Torres del Paine | 5 Reasons to do the W-Trek from East to West

West to East is without a doubt the most popular way to do the W-Trek, which makes sense because it saves Las Torres for the grand finale. When we started planning our route it seemed like this was our best option. A lot of other blogs did it this way so naturally we thought we would too.

But the campsite booking process was infuriating. It was nearly impossible to string together a row of available sites and we were soon looking for a plan B.

Turns out, unlike the longer O-trek, the W-trek can be done in either direction. So we opted to do the trek from East to West as a backup plan and we’re so glad it worked out that way. Every day we found a new upside to share. So if you’re considering taking on this gruelling adventure, here are our top 5 reasons to do the W-Trek East to West.

Reference // Torres del Paine Map

1 // Start with the most difficult and rewarding day

If ‘Patagonia’ conjures an image in your mind there’s a pretty good chance it’s of Las Torres. The three iconic grey towers standing proud behind a turquoise lake have become synonymous with this region from years of marketing efforts promoting the park. For this reason it’s often the end of the W Trek – but we think it should be the beginning.

First of all, it’s the most challenging part of the trek and we can say from experience that you lose steam every day. If we started at 100% by day four we woke up around 75%. So do the hard stuff while you have energy. More importantly, Las Torres has the most anticipation…and expectation. When you kick things off with this wonder of nature everything else feels like a bonus. It put us in the right mindset to explore the park and be surprised and delighted at every turn.

2 // Hike at your own pace

In high season about a thousand people a day pour into Torres del Paine and it didn’t feel like much less in March. When we were considering shifting our plans we read that one down side of W-Trek East to West is all the traffic coming at you in the opposite direction. Which is true, but for us it was actually a good thing.

We far preferred meeting people, stepping to the side and saying a quick ‘hola’, instead of having them in front or behind us at all times. Everyone hikes at their own speed which inevitably leads to getting stuck or feeling rushed when you encounter other hikers. Walking against traffic gave us the space to really enjoy the trek and go at our own pace.

3 // Get to Frances and Britanico before the crowds

The second ‘attraction’ of Torres del Paine is Britanico lookout in the middle of the W, with Frances lookout half way up. The 360 panoramic view of the mountains, snow and lakes is breathtaking, especially if you get a good spot to take it all in. Luckily, since we were leaving from Camp Frances instead of Chileno or Paine Grande we had an hour head start to get there.

Though we didn’t hit the trail until after 8am we still arrived at the small cluster of rocks when there was only a handful of other people and lots of prime seating still available. An hour later it was packed and people were lining up for the most desired viewpoints and photo spots. We left feeling like we had enough time to take it in. Which isn’t always easy with dozens of hikers around.

4 // Celebrate completing the W at Grey Glacier

Traveling East to West makes Grey Glacier the grand finale. The glacier itself is quite grand and more than rewarding enough to view from the various lookouts along the way. But, if you’re looking for something a little extra celebratory this is the ideal ending point.

We opted for the free option of continuing on the trail past Grey toward Paso (meaning we did a very small part of the O trek) to get to the first swinging bridge. It was an exhilarating photo op to end our epic trek. We were too exhausted and short on time to head to the second because we were making the 13km trek back to Paine Grande the same day but there are two more you can reach. Or, if you have a bit of cash to spend, you could reward yourself and kayak beside the Glacier. Or even hiking on top of it.

5 // Say your final farewell from Pehoe Catamaran

To get back to Puerto Natales and celebrate after completing the W trek East to West, you take the Pehoe Catamaran. The 30min journey is the perfect way to reflect on how far your feet have taken you in four days as you take in the mountains of Torres del Paine.

Convinced you should tackle the W-Trek East to West? Check out everything you need to plan your trek and get a free packing list and meal plan. 

Or if you want to experience Patagonia but aren’t into the overnight trekking, consider El Chalten instead.

Have you done the W-Trek? Which direction did you go?