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A New Hiker’s Guide to Patagonia

The W in Patagonia is one of the perfect places for inexperienced hikers to really earn their trail names. If you have never been on a multi-day hiking trip, this special place is really one of the best to try out a long hiking trip for the first time. Welcome to the new hiker’s guide to Patagonia!

Preparation For The New Hiker

Don’t go into a hike in Patagonia without having done some day or weekend hikes first. Hiking is a great cardio workout, and if you aren’t prepared physically, it will be quite difficult to push through mentally in some tougher spots.

One of the best things about Patagonia is that it is not at a very high altitude. Although you are hiking in the mountains, most of the trails are through the valleys that look up at the mountains. There are also some brief hikes up into the hills for a more beautiful view.

If you are planning on bringing your own camping equipment, you will need to practice a few day hikes while carrying all of your equipment to see if you are able to handle everything. Even if you aren’t carrying your own camping equipment, it is a good idea to do several day hikes with your full backpack. There is no ferrying or porter service and you will need to carry everything you need with you for a few days. 

Don’t worry about learning how to read a map or a compass for your hike in Patagonia. If you really believe it is useful for you, it is fine to learn, of course! We found that it was extremely difficult to get lost on the trails in Patagonia. There is always a sign or a well-marked trail, or even another hiker in sight.

You don’t need a guide to get from one end of the W to another. Trails are very clearly mapped out, marked, and well-worn.

Physical Preparation

Three to five cardio workouts a week should help begin to prepare you to hike, but nothing is better than getting out to actually hike. We prepared by going out on long day hikes every weekend. We would go running, swimming or biking during the week, then would pack up our bags and find some trails to hike for a few hours on the weekends. If you can do a weekend camping and hiking trip – even better!

Basic Equipment

What you need will depend on how you want to sleep each night. If you prepare well in advance, you may end up sleeping in the refugios or can rent a tent in each location every night. We highly suggest doing this so you don’t have to carry your own equipment, especially if you are an inexperienced hiker.

Camping Equipment

If you want to carry your own camping equipment, lightweight items are best, but don’t skimp on the tent. The winds, rains, and sometimes snow can easily collapse a cheap tent and make your night very miserable!

Food

If you want to carry your own food, this will also add a lot to your backpack weight. Dehydrated foods that you can cook in water will help to lighten the load. Avoid fresh fruits and veggies, meat, and anything that will require long cooking times.

If you don’t want to carry your own food, the refugios offer great meals and you can include this in your plan, even if you are staying in a tent. We had some of the best meals of our lives on that trip. I had a giant piece of tasty salmon that I will never forget! Breakfast was never anything to write home about, but eggs and cereal were always served.

Coffee

If you are a coffee drinker, be aware that the coffee is not the greatest and is usually instant coffee. The refugios always packed a giant lunch for us to take on our hike that we could pick up every morning as well.

Clothing

Pack layered clothing. Beyond having clean pairs of underwear and socks for each day, don’t pack too much more than a few shirts and pants. We found that at the end of the day, people don’t care too much if you have worn the same clothes three days in a row, and that you are dirty and maybe a bit smelly. Everyone is in the same boat on the trail. If someone manages to stay clean for the whole hike it truly is a miracle!

A tip on the type of clothes to wear for your trip: use wicking materials and shirts that will dry quickly if you choose to wash them. Sports clothing is usually comfortable and best for hikes. Invest in some waterproof pants, a waterproof jacket, and waterproof boots. Have a lighter warm jacket that you can layer under the waterproof jacket if needed. Layers are great, and you can take them off as the day warms up.

Hiking Boots

We highly recommend investing in waterproof boots that cover the ankle. We found that the higher boots are more likely to protect you from the water and mud that you might sink into while hiking. Some might also help protect your ankle from turning on loose rock.

Make sure you buy your boots a few months before your trip and break them in. There is nothing worse than hiking in new boots that you are not used to. You don’t want to develop blisters that you will have to deal with along the trail. Wear your boots at every opportunity at home. Make sure you wear them on a few long day hikes so you can see how they hold up with some constant movement.

Water

Everyone will tell you that you can drink the water in the streams along the trail in Patagonia. Don’t believe them! If you choose to fill your water bottle in the streams or waterfalls that you will find everywhere, don’t fill up along the trail or near a campsite. Go further back from the trail, and get as far upstream as you can before filling your bottle. This way you can avoid any parasites or bacteria that gets into the water!

The refugios will not sell water bottles, but you can also fill your bottle in the bathrooms there. In a pinch, if you’ve forgotten to bring a water bottle, they will sell Gatorade. You can buy some Gatorade and use those bottles as your water bottle for hiking.

Stay hydrated! Don’t make a new hiker’s mistake. Make sure you are drinking enough that you never feel thirsty. Especially in the off season, it is easy to hike for a long time without drinking because you are not hot and sweating a lot. There is nothing worse than dealing with a UTI at the end of your trip because you didn’t drink enough!

