Torres del Paine National Park Waste Management

Each visitor should carry their own waste generated during the visit.

Avoid contamination, minimize and compress the garbage and transport it to carry the collection sites enabled.

Keep garbage away from the animals, in addition, consider that the wind can easily disperse it.

Batteries contain very harmful substances to the environment. Try to take them back to the nearest town where you can find special deposits.
Bring back the organic or biodegradable waste (food scraps, fruit peelings, eggs etc. . .), they do not belong to the environment you are visiting, it decomposes slowly and it as a source of infection, attract animals and visually pollute the environment. DO NOT throw to the ground fruit pits or seeds, as it could introduce a new species to alter the balance of the ecosystem.

 

Source: www.conaf.cl

Services inside Torres del Paine National Park

Information

In every ranger stations and gates of the park you will find park rangers that will give you all the information you need and solve your doubts during your stay at this natural reserve.

Remember to ask about the weather and trials conditions before starting any excursion.
You are the main responsible for your safety
*see Park rangers stations (link a-4- Plan your trip/services/Park ranger stations

CONAF Administration Office
It is located at the north bank of Toro Lake in Villa Monzino, there is a bird life lookout and a visitors centre.
The authorizations for climbing the Massif Paine and other mountains from Andes Patagonicos and other special activities are processed in this office.
Tel. +56 61 2 691931

Clinic, paramedics, police
In Villa Monzino is also located the paramedics service, ambulance and clinic
During the high season a Police Station runs also in Villa Monzino

Telephone
The only public telephone available in the park is in the Administration Office.
During the high season is available from 8.00 to 20.00 and during low season from 8.00 to 18.00.
Its use is only available in emergency case and it is payable in cash and Chilean pesos.
It is not possible to do calls to mobile phones.

Public toilets
There are public toilets in Sarmiento and Laguna Amarga main gates, also in Pudeto, Administration Office and Grey Station.

Important
There is no gas station or benzene available inside the park for cars. It is indispensable that the visitants must obtain enough fuel before coming to the park. The nearest gas station is located in Puerto Natales or Cerro Castillo.

Timetables and seasons P. Torres del Paine

Low season:

Low season starts from 1st May to 30th September

Opening times

Rio Serrano Entrance: from 8.30 to 17.30. Located 80 kms from Puerto Natales through Y-290 road Lago Porteño, near the Administration Office.

Lago Sarmiento Entrance: from 8.30 to 17.30. Located 112 kms from Puerto Natales and 36kms from Administration Office

Laguna Amarga Entrance: from 8.30 to 17.30. Located 116 kms along the main road then turn right toward the northwest for 13kms. Laguna Amarga gate is located 38kms from Administration Office.

High season:

High season starts from 1st October to 30th April

Opening times

Rio Serrano Entrance: from 7.00 to 22.00. Located 80 kms from Puerto Natales through Y-290 road Lago Porteño, near the Administration Office.

Lago Sarmiento Entrance: from 7.00 to 22.00. Located 112 kms from Puerto Natales and 36kms from Administration Office

Laguna Amarga Entrance: from 7.00 to 22.00. Located 116 kms along the main road then turn right toward the northwest for 13kms. Laguna Amarga gate is located 38kms from Administration Office.

 

Source: Conaf.cl

Torres del Paine Trekkings

Paine Massif Circuit

This trail skirts the Paine Massif.

The journey begins in Laguna Amarga towards Paine Lake to Seron Campsite, and then continues to the refuge and Dickson campsite to continue along Los Perros River up to a glacier. The next section is the area of Paso, up to Paso Campsite next to Grey Glacier. The trek continues to the south and reaches the Grey Refuge. Then surrounding the Grey Lake it reaches Paine Grande Mountain Lodge.

