Description

Discover the W Circuit, one of the most fascinating and sought after activities in Patagonia

With the Smart W Circuit program, you will do the trekking of the most famous circuit of Torres del Paine Park in a smart and less tiring way. You will walk just enough, since the transfers that leave you at the beginning of the trail, and you will take with you only what you need for the walk.

We offer you a new way to discover the beauties of the W Circuit, where you can do the different treks in the company of a certified and bilingual guide. It also includes transportation, hotel accommodation in Puerto Natales and breakfast. In addition, with the W Smart Circuit program, you can live this unique experience enjoying a completely comfortable and intelligent service.

Get to know the base of the Towers, the French Valley and the Grey Glacier sector

We start the first day of the program where you will do the most popular trekking in Patagonia. The Towers Base Trekking is a trail of approximately 20 km and of medium-high level of difficulty. However, it requires minimal effort with the difficulty of a path with climbs and slopes, when you reach the viewpoint you will feel that your effort was rewarded.

On the next day of the Smart W Circuit program, you will get to know the French Valley. You will walk through forests and moraines of an ancient glacier. Once at the French Valley viewpoint, you will enjoy an incredible view of the Paine Horns along with hanging glaciers and rocks of different colors.

You will visit the Grey sector on the last day of the Smart W Circuit program. You will sail through the beautiful Lake Pehoé to reach the Paine Grande sector. From there the trek begins in the direction of the Grey sector. You will be able to appreciate the view of the Grey Glacier from the well-known hanging bridges.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival at the Airport.

Once your flight has landed, you will have the tickets for the transport that will take you to Puerto Natales if you have arrived via Punta Arenas or if your flight is bound for Puerto Natales, the vehicle that will take you to your place of accommodation will be waiting for you. You will check in and settle in to begin living your odyssey on the W Smart circuit.

Day 2 – Trekking to the Towers Base

To begin our adventure, we will leave Puerto Natales at 6:30 a.m. heading to Torres del Paine National Park. After 2 hours of travel, we will arrive at Estancia Torres del Paine, the starting point of the first walk: Towers Base Viewpoint.

After a brief talk from our guide, we will begin walking along the trail towards an old bridge that crosses the Ascencio River.

We will continue with an hour of walking, approximately to reach El Chileno Camp. After crossing several slopes that fall from Mount Almirante Nieto, we will make a brief stop in the shade of a spectacular forest of native trees.

We will continue our way to the next viewpoint, at an altitude of about 700 meters. From here, the path increases its slope.

Half an hour later, we will reach the Towers Base at the eastern end of the lagoon. There we will have a spectacular view of the three towers (Central, Monzino and D’Agostini) and of the Peineta and Nido de Cóndores hills (if the weather conditions allow it).

We will make a break in this incredible place to rest and have our box lunch.

Finally, we will return along the same path to the starting point. Then we will board the vehicle that will take us back to the hotel in Puerto Natales. Here we will be able to rest from an exhausting but unforgettable first day, you will be able to regain strength after a pleasant bath and rest in your bed to prepare for the next day’s trekking.

*The arrival at the Towers Base viewpoint will be subject to the physical conditions of the participants and the weather conditions of the moment, there being no refund in the event that any of the participants cannot reach the viewpoint for the aforementioned reasons.

Day 3 – Trekking in the French Valley

We will start our second day after breakfast, we will wait for the transport that will pick us up to head again towards the Torres del Paine National Park, once there, we will go to the Pudeto sector where we will board the catamaran that will take us to the Paine Grande sector. From here we will begin the French Valley trekking, following the north shore of Lake Pehoé.

The journey offers an unparalleled landscape: the lake offers us its emerald-colored waters and views of the Paine Horns. Then, the trail becomes a bit more complicated and we will pass by Lake Skottsberg, from where we will see the Paine massif.

Then, we will continue to the Italian camp, gateway to the French Valley.

We will continue along this path, which is the central section of the W Circuit, we will walk for an hour and a half until we reach the French viewpoint. Then, we sighted the hills Hoja, Espada and Fortaleza. We will also see the Nordenskjöld, Pehoé and Toro lakes.

Finally, we will resume the walk to return to the Paine Grande sector, where we will board the boat that will take us back to the Pudeto sector. There, transportation will be waiting for us to take us back to our hotel in Puerto Natales where you will have time to rest and review the incredible photographs you have taken of this adventure.

Day 4 – Trekking to the Grey Glacier Viewpoint

We started with a good breakfast and waited for the transport that would pick us up to head to Torres del Paine National Park to experience our last feat. Once there, we headed to the Pudeto sector. We took the catamaran again to cross Lake Pehoé to the Paine Grande refuge, this time heading towards the Grey glacier sector.

The views of Paine Grande and the Paine Horns will be left behind as we advance along the path that leads us to the “Quebrada de los vientos”.

Then we continue the trek, passing through a hill about 450 meters above sea level, from where it will be possible to have views of Lake Grey on our left.

Immediately, we will arrive at the first viewpoint of the Grey Glacier, from where we will be able to fully appreciate it. In addition, we spot the icebergs that float in the lake that bears the same name.

Along the way we can appreciate the views from the lookout, take pictures and see the beginning of one of the sections of the Southern Ice Fields (weather permitting). We return along the same path to the Paine Grande refuge, where we board the catamaran and then the vehicle will be waiting for us to return to the city of Puerto Natales, where we will rest, ending the activity.

Detail

FAQ

How far in advance should I book the program?

You can book this service 7 days in advance, which is an excellent option since the W Express or Classic circuits are in high demand, with places sometimes not available months in advance.

What is the difference between the Express W Circuit and the Smart W Circuit?

There are several differences between these modalities, one of them is that the W Smart circuit has coordinated and regular services, with a certified bilingual guide, who enriches your experience with relevant information, while the W Classic and Express circuits do not include a guide in their self-guided modalities. Regarding the accommodation available on the W circuit, in its Classic or Express modalities, it is in a campsite or shelter, while in the Smart modality the accommodation is in a hotel in Puerto Natales. The most relevant difference is the flexibility that the reservation of the W Smart circuit allows since it is much more feasible to get availability, while the Classic and Express circuits, having limited places, usually sell out well in advance. On the W Smart circuit, you do not need to carry your things in the Backpack since you will arrive every night to sleep at your hotel.

What to bring?

• 25 litre backpack for day hikes.
• Waterproof jacket and pants, fleece-type warm clothing, thermal clothing (first layer), short-sleeved and long-sleeved shirts
• Trekking shoes
• Hat and gloves for the cold, hat for the sun, sunscreen, sunglasses.

Conditions

Check the contracting conditions of the Smart W Circuit program.