Hiking: Torres del Paine, Chile

Before the pandemic

I happened to have some time off this year before the next job and I wanted to make use of this time and see the world a little. I thought about going to other places including Asia and Australia so to see some family and friends there too. Then the coronavirus outbreak happened. It was only January. At the time, the outbreak was just reported in Wuhan, China and the city was going into lockdown. Sporadic cases were starting to emerge in other places in Asia and there was much uncertainty on how things might develop. Since the SARS outbreak in 2003, people have become more alert on virus outbreak. It felt safer and wiser to avoid that part of the world at the time. I started thinking about the two continents that I had not been to, Africa and South America. They were far from the virus region and I had been wanting to see them for a while now. Let’s go to the other side of the world then. Let’s go to Chile. I booked my flight to Santiago shortly after.

Patagonia

“Patagonia is a region encompassing the vast southernmost tip of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile, with the Andes Mountains as its dividing line.”

Google
(retrieved May 2020)

Patagonia is a scenic region at the south of Chile. It is quite literally on one side of the world and there are even trips to Antarctica departing from here. Travelling from Sweden, it did very much feel like going from one end of the planet to another. I suppose that was part of the excitement. With an interest in both city and nature, I split my time in Chile between Santiago and Patagonia. It would take 3.5 hours to fly from Santiago to Punta Arenas, and then another 3 hours on bus from there to Puerto Natales, where we would join the tour. The tour would then take us to the national park for the hike over the next few days.

The unexpected news

As I was waiting at the airport to board my flight, I got a message from my dad that my grandma had passed away. I felt truly helpless in that moment as I could not be there to see her or be with my parents. I was literally on the other side of the world. I called my parents to check on them as soon as I got the news. They were okay and encouraged me to carry on with the trip. I went on the plane and continued my journey with this mixed feeling. I was excited about the trip but felt wrong at the same time that I could not do anything for my family. Part of me wanted to believe that, perhaps she was watching over me during this trip.

Torres del Paine National Park

The Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia is known for trekking. The national park has a number of trekking routes depending on the duration of your trip. The O circuit which goes around the national park is about 110 km and takes 6-10 days. The popular W trek is a little shorter. It covers the iconic highlights and takes about 4-5 days. After some internet research, we found this tour company with an express package for hiking on the W trek over 5 days and would take care of accommodation, meals and transportation for our duration of stay. Considering that I booked my trip quite late, perhaps about 5 weeks in advance, that was a convenient option for us and would later prove to be a great choice.

The W trek

The tour company was very helpful and customised the itinerary so we could see the highlights over three hiking days. The express W trek itinerary we booked covers the three iconic highlights of the national park: Base of the Towers, Valle Francés and Glacier Grey. The standard trail of the W trek is not strictly speaking a technically difficult hike, but it requires endurance and stamina with many ups and downs that would take their toll on your feet and energy levels. As part of the tour package, we stayed at this Tiny House from the tour right at the edge of the national park for the two nights there. The tour company drove us to the hiking trail or the ferry terminal in the national park for the hike each day. They were very nice and friendly with great service. Feel free to contact me if you want some tips on this.

The Tiny House

A special mention of the Tiny House. It was a new establishment recently installed by the tour company just a few months ago. Convenient location. Friendly staff. Great service. Nice food. Comfortable room. Helpful advice. The Tiny House was a great choice for our trekking trip in Torres del Paine. Located right next to the national park, it has the nice scenery and convenience, without the busyness of the camping sites. It provides a fine balance of comfort and nature at the beautiful national park. I am only showing the lower level of the room here but there are five beds in each tiny house so you may have to share with other travellers. Could be great for friends and family though. If you have any interests or needs, discuss with the manager while you are planning your trip and see what they can do.

The pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached South America the first day I arrived there as Brazil confirmed its first case. Chile had its first confirmed case reported a few days later in March during my trip there. I came back to Sweden shortly after and the condition has since turned into a global pandemic. Travel restrictions have since been implemented across the world. In Europe, many countries have closed their borders and major cities are in lockdown. It has been difficult for many of us during these unusual times.

Stay well and safe. We will get through this.