So we went for a walk...
For three and a half days in the Torres Del Paine National Park, home to some staggeringly beautiful mountains, glaciers and temperamental weather systems! It was hard work. Particularly with a backpack on. 8 hours a day. But mighty fine too. We had to camp due to lack of space in the refugios and so can now put up a tent in record time - you don't tend to hang around when you've been walking for 8 hours and are freezing! The camaraderie along the way is excellent - lots of chocolate and biscuit-sharing goes on up the side of mountains you know? In fact, I've eaten more biscuits in the last 3 days than I have in my entire life.
So, day one was a reasonably short - but steep climb up to Chileno which is at the base of the Torres peaks (the most well known bit of the park). Following day, walked rather quickly up to the Torres. A lovely ramble through the forest then a thigh crunching clamber over boulders for 45 minutes. Then the view of the Towers themselves - sheer granite cliff faces that rise elegantly upwards for hundreds of metres. We then walked down and decided to continue to Cuernos. Started a stroll across the side of a valley, at the base of the other side of the Torres range in glorious sunshine, and turned into an up and down clamber around hour 6. Excellent. Very happy to get to Cuernos and drink a beer, eat some saucisson, and congratulate ourselves with the lovely folk we'd walked with that day. Background music was the thunderous sound of the glaciar in Valle Frances breaking off every so often in a cloud of ice. Day three, a killer walk to Campo Italiano - over boulders and through muddy swamps. Then a nice flat bit along to Lago Pehoe. Lunch. Then an absolutely stonking 4 hours through a (STEEP) valley to Glacier Grey. The first sighting of the glacier is just awesome. THe lookout point is a tad windy tho - and it's a biting wind as it comes down through the valley over the glacier...brrrr. Then a slightly bonkers tumble down the valley, clinging on to the ropes they kindly put out for you just when you think you cannot possibly get down a stretch without throwing yourself off the cliff. Arrived at Refugio Grey at around 6.30. Great campsite - on a sheltered black sand beach just round the bay from the glacier. Suprisingly temperate evening/night. Very welcome meal and red wine. Then ran up the hill to watch the sun set over the glacier, which is really quite an amazing amazing thing close up. The wind almost blew us over, but the sight kept us up there for a good half hour. Glacier grey is about 5km wide and 27ish km long - it just disappears into the distance along the valley. It's about the height of a house - but goes under the water for 500 metres. It's also blue rather than grey - minerals I think. The lake water is amazing - it's so mineral laden that there is no reflection, and the colour is a kind of milky turquoise. Oh, and it's 2 degrees, so when one of the guys we were with decided to take a dip, we decided not to join him. Then today we decided not to walk back the same route, but got a boat to the glacier then back to the bus.
Now back in Puerto Natales, having had a shower. Off to El Calafte to look at Perito Moreno glaciar tomorrow. Then El Chalten to see another mountain, then Buenos Aires. Only 9 days left before the flight to New Zealand!
For three and a half days in the Torres Del Paine National Park, home to some staggeringly beautiful mountains, glaciers and temperamental weather systems! It was hard work. Particularly with a backpack on. 8 hours a day. But mighty fine too. We had to camp due to lack of space in the refugios and so can now put up a tent in record time - you don't tend to hang around when you've been walking for 8 hours and are freezing! The camaraderie along the way is excellent - lots of chocolate and biscuit-sharing goes on up the side of mountains you know? In fact, I've eaten more biscuits in the last 3 days than I have in my entire life.
So, day one was a reasonably short - but steep climb up to Chileno which is at the base of the Torres peaks (the most well known bit of the park). Following day, walked rather quickly up to the Torres. A lovely ramble through the forest then a thigh crunching clamber over boulders for 45 minutes. Then the view of the Towers themselves - sheer granite cliff faces that rise elegantly upwards for hundreds of metres. We then walked down and decided to continue to Cuernos. Started a stroll across the side of a valley, at the base of the other side of the Torres range in glorious sunshine, and turned into an up and down clamber around hour 6. Excellent. Very happy to get to Cuernos and drink a beer, eat some saucisson, and congratulate ourselves with the lovely folk we'd walked with that day. Background music was the thunderous sound of the glaciar in Valle Frances breaking off every so often in a cloud of ice. Day three, a killer walk to Campo Italiano - over boulders and through muddy swamps. Then a nice flat bit along to Lago Pehoe. Lunch. Then an absolutely stonking 4 hours through a (STEEP) valley to Glacier Grey. The first sighting of the glacier is just awesome. THe lookout point is a tad windy tho - and it's a biting wind as it comes down through the valley over the glacier...brrrr. Then a slightly bonkers tumble down the valley, clinging on to the ropes they kindly put out for you just when you think you cannot possibly get down a stretch without throwing yourself off the cliff. Arrived at Refugio Grey at around 6.30. Great campsite - on a sheltered black sand beach just round the bay from the glacier. Suprisingly temperate evening/night. Very welcome meal and red wine. Then ran up the hill to watch the sun set over the glacier, which is really quite an amazing amazing thing close up. The wind almost blew us over, but the sight kept us up there for a good half hour. Glacier grey is about 5km wide and 27ish km long - it just disappears into the distance along the valley. It's about the height of a house - but goes under the water for 500 metres. It's also blue rather than grey - minerals I think. The lake water is amazing - it's so mineral laden that there is no reflection, and the colour is a kind of milky turquoise. Oh, and it's 2 degrees, so when one of the guys we were with decided to take a dip, we decided not to join him. Then today we decided not to walk back the same route, but got a boat to the glacier then back to the bus.
Now back in Puerto Natales, having had a shower. Off to El Calafte to look at Perito Moreno glaciar tomorrow. Then El Chalten to see another mountain, then Buenos Aires. Only 9 days left before the flight to New Zealand!
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