http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Chile , Magallanes , Torres del Paine en-us Sat, 25 May 2013 00:37:58 +0000 Sat, 25 May 2013 00:37:58 +0000 Rveil plus matinal que dhabitude mais pas si tt que a en cette saison dpart la frontale mais toujours en Tshirt manches longues japplique les conseils la lettre ce qui fait que je dmarre en trombe pour me rchaufferpour ralentir quand mme un peu plus tard. Au final mme dure que la veille et nous sommes en haut 7h05 soit avant le lever du jour voil http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-784574.html Aprs une visite nocturne de rongeurs prs de la tente qui ont quelque peu coup le sommeil cest reparti pour une journe qui est annonce comme longue dans le programme ah oui parce quavant ctait tranquille nestce pas. Donc pour la premire fois nous arrivons partir avant 9h victoire Et finalement cest vrai que a naura pas t court mais le changement http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-784573.html Aujourdhui au programme dcouverte de la Valle Frances le matin puis enchainer pour rejoindre le prochain stop pour la nuit. Lavantage de lemplacement du campement Italiano cest quen plus du fait quil est gratuit donc pas de douche et toilettes sches mais a je ne le compte pas dans les avantages il nous permet de faire lallerretour dans la valle Frances sans le http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-784569.html http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-784334.html Le bus vient nous prendre 7h30 nous arrivons lentre du parc 10h avec un brief des gardes forestiers sur les dangers des feux incendies malheureux en 2008 et 2011 causs par des touristes qui ont compltement dtruit des hectares de vgtation. Comme nous voulons faire le circuit douest en est comme un vrai W quon crit nous restons dans le bus jusquau prochain a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-784332.html Torres Del Paine The W trail.We left El Calafate for Puerto Natales on the bus after seeing two real life gauchos ride past us and head out for the plains while we were having breakfast. It was on our list of things to do to head out on horse back with a group of gauchos and catch our supper of steak over an open fire but unfortunately we didn39t have time to do everything especially if we w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-784221.html We awake on day 7 to a day that looks like it might be ok as the wind has died down and the rain has stopped. However the mountains towering over the camp site are shrouded in misty low cloud. I was tasked the night before to wake everyone39s sorry arse up at 7am as we have a long days walking ahead. It is still relatively dark but the sun is trying its best to break through.After rousing a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-778771.html Today is not only day 6 of our trek but also Mojo39s birthday I wake early after getting a soso sleep. The additional mat has made a world of difference and provided some welcomed padding. But as we had the backpacks in the tent during the night to provide some extra weight so we did not fly away it was cramped. Also as the tent is not as it should be i was hit in the face with one of http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-778719.html Woke up on day 5 sore cold. Sore in the legs as well as from the permanent bruises we have formed on our hips and shoulders from sleeping on the hard ground. We want to walk to Refugio Grande Paine today a total of 21km over a slightly undulating landscape. More oats and dolche de leche getting rather tired of this for breaky now and a cup of tea to get us going plus some antiinflammatory t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-778649.html Today is the big day... Time to tackle the Paso John Gardner with an ascent of more than 600 metres to above 1000 metres and then descending 800 metres on the other side. We are up early after a bloody cold night and the temperature is still hovering around 0 degrees. Our fingers go numb quickly as we pack up the tent warming them with some tea and a big bowl of oats and dolche de leche kind http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-778475.html We wake to a beautiful day an absolute contrast to the day before. We have spectacular views to the mountain ranges surrounding us and realise why it was so cold the night before there is an enormous glacier which the wind was blowing across straight onto the campsite. There is also small icebergs floating down the river. It seems that the cold i finally shook off a few days prior has come back http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-778465.html Day 2 begins nicely with the sun shining but very fresh. We knew from the weather forecast that today was going to be a bad weather day with wind over 100km and heavy rain. We quickly scoff down some breakfast and make tracks before we freeze as it takes a while for the sun to rise and heat up. We have 19km to cover to get to Refugio Dickson.The first hours walk is similar to the day before qui http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-778446.html Today we ventured off to Torres Del Paine to tackle the circuit which is the famous 39W39 trek plus the backside of the national park. It39s around 90100km and you need to be self sufficient. So the previous day we went out and bought our supplies and hired a tent and some sleeping mats as we were unable to make our thermarests fit when we left Oz. We were pretty limited in what foo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-778305.html After 3 weeks and a lot of southbound travelling we have eventually made it all the way down to Puerto Natales home to the Torres del Paine National Park a well sought after place amongst South American travellers. This is the furthest south we will ever get probably ever in our lives being only a thousand kilometres away from Antarctica. Safe to say its chilly on a night.The first thing on http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-777839.html Hi everyoneI39m writing this part of our adventure from our bus to Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas a 3 hour bus journey that will take us to our next departure point tomorrow for Puerto Montt further north in Chile.But for the time being it is time for me to tell you a little bit more about our trek in Tores del Paine and reflect on this beautiful 4 days we spent in the Chilean National park. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-777472.html Having completed the epic journey to Antarctica there was little rest or time for contemplation as the next destination was already decided. I was heading back into Chile to trek 5 days in the Torres del Paine National Park. I was already planning to do this before getting to Argentina but the departure date of the Antarctica trip forced me to delay it. I guess that can be forgiven.A 16 hour bus http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-775991.html The flyout option from Antarctica took us into Punta Arenas... and so how could we not take a few days in Torres del Paine national park on the way home We had a couple of days in Punta Arenas enjoying doing our laundry and being back on land. We also went to the biggest tourist attraction in the town the cemetary. I guess it was interesting to see the size of the mausoleums etc but I fo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-775174.html Following our break in El Calafate we headed west to Chile and the famous Torres del Paine national park. We got picked up by our bus at 5am. The trip across the border was loaded with vast arid landscapes speckled with occasional sitings of rhea large ostrich like birds and guancos wild llamas.After 6 hrs of driving with occasional bathroom breaks and view stops one of which we saw the dev http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-774657.html Highs The W trek was awesome in the true sense of the word not awesome like a hotdog. The erratic rock hostal owned by a larger than life American guy named bill who makes his own bread and a fine omelette in the morning And the people we met along the way all so friendly and nice particularly Stijn who we met in El Calafate and Dragos who we met in the hostal both of whom we trekked t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-771690.html Southern Patagonia is wild desolate windy and home to Chiles most famous and well visited national park Torres del Paine. Its crowning glory are the three stunning granite towers torres and the whole area is a hikers heaven It is full of spectacular lagoons glaciers rolling untamed grasslands and high snow covered peaks. It also the site of Chiles oldest human habitation indigen http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-768665.html