Patagonia: Torres Del Paine Classic W Trek

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Puerto Natales, in Chilean Patagonia. A private transfer from the Puerto Natales airport to your hotel is included in your trip fare. If you are arriving early, just speak to your hotel staff about where to meet later tonight. This port city is famously the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park – the centre of your 6-day hiking trip. Depending on when you arrive, you may want to acquaint yourself with the city on foot, taking in the snow-capped mountainous horizon, or maybe you’ll pop into the Municipal Historical Museum in the city centre to brush up on some local history. You’re free until 6 pm when there is a welcome meeting with your group. After, you may want to head to a restaurant or bar to get to know your fellow trekkers a little better and taste some classic Patagonian flavours.Accommodation: Hotel

After breakfast at the hotel this morning, you’ll take a transfer from the hotel to the Grey Sector of the W Circuit in wild Patagonia. This is the most famous and well-travelled hiking trail in the park because although it can be challenging, the trail can be completed by anyone of any fitness level (as long as you are reasonably active and able to walk long distances). First, take a boat ride from Hotel Grey to the trailhead and explore a landscape, which you will soon trek, from a different perspective. Then, from your starting point, the path is quite flat for the first hour, passing through beech-lined woods and crossing over some small streams. Along the way, you’ll have multiple opportunities to see the beautiful Lake Grey, with its electric-blue icebergs that jut from the water like small, otherworldly mountains. As you start to ascend, you’ll see a marvellous view of the Grey Glacier in the distance. Along the way, you’ll stop for a packed lunch, where you can keep your eye out for the Patagonian fox and the Andean condor. Eventually, make your way downhill once more and reach your accommodation for the night – Refugio Paine Grande. Refugios are backcountry huts or lodges that are along the trail, with full-service kitchens, beds and bathrooms. After a nice warm shower, cap off your first hiking day with a group dinner.Accommodation: Refugio Paine Grande

After breakfast at your Refugio, you’ll embark on a full-day trek through the French Valley. From here, the well-trodden path leads towards the Cuernos of Paine – look! You can see the jagged peaks in the far distance. Passing through woods and over small streams, you’ll have a beautiful view of Lake Nordenskjold, and later, the amazing sight of ancient sedimentary rock among the rolling hills. You’ll arrive at a rickety-looking hanging bridge, like something out of an Indiana Jones movie (don’t worry, it’s completely safe). Head on into the French Valley, which if you opt for the full round-trip, will take about 5 hours. Your path is a steady, uphill trail that reaches an altitude of around 900 m. If the weather is clear, the views are spectacular. After traversing rivers and forests of beech trees (or lenga trees), the skyline is dwarfed by towering granite spires and the famed Paine Grande – the highest mountain peak in the park, sitting at 3,050 m above sea level. The return trek (along the breathtaking Lake Nordenskjold) will eventually lead you to your accommodation and dinner spot for the night – Refugio Domos Frances.Accommodation: Refugio Domos Frances