Cordillera del Paine

(Redirected from Torres del Paine)

"Torres del Paine" redirects here. For the municipality in Chile, see Torres del Paine, Chile.

The Cordillera del Paine is a small but spectacular mountain group in Chilean Patagonia. It is located 400 km (244 miles) north of Punta Arenas, and about 2,500 km south of the Chilean capital Santiago. No accurate surveys have been published, and published elevations are often seriously inflated, so the elevations given on this page are all approximate.

The highest summit of the range is probably Cerro Paine Grande, at 51°00′00″S, 73°05′39″W. Its elevation is usually claimed to be 3,050 m but analysis of local photography suggests that it may be nearer to 2,750 m.

The best known and most spectacular summits are the three Towers of Paine (Spanish: Torres del Paine). They are gigantic granite monoliths shaped by the forces of glacial ice.

The South Tower of Paine (about 2,500 m, at 50°57′33″S, 72°59′42″W) is now thought to be the highest of the three, although this has not been definitely established. It was first climbed by Armando Aste.

The Central Tower of Paine (about 2,460 m or 8,100 feet) was first climbed in 1963 by Chris Bonington and Don Whillans, and the North Tower of Paine (about 2,260 m) was first climbed by Guido Monzino.

Other summits include the Cuerno Principal, about 2,100 m but often quoted at 2,600 m, and Cerro Paine Chico, which is usually correctly quoted at about 2,650 m.

The group is included within the Torres del Paine National Park, which was declared a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO in 1978.

Cuernos del Paine

A view of the Torres del Paine National Park

The national park (with an area of 2,400 km²) is a popular hiking destination. There are clearly marked paths and many refugios which provide shelter and basic services. Views are breathtaking. Hikers can opt for a day trip to see the towers, walk the popular "W" route in about five days, or trek the full circle in 8-9 days. It is a national park and thus hikers are not allowed to stray from the paths. Camping is only allowed at specified campsites, and wood fires are prohibited in the whole park.

In 2005, a careless Czech backpacker camping illegally used a gas stove and caused a fire that destroyed 160 km² of the park. Replanting, with assistance from the Czech Republic, was set to begin in September 2005.

References

• Biggar, John, 2005. The Andes: A Guide for Climbers (3rd edition, ISBN 0-9536087-2-7).
• Kearney, Alan, 1993. Mountaineering in Patagonia. Seattle USA: Cloudcap.

External links

• Paine Circuit Trek
• Torres del Paine Biosphere Reserve
• Torres del Paine on summitpost
• Everything you need to know to hike Paine
• Torres del Paine Information about the Puerto Natales area (in Spanish)
• Photos, videos and MP3 from Torres del Paine
• Photograph of the cordillera from Estero Última Esperanza, 50km to the south

Blogs

• Torres del Paine
• http://patagonia.wordpress.com

Exploring the National Parks of Chile

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