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Torres del Paine National Park
By John Jones
Torres del Paine is a spectacular National Park in Patagonia Chile. Its landscape of jagged wind-sculpted mountains, immense ice highways and jewel-colored lakes draws trekkers and adventure lovers from around the world. Getting There
The Park is found at about 50 degrees south in the Chilean province of Ultima Esperanza in the region of Magallanes (Region XII). The closest town is Puerto Natales. In summer, Sky Airline flies there from Santiago (four hours) and other cities in Chile (www.skyairline.cl), or you can fly to Punta Arenas (Lan Airlines; www.lan.com) and then get the bus to Puerto Natales (three hours). From Argentina, buses run from El Calafate (five hours) and also from Rio Turbio and Río Gallegos. From Puerto Natales, the Torres del Paine Park Entrance is about two hours by bus (about 100km). Climate
Summer temperatures range from a very cold 41F (5C) to a balmy 68F (20C), sometimes in the space of a few hours. High-speed winds add to the challenge. Although, these calm down in winter, but then temperatures drop to a much colder 28F (-2C) and 43F (6C). At any time of year, windproof, waterproof clothing is essential. Most people visit during the Chilean Summer, between November and March. The park is open all year though, even if all the hotels and trails aren't. If you're looking for splendid isolation, this is the time to go. Trekking
A former sheep estancia, Torres del Paine's 180,000 hectares comes with about 250km of trails. The two best known are the The Circuit (150km; 93m) and the W Trek (75km; 46m). What to See The Paine Massif
This much-photographed mountain range is an extraordinary sight. Its smooth-sided, razor-backed mountains are the result of ice and wind acting on two distinct layers or rock - granite, and above it, a softer sedimentary rock. Named peaks include the Towers (Las Torres) - Torre Sur, Torre Central (2800m) and Torre Norte (2600m) - and Los Cuernos (The Horns). All are set off by mirror-top lakes, sparkling glaciers and miles and miles of pampas. Grey Glacier
Paine's flagship glacier is a 40-metre high, 28km long river of ice - in all it covers a staggering 270 km2. Get up close by hiking to the Grey Mirador; sailing to the glacier face on the Grey II boat; or crossing the John Gardner Pass on foot. Patagonia Ice Field
Like all Torres del Paine's glaciers, Grey Glacier is a tributary of the Patagonian Ice Cap, a vast sheet of ice larger than New Jersey. The best view of it is from the John Gardner Pass, which is on the Circuit Trek. Lakes
Lakes in Torres del Paine comes in vivid shades of green and blue, the colors intensified by rock flour from the Park's glaciers. Lago Pehoe is probably the most visited as it has some of the best views, it's the easiest to get to, and it has the best choice of accommodation, including a campsite, a world-class hotel and a large refugio (lodge). It can be reached by road and by foot and crossed by Catamaran. Lago Grey is the place to see icebergs, which continually calve off from Grey Glacier. Other lakes include Lago Sarmiento, and Lago Nordenskjöld. |
  
Lago Pehoe
The Towers
Lago Grey
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This is by far one of the best intel I've read lately. Thank you for telling me about those majestic 'towers'. It would be nice to see the icebergs before they stop being produced.
 |  | nick Aug 6, 2011 05:54 |  appreciated |
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thanks! Yes all the glaciers are receding, except one, across the border in Argentina.
It looks amazing, definitely a place to add to my to visit list. Thank you...
 | | noline Aug 6, 2011 16:55 | appreciated |
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This intel was contributed by TDP
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May, 2012
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