Self-Guided Paine W Trek

Southern Patagonia (latitudes 49° to 55°), encompassing the southern Andes of Chile and Argentina plus Tierra del Fuego, has an altogether more vertical aspect than the rest of Patagonia.

As the continent tapers towards its southern point, the Andes take on new characteristics and offer some truly impressive panoramas.

Much of southern Patagonia is characterized by virgin landscapes where man’s hand has either not been present or, because of the scale of the landscapes, goes almost unnoticed. To the west of the semi-arid Patagonian plateau, mile-high granite spires – e.g. Cerro Torre and Fitzroy in Argentina and the Torres and Cuernos del Paine in Chile – rise abruptly from the Andean foothills, while vast blue glaciers, fringed by southern beech forest, gouge out thevalleys below.

At the heart of these magnificent landscapes lies the South Patagonian Ice Field, an utterly remote icy wilderness spanning hundreds of kilometers, whose glaciers – including the Perito Moreno and Upsala – are tens of kilometres long by severalkilometers wide.

Also characteristic of the southern Patagonian Andes are its turquoise, iceberg-filled lakes. To the west lies the southern portion of the Chilean Archipelago, comprising snow-capped islands and fjords.

Across the Magellan Straits from mainland Patagonia lies Tierra del Fuego which, like the rest of Patagonia, is divided between Argentina and Chile.

The north and east of Tierra del Fuego is flat, but flanking the Beagle Channel in the south, the tail end of the Andes provide very dramatic mountain scenery.

The Lake District (latitudes 40° to 45°) or the Araucania, is a region of dramatic conical volcanoes, evergreen, high-canopy forests and, of course, lakes.

It straddles the Chile-Argentine border, and also takes in Chiloe island, in the extreme north of the Chilean Archipelago. This region stretches from Temuco in the north to Chiloe in the south.

Central Patagonia (latitudes 45 to 49) is one of South America’s best-kept secrets. The vast wilderness area can be divided in two:

• The dry band of Andean foothills and wind-blown plateau lying on the Argentine side of the Andes. This remote area is traversed north to south by a gravel highway known as the Ruta Cuarenta (Highway 40).
• The Chilean portion to the west of the Andean watershed, often referred to as the Careterra Austral (after the little-used gravel highway that crosses it from north to south).

This huge region, embracing the sparsely-inhabited southern Araucaria and Aisén Region, features temperate rainforests, snow-peaks (often extinct volcanoes), lakes and, to the west, the Chilean Archipelago: a labyrinth of fjords and mountain-islands. This, the Chilean portion of central Patagonia, boasts the northernmost of Patagonia’s many giant, sea-level glaciers.

The San Raphael Glacier, probably this region’s most famous landmark, is an immense hanging glacier whose seracs calve into an iceberg-filled lagoon.

Find out more about Patagonia with our blog about its wildlife.

For most people, Patagonia evokes a vast, windblown plateau, jagged mountains and the life of the gauchos.

The steppe that occupies much of southern South America is only one aspect of a magical region, jam-packed with amazing and contrasting landscapes.

Patagonia (latitudes 40°-55°, approximately) embraces a vast portion of southern Chile and Argentina, from the Rio Colorado in the north, to Tierra del Fuego in the south.

For convenience, we have divided the region into three zones: the Lakes District of northern Patagonian, central Patagonia and southern Patagonia.

Be nice to your feet! Make sure hiking boots are broken-in. Bring moleskin, Second Skin (or similar) for fast foot treatment and blister prevention.

If you are bringing a camera, include plenty of film or digital cards with enough megabytes for hundreds of pictures and spare batteries. Please note, film and digital cards are difficult to find and often expensive to buy in Patagonia.

When planning for the varied climatic conditions encountered in Paine, layering is the most practical and versatile clothing system. It’s worth remembering that our clothing keeps us warm by retaining and isolating the heat we ourselves create, and that you carry all your own kit around Paine.

We suggest you leave all other luggage in Puerto Natales hotel and just take the minimum. Stuff sacks are great for sorting your gear. Use different sizes and colours to differentiate the contents in your duffel bag/backpack.

Typically, you will need a spare set of clothes, a water-bottle, fleece or wind stopper jacket, rain jacket & trousers, your camera and wash kit. Keep it light.

