As we were researching our trip, we felt like we couldn’t visit Patagonia without doing at least a little mountain backpacking trip. The obvious answer was Torres del Paine – a national park in Chile with 2 famous backpacking circuits around a cluster of mountains. We chose the ‘O Circuit’ as it seemed to be more challenging, have fabulous views, and be a bit less frequented than the shorter ‘W trek’ (which I’m sure also has fabulous views). What sets this park apart from national parks in the US, for example, are the ‘refugios’ scattered along the hiking trail offering bunk beds, tents, hot food, and even beer (!) where everyone is required to stay for the night. The park offered an option to hike the entire circuit with all of our food prepared for us and a tent setup for us when we arrived at camp. We could not resist the idea of a backpacking trip with light backpacks…are we still scarred from the Appalachian Trail? Maybe. SOLD on the all-inclusive hiking package!
Day 1
We hopped on our 7am bus in Puerto Natales with dozens of other eager hikers for our 2 hour ride to the park. When we arrived in Torres del Paine, we followed a herd of people to the check in desk where we started to realize how popular this park really was! Not only for backpacking treks but for day hiking as well. Fortunately the section we started on was not accessible for day hikers and they only allow around 70 people a day in one direction. So once we got on the trail, everyone was nicely dispersed.
As we started day one, we were a bit blown away by the weather – warm and sunny! Why did I think Patagonia was all snow all the time? Our hike was wonderfully green with gorgeous views of the snow-capped mountains in the background. We crossed clear mountain streams and stumbled upon horses grazing in the grass. When we got to our campground, we were shown to our lofted tent complete with a full-size pillow. And they served salmon for dinner…what a luxury! We soon realized, after experiencing the following refugio’s food and tents, that they really spoiled us at that first one.
Day 2
The next day was a little colder with clouds threatening rain for most of the way. We spent much of the hike along a meandering river with beautiful gray-blue waters and hardy bushes with bright red flowers. The colors were fabulous! Near the end and after a short climb, we came up on a ridge and got the first glimpse of our campground for the night. The little settlement was tucked into a peninsula surrounded by a beautiful cloudy green glacier lake and towering mountains. What a view! As we descended into the camp, the rain finally started coming down. We made it just in time to tuck into our tent and rest our feet while we waited out the storm. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, walking around the lake, and I believe we even enjoyed a few beers with some fellow hikers.
Day 3
Every day of the hike was getting more and more spectacular. On the third day, we finally started gaining elevation and seeing a significant change in the landscape. We walked up through a valley of trees as the air got colder and the wind picked up. We crossed sketchy bridges over crystal clear streams and got glimpses of glaciers in the distance. Eventually, we popped out of the tree line and were immediately greeted by a beautiful little mountain glacier lake and a wind that almost knocked us off our feet! The spectacular views mixed with the intensity of the wind made the experience feel so unreal. And we were the only ones there! We stood there, leaning into the wind and giggling, for what felt like forever. It was such a special moment to have that place all to ourselves – absolutely unforgettable.
Day 4
The fourth day was the day everyone had been talking about – it was the day we were going to cross the John Gardner Pass. This pass has a reputation for being a tough, icy climb. Add that to the notorious winds and unpredictable weather and it can become a rough day. We were excited to see what all the fuss was about!
We started our day early, hitting the trail by 6:30am. I don’t think we could have asked for a more perfect day – chilly, sunny, and almost no wind. From our campground, we immediately started our ascent towards the pass through a valley. The landscape started rocky with small patches of snow as we continued up between the mountains, the view behind us getting more and more beautiful. As we got closer and closer to the pass, the trail became all snow – that was a first for me! I couldn’t help but wonder how much snow I was walking on. Is there any danger of falling into a hole? What about avalanches? The questions were there, but the surreal landscape filled me with awe rather than fear. At the steepest section of the ascent, we were literally hiking on a steep staircase of icy footprints. I felt like one gust of wind could knock me a hundred meters back down the valley. What a rush!
As we came to the peak of the pass, the view we were rewarded with was unreal. Snowy mountains in the background with a massive, sprawling glacier right in front of us spilling into a bright blue lake. The silence was deafening as Alex and I joined a few other hikers to just stand and stare. “Can you believe it?” is basically all anyone could say. I wish pictures could transport feelings because these hardly do it justice.
After taking it all in at the top, it was time to make our way back down. This proved to be WAY more challenging than the hike up. For more than a mile the trail was icy, packed snow and went steeply down into the trees. Our poles helped us a bit, but it was slow going. At a few points we literally had to repel down with ropes stuck into the ice. You could see traces of people sliding down the path everywhere, which was especially scary. It was easily the most difficult, dangerous terrain I’ve hiked on and we didn’t dare take our cameras out in this section. (Further down the trail a rescuer passed us with a body board. Apparently there were several falls and injuries in this section after we got through it! Another hiker who saw many of the people struggling referred to it as the ‘Trail of Tears’.)
We were so relieved once the trail mellowed out and the snow and ice finally dispersed! We were able to take a deep breath and continue on with a steady pace, enjoying the views. We continued along towards the lake with the glacier to our right, giving us the chance to marvel at it some more. Just when I thought all of the scary parts of the hike were out of the way, we came upon a massive suspension bridge (the first of three, we would soon find out). Those really tested my trust in human engineering and moderate fear of heights.
We walked into camp elated and exhausted – we slept like babies that night.
Day 5
We had a short hike for our last day, just a few miles to the ferry that took us back to the bus station. The soreness from the intensity of the day before was really starting to set in. We spent the next few days bumming around Puerto Natales, resting our weary bodies, and reminiscing about what a special experience we just had together!
Wandering Between Meals 
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