The “O” trek in Patagonia is one of those wow hikes. It’s not just the scenery that will blow you away; the wind will quite literally do the same. Seriously, when going over John Garner Pass on the backside of the O trek, I saw a grown-ass man get picked up off his feet by the wind and blown back on his ass. The top of the pass was one of the windiest environments I’ve ever encountered. I huddled behind a rock to wait for my friend Greta, and we then had a 3,000-foot muddy and rooty descent down the other side, catching glimpses of the spectacular Grey Glacier. We got the whole spectrum of weather on this trek: rain, wind, and blistering sun. I don’t recall any snow flurries. The area really reminded me of New Zealand in a lot of ways. I wondered if Chile and NZ were ever connected at any point during Pangaea (just looked it up. Nah, not technically touching). There are a lot of stunning sections through forests, then, of course, the glacier, Mirador Britanico, and the famous Mirador Base Las Torres, which, unfortunately, was mostly obscured by clouds during our time there. Not sure why people would just do the W trek when the O trek goes around the whole Cordillera del Paine. I met my friend Greta at the hostel next door in Puerto Natales, and we decided to hike together. It was a great experience, and I’m happy we could share it together. This was a hike with predetermined campsites reserved months in advance, so there was no reason to bag miles. I’m sure anyone reading this is aware of the convoluted nature of reserving campsites, as you have to book through three separate agencies. But it’s worth the effort. I had originally taken a trekking pole tent, my beloved Lunar Solo, but chickened out at the last minute and rented a burlier four-season tent. Even though most campsites were in trees or had windbreaks, I think I made the right call. I also had an almost catastrophic mishap when the nozzle for my sleeping pad broke. I was using a Klymit pad, which at the time had these terrible nipple-type nozzles. They have since moved to a different style, but anyway, that nozzle completely broke beyond repair. Luckily, at every campground, you could rent a foam pad to sleep on. That really saved me because without it, I would have been fkd. No sleeping pad. (Almost) every backpacking trip after this one, I now bring a closed-cell pad as a backup, and they’re just nice to have anyway as something to lie on during a midday siesta break. In any case, this trek was awesome. Highly recommend.
