Full Circuit Tour — Highlights and Travel Tips
The O trek, as it is also referred to, stretches for roughly 120 kilometers and will see you gazing at the famous landmarks of the park, like The Towers themselves and Glacier Grey, as well as tackling more challenging trails and camping in remote areas.
Full Circuit Tour Highlights
- Get outstanding views of the most famous icon of the Torres del Paine National Park, the three jagged granite peaks that give the park its name, Las Torres. Part of the Paine Massif, which also includes Los Cuernos, you’ll get to see these peaks on a Full Circuit tour where they will be even more stunning than in photos.
- Glimpse the Glacier Grey, 259 square km of sometimes 30-meter-deep solid ice, located in the west of the national park, as well as the Grey Lagoon.
- See glaciers on a smaller scale at Glacier Los Perros, as, like a frozen waterfall, it slowly makes its way into a small, almost perfectly circular adjoining lake.
- You will be able to soak up incredible views of the natural landscape from more rewarding vantage points than the W trek can offer, such as the challenging John Garner Pass.
- Trekking alongside Pehoe Lake, a postcard-perfect body of water that reflects the mountains like something out of a fantasy novel, is a cool experience. But getting a boat across it, as you do on the Full Circuit trek, is nothing short of amazing.
Full Circuit Travel Tips
- Bring along packet food to snack on as the complete circuit tour of the Torres del Paine National Park goes along routes that is rather remote than that of the W trek. You can, however, still eat meals at refugios and have lunchboxes made up for you in most sections.
- Prepare to hike some tough terrain! The backside of the Full Circuit trek is especially tough. Consider hiring porters to carry your gear if you are new to the experience.
- Make sure you pack well and bring all you will need in terms of gear, toiletries, etc as it might be hard to find items you need on this remote route.
- It’s a good idea to bring lightweight layers with you to ensure that you’re never too cold or too hot; thermal underlayers will work well, as will windproof outer layers. A quick-drying microfiber towel and simple things like wet wipes will certainly come in handy, too.
- With at least two nights mandatory camping on the full circuit tour, you will need to bring along camping equipment. No matter how luxurious you want your camping experience to be, the more lightweight, the better, as you will most likely be carrying the load. (Campsites, however, do have necessary supplies, but not unlimited stock.)