Bathrooms

There aren’t really any bathrooms along the trail. The only bathrooms are at the refugios, and there are a few at the occasional ranger stations you might find. You will need to be flexible enough to be ok with finding a private place along the trail and doing your business there. For the new hiker, this may seem daunting at first!

If you use tissues, please take them with you. Don’t bury them, leave them in the woods or along the trail, and definitely do not burn them! Several large wildfires were caused by hikers who tried burning their toilet paper. The fires burned out of control in minutes. We took a Pringles can for keeping our tissues in when needed, and would empty it at the refugios. You can use whatever type of container to hold your tissues that you like. Just please just remember to take all of your trash with you and leave no trace on the trails.

Wild Animals

We didn’t see any animals except for a few birds, one very friendly fox, and the footprint of a big cat in the mud. Our guess was that there are so many humans in this area that the animals tend to stay away. The animals are nothing to be afraid of, but if you are, just make some noise while you are hiking and they will likely stay away. Also, no matter how friendly an animal may seem, it is still an animal. Please don’t feed or pet them!

Mice warning!

Be warned that at the campsites that are more overrun with tourists, there are mice! At Refugio Chileno we had to keep our food in the main building, and mice still chewed through our backpack and nibbled on my journal. We were told there were mice at the other refugios, but we only saw them at Chileno. Don’t keep any food in your tent, no matter how secure you think it might be.

Other Essentials To Consider For All Hikers

Sunscreen & Sunglasses: Don’t forget the sunscreen! Even if you travel in the spring or fall when the sun’s rays are not as intense, you are still getting UV exposure. Put on sunscreen every morning before you head out on your hike. Sunglasses are also a good idea for sunny days.

Hiking Poles: Hiking poles are not necessary, but they can be very helpful. My knees were more grateful for the extra support on descents. The poles can also help with balance, and help you navigate some tricky stream crossings. New and experienced hikers alike can appreciate the extra support they can give after long days on the trail!

Hat & Gloves: The nights can get very cold in Patagonia, and we used our gloves more than we thought we would. Hats are also a good heat regulator and can often keep you warm alongside the layers you are wearing.

Flip Flops or Sneakers: While you might feel very comfortable in your hiking boots, it can be great to take them off at the end of the day, let your feet and your boots air out, and wear something lighter for the evening. Flip flops might also be a good idea for the showers, but not necessary. It can get cold at night so sneakers are a good idea to have on hand!

Travel towel: The refugios will not offer towels or other toiletries, and if you forget a towel there is nowhere to purchase one along the trail! We recommend packing a quick drying, small travel towel.

First Aid Kit: You will find very little first aid support along the way, so make sure that you bring any medication you think you might need, painkillers for when your muscles are feeling sore, bandaids and bandages to pre-empt blisters and treat scrapes, and antibiotic cream. New hikers may find they are mostly treating blisters, but it’s better to be safe!

Headlamp/Flashlight: There is a good chance you might have to hike in the early hours, or you may not get to a refugio until after dark. In this case, it’s good to have a headlamp or flashlight. We made good use of ours on some early morning hikes and would highly recommend all hikers bring one with backup batteries.

Extra battery to charge phones or other devices: There is not always access to a charging port at every Refugio. If you use your phone each day to take photos and videos you will probably need to charge it each night. We invested in a battery pack that held us through for the week. This helped when we didn’t have access to a charging port at a few refugios.

Converter plugs: Chile and Argentina both use different sized outlets. If you don’t buy a battery pack and want to charge your phone through an outlet, you will need to invest in a plug converter. There are two different converters if you are visiting both countries: the D and the C. Argentina uses the C (and sometimes I), and Chile uses the C and L. On the W you will find only outlets for Chilean adapters.

Entertainment: You will most likely have some down time for a few hours each evening in the refugios if you hike at an average pace. We brought books to read as well as journals to document our trip and write down thoughts we might have had throughout the day. Some people also brought cards and small game packs to play with.

WiFi: We highly suggest you go wifi free on this trip. Internet is not free and is very expensive in the refugios. Even if you buy a SIM card you will have little to no reception. If you just can’t do without a connection to the world, be prepared to pay hefty fees! Or you can buy a portable wifi device – although we have not heard if these actually work while out on the trails.

New and Experienced Hikers: Be Prepared But Have Fun!

Hopefully, these tips will help the new hiker prepare for your first big hiking trip to Patagonia. As fairly experienced hikers, we found hiking the W a very enjoyable experience. It is one that we would recommend to all of our friends, hikers, new hikers, and non-hikers alike. The beauty you will see all around you, breathing in fresh mountain air, and sleeping in the forest are all unforgettable experiences. We were especially happy to disconnect from technology and just enjoy the nature all around us!

Do any experienced hiking readers have any tips to add to the ones we have already outlined above? What do you remember from when you were new to hiking? Ideas on how to help out first-time multi-day new hikers are always welcome!

If you want to read more about some good day or weekend hikes, check out these posts:

• Fairy Glen in Scotland
• Lofoten Islands in Norway
• Nyiragongo Volcano in the DRC
• Table Mountain in Cape Town
• Wadi Qelt in the Middle East