Pudeto is a jetty, a car park and a thunderous little waterfall, and it earns its place in Torres del Paine for one reason: the view. The lake beside it is Pehoé, a startling milky turquoise made by glacial flour, and across the water the Cuernos del Paine, the Horns, rise as dark granite spires crowned with paler rock. On a still morning the reflection doubles the mountains, and the wind that normally ruins everything eases off for an hour or so.
From here a catamaran crosses to Paine Grande at the western end of the lake, which is how hikers start the W trek, and watching their rucksacks go aboard is a reminder that this is a place built around people on foot. For a rider the interest is the road. The park's main route is mostly gravel, firm in dry weather and washboarded where the traffic is heaviest, with long straights and abrupt dips where streams cross. The wind in Patagonia is not a weather feature but a permanent resident, and it can push a bike across the lane without warning, particularly on exposed crests. Keep your speed down and your grip relaxed.
A short walk from the car park leads to Salto Grande, where the water from Lake Nordenskjöld pours into Pehoé over a modest drop. It is not tall, but the volume is impressive, and the spray hangs in the cold air. You will often see guanacos, the wild relatives of llamas, grazing on the steppe nearby, and rheas, the small South American ostrich, sometimes stalk along the verge. Condors circle on thermals above the ridges when the weather allows.
Torres del Paine is a national park with an entrance fee and rules about where to go and when, so bring your passport and be ready for a ranger at the gate. Basic food is available at refugios and small lodges, but expect high prices.
Light is the gift here. Dawn and the hours before sunset bring warm tones on the rock, while midday can be flat and harsh. Dress for four seasons in a day.