Stages & pacing

Torres del Paine — W Trek stages and daily distances

Five days is the standard W, an average of 16 km a day over 80 km, with 3,000 m of climbing packed in.

The W is shaped entirely by its refugios and campsites, and by the booking systems that control them. Beds and pitches along the route are run by two concessionaires plus the park authority, and they sell out for the November to March window months in advance. Water is not a problem, since Patagonian streams are drinkable along most of the route, but shelter is, because the park closes sections in high wind. Your stage plan is whatever chain of reservations you managed to secure.

Three thousand metres of ascent packed into 80 km is why the W is graded hard despite its length. The high point is only 900 m, but each arm of the letter climbs and returns. The 14 km from Refugio Chileno to the base of the Torres and back is the clearest case: a short distance, a steep moraine at the end, and most of a day gone. Wind is the multiplier. A 20 km day into a Patagonian westerly is not the same day walked in calm air.

The three arms give the route its shape and its name. The eastern arm runs from Laguna Amarga up to Refugio Chileno and on to the viewpoint at Base Las Torres, usually as an out-and-back. The connecting stretch along Lago Nordenskjöld takes you from Las Torres to Los Cuernos. The central arm climbs the Valle del Francés to the amphitheatre, and the western side continues towards Grey Glacier before the finish at Paine Grande and the catamaran across Lago Pehoé.

The most expensive mistake is booking flights before refugios. In peak season the reservations decide whether you walk the W at all, and in which direction. The second is planning the Torres viewpoint for sunrise on the same day you travel in from Puerto Natales. The third is treating 16 km a day as easy: with wind, moraine and the out-and-back arms, five days here feels considerably longer than five days on a European route of the same distance.

Before or after the walk

Tours and visits in Puerto Natales · Torres del Paine

A few well-rated options near Torres del Paine — W Trek, for the rest days either side of the trail. Prices are the provider’s current starting price.

Affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes our stage, distance or luggage information. (Civitatis) How the project is funded

Three ways to pace it

Averages worked out from the route’s real distance and ascent, so you can see what each pace actually asks of you day to day.

Fast 4 days
Per day
20 km
Ascent per day
750 m

Four days means dropping one arm, usually the Valle del Francés or the Grey side. It suits walkers on a tight Patagonian itinerary, and the cost is real, since the French valley is the section most people rate highest.

Standard 5 days
Per day
16 km
Ascent per day
600 m

Five days at about 16 km a day covers all three arms and matches the refugio spacing. It also leaves a margin for the weather to take an afternoon away from you, which it very often will.

Relaxed 6 days
Per day
13.3 km
Ascent per day
500 m

There is no longer standard version of the W, because the refugio chain does not stretch. Walkers wanting more time add the full O circuit instead, or keep a spare day at Paine Grande for waiting out wind.

These are suggested splits, not an official stage list. Real days are set by where the beds are — always check the accommodation before fixing an itinerary.

Representative stages

  1. Day 1 Laguna Amarga → Refugio Chileno 9 km
  2. Day 2 Refugio Chileno → Base Las Torres 14 km
  3. Day 3 Las Torres → Los Cuernos 12 km
  4. Day 4 Los Cuernos → Valle del Francés 15 km
  5. Day 5 Valle del Francés → Paine Grande 20 km
  6. Sample total 70 km

The days people underestimate

The climb from Refugio Chileno to Base Las Torres is short and steep, finishing on loose moraine, and it defeats more people than the long days do. The stretch onwards from Los Cuernos along the lake is rockier and slower than the map suggests. The final 20 km from Valle del Francés to Paine Grande is the longest day and usually the windiest.

If you have less time

The W does not shorten well. Each arm is an out-and-back, the refugios are sold as a booked sequence, and the only practical entry and exit points are Laguna Amarga and the Paine Grande catamaran. Dropping an arm saves a day but leaves the rest of the chain unchanged. Day walks to Base Las Torres from Puerto Natales are the honest alternative.

Frequently asked

How many days does the W Trek take?

Five days is standard for the full 80 km, averaging 16 km a day. Four is possible if you drop one arm, usually the Valle del Francés. Going faster is limited less by fitness than by the refugio chain, since you can only sleep where you hold a reservation.

Which direction should I walk the W?

East to west, starting at Laguna Amarga and finishing at Paine Grande, is the more common choice and puts the Torres viewpoint on day one or two. West to east gives you the prevailing wind at your back. In practice the direction is decided by which refugios you can book.

Do I need to book campsites and refugios?

Yes, and it is compulsory: the park will not let you start without proof of accommodation for every night. Reservations go through the two concessionaires and the park authority, opening several months ahead, and the December to February dates sell out first. This is the hardest part of planning the W.

How hard is the W compared with its distance?

Harder than 80 km suggests. Three thousand metres of ascent, out-and-back arms that add distance without progress, loose moraine below the Torres, and wind that can genuinely stop you walking. Treat a day on the W as equivalent to a considerably longer day on a sheltered European route.

Torres del Paine — W Trek How to plan

Apply it to a real route

Each trail guide gives you the stages, the season and the permits to plug into this method.

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