Destination content © Wayne Bernhardson, used from Moon Handbooks Argentina, 1st Edition.
Maps © Avalon Publishing Group, Inc.
PARQUE NACIONAL TORRES DEL PAINE
Several years ago, when a major Pacific Coast shipping company placed a two-page ad in Alaska Airlines’ in-flight magazine, the landscape chosen to represent Alaska’s grandeur was . . . Parque Nacional Torres del Paine! While an opportunistic or uninformed photo editor may have been the culprit—appropriately enough for a Southern-Hemisphere destination, the image was reversed—the soaring granite spires of Chile’s premiere national park have become an international emblem of alpine majesty.
But there’s more—unlike many of South American’s national parks, Torres del Paine has an integrated network of hiking trails suitable for day trips and backpack treks, endangered species like the wild guanaco in a UNESCO-recognized World Biosphere Reserve, and accommodations options ranging from rustic campgrounds to cozy trail huts and five-star luxury hotels. Popular enough that some visitors prefer the shoulder seasons of spring (Nov.–Dec.) or fall (Mar.–Apr.)—the park receives upwards of 70,000 visitors yearly—Torres del Paine has become a major international destination, but it’s still wild country.
Nearly everybody visits the park to behold extraordinary natural features like the Torres del Paine themselves, the sheer granite towers that have defied erosion even as the weaker sedimentary strata around them have weathered, and the jagged Cuernos del Paine, with their striking interface between igneous and metamorphic rocks. Most hike its trails uneventfully, but for all its popularity, this is still hazardous terrain. Hikers have disappeared, the rivers run fast and cold, the weather is unpredictable, and there is one documented case of a tourist being attacked and killed by a puma.
Orientation
Parque Nacional Torres del Paine is 112 kilometers northwest of Puerto Natales via Ruta 9 through Cerro Castillo; 38 kilometers beyond Castillo, a westbound lateral traces the southern shore of Lago Sarmiento de Gamboa to the park’s isolated Laguna Verde Sector. Three kilometers beyond the Laguna Verde junction, another westbound lateral leaves Ruta 9 to follow Lago Sarmiento’s north shore to Portería Sarmiento, the park’s main gate; it continues southwest for 37 kilometers to the Administración, the park headquarters at the west end of Lago del Toro.
Twelve kilometers east of Portería Sarmiento, another lateral branches northwest and, three kilometers farther on, splits again; the latter leads to Guardería Laguna Azul, in the park’s little-visited northern sector, while the latter enters the park at Guardería Laguna Amarga, the most common starting point for the popular Paine Circuit, and follows the south shore of Lago Nordenskjöld and Lago Pehoé en route to the Administración. Most public transportation takes this route.
Geography and Climate
Parque Nacional Torres del Paine comprises 181,414 hectares of Patagonian steppe, lowland, and alpine glacial lakes, glacier-fed torrents and waterfalls, forested uplands and nearly vertical granite needles. Altitudes range from only about 50 meters above sea level along the lower Río Serrano to 3,050 meters on the summit of Paine Grande, the central massif’s tallest peak.
Paine has a cool temperate climate characterized by frequent high winds, especially in spring and summer. The average summer temperature is about 10.8°C, with the maximum reaching around 23°C; the average minimum in winter is around freezing. Average figures are misleading, though, as the weather is highly changeable. The park lies in the rain shadow of the Campo de Hielo Sur, where westerly storms drop most of their load as snow, so it receives only about 600 millimeters of rainfall per annum. Still, snow and hail can fall even in midsummer. Spring is probably the windiest time; in autumn, March and April, the winds tend to moderate, but days are shorter.
It should go without saying that at higher elevations temperatures are somewhat cooler and snow is likelier to fall. In some areas it’s possible to hut-hop between refugios, eliminating the need for a tent and sleeping bag but not for warm clothing and impermeable rain gear.
Flora and Fauna
Less diverse than in areas farther north, Paine’s vegetation still varies with altitude and distance from the Andes. Bunch grasses of the genera Festuca and Stipa, known collectively as coirón, cover the park’s arid southeastern steppes, often interspersed with thorny shrubs like the calafate (Berberis buxifolia), which produces edible fruit, and neneo (Anathrophillum desideratum). There are also miniature ground-hugging orchids like the zapatito (Calceolaria uniflora) and capachito (Calceolaria biflora).
Approaching the Andes, forests of the deciduous lenga (Nothofagus pumilio) blanket the hillsides, along with the evergreen coigue de Magallanes (Nothofagus betuloides) and the deciduous ñire (Nothofagus antarctica). At the highest elevations, there is little vegetation of any kind among the alpine fell fields.
