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Published: November 26th 2005
We're already running out of superlatives with which to describe the places that we have visited in South America. As far as we're concerned Torres del Paine trumps the lot - it's probably the most stunning place that either of us have ever visited. We'll try to describe it as best we can but we could never do it justice - you'll just have to visit it for yourselves.
Torres del Paine is a national park just to the south of the southern Patagonian ice sheet. It encompasses a variety of terrains but the centrepiece is a cluster of jagged pinnacles with vertical walls up to 1000 metres tall. They were formed over 13 million years ago when huge forces in the earth's core thrust the earth's crust towards the heavens. The peaks were sharpened by the knife edge of the Patagonian winter to create a truly majestic scenery.
People come from all over the world to experience Torres del Paine and it now receives over 70,000 visitors each year. The popularity of the park means that you´re not always alone on the trails but it's still possible to get some solitude. The price of a visit to the
park has risen in tandem with its popularity and unless you're camping and cooking it can be wallet/purse draining. However, its money well spent.
There's a 7 to 10 day circuit, but that's currently closed due to snow and rock falls. Most people "do the W" - a spectacular 3 to 5 day trek running east-west across the park involving three north-south hikes up the valleys between the peaks (hence the "W"). So we packed up the tent, stove and the rest of Tom's ridiculous nicknacks (yes, even the portable bucket!) and off we trotted.
The first ascent was up the Valle Ascensio - a steep 500m climb. It was a rude awakening to the realities of mountain trekking with a full pack. Tom staggered around like a drunken lout under the weight of his pack. Suse nimbly glided up the mountain. Tom started to suspect that Suse had offloaded the more weighty objects in her pack...
However, it wasn't long before we were descending a rather thin path down to our first campsite. The tent went up and the rain came down (for the benefit of new readers this always happens - as soon as the
weather gods get a sniff that we might wish to enjoy a night under canvas they always release the hounds of hell on us). Soon we were being pelted with sleet and snow. Regardless, we made the ascent to the Mirador Los Torres, from which you can see the most vertiginous pinacles in the park.... on other days. We couldn't see anything except for a fleeting glimpse of the meltwater lake at their base. The top section was a hairy scramble across boulders that were coated with ice and snow. We waited a while but the Torres remained shrouded in cloud. Shame, but there are other sections of the park just as, if not more, beautiful. We just had to pray that the Patagonian weather would give us a break.
However, at the Mirador we were greeted by smiling Spurs fan Andy, and a nicer fella you couldn't wish to meet halfway up a Patagonian mountain. Also on the route were our Navimag dorm buddies Frank and Helen. They have already completed the Inca Trail (or should that be trial?) - they´re gluttons for punishment!
It was a cold, wet night in the Hubba Hubba. It soon became
clear why people are willing to splash the cash to get into a refugio - to avoid eating pasta outside in the snow and waking up with a frostbitten nose!
We thought day 2 would be boring but it was nothing of the sort. We trekked across the base of a snow capped mountain to Refugio Los Cuernos through a heathland covered in red, purple, yellow and blue flowers while condors circled and soared in the blue sky thermals above. In the valley below were the turquiose waters of Lake Nordenskjòld. The mountains rumbled with distant avalanches and the scything peaks known as Los Cuernos (The Horns) came into view. In the centre of the sheers walls of the peaks is the deepest of valleys high up on the mountain. It's breathtaking.
We got stuck into some wine with Helen and Frank, Paul and Emily (from Amersham) and Nick and Carol (from Shrewsbury). A surprising amount of Brits out here!
Too much booze turned out to be a bad idea: No 1 - scrambling out of the tent to take a leak in the icy cold of the night isn't the best; No 2 - trekking with
Valle del Francés
T-shirt and shorts weather - obviously!full pack and full hangover can be pretty tough, especially when you're covering 28 km that day. However, the weather was good so we got up at 6 am to make the most of it.
We made it to Valle del Francés at about 10 am. It's widely recognised as the most beautiful section of the park. As we turned into the valley, Glacier Francés came into view. It sits fragmented on a series of peaks and ledges flowing onto the valley floor. Its shuffling movement is dramatic - when ice and snow reach critical mass or the sun melts it sufficiently it comes crashing down onto the next level kurplunk style.
We were lucky to witness one of these huge rearrangements first hand. The valley reverberated with a deep roar as a gigantic avalanche swept diagonally across the mountainside, which was engulfed in a plume of powder. Even from a distance of a few clicks it was quite an intimidating show of force by mother nature.
