Torres Del Paine: A hiker’s paradise
View of Lake Pehoe
Do you think I could get a job that would allow me to stay in Torres Del Paine National Park forever? Maybe they could hire me as a local guanaco rescuer? I think I proved myself capable when I freed a baby guanaco caught up in a fence this week!
Driving into the park every day is damn near spiritual — can you blame me for wanting to spend every day here? The landscape is stunning — blue water, purple skies, grey clouds and golden plains. Every direction you turn is another postcard perfect scene. I have to stop myself from pulling over every 10 km to snap another photo.
Many people come to Torres Del Paine to trek either the W or O circuits. The W trek covers 80 km and takes most people between four to five days. The O trek is 110 km requiring seven to nine days. I didn’t consider such an undertaking before arriving in Patagonia. But now that I’m here, I am increasingly drawn to the challenge. It’d be ideal to tackle this as a standalone trip due to the unique packing and camping equipment requirements. So I may just come back to trek one of these routes. I can’t imagine a future that doesn’t include visiting Torres Del Paine again.
So, what makes this place so alluring?
View of Lake Nordenskjöld
The water. Whether the colour is aqua, turquoise, steel, grey or sky blue — it’s stunning. The only downside is that swimming is prohibited. Sure, sure, that’s because it’s freezing glacier cold and hypothermia is likely, but that wouldn’t stop me if swimming was allowed!
The mountains. I hate to be disloyal to the Rocky Mountains where I have many happy childhood memories, but the Andes Mountain range really is something else being both longer and higher than the Rockies. Everywhere you turn in Torres Del Paine you’ve got mountains setting the scene. There’s got to be a job for me here — official mountain sunset watcher? Mountain snow measurer?
The sky. I know a thing or two about big, bold skies coming from ‘Land of the Living Skies’ myself. And I concede that Saskatchewan has some of the most epic skies in the business, but they don’t change nearly as quickly as the skies in Patagonia. There’s a reason the locals tell you to prepare for all four seasons in Torres Del Paine and that’s because the skies can offer up sun, rain, snow, clouds, sleet and more — all in one day. Nothing like being on your toes!
The wildlife. Sure, I do wish I would have seen a puma or two, but there’s still been plenty of other animals to spot. Of course, the guanacos are common but I haven’t tired of watching them do their thing. Plus there’s condors (I’ve seen a few - they’re HUGE), Huemul deer (critically endangered now), skunks, armadillos, foxes, swans and more. I’ve also seen Lesser Rheas, Black Neck Swans, Magellenic Oystercatches, Crested Ducks, Ruddy Headed Goose, Chile Wigeon and Southern Lapwings.
The hikes. The hikes range from two hours to nine days long. Some trails are crowded with tours but others you’ll have to yourself. But no matter which you choose there will be views!
xx Rachel
The baby guanaco I freed from the fence