We have just returned from a four day trekking adventure in the Torres del Paine National Park. We stayed at three different lodges in the park and carried our backpacks and sleeping bags from one to the other. The scenery was spectacular. We didn't have to rough it nearly as much as I expected. The lodges served three-course meals and gave us huge packed lunches to take with us on our hikes each day.
Day 1:
The bus dropped us off at one of the park entrances on Sunday. There were mini-buses available to take people to the first lodge, but the walk was only an hour and a half so we decided to go for it! We were surprised that no one else opted to walk. Soon we discovered why. It started as a nice, flat walk winding alongside the road... until the winds came up. They were icy and incredibly powerful. They blasted us for the last hour of the walk. By the time we reached the lodge, Athena and I were laughing hysterically...I think trudging along with heavy backpacks struggling against the wind finally deprived us of our senses. We decided that 'Patagonian trekkersize' could be the next fitness revolution, even replacing boot camp! We would just put people on treadmills at maximum incline and blast them from all directions with super powerful fans so that they could work all of their muscles. For added benefit, they could even carry giant backpacks. For effect, we would paint the room with mountain scenery. As you can see, we had lost our senses at this point....Fortunately, the first lodge was much fancier than we expected and they had wonderful showers.
Day 2:
We ate a huge breakfast, picked up our boxed lunches and set off to see the 3 Torres (towers). For the first leg of the journey, we walked uphill until we got to a refuge. Then we carried on through a lovely valley following a stream. The second part of the walk was really nice. Finally, we came to the last section of the walk which consisted of a steep incline lined with enormous boulders. We scrambled over boulders for 30 minutes until we finally came to the mirador (viewpoint). The clouds were so thick we could only see one of the towers. Stephen and I decided to wait a little while longer just in case the weather improved. Fortunately for us, the clouds began to disperse and we even saw a ray of sunshine. Within a few minutes we could see all three 'Torres' towering above an aquamarine lagoon. It was breathtaking. We were really lucky. All the people that went up earlier in the day only got to see one of the 'towers'. On the way down, I ran into a guy from California who was so cold he didn't manage to get past the refuge. I was much better prepared for adverse weather conditions after having lived in England for five years. I now have really good cold weather gear after trekking in the Scottish Highlands for two years running. We stayed in the Las Torres lodge one more night. The only problem with it was the thin boards separating the rooms. They didn't cut out any of the noise. I never realized just how many adults snore. I felt like I was surrounded by buzz saws. Thank goodness for ear plugs!
Day 3:
We thought it would be a much easier day with a flat walk along the valley floor to the next lodge. The sun was shining and the wind was down. We really enjoyed the morning and had lunch sitting on a large rock overlooking a really icy blue lake. It was beautiful. After lunch the winds came up again just as we were attempting to climb up a really steep hill. It was hard work! We were blasted by wind as we scrambled over rivers and tried to keep our balance with full backpacks whilst creeping across precarious ledges (well - Athena and I crept, the boys just clambered). We were so happy to finally make it to the next lodge. It was nestled below 'Los Cuernos' (The Horns - these interesting black and white peaks). It was a really cozy, little lodge. There was no road or boat access to this part of the park so the only people there were backpackers. We played cards, ate dinner and fell asleep really early! The winds continued to pound the building all night. Thankfully, we weren't camping!
Day 4:
We woke up even earlier to avoid the wind. The weather was lovely. We walked up the French Valley and found a lunch spot overlooking the French Glacier. We stayed for an hour napping in the sun and we were lucky enough to see some of the glacier break off and crash onto the mountain below.
Day 5:
This was my favorite day. The temperature exceeded the 15-16C (the maximum summer temperature of the park), we didn't have to carry our packs and we were able to walk in T-shirts. It took two hours to the first mirador. From there we could see Glacier Grey. It was spectacular - one of the most amazing sites I have ever seen. It was especially interesting to view a huge glacier surrounded by snow-capped mountains when it was hot and sunny. We carried on for another hour and a half to the mirador closest the the glacier. We ate lunch there and spent an hour gazing at the majestic scene before us. We had to go by 1pm in order to make it back in time to catch a ferry and bus back to Puerto Natales. It was a great day! We reached Puerto Natales at 10pm to find that the entire town didn't have water - so much for showers and washing my really smelly hiking socks! We attempted to find an open restaurant for dinner. We waited nearly an hour and half for food and then decided to leave. It was almost midnight and we were exhausted. I ate trail mix and an apple for dinner instead. Luckily, the water is back on today. I have now washed my clothes and had a really warm shower.
