Almost Three Towers
Three Towers beneath the midday clouds in Torres del Paine.
The signature sight in Torres del Paine are the Three Towers which are visible throughout the valley beneath the Paine mastiff. The hike to the base of the towers is a long grueling climb. I went on horseback for the first segment through the Ascencio Valley then, by foot, gained over 1400’ of elevation over an up and down trail through the forest and eventually up an almost sheer rock wall on a rough, uneven, steep trail. There is virtually no trail for the last few hundred feet- just signs guiding you over the enormous glacial rocks. However, when you drop over the final ledge you are just beneath the three enormous towers in front of deep green glacial lake- an absolutely awe inspiring sight even on a cloudy afternoon. The elevation at the base of the towers is about 2,800' while the North Tower is 7,415’, the Central Tower is 8,071’ and the South Tower is 8,204’ so the towers clearly dominate everything around them. On the afternoon I was there it was typically cloudy and we could almost, but not quite, see all three towers.