Half a century after having traced it, Óscar Guineo and John Garner return to Torres del Paine Park to relive the circuit, share memories, and transmit a legacy of exploration, friendship, and respect for nature.
In 1976, at just over 20 years old each, the then-young park ranger Óscar Guineo and British mountaineer John Garner undertook an expedition that would forever mark their lives and the history of Torres del Paine National Park. For three months, organized in stages of up to 15 days, they toured the northern sector of the Paine Massif, which until then was believed to be connected to the ice fields. Their goal was clear, although it seemed impossible: to completely surround the massif and open trails where none existed.
At that time, Óscar was part of a group of park rangers in charge of enabling new sectors during a period of full expansion for the Park, thanks to the incorporation of areas that were previously cattle ranches. John, for his part, had arrived alongside a British expedition exploring the Grey Glacier. Enamored with the Park, he managed to stay as a volunteer alongside the park rangers to collaborate in the exploration and opening of trails.
Determined to open this new route, they began the journey on horseback and then continued on foot, navigating ravines, fast-flowing rivers, and dense forests. Although they did not share a language, they managed to understand each other and coordinate to fulfill their objective, understand the true geography of the place, and trace the route they baptized as the Paine Mountain Range Circuit. Over time, this route would come to be known as the Paine Massif Circuit, and popularly as the O Circuit (or simply “the O”), one of the most emblematic treks in the world.
At the end of the expedition, Óscar Guineo took charge of marking the trails they had opened on the map and assigning names to places that until then lacked identity. The highest and most challenging section of the new circuit, located at an altitude of 1,200 meters and from where a spectacular view of the lake and the Grey Glacier can be contemplated, he baptized as John Garner Pass, with the approval of the park’s administration, in tribute to his traveling companion and, since then, an endearing friend.
Fifty years later, Guineo and Garner returned to the park to relive their historic journey, accompanied by family members. This February 26th, they began a trip that allowed them to tour the sectors that they themselves had opened—Dickson, Los Perros, Grey, Paine Grande, and Los Cuernos—and share the story of that first journey with visitors. Accompanying them were Ricardo Guineo, Óscar’s son; Val Garner, John’s wife; and Macarena Santibáñez, porter, alongside the team from Vertice, the company in charge of shelters and campsites in the park, which facilitated logistics and accommodations along the way.
The reunion moved park rangers, workers, and visitors, many of whom were surprised to meet the “creators” of the mythical John Garner Pass right on the route. Jerson Pérez, a Vertice collaborator at the Dickson Refuge & Camping, commented: “It was nice to see the protagonists of what has today become one of the most well-known trails in the region. It pleased me very much to know they were such good friends after living all those adventures”. He also highlighted that the park’s visitors themselves “were also moved by this pleasant surprise; it must have been unexpected for them to run into the very explorers of the John Garner Pass while hiking the trail”.
For his part, Ricardo Guineo, Óscar’s son, pointed out that touring the circuit was, above all, an instance of reflection and remembrance of what life was like in the Park before the creation of the circuit: “It felt nostalgic, because while doing the tour with them on several occasions their comments were ‘Do you remember when…?’, recalling different anecdotes they lived back then. Nothing particularly big or dramatic, but small moments of their daily life. I feel appreciation for all those stories and how all the people back then gave rise to what we have today”. He also emphasized that “my dad’s message has always been one of care and respect for the environment. I have seen him transmit this message throughout his life, both in words and actions, so I think his legacy is not necessarily something material, but rather his perspective on life, which he has shared with a great many people along the way”.
Meanwhile, Paula Hernández, Vertice’s commercial coordinator, highlighted that the company currently reinforces the experience on the Paine Massif Circuit with services oriented towards the well-being of visitors, showing the progress over these 50 years: “In the different sectors, hikers have 30 minutes of free internet daily, unlimited WhatsApp messaging service, offline georeferenced maps to support navigation during the journey, and minimarkets with varied foods and trekking accessories, all with the goal of facilitating a better journey experience”.
In addition to the tour, open talks were organized for the occasion at the different Vertice refuges and campsites, where visitors could listen to stories, ask questions, and share a close space with the protagonists of this epic story, knowing firsthand the accounts and experiences of those who wrote one of the most important pages in the history of Torres del Paine Park.
50 years after its opening, the Paine Massif Circuit remains a symbol of exploration, friendship, and respect for nature. Every trail holds stories of effort, curiosity, and passion, like those of the people who imagined and traced it from scratch: a story of adventure, dedication, and, above all, friendship, which continues to inspire new generations to discover and care for this invaluable treasure of Chilean Patagonia.
