The style of packing I had to follow can only be described with one word - frugal. My luxurious new 55L backpack arrived just after I had taken off from Heathrow. Meaning everything I needed had to fit in a small some-people-carry-more-stuff-to-work kind of a rucksack: sleeping bag, down jacket, clothes for snowy and sunny and rainy and anywhere in between weather. Food got the least space. The most luxurious item in the bag must have been a jar of local honey.

Plan that developed while drinking unmeasurable amounts of tea meant spending about US$170 per night for a refugio bunk bed in the Torres del Paine national park - to avoid carrying tents and 5 days worth of food. I have to admit that on top of the entrance permit, this is probably the most I've ever paid to explore wilderness. It cost less to stay in the over the top jet lag recovery farm near Puerto Natales.

The plan, and the very limited refugio options also meant that the ever popular W trek had to be hiked from east to west. Most do it the other way round, which is recommended as it allows a bit longer window to see the towers at the end of the trek and not stress about the weather as much.

The bus from Puerto Natales drops you off at Laguna Amarga. The trip can take anywhere between 2 and 3 hours. In 2017 there were some roadworks along the way, so don't count on the 1.5h that says on the poster.

Topographic art at the NP information desk

From Laguna Amarga it's a short van drive to refugio Torre Central, the nearest one to the towers and the last place to enjoy properly brewed coffee. It's the bottom right dot on the cubist topo map.