Towers of pain
Trip Start
Nov 13, 2005
1
35
72
Trip End
Jul 13, 2006
Puerto natales,
Chile
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Now let me just say now that this is actully supposed to be a 4 day trek that for some reason we wanted to do in three days to save time. We met a cool french couple from our bus that were heading the same way and decided to trek the distance together. With each others support we were ready for anything.
The first day we spent hiking up to glacier grey, a beautiful huge glacier a mere 11km away from our starting base
paine 01
. after feeling like we had just reached the end of the world, we struggled to walk the 11 km back (total of 8 hours) to the refugio where we had left our packs. Realising that we needed to go even further we fueled up on food before heading out again at 9pm for a solid two hour trek to campo italiano. If the trek were any longer I dont think that we would have made it by nightfall (11pm). For the last few kilometres we were literally running down the track, not quite so good seeing the sam hurt his knee during the process, but even still we really struggled to get our tent up before midnight. To make things even worse our torchlight batteries decided to die and we forgot to pack spares...The next day we woke, in pain, hungry and not looking forward to another 8 hour day of trekking up ridiculous hills with our 8kg packs. For the first few hours I was rally worried since it seemed that we barely could walk to the toilet let alone be able to bear strenuous mountain climbing.
With the encouragement of our new french friends, we hit the road, taking in some of the most spectacular scenery of the hike. Lakes were pristine turquoise, mountains were huge and snow capped, fresh icy drinking water flowing from the mountains.. absolute bliss.
paine 02
By 4 hours I though I was going to die. Not only could I not feel my thight and legs anymore, our ankes and knees were praying for a break. Knowing that we needed to get to a certain campsite by nightfall, we trudge on, hiking a total of 7 hours that day - most of which was steep hills that seems to go on for hundreds of meters at a time. If it wasnt for the new yorker, Virgil, that we met along the way, I think I would have had a breakdown and not been able to continue.
Finally at 9pm we arrived at camp and it took a huge effort to cook dinner and set up our tent. Unfortunetly we knew we werent going to have the best nights sleep as it was not only cold, but we were waking early in the morning to catch the morning sun over the torres del paine. Our 5 hours sleep felt like minutes and sooner than I realised I was awake again trudging up that mountain. Samson the poor thing was still dreaming about hiking even in his sleep! The last day comprised of a total of 7 hours, 2 hours up and the rest downhill- however that didnt make things easier. The climb up was literally a steep vertical rock climb up where most of the time you are on all fours struggling to hold onto something for dear life. It was a very lord of rings moment. I seriosuly dont think I would have made it if samson had not stood from the top of the mountain waving a chocalate bar giving me the last burst of energy to go on..
paine 03
. but the view from the top was absolutely spectacular. The four hour trek down were perhaps the most painful. We felt like every bone in our body was broken and our ankles and knees were absolutely struggling with pain with every step on the 70 degree clifs that we climbed down. We were in such pain that it took us literally 20 minutes to walk the last 800m of the trek.
After arriving home to puerto natales, the four of us (alix, humbert, samson and i) spoilt ourselves with a beautiful dinner and plenty of wine and a hot shower to cellebrate conquering the towers of paine. A spectacular trek, but i dont think i will be doing that one again any time soon in the near future...