Among Paine’s mammals, the most conspicuous is the guanaco (Lama guanicoe), whose numbers—and tameness—have increased dramatically over the past two decades. Many of its young, known as chulengos, fall prey to the puma (Felis concolor). A more common predator, or at least a more visible one, is the gray fox (Dusicyon griseus), which lives off the introduced European hare and, outside the park boundaries, off sheep). The endangered huemul or Andean deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus) is a rare sight.
The monarch of South American birds, of course, is the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), not a rare sight here. Filtering the lake shallows for plankton, the Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) summers here after breeding in the northern altiplano. The caiquén, or upland goose (Chloephaga picta), grazes the moist grasslands around the lakes, while the black-necked swan (Cygnus melancoryphus) paddles peacefully on the surface. The fleet but flightless rhea, or ñandú (Pterocnemia pennata), races across the steppes.
Paine Circuit
More than two decades ago, under a military dictatorship, Chile attracted few foreign visitors, and hiking in Torres del Paine was a solitary experience—on a 10-day trek over the now-famous Paine Circuit, I met only three other hikers, two Americans and a Chilean. Some parts of the route were easy-to-follow stock trails (the park was once an estancia), while others, on the east shore of Lago Grey and into the valley of the Río de los Perros in particular, were barely boot-width tracks on steep slopes, or involved scrambling over granite boulders and fording waist-deep glacial meltwater. In the interim, as raging rivers have destroyed bridges at the outlets of Lago Nordenskjöld and Lago Paine, the original trailhead on the north shore on Lago Pehoé no longer exists, and the Laguna Azul exit in the park’s northeastern corner is no longer feasible.
At the same time, completion of a trail along the north shore of Lago Nordenskjöld several years back created a new loop and simultaneously provided access to the south side of the Torres, offering easier access up the Río Ascencio and Valle del Francés in what is often done as the shorter “W” route (see The “W” Variant section) to Lago Pehoé. Where the former circuit crossed the Río Paine and continued along its north bank to the Laguna Azul campground, the new circuit now follows the river’s west bank south to Laguna Amarga.
In the interim, trail maintenance and development have improved dramatically, rudimentary and not-so-rudimentary bridges have replaced fallen logs and traversed stream fords, and comfortable concessionaire refugios and organized campgrounds have supplanted the lean-tos and puestos (outside houses) that once sheltered shepherds on their rounds. Though it’s theoretically possible to complete most of the circuit without a tent or even a sleeping bag, showering and eating at the refugios, hikers should remember that this is still rugged country with unpredictable weather.
Most hikers now tackle the circuit counterclockwise from Guardería Laguna Amarga, where buses from Puerto Natales stop for passengers to pay the park admission fee. An alternative is to continue to Pudeto and take a passenger launch to Refugio Pehoé, or to the park’s Administración (which involves a much longer and rather less interesting approach); both of these involve doing the trek clockwise.
At least a week is desirable for the circuit; before beginning, registration with park rangers is obligatory. Camping is permitted only at designated sites, a few of which are free. Purchase supplies in Puerto Natales, as only limited goods are available with the park, at premium prices.
For counterclockwise hikers beginning at Laguna Amarga, there is no refugio until Lago Dickson (roughly 11 hours), though there is a pay campground at Campamento Serón (five hours) and a free one at Campamento Coirón (three hours farther).
Under Conaf concession are Puerto Natales’s Andescape (Eberhard 599, tel. 061/412877, fax 061/412592, andescape@terra.cl); Refugio Lago Grey; and Refugio Lago Dickson, where there are also campgrounds; plus the Campamento Río de los Perros. All these refugios resemble each other closely, with 32 bunks charging US$16 pp, and providing kitchen privileges and hot showers but not sheets or sleeping bags, which are available for rental but are sometimes scarce. Breakfast costs US$6–7, lunch US$8, dinner US$11; a bunk with full board costs US$38 pp. Campers pay US$5 pp, plus US$1.50 for showers (refugio guests, however, have priority on the hot showers). Tents, sleeping bags, mats, and campstoves are also for rent.
Puerto Natales’s Vértice (tel. 061/412742) is the new concessionaire for cramped and traditionally overcrowded Refugio Lago Pehóe (but make reservations, which are strongly recommended, at Turismo Comapa, Bulnes 533, tel. 061/414300); a new refugio has been under construction here and should be operating in the summer of 2005. Rates are US$20 pp without breakfast.
