I like this town. At first I thought it was slummy and beat - which the buildings are. But the people aren't. This town would be here with or without the park, and because of that it doesn't have a gilded, masquerading feel.
After getting what I needed I took the two hour bus ride to the park, getting dropped at the entrance with an overloaded backpack.
If you search for best hikes in the world, the Torres del Paine Circuit or "W" treks are usually included. The W is a 4 or so day trip on one side of the Torres, going up and down a few valleys in a W fashion. The circuit circles the Torres, finishing by doing the W. I spent 7 days completing the circuit.
If you're deciding between the two, choose the circuit. The non-W portion of the circuit was less crowded, more varying in terrain, and much more satisfying. Ending with the highlights of the W felt like a earned reward, a culmination of long days and good efforts.
Patagonia has notoriously bad, windy, rainy weather. I had some bad weather, but some good weather too, so I lucked out. Some people do the whole circuit without getting a view of the famous, granite towers.
The wind was usually there, rain was never far away, and for four days the clouds mostly blocked the sun - but the pass on the far side of the circuit I hiked up and over was under a full blizzard the day I crossed. Twenty brave souls tried to cross that day, and only six of us made it. The others turned back. The wind howled and the snow came down with a sting. I couldn't make out the crossing, but the trail was marked every thirty yards with an orange marker. It was difficult enough to look up and search for the next pole, and sometimes impossible to see it through the whiteout. Once over and back down to tree line the weather improved, and the great Greys Glacier stretched as far as the eye could see.
Enough writing, here are some pictures.
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