I’ve wanted to do the W trek in Torres del Paine Patagonia for as long as I can remember. I think I knew about this hike before I even knew where Patagonia was on the map. The W trek in Torres del Paine is on every hiker’s bucketlist. If you aren’t familiar with the W, it’s a 4-5 day through trek that combines the best of Torres del Paine National Park.
The trail is absolutely incredible, but it’s also absolutely a pain in the ass to book. This is where I come in.
As someone that booked this hike witih two weeks to spare, I know your pain. So here is everything I know.
Number 1: Don’t get a guided tour. The trail is clearly marked and theres no reason to pay extra for someone to guide you along it.
How to Book Accommodation
The trail campsites go in this order:
- Grey (Reserve here) –> 2. Paine Grande (Reserve here) –> 3. Frances (Reserve here) or Italiano (Reserve here) or Cuernos (reserve here) –> 4. Torres (Central or Norte) (Reserve here) or Chileno (Reserve here)
You can do them in this order, or in reverse.
Here’s a map that I made myself, because the other maps aren’t good:
If you can’t get consecutive days in a row at all of the camps, you can also do what I did. I wasn’t able to reserve nights at Grey or Frances, so I parked my car at the ferry station across from Paine Grande and took the ferry to the Paine Grande camp. Then, I stayed two nights at Paine Grande. I hiked from Paine Grande to Grey and back to Paine Grande the first day and from Paine Grande to Frances and back to Paine Grande the second. Then, I took the ferry back to our car and drove to the Torres camp to hike to Torres.
Most of the sites have options to rent a tent, rent a spot for your own tent, or to rent a spot at a refugio (bunk bed style dorm).
When you book accomodation, you will also have food options that you can add on if you don’t want to pack your own. Half board is breakfast and dinner and full board is breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is nice to have a hot meal after a full day of hiking, but if you decide against it there are also snacks and microwavable options at some of the refugios. I can say that Torres had WAY better food than Paine Grande.
Getting to The Hike
If you start from Torres, you can park your car or take a bus to Torre Central and stay at Torres Central, Torres Norte, or Chileno the first night. At the end of the W, you can take the ferry from Paine Grande back to the Pudeto ferry station. From here, you can get a bus back to Torres.
If you start from Grey, you can park your car or take a bus to the Pudeto ferry station. Then you will have to take a ferry from Pudeto to Paine Grande. Once you get to Paine Grande, you will hike to Grey for the first night.
What Are The Campsites/Lodges Like?
All of the campsites and lodges have tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads that you can rent if you don’t want to bring your own. Most of them also have refugios, which are like small cabin dorm rooms with shared bathrooms. All of the refugios have power and outlets to charge your electronics. And get this, there’s even wifi.. and stocked bars.
The W Hike (Finally!)
From Paine Grande to Grey: Day 1
When I think back to the Paine Grande – Grey stretch of the hike, one thing comes immediately to mind. Wind.
This was the strongest wind I’ve experienced in my life, and boy was I glad I had wind proof/water proof gear. Once you reach the coast on the hike to Grey’s Glacier, it can get pretty brutal. Mind you, I was *blessed* with 80km/hour winds.
However, there were also parts of the hike where I was stripping down into a sports bra. People will tell you that you will experience 4 seasons in one day in Torres del Paine, and they’re not wrong.
The stretch from Paine Grande to Grey wasn’t difficult, the most difficult part was the wind. Here were the highlights:
From Grey to Britanico Lookout and Frances/Italiano: Day 2
Paine Grande to Britanico Lookout is the second hardest segment of the W trek, but it’s a lot easier if you leave your heavy pack at Frances beforehand. There wasn’t as much wind as the Grey segment, but there is a bit of a climb.
From Frances/Italiano to Torres Central Camp
This is said to be the least favorite segment of the trip, and I couldn’t fit it in since I couldn’t get a camp spot at Frances or Italiano. I hiked back to Paine Grande instead and took the ferry to our car and then our car to Torres. However, if you do hike this segment, expect 11-13 kilometers of hiking along the turquoise waters of Lago Nordenskjöld.
From Torres Central to Mirador Base Las Torres
The hike from Torres Central to Mirador Base Las Torres is known to be the hardest part of the W trek. For this reason, I would suggest staying at Torres Central or Torres Norte instead of Chileno, so you won’t have to carry your backpack all of the way. You also want to try to get good weather this day if your schedule is flexible. If it’s cloudy or rainy, you may not get to see the torres….. like us:
but here’s what it’s supposed to look like:
Packing List (Everyone’s Biggest Question)
Since you can find food and rent camping gear along the W trek, you may not need to pack as heavy as you thought. Keep in mind the food isn’t cheap, so if you’re trying to save money, you should still bring along your own.
Here’s everything that I brought (with links to the actual items):
Waterproof/windproof coat (this is the one I used)
Neck warmer (trust me you’ll need this)
Hiking Boots (I’m obsessed with these, but if you want more of a sneaker than a boot, I’ve also used these ones that work well).
Sports Bra
2 Long Sleeve Shirts (1 to hike in, 1 to sleep in)
2 Pairs of Leggings (1 to hike in, 1 to sleep in)
Makeup Wipes (to shower with)
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Sunscreen
If you’re not renting a tent, lightweight tent, lightweight sleeping bag, lightweight sleeping pad
Sunglasses
Kneebrace (if you need any sort of brace, it may be impossible to find on the trail)
Credit card
Hat
Daypack if you’re renting camping gear, lightweight backpacking pack if you aren’t
Snacks (I brought granola bars, almonds, and energy gels)
Iphone
Camera (I have this one, it’s great and lightweight)
What’s the water situation?
You may have noticed that my packing list didn’t include a water filter. Luckily, you can drink the water from the streams in Patagonia, so there is no need to pack a ton of water or a water filter! I just had one 32 oz. nalgene bottle.
Have any questions about the W Trek in Patagonia? Feel free to comment below!
If you’re interested in other parts of Patagonia, check out my post on hiking to the Fitz Roy in Chalten!
& here’s a pin:
This is the first blog post on the W that actually helped me BIG TIME. Thank you!!! Quick question, I saw you also did a post on the Fitz Roy. Did you go from TNP to Fitz Roy? I am trying to figure out the best approach. Thanks!
Hi Samantha,
I’m so glad you found the post helpful! I HAD THE HARDEST TIME PLANNING THE W and I really wanted to write something that would help other people 🙂 That being said, it was really worth it, it’s an incredible hike.
Yes, after hiking the W, we drove from Torres del Paine to Chalten (where the Fitz Roy is). I highly recommend visiting Chalten, it was one of my favorite parts of the trip!
Have a great time!
Marteen
Great writing!