The W-Trek in Patagonia is an unforgettable experience. Here's everything you need to know for your W-Trek itinerary including accommodation, food, costs, guided vs. self-guided and more.

Making friends as an adult is hard - making friends as an adult with the caveat that they also like to do outdoorsy things sometimes feels damn near impossible, especially when first starting out. I was fortunate enough that my introduction into the world of hiking camping and backpacking came via a romantic partner. On our first date he asked if I liked to hike (I had never hiked a mountain before) I, eagerly said yes and figured that I could fake it until I made it. I showed up that afternoon in short running shorts, a pair of hot pink nike free sneakers and without food or water. He took me up a scree pitch and offered to leave me at the saddle while he went to the summit. My ego got in the way and I made it up tot he summit. We spent the next several years hiking and camping together and amid those years I realized my passion for the outdoors and implemented nearly every of the below suggestions to make friends that I now am fortunate to hike, camp, trail run and travel the world with.

A Patagonia solo backpacking guide for completing the Torres del Paine O Circuit. Including where to stay, how to prepare, a daily itinerary and what to pack for the O-Circuit trail.

I rank Patagonia in my top three hiking destinations of the world alongside the Canadian Rockies and the European Alps. I first visited in April of 2018 with my sights on the infamous W-Trek but poor weather conditions so late in the season made the trek impossible. We spent a lot of time in Torres del Paine National Park driving around, taking short hikes and fighting the wind (and rain and snow). With the borders slowly opening up I returned this year (February/March 2022) with a vengeance. I solo hiked the back side of the O-Trek (blog coming soon) and then met up with my good friend Jess Dales to hike the W together.

Packing for international travel is never easy but packing for hiking, backpacking, free diving and having the ability to capture it all complicates things even more. On my recent two week trip to French Polynesia being streamline in my packing was essential and having a lightweight, compact camera was at the centre of this. I packed my Fujifilm X-T30 and four lenses (plus an extender) that allowed me to both have a. reach from 16-196mm (equivalent to 24-294mm on a full frame camera) all of which fit into a small camera cube for lightweight compact travel.

I don’t think I necessarily wanted to venture into the backcountry by myself: full disclosure. There was no burning desire or hurdle to leap over, a box to check. But, when my go-to hiking partner has made alternative plans, I decided that it just might be the opportune time to give it a try.