Snaps from the SBSB
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
OK So my phone has gone walk about but before I try to tell Vodafone from Chile Iīm gonna do some nice stuff and show you some pics. There are many typos as Iīm in a rush and Naomi is waiting for me to buy her a steak.....
Well, as I failed to tell you on earlier we got on the plane to Punto Arenas and from there a bus to Puerto Natalis which is the strating point for treks into the national park Torres Del Paine. Met some nice poeple on the bus...James an American who is going to be a guide here for a while, Shanks and Ash two phaprmacists who were heading down from Peru. We stayed the night in a B&B and then got lateish found that all the refugios in the park were full and had no choice but to rent a tent and camp for the next few days...up a mountain. In the PM we got a bus to the park. Talked with Josephine a US law student who stayed with us on our first hikle up tot he first camp site. It was tough. Very steep and carry all our gear (well not all we left the non essentials, like my phone, in a lock up) and arrived and set up the tent. HAdnīt done that in a while. After getting some food at the refugio and paying for it we realised that we had nowhere near enough money or food to survice the 5 days we had planned. No choice then but to see all the things we wanted to but do it twice as fast. Which means walking twice as fast.
Got up early left our packs att he campsite and did the first climb to see the Torres. The thing the park is famous for. We arrived and clouds just cleared. Here have a look.....
Then we took a few more heroic pics... Well it felt good. Indulge me.
We met a great guy called Laurent at the summit and we stayed with him on and off for the next couple of days. We love him because he is funny and gave us tea bags and biscuits.
We had to pretty much run down to pic up our badįgs to begine the hike to the next camp site. It was supposed to be flat and take 4 ours. It wasnīt and it didnīt. we arrived after walking for about 8 hours that day completely knackered. But having met some more great people, Matthew and Olga Faulka and Lana. They gave ius wine cos we wos brokje and looking sad.
Another 8 hours ahead of us and and we decided to follow Faulka and Lana to the grey Glacier. It was a good call. Naomi and I really struggled at the end especially as we knew we couldnīt really afford any proper meals. We dreamed as we lugged our packs up huge hills that they would take visa and there would be a boat to take us back so we wouldnīt have to make the return walk. The site of the Grey glacier as we reached the summit was breathtaking and helped us forget the blisters. Here look I have no breath.
And nomes is exhasusted cos Moose refuesed to walk and she had to carry him.
Anywhooo just as we were about to run out of steam the camp site came into view and as we approached the reception...what was that.....THEY TOOK VISA..........result.....food, wine.....TWO cans of FANTA ( we had been drinking from the glacial streams). We had a great evening with Faulka and Lana and met Mary Catherine and Joaquine from US/Chile and we all ran up to the view point of the Grey galcier and took pics. Joaquine decided to swim in the lake. Frankly a dumb idea as he cut his legs to ribbons getting out. Ahh well......And the best bit? The best bit was there was a boat to take us back to the Park entrance and it took VISA too. ...and it gave us a tour of the glacier.....
So now we are back, clean and very happy indead. Tomorrow another day another glacier.
Well, as I failed to tell you on earlier we got on the plane to Punto Arenas and from there a bus to Puerto Natalis which is the strating point for treks into the national park Torres Del Paine. Met some nice poeple on the bus...James an American who is going to be a guide here for a while, Shanks and Ash two phaprmacists who were heading down from Peru. We stayed the night in a B&B and then got lateish found that all the refugios in the park were full and had no choice but to rent a tent and camp for the next few days...up a mountain. In the PM we got a bus to the park. Talked with Josephine a US law student who stayed with us on our first hikle up tot he first camp site. It was tough. Very steep and carry all our gear (well not all we left the non essentials, like my phone, in a lock up) and arrived and set up the tent. HAdnīt done that in a while. After getting some food at the refugio and paying for it we realised that we had nowhere near enough money or food to survice the 5 days we had planned. No choice then but to see all the things we wanted to but do it twice as fast. Which means walking twice as fast.
Got up early left our packs att he campsite and did the first climb to see the Torres. The thing the park is famous for. We arrived and clouds just cleared. Here have a look.....
Then we took a few more heroic pics... Well it felt good. Indulge me.
We met a great guy called Laurent at the summit and we stayed with him on and off for the next couple of days. We love him because he is funny and gave us tea bags and biscuits.
We had to pretty much run down to pic up our badįgs to begine the hike to the next camp site. It was supposed to be flat and take 4 ours. It wasnīt and it didnīt. we arrived after walking for about 8 hours that day completely knackered. But having met some more great people, Matthew and Olga Faulka and Lana. They gave ius wine cos we wos brokje and looking sad.
Another 8 hours ahead of us and and we decided to follow Faulka and Lana to the grey Glacier. It was a good call. Naomi and I really struggled at the end especially as we knew we couldnīt really afford any proper meals. We dreamed as we lugged our packs up huge hills that they would take visa and there would be a boat to take us back so we wouldnīt have to make the return walk. The site of the Grey glacier as we reached the summit was breathtaking and helped us forget the blisters. Here look I have no breath.
And nomes is exhasusted cos Moose refuesed to walk and she had to carry him.
Anywhooo just as we were about to run out of steam the camp site came into view and as we approached the reception...what was that.....THEY TOOK VISA..........result.....food, wine.....TWO cans of FANTA ( we had been drinking from the glacial streams). We had a great evening with Faulka and Lana and met Mary Catherine and Joaquine from US/Chile and we all ran up to the view point of the Grey galcier and took pics. Joaquine decided to swim in the lake. Frankly a dumb idea as he cut his legs to ribbons getting out. Ahh well......And the best bit? The best bit was there was a boat to take us back to the Park entrance and it took VISA too. ...and it gave us a tour of the glacier.....
So now we are back, clean and very happy indead. Tomorrow another day another glacier.
