Torres del Paine

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Nachdaem mir mit es Bitzeli Verspaetig im Park Torres del Paine ahcho si, si mir voller Entusiasmus churz nach der Ahkunft i der erschte Lodge (Las Torres) ufbroche zu de beruehmte Torres. Das isch ds Felsmassiv, wo daem Park der Name gaeh het. Ufem Waeg hei mir zwoei Schwiizer troffe, wo ues gseit hei, si sige jetz 3 Taeg i der Noechi vo dene Gipfel campiert und es heigi nume gschiffet und si heige ueberhoupt nuet gseh. Vo der Lodge us hei mir d'Torres ou no nid gseh, aber es het so usgseh, aus wuerdis no ufmache. De hei mir ues a Ufstiig gmacht, wo mit oepe 4 Stund ahgaeh gsi isch. Mit uesne chline Rucksaeck hei mir de inkl. Pouse oepe 3.5 Stund gha und wie bstellt isch es dobe ahcho wunderschoens Waetter gsi. Und chum han ig mi Rucksack abzoge gha und d'Chape wieder ahgleit, woes doch scho wieder raecht chueu isch gsi, het mir ae junge Typ sis Toepfli mit Mate Tee ahbotte und es Schoggi Guetzli! Das isch no ae raechti Begruessig uf em ne Gipfel gsi :-)) Aer isch vo Buenos Aires cho und het voller Stolz mit ues Aenglisch gred ;-) Nachdaem mir de aui gaegesitig Foeteli fuer enang gmacht hei, si mir de wieder abe gloffe und hei gfunde, dass das ganze doch gar nid so ahstraengend isch....

Und denn isch der zwoeti Tag cho. Ig ha irgendwo glaese gha, dass me jewils sis Gepaeck vo eire Lodge i die naechschti choenni la transportiere...dem war leider nicht so!!! Die einzigi Mueglechkeit waeri no per Ross gsi, aber die si scho aui usbuechet gsi. Und das het beduetet, dass mir ueses ganze sch... Gepaeck ueber Stock und Stei hei mitgschleppt. Mi Rucksack isch de inklusiv em Chline draghaenkt sicher oepe 20 kg schwaer gsi...und am Thomas sine no es bitzeli schwaerer. Die erschti "Laschteselstrecki" isch de oepe 11 km laeng gsi und mir hei oepe 6 Stund derfuer bruucht. Ds Waetter het ou no mitgspieut und es het nume oepe die es bitzeli troepfelet.

Denn isch der naechschti Tag cho...won ig ufgwachet bi, hani scho gspuert, dass ig chli schwaer treit ha am letschte Tag. Es bitzeli Muskelkater und d'Schultere chli verspannt...aber ig ha ja schliesslech ae guete Rucksack gchouft und mit es Bitzeli Optimismus chunnt das scho guet. Oepe am haubi Nueni si mer de abgloffe fuer die naechschti 11 km Etappe, wo doch raecht ahspruchsvoll mit einige Hoehemeter gsi isch...und denn hets ahgfange schiffe und het nuemme ufghoert der ganzi Tag!! Mir hei de irgend wenn einisch no oesi Rucksaech chli behelfsmaessig verpackt aber es isch am Schluss gliich aues meh oder weniger nass worde. Wenigschtens hei mir uesi subere Chleider i Plastiksaeck verpackt gha! Aber aues was mir hei anne gha isch nass gsi...inkl. Unterhose und Schueh. Es het vo obe graegnet und der Wanderwaeg isch meh Bach als Waeg gsi. Und mit daem bloede schwaere Rucksack isch es natuerlech ou nid wuerklech besser gange. Gaege die 4i si mir de doch aendlech bi der naechschte Lodge ahcho und ig bi gloub no nie so froh gsi, ae Rucksack abdszieh und unter d'Duschi ds gah. Und denn han ig ds erschte Mau mini Chnoei und Fuess es bitzeli genauer ahglueget. Und beidi si es bitzeli gschwulle gsi.

Am naechschte Morge hei mir zum Glueck choenne uesi grosse Rucksaeck i dere Lodge deponiere, fuer ds letschte Stueck vo dere Tour ds mache. Suesch haet ig dert gloub muesse kapituliere. Mini Chnoei si ueber Nacht no meh gschwulle und ig ha se nuemme richtig choenne biege. Aber zum loufe mit em ne liechte Rucksach isch no einigermasse gange.

