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Published: January 31st 2007
Torres Del Paine
The colour of...Happy Australia Day.
TORRES DEL PAINE - back in Chilean Patagonia with the obligatory rise in prices back across the border. Forget the cost Yeatesy and enjoy the ride, the long ride just to get into the National Park, including a particularly scenic ferry jaunt across a lake with a colour I can´t describe - better to leave that to the guys who label those paint colour charts - something like cream of cobalt or Patagonian perfume.
Checked into our $35US each bed in a 6 bed dorm (YEATESY, FOEGET THE COST!!!) and set off. I think we bit off more than we could chew on the first day - 23 klms. I kept telling myself it´s only 2 Sutherland to Surf runs plus interest. A bit more demanding carrying about 8 kg over, through, under all manner of landforms, creeks, etc. Stunning backdrops, although even they were of little consequence the last hour or so as we staggered back to the refugio at around 8.30pm - still around 2 hours of daylight left. Everything from the waist down, front and back was a little the worse for wear. The most humiliating aspect was the people camping out who carry half
a house along these trails and even overtake us. I could put it down to the vitality of youth but some of these folks are near enough to our age and some of them are even carrying around kids.
Now you are 49 years 317 days old and you want to feel every minute of it, what do you do? You wake up early the next day and punch out another 18klms of similar ilk. Take it slower, absorb the ambience and realize you´re actually on vacation. Mountains that look as though they´ve been turned upside down and dipped in chocolate. Babbling brooks (there´s a joke there for the guys at work). Crystal clear, multi coloured lakes. Avalanches. Snow drifts. - the WORKS.
Gary
TORRES DEL PAINE/ PUERTO NATALES.- Puerto Natales was a nice brief stop prior to heading for the mountains. We managed to find a great café/restaurant serving fresh authentic vegetarian food. Enjoy the comfortable bed and hot showers while I can. Arriving to Torres del Paine was a pleasant surprise with the Refugio being far better equipped and luxurious than expected. Well we did have to share with the nudist Germans and the snoring American, but
Torres Del Paine
12 klms down the track. Now to walk back before dark I can comprimise that for a hot shower and comfortable bunk bed. I won´t mention the food as it was disgraceful.(0 out of 10). The trekking was great. Long hard days but well worth it - maybe the good weather helped.
Penny
More images at:
www.colvinyeates.zenfolio.com
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