Torres del Paine Feb/Mar 2025

[Wildfarmer]

My wife and I will be taking a trip to Santiago Chile March 3-10, 2025. We would like to add a guided hike of Torres del Paine before or after that week.
Can anyone provide some guidance as to a reputable guide company and any other useful information?

[Fredrick B]

Wildfarmer, this may be ancient enough to not be helpful, but I went years ago with a company named Southern Latitudes (not Latitude) and a fellow named David Frederick. Fishing guides primarily, but they also conducted hiking guiding as well, and was great. If nothing else, I’d think the guide services in Coyhaique (look it up online, many have websites) might have a good list of references for you. That, or try guide services in Punta Arenas, as that’s your closest fly in point. What a great time of year to go!

[Wildfarmer]

Thanks @Fredrick B, I’ll search for those. I’ve also been getting an education about it on YouTube.

[Fredrick B]

You betcha. That’s all full of good info too!

[Dan]

Sorry that you’re not getting too many firsthand recommendations. I was following the thread because I hope to get there at some point and wouldn’t mind having a guide to make the logistics easier.

FWIW, I found a great guide in Bariloche by reading reviews on TripAdvisor. What I learned during that trip is that guides in Argentina and Chile are certified and only allowed to work in the specific area and on routes for which they are certified (or licensed maybe, something like that). So if you find a guide with a bunch of good reviews on the internet and they’re certified for the route, it’s likely to go well because they know it like the back of their hand, they know the refugio staff intimately, etc.

I’d also prefer a firsthand recommendation obviously.

[Mark Daskilewicz]

Sorry if this post is late to the game.

I’ve been doing a bunch of research into hiking in Torres for a planned trip in Feb of 2026. I’ve been corresponding with a company called Pygmy-elephant.com. They make all the necessary reservations you need for a hike of the W or O treks. They call their trips “non-guided”. From one of their emails: …..Self Guided – We are a Self-Guided tour operator. What that means is that we create an itinerary for you, book your accommodation (and most of your meals, more info on that later) and give you all the navigation materials that you’ll need to conquer your tour, no guide necessary! Because of this, we don’t offer any group tours. This gives you more freedom to go when you want, and to experience a custom tour that best suits your group needs.

Supposedly the trails are very well marked so you won’t get lost. And apparently there are lots of other hikers. Perhaps like hiking the corridor trails at the Grand Canyon.

The refugios/campsites along the trails are owned/operated by 2 or 3 different companies, so making all the required reservations and booking transportation to and from the trailheads might be easier done by paying one of the 3rd-party services, such as this Pygmy Elephant place, to do it for you.

Personally, I’m looking into staying in a refugio each night (inside a building–not a tent) since I’ll be 74 yrs old when I do the hike. Dinner and breakfast will be provided and they make you a box lunch to take on your day’s hike. I would just have to carry my clothes, lunch and water and other sundries.

If you’re looking for a hike in Patagonia where you really need to have a guide along with you, there’s a 40 km or mile loop hike called Dientes (Teeth) de Navarino on Isla Navarino which is across the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia. Looks like a real wilderness experience. If only I was 20 years younger. :)

[Fredrick B]

You’re right Mark. The individual trails are distinguished by color markers (painted rocks, etc) and are easy to follow. And, yes, summer in Chile; plenty of people and hikers everywhere.

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