Where do I even begin when it comes to writing about Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine National Park? First of all, the reason that tourists flock to this area of Patagonia is due to the famous “W” trek in Torres del Paine National Park. The park is famous for it’s towers, which have a very interesting geological background (of which I don’t know enough about to discuss). This area attracts individuals who are passionate for the mountains and for trekking, and it is almost guaranteed that if they have not already been, these individuals have Torres del Paine on their list of places they would like to visit. In all fairness, it is a pretty impressive mountain range. The park is located 121km from Puerto Natales, and has turned the city into a hub for trekkers and backpackers alike.
On our first full day in Puerto Natales, we set out in search of all the park options, as well as to explore the town. We came back not long after, a bit discouraged and fairly empty handed. First of all, Puerto Natales is freezing. After making our way down to the water to see the giant sloth statue (weird, right?!), and to take in the view of the mountains, my legs were numb and I determined it was going to be a 2 pair of pants kind of visit going forward. Secondly, because we were there in low season, our options to visit the national park were basically to do the “W” trek by camping, or to pay the insanely high price for refugios. Or, we could spend one night at either end of the park, taking the single set of buses that run in and out each day. After debating what was best for us, we decided that one night in the park staying in a refugio would work best. We definitely did not have adequate clothing for camping in the park (as per my needing 2 pairs of pants in the city), nor the money to do the entire trek in refugios. After checking the forecast, we decided to wait the weather out one more day, and head out on Friday. We decided all of this on Wednesday, after multiple trips back and forth between the hostel to different travel agencies. On what may have been our 4th adventure out into the cold, we decided to stop at the adorable Creperia for a much needed coffee, before making our way to the agency that owns and books the refugios. After booking our night in the park and forking over $60 each for a shared dorm (ouch!), we headed back to our hostel to book another night. As it turned out, they were booked up for the following night. This was’t a problem though – there was tons of availability on Hostel World, and I was easily able to make a booking at a top rated hostel down the street from where we were staying.
The following day, we slept in, had breakfast, and made our way to our new hostel a few blocks away. We were about 20 minutes early for check in, which is usually fine; however, there was NO ONE at the hostel. We waited around for a few minutes in the freezing cold, ringing the doorbell multiple times, and after determining that no one was there, we made our way back to our first hostel to figure out what to do. Our first hostel called twice with no answer, and after dashing across the street to another hostel to check availability, I sent off a nasty email to Hostel World and the owner of the closed hostel. If you’re closed, the least you can do is leave a sign. Despite this blip in the day, I think it was for the best that it happened because Yagan House, where we ended up, was one of the cutest places I’ve ever stayed. Located in an old, wooden house, it had a massive common area, with a huge kitchen, living room and dining area. Upstairs, the bedrooms were lined up like a traditional house, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was staying at grandma’s house. On top of that, we ended up in a room with the cutest German girl I’ve ever met. She was heading out the next day to do the “W” trek, and despite the bad weather, she was bubbling over with excitement and enthusiam. Within moments of meeting her, she was basically climbing on my bed to show me where she was going next in Chile, as well as to show me photos from her day in the town. I love meeting people who have a simple love of life and enjoy the little things of each day. It makes me optimistic that everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.
The day was gross and rainy, so much of the afternoon was spent in bed catching up on TV. I generally hate wasting days in a foreign place like this, but I decided to just enjoy the downtime, instead of feel frustrated with the town and the weather. After heading out to get some groceries for the trek, we made dinner and enjoyed a glass of wine with our new German friend who, I have to admit, grew more and more on me as time passed. When we had finished our wine, we were all yawniing, so we headed to bed in anticipation of our early start the next morning.
