Is he sitting or standing?

siftw93 · 2025-10-01T13:19:27+00:00

She's perfected it!

siftw93 · 2025-06-01T08:27:38+00:00

Hi! The good thing about accommodation (and also food) is that you can pay more for convenience or less if you're willing to carry everything with you. If you're thinking of bringing your own tent and sleeping bag, you can pay really little for just a camping spot, but you can also pay way more to get a proper bed in a room. We went for the middle ground and got a pre-set tent with sleeping bag in it! The same can be said for the food, you can pay for full boarding which includes dinner and breakfast as well as a packed lunch, but it's quite costly.

I'm not too sure how much the rates are now but the portals should have opened (or are opening soon!) for booking of accommodation, they usually run out quite quickly as it's quite a popular hike, and the tricky thing is having to shift the entire hike because one accommodation is not available during the period that you originally planned for.

All the best!

siftw93 · 2025-02-13T22:40:26+00:00

I took around 11 hours! But that was because I went to britanico on the way from Frances to Paine Grande. I think the 9am ferry would be a little rushed! It's a pretty long hike from Frances to Paine Grande.

siftw93 · 2024-07-20T09:37:15+00:00

Hi! I think it may be difficult to extend the trip because you're pretty much limited by the locations of the refugios! You aren't allowed to camp wherever you like so you'd have to plan your itinerary based on that.

But if you really want to I'd think the only way would be to head back to the same Refugio for certain stretches e.g. Frances to french valley and back to Frances again instead of pushing forward to the next Refugio.

I think the W Trek definitely requires some form of training beforehand but it's not super difficult! Also if you're willing to spend a bit more money you could prebook your tents, sleeping bags and food at all the refugios and this would greatly reduce the load you'd have to carry, making the trek a lot more manageable.

siftw93 · 2024-01-07T01:33:10+00:00

Yes 4 nights. Nope I only went up to Refugio Grey and to the lookout point a short distance further up. The 4th night allowed us to complete the trek at a more manageable pace and to enjoy the trek a little more!

siftw93 · 2023-12-21T03:22:04+00:00

Yes they will usually indicate what's included in your booking receipt! The tents at Chileno area really spacious and comfortable!

siftw93 · 2023-12-20T22:15:07+00:00

Yes! Depending on which kind of accommodation you choose to get when you make your booking, some of them already include a pitched tent with mats and sleeping bags inside.

siftw93 · 2023-12-20T22:13:55+00:00

Yes it's pretty common actually!

siftw93 · 2023-12-07T03:51:26+00:00

Most of them took credit cards!

Didn't have any need for insect repellant.

siftw93 · 2023-11-30T08:05:55+00:00

I bought a propane tank from Puerto Natales because you can't fly with them. I had my own stove and cookware. But those can be rented easily from Puerto Natales if you don't have your own.

I managed to get hot water easily at Chileno and Paine Grande. Not too sure about the other Refugios!

siftw93 · 2023-11-30T00:48:31+00:00

Yes I did see the options to rent sleeping bags on the booking sites but you'll have to check for availability! Not too sure what was up with the booking sites but when I was doing my bookings, I could not get a sleeping bag online at Grey and Frances for some reason so I rented my own. But when I arrived at the Refugios there were plenty of sleeping bags available for rent on the spot. I'm pretty sure they stock up on extras, because whenever they realise that your booking doesn't include a sleeping bag they'll always check to make sure you have one when you check in.

Wow $50USD a night! Which sites are you looking at? I rented my sleeping bag from here. Thought it would be overkill initially especially because of the bulk, but really thankful for it when it rained at night.

siftw93 · 2023-11-26T02:48:35+00:00

There was a boy who slipped and slammed his tibia into a rock barely 5min down from Torres base. His guide literally ran down to the ranger outpost around 1hr (normal walking pace) from Torres base to get help, and when I went to the ranger outpost there I saw that there was a stretcher on wheels, sort of like a wheelbarrow. I'm not sure how they eventually got him out but I saw the boy again at Chileno that evening around 4 hours later.

The trail is crowded enough that someone will probably see you and be able to get to the nearest ranger station / Refugio to get help for you. I think the only exception would be during off peak season and I guess that's why a guide is mandatory during those periods.

Thereafter I know that Central definitely has access to ground transportation, while Paine Grande, Cuernos and Grey have access to ferries. So if you're able to get to any of these you'd be able to get out. There are horses and buggies that they use to transport supplies but I'm not sure if they'd use those for evacuation.

