We completed the circuit, and it only took 8 days, which is reasonable for mere mortals. A number of other trekkers we ran into had completed the same distance or more in around five, and we felt humbled.
Starting from a boat across lago Pehoe to the lodge at Paine Grande
Started off the trek on the morning of the 29th sprinting through shuttered Puerto Natales on the way to the ATM before catching our bus to the Torres del Paine park entrance. Not an easy feat with a 37lb pack.
Started on day 1 with a reasonable 4 hour hike to Refugio Lago Grey. Stunningly beautiful, and also apparently the third largest glacier in the world. The lodge nearby was stunningly nice, and everybody seemed to mingle there in the evening over flutes of pisco sour.
Day 2 took us on another short-ish hike to Campamento Paso, where we spent the night in rain. This camp was much more rustic, having only campsites, a cooking shelter, and a pit latrine.
Day 3 was our big push over John Garner Pass, which began with a slog up a slick dirt slope, low winds and snow at the top, descent over the other side through deep-ish snow (lucky to have plunge-stepping practice under my belt thanks to Alpine Scrambling course from the Mountaineers). The remainder of the hike after lunch at run-down camp Perros led us through boot-deep mud for miles. 24 km/15 miles in total. Total ascent was around 1000m/3300ft.
That night we spent new-years eve with new and old friends at the lodge at camp Dickson on the far side of the park.
If we had hoped for respite from the long day behind us, day 4 was a disappointment, finishing with a seemingly unending slog through muddy fields of daisies. Camp Seron awaited us on the other side of the rainbow.
At this point we had almost concluded the backside of the trek, and now it was time for us to travel through the heavily-touristed "W" component of the trail. So-called because of the shape it makes when viewed from a map.
The first, eastmost leg was up to Camp torres to see breathtaking views of the Torres (towers) del Paine jutting up over alpine lakes.
Middle leg, after a windy trek along Lake Nordenskjöld and through Camp Cuernos (Necks--another group of peaks in the Paine Massif) to Camp Italiano. The next morning we got up early for some awe-inspiring early morning light on a day-hike to the lookout uphill from the British camp in Valle de Frances.
The third leg of the W was simply the hike up to Lago/Glaciar Grey, which we had completed as the first part of our trek. Back to the Lodge at paine grande for a feast of a dinner and a boat out.
Pictures to follow. I wanted to get a post up so you all could stop wondering where I was. There isn't anything resembling computers or internet access anywhere in the park, aside from the odd idiot tourist taking pictures with his or her iPad.
Starting from a boat across lago Pehoe to the lodge at Paine Grande
Started off the trek on the morning of the 29th sprinting through shuttered Puerto Natales on the way to the ATM before catching our bus to the Torres del Paine park entrance. Not an easy feat with a 37lb pack.
Started on day 1 with a reasonable 4 hour hike to Refugio Lago Grey. Stunningly beautiful, and also apparently the third largest glacier in the world. The lodge nearby was stunningly nice, and everybody seemed to mingle there in the evening over flutes of pisco sour.
Day 2 took us on another short-ish hike to Campamento Paso, where we spent the night in rain. This camp was much more rustic, having only campsites, a cooking shelter, and a pit latrine.
Day 3 was our big push over John Garner Pass, which began with a slog up a slick dirt slope, low winds and snow at the top, descent over the other side through deep-ish snow (lucky to have plunge-stepping practice under my belt thanks to Alpine Scrambling course from the Mountaineers). The remainder of the hike after lunch at run-down camp Perros led us through boot-deep mud for miles. 24 km/15 miles in total. Total ascent was around 1000m/3300ft.
That night we spent new-years eve with new and old friends at the lodge at camp Dickson on the far side of the park.
If we had hoped for respite from the long day behind us, day 4 was a disappointment, finishing with a seemingly unending slog through muddy fields of daisies. Camp Seron awaited us on the other side of the rainbow.
At this point we had almost concluded the backside of the trek, and now it was time for us to travel through the heavily-touristed "W" component of the trail. So-called because of the shape it makes when viewed from a map.
The first, eastmost leg was up to Camp torres to see breathtaking views of the Torres (towers) del Paine jutting up over alpine lakes.
Middle leg, after a windy trek along Lake Nordenskjöld and through Camp Cuernos (Necks--another group of peaks in the Paine Massif) to Camp Italiano. The next morning we got up early for some awe-inspiring early morning light on a day-hike to the lookout uphill from the British camp in Valle de Frances.
The third leg of the W was simply the hike up to Lago/Glaciar Grey, which we had completed as the first part of our trek. Back to the Lodge at paine grande for a feast of a dinner and a boat out.
Pictures to follow. I wanted to get a post up so you all could stop wondering where I was. There isn't anything resembling computers or internet access anywhere in the park, aside from the odd idiot tourist taking pictures with his or her iPad.
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