WHAT IS THE O-TREK?

The O Trek in Torres del Paine National Park is Patagonia’s full circuit—an 8-day loop that wraps completely around the Paine Massif, going far beyond the more popular W Trek. It takes you into the quieter, wilder side of the park, where the crowds thin, the wind picks up, and the landscape feels bigger, more raw and remote.

At roughly 110–130 km, it’s a proper undertaking. You carry everything—food, shelter, layers for all seasons—moving day after day through open plains, forest, glacial valleys, and high passes. The crux is the crossing of John Gardner Pass, where the weather can turn quickly and conditions can be unforgiving.

It’s not technical, but it is demanding. Long days, heavy packs, and relentless wind wear you down. You don’t just hike it—you settle into it, find your flow, and commit to the full loop.

But before any of that begins, there’s the small matter of the park’s most famous hike—the one that draws thousands each day. A warm-up of sorts… though there’s nothing easy about it.

March 5–6

LAS TORRES – the most popular hike in South America

DISTANCE: 24.5km ELEVATION GAIN: 1,153m MOVING TIME: 5:50h

By 8:30am we were on the trail, swept into a human river of hikers… Hundreds of people strung out along the mountain like ants—some with full, heavy packs, others like us with lightweight day packs. The lower trails were braided with side paths, worn wide by feet and water. This is the most popular hike in the park, and arguably in all of Patagonia, with an estimated 2,000 hikers per day.

The trail is no joke: roughly 12 km each way, 8–10 hours for most. We moved quickly, passing dozens. The kids flew—under 3 hours to the top. Tim just behind in 3 hours, and I wasn’t far off. On the way up, we passed runners and the sunrise crowd descending. So many people. Too many for my liking, and poorly managed.

The trail itself is heavily eroded, worn down in places, and—by the looks of it—largely neglected. It could benefit hugely from a one-way system to ease the pressure. Sadly, it feels more like a cash machine.

All that aside, the view from the top made it worthwhile. We spent a couple of hours in the sun, eating lunch and taking it all in.

We carried that same momentum on the way down, again passing dozens or hundreds of people. Making light work of the steep, rocky section, we dropped quickly to the river and past Cuernos camp. We were very glad not to be staying there—it wouldn’t have been a quiet night.

Back at the truck in 2.5 hours, our feet had had enough.

The kids made use of our booking and slept in their tent at the campground. We all had showers. Tim and I stayed in the truck, making final preparations before setting off the next day.

DAY 2 – CENTRAL TO SERON

DISTANCE: 13.75km ELEVATION GAIN: 328m MOVING TIME: 3:15

Packs fully loaded—and heavy—with everything we’ll need for the next week. Food, clothing, tents, cooking gear—we’re fully self-sufficient. I’ve calculated daily portions carefully: enough, but not too much.

Dinners are mostly dehydrated meals—lightweight and, in theory, good (they’re from New Zealand, so expectations are high). Lunches are tortilla wraps with egg salad, ham, and cream cheese, pre-frozen to stretch shelf life. Hot chocolate for the evenings, tea and coffee for mornings, electrolytes for the day. No water filter needed—we’ll drink straight from the rivers.

Each of us has a full bag of trail mix—candy, chocolate, dried fruit, nuts. We’re guessing Charley’s will be gone by day one; Jaxon’s might last the whole trek.

Without a scale, we estimate pack weights at: Tim 18 kg, me 16 kg, Charley 14 kg, Jaxon 12 kg.

We set off at 10:30am. The trail begins on a dirt road that gradually narrows into single track, climbing gently about 200 m. We settle into a steady rhythm, making small adjustments and finding our pace.

Winding around the hillside and through farmland, we suddenly encounter a herd of horses—dozens of them, loose and moving straight toward us. Big brown eyes, as curious about us as we were about them.

Dropping into the valley, we spot camp at the far end and enjoy the easy walking. The sun is out, a light breeze keeping things cool—perfect conditions to begin.

We arrive around 3pm, check in, and pitch our tents. The kids are quick—looking like seasoned pros, they’re done before us.

A hot shower feels like luxury. Later, we cook dinner in the mess tent and meet a mix of hikers: Sophie, walking solo from England; Jacquie and Greg from New Zealand, in shorts and every bit the part; a Chinese couple from Vancouver cooking a gourmet meal that makes ours look sad; and Petra and Armin from Germany, Experienced hikers in their mid-60s, camped beside us—soon to become our hiking buddies and friends.

In our tents by 9pm, asleep soon after…