To complete the journey there are two alternatives. The first one is to walk 18 km to the Administration Office and the second one is to take the catamaran in Paine Grande to Pudeto (20 minutes)
Difficulty: medium and high
Length: 120 km
Duration: 7-10 days

W trail

This trail surrounds the Nordenskjöld Lake through Ascencio Valley up to Torres Del Paine.
From there the trail continues to Los Cuernos Refuge, then Frances Valley and Grey Glacier to reach Pehoe Lake
Difficulty: medium and high
Length: 50, 1 km
Duration: 4-5 days
Trails

Hosteria Las Torres – Base Las Torres
Las Torres area is an excellent point of excursions, it has campsites, refuges and hostry. It is located two hours from El Chileno campsite on Base Torres trail, and from Chileno there are one hour and a half to Torres campsite. Base Torres lookout is placed one hour away from Torres campsite. The lookout has an incredible view of the base of these beautiful Rocky Mountains with its glacial lagoon.
Difficulty: high
Length: 9, 5 km
Duration: 4, 5 hrs.
Altitude: Hosteria Las Torres 190 m. – Base Las Torres 1000 m.

Hosteria Las Torres – Seron
In Las Torres area there is a campsite, a lodge and a hostry with good facilities.
On this trail you will climb up to 400 mamsl, then down to 200 m.
The trail is marked by its pampas with Paine River on the right side.
Difficulty: medium
Length: 8,9 km
Duration: 4.0 hrs
Altitude: Hosteria Las torres 190 m. – Seron campsite 200 m.

Seron campsite – Dickson Refuge
During this trail is possible to see pampas, plains, mountains and glaciers. It has an excellent view of Paine Lake.
Difficulty: medium
Length: 18.5 km
Duration: 6.0 hrs.
Altitude: Seron campsite 200 m. – Dickson refuge 220 m.

Dickson Refuge – Los Perros Campsite
This trail goes through a Lenga forest and an awesome view of the glacier and Perros Lake.
Difficulty: Medium
Length: 8.7 km
Duration: 4.5 hrs.
Altitude: Dickson Refugio 220 m. – Los Perros Campsite 580 m.

Los Perros Campsite – Paso Campsite
Trail bound by marshland, usually covered by snow and the descent is steep.
It is an ardous trek through an area of strong winds. Paso has an spectacular view of the Grey Glacier and part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.
Difficulty: medium
Length: 12.0 km
Duration: 6 hrs.
Altitude: Los Perros 580 m. – Paso campsite 400 mamsl – Paso 1200 m.

Paso campsite – Grey Refuge
The trail is next to the Glacier and it has a view of the lake and icebergs.
Difficulty: Medium
Length: 10.0 km
Duration: 5hrs.
Altitude: Paso Campsite 400 m. – grey Refugio 90 m.

Grey Refuge – Paine Grande Mountain Lodge
After a steep rise the trek continues through a beautiful trail with a view of the Lake and Grey Glacier, crossing a Lenga, Coigüe and Ñirre forest, lagoons and beautiful landscapes to reach Pehoe Lake
Difficulty: Medium
Length: 11.0 km
Duration: 3hrs.
Altitud: Grey Refuge 90 m. – Pehoe 40 m.

Paine Grande Mountain Lodge – Italiano Campsite
Easy trail with a view of Cuernos Del Paine. In pehoe there is a CONAF park ranger station. Italiano campsite is only for camp, it does not have any services. It is recommended to stay at Los Cuernos Refuge.
Difficulty: easy
Length: 7.6 km
Duration: 2.5 hrs.
Altitude: Paine Grande Lodge 40 m. – Italiano 200 m.

Italiano Campsite – Britanico Lookout
It is recommended to stay at Britanico Campsite to appreciate a magic sunrise in Frances’ Valley. It has a privileged view of the mountains Espada, Hoja, Cuernos, Aleta de Tiburon and others.
Difficulty: Medium
Length: 5.5 km
Duration: 2.5 hrs.
Altitude: Italiano campsite 200 m. – Britanico lookout 600 m.

Italiano campsite – Hosteria Las Torres
This trail has an excellent view of Nordensksöld Lake and Cuernos del Paine. In Cuernos Refuge there is provision of food.
Difficulty: medium
Length: 16.5 km
Duration: 7 hrs.
Altitud: Italiano Campsite 200 m. – Hosteria Las Torres 190 m.

