The O Trek itself was absolutely incredible and I would highly recommend doing it. The scenery in Torres del Paine National Park is world-class and the circuit is an unforgettable experience, particularly if you get lucky with weather like we did.
Unfortunately, our experience with Vertice’s organisation, communication, and accuracy of information was disappointing for several reasons:
1. Poor communication about transport
• We were not informed in advance that the outbound bus departed at 6:00am from the office (not pick up). Had we known, we would have organised accommodation and breakfast differently.
• We were not told until the briefing the day before that the return bus was at 7:15pm, meaning a return to Puerto Natales after 9pm. This should have been communicated earlier so we could plan properly. When at the briefing we enquired about alternative options were told to message the 24/7 Assistance WhatsApp and they would be able to organise an earlier ticket for us, but we didn’t get a response until much later and were told this couldn’t be changed.
2. Lunch logistics
• We were required to collect our lunches the day before departure and had trouble finding a fridge to store them in, even though we were leaving directly from the same office the next morning. It was unclear why they could not be distributed on the day.
• We were told there would be fruit included in the lunch boxes every day — this was not the case (only 1 piece of fruit on the first day).
• Food quantity overall was adequate, but expectations were set incorrectly. We would have supplemented differently (particularly with more fibre) had we been given accurate information.
• Food at Los Perros was particularly poor in quality.
3. Inaccurate / misleading briefing
• Distances provided during the briefing were sometimes incorrect.
• The route descriptions were vague and not especially helpful.
• We were promised a welcome drink at all sites — there were some where this was not the case.
• We were told there would be pillows at all campsites; there were none at Los Perros (fortunately we had brought our own).
4. Campsite setup
• Our first tent was pitched directly over tree roots. One person would not have been able to sleep at all in that configuration. We were lucky to be able to change tents, but this should not happen.
5. Sunrise at Base of the Torres
and return transport issue
We specifically asked during the briefing about doing the sunrise Towers hike and taking an earlier bus back. Dennis assured us this would be possible. Multiple times — both us and other group members — asked if this could be arranged in advance. He told us to message on the day our hike finished and assured us we would have signal at Central to organise it.
At Central there was no signal, including at the welcome centre. We had to pay for WiFi to attempt contact. The supposed 24/7 assistance line did not answer calls or messages.
As a result, we had to organise our own shuttle to Laguna Amarga and were fortunate to secure the last two tickets back to Puerto Natales ourselves.
In summary:
The O Trek is phenomenal and worth doing. However, Vertice’s communication, accuracy of information, and on-ground support did not meet expectations given the price we paid. Clearer pre-departure information and reliable assistance would have significantly improved the experience.