Why Write a Patagonia Blog?

An especially pertinent question for someone that doesn't even read blogs. But, I do travel whenever I can and people interested in the same destinations often ask me for assistance in planning trips.  What I have found is that sharing my pre-trip notes and photos taken during the trip are not really very helpful to anyone considering a trip to the same destination.  Recognizing this, some old friends suggested that I start blogging my trips.  Initially, I politely (I hope) brushed off the idea.  But with retirement time on my hands, and after looking over a travel blog written by a friend of mine, I decided to give it a whirl.  If my blog helps even one person pull off a great trip, then I will consider my effort rewarded.

Mount Fitz Roy, Los Glaciares National Park

First things first.  I don't always travel with a backpack, in fact, I am kind of new at this.  While I did carry a tent, I only pitched it three times this trip which was about a third of what I had planned (this due to circumstances I cover in the blog).  I do, however, enjoy time in the wilderness and backpacking fits the bill nicely.  Planes, trains and automobiles can also get the job done, just remind yourself to leave enough time to get out and enjoy the view.  

Lago Nordernskjöld, Torres Del Paine National Park (Gregory Baltoro 75 ltr backpack)

I am often asked how I afford to travel with the frequency that I do.  Easy answer - I (usually) travel on a budget.  Sleeping on the ground all of the time does not agree with me, but I am just fine with hostels. I am just as happy with street food as I am eating in a restaurant and anyone that knows me will confirm my belief that no wine is too cheap to drink. I have included the costs of lodging, transportation and other expenses where I think it might be helpful to another budget traveler. 

Lastly, why Patagonia? I like mountains and glaciers. I prefer cool weather to warm. I don't care for the company of bears when I camp. But mostly I went to Patagonia because their weren't any vacancies at Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon and I needed a winter destination. If you like relaxing on the beach, you have come to the wrong place!

Snowstorm above Mirador Frances in Torres Del Paine

Getting to Patagonia

Patagonia covers a lot of ground. The most popular hikes are in Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile. Los Glaciares National Park is also a must see for most visitors. Like most backpackers, I started in Torres Del Paine. Punta Arenas, a city of 125,000 at the southern tip of mainland South America, serves as the jump off point for most travelers headed there.  



I left Dallas the evening of January 20th on an Aeromexico flight and arrived Mexico City before midnight. After a 1.5 hour layover (just barely enough time to clear customs, claim my backpack, re-check it and make it to the gate), my Aeromexico flight took off for Lima. Arriving at Lima early morning and looking at a 12 hour layover, I took a cab to Huaca Pucllana, a massive adobe pyramid in the Miraflores district of Lima. Took an English language tour included in the inexpensive admission. Great restaurant on the grounds (I have eaten there before). Don't miss it if you visit Lima.

Huaca Pucllana, Miraflores District, Lima

Took off for Santiago on LAN airlines at 7:00pm on the 21st and arrived there just after midnight. I used the short layover to pick up $300 or so in Chilean pesos before taking off on the last leg to Punta Arenas. My flight arriving at daybreak on the 22nd, nearly 36 hours after leaving Dallas.  

Once I landed in Punta Arenas, got through baggage claim and cleared customs, I ran the gauntlet of cabbies to see what my ground transportation options were to get to the bus station in town. A short bus was waiting in front of the terminal - $4.50 fare to town. Much cheaper than a cab unless you share. The bus station opened shortly after I arrived and $9 or so got me on a bus to Puerto Natales, the nearest city to Torres Del Paine. A humorous note - the first stop the bus made was the airport I had left two hours earlier. Could have gotten a ticket there I guess, but you might run the risk of the bus filling up.

Nice to know just where you are...

Three hours, two million sheep and a few hundred guanacos later, we pulled into the bus terminal at Puerto Natales. I purchased my bus ticket for the following day and walked two blocks to Hostal Yemel (1283 Esmeralda, $38 for a private room with shared bath). Owners Eric and Soledad were wonderful and I would stay there again, especially if convenience to the bus station was important. There are more lodging options near the modest downtown area if you don't mind a 10-15 minute walk or a cab. 

Chef at El Asador

Lunch at Restaurant Maritimo was not special, but the price was right, less than $15 for congrio stew, mashed potatoes, seaweed, an Austral Patagonian lager and a pisco sour. Lamb asado dinner later same day at El Asador Patagonia, located across the street from Plaza de Armas, was great, about $30 with wine and unlabeled bottle of local beer.

