Patagonia-FAQ

25.12.16

A three-week trip to Patagonia requires a lot of planning and preparation. Here is a small supplement to important questions that Google couldn't answer for us.

What are the highlights that you must see in Patagonia?

El Chaltén, Perito Moreno, Torres del Paine, (Peninsula Valdés)

Is it easy to get cash?

No. In general, in Argentina, you can withdraw a maximum of 2000 Pesos (approximately CHF 120.-) per withdrawal with a fee of 96 Pesos. However, this assumes that there is still money available in the ATM. On Friday afternoons, there are long queues because no money is replenished over the weekend. In Chaltén, there are only two ATMs that do not work with foreign cards. Therefore, we recommend obtaining sufficient cash in advance (not the day before departure to Chaltén).

What is Torres del Paine?

A national park in southern Chile (translated from the language of the indigenous people: Towers of the blue sky). There are several ways to explore the beautiful mountain landscape, preferably on a multi-day hike. There is the smaller W-shaped or the larger O-shaped option.

Is El Calafate a good starting point?

Generally yes. It's easy to get to the Perito Moreno Glacier and there are several buses to El Chaltén, where there are many beautiful hikes. The approximately 3-hour bus ride should not cost more than 800 Pesos round trip. However, the timetable is not always reliable (have playing cards with you!)

How do I get from El Calafate to Torres del Paine?

It becomes more difficult if you want to go from El Calafate to Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. And the return trip is only for advanced hikers. The easiest and most expensive option is to use a day trip provider from El Calafate (e.g. AlwaysGlaciers) as transportation. Even if you don't participate in the day trip, AlwaysGlaciers will charge the full amount of approximately 2100 Pesos.

How can I get cheaply from El Calafate to Torres del Paine?

For the outbound journey, the cheapest option is to take the (detour) route via Puerto Natales (Chile). From El Calafate, there are buses as early as 5:30 am for about 500 Pesos. Puerto Natales is not worth staying longer, but you can stock up on food for the hike. It is prohibited to take fresh food across the border (but rice, pasta, cheese, and Oreos were not a problem). For the onward journey to the national park, you have to buy a ticket with cash at the bus station in Puerto Natales. There are several buses departing daily, and it was easily possible to get a seat for the same day (mid-December, high season). If you have planned the W Circuit from west to east, you can still catch the last ferry at Pudeto at 6:00 pm. For the reverse route, you have a little more time, and if you still have the energy, you can reach Campamento Chileno on the same evening (about a 2-hour walk from Torre Central). Shuttles adapted to the bus schedule run between the park entrance and Torre Central (about 15 minutes, 3000 Chilean pesos).

Are the kilometer and time indications on the maps reliable?

No.

How do I get from Torres del Paine back to El Calafate?

And is it possible to hike from Torre Central to Mirador Base de las Torres and reach el Calafate on the same day?

Yes! Contrary to the information on the maps, the hike takes about 3 to 4 hours each way (normal walking pace, we were overtaken about as often as we overtook others on the entire W). The shuttle to the park entrance departs at 4:00 pm. The bus to El Calafate departs at 4:30 pm. However, you need a reservation. At the time of our research, there were two providers: Always Glacier and South Road. Both do not respond to emails, but Oliwia from America del Sur Hostel in El Calafate was able to organize this for us.

How can I hike the W without a tent and without a sleeping bag?

If you book in advance (at least 3 months in advance during high season), you can reserve beds including pillows and blankets in the refugios. If you want to carry even less weight, you can also reserve breakfast and dinner, but this will be significantly more expensive. We recommend the following route:

1. Day: Arrival and arrival in the evening, overnight stay in Paine Grande

2. Day: Hiking along Lago Grey to Campamento Grey and back (about 8 hours in total)

Overnight stay in Paine Grande

3. Day: about 2 hours to Italiano. From there, optionally hike to the "Middle of the W" to Mirador Britanico and back (about 4 hours, you can leave your luggage at Italiano). From Italiano to Los Cuernos about 1.5 hours (!). Overnight stay in Los Cuernos. Don't miss the sunset!!!

4. Day: Los Cuernos to Chileno about 6 hours

5. Day: Ascent to the Torres about 2 hours. From there to Refugio Torre Central, where the shuttle departs, about 4 hours.

Should I buy ham and cheese sandwiches at the shop in Refugio Torre or eat Pichanga?

Even though it may seem like a good idea at first glance: No.

Can I buy food along the W?

In Paine Grande and Torre Central, there is a minimarket where you can buy the essentials for cooking your own meals. You can sign up for breakfast the evening before (but it's not worth it), and you have to reserve dinner in advance (not on the same evening).

Vale la pena?

Hell yes!