We did three day’s trekking at Torres del Paine, completing the so called ‘W’ of three treks up the three great valleys formed between the main peaks. As these all start from roughly the same area the treks form a rough W on the map, hence the name. They are accompanied by the more demanding ‘O’ which is a circular walk around all the peaks; very tempting for a return visit.

The first day we did a 22km trek up and down the Valle Frances, culminating in a view over the glaciers coming in at the top left of the valley. Most of the day was accompanied by periodic explosions of noise as fragments dislodged themselves from the glacier and fell hundreds of feet down the cliff. It was an unforgettable start.