The only western-style supermarket in Puerto Natales is the Unimarc (easy to find in the center of town). Produce was very good and you have more choices there than in the mom and pop groceries that seem to be located on every block. The service, however, was dismal with the wait in checkout lines never less than 15 minutes. And don't even of getting into a checkout line unless you have had all bags of produce or baked goods weighed first.

Who needs a label?
I know I'm drinking beer.

Hostel Yemel - my first bed in three days!

Cemetery near Hostel Yemel - Chilean
cemeteries are popular tourist attractions

Notes: WiFi sketchy at best in the airports once outside the U.S., so conclude your arrangements before you leave home! 

The LAN Airlines flight to Punta Arenas devoted fully one third of the passenger cabin to cargo - I have not seen this since catching rides on C-130's during my Navy days. 

I could have avoided the milk run to Punta Arenas by flying direct to Santiago from Dallas. I had separate tickets from Dallas to Lima and then Lima to Punta Arenas which saved $700. Definitely not worth it if you are taking vacation days to travel.  

Arrival at Torres Del Paine and Hike to Refugio Grey

The first decision you make in any backpacking trip to Torres Del Paine is whether to hike the "W" or the Circuit. The W is approximately 100km of hiking and generally accomplished in 5 days. Roughly double those numbers for the Circuit. The W is busier, but has more lodging and subsistence options. There are plenty of Internet resources to help you make that decision - I decided early on that the W was enough for me. I hiked it west to east, but I thought a near equal number traveled in the opposite direction. I used a trekking guide from backpacking.org for my initial planning:

http://www.back-packer.org/trekking-guide-how-to-hike-the-w-in-torres-del-paine-patagonia/

This is Fantastico Sur's map of the Torres Del Paine "W" and Circuit

The paper version of Fantastico Sur's map of the W is the most useful map to carry on your hike.  I purchased the larger waterproof and tear-resistant Torres Del Paine Trekking Map (too large and too heavy) that you will see on Amazon, but never opened it. Get this map instead.  Online at:

https://www.google.com/search?q=fantastico+sur+torres+del+paine+map&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS451US454&espv=2&biw=683&bih=321&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj8suneg9_LAhUE4SYKHTOyDBEQ_AUIBygC&dpr=2#imgrc=p5C4yEY9aQsxbM%3A

You can probably get a paper copy of it at the Fantastico Sur office in Puerto Natales. I don't remember if I got it there or at the park entrance.

I left Puerto Natales on the first bus for the 2.5 hour trip to Torres Del Paine. The bus stops at the Park Entrance so that everyone can pay the park entrance fee of approximately $25 and watch a short presentation covering park rules - basically you can only camp in designated campgrounds and you can only cook in the kitchen areas at those campgrounds. Once you see the burn areas in the park, you can appreciate the importance of those rules. When everyone arriving that morning completes the park entrance process (less than one hour), all of the bus companies present divide the passengers according to their destinations within the park. I boarded the bus to Pudeto to catch a catamaran to Paine Grande where my hike began.

The weather that day in Torres Del Paine was exactly what every visitor is cautioned to expect - rainy and windy with temperatures in the fifties. The scenery along Lago Pehoe was probably great, but I stayed below decks for the transit of less than an hour.

Valley View above Paine Grande

What 100km winds and rain looks like

The catamaran arrived at the landing adjacent to Paine Grande a bit after noon. After taking a short break to wait out a rain squall, I headed out on the trail to Refugio Grey,11km away, mostly uphill. Looking ahead, your only view is more climbing. The view back down the trail to Lago Pehoe was impressive, but soon your only view is valley in both directions.  This improves when you crest to ridge for your first view of Lago Grey and then Grey Glacier.

Mirador Grey is a large boulder with a direct view to the glacier, but the winds were so ferocious (100km+), that few ventured out onto the boulder. This was the only day of the hike where I felt safety was an issue. The winds were so strong that maintaining my footing was about all I could manage. During the course of the day, I twisted my right ankle and suffered a minor injury to the metatarsals in my left foot. The combination of my foot injuries were serious enough to leave me contemplating whether I would be able to finish the W or would need pull out upon my return to Paine Grande. I pressed on, hoping for the best.

Lago Grey (love the color!)

Forest Camping at Grey.

