Torres del Paine Loop & Reservations IMPORTANT

Yeah, this has been on the cards for ages. Ah well, the freedom was nice while it lasted.

It happens. We hiked the Inca Trail on our own and never saw anyone else, but that was years ago. Eventually the number of visitors outstrips the places available. Personally, I would have restricted access to people who actually go to the park to do multi-day hikes. I would remove day tours, people who want to do "a short walk", and those wanting to view the park from inside a car. But you can't do that. The Rangers do the best they can in implementing the new rules, which are designed to protect the infrastructure of the park.

This information has been on TT for months but people either haven't seen it or think they can squeeze in somehow without all their reservations. Thing is, there are a lot of people wanting to squeeze in one more tent. The park is the victim of its own success and this is the new normal.

honestly, its not justified on the O loop as i saw about 30 people doing it (i consider its not a lot), and there is largely enough space to camp

However, mirador hike is a "tourist" highway, BUT its the hike you can do in one day without camping IN the park

Hence making the regulations pretty much useless.

So this basically only frustrates good trekkers who like multi days hikes, and there aren't that many...

So this basically only frustrates good trekkers who like multi days hikes, and there aren't that many...

There are plenty of great multi-day hikes in Patagonia that aren't the W or O treks.

That said, if you go outside of the 'high' season it's much much easier and less touristic.

Yeah well i know there are other treks and i know its the peak season, doesn't change that the reservation system is shit and that the O loop is far from crowded even though campings are full. But don't worry, i wont get sick over this ;) (actually only my feets hurt from having to walk back)

The reservation system is terrible. That I agree with. It seems an absolute pain to book spots. And get all places easily to do the W or the O circuit.

But the park is trying to do its best to limit damage to the park by being overrun with tourists. They've limited numbers on the backside of the Massif for this reason.

then they should restrict access to the park alltogether, because in its current state, it looks like they're just trying to get the money from people coming for a day walk (not restricted!) who can go anyway to grey or to serron (almost all of the O loop!), and we're not even talking about the mirador los torres trail, that hundreds of people use everyday

so limiting people in the back massif doesn't make sense to me. It actually is in perfect shape, its clean and the trail is respected

So why is it so limited here when its not in other places that look just fine ? (el chalten, european alps, etc...)

Limiting spaces at campsites helps to keep that 'pristine' environment.

Its limited because the don't want campsites to be over run.

They turned you away because the camspites would reject you when you got to them and you can only camp in a designated camping spot. If there are no spots, then you cannot camp there. Simple.

Its limited here because the Park Officials want to limit the damage done by travellers (eg 2011 bushfire that ripped apart the park). It hasn't been done in other places because they don't feel the need to do it (though some places do limit hikers through a permit system - Inca Trail, Overland Trail, Three Capes Trek, Half Dome in Yosemite).

the fire has nothing to do with the amount of people visiting but is due to people's stupidity

the campsite in serron wasn't even close from full when i camped there and i did so without reservation

I can understand that they try to keep it pristine, but i've seen other places in the world do it with 10 times more people

The examples you give seem to be places where the numbers are far higher than the 30 or so daily hikers allowed on O loop.

But yeah, i get the reason, it just doesn't make sense to me that this side is limited to 30 people while the other one received hundreds. That's all.