My first visit to Patagonia left me wanting to go hiking the Torres del Paine National Park. That was 2010. Luckily, the opportunity arose in 2015 to return to Patagonia to trek the W Circuit, the set of trails that goes around the Torres del Paine peaks in the park.
Back in 2010, I was not into hiking but I recall seeing people who had just finished the hike. I was left wondering what it would be like and wishing I got to do something like that. So, the wish became true when the opportunity arose with my friends from Trekking for Kids. And now here I was on day one of the five day trek!
Getting to the starting point at the Torres del Paine NP
We had made it to Puerto Natales, the gateway to the Torres del Paine, from Argentina where we had gone hiking around Fitz Roy. That was one long and mostly forgettable drive – hours and hours. At least the bus the group had was fairly comfortable. And the group was fun.
In any case, on day 1, we left Puerto Natales early in the morning. We had to cover the 2-hour+ route to get to the port where we would take a catamaran to cross Lake Pehoé. The boat ride took about 30 minutes. But, before getting on the boat, we got a preview of the majesty we would be getting ourselves into and explore during our hike.
The peaks or towers of the Torres del Paine stood before us in simple but great majesty. Do you agree??
The Paine Grande on the left and the towers/peaks on the right. Awesome view!
This boat ride would take us to the Refugio Paine Grande, the starting point in our hike. Right at the departure “port,” we saw evidence of the fires that ravaged the area a few years ago. The trees were reminders of the fragility of the environment there (or anywhere, for that matter).
The map below shows where we took the catamaran (A), where we landed at near Refugio Paine Grande (B), and where we were going to hike that day, Refugio Grey (C). The next day we would return to and stay at Refugio Paine Grande again.
But, before hiking the Torres del Paine, let’s have lunch
The ride was smooth and the views were awesome, especially because the day was so beautiful. By the time we got to the refugio, it was about lunch time so we had lunch at the refugio. The meal was simple but pretty tasty and, certainly, hefty enough to help us with the trek ahead. However, by the time I was done eating the lentils and rice dish, I was longing for a nap, not a hike 🙂
My first lunch on the trail!
Off to Refugio Grey
We got on our way to Refugio Grey around 2 PM. The landscape started a little on the bland side and then we moved through forest of burnt trees before stepping back into the beauty of life with purple, pink and yellow flowers as we bordered lakes.
Approaching a high point overlooking Laguna Los Patos, we got our first taste of strong winds – and our first long break. The route is not overly signed but I did like the signs located along the way.
At this point, we had covered 1/3 of the total hike for the day as the sign at Laguna Los Patos shows. We would encounter a couple more of these signs before reaching our destination.
Soon after we could see the end of the lake facing the Grey glacier. In 2010 I had visited that edge of the lake and walked it, resigned to see the glacier from a distance. This time, I would get to walk on it!!
Behind me, the grounds I walked on 2010!
One of our vantage points, the Mirador Lago Grey, was close to the highest point on this trail sitting at around 250m over sea level. By virtue of its location and altitude, it offered phenomenal view of the glacier straight ahead. And it was WINDY up there!!!
About to have the best views of the glacier at this point
Our first full frontal view of the Grey Glacier
The next day, we would be hiking on the glacier (the left corner in this pic)!
Fellow trekkers Jose and Kat fighting the wind to take photos of the glacier
At some point, one must pose for a photo with the glacier!
Among the beautiful scenes I saw was this marsh or bog (not sure what it was, technically) which sat, across the lake, the Grey glacier. Out of a movie!
Another neat spot was when we crossed the small but quite powerful Rio Olguin. We were getting close to the destination!
Overnight at the Refugio Grey
And finally, we arrived, 4 hours and 15 minutes later! The Refugio Grey was very welcoming and a great place to rest and relax. The outdoor seating area hosted us as we sipped some wine after showering. Eventually we made it inside for a great meal (carne mechada and rice chased by chocolate mousse!) and camaraderie.
Soon thereafter, I crashed, ready to let my body recover before our fun-filled day 2. The sights from this day confirmed for me that hiking the Torres del Paine National Park was a great thing to have aimed for!
Welcome to Refugio Grey!
Outdoor porch – very nice!
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Read more about hiking the Torres del Paine NP
- Day 2 hiking the Torres del Paine NP
- Day 3 hiking the Torres del Paine NP
- Hiking around Fitz Roy in Argentina
Pin this image to your Pinterest board for -perhaps- a future trip to go hiking the Torres del Paine!
Que belleza!