Torres del Paine
Sep 18th, 2005, 04:48 PM
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Torres del Paine
I plan to travel to, and hike around Torres del Paine in early Jan. Instead of doing the complete W route, and sleeping in refugios along the way, we had hoped to stay in one of the hotels and just do day hikes - mainly because we didn't want to have to lug a sleeping bag around with us during the entire trip. Are the day hikes just as rewarding as the complete W circuit? Or would I miss the most spectacular part of the park by staying in hotels? Also, is this easy to arrange on our own? I've mainly just seen information on tour groups into the area.
Sep 19th, 2005, 12:44 PM
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This is eminently do-able. Given all the entry points to the W trail, you are unlikely to miss any of the best sites. It should be easy enough to arrange on your own - you'll just need to make the bookings for the various hotels and ensure the availability of internal transfers within the park. Booking a bus to Torres from Puerto Natales can be done from your hotel.
Some of the day hikes you might want to do include: hiking to the Mirador Las Torres; hiking up the Valles Frances; hiking up to Glacier Grey. This basically hits the highlights of the W trail. All you'd really miss is the long slog between Refugio Chileno and Refugio Los Cuernos which isn't a big deal.
The hike to Mirador Las Torres is best launched from Hosteria Las Torres. Hikes to the Valle Frances is best done from Hosteria Pehoe, which you can reach via the ferry. You can also do the dayhike up to Glacier Grey from Hosteria Pehoe - again via the ferry - or do it from Hosteria Lago Grey. The Hosteria Lago Grey runs a ferry on Lago Grey that does an upclose tour of the glacier from the water. It also drops off and picks up dayhikers from the Refugio Grey.
Another option is to rent some sleeping bags in Puerto Natales, and stay at Refugio Pehoe for a couple of nights and do the Valle Frances and Glacier Grey from there. The Refugio is only a couple of hundred yards from the ferry dock, so you wouldn't have to carry them very far. It's a big, new refugio with a big cafeteria, small store, and even internet access.
Heck, you could do the same thing with Refugio Lago Grey. It's also reached via the ferry on Lago Grey, and the refugio is less than a 100 yards from the dock.
So, you could do 1 or 2 nights at Hosteria Las Torres - dayhike up to the mirador; 1 or 2 nights at Refugio Pehoe - dayhike Valle Frances; 1 or 2 nights at Refugio Grey - dayhike to Glacier Grey (or even do the guided ice hiking on the glacier itself!)
Some of the day hikes you might want to do include: hiking to the Mirador Las Torres; hiking up the Valles Frances; hiking up to Glacier Grey. This basically hits the highlights of the W trail. All you'd really miss is the long slog between Refugio Chileno and Refugio Los Cuernos which isn't a big deal.
The hike to Mirador Las Torres is best launched from Hosteria Las Torres. Hikes to the Valle Frances is best done from Hosteria Pehoe, which you can reach via the ferry. You can also do the dayhike up to Glacier Grey from Hosteria Pehoe - again via the ferry - or do it from Hosteria Lago Grey. The Hosteria Lago Grey runs a ferry on Lago Grey that does an upclose tour of the glacier from the water. It also drops off and picks up dayhikers from the Refugio Grey.
Another option is to rent some sleeping bags in Puerto Natales, and stay at Refugio Pehoe for a couple of nights and do the Valle Frances and Glacier Grey from there. The Refugio is only a couple of hundred yards from the ferry dock, so you wouldn't have to carry them very far. It's a big, new refugio with a big cafeteria, small store, and even internet access.
Heck, you could do the same thing with Refugio Lago Grey. It's also reached via the ferry on Lago Grey, and the refugio is less than a 100 yards from the dock.
So, you could do 1 or 2 nights at Hosteria Las Torres - dayhike up to the mirador; 1 or 2 nights at Refugio Pehoe - dayhike Valle Frances; 1 or 2 nights at Refugio Grey - dayhike to Glacier Grey (or even do the guided ice hiking on the glacier itself!)
Sep 19th, 2005, 12:56 PM
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Oh, and here's a link to someone who did the basecamp - dayhiking method in Torres del Paine. She's got some good tips on the logistics of it:
http://www.kimsteinbacher.com/torres_del_paine.html
http://www.kimsteinbacher.com/torres_del_paine.html
Oct 25th, 2005, 12:23 PM
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Thanks for the posting. This is exactly our conundrum. My wife has a bad back and can't really backpack long distances. At the same time, tours of the park are prohibitively expensive. But what about transportation inside the park? Will this become overly frustrating? I've heard bad things. We'd prefer not to rent a car. Was it doable?
