There are countless reasons to hike the W in Patagonia but I put together a list of some of the major ones. If you get the opportunity to do this amazing trek do not pass it up. If you’re looking for more logistical information about going to Chile for the W-Trek check out my blog post here. It has all of the info you could ever want, and if anything is missing please email me at planformedani@gmail.com
1. The views
I think this likely goes without saying, but the views are some of the best you will ever see. The Torres Del Paine and Cuernos can often be seen throughout the hike from different angles, all of which are amazing. The lakes are shades of blue and gray that you can only imagine, or would assume are edited, had you not been there in person. Being so close to glaciers is an experience you’d likely only have a few times in your lifetime, if any at all, and you can stare at them all day. The views along the trek are also incredibly diverse. You’d think that you would be hiking each day, looking at the same things over and over, but each day is brand new and different from the day before.
2. Camping is an adventure
If you decide to camp, it is an excellent experience. If you’re an avid camper, I am sure this feels simple in comparison. But as we are usually bed dwelling people, sleeping in a tent is a bit of an accomplishment and adventure in itself. Falling asleep semi-outdoors is something we don’t experience often, so we really found it enjoyable. Pulling open the tent zipper in the evening to see the stars, and in the morning to see the mountains, really filled us with happiness each day.
3. The social aspect
Finding places where you can go where there are tons of like-minded people all sharing an experience with you is more and more rare as you get older. Hiking in Torres Del Paine National Park was an awesome experience for that reason. Whether people were hiking the W, the O, day hiking, camping, staying in hotels or Refugio’s, etc. everyone has a shared love of hiking, nature, the earth, and seeing it in all it’s glory. It is a remarkable feeling to have that natural bond with everyone around you, regardless of where they are from in the world, which could ironically even be your own state or city!
4. Hanging in the Refugio’s
Having the Refugio’s at each site along the trek is arguably one of the most fun parts. Making it to camp at the end of each day feels like an accomplishment. You’re always excited about what you did that day, looking forward to the next day, and sharing that excitement with like-minded people makes it even better. Dinners are nice, and having a glass of wine, beer, or coffee at the end of each trekking day is such a fun and happy way to celebrate. We found the refugios to be very comforting and relaxing.
5. Beautiful lakes
This was already slightly mentioned in the “views” section, but the lakes really are something else. The shades of blue are insane and like nothing you’ve ever seen before, except maybe in Greece. They are unexpected, and when we sent photos home people thought they were heavily filtered. It’s also stunning to see pieces of broken off glacier just sitting in the middle of a bright blue/gray lake. The lakes are just another reminder that you’re in such a special and untouched place at the end of the world.
6. The feeling of accomplishment
Even though this wasn’t the most challenging hike we’ve ever done physically, the feeling of accomplishment after hiking and camping for multiple days is a fantastic feeling. Seeing what we’ve seen, hiking what we’ve hiked, sleeping and getting around in LITERALLY every weather situation possible makes you feel proud in a different type of way.
7. Being at the end of the world
Maybe everyone feels this way, or maybe we just hyped it up so much in our heads that we felt this way, or possibly it was the CNN docu-series, “Life at the Edge of the World”, that we watched before we left, but landing in Puerto Natales and driving into Patagonia truly felt like we were at the end of the world. Patagonia is a place where you know not every average person can, wants to, or ever will, come to. It absolutely gives it a special feeling that you are seeing something rare and amazing.
8. Our changing Earth
As we all know, the world is changing every day, the weather is changing, the climate is changing, and Patagonia is for sure changing. Therefore, the more we can see some of these amazing sights before they might be gone, the more we want to. We watched glaciers melting with our own eyes, we heard stories from locals about the climate and how things are changing, and we are so glad that we got to see and experience what we did before it changes any further.
More Helpful Posts
If you’re interested in taking the next step to actually DO this trek. Check out my post here —-> What I WISH I knew BEFORE hiking the W in Patagonia.