Explorer’s Journal: Patagonia’s Legendary W Trek with Destination Expert Nick

Join Destination Expert Nick on an unforgettable adventure through Patagonia — a land where granite towers pierce the sky, winds sculpt the wild landscape, and every trail feels like a pilgrimage into nature’s rawest beauty. From snow-dusted ascents to glacier-fed lakes and valleys alive with iconic wildlife, each step along Chile’s legendary W Trek reveals a world shaped by weather, wonder, and sheer mountain magic.

Buenos dias from Patagonia! I’m Destination Expert Nick, and I’ve flown half-way across the world to tick a very important item off my bucket list: the legendary W Trek in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park.

It’s all about the Base!

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Made it to the Base of the Towers, standing beneath Torres del Paine’s iconic granite spires after an unforgettable snow-covered ascent (Photo: Nick Dall).

First up: the famous hike to the Base of the granite “towers” which give the park its name.

I signed up for the “self-guided” trek but due to the unseasonable October snow, I’ve been provided with a guide (and a set of crampons) for today’s hike. After a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs and jetfuel coffee, Chris – our reggae-loving guide for the day – leads me and two other hikers up the valley. In the distance we can see plumes of snow buffeting across the towers.

Today is an out-and-back hike and the first half is almost all uphill. While it is strenuous, it’s not quite as demanding as I imagined it would be. The fact that I’m only carrying a daypack, certainly helps – as do the spectacular views. After nearly being blown off our feet at the aptly named Paso de Los Vientos (Windy Pass) we descend into the picturesque Chileno Valley before embarking on the final push to the towers.

A few hundred metres from the top, we put on our crampons (and our rain jackets) and inch our way upwards through heavy snow. With Chris jovially leading the way, it feels like a fun adventure rather than a gruelling challenge. My only nagging concern is that the blizzard means I probably won’t get to see much of the towers.

But, right on cue, the clouds miraculously give way to blue skies. After taking loads of photos (nearly freezing my fingers off in the process) we head back down the valley, tired and satisfied. What’s already been a great day is made even greater by watching (and listening to) a pair of gigantic Magellanic Woodpeckers, with their striking red and black plumage, laying into an unsuspecting tree.

Better still is the fact that there’s a hot shower, a three-course meal and a warm bed waiting for me at the end of it all.

The lake is calling

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Soaking in the view of Lago Nordenskjöld (Photo: Nick Dall).

Today is supposed to be one of the easier days on the W Trek, and – after collecting my packed lunch from the kitchen – I set off on my own at about 8.30 AM. That’s one of the great things about the W Trek: the trails are well marked and there’s a fairly steady stream of hikers, so it’s perfectly safe to hike alone. I booked the self-guided option, because I’m comfortable in the mountains, but it’s also possible to book a fully guided tour.

I walk slowly, taking time to admire all the smaller birds (the grey and yellow Patagonian sierra finch is my favorite) and keeping my eyes peeled for any sign of a puma. While I do come across what look like fresh puma tracks and scat, that’s as close as I come to seeing these apex predators. I do, however, spy four condors catching thermals, their vast wingspans silhouetted against the washboard sky.

After a while the trail reaches the shores of Lago Nordenskjöld, and I begin to lose interest in the wildlife. The views are simply too spectacular: the too-turquoise-to-be-true lake on one side, and the talon-like peaks of Los Cuernos (The Horns) on the other. Over the next few hours I play a game of cat and mouse with a pair of South Korean hikers in their 50s: every time I stop to take a pic, they pass me. And vice versa.

Sometime after lunch (ham and cheese panino, fruit and a chocolate) the wind picks up. The word “wind” doesn’t really do this Patagonian weather phenomenon justice. It’s so strong that I end up on my backside a few times. It whips so much spray off the lake that vast “rainbows” form.

I walk the last couple of hours with an Australian guy called Daniel. It’s slow going in the gale, and by the time we make it to Frances Refugio (our base for the night). We have definitely earned a beer… Washed down with the spectacular views from the canteen, and a dinner of baked salmon.

To Británico and beyond!

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Amazing views and meeting fellow hikers on Day 3 of the W Trek (Photo: Nick Dall).

Today I have three options. Easy (hike straight to Paine Grande), Medium (take a detour to the Frances viewpoint before carrying on to Paine Grande) and Hard (hike all the way up to Británico lookout and back before setting off for Paine Grande).

I figure I’m only going to do the W Trek once (and my legs feel pretty strong) so I opt for Hard. After dumping my heavy pack at the bottom of the ascent (there’s a dedicated bag rack at the Italiano ranger station), I set off alone.

I climb through the thick lenga forest which hugs the banks of the Rio Frances until I reach the Frances viewpoint. It’s quite surreal having such spectacular 360° views of mountains, glaciers and lakes all to myself, and I savour every morsel of my packed lunch.

From there it’s another hour-and-a-half of upward scramble to the Mirador Británico, a mythical spot that is almost entirely ringed by gnarly mountain peaks. It’s not necessarily more beautiful than the view from Frances, but it is entirely different, and I am glad I made the extra effort. After eating my lunch, and taking some snaps with one of the Korean guys from yesterday (his buddy took the Easy option today), I begin the long trek to Paine Grande.

My legs are starting to feel it, especially on the downhills, but – once again – the infinitely different views of Torres del Paine come to the rescue. It’s hard to feel tired when every meander presents a new photo opportunity. Which is not to say I don’t welcome the roast beef dinner which greets me upon arrival at Paine Grande refugio.

50 Shades of Grey

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Getting an up-close view of Grey Glacier (Photo: Nick Dall).

I can’t believe today’s the last day of the W Trek – but my legs certainly can! I’ve got a boat ticket for 11am, so I eat breakfast as soon as it opens and hit the trail before seven. I walk, in muffled morning mist, through a narrow ravine that follows a small stream up a hill. The path is flanked by dead trees, and the low clouds obscure the dramatic scenery beyond – for a while it feels like I could be hiking anywhere in the world.

This fleeting thought is categorically quashed when I round a bend and spot icebergs floating on the gun-grey waters of Lago Grey. A few hundred yards later, the blue-white expanse of the Grey Glacier comes into view; a colossal three-pronged wall of ice at the head of the lake.

It’s almost as if I needed reminding that this is not a normal hike!

Now that the end is in sight, I pick up the pace, striding ever closer to the glacier. When I reach the grey-pebble beach there are already a couple of park rangers and hikers waiting to board the boat. A few minutes later I’m sitting in the heated confines of the Grey III catamaran, sipping on a pisco sour and admiring the glacier. It’s tempting to stay inside and warm my still-soggy feet. But I can’t resist going out on to the deck and getting a closeup view of the glacier.

Before I know it, I’m back on dry land, sitting in the bus that will take me back to Puerto Natales. The hike is over. But the memories will last forever.