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Our first campsite had great views of Torres del Paine, and since you never know about the weather in Patagonia, I wanted to take advantage of an apparently good weather system and get up early to take pictures of the sunrise on Torres del Paine. "The sun rises at five," said our guide, and so did I. There's only one thing – it takes a lot longer before the sun actually hits the towers. So, I walked around for a few hours, listening to a symphony of birdsong, the nearby river, and snoring from the tents. This picture doesn't do justice – the sunrise (when it finally happened) was a lot more dramatic, colorful and so worth getting up "in the middle of the night" for. |
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The trek's first long hike took us up to one of the most famous vista points in Torres del Paine. We hiked along the Rio Ascencio into Valle Ascencio, through beech forests and finally up rough talus and boulders to a viewpoint where you have a clear view of the three towers and the glacial lake at their feet. It wasn't against a blue sky, but we got to enjoy the peaks of all the towers for about half an hour before clouds and rain moved in and covered up the tower tops. Talk about good timing. Though I really liked the dramatic clouds over the towers, I felt sorry for all the people who were just arriving after a 6-hour hike up to see only clouds above the lake. |
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On the third day of the trek we arrived at Lago Paine and what became my favorite campsite. We were in the middle of nowhere with absolutely nobody else around. The tents were set up behind a hill in an attempt to get some shelter from the wind sweeping over the pampas. But at night the wind picked up, and there were times when I was sure that there was a train coming by right next to the tent. This was Patagonia as I imagined it would be – remote, rough, wild, pure, and absolutely beautiful. |
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It was still pretty windy when we woke up the next morning, and we had to catch a couple of run-away tents before camp was packed up. I was hanging back on today's trek, taking my time and enjoying the beautiful scenery. An explosion of colors surrounded me – the turquoise lake, the blue sky, the white mountains, the green grass, scrubs and bushes, and red, yellow, pink, and white wildflowers all over. We took advantage of the last day with our packhorses and let ourselves horse-ferry across the river before entering the forest and finally board a Zodiac to our camp under the peak of Escudo Cabeza del Indio (Indian Head.) Not much view of the Indian head, though; it was a cloudy and misty evening, so we spent more time inside our spacious dining tent or hung out with the gauchos outside around their campfire. (My fleece top still smells of their barbecued lamb!) |
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Most people trekking or hiking in Torres del Paine National Park do what's known as "the W." Surely, hiking the W will take you to the three most famous vistas in the park – Torres del Paine, Los Cuernos, and Glaciar Grey, but if you do the full circuit, you really get into the heart of the park, and you will see all the above PLUS much more. Such as the stunning views of Glaciar and Laguna de Los Perros. Well, to be honest; we almost didn't see it either. As we poked our heads above the moraine, we were met with unbelievably strong winds coming from the glacier and we could barely stand, breathe, or keep our eyes open. I was certain this picture wouldn't come out as trying to take photos in these weather conditions was just silly. But it did come out. (Thank god for auto focus!) |
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For more information and reservations, please contact:
Mountain Travel Sobek
1266 66th Street, Suite 4
Emeryville, CA 94608
1-510-594-6000 or
Toll Free 1-888-831-7526 (USA & Canada)
Additional International Toll Free Numbers
Fax: 1-510-594-6001
Email: info@mtsobek.com
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