Day 1:
The bus dropped us off at one of the park entrances on Sunday. There were mini-buses available to take people to the first lodge, but the walk was only an hour and a half so we decided to go for it! We were surprised that no one else opted to walk. Soon we discovered why. It started as a nice, flat walk winding alongside the road... until the winds came up. They were icy and incredibly powerful. They blasted us for the last hour of the walk. By the time we reached the lodge, Athena and I were laughing hysterically...I think trudging along with heavy backpacks struggling against the wind finally deprived us of our senses. We decided that 'Patagonian trekkersize' could be the next fitness revolution, even replacing boot camp! We would just put people on treadmills at maximum incline and blast them from all directions with super powerful fans so that they could work all of their muscles. For added benefit, they could even carry giant backpacks. For effect, we would paint the room with mountain scenery. As you can see, we had lost our senses at this point....Fortunately, the first lodge was much fancier than we expected and they had wonderful showers.
Day 2:
We ate a huge breakfast, picked up our boxed lunches and set off to see the 3 Torres (towers). For the first leg of the journey, we walked uphill until we got to a refuge. Then we carried on through a lovely valley following a stream. The second part of the walk was really nice. Finally, we came to the last section of the walk which consisted of a steep incline lined with enormous boulders. We scrambled over boulders for 30 minutes until we finally came to the mirador (viewpoint). The clouds were so thick we could only see one of the towers. Stephen and I decided to wait a little while longer just in case the weather improved. Fortunately for us, the clouds began to disperse and we even saw a ray of sunshine. Within a few minutes we could see all three 'Torres' towering above an aquamarine lagoon. It was breathtaking. We were really lucky. All the people that went up earlier in the day only got to see one of the 'towers'. On the way down, I ran into a guy from California who was so cold he didn't manage to get past the refuge. I was much better prepared for adverse weather conditions after having lived in England for five years. I now have really good cold weather gear after trekking in the Scottish Highlands for two years running. We stayed in the Las Torres lodge one more night. The only problem with it was the thin boards separating the rooms. They didn't cut out any of the noise. I never realized just how many adults snore. I felt like I was surrounded by buzz saws. Thank goodness for ear plugs!
Day 3:
We thought it would be a much easier day with a flat walk along the valley floor to the next lodge. The sun was shining and the wind was down. We really enjoyed the morning and had lunch sitting on a large rock overlooking a really icy blue lake. It was beautiful. After lunch the winds came up again just as we were attempting to climb up a really steep hill. It was hard work! We were blasted by wind as we scrambled over rivers and tried to keep our balance with full backpacks whilst creeping across precarious ledges (well - Athena and I crept, the boys just clambered). We were so happy to finally make it to the next lodge. It was nestled below 'Los Cuernos' (The Horns - these interesting black and white peaks). It was a really cozy, little lodge. There was no road or boat access to this part of the park so the only people there were backpackers. We played cards, ate dinner and fell asleep really early! The winds continued to pound the building all night. Thankfully, we weren't camping!
Day 4:
We woke up even earlier to avoid the wind. The weather was lovely. We walked up the French Valley and found a lunch spot overlooking the French Glacier. We stayed for an hour napping in the sun and we were lucky enough to see some of the glacier break off and crash onto the mountain below.
Day 5:
This was my favorite day. The temperature exceeded the 15-16C (the maximum summer temperature of the park), we didn't have to carry our packs and we were able to walk in T-shirts. It took two hours to the first mirador. From there we could see Glacier Grey. It was spectacular - one of the most amazing sites I have ever seen. It was especially interesting to view a huge glacier surrounded by snow-capped mountains when it was hot and sunny. We carried on for another hour and a half to the mirador closest the the glacier. We ate lunch there and spent an hour gazing at the majestic scene before us. We had to go by 1pm in order to make it back in time to catch a ferry and bus back to Puerto Natales. It was a great day! We reached Puerto Natales at 10pm to find that the entire town didn't have water - so much for showers and washing my really smelly hiking socks! We attempted to find an open restaurant for dinner. We waited nearly an hour and half for food and then decided to leave. It was almost midnight and we were exhausted. I ate trail mix and an apple for dinner instead. Luckily, the water is back on today. I have now washed my clothes and had a really warm shower.
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