A Hunter in Patagonia

Why Patagonia’s Three Towers is the Best Trekking in South America

The wild landscape of this part of the world provides an extraordinary challenge, but it is incredibly rewarding.
Penny Hunter discovers why Torres del Paine National Park offers some of the best trekking in South America.

– Excerpt from The Australian, Feb 28, 2025 – by Penny Hunter

Before I arrived in Torres del Paine National Park, I’d heard tales of trekkers being blown off their feet. The town of Puerto Natales, gateway to the wilderness reserve, even has a waterfront sculpture called Monument to the Wind, depicting a man and woman joyously being held aloft by a gale.

Now that I’m here, I can see why the place has such a formidable reputation, and why it has long been a magnet for devotees of nature and the great outdoors. Like the estimated 250,000 people who flock to Torres del Paine each year, I’m answering the call of the mountains, jagged peaks of granite and sedimentary rock carved into dramatic shapes by wind, rain and ice. Many visitors tackle a pair of well-trodden routes called the “W” and the “O”, multi-day treks that brim with lakes, glaciers, forests and rocky climbs. Hard-core hikers carry everything on their backs and camp in the grounds of refugios, or guesthouses, for about $16 a night; others opt for beds for about $200 a night

There is, however, a far more salubrious option, as recommended by Sydney-based tour operator the Classic Safari Company. My lodgings are Tierra Patagonia, a curvaceous retreat made of local lenga beech that sidles up to the brilliant blue glacial waters of Lake Sarmiento and offers eye-popping views to the Torres del Paine massif. The property, one of three in the Tierra portfolio, was purchased in 2022 by Baillie Lodges, the Australian company that includes Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, Longitude 131º at Uluru and Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge in Canada. It’s the perfect base from which to embark on day treks, with only a small pack to carry.

Guests can admire the mountains, peeking out under low-slung clouds, from almost every aspect in the 40-guestroom lodge. They are an imposing presence in the glass-fronted restaurant, where menus run the gauntlet of local ingredients such as king crab, lamb, guanaco (the native camelid) and calafate berries.

The panorama is sirenesque, its presence a visual temptress to travellers as the long, late dusk gradually engulfs it in darkness. And when I wake in my two-level suite, blinds purposely left wide open, it is the first thing I look for in the morning.

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We’re taken by car into the park, where the gravel road winds around hills and turquoise lakes, always overlooked by the magnificent crags. The sky is filled with strange, UFO-shaped clouds created by a curious meeting of air currents and ridges, and a rainbow adds a touch of magic. We board a catamaran on Lake Pehoe that quickly fills with trekkers embarking on their “W” odyssey. There’s a palpable fizz of excitement among this disparate bunch, young and old, from all corners of the globe. Their backpacks form a mini-mountain at the boat’s bow, topped with the ropes and harnesses of some serious climbers… I take in the scenery from the top deck, blasted by an icy wind.

Disembarking at the refugio at the other end of the lake, we leave the trekkers to their missions. The trail leads into a wide valley, past clumps of scarlet firebush flowers and the silvery ghosts of lenga trunks burnt by a wildfire years earlier. We bounce across a suspension bridge that crosses a roaring stream and head steadily upwards until we reach our goal. The rocky outcrop creates the perfect lunch spot, flanked on one side by the sharp spires of the Cuernos (Horns) del Paine, on the other by the blue chunks of French Glacier and Cerro Paine Grande, the highest of the Cordillera summits. It’s impossible not to be in awe of this landscape.

Retracing our journey down to the trailhead, my once-trusty boots are causing concern. No matter how tightly I fasten the laces, I can’t anchor my heel; with every step on the descent my toes ram into the front of my shoes. The trekking poles prove a lifesaver, taking some of the weight off my feet, but by the time we reach the refugio I’m hobbling and wondering how I can possibly tackle the Towers the next day. It seems feeble to complain, though. As Diego magically produces cold beer and snacks while we wait for the boat, I decide my sore tootsies are a minor inconvenience.

That night, over a dinner of lamb ribs with chimichurri and a medicinal glass of red, I decide on a plan of action. Determined not to miss the Towers, the jewel in the crown of Torres del Paine, I will strap my toes and suck it up. When I wake the next day, the view reinforces my resolve. I can’t believe my luck. The mountains are in sharp focus against a blue sky ribboned with light clouds. The Three Towers beckon in the distance, clearly visible. Could it be a more perfect day?

*all photos: The Australian / Penny Hunter

DISCOVER SOME OF THE BEST TREKKING IN SOUTH AMERICA
READ THIS ARTICLE IN FULL NOW AT THE AUSTRALIAN

See you out there.

Thomas

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