Deciding exactly what to take with you in that all important rucksack can often be a bit of a struggle, particularly when you’re going to a place that’s remote and has unpredictable weather like Patagonia. What’s important to remember is although you may have brought a 65 litre rucksack with you for your trip, this will probably be too weighty to carry round the W Circuit so it’s best if you leave this at the operator’s office and bring a 35 litre rucksack (as your hand luggage for example). If you don’t have another rucksack, you could transfer the clothes you won’t need into a plastic bin liner and bring your big rucksack with you. This way, you can prioritise and bring only what you’ll need for those important days.
We thought it would be helpful to go through a day-by-day guide of what type of kit you’ll have with you. This is the standard itinerary for a W Circuit which goes from East to West but please note that some operators’ programmes start in the West of the park and finish in the East.
Day 1 Transfer into Torres del Paine National Park
Pick up from Puerto Natales hotel and transfer into the park. Perhaps you complete some light walking for a couple of hours, but you shouldn’t have to worry about carrying your bag. Arrival at the refugio, probably Refugio Torre Central.
Day 2 Hike to Torres Lookout Point
The hike up to the Torres del Paine Look-out is the hardest trek on the W Circuit but the most dramatic. You’ll leave your gear in the large lockers in your rooms today, because you’re staying at Refugio Torre Central on both the first and second night. So, you’ll just need to take a day pack with; your packed lunch, fleece, waterproof jacket, sun glasses, sun cream and camera.
Day 3 Hike to Los Cuernos
This is one of the easiest days of trekking on an undulating path. You’ll be carrying all your gear* today but you’ll be able to take regular breaks and you’ll stop to have lunch next to a river. Later on you’ll arrive at Refugio Los Cuernos where you can upgrade to a small, private cabin for $80 usd. *Please see the full kit list at the bottom of this page for the gear you need to bring.
Day 4 Hike to French Valley and Lago Pehoe
This is going to be a longer, more challenging, but also very rewarding day, and Refugio Paine Grande is a very comfortable destination to reach at the end of all that hard work. Today you’ll start off with a reasonably flat hike (carrying your gear) to Campamento Italiano at the bottom of the French Valley. When you arrive, you’ll leave your pack outside the porter’s lodge, so that you don’t have to carry it up the valley with you. Just take your lunch, jacket, water & camera.
After you come back down from the valley some hours later, you’ll collect your gear and continue on an up and downhill hike to Refugio Paine Grande, where you can spend the evening walking round the edge of the lake or relaxing in this hotel-cum-hostal.
Day 5 One way hike to Glacier Grey – Navigation – Hotel at Serrano River
Today you’ll hike from Paine Grande to Glaciar Grey, on an undulating path, with some uphill parts for 30 minutes at a time. Bear in mind, this is only a half-day hike and you’ll have a chance to relax on the boat afterwards.
It’s possible that people who are less used to hiking with a pack on their back may find that they’d prefer to have a porter with them for part of the W Circuit. If this is so, we’d recommend hiring a porter for Day 4 which is quite a long day with two hours either side of hiking into Valle Frances.
Proposed Kit List for W Circuit at end of January, staying in Refugios
- Daily walking gear:
- Waterproof and windproof jacket (Gortex or other suitable fabric)
- Breathable, waterproof trousers
- Walking boots: good quality and well broken in
- Water bottle (minimum one litre)
- Wool cap or other warm hat
- Sun hat (with ties to stop it blowing off (it will be windy))
- Sunglasses with UVA protection (preferably with a neck string)
- Camera
- spare battery and memory card? waterproof case/bag? [note plug sockets available at Cabana Los Cuernos on Day 5 for charging]
- Other clothing to pack:
- Spare socks and underwear
- T-shirts: short and long sleeve
- 1 warm fleece jacket
- Other gear:
- Small wash bag with personal toiletries
- ear plugs (if you’re a light sleeper like me, they’re good for the refugios)
- Any personal medication
- Microfiber travel towel – far less bulky that normal towels & quick drying
- Potentially shared 1 between 2:
- flashlight/torch with spare batteries (Maglite or similar) for use at Cabanas
- suncream, lip salve, strong insect repellent (only needed if wind expected to die down)
- Life’s little luxuries:
- Pyjamas – if you wish, some people don’t bother with extra weight
- Swimming costume (for those that upgrade to the cabanas at Refugio los Cuernos where you’ll have access to a shared hot tub)
- Body warmer/waistcoat
- Comfortable footwear (we recommend flip flops)
- Comfy trousers for relaxing at the refugio
Please note: in most cases, bedding is provided in the refugios each night so no sleeping bag is required