Activity Summary
Monday 18th December - Day 440 (continued)
Travel to Puerto Natales, Chile
Tuesday 19th December - Day 441
Bus to Punta Arenas airport
Pick up Mitta hire car
Drive back to Puerto Natales
Prep for Torres del Paine / W Trek
Wednesday 20th December - Day 442
Drive to Lake Pehoe ferry, Estancia Pudeto
Ferry to Camp Paine Grande
W Trek: day 1 - Camp Paine Grande -> Grey Glacier
Thursday 21st December - Day 443
W Trek: day 2 - cancelled
Ferry / drive to Camp Lake Pehoe
Lunch at Camp Lake Pehoe
Salto Grande & Mirador Cuernos hike
Friday 22nd December - Day 444
W Trek: day 3 - TDP welcome centre -> Lago Torres & Base Torres lookout
Drive to Puerto Natales
Summary
Puerto Natales
Didn’t see a whole lot of the town apart from driving through it to pick up provisions for Torres del Paine.
But the centre of town looked alright and it had everything we needed, although we would have preferred the Jumbo we had in Puerto Montt for food provisions.
Torres Del Paine
Really mixed feelings about TDP.
Visually, the place is stunning. The mountain ranges from West to East are great and with a clear sunny day, it’s drop dead.
Does the W trek give you all the vibes? Absolutely not. From our perspective the views from Camp Lake Pehoe and the Salto Grande / Mirador Cuernos hike gave the best views of our time there but this was the benefit of having a car.
CONAF is a shit organisation. It’s expensive for National park entries, and while the trails in TDP are well maintained they are not in any other NP. Their ridiculous overregulation of trail closing times is a ball ache and they just make everything more stressful than it needs to be. We are very happy to be done with Chilean National Parks now; they are stunning but CONAF ruins them.
TDP seems to be an American tourist's wet dream. Arguably 90% of the people there were American and they were gassing the place so much in reference to ‘Patagonia’ it was bloody painful. We hate people and they likely made Luke sick.
Overall, we are happy we went to TDP but Patagonia has so much else to offer.
W Trek
A fun multi day hike with nice views and well prepped to accommodate the masses. But nothing out of this world.
Apparently we had travelled to TDP outside of the school holidays so it wasn’t actually that busy. Would hate to be there when it was at full capacity.
For a guided comfort package, the £1,000 price per person tag is a joke.
To keep costs down and do it yourself, it requires a ton of planning and a proper full on few days outside of just walking.
Luke’s W trek costing = £680 total - (plus the car hire gave us lovely flexibility)
Transport
Puerto Natales
Bus from El Calafate to Puerto Natales
Walk to hostel
Torres Del Paine
Day 1:
Bus to Punta Arenas airport
Drive hire car to Puerto Natales to provision and prepare
Day 2:
Drive to Lake Pehoe ferry
Ferry to Camp Grande (CLP25kpp)
Hike & camp
Day 3:
Lake Pehoe ferry (CLP25kpp)
Drive to Camp Lake Pehoe
Hike & camp
Day 4:
Drive to Torres Welcome Centre
Hike
Drive to Puerto Natales
Accommodation
Puerto Natales - Isla Yu Hostel
Number of nights - 2&1
Price per night per person - £18
Positives:
Decent breakfast provisions
Comfortable enough rooms
Negatives:
Charge additional tax
Owners weird
Place is poorly made and run down
Loud neighbours
Not actually close to the bus terminal
Far from town
Recommend?
No, it’s a bit of a shit hole
Torres Del Paine - Camp Paine Grande
Number of nights - 1
Price per night per person - £10
Positives:
Enclosed kitchen cooking area
Hot showers
Decent enough bathrooms
Plenty of space for tent pitches
Negatives:
Nothing really for a campsite on the W trek
Recommend?
Yes
Torres Del Paine - Camp Lake Pehoe
Number of nights - 1
Price per night per person - £15
Positives:
Nice restaurant nearby
Views are stellar
Decent pitch spots
Car accessible
Negatives:
Cooking shelters are fairly open
Far away from the W trek
Recommend?
Yes, if not doing the W
Diary
Monday 18th December - Day 440 (continued)
We are so happy to be done with crossing into Chile. The land borders are a lot of effort, especially with its requirement to complete a SAG form and not bring any fresh produce. We have never been stopped carrying food over the border until now, passing through things like tomatoes but it was an accidental onion in Luke’s big bag that got caught in the scanner and forced to be chucked. Such a random process.
Conversely Argentina is dead easy.
It was pretty late by the time we arrived in Puerto Natales. Nicola was tired, needed a wee, was stomach cramping and we initially went to the wrong address thanks to google. She wasn’t a happy bunny by the time we checked in and went to bed.
