Quick Overview
Because we are doing our journey by RV, we are not doing either the W or O treks in Torres del Paine. Instead we are doing each part of the W as a day hike out and back- so we start with the Mirador del Torres, then the Grey Glacier, then the French Valley. Trying to do the entire treks while dealing with the RV- leaving it behind, then trying to get back to it- would have been a logistical nightmare. While I’m sure we missed a lot of beautiful sights, we also appreciated a good bed, a dry warm place to spend the night and the ability to cook our meals. Plus we were able to set our own schedule and see other parts of the park we would not have seen on a trek or tour. Not that any way is better than another, but there are a lot of sites dedicated to hiking TDP, and very few about exploring it by RV.
Nov 4 – Day 11 – Mirador Cóndor/Salto Grandes/ Cuernos
Mirador Cóndor – View trail on OpenStreetMap
Length- 3km (1.8m) roundtrip
Difficulty- Medium/Hard
Salto Grandes/Cuernos – View trail on OpenStreetMap
Length- 6.5km (4m) roundtrip
Difficulty- Easy
We woke up to rain and fog, but as we had breakfast it quickly cleared and gave us a stunning rainbow that sat low against the mountain beside us- we took that as a good omen for our trip. We headed into the park, had our ticket scanned and as we began to wander around the visitors center the ranger told us we had to go “ahorita, right now”. It turns out there was a running race being held and if we didn’t go now, the road would be blocked by runners. Since Melinda is a retired triathlete and trailrunner I tried to convince her to join in…while she admitted the t-shirt would be pretty cool, and hard to get given the remote location of the race, she would rather spend her time sightseeing and hiking instead of running. So we hopped into the RV and made it up the road just before the race started.
The weather turned gray and rainy and windy as we went – you’ll need to get used to these quick weather changes- and we wanted to start slowly on our first day and get a feel for the place, so we decided to do a couple of short hikes near the waterfall Salto Grande. Our first hike was Mirador Condor, which was short but very steep- not helped by the rain, snow and driving wind! As we went over the pass that led to the top was a sign- “Fuertes Vientos” or strong wind…and that was no joke. The wind we had already experienced thus far was nothing compared to what came through that mountain pass- very intense! But the top gave us a gorgeous 360 view of what we would be seeing and hiking for the next 5 days and was well worth it! As we headed back down the trail a large bird landed on a limb right beside us and was un-phased by us being less than 5 feet away. We didn’t know what it was at the time (a carracarra) nor did we know that at that moment, we started becoming birders….
From there it was a short drive over to Salto Grande, which had even more wind, but is an incredible waterfall, with 1000’s of gallons of glacier water pouring over it every second. The waterfall hike is on the way to Mirador Cuernos (the Horns), so we headed out that way. It’s a pretty easy hike, and not terribly long, but the payoff is very high- a great view of these mountains. I’d suggest that if you aren’t a strong hiker and don’t want to take on the harder hikes, this one is both relatively easy and well worth doing, so don’t miss it. Of course if you are a good hiker, it’s still one of the best hikes and perhaps under rated.
That night we stayed at the Laguna Amarga ranger station, just off Ruta Y-156. At first we pulled in just below the station itself but before we got settled in a ranger came down and pointed to a spot down the hill which was where the designated camping spot was- that was fine with us, the view was much better! We were camped alongside a river with clear view of Mount Almirante Nieto and the Torres del Paine. Plus we were on the road that would lead us to the Torres hike the next day. With a bottle of Argentinian Malbec and some pesto tortellini, we settled in for the night.
Nov 5 – Day 12 – Stars/Mirador Las Torres
Mirador Las Torres – View trail on OpenStreetMap.
Length- 20km (12.4m) roundtrip from the hotel. More like 14m from parking lot
Difficulty- Hard
I awoke at 4 am and realized the sky was completely clear- and being in one of the darkest skies in the world we both got up to take in the brilliant majesty of the stars. The Milky Way and the Southern Cross were both easily seen, as well as so many constellations we don’t get to see in the Northern Hemisphere- it made me wish I knew them better, and that I had brought a real tripod to do astrophotography. I’ve always been blown away by stars in a truly dark setting and this was a trip highlight for me…and a very humbling experience. Seeing the stars over the mountains inspired me, and I was not able to go back to sleep, so I kept looking out the camper window to see when the sun would hit the mountains perfectly… at about 6:15 I jumped out of bed and said “I’ve got to go, now” and Melinda thought I needed to get up for the bathroom, but I had other priorities- mainly one of the most beautiful sunrises I had ever seen!
