From the pebbled beach below the Dickson Refugio, we watched the rising sun paint the spired glacier across the lake in shades of rose. We’d woken early on this third day of our trek through Torres Del Paine, and carried our coffee mugs down here to witness one of nature’s most stunning magic tricks—the slow brilliance of alpine glow—in the heart of one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world. We had the beach to ourselves, the only sound the gentle lapping of water on the stones.
Sunrise on Las Torres, the namesake towers of Torres Del Paine.COURTESY OF CASCADA EXPEDICIONES
This Chilean national park in Patagonia has become so famous that it might seem impossible to find solitude among the unending lines of people clogging its trails. It’s true that the 3-5-day hike on the front side, dubbed the W Trek, can be something of a zoo in the height of the season with throngs of multi-day trekkers and day hikers who can access the zones from nearby lodges and boats.
But the O Circuit, the full 7-10-day journey around the park, still provides for some quiet moments. And the directional hike means that the scenery becomes more wonder-inducing with each day, scaling from pastoral in the Seron Valley to the first glimpse of the impressive peaks that define Patagonia. More spires creep into view with each step, glaciers begin to emerge, and even the backside of the famous towers themselves make an appearance from behind the breathtaking ridge line on the serene back side of the O Circuit.
In fact, the real jewel in the crown of this hike is smack in the middle of the trek. Cresting the rise of John Gardner Pass from Los Perros, it’s not just Patagonia’s famously fierce wind that leaves hikers breathless. Below lies the eight-mile expanse of the Grey Glacier spread out like an icy sea, its great toe dipped into Grey Lake as icebergs break free. Up the valley, its head disappears in a wash of light like the edge of the world.
Grey Glacier under moody skies in Patagonia. ELLYSE DELDIN
But it doesn’t end there. With long swing-bridges over gorges, the massif of the Cuernos (Horns) del Paine, the dramatic alpine features of French Glacier and the Shark Fin up the French Valley, the Las Torres themselves—hiking the full O Circuit is well worth the extra days of hiking and added effort to plan.
Reservations
It used to be that people could just show up to Torres del Paine and start walking—no reservations, no regulations, and with minimal planning. But things have evolved recently in response to the increasing popularity of the region and in an effort to protect the landscape from being loved to death. As of 2017, the park requires advance reservations for all campsites and refugios (the backcountry lodges along the circuits), and limits the number of people in each. Two separate companies as well as CONAF (the Chilean version of the park service) run the various campsites, and each has its own booking system.
Reserve Seron, French, Cuernos, Chileno and Las Torres camps; and Chileno Refugio through Fatastico Sur.
Reserve Los Perros and Paine Grande camps and Dickson, Grey and Paine Grande Refugios through Vertice.
Reserve Paso and Italiano camps through CONAF.
If you want to trek in Torres del Paine but would rather not DIY it, consider booking through Cascada Expediciones. Cascada has been on the scene for 25 years, and helps tourists book multi-day and day hikes in Torres Del Paine, and other adventures around Patagonia, complete with reputable local guides.
One of the famous swing bridges on Torres Del Paine's O Circuit. COURTESY OF CASCADA EXPEDICIONES
Cost, Food & Gear
Most campgrounds cost $8-$10 per person. Refugios cost $32-$50 for a basic bed (bring your own sleeping bag) or $80 for a bed with linens. Trekkers can purchase full board at the refugios (a three-course dinner, breakfast the next morning, and a boxed lunch for the trail) for $50, or can purchase each separately. If you’re backpacking, it’s worth paying for a couple of these to lighten the load of food to carry.
If you’re interested in mostly staying at refugios but camping once or twice (which is necessary if you’re hiking the full O Circuit, as Perros has no refugio), it’s possible to rent tents ($25), sleeping bags ($17), and mats ($7) at each campsite so that you don’t have to carry gear over the whole circuit.
Alpine glow across from Dickson Refugio on Torres Del Paine's O Circuit.ELLYSE DELDIN
When to Go
Start now for planning a trip from December-March to ensure you get the reservations you want. Alternatively, aim for the quieter shoulder months of November or April, when the weather is still good and the park is much less crowded.