I limped into the campground at Refugio Grey about dinner time with two choices for pitching my tent, an open grass field or in scrubby forest typical to the park.  I chose wrong, opting for the tent sites with forest cover, hoping for protection from the high winds. The immediate problem with this option was the near constant dust storm which deposited a thick layer of dust within my three season tent in less than an hour. 

Many campers reacted to the conditions by moving their tents to the open field.  I relocated to the shelter (more accurately a lodge) which, probably due to the adverse weather, had a vacancy. Glad I made the switch. I slept in a seriously comfortable warm bunk (with sheets and pillow - known as a "made" bed) in a four person room with an Australian couple. Nice bathrooms with hot showers. My mood improved tenfold. Remember, all transactions are cash, so bring lots of pesos!

The lodge had a nice restaurant and bar, but I opted for cooking my own food (reducing the weight of my pack was my primary motivation).  All of the campgrounds have kitchen areas which are the only approved locations for cooking.  At the larger campgrounds, the kitchens are enclosed and have running water that is advertised as safe to drink. Kitchens at smaller and remote campgrounds are open air and you carry your water from nearby sources. The kitchen at Grey is quite cramped relative to the amount of people using it but everyone makes the best of it. The camp store was typical, stocking beverages, pasta, sauces, tuna fish, snacks, candy, butane canisters and more.

While cooking breakfast the following morning, I saw first hand how the campers fared. The forest was a quagmire with no good options for cleaning or drying tents.  Everyone looked cold and miserable. Campground showers had limited hot water hours and the lines to use them were very long.

Notes:   My hike in Torres Del Paine covered the period January 23-27. This was the middle of high season which I chose intentionally, believing that a solo hiker in my age group is better off with company on the trail. I encountered crowds frequently and recommend the shoulder season to anyone that prefers more solitude.

I left five kilos of gear at Hostal Yemel in Puerto Natales, mostly in-town clothing and camp food. This got my weight down to fifteen kilos, which was my goal. Every place of lodging in Patagonia is more than willing to store your excess gear while hiking.

Campsites are $7 at Grey. You can rent tents, sleeping bag and pads for an extra charge. The bed in the lodge set me back $60.  Basic bed (mattress only) would have been less than half of that - a much better deal from my perspective. Made bed with full board (dinner, breakfast and box lunch) would have brought the bill to $100. This sounds like a lot of money for a bunk and chow, but not so much when you consider the remote nature of Shelter Grey. Details available at
www.verticepatagonia.com. Reserve well in advance - I was lucky! Vertice Patagonia also has offices in Puerto Natales.

Hike Back to Refugio Paine Grande

I woke up in Shelter Grey to good news - though my feet were both sore, there was no appreciable swelling and I slipped into my boots without problems. The bad news was venturing outdoors only to find that the weather for the return hike to Paine Grande was going to be a redux of the day before. The continued high winds forced cancellation of my Plan A for the day, a sightseeing kayak trip to Grey Glacier offered by Big Foot Adventures Patagonia. Their facility is very close to Shelter Grey and they offer a 2.5 hour kayak trip very up close and personal to the glacier. The price is right, about $85, but the real benefit is slipping a kayak trip into your travel schedule without devoting a full day. Their website:

http://www.bigfootpatagonia.com/kayak.html

Leaving my pack in the lobby of the shelter, I continued north on the trail for about 30 minutes to a mirador overlooking Grey Glacier. Though the view was diminished by the weather, I have never met a glacier I didn't love. Too wet to stay long, I retraced my steps back to the lodge.

Grey Glacier from mirador north of Shelter Grey

Weather conditions meant hiking in Gore-Tex for the second straight day, but this time with the wind at my back which made things a bit more pleasant. I passed two other hikers on the trail only to have them pass me a few minutes later. After laughing about leapfrogging with them on the trail for the next hour, we decided to hike together. George, about my age, works in Mechanicsburg, PA (my favorite Navy duty station). He was hiking with his son Ian who lives in New Jersey. Hiking alone, but an extrovert by nature, I was glad to link up with them.

Grey Glacier from Lago Grey mirador

The scenery was day one on the trail in reverse. You get accustomed to this when hiking the W as three of the five days include significant backtracking. Wished I had even a modest background in geology as the layering and rock formations were so eye catching. Vegetation varied by elevation as you would expect, but I thought the sparse forests at the higher elevations were particularly beautiful. The only wild mammals I saw in Torres Del Paine were jack rabbits the size of dogs and one fair-sized armadillo. Lots of condors and smaller raptors.

