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Published: October 15th 2006
When we arrived at Punta Arenas airport, Patagonia, it was obvious from the clouds that we were somewhere a little different. Amy described it as a Ghostbusters sky - dark forms gathering above Dana´s apartment just before Zule breaks through from the spirit world.
A quick stop in the North Face shop (waterproof trousers us$240) and a small beer later (us$3 for a can) we remembered just how expensive Chile can be. There didn´t seem to be much to do in Punta Arenas (its still low season) so we decided to leave as soon as possible either heading south to Ushaia, Tierra del Fuego or north to Puerto Natales and the Torres del Paine national park. After shopping for food we returned to our hostal to roast veg, drink wine and watch movies on their huge flat screen TV (a purchase no doubt funded by their extortionate rate of us$36 per night).
We got chatting to another british couple staying in our hostal: Andy and Jane. They´d hired a car to visit Torres del Paine and were driving it back to Puerto Natales the following morning so offered us a lift. We ditched the idea of going to Ushaia
which was looking long and complicated in favour of a short, comfortable ride up the coast.
The 3 hour journey was spectacular, giving us our first look at the Patagonian landscape. We took a recommended detour to visit an estancia on the coast (closed until high season) and felt the force of the infamous patagonian winds on a relatively fine day. Spotted some of the local wildlife: Nandu (a miniature ostrich), guanaco (llama like) and upland geese. The geese were distinctive because they were always in pairs, one white, one brown.
Puerto Natales, a much smaller town, is the base for trekking in Torres del Paine National Park, one of our main motivations for visiting Patagonia. We checked into Hostal Casa Cecilia, recommended by Andy and Jane and started to plan our trip. We´d been sold on the idea of visiting the park in a hire car, camping and doing day walks. However, due to the cost of car hire (us$80 per day) and the fact Amy was feeling much better we changed our minds and opted to walk and camp.
We were toying with walking the 7 day "loop" route but were told by our hostal
owner it was closed due to snowfall. Lucky for us because we would never have made it! Instead we decided on the more spectacular, shorter "W" route (W because of its shape on the map). We rented camping equipment, sleeping bags, etc from the hostal and bought enough food for 5 days. It was a struggle to fit everything in our small bags so we both ended up with significant amounts of kit strapped to the outside.
The bus arrived promptly the next morning to take us to the park entrance, some 3 hours away due to major road works en route. By a stroke of luck it was park ranger day so our entrance fee to the park was free.
As we set off I was slightly apprehensive. Our bags felt really heavy, our new walking boots were barely broken in (2 hours of walking round the shops in BA), huge clouds had formed over the mountains and we´d manage to get lost in the first 5 minutes!
About an hour from the refugio we joined the main W track and headed to our first campsite at the base of the torres. We had to tackle
Trek to Torres
At the pass into the vallythe biggest hill climb on the route (at least we had fresh legs) and faced a gusty headwind which occasionally knocked you off balance.
The campsite (campamiento torres) was slightly off the main track in a wooded area offering some shelter from the wind. As expected, it was very basic. There was a toilet, boarded up because of low season and small wood/stone shack that resembled something out of the Blair Witch Project. We arrived at 4pm and setup our tent - the only tent! The final hour long trek to the base of the torres was tough going. At least we no longer had to carry our kit because it was steep and involved scrambling over some big rocks. The wind was bitterly cold and we had a few brief flurries of snow. I regretted leaving my scarf behind at the hostal.
On returning to the campsite at around 6.30 we were pleased to find we had company - a belgian couple had setup camp just a little way downstream. Amy put the dinner on and I started a fire. Took a while to get going as everything was damp. After several failed attempts to get leaves
to burn I used lichen from the trees as tinder - as seen on Ray Meers!! Eef (the belgian) informed me that 8% of the park was burnt down a couple of years ago and fires are absolutely banned. It was too late though - the fire was lit and providing much needed warmth.
The next morning we woke early but not early enough to make it to the torres for sunrise (they´re supposed to be amazing colours). Anyway, we had a long walk ahead of us and a strenuous 2 hour excursion before setting off was probably a bad idea.
Setting off at 8am we were heading for campamiento italiano at the base of Valle del Frances. Retracing part of the previous day´s route we expected a hefty tail wind but the weather had cleared and it was unusually calm. Eef had told us about a short cut that isn´t shown on the trekking map but would save us about 1.5 hours! We found the short cut and reached Lago Nordenskjold around 11.30. After some peanut butter sandwiches we pushed on for another few hours. We were tiring fast and it was becoming clear we wouldn´t reach
campamiento italiano. When we arrived at camping los cuernos, the site 2 hours before italiano, we decided to stop.
Camping los Cuernos is on the site of one of the refugios. Refugios are basic hostals offering a bed and food that are an alternative to camping in the park. Pretty expensive option though with accommodation at us$38 per person per night and dinner an additional us$17 per person! They also offer some facilities to campers (who pay just us$7 per person per night) such as showers, warm indoor area to hang out and sometimes a kitchen. Most sell some basic essentials such as pasta, soup, beer and wine!
