by Kristin Tennessen and Danny Milks
We discovered why Torres del Paine, Chile is the poster child for Patagonia’s wilderness playground.
See all their wonderful pics on Backpacking Light
I’m debating whether the Paine Circuit should be added to our list of the top 10 hikes in the world.
besthike.com 
“I’m debating whether the Paine Circuit should be added to our list of the top 10 hikes in the world.”
I have no advice on that, as you are the expert on this topic. I will note however:
* The Paine Circuit traverses one of the most iconic mountain ranges in the world – just the name “Patagonia” evokes a response.
* The Fitz Roy area is visually spectacular, but the hiking actually is problematic. Note when people say they’ve “done it”, turns out they’ve actually gone maybe 10-20 miles up and back. Or they’ve schlepped down some serious gear and spend an entire day walking on an icefield.
* The Circuit is totally logical and apparent – it’s not contrived, not bisected by a mess of other stuff. It stand out like classic routes should.
* Except for maybe a tiny distance at the start, it’s all single-track.
* Scenery is outstanding.
* You won’t get robbed, raped, or caught up in a revolution.
* This situation reminds me a lot of Tongariro. That has the “Crossing” and the “Circuit”. Same here: probably 95% of visitors jam into the “W”, while as soon as you get on the backside, the “Circuit” is pristine, remote, a whole different experience.
* Getting down there is the hardest part; the hike itself is moderate. It’s OK for the mass of tourists and Argentinian college students to crowd onto the W, but real hikers definitely, absolutely, should do El Circuito. It take just as long to arrive at the start as it does to actually hike it, so might as well.
I love Buzz’s last paragraph. So true. Best case scenario is a flight to Santiago (requires a change from most places in North America), another flight to Punta Arenas, 6 hour bus ride to Puerto Natales, and then another 2 hour ride to the park!
I spent three months in Patagonia in 2006 and long to go back, but it’s just so damn far!
And yes, should be Top 10.
Beautiful pics! My husband and I are avid hikers/climbers and we’re starting our RTW trip in South America. Unfortunately, we’ll be in Patagonia in spring — hoping some of the trails would be hikeable.
Looking at pics like this make us think that it might be worth it to wait winter out in Argentina/Chile.