We started the 800 m ascent to the Mirador at Campo Británico (which, surprisingly, is nothing to do with Dale Winton). It was a tough climb but the forests are
beautiful and the clearings have fantastic views of the glacier and nearby peaks. The lookout is surrounded by a circle of razor blade summits many of which are so sharp that they can hardly bear snow. The path above the Mirador was blocked off but footsteps led off into the snow - someone had gone on - so we should too! We were soon slipping around in the snow and the trail went dead. Undeterred we pressed on climbing up through trees, stepping across deep holes in a boulder field and cutting a path through deep snow through a ravine. An hour later we reached a rocky ridge and had lunch encircled by the majesty of the most precipitous mountains we've ever seen.
After descending we had another 2 1/2 hour hike with full packs. Pain throbbed through swollen feet and aching muscles. Tom's hangover was still in full flow - he was walking like Lurch off the Adam's family and had the same array of facial expressions too. It's one of the toughest days trekking that we've ever done. The relief was enormous when the campsite came into view.
The group camped opposite us at the campsite
Lunch at the top
Tom, Snooze, Emily, Paul and Andy take a breather in Valle del Francés had caught us up on the path, striding along using ski poles (cruelly known as poof sticks to some). Their gear was the kind you need to live in the Antarctic: expensive Mountain Equipment tents, down jackets etc. - it all seemed a bit over the top and we sniggered at the ridiculousness of their bringing such kit. Hmmm - a bit of ketchup with your humble pie sir?! They were a British expedition that had just come back from crossing the ice sheet (the first time that anyone had done it). It must have been one hell of a journey - the ice sheet is huge. They thought that the weather was quite balmy at Torres del Paine and had gone there for a bit of R&R after finishing their adventure a little early.
Day 4 looked innocuous on the map but was a hard slog uphill and then a steep downhill. The winds sweeping off the ice sheet in front of us were extreme, threatening to blow us off the path (it has been known apparently). On the path we were passed by the adventuring Brits who had decided to use the 3 1/2 hour trail to
go running.... fast..... Nutters!
We stayed the last night at Refugio Grey next to the Grey Glacier and its meltwater lake Lago Grey, which is dotted with iceburgs which fall from the face of the glacier. We trekked further up the path to get a better view. We had to cross a steep ravine full of boulders and snow and climb a vertical slope with a rope across crumbling soil and grit. Not for the fainthearted. It actually turned out that the path there was shut due to the danger of rockfalls - could have done with a sign telling us that! Fair play to Helen - she was following us up the path and we had assumed that there was no way she would attempt the ravine but there she was on the path the other side having crossed it on her own. No mean feat. Big up Helen!
At the top we got a view into the barren icescape of the ice sheet - a land of cravasses - nothing but blue and white. It's a wonder anyone can travel across the terrain. We were happy just to have a peek.
We hiked out of
View into the Southern Patagonian Ice Sheet
Off to the right is a few hundred clicks of nowt but snow and ice the park pretty quick. We did a 3 1/2 trek in 2 1/2 hours with full packs all the way. We jogged down hills and even up some of them. Maybe the five days trekking has done us some good?! Maybe it was the promise of a slap up steak meal in Puerto Natales...
Torres del Paine is an awesome place. Our photos don't really show just how magnificent the park really is. We met an Irish pro photographer on the bus back - well, he boarded our bus and just started talking to everyone in a very Irish way. He took the photo that currently adorns the Bolivia Lonely Planet (which is a cracking picture) and he had some great shots of the park. Unfortunately, you'll have to make do with ours! The Irish guy was last seen scuttling off the bus shouting "Arrrghhh, this isn't even my bus" as we started off back to Puerto Natales. Love the Irish.
We're now in Puerto Arenas on the Magellan Striaghts opposite Tierra del Fuego. Tomorrow we go to the end of the world. Sounds fun.
One final thing that's worth recounting. Helen's mum travelled around South America
An inspiration to all
The fantastic Helen and Frank when she was 83 - on her own!! We think that that is pretty darn impressive. One piece of advice that she gave to Helen and Frank was to travel there while they were young enough to go trekking etc. - and that's just what they're doing. In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller:
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
Laters potaters
T&S
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Helen
non-member comment
Thanks for a great blog
Finally got to read it. Hope to see you soon