The “W” Variant
From Guardería Laguna Amarga, a narrow undulating road crosses the Río Paine on a narrow bridge to the grounds of Estancia Cerro Paine, beneath the 2,640-meter summit of Monte Almirante Nieto. The estancia operates a hotel, refugios, and campgrounds on its property, and also shuttles hikers back and forth from Laguna Amarga for US$4 pp.
From Estancia Cerro Paine, a northbound trail parallels the route from Guardería Laguna Amarga, eventually meeting it just south of Campamento Serón. The estancia is more notable, though, as the starting point for the “W” route to Lago Pehoé, a scenic and popular option for hikers lacking time for the full circuit. On the western edge of the estancia grounds, the trail crosses the Río Ascencio on a footbridge to a junction where a northbound lateral climbs the river canyon to Campamento Torres, where a short but very steep trail ascends to a nameless glacial tarn at the foot of the Torres proper. This is an easy day hike from the estancia, though many people prefer to camp or spend the night at the refugio.
From the junction, the main trail follows Lago Nordenskjöld’s north shore, past another refugio and campground, to the free Campamento Italiano at the base of the Río del Francés Valley. While the main trail continues west toward Lago Pehoé, another northbound lateral climbs steeply up the valley, between the striking metamorphic Cuernos del Paine to the east and the 3,050-meter granite summit of Paine Grande to the west, to the free Campamento Británico.
Technically outside the park boundaries, most of the “W” route along the north shore of Lago Nordenskjöld is under the private control of Fantástico Sur (Magallanes 960, Punta Arenas, tel. 061/226054, fax 061/222641, lastorres@chileaustral.com), which runs the 36-bunk Refugio Las Torres on the estancia’s main grounds, the 36-bunk Refugio Chileno in the upper Río Ascencio Valley, and the 28-bunk m Refugio Los Cuernos, all of which also have campgrounds. Fantástico Sur’s refugios are more spacious, diverse and attractive in design than the Conaf refugios, and the food is better as well.
Bunks at any of the Fantástico Sur refugios cost US$20 pp (US$42 pp with full board), while camping costs US$4 pp with hot showers. Separately, a continental breakfast costs US$5, a U.S.-style breakfast US$6, lunch US$8 or dinner US$10; a full meal package costs US$22. Rental tents, sleeping bags, mats, and stoves are also available.
Other Trails
After heavy runoff destroyed the once-sturdy bridge at the outlet of Lago Paine in the early 1980s, the north shore of the Río Paine became, and has remained, isolated from the rest of the park. A good road, however, still goes from Guardería Laguna Amarga to the east end of Laguna Azul, where there are a campground and cabañas, and the Sendero Lago Paine, a four-hour walk to the lake and a simple refugio. A trekkers’ alternative is the Sendero Desembocadura, which leads north from Guardería Laguna Amarga through open country to the west end of Laguna Azul and continues to Lago Paine, but this takes about eight hours. From the north shore of Lago Paine, the Sendero Lago Dickson (5.5 hours) leads to the Dickson glacier.
Several easy day hikes are possible in the vicinity of Guardería Lago Pehoé, directly on the road from Laguna Amarga to the Administración. The short Sendero Salto Grande leads to the thunderous waterfall, at the outlet of Lago Sarmiento, that was the starting point of the Paine Circuit until unprecedented runoff swept away the iron bridge that crossed to Península Pehoé. From Salto Grande, the Sendero Mirador Nordenskjöld is a slightly longer but still easy hike to a vista point on the lakeshore, directly opposite the stunning Cuernos del Paine.
From the Guardería Lago Grey, 18 kilometers northwest of the Administración by road, a short footpath leads to a sandy beach on the south shore of Lago Grey, where icebergs from Glaciar Grey often beach themselves. The longer and less visited Sendero Lago Pingo ascends the valley of the Río Pingo to its namesake lake (5.5–six hours); there are two basic refugios along the route.
Further Recreation
Despite the similarity of terrain, Paine attracts fewer climbers than Argentina’s neighboring Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, perhaps because fees for climbing permits have been very high here. At present, permits are free of charge; before being granted permission, though, climbers must present Conaf with current climbing résumés, emergency contact numbers, and authorization from their consulate.
When climbing in sensitive border areas (meaning most of Andean Chile), climbers must also have permission from the Dirección de Fronteras y Límites (Difrol) in Santiago. It’s possible to obtain permission through a Chilean consulate overseas or at Difrol’s Santiago offices; if you arrive in Puerto Natales without permission, request it through the Gobernación Provincial (tel. 061/411423, fax 061/411992), the regional government offices on the south side of Plaza Arturo Prat. The turnaround time is at 48 hours. Ask Conaf for more time than you’ll need, as each separate trip could require a separate fee.
