Do You Really Need Trekking Poles for the W Trek?

By Claudia Squadrito, trekking guide and former park ranger in the Magallanes Region. Updated September 2026.

Quick answer: Trekking poles are not required for the W Trek, but they are highly recommended for long hiking days, downhill sections, muddy trails, and uneven terrain. In September and October, melting snow and ice can also make microspikes necessary. Both can be rented in Puerto Natales before entering the park.

Are trekking poles required for the W Trek?

No, they are not. You can complete the W Trek without them, and many people do. Every season I meet travellers who arrive in Puerto Natales convinced they will not need poles: some have never used them, others prefer to walk with their hands free. Then they hike to Base Torres, spend several hours coming back down, and change their minds.

Everyone worries about the climb, but it is the downhill that really takes its toll. After hours of hiking your legs are already tired, and every step down adds more impact to your knees. Poles spread some of that effort between your arms and legs, and they add stability on muddy trails, loose rocks and windy sections. And if you know Torres del Paine, you know the wind is never a small detail.

Never used trekking poles before?

That is one of the things I hear most often, and it is completely fine. Nobody is born knowing how to use them. At first they feel strange, like something extra that keeps getting in the way, but after a while your body finds its own rhythm.

You do not need to put all your weight on them or walk as if you were skiing. Let them move with you and use them when the terrain asks for support. On easy sections you can fold them or strap them to your pack. On the descents you will probably be very glad you brought them.

September and October are different: mud, snow and microspikes

These two months mark the end of winter in Patagonia. The days get longer and the snow starts to melt, but that does not mean the trails inside Torres del Paine are dry. Depending on the weather you may find mud, water, or leftover snow on the higher parts of the trail, and poles give you extra points of support exactly where the ground is unstable.

This is also when people ask us about microspikes. They are not always necessary, but on ice or hard-packed snow, especially early in the morning when the ground is still frozen, they give traction that a normal hiking sole simply cannot offer.

My recommendation after years in Torres del Paine

I especially recommend poles if you are not used to walking long distances, if you have any knee sensitivity, or if you are travelling in September or October. Even very fit, well-prepared hikers finish a long descent wishing they had brought a pair. It is better to carry them and not need them the whole time than to need them when you are already inside the park without them.

You do not need to buy poles for a single trip or carry them from home. At Natales Outdoor we rent trekking poles and microspikes in Puerto Natales, checked and ready to use before you start. Not because we want to fill your backpack, but because after years of working in Torres del Paine, I know that knees that do not hurt today are still worth looking after.