PAINANI
PAINANI

PAINANI · RUN / LOCAL

30 · Magallanes, Chile

Torres del Paine

Run the Base Torres trail in Torres del Paine: 18.8 km out-and-back from the Welcome Centre to the moraine lake under the three granite towers, with a 09:00 entry cutoff.

Trail runningOut and back
18.8 kmDistance787 mElevation gainHardSite gradePuerto NatalesNearest base

Site grade

HardFeatured

787 m of gain over 9.4 km each way, the last 1.4 km on a glacial moraine that CONAF rates exigente and times at one hour, run against a 09:00 entry and 15:00 exit cutoff, in a park whose own guidance is to dress for rain, wind and snow on the same day.

The experience

Nine kilometres and 787 m up an exposed hillside, through lenga forest and over a glacial moraine to a lake under the Torres, then the same nine back, all inside a window that opens at 07:00 and closes the trail behind you at 15:00.

Base Torres is the only segment of the W the park regulates as a day route, with its own entry and exit clock. CONAF's segment table gives it one hour for the final 1.4 km of moraine, the same time it gives the 5 km approach to Chileno.

The trail crosses the private Estancia Cerro Paine of the Kusanovic family for its first two segments and enters CONAF land at Guardería Torres. The park was created on 13 May 1959 and covers 227,298 hectares; the fire of December 2011 to January 2012 burned more than 17,600 of them, and every heat source is now banned on the trail.

Where the sources disagreeUntil 15 September 2026 the park required a certified guide on Base Torres and the W; as of today, 16 September 2026, the park home page still carries that notice. In summer the entry cutoff is 09:00 and the exit 15:00; you cannot start late and make it up with pace. The W is not a day run under park rules: the official recommendations page lists it as three to five days with mandatory reservations, and there is no night hiking. Every stove, lighter and heat source is illegal on the trail under Law 20.653.

Trail path

The line
you follow.

StartCentro de Bienvenida, Reserva Las Torres (Estancia Cerro Paine)FinishCentro de Bienvenida, Reserva Las Torres (Estancia Cerro Paine)DirectionUp the Ascencio valley to the mirador, back the same way
  1. 01Centro de Bienvenida
  2. 02Hotel Las Torres
  3. 03Refugio Chileno
  4. 04Guardería Torres
  5. 05Campamento Torres junction
  6. 06Mirador Base Torres

Route sections

01 · The Windward ShelfCentro de Bienvenida to Refugio Chileno
Flat estancia track to the river, then an eroded zigzag up the open flank of Almirante Nieto with nothing between you and the wind. The trail drops 50 m to the Ascencio river before the refuge. CONAF: 5 km, 2 hours.02 · The Lenga TunnelRefugio Chileno to Guardería Torres
Forest path on the south-west bank of the river, moderate grade, several stream crossings off Almirante Nieto. The only stretch that runs like a trail. CONAF: 3 km, 1 h 30.03 · The Moraine HourGuardería Torres to Mirador Base Torres
From the sign at 700 m the path leaves the trees and climbs boulders with painted marks to the east end of the lake. CONAF rates it exigente, gives it one hour for 1.4 km, and warns of leg joint injuries on the moraine.04 · The 15:00 ClockMirador Base Torres to Centro de Bienvenida
Rangers at Guardería Torres and Chileno turn hikers around in the afternoon so nobody is on the moraine at dusk. The forest is fast; the zigzag is loose and full of people coming up.

Weather profile

What the sky
is likely to do.

The park's own line is that the weather changes rapidly and you dress for rain, wind and snow on the same day. CONAF lists snow on every Base Torres segment from May to September. The high season is October to April, when the park is open 07:00 to 21:00.

Season & timing

Managed seasonPark open all year. Summer hours (October to April) 07:00 to 21:00; winter hours (May to September) 08:00 to 18:30. Base Torres required a certified guide from 27 April to 15 September 2026.Best windowDecember to February. Be at the trailhead at 07:00 with the entry gate, on the moraine before the day-trippers, and back at the Welcome Centre by early afternoon.SurfaceEstancia track, eroded zigzag single-track on open hillside, lenga forest path with stream crossings, glacial moraine boulders marked with paintDirectionUp the Ascencio valley to the mirador, back the same way

Signature moments

What you will
remember afterwards.

01

The first look down the Ascencio valley from the top of the zigzag

02

Refugio Chileno under Almirante Nieto

03

Stream crossings in the lenga forest

04

The lake appearing over the lip of the moraine

05

The towers at 07:30 with nobody else there

ENTRY CUTOFF

09:00

The last hour you can start Base Torres

The park's recommendations page sets entry until 09:00 and exit at 15:00 for the Base Torres day route. The winter regulation keeps the 09:00 entry and closes the mirador at 14:00.

Access & logistics

AccessBus from Puerto Natales to Portería Laguna Amarga (Bus-Sur, year round), then the 7 km road transfer to the Centro de Bienvenida at Reserva Las Torres, 25 minutes, CLP 4,500 one way, paid in cash. Register at the portería. The trail starts opposite Hotel Las Torres.PermitsEntry ticket bought in advance at pasesparques.cl, the only official channel. From 1 May 2026 a foreign adult day pass is CLP 32,400 and a Chilean adult CLP 9,400. Certified guide mandatory on Base Torres from 27 April to 15 September. No fire or heat source of any kind, no drones, no pets, no swimming, stay on the marked trail.BookingsNone to run it in a day. Sleeping at Chileno or Campamento Torres requires a reservation through the park's booking links.WaterWikiexplora notes springs on the zigzag and water and a toilet at the Campamento Torres junction at 700 m. The park publishes no drinking-water guidance for this trail; carry what you need.FoodCarry a full day. Hotel Las Torres and Refugio Chileno sell food in season.Mobile coverageThe park states there is no telephone or internet signal on the interior trails.DurationThe park's recommendations page gives 8 hours round trip. CONAF's segment times add to 4 h 30 each way: 2 h to Chileno, 1 h 30 to Guardería Torres, 1 h to the mirador.

Key hazards

  • ▲Snow on the trail May to September
  • ▲Joint injuries on the glacial moraine
  • ▲Rapid weather changes with wind and rain
  • ▲Puma country; do not run alone
  • ▲Trail closes behind you at 15:00
  • ▲Loose, eroded zigzag with heavy foot traffic
  • ▲No phone or internet signal on the trail

SafetyOrientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance. Carry a windproof and waterproof layer, register at the ranger station, respect the 15:00 exit, and do not run alone.

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Official sources

Last verified 2026-09-16 · Record CETC-RUN-030 · Orientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance.

Photograph: AndrewDeAngelo · CC BY-SA 4.0