Most Inspirational Moment
It would be impossible to pick just one! The mountains appearing and disappearing through the mist in the French Valley was eerie and beautiful. Seeing the lenticular clouds forming above Los Cuernos also sticks in the mind. But I think my favourite moment was at the estancia when we hiked up to a ridge where the condors nested and saw them soar beneath where we were standing. I could've watched them all day! And the even without the condors the view of Lago San Martin from the ridge was stunning.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Pepe was fantastic... His knowledge about the region was impressive and his enthusiasm and passion for trekking were inspiring. He obviously spent a lot of time making sure everything was organised for us and the trip ran smoothly, though he did this so discretely it would've been easy not to notice. Pepe made sure that everyone got what they wanted out of their trip, whether that was to take it slow, soak in the scenery and take lots of pictures, or to set a more challenging pace. And because we were always with local guides no one was unaccompanied. But most importantly Pepe was brilliant fun, we had a great laugh!
Advice for Potential Travellers
The packing instructions seemed a bit complex but you should take a holdall or pack with all your gear, then when you go to Torres del Paine to do the point to point trek you can leave this behind securely and only bring what you need for the W-trek in a smaller back pack (~30L-40L capacity). Prepare for all weathers and heed the advice to wear layers.