Patagonia in summer: wind, granite and good planning

In the southern hemisphere January is high summer, and Torres del Paine National Park, in the Magallanes region of Chilean Patagonia, is at its busiest. The days are long, the trails are open and the park's granite towers and glacial lakes are at their most accessible. The same conditions bring crowds, high prices and some of the world's most changeable weather. Wind is the constant; rain, sun and cold can arrive within the same hour.

The park is best known for two multi-day routes, the W trek and the longer O circuit. Both depend on accommodation inside the park, in campsites and refugios, and in peak months these are booked many months ahead. If you do not want to commit to a multi-day trek, there are day walks, boat trips on the lakes and guided options from Puerto Natales, the gateway town. Entry rules, fees and trail regulations in Chilean national parks change from season to season, so check the national forestry service, CONAF, and the park's official channels before booking.

Pack as if for four seasons: waterproof shell, windproof layers, a warm hat even in summer, sun protection and broken-in boots. Treat the weather as a variable, not an enemy; build one or two spare days into any schedule. And plan around the environment: stay on marked paths, carry out your waste, and follow the park's rules on fires, which have caused serious damage in this region in the past.

A second Patagonia is worth a thought. The north of Chilean Patagonia, along the Carretera Austral, has forests, fjords and the national parks created from private donations, covered in our People & Places pages this month.