Oct 25th, 2005, 12:48 PM
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I was also concerned about transportation within the park, but it turned out to be very easy. When you purchase your bus ticket to the park from Puerto Natales, you are entitled to free transfers within the park on that same ticket. You can also hop on other buses, but you'll have to pay an internal transfer fee.
All the buses stop at certain points within the park, and all I had to do when I wanted to transfer within the park is wait out there for a bus from the same company I rode in with. I showed them my ticket and told them where I needed to go. Bear in mind that the buses tend to follow the same schedule - they drive into the park in the mornings and out of the park in the afternoon. So, my bus would stop at the following stops in order in the mornings:
Guarderia Laguna Amarga
Refugio Pudeto
Posada Rio Serrano
The bus driver would then hang out at Posada Rio Serrano until later that afternoon, and then head back out stopping at the same places in reverse order.
The bus driver will also drop you off at points along the route. Just make sure to let him know before hand. For example, if you wanted to go from Guarderia Laguna Amarga to Hosteria Pehoe, you would just let the driver know when you go onboard. The bus doesn't usually stop there, but it's on the way so they'll just let you off. To get back, just be out on the road about the time they should be passing by and flag down the bus - just make sure it's your bus company.
On my last trip, I had a rather complicated itinerary within the park. I wanted to drive all the way to Hosteria Grey and take the ferry across Lago Grey. I was going to hang out at Refugio Grey for a couple of nights, and then hike down to Refugio Pehoe. I was going to hang out at Refugio Pehoe for a couple of nights, and then take the ferry across Lago Pehoe to catch the bus. I then wanted to take the bus from Refugio Pudeto to Camping Pehoe. After a couple of nights at Camping Pehoe, I would head back to Puerto Natales.
In Puerto Natales, I got a bus ticket to Torres del Paine from the guys at Andescape. I also arranged for the ferry transfer across Lago Grey. (this is a popular ferry, so I had to do it ahead of time)
So, the bus got me all the way to Guarderia Rio Posada. This is the end of the line for all the buses, and as noted, they generally hang out here until its time for the afternoon run back to Puerto Natales. I transferred to a van that took me the rest of the way to Hosteria Grey, and I caught the ferry from there. After a couple of nights at Refugio Grey, I hiked down to Refugio Pehoe, and camped there for a couple of nights. I bought a ticket for the ferry at the refugio, and got on the first ferry across the lake. The buses time their stop at Refugio Pudeto to meet the ferry, so once I got off, I saw my bus company. I jumped on, showed them my ticket, and asked them to take me to Camping Pehoe. (This was the morning run for the bus, so they were headed into the park. If I had taken the afternoon ferry, I would have met up with them on their way out and would not have been able to do this transfer.)After loading up the passengers, we headed down the road, and they stopped to drop me off at Camping Pehoe. (Fantastic views of the Cuernos from here. Nice campsite, too - it's for car camping and you get picnic tables and a shelter.) After a couple of nights, I went out in the morning and waited by the road for my bus company. When I saw them coming, I flagged them down. They stopped to pick me up and I told them I was headed out. Again, this was the morning run, so we were headed into the park. I hung out at Rio Posada with them until it was time for the afternoon run out of the park. I could have waited until the afternoon at Camping Pehoe and flagged them down on the way out, but I didn't want to chance missing the bus.
So, despite a rather complicated itinerary, the internal transport was pretty easy. Just pay attention to the bus schedule, remember what bus company you're dealing with, and communicate what you're doing to the driver.
All the buses stop at certain points within the park, and all I had to do when I wanted to transfer within the park is wait out there for a bus from the same company I rode in with. I showed them my ticket and told them where I needed to go. Bear in mind that the buses tend to follow the same schedule - they drive into the park in the mornings and out of the park in the afternoon. So, my bus would stop at the following stops in order in the mornings:
Guarderia Laguna Amarga
Refugio Pudeto
Posada Rio Serrano
The bus driver would then hang out at Posada Rio Serrano until later that afternoon, and then head back out stopping at the same places in reverse order.
The bus driver will also drop you off at points along the route. Just make sure to let him know before hand. For example, if you wanted to go from Guarderia Laguna Amarga to Hosteria Pehoe, you would just let the driver know when you go onboard. The bus doesn't usually stop there, but it's on the way so they'll just let you off. To get back, just be out on the road about the time they should be passing by and flag down the bus - just make sure it's your bus company.