Glacial river above Lago Grey

The 11 KM hike went pretty quickly. In addition to having the wind at our backs, the trail back to Paine Grande is mostly downhill. With the side trip to the Grey Glacier mirador factored in, it was a second straight 16 KM day. Arriving wet and tired at Paine Grande in the late afternoon, I decided to check for availability of a bed in the shelter before pitching my tent. Once again, I was in luck - a basic bed in a six person room for $43. George and Ian, who had considered continuing to Campamento Italiano, also decided to stop and take advantage of the unexpected vacancies at the shelter. The bathroom facilities left something to be desired, but I got a warm shower which was the top item on my list.

Mountains above Lago Grey

Forest Trail

Hollyhocks?

Keen on reducing weight as quickly as I could, I continued to subsist out of my pack. Breakfasts always the same - instant oatmeal with raisins and walnuts accompanied by a cup of coffee and a juice box from the camp store. Granola bars, hard rolls purchased in Puerto Natales, and peanut butter for lunch. Soup consisting of dehydrated refried beans and vegetables for dinner. Ate the last of apples and oranges I had purchased in Puerto Natales. The kitchen facilities at Paine Grande were much roomier and nicer than Grey. Cooking and eating meals in the camp kitchens is a social event, though maybe a bit too noisy for me.

Paine Grande Campground

Going through junk food withdrawals at this point, I began to patronize the camp stores for Snickers Bars and Peanut M&M's. I don't remember what they charged, but they were worth double the price. Did I mention that the camp stores also sold box wine and cold beer - good to know that they carry all of the staples! 

Back in the lodge after dinner, I found that 100% of the available chairs, tables, ledges, counters, door knobs and bed frames were being employed to dry wet clothing and boots. Relatively speaking, George, Ian and I were bone dry. Pay attention to the quality of hiking gear that you take to Patagonia.

Paine Grande to Los Cuernos

The third day of hiking in Torres Del Paine was a bit longer than the previous two, about 23 KM. Most hikers, however, mitigate this by carrying only a day pack for the uphill climb to Mirador Frances. From my perspective, the Valle de Frances is the most scenic day of hiking the W, so enjoy it!

Lago Nordernskjöld Panoramic

Continuing to hike in company with George and Ian, we got an early start. The hike to Campamento Italiano follows a gently rolling trail above Lago Nordernskjöld. Though cloudy, the day was warmer and the wind and rain had subsided. Just two hours later, we arrived at Campamento Italiano. Italiano is free campground administered by CONAF (National Forest Corporation), a Chilean private non-profit. For us, Italiano was just a place to leave our packs while we hiked up the center of the "W". As a campground, it is pretty rudimentary and, like other CONAF campgrounds, does not take reservations. We arrived there mid-morning and the ranger present at the campground was already informing hikers that they were full for that night.

I knew before I arrived in Torre Del Paine that I would be abandoning my pack on occasion and hiking with a day pack. Though I had been advised that security was not a problem, we stacked our packs against the ranger station alongside dozens of others. No problem. In retrospect, I was a little embarrassed to have seen security of unattended packs or campsites as an issue.  I routinely left my pack unattended and never had problems.

Trail up Valle de Frances

The hike up Valle de Frances was a steady climb, but this was not an issue while carrying only a day pack. It was shirtsleeve weather and the scenery in both directions was spectacular. We stopped at Mirador Frances for lunch as nearly everyone does. You can continue up the center of the W to Camp Britannico and we thought that the trail looked promising, but decided to turn back over concerns that the weather might turn. Saved putting more miles on my weary feet.

View up Valle de Frances
along Rio del Frances

Photos right and below below give you an idea of just how beautiful it is to hike Valle de Frances. If I were to hike Torres Del Paine again, I would devote more time to this hike.

Clouds rolling in over Valle de Frances

Above photo and video of Rio del Frances were taken from same perch above the river. I don't know if I have ever seen this diversity of scenery from one point in my lifetime.

Lago Nordernskjöld from trail

Lago Nordernskjöld - beautiful rock beach

Once back to Italiano, I headed out alone to Los Cuernos, another two hours east along Lago Nordernskjöld. I had a campsite reserved with Fantastico Sur, but wanted to ensure that I arrived early enough to sign up for full board while I was there (dinner, breakfast the following morning and a box lunch). Lake views along the way were stunning. Just outside of Los Cuernos, the trail dropped down to Lago Nordernskjöld's rock beach. No swimmers. I was a bit perplexed by that as the water couldn't be any colder than Lake Superior.