Our goal for the day was the Mirador Las Torres, and the weather was spectacular so we headed out. The gravel road heading there is very rough and barely 2 cars wide- less in some places. That doesn’t stop the buses from going really fast through blind curves so be very cautious! And speaking of cautious, we had our single bad incident on our way to the base of the hike. As we went around a curve we came face to face with a road grader, doing what he could to smooth the rough road. The machine took up most of the road, and the pile of gravel he made in the center took up the rest. Obviously I had to stop, and quickly realized I needed to back up so we could negotiate around each other. What I didn’t see in my side view mirrors was a small car that had stopped very close behind me, and no sooner had I started in reverse I heard a horn and a crunch- I had backed Ferdinand the RV into the hood of a car! We all got out and surveyed the damage- not too bad, but I had no idea how to handle an insurance claim in a foreign country with no police around to document it. Melinda pointed out we were all headed to the same place and we were starting to hold up traffic, so we all headed to the parking lot of the hotel. When we go there we chatted and came up with what both he and I considered a fair price (in US dollars) for the other driver to get his car fixed. We shook hands, and I wanted to make sure he was cool with everything so I asked “amigos?” and he responded “si, friends”, so I felt like we were both happy with how it turned out- it would have been better if it hadn’t happened at all, but considering the circumstances it turned out just fine. So, as a rule of thumb, always carry some cash with you, it can get you out of some sticky situations!
Once all of that had been settled we headed up the trail. Mirador Las Torres is roughly a 21km/13m roundtrip hike. This is a tough trek- the first 1/3 is fairly easy, you start with a walk along the river, then up a rocky trail- rough and a constant climb but not steep. The next 1/3 takes you through a very windy pass, through some woods and past a refugio where there is water and a bathroom. They charge for bathroom access, 1000 Chilean pesos, so it is wise to bring some cash just in case you need it. They also sell beer and food but we didn’t buy anything there, I’d assume it would be fairly pricey given its location.
The final 1/3 of the hike, especially the last 2km, is extremely difficult. The trail is very steep, at times you are simply climbing from one rock to another and part of the trail is through a small creek running down the rocks. We are both in good shape, and very experienced hikers and this part of the trail was one of the most technical and tiring hikes we’ve ever done. Keep in mind we are 57 years old, so even as fit and experienced as we are, we simply don’t move as fast as we used to and the younger people breezed past us. Over the past year or so I’ve also become a trekking pole hiker, they save a lot of abuse on my knees and allow me to hike longer and with less difficulty- but I still go downhill slower than I used to. We weren’t the oldest people out there by any stretch, but the difficulty level needs to be considered, especially for older hikers. There are still lots of good views and hikes even without making it to the top, so don’t let it stop you from going!
But once you make it to the top, it is truly stunning. The lake was mostly frozen when we were there, but those peaks rising out of it were just amazing. We were amused by all the instagram photos being taken and framed in a way to make it look like they are all alone in this magnificent place, but in reality you are always there with 60-100 people, and probably twice that in the summer months. And for the “instagrammable” locations, there is a line of people just waiting their turn. But crowds or not this is an amazing place and we were happy just to soak it all in for a while!
The hike back was a bit slower- again, I have to protect my knees so I just go at a speed I can do safely. I’d rather be slow and be able to hike again then try to go beyond my comfort zone. We made it down fine, tired but not overly so and celebrated with a cold beer at the bottom. We may or may not have bought a bird identification card here… not that we are becoming birders or anything!
We decided to spend the night at Camp Pehoe, one of the paid campgrounds within the park. We wanted a hot shower and spent 30,000 pesos ($15 per person) for water that attempted to be lukewarm but never quite got there. The lights in the bath house weren’t working and the day was nearing dusk it was a dark, chilly and fairly unpleasant experience. The baths were not crowded so it was not clear why we had no hot water, we had heard it was a good place with hot showers. Anyway, our experience was not great and we would have been better off with some wipes and camping in the same place we had the night before… but at least we were cleaner!
Nov 6 – Day 13 – Grey Glacier
Grey Glacier- View trail on OpenStreetMap
Length- depends on which viewpoint either 24km or 31km (15 or 19 miles) roundtrip
Difficulty- Medium
We have built in some recovery/weather days as we go along, so after the big Torres hike we opted to do the Grey Lodge boat tour of the Grey Glacier, instead of the hike. That way we have a chance to rest after Mirador Torres. At $105 per person, it is not cheap, but it was a nice way to see the glacier and gave us some recovery time from yesterday’s big hike. Getting to the boat is a 30ish minute hike from the Grey Largo Hotel, across the beach and onto the boat. It is flat and windy (of course) but easy enough. Once you’re on the boat you see all the views you would see if you did the W hike up there, plus you then navigate as close to the glacier as the boat can get. We had a beautiful day for sightseeing, and the cruise serves delicious pisco sours while on board, so not a bad way to see the glacier.