Other Trails
CONAF Administration Office – Laguna Verde
It begins near the administration Office or by the creek La Feria. During this trek, the trail goes through lenga forests, lagoons populated by small birds and it is possible to observe wildlife closely. The trail begins to climb to Sierra del Toro. From the top it is possible to se Cuernos Del Paine and the southern shore of Sarmiento Lake.

Villa Monzino – Paine Grande
This is an easy trek for every person. The trail goes to Las Carretas Campsite, reaching Pehoe lookout and then finish in Paine Grande Mountain Lodge. It is a privileged area of the Park because of its view.
Difficulty: Easy
Length: 16 km
Duration: 5 hrs.

Grey Park rangers Station – Zapata Lookout

This is a trail that requires a guide or a CONAF park ranger and permission from the Grey Ranger Station before starting, as this is a trail of a lot of vegetation and wildlife. It Begins from Grey Ranger Station to get to Pingo Campsite, then follows with a waterfall of the same name. Zapata lookout and campsite is located just 4 km from there.
Difficulty: medium
Length: 15 km
Duration: 5.5 hrs.

Sarmiento Entrance – Laguna Amarga Entrance
Steppe trail of medium difficulty, where it is possible to observe birds and wildlife all the way, and also cave paintings.
Difficulty: Medium
Length: 7 kms.
Duration: 2 hrs.

Salto Grande – Cuernos Lookout
Rocky trail of medium difficulty due to strong wind in that area.
Difficulty: Medium
Longitude: 4 km
Duration: 1 hr.

Camping Pehoé – Mirador del Condor
Wonderful view of the Paine Massif and Pehoé Lake.
Difficulty: Easy
Length: 2.5 km
Length: 40 min.

* Before starting any of these walks NOT forget to check the condition of the trails and difficulty with the rangers

Source: www.conaf.cl

Rules for Torres del Paine National Park (Spanish version)

Normas obligatorias

Con el fin de proteger los recursos, minimizar los impactos y velar por su seguridad, respete las siguientes normas al interior del parque:

Está prohibido hacer fuego (Ley 20.653).
Se permite el uso de cocinilla únicamente en áreas que se encuentren demarcadas para ello.
Es obligatorio llevar la basura y elementos contaminantes fuera del parque (incluyendo las colillas de cigarrillo).
Camine acompañado y solamente por los senderos autorizados.
Planifique su visita de acuerdo a los horarios de cierre y regístrese en todas las estaciones de guardaparques al recorrer los senderos de montaña.
Acampe sólo en los lugares autorizados.
Está prohibido dañar el patrimonio natural y cultural, así como alimentar o perturbar fauna silvestre.
No está permitido el ingreso de mascotas o animales domésticos.
Sea precavido: el clima cambiante y las condiciones geográficas complejas caracterizan este parque. Siempre utilice el equipamiento adecuado.
Respete las indicaciones y recomendaciones de los guardaparques, quienes representan la autoridad en el parque.
Todos los visitantes deben firmar la hoja de registro de ingreso.
A los visitantes de la zona de montaña se les entregará una etiqueta denominada “pase de montaña”. Este pase debe mantenerse en un lugar visible mientras permanezca en este parque nacional.
Ante alguna conducta de riesgo, debe alertar a un guardaparque.
No se exponga a sanciones legales o a la expulsión del parque. Considere que cualquier irresponsabilidad o descuido puede causar un desastre ambiental irreversible y penado legalmente.
Prohibiciones del uso del fuego
Más de 18 incendios han sido generados desde 1980 por el descuido de los visitantes, afectando cerca del 30% de la vegetación del área protegida. Por esta razón, en el parque sólo se permite el uso de cocinillas en los lugares debidamente habilitados por CONAF.