After a tough day´s walking we were starving hungry so cooked up a feast of chicken soup followed by pasta with ham, mushrooms, cheese and mayo - acompanied by a terrible bottle of red we bought from the refugio. It was really cold so we appreciated the warmth of the refugio´s restaurant for a couple of hours. When we woke the next morning our tent was covered in frost but we´d slept well thanks to the super warm down sleeping bags we´d hired.
The first leg of day 3
started with the 2h walk to italiano that we´d wimped out of the night before. Thank god we didn´t push on! It was probably the most difficult stretch so far and took 2.5 hours with our freshly rested legs. The terrain was challenging, the path was difficult to follow and there were a few steep hills.
Campamiento Italiano is part way up Valle del Frances and close to the base of the glacier there. Part of the glacier is high in the mountains separated from the lower section by a vertical drop. The glacier was quite active. The previous night we heard pieces of the upper glacier falling and on the way to italiano we saw an avalanche. We had lunch on an island in the glacial stream just outside the campsite and watched for pieces of falling ice. Typically, nothing happened while we were watching.
Campamiento Italiano is the normal base camp for people to trek up valle del frances, the middle leg of the W walk. Having arrived at lunchtime and still feeling tired we decided to skip it, saving our energy for the final leg to glacier grey, and pushed on to camp pehoe.
We arrived at camping pehoe (another refugio campsite) at 4pm. It was the busiest camp site so far but easily the best. There was soft, flat ground, a well stocked shop, free cooking facilities and new toilets and showers. Met a couple of brits camping nearby who´d been badly informed that the park was warm this time of year. As a consequence they´d frozen their arses off for 3 days and barely slept.
Day 4 - our bags were getting noticeably lighter. Another cold start with more frost but clear and sunny without any wind. This was a bonus because our walk to Glacier Grey passed through an area called the "Camino de los vientos" (path of the wind). Judging by the angle of the trees it would have been a fierce head wind. After a couple of hours we got our first glimpse of Lago Grey with its huge ice bergs. The glacier came into view a short while later and was an amazing sight. When we arrived at the campsite near the base of the glacier we walked along the lake shore and sat and watched for falling ice. Again, nothing doing.
The campsite was very
quiet, just us and an american couple. We were told by the refugio manager that in the high season they squeeze 50 tents onto the site - who knows where. Spent the evening in the warmth of the refugio chatting with a group of americans and drinking beer. Before we went to bed the refugio manager pulled me aside and warned me not to leave my shoes outside the tent. Apparently they have a problem with foxes stealing walking boots! Loosing your only shoes out there would be a nightmare.
We decided to stay an extra day in the park rather than getting up early and rushing back to Pehoe, 4.5 hours away, to catch the 12.30 ferry. We slept late (9am) which gave our tent time to dry out after the rain we´d had in the night. The weather had changed and the walk back to Pehoe was windy with threatening clouds. Luckily it didn´t rain. Considering how harsh conditions can be in the park, we had amazing weather almost the entire time.
We had a super time in the park but heading home on day 6 was a relief. I was ready for a shower, comfortable
bed and some proper food.
Having enjoyed seeing Glacier Grey so much we decided to take a day trip into Argentina to see the
Perito Morano glacier. It was a long way. Setting off at 7am we reached El Calafate, about 40 minutes from the glacier, at 11.30 to pick up our Argentinia guide. On the way to the glacier she explained that its particularly famous because of a phenomenon called "the rupture". From time to time ice from the glacier closes a small channel between 2 parts of the huge Lago Argentina. This causes the water level to rise on one side of the glacier by upto 30m! Eventually the water breaks through forming a tunnel in the glacier - the day of the rupture.
We took the boat ride to edge of the glacier. Incredible to see it so close and watch small pieces of ice fall into the water. Very touristy though (our company consisted of sevreal elderly Aussies who kept shouting "Wahey!!!!!" when something fell in). This was followed by a hour´s walk on shore at the face of the glacier. Without the noise of the boats engines we could hear the eerie sounds of ice
creaking and splitting. There´s something very mesmerising about watching the ice, waiting for something to happen. I could have sat there all day (rapidly developing hyperthermia) but all too quickly it was time to hop back in the minivan for the 4 hour trip back to Chile.
We returned to Punta Arenas the next day hoping to bring forward our flight to Puerto Montt by a couple of days. However, we arrived on a Sunday and this was followed by a public holiday on Monday. Went to the LAN Airline office first thing Tuesday and managed to get a flight that afternoon.
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Calum
Calum Shaw
Yes, but did they speak Welsh??
Not sure if you were near there, but I think in Chubut there is a Welsh colony. You're blogs are great. Keep up the good work. You must also be super fit by now. All that exercise at altitude. Keep on trekkin! C