Day 6)

Back to the trek. Including friends, the group included 14 people in total so while researching different treks it was important to make sure that no one was out of their ability or comfort zone. Ultimately the group decided on doing a 7-day W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park which is one of the most popular routes in Patagonia and includes views of Los Cuernos, Valle Frances, The Grey Glacier, Las Torres (The Towers) and the Eastern lakes. The route map below shows how the overall trek breaks down by day:

Read more about our trek in Patagonia:

• Patagonia Trek – Intro
• Patagonia Trek – Recommended Gear
• Patagonia Trek – Milodon Cave (Day 1)
• Patagonia Trek – Paso Los Cuernos (Day 2)
• Patagonia Trek – Valle del Frances (Day 3)
• Patagonia Trek – The Grey Glacier (Day 4)
• Patagonia Trek – The Towers (Day 5)
• Patagonia Trek – The Eastern Lakes (Day 6)

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