Trekking Torres del Paine: Difficulty for travelers 🙌

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1 Torres del Paine Circuits

Are you thinking of making a trek to Torres del Paine but you don’t know if it will be too difficult for you?

Don’t worry, in this post we tell you what is the trekking Torres del Paine difficulty so you can choose the one that best suits you. Let’s get started!.

Torres del Paine Circuits

As you probably already know, there are two main circuits in Torres del Paine National Park, the W and the O. In addition to these, there is also the possibility of doing the one-day route.

The names of these routes refers to the shape of the route, in which there are different routes, each one with different difficulty. Although in this post we are not going to tell you about the differences between the W Trek and the O Circuit, we will analyze the difficulty of each of them.

Difficulty of the W Trek of Torres del Paine

Routes	Average difficulty	Length	Average time	Cumulative elevation gain
Viewpoint Base Torres	High	19,5 km	8-10 h	750 masl
French sector	Medium	13,5 km	4-6 h	200 masl
French Valley	High	20,5 km	8-10 h	589 masl
Grey Glacier-Pehoé Lake	High	22 km	8-10 h	270 masl

The W Trek is the shortest circuit, and is about 80 km in total. The Trekking of Torres del Paine will take you about 5 days in total..

This circuit is the most visited, since there are fewer days, and during the journey you can see two of the most beautiful places in the entire National Park. Thus, if you do this route, you can see the Viewpoint of the Torres del Paine and the British Viewpoint.

It has 3,000 meters of elevation gain in its route, but as Javier tells us in his experience in the Torres del Paine W Trek, it is not a too difficult route in general.

It can be said that the difficulty of the trekking in Torres del Paine has a medium level. This part of the Chilean Patagonia is not a place where only experts can go, but you should always be very careful.

The routes are marked and with the previous explanation, you will not have any problem in making the route. Rather, the difficulty will come from how hard it is to go up and down the slopes.

However, keep in mind that some days you will have to carry your backpack on your shoulders to go from one refuge to another. Therefore, take into account everything you need to take to Torres del Paine, and do not overload your luggage to be able to go more comfortably during the route.

Difficulty of the Torres del Paine Base Trek

Average difficulty	Length	Average time	Cumulative elevation gain
Medium	20 km	8 h	780 masl

This route is characterized by the fact that you will not have to spend any night in Torres del Paine. It is a one-day route, in which you will be able to see the most essential parts of this place.

For the Trekking Base of Torres del Paine, apart from having to be equally equipped, you will not need to carry a backpack. This is why it is a more comfortable route, but always taking into account the difficulty of the trails and paths that you will encounter.

The journey to get to the Base Viewpoint of Torres del Paine is about 10 kilometers (one way), but the views of the famous granite stones of Torres del Paine will be worth it.

Although the return will be lighter because it will be downhill, you won’t have time to relax, as there are some difficult trails.

Also, you have to keep in mind that this excursion is generally available all year round, so you won’t have to worry too much on when to go to Torres del Paine.

Difficulty of the Torres del Paine O Circuit

Routes	Average difficulty	Length	Average time	Cumulative elevation gain
Camping Serón	Medium	13 km	4-6 h	250 masl
Sector Dickson	High	18 km	6-8 h	200 masl
Los Perros	High	9 km	4-5 h	360 masl
Grey Sector	High	22 km	9-12 h	621 masl
Valle Francés	High	20,5 km	8-9 h	662 masl
Sector Central	Medium	14 km	4-5 h	200 masl
Trekking Base Torres	High	19,5 km	7-9 h	744 masl

The Torres del Paine O Circuit is the longest. It is approximately 130 kilometers of routes and trails through spectacular Chilean Patagonia.

As in the W Circuit, you will have to carry your backpack on the routes between the refuges, and in this case, there will be more days. It will take you a total of 8 days to hike the O Circuit.

For this excursion, you don’t need to be an expert adventurer to be able to do it. Just like the W Trek, these are treks of medium difficulty, neither too easy to do even with children nor too difficult so that only expert people can do it.

Therefore, if you follow the instructions you have been previously given and do not leave the established paths, we are sure you will succeed.

Every adventure needs a minimum of difficulty to make the experience taste better. In the case of trekking Torres del Paine, the difficulty will be an element that will accompany us throughout the journey, but nothing that good boots and appropriate clothing can withstand.

We hope to see you soon enjoying these wonderful views of Chilean Patagonia.