Nov 8, 2009 - Torres del Paine National Park

After arriving in Puerto Natales we hired camping equipment, then the following day took the bus to Torres del Paine National Park were we completed the trek known as the "W" (because when you look at it on a map the route looks like a "W"!) We spent 5 days completing the trek which meant 4 nights camping in the national park, so on top of completing the 75km plus trek we also had to try and sleep in a freezing tent - and it snowed two of the four nights! Needless to say it was a challenge and we were glad to return to the warm hostel on...

Nov 2, 2009 - Mount Pain

As you may remember, one of my big hikes in America was Half Dome in Yosemite which I christened Mount Doom for obvious reasons. Well, today´s walk will now been known as Mount Pain. The hike was to the base camp of the Towers of Paine themselves, not a particularly long way, but mostly uphill and we´had been warned of " a bit of a scramble" at the end... Although I was feeling ok, my knee was really sore and swollen still from my fall in El Calafate so the prospect of uphill for 4 hours was not filling me with great joy. I was glad I...

Nov 1, 2009 - Feeling a bit Chile

A move across the border today as we drove into Chile meaning yet another new bus! Although I have to say that this is a great way to see the scenery and definitely preferable to flying in my opinion. We arrived at the Argentinian border just before lunchand found the customs guys playing ping pong!! I suppose it was in the middle of nowhere and they cant be that busy but it was quite a funny sight. Once we´d filled out the slightly ridiculous number of forms there we drove a short distance to the Chilean border where we had to take all...

Oct 24, 2009 - Patagonian Paradise

wow. What an increadible week...I dont even know where to start! So for about a full five day trip, my group flew down to Patagonia, Chile. Patagnia is the wayy southern region of Chile. It is pretty much the south pole, or at least feels and looks like it! After an overnigh flight, our first destination was puerto Natales. A small town/city on the water. It was real cold and windy here when we first arrived, but it was also beautiful. From my hotel window I could see all the mountains across the water. Luckily we had a free day so we used...

Feb 28, 2009 - Torres del Paine Trek - Day 5

Trekking - Day 5 Today is our last day here. We hiked up the trail for an hour to see the Grey Glacier. This glacier, like most, is receding. The trail we are hiking on actually makes a circuit all the way around the park, which takes about 8 days. The route we have done is called the "W", and takes you to the most majestic scenery. We have been very lucky - it mostly rains at night, and we had great weather for the best parts. Even though it is cloudy and rainy here, that is expected around the glaciers. After lunch at the Refugio, we got...

Feb 27, 2009 - Torres del Paine Trek - Day 4

Trekking - Day 4 Today we started out at 9:30 a.m. It rained most of the night, and the weather today is cloudy with scattered showers. From this Refugio we have a great view of the Cuernos, except they are partially covered with clouds. We are hiking towards the Grey Glacier, and the weather systems come in from this direction, so Cem told us it would be colder, windier, and wetter. Oh boy - more wind! The hike started out in low tundra like vegetation, and then we moved into the forest. The trees here are mostly beech, and they are...

Feb 26, 2009 - Torres del Paine Trek - Day 3

Trekking Day 3 Ah, what glorious weather. It is absolutely clear today. Marsela and Cem say it only clears like this about twice a month, and Marsela has never seen the top of Cerro Paine Grande. Today is a long day - 8 hours of hiking. First we hiked 2 hours from the Refugio to the junction at a campsite. From the campsite we hiked 1 hour to the base of the Cerro Paine Grande. We sat at the base for 45 minutes and saw at least 20 small avalanches. But, Marsela said they may look small from where we are sitting but they may be big. There...

Feb 26, 2009 - To pole or not to pole?

A few oeople have commented on our walking poles. We have never used walking poles in any of our other walks before. However, MS did some research before we left and it was recommended that we take them. I was dead against it - I had never used them before and did not think they were necessary. MS went and bought himself some light-weight super duper high quality poles. Just before we left, he convinced me that I should take some. I went and bought the cheapest poles I could find (buy one get one free - how good is that). Anyway, when I got...

Feb 25, 2009 - Torres Del Paine National Park - Day 6 to 11

Day 6 - we started our trip around the back end of the circuit. We woke to good weather - the sun was shining - yeah! We were planning on taking it easy so today we only walked 4 hours to the next campsite. The walk was quite easy and flat and we arrived at camp around 3pm that afternoon and set up. The wind picked up in the afternoon but that was a good thing as it kept the mozzies at bay. Day 7 - another longish day with a walk to the next campsite 6 hours away. We walked around a horse-shoe lake and up quite a few steep hill climbs but...

Feb 25, 2009 - Torres del Paine Trek - Day 2

The Trek - Day 2 This morning we didn´t get a good sunrise on the towers because of the rain and clouds, but no complaints. We had a leisurely morning and left about 10 a.m. We went back to the same place we started hiking yesterday, but instead of going up the valley from yesterday (north), we proceeded west. There was a problem with the porters because they were supposed to take the early bus from P. Natales, and they didn´t, so they wouldn´t arrive till 5 p.m., and our bags would arrive around 8 p.m. No worries - we are staying at a...

Feb 16, 2009 - Torres Del Paine National Park - Day 1 to 5

We arrived in Puerto Natales from El Calafate and had a couple of rest days before heading to the national park. 95% of visitors to the park only have time to complete the W - a 4 to 5 day trail that hits 3 lookout points. We had more time so decided to do the full circuit or the "Q" as it is referred to (which is the full circuit plus a day's walk into the park tacked on to the front). The weather in Puerto Natales was awful - it had not stopped raining for weeks and was extremely windy. But as they say in England, if you wait for the...

Feb 1, 2009 - Torres del Paine

This might involve a few photos... what an amazing place Torres del Paine is! But first, the boat ride. Of course, we were in the sea berths for the trip - little sets of 4 bunk beds. They were surprisingly comfortable, and we all managed to get lots of sleep on the trip. The food was good, the company was good... we were impressed all round. The only disappointment was the lack of whales and dolphins to spot - we saw several seals and sea lions, and LOTS of birds, but not a single whale or dolphin. Bummer. One of the highlights of the trip...