Además, sólo se permite fumar en los lugares debidamente señalizados y acondicionados. Las personas que incurran en el no cumplimiento de este reglamento, se exponen a sanciones y penas legislativas, además de la expulsión inmediata del parque.

Todos los sitios poseen la señalización correspondiente, con el fin de resguardar la seguridad y preservación de los recursos naturales y culturales del parque.

Durante su permanencia en la zona primitiva del parque y áreas de montaña tenga en cuenta las siguientes recomendaciones:

Avisar inmediatamente a los guardaparques más cercanos, sobre cualquier fumarola o humo a la vista, sin importar su tamaño.
Si el fuego lo amenaza bordéelo buscando un punto con menos fuerza para pasar la zona ya quemada o a un claro en la vegetación.
Huya siempre del fuego cuesta abajo, el fuego sube ladera arriba mucho más rápido.
Si colabora en la extinción no trabaje solo, póngase a las órdenes de quien dirige a los trabajos.
Manejo de basura

Cada visitante debe cargar de regreso la basura que genere durante su visita.
Debe mantener la basura lejos del alcance de los animales; además, considere que el viento puede dispersarla fácilmente.
Las pilas contienen sustancias dañinas para el medio ambiente. Procure llevarlas de regreso hasta la ciudad más cercana donde pueda encontrar depósitos especiales.
Lleve de vuelta la basura orgánica o biodegradable (restos de comida, cáscaras de fruta, huevos, etc.), ya que no pertenece al medio ambiente que visita: se descomponen lento, son fuente de infecciones, atraen animales y contaminan visualmente el entorno. Asegúrese de NO arrojar al suelo cuescos o semillas, pues podría introducir una nueva especie que altere el equilibrio del ecosistema.

Mascotas
No está autorizado el ingreso de mascotas ni animales domésticos al parque, debido a que alteran la conducta de la fauna nativa que habita en la unidad.

Fuente: CONAF www.conaf.cl

Puerto Natales

Located on the shore of Señoret Channel, Puerto Natales was the hub of Chile’s thriving ranching industry in the early 20th century. In the years that followed, it was no more than a stopping off point for expeditions to Torres del Paine National Park. Today the scene is quite different, and you will be amazed to find travelers from all over the world enjoying an endless array of outdoor activities, adventure sports and excursions as well as the charm of the small downtown area, which is full of fine gastronomy and top rate hotels.

The town’s colorful streets offer everything a tourist would want, including outdoor clothing and gear, kayak outings, bicycle rentals and several souvenir shops. Once you’ve stocked up and scheduled a few activities, walk along the windy coastal road on the shore of Señoret Channel, where you can see black-necked swans and delight in the stunning red sunsets.

Just 24 km from the city is the Mylodon Cave, which will amaze you with its scale and prehistoric remains. Scientific interest in the place began in 1896 with the discovery of skin, bones and other remains of the extinct Mylodon, an enormous herbivore and relative of the sloth that lived over 10,000 years ago.

Sail on Última Esperanza Fjord, the gateway to Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, where you can see the Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers. If you’re looking for excitement, take a zodiac and journey up the Serrano River to a less frequented entrance to Torres del Paine National Park.

You’ll be treated to an even more amazing view of Puerto Natales from Cerro Dorotea, where you can observe the city, the fjord, the nearby mountains and the Patagonian steppe that extends towards Argentina from 800 meters up. If you are lucky, you might spot one of the majestic condors that nest on the vertical rock walls of this mountain.

Source: Wikipedia.org

Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine is probably the world’s most spectacular national park. An unrivalled landscape of mad jagged peaks, impossibly blue lakes, deserted pampas, iceberg-loaded rivers, and, at its centre, an ice cap. The Southern Patagonian Ice Field is a sea of ice the size of Hawaii, and one of the largest sources of temperate-zone glaciers in the world.

How can I come to Patagonia?

There are daily air connections from Santiago de Chile and Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas, the capital city of the Chilean Patagonia, located at the bank of the Magellan Strait.

You can buy your tickets online at http://www.latam.com or http://www.skyairline.cl/

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