Tuesday 19th December - Day 441
The go go go approach continued as we needed to get up earlyish to get a bus to Punta Arenas airport, a good 2.5 hour bus, and collect our final rental car of the trip.
Thankfully Mitta didn’t throw a wobbly about us arriving 2 hours late in order to have some semblance of a lie in, unlike Europcar next to us who had released the car hire booking of an American couple next to us that had done the same but had to fight to get an automatic. Unnecessary aggressive policy from those guys…
After a spate of pretty shitty cars we got to end our trip with a very nice one. A relatively new Toyota sedan, automatic and had all the features to make driving around the crappy grid system of Puerto Natales super easy.
The drive back to Puerto Natales was a long 2.5 hours, the landscape is incredibly barren and the long Ruta 9 road (while in very good condition) is just point and shoot.
In town we spent the rest of the day prepping for Torres del Paine and the W Trek, no small exercise. Food planning was a pain because Chilean supermarkets are terrible. The booked camping gear (tent, sleeping bags, roll mats, cooking gear) from Turismo Receptivo Teresa was a decent price and good quality, although Luke missed his thermarest roll mat like crazy.
It was pretty late by the time we were ready to go to bed again.
Wednesday 20th December - Day 442
Torres Del Paine, day 1.
In order to keep costs down, Luke had planned a very full on TDP 3 day trip.
First order of business was to drive to the Lake Pehoe ferry, Estancia Pudeto. The first ferry took off at 9am which per google would be a 2 hour drive.
Our experience of driving on remote Chilean roads however was that this would not be accurate and our expectations would be that the Y-290 would be completely unpaved. Everything on the tinternet suggested this was the case but we were pleasantly surprised with the 50/50 approach and the road quality in the gravel being as good as can be expected. It wasn’t rutted and didn’t have savage rock sections requiring a high wheel base or crawling speed.
This time we spent a lot of time checking prior to collecting our hire car that we were all good to drive to TDP and on gravel roads. The Mitta T&Cs were super clear and even responded back when we checked with them, although they defo don’t allow driving the Carretera Austral.
Despite being early and a severe lack of cumulative rest prior to today, the drive was pretty nice and we got wonderful introductory views over Torres del Paine mountain range.
The rangers office south of Lake Pehoe scanned our tickets and it was the last we saw of any checks for TDP.
We arrived at the dock just after 8am, well ahead of our worst time estimates because the road quality was pretty decent. The place got very busy very quickly however as a load of minibuses arrived with tourists in tow and stressed us out a bit with ferry capacity. Our understanding was once it was full it would take off.
A bad timing realisation that our well prepared egg mayo sandwiches had got lost in transit from the fridge to our bags meant Luke had a very poorly timed run back to the car to grab emergency feeding supplies just as the ‘queue’ started moving onto the boat. Nicola was left with all the bags and got forced back quicker than she could react by an aggressive tourist stampede onto the boat, despite being at the front of the queue.
There turned out to be plenty of space for everyone on the dock and tickets cost CLP25k each one way.
It was a sunny and still morning which gave great views over the TDP range on the water throughout.
The boat was pretty ramo and the top deck was less than pleasant to stand on to appreciate the views so it was a short lived experience before retreating inside.
The boat was running late and arrived closer to 10am. Confusion about where our tickets were led to Nicola departing the boat and Luke being stuck, arguing with the ticket collector guy for about 5 minutes and about ready to buy another ticket before confirming Nicola had hers.
After checking into our Paine Grande campsite and pitching up the tent, Luke had seemingly spent the last of his energy. He started to feel unwell, feverish, snivelly, drained and his legs were aching as if he had just walked 50km.
So commenced the W Trek day 1.
By the time we started walking to the Grey glacier mirador he was feeling absolutely whacked out and it would be a long 20km+ for him. Not often Nicola is the happy driving force on a long hike.
The terrain for the grey glacier leg was pretty aggressive. Lots of large loose rocks that were a big source of foot sole pain for Nicola with her withering hiking boots.
The views ascending up were pretty nice given we had clear skies and nice sunshine.
Laguna Los Patos was an alright view. Nothing special.
The views on the hike got good when topping out and giving views of Lago Grey.
Specifically there was a point called Mirador Lago Grey that gave the best views.
From this point the two pronged glacier view plus the descent into the valley gave the best vibes of the whole hike. At this point Nicola could have happily turned around were it not for Luke, although she decided not to voice this until the end. If it wasn’t for completing the ‘W’ Luke would have also done the same…
Lago Grey had tons of icebergs floating in its massive body of water.
We had a spot of lunch by a waterfall / river crossing which was one of the nicer spots on the hike.
The weather post the halfway mark decided to turn, as it does so consistently after in the afternoon in Patagonia. We had already been hiking into a pretty significant headwind throughout but this now got stronger with a constant threat of pissing it down with rain.
