Tourists ignored warnings and trekked the O Circuit despite worsening weather and no rangers on site.
Torres del Paine National Park hosts up to 300,000 visitors annually, many aiming for multi-day treks.
A violent blizzard struck the O Circuit on 17 November, killing five hikers and stranding dozens in whiteout conditions.
The disaster exposed weaknesses in park safety measures and drew criticism of Patagonia’s management.
Trekkers Struggle Against Extreme Conditions
Around 30 international hikers left Los Perros campsite before dawn to cross John Garner Pass.
The morning began with light rain and moderate winds, but conditions deteriorated rapidly at higher elevations.
By late morning, visibility dropped to metres as winds exceeded forecasts, creating dangerous whiteout conditions.
The O Circuit covers 130–140 km, circling the Paine Massif, and ranks among Patagonia’s most difficult trails.
By 10 am, horizontal snow, violent gusts, and zero visibility hit the hikers on the exposed upper pass.
Groups split as some turned back and others pressed upward, unaware of the storm’s severity.
Heavy snow, freezing temperatures, and no shelter trapped several hikers on the treeline.
Five hikers died: Mexican couple Cristina Calvillo Tovar and Julian Garcia Pimentel, German couple Nadine Lichey and Andreas von Pein, and British trekker Victoria Bond.
Survivors later discovered the victims near the top of the pass, where descent became nearly impossible.
Ranger Shortages and Safety Failures
Survivors reported receiving no clear or timely warnings about the worsening conditions on John Garner Pass.
Camp staff reassured hikers that winds were moderate and “normal,” and the trail remained open.
No officials coordinated rescues immediately; stranded hikers performed the first aid and evacuation themselves.
CONAF oversees park access, trail monitoring, and issuing closures or warnings in Torres del Paine.
Official advice instructs hikers to follow rangers and check at stations for trail updates.
No rangers were present at the most dangerous pass during the blizzard, leaving visitors unaware of risks.
Many rangers were off duty to vote in Chile’s 2025 presidential election, cutting park staff by half.
CONAF confirmed that no rangers monitored the Los Perros–John Garner sector during the storm.
The park reported only 51 personnel on site that day, highlighting chronic staffing shortages.
As of 2025, Chile has just 450 highly qualified rangers for 13.2 million hectares of protected areas.
A 2018 Lincoln Institute report said many Patagonia parks operate with fewer than five staff members.
In June 2025, thousands of CONAF staff struck nationwide over resource shortages and administrative issues.
Across the border in Argentina, rangers quit en masse due to mismanagement under Javier Milei’s park administration.