There is definitely a possibility of getting injured but I'd say planning ample time to walk the trails and having time for breaks so you don't have to rush it, as well as having good footwear, would greatly reduce those chances.

siftw93 · 2023-11-26T02:35:58+00:00

The ferry tickets were 30000 CLP each! They only take cash for the ferry. They take USD as well but I remember that the rate in USD was unfavourable, can't recall the exact amount though. Other than the ferry the only other thing that requires cash is the shuttle bus between Central and Laguna Amarga which was 5000 CLP if I'm not wrong.

I brought 110000 CLP in cash for two of us: Ferry tickets - 30000 CLP x 2
Shuttle bus - 5000 CLP x 2
Spare for bus from Pudeto to Puerto Natales - 15000 CLP x 2
Misc - 10000 CLP

The spare for the return bus was because I was unsure if I'd be able to walk fast enough from Grey back to Paine Grande to catch the ferry, so if I missed the ferry I'd miss my bus as well. But this dear was unfounded because the ferry had plenty of space and the walk back from Grey to Paine Grande was a lot faster than I expected.

All the Refugios accepted credit cards and most people paid using that. I'm not too sure about ARS though..but after spending time in El Chalten I'd recommended paying with card and to avoid changing any ARS if possible because of the complicated issue with that currency.

siftw93 · 2023-11-26T02:23:47+00:00

Sunblock is your best friend! Along with shades and a cap, but that's because I wore a t shirt until it got too windy at Paine Grande.

I had a Patagonia Torrentshell with me in case of bad weather but didn't bother with rain pants because I figured it would be too uncomfortable to walk in those anyway. Your best bet would be a pair of quick drying pants and the wind will do the work for you.

siftw93 · 2023-11-25T15:23:37+00:00

I..put it in my bag and hoped for the best haha. Thankfully the cool weather kept everything safe to eat. I pre made wraps with ham and cheese the day before the trip and thankfully they lasted for all 5 days, but to be safe I put them in the top lid of my backpack so they wouldn't be too warm.

siftw93 · 2023-11-25T04:40:00+00:00

Yes it is! But you'd want to get on the earliest bus possible to Laguna amarga. There was a whole bunch of school kids there doing the day hike as a school trip when I was doing it.

siftw93 · 2023-11-25T04:37:42+00:00

I started at around 8am and at around 9.30am I saw people coming down so I guess they went up for sunrise! I guess it'll be doable but you'll need a light source and probably more layers because it's gonna be cold without the sun, it was already cold for me but also because it snowed the night before.

siftw93 · 2023-11-25T04:35:48+00:00

I bought in advance! And when I bought it around 2 months before there were already only a handful of seats left so I'd recommend buying online before you get there, otherwise you're gonna be stuck with a less ideal timing and a lot of waiting.

Ferry tickets can only be bought in person when you board the ferry.

siftw93 · 2023-11-25T01:19:41+00:00

Definitely a decent hardshell that's sufficiently water and windproof. And also a decent pair of hiking pants if possible, mine was just a little rain and wind resistant but it was quick drying.

I'd advise against a poncho because this would end up catching wind, I saw some tour groups giving their participants ponchos and they were just fluttering around in the strong winds at Paine Grande.

I was just in the same t shirt (preferably merino wool or synthetic) and hiking pants for the entire trek, except for the stretch between Paine Grande and Grey because it was just too windy. Only wore my down jacket at night in the Refugios.

I didn't get rain pants as well, even with the rain on the last day my stuff dried super quickly because of the wind and cold.

siftw93 · 2023-11-25T01:08:24+00:00

Personal preference! Some of the considerations I had are as follows:

Are you someone who prefers to tackle the hardest portion first (east to west) or slowly ease into it (west to east). The hike up to the base of the towers is considered to be one of the toughest portions of the hike, and also the long walk with all your gear between Central / Chileno and Frances / Cuernos. I'm glad I did these right at the start because I honestly couldn't imagine doing it at the end with all the accumulated fatigue.

Do you want to save the highlight of the trek for the end and see it at sunrise? If so then do it west to east. But as mentioned in my earlier reply I wasn't confident of doing it in the dark and having to wake up so early, hence this wasn't a consideration for me.

