Kraig Adams 835K159K75.3K29KWork with me
Torres del Paine: a still from my film

Patagonia, Chile · March 2020 · Solo

Torres del Paine

137.2 KM · 5 DAYS · 4,450 M

The O and the W alone in 5 days, Patagonia, Chile.

Watch the film 33:17 · 1.9M views

At a glance

Where
Patagonia, Chile
Distance
137.2 km (85.3 miles)
Days
5 days
Climbing
About 14,590 ft (4,450 m) up and 14,430 ft (4,400 m) down
Season
Southern summer. The O opens about November to March, on dates CONAF sets each season. I walked March 10 to 14, 2020
Difficulty
A well-made trail with no scrambling. One real pass. Wind and weather are the hard part
Route
Laguna Amarga to Central
When I went
March 2020
Relief map of the Torres del Paine route: 5 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Laguna Amarga, Cerro Paine Grande and Dickson.
Day 123Day 4Day 5Highest 3,960 ft (1,208 m)

Elevation, start to finish: highest 3,960 ft (1,208 m), lowest 100 ft (31 m).

My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.

Everything I made about it

The film

Photos

  • Open grassland on the first day, the Paine peaks in the cloud ahead.
    Open grassland on the first day, the Paine peaks in the cloud ahead.
  • The Los Perros glacier and its gray lake, just before camp, Day 2.
    The Los Perros glacier and its gray lake, just before camp, Day 2.
  • Lago Grey still and clear in the morning, Day 4.
    Lago Grey still and clear in the morning, Day 4.
  • The lake under the three towers at the Mirador Base Torres, Day 5.
    The lake under the three towers at the Mirador Base Torres, Day 5.
The path through dry grass on the first day, easy and nearly flat.
The path through dry grass on the first day, easy and nearly flat.

The guide · 51-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition

Do it yourself

The O and the W alone in 5 days, Patagonia, Chile.

  • All five days
  • My GPX files
  • How this trek works
  • Costs, then and now
  • Getting there

Paying in the Facebook/Instagram app? Tap ⋯ and Open in browser to use Apple Pay or Google Pay.

$19

Instant download: PDF + GPX files.
Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund.

Look inside the guide

Free sample

Try Day 3 free

The whole Day 3, Los Perros to Grey page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. Both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

Gear on this trip

Paid links: I earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

What I carried in 2020

  • Packa black roll-top backpack
  • Tentmy own tentA green one in the film. I slept in it three nights, at Dickson, Los Perros and Central.
  • Water filtera filter that screws onto my water bottlePeople said you could drink the glacier water straight. I never trust it.
  • Power banka portable batteryI charged the camera from it over USB, sometimes while hiking, with the battery in my side pocket.
  • Foodsausage, cheese, crackers, nuts and dried fruitPlus two Meal2Go bars and about five pouches of Performance Nut Butter from the States (see Food and water).

Filming kit

  • CameraSony RX100 VIIThe size and weight were the big plus. I couldn't open its battery door with the tripod plate on, so I kept one battery in the whole time. The image quality and the built-in microphone weren't as good, and for the Pacific Crest Trail I leaned toward a bigger, better camera.
  • Camera poucha waterproof pouch on my hip beltThe camera rode in it.
  • Tripoda tripodAt full height in strong wind, the camera was knocked over completely once. Nothing broke.

What I'd take now

My current kit

Everything I use, in Tools

The Americas and New Zealand bundle

This guide is in The Americas and New Zealand Hiking Guide Pack: 36 guides for $39. Or all 62 guides for $59.

Short answers

How many days do you need for the Torres del Paine O circuit?
I walked the O and the W in 5 days in March 2020, about 85 miles on my GPS, with two very long days. Most people take longer: the park suggests 8 to 10 days for the O and the operators about 8 to 9. Your camp bookings decide your days.
Do you need reservations to hike the O or the W?
Yes. On the O and the W every night must be booked before you go in, with Vertice (Dickson, Los Perros, Grey, Paine Grande) or Las Torres (Serón, Francés, Los Cuernos, Central, Chileno). The rangers at Coirón check your O bookings. Day hikes like the Base Torres need only a park ticket, bought online at least 24 hours ahead.
Which direction do you hike the O?
Counterclockwise. The stretch from Serón over the John Gardner Pass to Paso is one-way, and you register at every ranger station and sign out at Los Perros and Paso.
Do you need a guide for Torres del Paine?
Not in summer. On the W and the Base Torres guides stopped being required on September 16, 2026, after the winter rule, though microspikes and trekking poles were still required while snow and ice lasted. The O is closed in winter; on October 1, 2026 it was closed until October 31, pending the park's weather and safety review.
How much does it cost to hike Torres del Paine?
The park ticket for a foreign adult is CLP 48,500 for more than one day (2026). Camps in 2026-27 run from about US$11 a night with your own tent at Vertice's camps to US$50 or more at Las Torres. In 2020 I spent about $300 in pesos on the trek, plus about $1,000 for my flight.
How high is the John Gardner Pass?
My GPS read 1,208 m (3,963 ft) at the pass; 1,200 m is the published figure. It is the one real climb of the circuit, about 2,100 ft up from Los Perros, and the windiest place on the route.

I make my guides with AI, from my own films and GPS recordings. How.