Trekking in God's Country for The Holidays.
Trip Start
Sep 15, 2008
1
46
122
Trip End
Jan 01, 2009
Torres del Paine,
Patagonia,
Chile
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The dramatic mountains and landscape in the park was actually created by a separate geological event than the Andes chain that dominates South America. The mountains here are the result of upward pressure from lava that literally pushed 3kms of sedimentary rocks upward. Erosion did the rest of the work, sculpting the lifted rock into dramatic peaks. Trekking in the Park is considered some of the best in the world with options from day hikes to 2 week circuits. In addition to the trekking in Torres Del Paine there is world class trout fishing (up to 3kg).
After an early arrival in town we waddled around with our packs to find a hostel. Amazing Patagonia was our choice and we highly recommend them. After checking in we went out to rent camping equipment (stove, tent, pots, gas, and mats for $40) and pick up groceries for the 5 days we would spend trekking in Torres. There was no question about it; fishing had to be included in the trek! Luckily we found a fishing rod for $10 (much easier on the budget than the $2000 guided tours). The owner of the hostel and his wife love to fish so they showed us the best spots and even loaned us some lures. Great Hostel!
Day One
We spontaneously decided to start on the east side of the park and head west. The first day started in rolling hills, and ended in a steep valley below the Torres del Paine (Towers of Paine). Throughout the trek our meals would bring us two types of joy. Mainly because we were hungry, but also because every time we ate, our bags became lighter. We quickly re-arranged our menu so that the heaviest stuff went first. So long can of stew and canned peaches! The irony of completing this trek is that we will probably be losing a few pounds, while usually this time of year we would be gaining a few pounds via cookies, cake, and turkey (ohh the Turkey! Ohh the Pumpkin Pie!! *licking lips*).
Arik with his new fishing rod
Distance: 7km
Time: 3hrs
Difficulty: Hills with 10kg of food and equipment...short but hard.
Day Two
We awoke to light rain and cooler temperatures. Today was the day we see the Torres Del Paine. Once at the top of a 1hr climb we saw it...well half of it. The previous nights rain brought some fog and half of the spires were hidden. We had a long day ahead of us so we couldn't wait for the fog to "fog off", so we had to head back down.
The next 6 hours we walked down a valley and then out into miles of rolling hills and small lakes at the base of beautiful 2km high peaks. 7 hours later we arrived at Campamento Los Cuernos, but being a pay site, we decided to keep on trucking. Another 5.5kms later we arrived in the middle of the "W" trail at Campamento Italiano. Pisco Sours for an appetizer and pasta for dinner, the bags are getting lighter, yay!
Side note: Arik seems to have developed a slight hot chocolate addiction since our Salkanty trek. He literally drank 8 to 10 hot chocolates per day! "Delicious, and low in fat", says Arik.
Distance: 23.5kms
Time: 8hrs
Difficulty: 23kms!! C'mon of course it was hard.
Day Three
Today we would make our way up the western edge of the "W" to see the Glacier Grey. First sight of the glacier was impressive as it snaked between the mountains and then dropped off into the lake. Our camp for the night was right on the beach in a sweet little cove. We relaxed, cooked our dinner, and watched ice bergs float by our tent. So cool.
Cool Church
Distance: 18.5kms
Time: 7hrs
Difficulty: Always walking up or down and it being our third day, the 18.5kms felt like much more.
Day Four
Waking up to views of icebergs from your tent will never get old! In the morning we did a packless journey north to get closer to the ice. Once at a lookout point we were blown away, literally, by the wind. The wind was so strong it ripped Charis' sunglasses right off her face and threw them over a cliff. Even, holding the camera steady was a challenge. After snapping some great pics we started back south. Luckily for us we were hiking with the wind, unluckily for us we still had 21kms to our next camp. The last 10kms we were walking through grasslands near a river. After almost giving up on the next campsite and camping in the bushes we made it to the final site. The night was interesting with the 100km/h winds, but our sturdy little tent held up through the night (kudos to the designers of the Doite, Himalaya series tents).
Distance: 23kms
Time:8hrs
Difficulty: The wind helped but the last hour was tough (see pic).
Final Day
This was Arik's day, a day of fishing. Unfortunately it was raining and cold. Charis headed back to town to shower and book bus tickets while Arik sloshed around the river trying to land a monster with his $10 rod and reel. Everyone on the river was unsuccessful and very wet, but Arik was still all smiles.
Summary
Torres Del Paine is an amazing park, a world class trek, and the views were simply amazing. This trek was made easier by the fact we have already completed a few this trip. Having a 10kg pack while hiking wasn't easy, but being close to sea level meant lots of oxygen to power us through. High altitude trekking is a totally different game, and we both prefer burning legs to dizzy heads. We definitely had some aches, but those will soon be forgotten. What we will remember is the stunning scenery and some quality time spent together in the Patagonian wilderness for our 2008 holiday season. Next time we'll return in the winter for a completely different experience, who wants to come?
Comments
Merry Christmas
Chuuuuuuuleeeeeeeeetaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Panamanian for WAO!!!
Re: Merry Christmas
Gracias Steve!
Argentinian for 'Thanks Steve'.