Los Cuernos had a different vibe than Grey or Paine Grande (maybe due to the improvement in the weather). When I arrived, the deck that encircles the smallish dining room was crowded with hikers drinking and relaxing in the sun. The setting above Lago Nordernskjöld is idyllic. The lodge accomodates only 32 guests, but it is augmented by fabric domes (which I am told are quite nice) and a few rather pricey cabins. Tent campers with reservations get platforms which Grey and Paine Grande do not offer.

As I pitched my tent, George and Ian arrived. Flat ground at Los Cuernos comes at a premium, so they shared my platform. Though the platform was a tight fit for two tents, we were grateful for the space as every square inch of clear ground at Los Cuernos was occupied by a tent come nightfall. Restroom and shower facilities were nice enough.

View from Los Cuernos tentsite

Full board at any of the refugios can be reserved in advance or by signing up at the lodge before 5:00pm. The price at Los Cuernos was 29,500 CLP, much cheaper than the $55 price charged to those paying in dollars. Dinner was excellent. Cold beer and bottles of wine were available and inexpensive. I rushed through breakfast as I suspected (correctly) that my hike that day might be a long one. I picked up my box lunch as I left breakfast. While I can't remember the complete contents, I can tell you that it featured a very tender steak sandwich large enough to feed two.

Los Cuernos evening clouds

Notes:  By Los Cuernos, I had developed a better sense of who I was hiking with in Torres Del Paine. I would estimate that better than half of the hikers in the park are Chileans under the age of 25 with nearly all of them from Santiago. The balance of the park visitors don't fit any particular demographic. All ages, all genders, hailing from just about anywhere.  

Most hikers carry full packs and spend their nights in the campgrounds, mostly without reservations. Hikers staying in the lodges are generally (but not exclusively) older and tend to be from the U.S., Europe, Asia or Australia. Many of the lodge residents do not carry tent camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, pad, cooking equipment and food). They rent tents/bags/pads by reservation where needed and depend exclusively on lodge food service operations for subsistence.  

I felt a bit awkward in the middle category, carrying a full back, but taking a pass on pitching my tent when the opportunity for a bed presented itself. On one hand, my 60 year old body appreciates the luxury of a bed. On the other, I felt a bit silly carrying the weight of a full pack, only to overnight in a shelter. My thought is that I need to resolve my lodging plan one way or the other next time out.

When faced with the decision of how to pay for anything in Patagonia, choose credit card in local currency only first, cash in local currency second and dollars only when you are out of options. I suppose this for is a rule of thumb for international travel, but the price differential between these option was more pronounced in Patagonia than I have seen elsewhere.

The logistics of resupplying refugios in Torres del Paine relies heavily on vertical replenishment by helicopter. Our term for this in the navy is VERTREP. I included the video below purely out of nostalgia.

Los Cuernos to El Chileno with a Day Hike to the Towers

The hike from Los Cuernos to Campamento Torres is advertised as a 20 KM hike, mostly uphill. As the day turned out for us, it was a bit longer.

As you leave Los Cuernos, the trail continues east above the coast of Lago Nordernskjöld. Like the hike from Italiano to Los Cuernos, the trail is gently rolling. Anticipating a hike of 5-6 hours to El Chileno and still feeling the foot injuries suffered the first day, I decided to stop for lunch while I still had a view of the lake. I was grateful for the boxed lunch as granola bars and peanut butter were getting old. George and Ian pressed forward towards El Chileno.

Ecuadorian cowboys manage a herd of horses that carry people (I
can't bring myself to call them hikers) and supplies from Hosteria
Las Torres to El Chileno. Perhaps these horses had the day off?

Four hours or so after leaving Los Cuernos, I reached the cutoff for the trail north to El Chileno. Leaving the lake views of  Lago Nordernskjöld that I had enjoyed over the past two days behind, the trail changes at this point into a steady climb over dry and scrubby terrain. After about an hour, you reach Rio Ascensio and merge with the trail coming up from Hosteria Las Torres. One more hour up the Ascensio river valley (not quite as scenic as Valle de Frances) and you cross the river on a footbridge and walk into El Chileno.