It took quite a bit to get all the way to the end and Mirador Grey, which hilariously was very underwhelming. The views from the halfway point were considerably better, despite being closer.
We both knew it would be based on the views and hike to this point but it gave us a good laugh at least.
The iceberg collection towards an eddy was pretty cool though.
It was very windy and we didn’t stay up on the rock long before descending.
At the nearby camp we had another nib of that emergency lunch before heading back on the trail. To our amusement there was a sign saying it would close at 3pm. Technically we got there at 2.59pm so had beat that cut off but the constant babysitting of CONAF in TDP is painful. All the trails have closing times, none of which match up to the online information, and this causes unnecessary stress when opting for what Luke was going to do and hiking the distance outside of the prescribed day plans.
We’d concluded that CONAF as an organisation is shite. They charge a fortune, make the national parks inaccessible for those of lower incomes, the trails are poorly kept and their rules and forms are a pain in the ass that serve no purpose but to stress everyone out. They need to learn something for the DOC in NZ.
The wind was savage on the way back. Topping out in more exposed rocky areas had us having to pause in order to let the larger gusts blow by, but it wasn’t dangerous.
We made pretty good time on the way back, helped by a tail wind and Luke popping ibuprofen to power him home.
Luke’s buff made a good addition for Nicola to subdue her hair and protect the all important sunglasses that acted as dust shields for her weak eyes while giving her a nice grandma appearance. We’ve concluded she needs ski goggles.
Day 1 was done before 6pm and we were very thankful we didn’t need to pitch up the tent in the much harsher wind and sporadic rain.
Distance = 24.71km
Elevation = 893m
Highest point = 280m
Moving time = 5hr 49mins
Elapsed time = 6hr 35mins
Food was pretty good. A mass of precooked sausages plus instant smash jazzed up with meat sauce and ketchup made for a decent dinner. Certainly compared the vast pots of super noodles around the indoor camp kitchen.
It had been a long 12hr+ day so we spent the rest of the evening listening to Harry Potter in the tent to relax and wind down. Eye masks were a must because it didn’t lose light until at least 11pm.
Thursday 21st December - Day 443
W Trek, day 2 cancelled.
The initial plan was for Luke to set off before 6am (to avoid all the stupid path closure times), hike the ~35km & /\1,500m to Mirador Británico and all the way to the East side to be picked up by Nicola at the TDP Welcome Centre. This in turn would have the ‘middle’ section completed.
Based on how difficult it was for Luke to get around the day before and still not feeling very well, the smart decision to cancel his plans and join Nicola on her shorter hikes across Lake Pehoe was a much better plan. It was a shame to have gone through all this prep to have it not materialise but for Nicola this was a much better option.
This did mean we could have a slow morning, have breakfast and pack up together (rather than Nicola alone) before getting the ferry back across the pond at 10am.
The boat was much emptier and the appreciation of the mountains from the top deck was much more pleasant.
Down below were a lot of people clearly having just finished their hikes and looked on death's door. As with our entire time in TDP it was just a mass of American tourists T-bagging the W trek as if it was the greatest thing that ever existed, and more annoyingly as if this was all Patagonia had to offer. Clearly we’re spoilt but this narrow minded hype killed our souls, especially because the W trek ain’t all that.
With Luke now back in the party it meant he could go back to doing all the driving, which Nicola wasn’t enthused about doing for the first time on the right on gravel roads.
Our next campsite was Camp Lake Pehoe. For some reason this was our choice rather than going somewhere close to the start of the 3 pillars hike by the TDP welcome centre and hindsight would defo choose the latter for the purposes of W completion.
However the Pehoe campsite was lovely. We had the car next to us and gave us proper NZ camping vibes again.
The views across Lake Pehoe were stellar. The sun and clear skies meant the best views of the TDP range were here.
Photoshoot time.
Only 2 days in and Nicola was crying out for some decent food. The campsite had a restaurant that was able to satisfy that desire and then some. It was a little dear at £20 a head for a 3 course lunch but it provided a lot of food that was dece and properly hit the spot.
The pair of large local birds made for a good lunch time view.
Fuelled up we set off on a hike this side of the mountain range. Having a car made this all super easy.
The Salto Grande and Mirador Cuernos hike was great. Low stress, low energy and with stunning views throughout, it was a great decision on Nicola’s part.
A wind warning sign made for a good laugh, deeming a 30-50kmh wind range being safe.
The Salto Grande waterfall was the first mirador with a couple of platforms.
Views of the Salto Grande waterfall being fed by the turquoise lake of Lago Nordenskjöld with the mountains in the backdrop were glorious. Luke was gassing.
The short hike went up through the shrub with great views throughout and it was nice and easy on the feet / legs.
The Cuernos Lookout was actually one of the weaker viewpoints on the hike, but this was probably due to the mass of tourists that had accumulated there. It was predominately American again and there was zero peace and tranquillity.