While climbing and mountaineering activities may be undertaken independently, local concessionaires can provide training and lead groups or individuals with less experience on snow and ice. Puerto Natales’s Big Foot Adventure Patagonia, for instance, has a base camp at Refugio Grey where it leads full-day traverses of the west side of Glaciar Grey (US$75 pp) daily at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., returning at 2 and 8 p.m. Except for warm, weather-proof clothing, they provide all equipment. For more detail, contact Big Foot Adventure Patagonia (Bories 206, tel. 061/414611, fax 061/414276, explore@bigfootpatagonia.com, www.bigfootpatagonia.com). Big Foot also arranges guided three-day, two-night descents of the Río Serrano for US$380 pp.
The only concessionaire offering horseback trips in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine is Río Serrano–based Baqueano Zamora (Eberhard 566, Puerto Natales, tel. 061/413953, baqueanoz@terra.cl). Rates are about US$15 for two hours or US$50 per day (including lunch).
Information
Conaf’s principal facility is its Centro de Informaciones Ecológicas (tel. 061/691931, 8:30 a.m.–8 p.m. daily in summer), at the Administración building on the shores of Lago del Toro, which features good natural history exhibits. Ranger stations at Guardería Laguna Amarga, Portería Lago Sarmiento, Guardería Laguna Azul, Guardería Laguna Verde, and Guardería Lago Grey can also provide information.
For foreigners, Torres del Paine is Chile’s most expensive national park—US$13 pp except from May 1 to September 30, when it’s only US$7 pp. Rangers at Portería Lago Sarmiento, Guardería Laguna Amarga (where most inbound buses now stop), Guardería Laguna Verde, or Guardería Laguna Azul collect the fee and issue receipts.
The text and coverage of the fifth edition of Tim Burford’s Chile & Argentina: The Bradt Trekking Guide (Bradt Publications, 2001) are greatly improved over previous editions, though the maps are only so-so. Clem Lindenmayer and Nick Tapp’s new third edition of Trekking in the Patagonian Andes (Lonely Planet, 2003) has significantly better maps than Bradt and expanded coverage compared to its own previous editions. Only a few of those maps, though, are as large as the 1:100,000 scale that’s desirable for hiking, though the rest are suitable for planning hikes.
Climbers should look for Alan Kearney’s Mountaineering in Patagonia (Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1998), which includes both historical and practical information on climbing in Torres del Paine and Argentina’s Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. Gladys Garay N. and Oscar Guineo N. have collaborated in The Fauna of Torres del Paine (1993), a locally produced guide to the park’s animal life.
Conaf sells a very inexpensive map, at a scale of 1:160,000 with erratic contour intervals, that’s suitable for orientation but not for trekking. The trekking map of choice, for about US$5.50, is Daniel Bruhin’s Torres del Paine, at a scale of 1:100,000. At the same scale and about the same price, JLM Mapas’s Torres del Paine Trekking Map is widely available in Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales, and less dependably at Portería Lago Sarmiento and the park’s Centro de Informaciones Ecológicas.
Getting There
Most people choose the bus as the cheapest and quickest way to and from the park, but the more expensive trip up Seno Última Esperanza and the Río Serrano by cutter and Zodiac is a viable and more interesting alternative.
For overland transportation details, see the Puerto Natales section. All bus companies enter the park at Guardería Laguna Amarga, where many people begin the Paine Circuit, before continuing to the Administración at Río Serrano. Round trips from Natales are slightly cheaper, but companies do not accept each others’ tickets.
In summer only, there may be direct bus service from Torres del Paine to El Calafate, Argentina, the closest town to that country’s Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. Inquire in Puerto Natales or at the park Administración.
Transportation up and down the Río Serrano, between the park and Puerto Natales, has become a popular if considerably more expensive alternative than the bus; for details, see Parque Nacional Bernardo O’Higgins. Visitors who want to see only this sector of the river, without continuing to Puerto Natales, can do so as a day trip to Puerto Toro and back.
Getting Around
Buses to and from Puerto Natales will also carry passengers along the main park road, but as their schedules are very similar, there are substantial blocks of time with no public transportation. Hitching is common, but competition is heavy and most Chilean vehicles are full with families. There is a regular shuttle between Guardería Laguna Amarga and Estancia Cerro Paine (Hostería Las Torres).
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