How to survive a Patagonia winter trek

Patagonia, a land of snow-capped mountains, glacial lakes, frosted woodland and iced beauty. Stretching through southern Chile and Argentina until the continent’s end, Patagonia attracts travellers from all over the world. The summer season, from December to February sees trekkers, photographers, wildlife enthusiasts and many more making the long journey south to explore this frozen tip of South America.

Come winter, however, and there is a different story to tell. From June to September, sub-zero temperatures, few sunlight hours and reduced transportation ward many travellers off. We were met with incredulous remarks and worried glances when announcing plans of a wintertime trip to Patagonia. Doubts placed firmly at the back of our minds, we set off anyway. It seemed like too good a trip to miss, and indeed it was.

Torres del Paine National Park in Chile is one of Patagonia’s many highlights. Images of the iconic “torres” grace countless guidebooks and a three-to-four day trek through the park, dubbed the W Circuit, tops many trekkers bucket lists. This was to be our destination, and the trek, our challenge. Incredulous remarks and worried glances lingering in our minds, we were careful to take extra special care to ensure a successful trip. The following tips were catered specifically to our experience of the W Circuit, but can be applied to any wintry Patagonia trip.

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