I’m not sure if the process to get to Torres del Paine differs in the summer, but here’s how it went in the fall. There are multiple buses that sell tickets to the park, all of which charge the same and leave at the same time. The buses were scheduled to leave at 7:30am, but in typical South American style, they didn’t leave until nearly 8. We took the 2 hour drive to the national park, stopping along the way for coffee and a bathroom. I’m not sure why we did this, but it gave me the opportunity to watch the sunrise over the mountains, which was awesome. We continued on, arriving at the entrance around 10am. From there, we all waited in line to pay the insanely expensive entrance fee ($35 CDN!!), and then we watched a safety briefing on the park. Someone accidentally burned down 10% of the park in 2005, so fires are (fairly) a huge deal in the area now. From the park entrance, we got a great view of the mountains that we were headed into, and I snapped a few photos of the famous towers before they disappeared behind the clouds. Although I was dying to see the towers, I have to admit that the scenery behind me was equally as impressive – blue sky, glacier lakes, and desert, with llamas spread out throughout the area. It was pretty incredible. After everyone had been briefed on the park rules, the people who were starting the trek from the west got back on the bus, while the rest of us took mini vans into the park towards Central Torres Refugio. Within a few minutes, we had made it there, and Ryan and I, eager to begin our hike, beelined it off the bus, checked in, ditched our extra stuff and set out on the trek.
For many, this was the first of 4 days of trekking, while for others, it was the last of 4. Either way, the first 1.5 hours of this trek were tough, as we headed virtually straight up hill. Eventually, we hit the snow line of the mountain, and the path narrowed out. We made our way for another half an hour on a thin path on the side of a mountain, looking over a deep valley and another massive mountain. The whole while, I was on the lookout for the towers, but they were not coming out to play. After about 2 hours of hiking, it began to blizzard on us and we really didn’t know what to think. Ryan made the best of the situation by stating that we were seeing Southern Hemisphere snow. You have to do that at least once in your life, right!? Fortunately, a refugio that we had been told was closed was open, and we were able to warm up and eat lunch in the warmth, while debating what to do. We had been informed that the look out for the towers was closed due to snow, and I was feeling a bit discouraged that I wasn’t going to see them. Nevertheless, the scenery was beautiful, and I kept telling myself to enjoy it, because not everyone gets to trek in Torres del Paine National Park. Apparently my good vibes rubbed off on the weather, because when we finished lunch and headed out again, the snow had stopped and we were surrounded by blue sky. We decided to continue to trek, and I am sure glad we did. We made our way through a forest, which was lined with green shrubbery, and snow capped yellowing trees. Never in my life have I experienced 3 seasons in one area like that. It was absolutely breathtaking, and I felt as though I was in a scene from Game of Thrones….
After trekking for about an hour more, we decided to turn around. We still couldn’t see the towers, and it was getting very snowy and slippery from all the people walking on the path. We made our way back the same way we came, stopping to enjoy the jaw dropping scenery around us. From impressive mountains, to glacier lakes, to desert expanses stretching for miles, this area really has it all. Three hours later, we were warming up in the comfort of the refugio. After a mediocre meat, cheese, cracker and soup dinner, we got a half price bottle of wine, and proceeded to drink that with an American girl and a German guy who had also splurged on some wine, discussing the hilarity of the whole Torres del Paine process. We determined that they have the whole process down to a science… not a fine science, but a science of some sort. One of the best parts of the evening was that the mountains had cleared up, and I finally got a view of the towers. As it turned out, I didn’t need to hike for 5 plus hours to see them!
The following morning, we got up in time to see the sun rise over the towers, and I felt that my trip was complete. After catching the transfer back to the park entrace, we hopped on one of the buses to the second stop, and walked to the beautiful glacier waterfall of Salto Grande. From here, we had an amazing view of the entire Torres del Paine mountain range. It was beautiful, impressive, amazing, and a whole lot of other positive adjectives! On top of that, the weather was perfect – blue sky, sun shining, and not a cloud in the sky. After catching the bus back to the main entrance, we had time to view the mountain range one last time, and I captured the towers at their finest. I have to admit that this was one of the best moments I have had in a long time, and I am truly grateful for the weather and the experience as a whole.
Arriving back in Puerto Natales, I reconfirmed that the city is not my favorite, and it could potentially be described as soul sucking and depressing. What can you do though? You can’t win them all. Despite my dislike for Puerto Natales, Torres del Paine National Park was worth ever moment in the city. However, I am looking forward to making our way back to Argentina to El Calafate in the morning.