W Trail Day 1: The Beauty of Ascencio Valley: A Day on the Torres del Paine Trail.
My legs were burning with satisfaction as I began my descent from the Las Torres viewpoint. I had opted to skip camping at El Chileno (500 m / 1,640 ft) to avoid the weight of a full backpack on my shoulders. Instead, I had my sights set on the comforts of Central Refuge further down the trail. The 3 kilometer (or roughly 1.9 miles) trek from Guardería Torres Ranger Station (650 m / 2,132 ft) took about 1.5 hours. It was a beautiful walk through the Ascencio Valley, with the scenery constantly changing. The trail offered a final glimpse of the Oggioni Mountains in the distance, a winding river below, and a mix of grassy slopes and rocky inclines on either side. Deeper into the valley, I passed through a serene lenga and Antarctic beech forest, a welcome change from the open trail. From here, it was a little over 5 kilometers (or about 3.1 miles) to reach Refugio Central, my destination for the night. A hot shower, a warm meal and a comfy bed awaited me there – the perfect reward after a challenging but rewarding hike!