Layering

To best maintain body heat, several layers of lightweight, warm and quick-drying clothing are far more efficient than one or two thick layers. Layers should have the following qualities:

1. Breathability (able to wick away the humidity produced by sweat):
2. Isolation (able to keep in the warm air our body produces); and
3. Impermeability (able to impede the passing of wind and water).

First (base) layer: This layer wicks the sweat away from our skin, thus helping keep the body dry and warm. To this end, synthetic fabrics such as polypropylene should be used.

Mid layers: These isolating layers should also be synthetic (e.g. the known polar linings such as polartec or windblock, which are light and insulate twice as well as wool). Very important layers for retaining body heat.

Outer layer / shell: Finally, the vital layer which protects us from climatic adversities. A breathable, wind-proof and waterproof anorak, such as Goretex.

Suggested kit list

• Synthetic inner socks (e.g., polypropylene, thermastat, coolmax) and 2 pairs thick loop-stitch/wool socks for cold.
• Trekking boots – should be well broken-in, waterproof and provide good ankle support.
• Trainers/sandals for evenings & river crossings.
• Base layer leggings
• Goretex-type over-trousers
• Trekking trousers
• Shorts if you prefer, or zip off trousers
• Thermal base layer shirt
• Microfleece mid-layer shirt
• Shirt/t-shirts
• Fleece jacket or similar
• Warm jacket (down or synthetic)
• Waterproof Goretex-type jacket.
• Broad-brimmed sunhat, essential.
• Warm hat, fleece or wool. (N.B. Up to 30% of body heat can be lost through the head).
• Sunglasses with UV filter.
• Bandanna – to protect neck from strong sun and against cold if needed
• Gloves
• Daypack (approx. 30-50 litres). Comfortable and with waterproof lining or cover.
• Pair of telescopic trekking poles if you like using (can be rented)
• Water bottle (2 litres approx.)
• Personal first-aid kit to include: painkillers, plasters (band-aids), moleskin, anti-biotic cream, anti-diarrhoea tablets, throat lozenges, re-hydration salts & personal medication.
• Insect repellent.
• Towel & wash-kit.
• Wet Wipes/antiseptic hand-wash cream.
• Sunscreen (factor 30+) and lip salve.
• Head-lamp (plus spare bulb and batteries).
• Penknife.
• Plastic bags – ‘Zip-loc’ & tough bin liners.
• Camera and film / memory cards (take at least twice the amount you think you will need!).
• Book, e-book, mp3 player/iPod or other to help pass the time
• Binoculars.

Miscellaneous others

• Money belt.
• Passport.
• U.S. dollars cash, mixed-denomination notes, undamaged and unmarked, or local currency
• ATM cash/credit card.
• Personal & medical insurance certificates.

Chile

• Official name: Republic of Chile
• Country population: 17,000,000
• Capital city: Santiago (6 million)
• Largest cities: Santiago, Concepcion, Valparaiso
• Languages: Spanish (official)
• Official currency: Chilean Peso
• Major industries: Copper mining, agriculture, fish
• Time zone: GMT-5 in winter (Mar-Sep) and GMT-4 in summer (Sep-Mar)

Argentina

• Official name: Argentine Republic Country
• Population: 40,000,000
• Capital city: Buenos Aires (11 million)
• Largest cities: Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Rosario
• Languages: Spanish (official)
• Official currency: Argentine Peso
• Major industries: Agriculture (Soy), motor vehicles, chemicals
• Argentina: GMT-3

We strongly suggest that everyone planning to travel to Patagonia visits their local doctor/travel clinic prior to departure for the latest vaccination information.

Recommended vaccinations

• Up-to-date diphtheria and polio.
• Tetanus or tetanus booster. (These three are effective for ten years.)
• ‘Havrix’ for Hepatitis A. The course of two injections protects you for ten years. Gamma globulin is cheaper butless effective.
• Typhoid vaccine is recommended by some doctors although it will not provide total protection and being careful about what you eat and drink is your best defence. It is given in two shots, four weeks apart and lasts for three years. Unless at exceptional risk, people over the age of 35 who have received four or more courses of typhoid immunisation need no more.
• A pre-exposure rabies vaccination is worth considering if you are going to be in contact with animals or morethan 24 hours away from a reliable source of vaccine. Hikers are at some risk from rural dogs, certain of which carry rabies, and those visiting coastal or rainforest areas could be exposed to rabid bats.
• Malaria is not a risk in Patagonia.