Torres del Paine — jtreks official routes
Official, actively-maintained trail geometry from jtreks.co. Only routes verified official + maintained are included, each tagged with its season, difficulty, guide need, technical-equipment need and hazards. Conditions change and official is not the same as safe today — confirm with the managing agency before you go.

Hotel Las Torres
Eastern trailhead. Las Torres Patagonia base — hotel, refugio, campsite, gear shop. Buses from Puerto Natales terminate here.

Refugio Chileno
Midway point on the Torres ascent. Las Torres Patagonia refugio with dorms and camping. The final 45 minutes to Mirador Base Torres is loose moraine at 30–40% grade.

Mirador Base Torres
The marquee viewpoint — three granite towers reflected in the glacial tarn at sunrise. Best window: 06:30–07:30 pre-dawn from Refugio Chileno. Peak season: 200+ people at the mirador by mid-morning.

Refugio Los Cuernos
Las Torres Patagonia refugio at the foot of Los Cuernos, dramatic two-tone granite-over-dark-metamorphic horns. Camping and dorms.

Campamento Italiano
CONAF camp at the base of Valle del Francés. Free site, no services. Staging point for the Británico spur.

Mirador Británico
Top of the French Valley with 360° views of Paine Grande, Los Cuernos, and Glaciar del Francés. Wind exposure is the crux, not terrain.

Refugio Paine Grande
Vertice Patagonia's western hub on Lago Pehoé. Catamaran connection to Pudeto. Dorms, camping, restaurant. Junction point for the W and O circuits.

Refugio Grey
Vertice Patagonia refugio overlooking Glaciar Grey and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Endpoint of the W trek's western arm.

Campamento Serón
Las Torres Patagonia camp — first night on the O Circuit backside. Full refugio + camping, upscale for the back side. Open pampa setting with guanaco sightings.

Refugio Dickson
Vertice Patagonia refugio + camping on Lago Dickson. Spectacular glacier views. Many trekkers rank it the prettiest camp on the circuit. Recommended weather-buffer day.

Campamento Los Perros
Vertice Patagonia camping only — no dorm. The most basic and exposed camp on the circuit. Small shop for hot drinks. Staging point for the John Gardner Pass crossing.

Paso John Gardner
The crux of the O Circuit: +800m climb from Los Perros, -1,100m descent to Grey via five fixed-ladder sections. Routine 100+ km/h gusts Dec–Feb. CONAF wardens post daily go/no-go at 06:00. After the November 2025 blizzard tragedy, closures are faster and more conservative.

Campamento Paso
CONAF emergency/overflow camp post-pass. No services. Free but rarely used as a planned overnight — most trekkers push through to Grey.

The W Trek
OFFICIAL (CONAF) · Maintained · Difficulty: Multi-day trek · Guide: No guide needed · Gear: Traction / poles · Season: Main season ~Oct–Apr; refugios/camps mid-Sept–mid-Apr, safest Nov–Mar. CONAF ordered a temporary winter closure of the W trail 1 Jun–31 Jul 2026 (Base Torres open then only with a certified guide). · Hazards: extreme wind (gusts ~120–160 km/h), rapidly changing weather — sun/rain/snow in a day, cold, hypothermia risk, exposed Base Torres boulder ascent, preventive closures on high-wind days · Verified 2026-08-22 · Conditions change — confirm with the managing agency before you go. Not a substitute for a current map and judgment.

The O Circuit
OFFICIAL (CONAF) · Maintained · Difficulty: Multi-day trek · Guide: No guide needed · Gear: Traction / poles · Season: Austral summer only, ~1 Nov–end Mar; closed ~Apr–Oct. CONAF lifted the temporary mandatory-guide rule on 1 Jan 2026; route is one-way (counter-clockwise), capped 100/day, with mandatory registration at Coirón and reservations every night. · Hazards: John Gardner Pass — high wind, snow, whiteout, severe cold, extreme sudden Patagonian weather, remote back side, limited rescue, stream/river crossings, multi-day commitment, no early exit on the back side · Verified 2026-08-21 · Conditions change — confirm with the managing agency before you go. Not a substitute for a current map and judgment.