Patagonia

Posted on: August 26, 2009 at 11:20AM

The Patagonia tourist season doesn't officially start until mid-October, but as I was living and working in Punta Arenas, Chile, I had a week off in September for the Chilean Independence Day celebrations. I decided it would be the perfect week to take on the epic hike, The W, in Torres del Paine. The park wasn't officially open yet and the weather hovered just above freezing during the night, but I couldn't imagine a better time to have gone. During the Patagonian Spring and Summer, tourists flock to Torres del Paine, making it hard to find a place to even pitch a tent at night, and the wind picks up speed during these months, bringing with it extremely unpredictable weather. In September, we nearly the only ones at our camp sites and had 6 full days of clear skies and beautiful weather... a perfect hike. Couldn't have asked for a more serene experience. report a problem