On my last trip, I had a rather complicated itinerary within the park. I wanted to drive all the way to Hosteria Grey and take the ferry across Lago Grey. I was going to hang out at Refugio Grey for a couple of nights, and then hike down to Refugio Pehoe. I was going to hang out at Refugio Pehoe for a couple of nights, and then take the ferry across Lago Pehoe to catch the bus. I then wanted to take the bus from Refugio Pudeto to Camping Pehoe. After a couple of nights at Camping Pehoe, I would head back to Puerto Natales.
In Puerto Natales, I got a bus ticket to Torres del Paine from the guys at Andescape. I also arranged for the ferry transfer across Lago Grey. (this is a popular ferry, so I had to do it ahead of time)
So, the bus got me all the way to Guarderia Rio Posada. This is the end of the line for all the buses, and as noted, they generally hang out here until its time for the afternoon run back to Puerto Natales. I transferred to a van that took me the rest of the way to Hosteria Grey, and I caught the ferry from there. After a couple of nights at Refugio Grey, I hiked down to Refugio Pehoe, and camped there for a couple of nights. I bought a ticket for the ferry at the refugio, and got on the first ferry across the lake. The buses time their stop at Refugio Pudeto to meet the ferry, so once I got off, I saw my bus company. I jumped on, showed them my ticket, and asked them to take me to Camping Pehoe. (This was the morning run for the bus, so they were headed into the park. If I had taken the afternoon ferry, I would have met up with them on their way out and would not have been able to do this transfer.)After loading up the passengers, we headed down the road, and they stopped to drop me off at Camping Pehoe. (Fantastic views of the Cuernos from here. Nice campsite, too - it's for car camping and you get picnic tables and a shelter.) After a couple of nights, I went out in the morning and waited by the road for my bus company. When I saw them coming, I flagged them down. They stopped to pick me up and I told them I was headed out. Again, this was the morning run, so we were headed into the park. I hung out at Rio Posada with them until it was time for the afternoon run out of the park. I could have waited until the afternoon at Camping Pehoe and flagged them down on the way out, but I didn't want to chance missing the bus.
So, despite a rather complicated itinerary, the internal transport was pretty easy. Just pay attention to the bus schedule, remember what bus company you're dealing with, and communicate what you're doing to the driver.
Oct 25th, 2005, 02:15 PM
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It's possible, though I haven't done it myself. There's a common stopping point that the buses use where buses going to El Calafate, Puerto Natales, and Torres del Paine all stop. I forget the name of it. Everybody gets off to use the toilet, get some snacks, and browe the giftshop. The bus drivers usually get some coffee and hang out for a bit. I've seen people get off the bus and make arrangements with the bus drivers to get where they need to go. So, I've been on the bus from El Calafate to Puerto Natales, and seen people jump off the bus at this stop and arrange a trip into Torres del Paine with another bus driver.
I don't know if you can arrange this ahead of time, or if it's something you arrange on the fly. I do know that it's possible, but haven't done it myself. I'm too much of an obsessive planner to be that flexible. I'd be worried that other buses would be full or that I would miss a connection. You could try any of the bus agencies and see if they could set something up for you.
I don't know if you can arrange this ahead of time, or if it's something you arrange on the fly. I do know that it's possible, but haven't done it myself. I'm too much of an obsessive planner to be that flexible. I'd be worried that other buses would be full or that I would miss a connection. You could try any of the bus agencies and see if they could set something up for you.
Oct 26th, 2005, 08:45 PM
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While we're at it, being Americans, we're wondering if anyone knows of a REASONABLE tour company in Patagonia that has tours through TDP that don't require you to carry your pack. We're not interested in spending a fortune and don't need to stay in fancy hotels--we just can't backpack and would love to have a guide and someone to take care of meals. But every trip seems to be $1000+ pp. Anyone have any experience with more modest tour services? Thanks!
Oct 27th, 2005, 05:17 AM
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We visited the TDP last year and are not major trekers. Our TA in BA arranged for a guide to meet us at the airport in Punta Arenas, who brought us to our hotel in Puerta Natalas, picked us up the next day for a one day trip into the TDP which included the boat ride to the glaciers on Lago Gray, it was one of the highlights of our trip. I don't know how much this cost as it was part of a total individualized package, but the TDP part was supplied by Chile Nativo - web site - http://www.chilenativo.com - ask for Angelo, he was an amazing guide, extremely knowledgeable about the park (he leads treks too) with a good sense of humor and very personable.
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