Hiking the Patagonian Andes - The W Trek

After a week relaxing in Vaparaiso, we left for Punta Arenas, the hub of Chilean Patagonia. We took a bus to Puerto Natales, bought a couple pairs of socks and left for Laguna Amargas the base camp for most expeditions through Torres Del Paine National Park.
There are many treks one can do in this area but the W is arguably one of the most rewarding. So we set off on a patagonian misty morning  with our adventure spirit, a camera, tripod, and...a heavy backpack full of energy bars.

The views were amazing at the end of each day, the expensive simple food tasted delicious and the old expensive beds felt like the best we had ever slept in. It is the end of the season here so we didn't see too many tourists (...we are adventurers, don't get confused).

Perfect conditions...by perfect I mean 0 degrees celsius (FYI drains all the battery out of our Ipad).We filled up our water bottles from the streams and for a few days lived "d'amour et d'eau fraiche" as we say in french.

I never liked hiking as a kid but I know realize why our parents enjoyed it so much, the whole clearing your mind and body, losing yourself in the natural state of things. Guess I'm getting older...(wiser? ;-)


For anyone wishing to do the hike, here is a little advice:

• Itinerary: The full circle isn't as rewarding in terms of scenery so I would reccomend taking your time for the W. Ideally 5 nights and 6 days in the park is comfortable. You can travel from one end (Las Torres) to the other by boat and bus (3 hours total), or walk it (10hours). It's a fun walk but if you have any kind of heavy backpack you might want to avoid it as there are some river crossings where you will have too do some rock hoping...or get wet.
• Timing: Mid/Late March is the best but you might want to pack a tent as some Refugios are closed by then. We did it in April and it was getting cold. Los Cuernos closed on the 13th April 2011 and Chileno was closed.
• Refugios: Mainly 3 places you can stay if you don't want to camp. 2 Different companies to book ahead. Book them individually through there websites as packages and agencies will incur a commission. 
• Paine Grande (Pehoe): http://www.verticepatagonia.com/precios-y-reservas/
• Las Torres and Los Cuernos: http://www.fantasticosur.com/refugios_in_torres_del_paine/
• Prices: Refugios are not cheap. Count about 40 US/night per person for a bed. +10 US for a sleeping bag (worth it depending on the season). 20 US/dinner which are usually bread, entree, main, desert. Camping is usually 8 US/person and some places rent out tents for 12 US/night but having tried it I would recommend you bring your own.

Oh and here is our website where you'll find tons of info about FYDB - The Series, Raw video footage of our trip and more... www.fastenyourdreambelt.com