One group was rolling through a variety of picture poses that were straight up dangerous by the side of the cliff and annoying to watch.
We got about 5 minutes of peace before a baby came crying through. At this point we gave up.
Distance = 6.81km
Elevation = 144m
Highest point = 104m
Moving time = 1hr 29mins
Elapsed time = 2hr 18mins
Once back at the campsite we took shelter in the car watching TV and made a low stress dinner of ramen and nachos.
Friday 22nd December - Day 444
Luke, feeling a lot better now, debated getting up for sunrise but it was super early and he had no idea when it actually was. Apparently the colours from condors lookout nearby at sunrise are supposed to be really good.
Instead his morning treat was to get locked inside the men’s bathroom. He had some problems being locked out of them the night before but this time a big ol gust of wind trapped him in, the lock on the other side of the door not working.
So he ended up having to tip over the bin and climb out through the window. Not a great exercise to be doing at 6am.
We were up and ready to leave the campsite for about 8am, then drove an hour to the Torres del Paine welcome centre on the East side of the W Trek. Again, it was simple driving along gravel roads although there was a bridge that proved a little spicy for the nose of the car.
Throughout the evening before, before we started and during the hike Nicola was cursing the need to do it. She wasn’t in the right headspace for day 3 at all. Conversely Luke had his energy back, although still not healthy at all.
W Trek - day 3 - Base Torres lookout
At least the walk started with a gentle gradient that allowed Nicola to warm up. The weather was part grey but looked like it would clear later on in the day.
The Torres Hotel complex looked bougie and inviting.
It was a really nice walk to begin with. The views were constantly changing and a nice river crossing to start.
As the ascent began it gave nice views of the landscape below that was green and with life, in stark comparison to Grey.
This levelled out at Windy Pass which thankfully wasn’t too windy. Great views of the river valley.
Minor annoyance came in the form of some horses that had just overtaken us only to be stopped on the narrow path because a girl in front was sat on the path. She had a bust ankle but refused to limp to one side to make everyone’s lives better. Nicola uncharacteristically started telling them to move (usually she just silently seethes and does nothing) but she thought they were having lunch. She felt pretty bad once realising this wasn’t the case.
Windy pass gave way to a forest section beginning with a very busy campsite. It was a decent spot to sit and have some food. The tent pitches looked like something out of a sci-fi movie.
Behind the mountainside and up the river, the 3 pillars could be seen finally out of thick clouds.
The forest section was quite nice, undulating near rivers.
With this cleared we had an emergency poop stop for Nicola. The nearby campsite (technically on the O circuit) was not well trodden and provided Nicola a decent throne to exorcise her stomach cramp demons and return to the trail a lighter woman.
Cue Luke’s idea of fun hiking. It was steep, exposed rock that gives a nice workout with constantly changing views.
There was a significant queue of people going up and down that slowed everything but we were going at Nicola’s pace rather than Luke’s run around everyone approaching.
The pillars came into full view before topping out and it seemed we’d timed a weather window pretty well.
Topping out we had full views of Lago Torres and the iconic TDP peaks behind.
The selfie stick was whipped out for probably its last outing.
To avoid getting cold, Nicola set off back down pretty quickly as it wasn’t sunny at the top and also pretty windy. Over the 10/15 minutes we were up there the weather changed pretty dramatically, as it started snowing and hailing.
Luke got some last photos by walking around the length of the lake before turning around to catch Nicola. At this point he could start bounding around people which was good fun.
The descent was all dandy apart from when we stopped at the forest campsite. By this point the wind had racked up a couple notches and when her guard was down, whipped up a load of dirt right into Nicola’s eye. For 20 minutes she tried getting dirt out of her eye but failed and ended up having to pirate herself, stuff a tissue under her glasses and use her walking pole to hobble back to the car.
Not a great time for impaired vision and an additional depth perception challenge with windy pass actually being windy now.
Fortunately her eye seemed to largely sort itself out after an hour and was able to navigate the majority of the return journey without fumbling around.
Near the camping spots the sunshine was out in force and the pillars view in the background was a nice end to our TDP hiking.
Distance = 23.38km
Elevation = 1,115m
Highest point = 889m
Moving time = 6hr 6mins
Elapsed time = 7hr 41mins
At the welcome centre Nicola demolished an ‘Italian hot dog’, named so because of the colours of the Italian flag for the avo, tomato and mayo topping, plus purchased a celebratory fridge magnet.
The drive to Puerto Natales for Luke was quite long, dropped off the camping gear and we were back at Isla Yu to decompress. Not the nicest hostel to do this sadly but our food leftovers allowed us to not leave the hostel and just packed for tomorrow.
Very long few days, even without the hiking, and we were absolutely pooped.
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