W-Trek, Torres del Paine

18.1.-21.1. W-Trek

First of all: If you visit Chile, you have to do the W-Trek. It is Chile's undisputed highlight and also very impressive for Swiss people who are used to mountains. As a foreigner, you can expect to spend around $1000 for 4.5 days. Of course, you could book everything yourself, bring your own tent, sleeping bag, and food, but then it would be much more exhausting. In addition, the all-inclusive packages are really convenient and well organized. We even get a water bottle, a microfiber towel, a cotton liner for the sleeping bags, and a notebook. The daily stages are relatively long, but you only need to carry all your luggage on the second day and in the second half of the third day. Otherwise, a daypack with a camera, rain protection, and provisions is sufficient. We had perfect weather! 5 days of sunshine and temperatures up to 27 degrees, it was a dream! The food in the refuges ranges from good to barely edible. Unless you like tasteless cheese, extremely sweet bars, and artificially sweetened fruit juices. The lunch boxes with fruit and trail mix are sufficient, but the sandwiches were usually excessively large and rather bland. The prices for beer, pizza, etc. are on a Swiss level but acceptable. There are showers in every accommodation and the staff is friendly and well organized.

The stages and our walking times:

Day 1: 25km/5.5h Day 2: 18km/4.5h Day 3: 25km/7h Day 4: 28km/5h

Thanks to our pace, we had enough time to relax in the refuges. Stretching works wonders, we always took the time for it. Starting early was a very good decision, especially on the first day, as the Torres are also done as a day trip. There can easily be 500 people climbing them in one day. The W-Trek should also be done from east to west, as this way the landscape unfolds optimally. Every day it gets a little bit "bigger" and more open. The final catamaran ride over one of the lagoons back to the buses is the beautiful conclusion of the tour.

Since you meet the same people in the refuges every evening, there is a lot to talk about and we have made new friendships. Above all, it was really great with Arif, Anic, and Sean, plus the US family with Derek, his girlfriend, and the two teenagers.

After arriving in Puerto Natales, we went out for dinner together, which was already a highlight in itself. So, all in all, an unrestricted recommendation for the W-Trek and for us 5 wonderful days with many scenic and personal highlights.