I came here for Torres del Paine national park, one of the iconic parts of Patagonia. It´s this ginormous park that is one of the hiking hotspots of the world. There are two major treks - the W, which is supposed to be 4-5 days and hits the three major sights of the park, and the circuit, which is like a week and hits the W spots and then goes back around, basically. I was doing neither. Even though the park has full services (as much as they are in southern Chile), I have never really been camping or trekking, so I didn't think by myself, on this, was the way to start.
Goooooood call.
Day One (Thursday)
Puerto Natales doesn't have much, but it is the closest town to the park, so they have got their system down pat. From any hostel in town, you can buy a roundtrip bus fare on a bus that leaves twice daily to the park. There are certain companies that have certain deals with certain hostels, but they all cost the same and leave the same and do the same, so you just go wherever you are staying. So at 7:30 in the morning, me and about 6 others from my hostel answered the beep from the bus outside, hauled ourselves into the bus, and went on a tour of the city and various other hostels. We were pretty much full when we started out the 3 hour drive to the park. Most of the road isn't paved, so it was very...invigorating that early in the morning, but for the last hour or so we could see the topography of the park, so that was cool.
Once we get to the main gate, everyone piles out and pays the entrance fee. Some people - those who are just daytripping to see the Torres themselves (huge granite spires that gave the park its name) or who are starting the W from that end, get on a mini shuttle to wherever they go. The rest of us stay on the bus, which takes us right to the catamaran stop. They have it timed perfectly so we get there about an hour before the boat departure - enough time for a quick hike up to the head of a waterfall. It´s not a big falls, but you get so close to it that it was worth the 20 minute walk each way.
The catamaran as easy and quick, not to mention pretty.
And that deposits us right at the Refugio Pehoe - the hostel/lodge where I will be staying. Handy, no? So I am one of the lucky ones who gets to drop off the bulk of my stuff - food, clothes, everything but what I will need for the hike - before heading out.I hiked that day with Matt and Sarah, an awesome Canadian/American couple doing something completely different (you can check them out, hi Matt & Sarah!). We were on essentially the first leg of the W, where they were going out and camping, and I was planning to go out and come back in. I wanted to do the whole leg, but it wasn't to be - I ended up coming back about 3/4 of the way into the leg, knowing that as much as I hiked, I still had that much to do back. But funny thing about hiking - it´s way shorter to come back. Who knew? I had a couple of factors against me, mostly the weather - despite the infamous blustery, changeable, awful Patagonian weather, we had blue sky, no wind, and upper 80s the whole time - unheard of around here. But in all, I had about a 7 to 7 1/ hour hike that day - not too shabby. And the point of it all was to see the Grey Glacier.
It was my first time seeing a glacier, but not to be my last, and it was...awesome, in the truest sense of the word. I was truly blown away, I just loved it so much. The huge chunks of ice that had broken off and were floating about in the lake were great, too - they looked utterly fake, these giant white and teal blue papier-mache creations, like something made for a school dance on global warming. But real!
That also summed up my entire day. After getting back, showering, and eating, I essentially fell into bed and did not stir.
Day Two (Friday)
I woke up and put on the same gnarly, awful clothes from yesterday (well, different shirt - I am only human) and loaded up adn head out again. Looking back, it´s so cute and optimistic how I dutifully packed a windbreaker and warm shirt for the "fierce" "unpredictable" Patagonia weather - but it was more hot and clear for me. Today, the hike was a little flatter, and went around lakes, over streams, and to Valle de France, which basically has a glacier mountain on one side, and the back side of the Torres on the other. Once I got there, I just sat and watched.
There would be these sounds like rolling thunder, and if you looked you could see ice falling off the mountain tops. It was stunning; I am sad I wasn´t quick enough to get a picture. I know it´s probably not good from an environmental standpoint, but it was gorgeous nonetheless.
Day Three (Saturday)
I woke up and went for a quick hike - straight uphill, though - on a path on neither the W or the circuit. It was only about an hour each way, but I wanted to do something that last day. When I got back, I had a quick (and COLD) shower and got everything packed up. I spent the morning lolling about the lodge - really, there are worse places to loll - before reversing the whole process and winding up back in Puerto Natales 6 hours later or so.
So another day, another 8 hour hike. I learned some important stuff with my hikes of the last couple of, in addition to the whole idea that I always come home much faster than I go. For instance, my ankles get NASTY and dirty, and hiking is just a fancy way of saying "walking." I don't know if I am a hiker, or if I was simply lulled into thinking so by REI and the lonely planet guides for Patagonia, but I also know that this was the major hiking part of my trip. It was kind of cool, though, to be all wildernessy. I filled my water bottle up in mountain streams that were pouring direct from glaciers! How cool is that?
So now I am back in Puerto Natales, where nothing is open on Sunday. I sent my laundry out for an ungodly sum, but it´s worth it for how dirty it is. I also have a ridiculous number of tiny bug bites, from sitting outside the night before I left and day one of hiking, but I used my mighty bug repellent to prevent further nuisance. Also, I think I am to be commended that I have no suburn from all of that. Impressive!
I am having some issues getting the computer to respond well with my camera and flash drive, so I can't upload pictures onto this entry. It has taken me a truly preposterous amount of time, but I have successfully updated my online album, though, so everything is there if you need it. I add pictures, hopefully tomorrow - when I am back in Argentina, and, I am ecstatic to report, I will have company. I am being met by a lovely, lovely friend for the next two weeks, and I have to tell you - I can´t wait. I like being alone, and I like traveling, but traveling alone? Is really hard. No joke.
