Recently a friend asked for a “best hike” recommendation for a female hiker, possibly travelling alone. She is very experienced with many serious treks completed in Europe and the States.
Immediately we suggested The Towers of Paine in Chile.
Paine is well policed and maintained. It is safe. No need to speak Spanish, though it helps.
As evidence, we link to a charming and entertaining trip report from two young women who just completed the most demanding itinerary, the Circuit. They LOVED it:
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Ascending John Garner Pass for a devastatingly beautiful view of Glacier Grey below on one side and Lago Paine on the other. I moment I will never forget.
* Eating chocolate surrounded by the Valle de Frances
* Seeing three shooting stars cross the Milky Way and a comet (and I was totally sober), whilst lying on a swing bridge, with a very energetic river flowing below us
* Drinking Pisco with Cowboys in the sunshine
* Making friends with Porters (Sherpas) and sharing our walks with them
* Watching ice bergs float past our tent whilst making a lovely cuppa tea snuggled up in my sleeping bag!
* That Condor moment! Seeing Condors sore majestically above the snowy peaks of Torres del Paine
* That vegetarian sandwich at Camp Chileno!
* The best drinking water in the world on tap! (We drank only the water that flowed through the Parque; no boiling no purification tabs). Ah, agua nectar!
* Realising what we thought may have been a clap of thunder and so the start of a wet day was only another ice berg making a splash into Lago Grey.
* Realising what we thought may have been another clap of thunder was merely another avalanche in the Valle del Frances.
* Meeting the boys from Ecuador at Camp Japonese (a camp only for climbers).
* The satisfaction of completing The Circuit when a lot of the locals thought we may be clinically insane!
Sophs in South America: Torres del Paine Circuit, Southern Patagonia, Chile.
organize a trip to Paine, Chile – besthike.com
besthike.com 