The other option to see Grey Glacier is to take the Pudeto catamaran (this is NOT the Grey glacier tour boat) over to the Paine Refugio/Campground, then do the hike up to the Refugio Grey , this would be the western leg of the W hike. If you stay at the Refugio Grey you can also take the ice hike with Bigfoot Tours- we were unclear about this when we were planning, but basically there is no combination of catamaran schedule and ice hike schedule that will let you do this in one day, so an overnight stay is required, and the only place to stay is Refugio Grey. Once we were in the park and figured all of this out, the Grey Refugio was completely booked, not to mention we had no camping gear. But the tour boat ride was, for us, a completely cool and easy way to do that part of the W hike. If you want to actually hike it, so you can say you hiked the whole W trek, but also want to the see the glacier from a boat you can take the above mentioned Pudeto catamaran over to Paine Refugio, hike up the W trail to Refugio Grey, then catch the tour boat we were on back to the Grey Lodge. That might be the best of both worlds as you get to do the hike, see the glacier and ride back in comfort.. Plus, you know, pisco sours.
Once we got back from the trip we decided to warm up in the Grey Lodge Bar with an Irish coffee, fruit torte and an amazing view. We drove back to Los Cuernos and thought about camping that night in the parking area there but it was far too windy for a good night’s sleep, so we moved down the hill a bit and we spent the night overlooking Lago Pehoé , in the parking area for the Pudeto catamaran. We were hiking the Valle Frances (French Valley) the next day, so all we’d have to do in the morning is get in line for the catamaran to take us to the trailhead.
Nov 7 – Day 14 – Vallis Frances
Valle Francés/Mirador Frances- View trail on OpenStreetMap
Length- 18.5km (11.5m)
Difficulty- Medium-Hard
Continuing to Mirador Británico– additional 7km (4.3m) but 3 hours hiking
Difficulty- Hard
The catamaran that takes you to Paine Refugio and Vallis Frances cost 27,000 CLP ($30 USD) per person, for a one way ticket. They will only accept cash (CLP, not USD) when you get on the boat; there are no advance tickets sold. Departure times vary depending on the season and you can find them here– but make sure you arrive at least 30 minutes early as the line forms fast. Remember, unless you have a campsite booked at Paine campground you will also need to get back on the ferry in the evening so make sure you plan your hike accordingly. I was perhaps too cautious on our hike, as I did not want to miss the boat, but we made it back in plenty of time. There are cafes on both sides of the catamaran trip, so food and drink is available here.
One of the great things about RV travel anywhere, but especially in remote areas, is the ability to get up, make your breakfast, coffee and lunch and then start your day- no messing around trying to find food, hoping you get served in time to make your bus out to the catamaran. After our spectacular sunrise and leisurely breakfast we walked 100 meters to the boat ramp and we were one of the first people in line. The boat ride is about 30 minutes and takes us past Salto Grande before dropping us off at at the dock of Paine Refugio.
As far as we were concerned, this was just a nice hike. Because we didn’t have a camping reservation, we did not have time to make it to Mirador Británico and back to the boat- not that it would have mattered too much, by the time we made it to Mirador Frances we were in heavy fog with rain and a little snow. Mirador Británico is the beauty part of this hike, but only when the weather cooperates. So while the hike is pretty, after the dramatic Mirador Torres it was a bit underwhelming- although we admit our opinion might have changed had we been able to go to Mirador Británico.
Nov 8 – Day 15 – Laguna Azul
Laguna Azul –View trail on OpenStreetMap.
Length- 20km (12.4m)
Difficulty- Easy
Today was an easy hike around Laguna Azul. When the clouds broke there was a nice view of the Towers off in the distance. The trail is relatively flat and there is a cafe at the Kau Laguna Azul campground. We had planned on spending the night there, but the road to the motorhome parking area was closed. We did take advantage of their hot showers- after our last chilling experience we confirmed they were hot before paying- we were told that the men’s shower had much better water pressure, but we were both welcome to use it- so we did! The shower was 3000 CLP per person, but the water was hot and the pressure was just fine, so it was money well spent. It was late afternoon and we had no other hikes planned so we drove back to Cascada Paine, opened a bottle of wine in the cab of the truck (since it had much better views) and just soaked it all in. It was interesting to see how many tours stopped there, let everyone off to take some pictures, then 15 minutes later the guide would herd everyone back on the van and off they would go- just another reason why we enjoyed the RV so much- the ability to slow down and do things at our own pace is just fantastic.
As dinner time rolled around we moved back into the camper, made dinner and watched the sun set. We would have loved to spend the night at Cascada Paine, but 1) it was not a designated camping spot and 2) as the sun set the wind really started kicking up, and when it kicks, it kicks! We have gotten used to the noise and the shaking of Ferdinand the RV but we need to take caution too – it is not unheard of for campers to be blown over by the wind. So we make an effort to minimize the shaking (and being blown over!) by parking headfirst into the wind as much as possible- less surface area for the wind to push around. So we end up spending our last night at Laguna Amarga ranger station, just off Ruta Y-156. In total we spent three nights there- a good location and relatively centrally located.
