DAY 62 (1 OF 3) – INTRODUCTION, PARQUE NACIONAL TORRES DEL PAINE, CHILE

While Patagonia has been the most anticipated destination of our journey, Torres del Paine is undoubtedly the representative image of Patagonia that we have dreamed about for years.  There are numerous ways for one to appreciate the park’s magnificent sceneries.  We are going to take one of the most popular ways among hikers, doing the 5-day W-trek that takes in most of the Park’s highlights and staying at the park refugios along the way.  We decide to do the W-trek from west to east, starting from Glacier Grey, visiting the French Valley in the middle, and ending the trek with the sunrise at the iconic Torres del Paine rock towers.  Before we embark on the W-trek, we will spend an extra day at a campsite that offers some great views of the famous mountains. Granite towers, turquoise water, wild orchids, guanacos, foxes, pumas, condors, etc. pair with hostile Patagonian storms and unforgiving winds, we are ready for the wonder and cruelty of Torres del Paine.

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Previous Destination: Chiloe and Puerto Varas, reading from post Day 55.1

Read more on Parque Nacional Torres del Paine in 2013 South America:
Day 62.1 – Introduction
Day 62.2 – Mirador Cuernos, Torres del Paine
Day 62.3 – Camping Pehoe, Torres del Paine
Day 63.1 – Pudeto, Torres del Paine
Day 63.2 – Paine Grande to Glacier Grey, Torres del Paine
Day 63.3 – Glacier Grey, Torres del Paine
Day 64.1 – Glacier Grey to Paine Grande
Day 64.2 – Mirador Pehoe
Day 64.3 – Palette of Spring
Day 64.4 – Refugio Paine Grande
Day 65.1 – Paine Grande to Camping Italiano
Day 65.2 – Valle Fances
Day 65.3 – Camping Italiano to Refugio Cuernos
Day 66.1 – Refugio Cuernos to Valle Acencio
Day 66.2 – Refugio Chileno
Day 67.1 – Las Torres
Day 67.2 – Descend
Day 67.3 – Asado de Cordero, Puerto Natalas
Day 68.1 – Punta Arenas
Day 68.2 – La Marmita, Punta Arenas

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South America 2013 – Our Destinations
Buenos Aires (Argentina), Iguazu Falls (Argentina/Brazil), Pantanal (Brazil), Brasilia (Brazil), Belo Horizonte & Inhotim (Brazil), Ouro Preto (Brazil), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Paraty (Brazil), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Samaipata & Santa Cruz (Bolivia), Sucre (Bolivia), Potosi (Bolivia), Southwest Circuit (Bolivia), Tilcara, Purmamarca, Salta (Argentina), Cafayate (Argentina), San Pedro de Atacama (Chile), Antofagasta & Paranal Observatory (Chile), Chiloe (Chile), Puerto Varas (Chile), Torres del Paine (Chile), Ushuaia (Argentina), El Chalten (Argentina), El Calafate (Argentina), Isla Magdalena (Argentina), Santiago (Chile), Valparaiso (Chile), Afterthought