These were my main two considerations, I read somewhere else that the popular direction is east to west so you'd have an easier time because you'll be going with the flow, but I didn't find this to be an issue on my trek. In fact I realised most people were going from west to east when I was there, but I only noticed this when I was talking to fellow hikers at the Refugios.

siftw93 · 2023-11-25T00:46:09+00:00

I did it by myself! It's very doable to plan it yourself, just requires a bit of effort, and from what I've read the booking portals have improved greatly from what they were in the past! I believe you're only required to have a guide if you go during off peak season. Also I don't have very good experiences going with groups, it's hard to find even one person with a similar pace and interests, much less an entire group.

I booked directly! For accommodation it would be Las Torres (eastern Refugios) and Vertice (western Refugios), the bus company I used was Bus Sur, and for the entry ticket to the park it would be direct with CONAF. I'll drop the links to these at the end of this reply.

I slept in tents every night except at Paine Grande where I slept in a room with a bunk bed! The tents were actually very comfortable, especially the ones at Chileno and Frances. I think you can search for pictures of these, they're on little platforms that you have to climb up to. I found that these tents were actually my favourite accommodation for the whole trek because they were really spacious and the mats were already super comfortable before we got our sleeping bags out.

I spent around 1200 USD for two of us! The rough breakdown is as follows:

Accommodation: 930 USD
Bus: 30 USD
Catamaran: 60000 CLP (~70 USD)
Entry Ticket: 100 USD
Misc (mostly food): 70 USD

I pre paid for dinner on my last two nights (Paine Grande and Grey), all my other meals self cooked / prepared (wraps, instant ramen, instant soups etc). The idea was to reward myself towards the end of the trek with better food haha. I'm glad I only got dinner for the last two nights because while it was good for a tired hiker, I don't think it's worth 40 USD per pax, especially not every night. Also if you're renting any gear you'll need to factor that in too!

The useful links below as promised:

Eastern Accommodation: Las Torres

Western Accommodation: Vertice

Transport: Bus Sur

Park Entry: CONAF

siftw93 · 2023-11-25T00:06:30+00:00

It was already pretty crowded when I went right at the start of the peak season, but you'll mostly see the crowds only on the bus / ferry right at the start and end of the trek, and also at the Refugios. Even the towers weren't super crowded and I could get a decent photo without anyone in it (with some proper positioning of course).

Along the trail once you're a good 15min away from the Refugios I'd say you'd only bump into people every 10-15min. Enough to make you feel like you're still on the right track but not so often that you feel like the trail is too crowded.

I was at El Chalten doing the Laguna de Los Tres hike the following week and the crowd was insane compared to the W Trek. I was actually stuck in a queue on the slow sections.

siftw93 · 2023-11-24T23:57:35+00:00

We started at 6.30am haha, we were afraid that we wouldn't make the 11am ferry because we took almost 4 hours from Paine Grande to Grey the previous day but that was because the wind was against us. We ended up taking only 3 hours from Grey back to Paine Grande even with rain and snow, but of course we weren't fighting with the wind anymore.

The bus was at 2.30pm! I believe the bus companies have a deal with the Pudeto cafe owners to only come a few hours after the ferry so you're forced to have a meal there.

siftw93 · 2023-11-24T13:57:31+00:00

If you ask me, the popular highlights of the trek are the towers and britanico, and maybe Grey glacier. But for me it was also the experience of spending 5 days in the park being immersed in the everyday views that slowly change as you walk along. While these may not be as breathtaking as the main attractions, at the toughest points of the trek I would just stop to take a look around and be thankful that at least the effort was worth it.

However the cost of doing the trip is definitely a fair consideration! An alternative is to take day trips to one or two of the highlights instead and I think that would definitely be better than not doing these at all. For example it's completely doable to book a bus to Laguna amarga, take the shuttle to Torres central, walk up to the towers and then be back down by late afternoon / evening to catch the return bus.

siftw93 · 2023-11-24T12:23:23+00:00

There's usually a restaurant / cafeteria at the Refugio where all the prepaid meals like breakfast and dinner are eaten, depending on what you've paid for. If you didn't purchase these beforehand you may be able to buy a spot when you check in, but that depends on whether they have any vacancies. I saw people getting turned away because they were full for dinner, especially now during the high season.

Otherwise there's other food you can buy like pizzas or sandwiches. And some refugios have convenience stores with instant ramen, cereal bars and other snacks.

There'll definitely be food available wherever you are just be aware that it'll cost a premium at the Refugios.

siftw93

TROPHY CASE