Patagonia Has Weather, Not a Forecast
Wind that moves you sideways, four seasons before lunch and some of the best hiking on earth. Pack accordingly.
Patagonia does not do moderate. The wind does not gust so much as shove. Clear skies turn to sleet and back again while you are still deciding whether to put your jacket on. And then the clouds lift off a granite spire you have been staring at for an hour, and you forget every complaint you had.
Two bases, two countries
Most first trips split between Chile and Argentina. On the Chilean side, Torres del Paine National Park is home to the W Trek, usually walked over four or five days. On the Argentine side, the small town of El Chaltén is a base for day hikes toward Mount Fitz Roy, including the long, steep and spectacular trail to Laguna de los Tres. Near El Calafate, the Perito Moreno Glacier is worth the detour. You can hear it crack.
Book the beds before the flights
In Torres del Paine, campsites and refugios along the W need to be reserved in advance, and the good dates go early. Lock your accommodation first, then build the trip around it. Doing it the other way round is how people end up walking the W in a weird order or not at all.
When to go
The main season runs roughly November to March, the southern summer. Long daylight, more services, more people. The edges of the season are quieter and colder. There is no month without wind. Accept that early.
What actually matters in your pack
- A proper waterproof shell and waterproof trousers. Not water resistant. Waterproof.
- Layers you can add and remove in a minute, because you will, constantly.
- Broken in boots and trekking poles for the descents.
- Sunglasses and sunscreen. The sun is strong when it shows up.
- Patience for buses, border crossings and weather days.
Leave one spare day in the plan. If the mountain is hiding when you arrive, that day is the difference between seeing Fitz Roy and seeing a postcard of it.
