Base Torres is the most popular destination within Torres del Paine National Park. Proper preparation for this adventure is essential for a good experience. Here’s everything you need to know and how to make the most of this trek, with five essential tips to reach the park’s most popular viewpoint.
How to Get There?
Whether you’re staying at Hotel Las Torres or one of our accommodations like premium camping or shelters within the reserve, you’re in luck, as you can start your adventure before the general public. The doors of the Welcome Center open at 9 AM for visitors, and you can start two hours earlier if you join one of our excursions at 7 AM.
Leaving the hotel, you’ll head towards Sector Chileno. Here, you’ll skirt the slopes of Almirante Nieto and pass through the Ascencio Valley, where you can marvel at the various displays of the surrounding flora. One of the landmarks on your journey will be the Paso de los Vientos, a narrow trail that will greet you with a Patagonian-style welcome breeze.
The next landmark is the Chileno Refuge, a place where you can rest with other hikers and share some experiences from the journey. Afterward, you’ll enter a lenga forest, providing the tranquility needed to face the last and most challenging part of the journey: La Morrena.
The final stretch is a rocky trail with a steep slope without shadows to shelter from the sun. If the sky is clear, remember to constantly reapply sunscreen.
Then comes the last stretch, where you will finally arrive at the most impressive viewpoint in the region — the fabulous granite columns. Take your time and enjoy a postcard landscape.
How Difficult is the Trail?
The route to Base Torres has a moderately high difficulty level, and the journey is approximately twenty kilometers round trip, so it can take about eight hours there and back without long stops. The maximum altitude is 850 meters above sea level.
How Should I Dress?
Dress in layers. The weather in Patagonia changes a lot during the day; in the morning, you could encounter clouds and icy winds, and later experience incessant sun and high temperatures.
Remember that during the journey, your clothes may get wet due to sweat, so plan how many layers you’re using so that temperature changes don’t affect your journey.
Regarding footwear, high hiking boots are ideal, preferably ones that have been used before so that their materials are not too rigid when subjected to more demanding conditions.
What Should I Bring?
Let’s start with food. If you come with a hotel excursion group, you will receive a box lunch for your convenience, as well as a snack on hand if you feel your energy is running low.
It will also be vital to carry your water bottle, which you can easily refill in the hotel lobby and later at the Chileno Refuge.
Some Final Tips
Trekking poles are not mandatory for this trail. Many experienced people can complete the entire journey without using them, although they do make the experience much more comfortable, especially when facing La Morrena or the downhill stretches. That being said, bring them if you feel you’ll need them.
If you are bringing your own food, always consider the conditions of the trail, such as the local temperatures that may not spoil your food, and packaging in fragile containers.
Remember that all the waste you produce during your journey must come back with you. There are no bins to store waste, so it is advisable to carry a bag in which you can accumulate such materials.
Do not deviate from the trails. The park has defined paths to not interfere with the surrounding nature, so always stay within the designated routes and do not create shortcuts, so you don’t end up eroding land that is not being used for those purposes.
And, finally, enjoy the adventure, take your time to admire every point of the journey. If you need more inspiration, check out our Base Torres program here.