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Cordillera del Paine
The Cordillera del Paine is a small but spectacular mountain group in Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia. It is located 400 km north of Punta Arenas, and about 2,500 km south of the Chilean capital Santiago. It belongs to the Commune of Torres del Paine in Ultima Esperanza Province of Magallanes y Antartica Chilena Region. No accurate surveys have been published, and published elevations are often seriously inflated, so the elevations given on this page are all approximate.
The highest summit of the range is probably Cerro Paine Grande, at . Its elevation is usually claimed to be 3,050 m but analysis of local photography suggests that it may be nearer to 2,750 m.
The best-known and most spectacular summits are the three Towers of Paine . They are gigantic granite monoliths shaped by the forces of glacial ice.
The South Tower of Paine is now thought to be the highest of the three, although this has not been definitely established. It was first climbed by Armando Aste.
The Central Tower of Paine was first climbed in 1963 by Chris Bonington and Don Whillans, and the North Tower of Paine was first climbed by Guido Monzino.
Other summits include the Cuerno Principal, about 2,100 m but often quoted at 2,600 m, and Cerro Paine Chico, which is usually correctly quoted at about 2,650 m.
The Torres del Paine National Park - an area of 2,400 km - was declared a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO in 1978 and is a popular hiking destination. There are clearly marked paths and many refugios which provide shelter and basic services. Views are breathtaking. Hikers can opt for a day trip to see the towers, walk the popular "W" route in about five days, or trek the full circle in 8-9 days. It is a national park and thus hikers are not allowed to stray from the paths. Camping is only allowed at specified campsites, and wood fires are prohibited in the whole park.
In 2005, a Czech backpacker camping in the park used a gas stove and caused a fire that destroyed 160 km of the park. Replanting, with assistance from the Czech Republic, was set to begin in September 2005.
References
Biggar, John, 2005. The Andes: A Guide for Climbers .
Kearney, Alan, 1993. Mountaineering in Patagonia. Seattle USA: Cloudcap.
External links
Patagonia Webcam and maps from Paine
Torres del Paine on summitpost
Photograph of the cordillera from Estero Ultima Esperanza, 50km to the south
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Cordillera del Paine
