The iconic Torres del Paine, Towers of Paine, in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 23, 2015.

Signage with a sense of humour in Torres del Paine National Park. Captured on my first visit to the park. November 7, 2015.

Campamento Paine Grande in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 21, 2015. || The W trek can be walked in one of two ways – from east to west or west to east – and in varying levels of comfort, from more rugged camping style treks to full room and board in refugios (well stocked trail huts) along the trail where beds, food, showers & even a bar await you at the end of each day. I sampled the best of both worlds while erring more to the budget end of the scale – I, as most do, opted for camping & carrying with me all my food and supplies (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, basic stove, cooking utensils etc. that are easily hired at reasonably economical daily rates from any number of camping/hiking suppliers in Puerto Natales) while using the facilities (communal huts/cooking areas, toilets, showers etc.) of the refugios. This is a picture of erected tents, none of which are mine, in the camping area, campamento, of the Refugio y Campamento Paine Grande, the first of three refugios I called home while in Torres del Paine National Park.

Day 1, 12:15 || The scenery was nice on a beautiful day when crossing a very blue Lago (Lake) Pehoe en route to Refugio y Campamento Paine Grande in the western portion of Torres del Paine National Park (yes, I walked from west to east). This view to the left, which a lot of passengers were capturing, is of Los Cuernos del Paine, the Horns of Paine, one of the park’s small but distinctive series of mountain peaks. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 21, 2015.

Day 1, 15:35 || The western portion/leg of the W trek sees you walking 11 kilometres from the Refugio y Campamento Paine Grande along the edge of Lago (Lake) Grey to a lookout for Glaciar (Glacier) Grey, the park’s largest glacier (by some way). A little over an hour into the walk and you’re treated to what was the highlight (& reward) of day 1 for me, a sweeping view of the lake & glacier. It was/is a spectacular sight helped, of course, by the good weather. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 21, 2015.

Day 1, 17:20 || My W trek buddies Stuart, who I shared a tent with, Tim & Amir, admiring the terminal face of Glaciar (Glacier) Grey by the edge of Lago (Lake) Grey. Eleven kilometes in and as far as we’d go on day 1, on the western leg of the ‘W’. The only problem with sitting here was that we’d another 11 kilometres to go on this day as we retraced our steps back to our pitched tents (& the bar) in Refugio y Campamento Paine Grande. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 21, 2015.

Day 2, 10:07 || The view back to Refugio y Campamento Paine Grande near the shores of Lago (Lake) Pehoe 7 minutes into the over 7 hours of 22.5 kilometre walking that would be done on day 2, another glorious day in southern Patagonia. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 22, 2015.

Day 2, 10:18 || On the trail from Refugio y Campamento Paine Grande to Campamento Italiano in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 22, 2015.

Day 2, 14:33 || With a rise of almost 1 kilometre in altitude, the 5 kilometre-long trek from Campamento Italiano up the Valle del Frances to the lookout at Britanico, the middle portion/leg of the of the W trek, was probably the most taxing portion of whole 70 kilometre+ shebang. But the beautiful view of the granite peaks seemingly encircling Britanico made it worth all the (sweaty) effort. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 22, 2015.

Day 2, 15:30 || Replenishing water from a stream in Valle del Frances en route back to Campamento Italiano. Keeping hydrated in Torres del Paine National Park is never a problem. And needless to say the water on offer from the park’s streams & rivers is pristine, much better than the water I initially received in this bottle when I bought it back on May 30 in Puerto Rico – yes, I’ve been carrying it since then and I refuse to let it go. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 22, 2015.

Day 2, 16:20 || Signage in Valle del Frances approaching the Campamento Italiano after the return from Britanico. From Campamento Italiano it was another 5 kilometres, and almost 2 hours of walking, to Refugio y Campamento Los Cuernos, the overnight stop for day 2. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 22, 2015.

Day 3, 10:43 || A fallen bridge. Even done cheaply, a Torres del Paine trek is still a bit of an outlay. And with the amount of trekkers the park attracts, I can only assume the park is quite the earner for both the Chilean government & the private land owners who own some of the park’s territory. This is a picture of a fallen bridge on a piece of Torres land that rests in private hands, hands who obviously care little for the upkeep of trekking infrastructure. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 23, 2015.

Day 3, 14:50 || My sweaty trekking gear on this day drying in the afternoon sun while resting on my tent in Campamento Torres. I set up camp here, a free campsite with very few facilities, in the early afternoon before upping pegs and moving to Refugio y Campamento Chilano, a paid campsite with facilities I’d become accustomed to over the previous few days, later in the evening. Sometimes even a camping backpacker needs something more than what you get for free. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 23, 2015.

Day 3, 16:42 || Finally. The Torres del Paine National Park blue-ribbon sight, the famed 2,500 metre-high sheer granite towers that give the park its name, the 12 million-year-old Torres del Paine, Towers of Paine, as seen from the Base de Las Torres trail head at the edge of Laguna Torres. Having failed to see them on my first visit here 17 days earlier, when they were stubbornly shrouded in mist, this sight on this day was a very welcomed not to mention spectacular one. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 23, 2015.

Day 3, 16:50 || Laguna Torres, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 23, 2015.

Day 4, 10:20 || The last leg. A hiker setting out from Refugio y Campamento Chileno for Laguna Amarga in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 24, 2015.

Day 4, 10:36 || Looking back towards Refugio y Campamento Chileno while on the windswept trail to Laguna Amarga. Four times I walked this portion of the trail, twice (up & down the valley) on my first visit and twice on this visit. It was windy each and every time – the valley, as pretty as it is, seems to act as something of a wind tunnel; I was battling fierce winds when taking this picture. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 24, 2015.

Day 4, 12:50 || Having finished walking – 12 kilometers on this day, 75 kilometres overall – I had to wait at the park administration at Laguna Amarga for almost 2 hours for the bus out of the park; transport to and from the park is at most twice a day. The time passed slowly, muscles were tender & it was cold. About the only distraction on offer as I waited was this guanaco, a wild llama, of which there are more than a few in this grassy eastern region of the park. Notoriously jolty & suspicious of humans, this guanaco was quite content to pose while I was photographing him, albeit from a distance. Hidden in the background are the Torres del Paine, shrouded in mist just like they were on my first visit to the park 17 days earlier. Visible for the three days up to this point, clouds finally enshrouded them as I was waiting to bid the park adieu for the second and final time. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. November 24, 2015.