Rio Ascensio below El Chileno

I had caught up with George and Ian as we entered the river valley. They had heard along the way that Campamento Torres was full and that our only camping option was El Chileno.  This was not unexpected as we had heard the previous day that this might be the case.

We were a bit disappointed by this turn of events. Camping at Torres affords hikers willing to rise early the opportunity of reaching the towers before sunrise when viewing is said to be the best. That aside, I saw a silver lining in the news. Weary after the uphill hike which included
re-injuring to my twisted ankle, I was only too happy to shed my pack. Our decision was reinforced when we looked over the weather forecast at the lodge which called for cloudy and rainy weather that might obscure the view the next morning.

The campground snakes up the river for a few hundred meters. We found suitable campsites in short order and set up camp. Though the walk from the more distant campsites to the restrooms and kitchen facilities was a hike in itself, I have always considered camping within earshot of rivers to be a big plus. Restrooms and showers were very nice, though I could have done without the 30 minute lines for a shower.

Rio Ascensio upriver from El Chileno

Towers in the evening

As soon as we finished setting up camp, we made our decision to set out on a day hike to the towers. We were all tired, but, relieved of our packs and thinking that the current mostly sunny conditions were likely to be our bet for a clear view, we continued up the trail to the towers. The hike started out along Rio Ascensio, but soon began to wind up the slopes of the river valley. After following the mostly forested trail for approximately an hour, we passed Campamento Torres.

At that point, the trail bed turns to loose rock for the final kilometer climb to the Mirador de Las Torres. The trail was steep and seemed much longer than a kilometer to me, but the view was well worth the effort. The elevation at the mirador is 2,600 meters, the highest I would hike to during my trip to Patagonia. I'd like to see the towers in the morning sunlight, but that will need to be another trip.

After an hour at the towers, we retraced our steps to camp.  We had covered 31 KM and were happy to be done hiking for the day.

Notes:  In Los Cuernos and El Chileno, steep slopes limit available camping area and tents are pitched nuts to butts (an old army phrase). A "suitable campsite" means that you have found a flat piece of ground large enough to permit ingress and egress to and from your tent without crawling through the tents of your nearest neighbors.  Again, if camping in very close proximity to others isn't your cup of tea, you may want to consider visiting during the shoulder season.

Distances in my blog are based in part on published sources, but I also relied on my iPhone as the length of detours and route modifications are difficult to pin down.

The Hike to Hosteria Las Torres

Day five on the W was a much needed easy day.  As forecast, the weather was cloudy when we woke up making us glad that we had day hiked the previous evening to the towers.

We took a more leisurely than normal breakfast as we knew that we would only be on the trail for a couple of hours. The trail to Hosteria Las Torres is steadily downhill, just a walk in the park compared to the previous four days.  As we made our way down, I realized just how many visitors take day trips to the park, ostensibly just to make the hike to the towers.  Families with young children that they were forced to begin carrying less than an hour into the hike. Hikers older than me with only a slim chance of reaching the towers in my estimation.  Not a group of wilderness hikers by any means.  Circuit hikers would certainly see less of this crowd.

We arrived at the hosteria late in the morning, joining many other hikers we had met over previous days. Sprawling over the hotel grounds and waiting the 2:00 pm hotel shuttle to park entrance, a cold beer from a small kiosk in the parking lot was the order of the day. They also sold pretty ordinary sandwiches. I went inside the hotel restaurant instead - another good choice. Hard to beat a pair of very fine pork churrasco sandwiches at the end of a hike, maybe $12 with a soft drink.

The shuttle was timed to ensure your arrival at the park entrance for the return buses to Puerto Natales. Once on the bus for Puerto Natales, everyone sleeps.

On arrival at the bus station in Puerto Natales, some hikers on a tight schedule opted for a second bus ride to El Calafate in Los Glaciares NP in Argentina or back to Punta Arenas if their journey was complete. I wanted to rest and chose another night at Hostal Yemel.

My reflections.  The trip to Torres Del Paine is every bit as great as advertised.  The scenery is as spectacular as any I have ever witnessed and I traveled widely over my lifetime.  Hiking the "W" during high season will guarantee crowded conditions, especially at refugios along the trail.  The prohibition on wild camping makes this unavoidable.  If I made a return trip, I would definitely add in a rest day along the trail, probably at Los Cuernos.