De si mir de no zum Grey Gletscher gloffe, was no einisch oepe 10 km gsi si und ca. 3 Stund duuret het. Dae Gletscher isch ou super schoen gsi zum ahluege und der Thomas het mir de no es Stueckli Eisberg usem See gfischet zum mini Chnoei chuele. Unterwaegs hei mir no zwe Staecke gfunde und de hani sogar no "Wanderstoeck" gha, zum mini Glaenk es bitzeli ds schohne.

Nach ere Nacht im Grey Refugio isch es de ufe Rueckwaeg id Grande Paine Mountain Lodge gange, dert churz T-shirt waechsle und denn mit em Catamaran uebere See fahre und ahschliessend mit em Bus zrugg nach Puerto Natales.

In Puerto Natales hei mir de grad no ae Bus choenne bueche nach Punta Arenas, wo mir de ueses Outo am naechschte Tag hei muesse go abhole. Schlussaendlech si mir de oepe am 11 am Abe in Punta Arenas ahcho und hei ou scho aes Hostal vo Puerto Natales us reserviert gha. Es waeri eigentlech aues guet gsi und mir si ou scho mit em Taxi vorem Hostal gstande, wo der Thomas ploetzlech gmerkt het, dass aer si chlii Rucksack mit der Kamera im Bus het la ligge!! Denn isch aer mit em Taxi nomau ad Busstation zrugg gfahre aber der Bus isch scho waeg gsi. Das het de vor allem fuer mi chli ae unruehigi Nacht gaeh....haett mi scho extrem ahgschiesse, wenn die Phoeteli vom Torres del Paine und vo der Faehrifahrt waeg waere gsi. Und um d'Kamera waers natuerlech ou mega schaad gsi. Aber die Frau vom Hostal isch super naett gsi und het de aus erschts am Morge fuer ues bi der Busfirma ahgluetet und het ihne gseit si soeue doch luege wo dae Rucksack isch. Die hei de zersch Mau gfunde der Bus sigi eh i der Reparatur und mir soeue de am 10ni no einisch ahluete. Mir si de uf die Zit bi ihrem Buero verbi gange und grad i daem Momaent isch der Bus vorgfahre und der Chauffeur het mir der Rucksack mit em ne riise Strahle i d'Hand drueckt und isch mir ume Hals gfalle :-))) Der Thomas het ihm de no es Trinkgaeld gaeh und ab denn isch d'Waelt wieder ir Ornig gsi. Im Hostal hei mir no churz ae Frou vo Duetschland troffe, wo sit 14 Moenet in Suedamerika unterwaegs isch gsi. Si isch de ou am Namittag uf die gliichi Faehre nach Tierra del Fuego cho wie mir, allerdings ohni Auto. Si het de gfunde das goengi de scho irgendwie, aber me gsehng sech de sicher no uf der Faehre.

Mir si de i der Zwueschezit go ds Auto am Flughafe abhole und go es Busticket nach Rio Gallegos choufe, damit mir de gueti Plaetz hei, fuer wenn mir vo uesne 5 Taeg Tierra del Fuego zrugg choeme.


English Speakers this is your part - so pay close attention;-)

Got to Torres del Paine and left our big backpacks at the first lodge. With only the small backpacks we left for the first part of the 'W' (there is a tour in the Nat'l park called the W because the paths in total looks like a W and takes about 4 - 5 days to hike).

On the way we met some other Swisses that had just spent some 2-3 days camping at the base of the Torres (which are 3 distinct summits that gave the park its name) and due to only rainy weather had decided to stop their camping in search for other places w/more sunshine.
Those we felt lucky to hike in sunshine - accompanied by the patagonian wind - and got to the top and actually had a nice view of the Torres. At the top we also met a guy from Buenos Aires who offered us Mate (special south american tea with distinct herbs and served in these small cups made of leather or other fine material). The walk down was again accompanied by sunshine which gave us the chance to really enjoy the fantastic view and the beautiful nature. Easy day for Swiss which are used to mountains were our last thoughts before going to sleep...

2nd day - we had to hike 11k's. Caro had somehow in mind there would be a transport for heavy luggage - well there wasn't, and all the horses which we tried to hire to carry our luggage were already booked by riders... Which left us with our big and small backpacks - with ALL our stuff - making the total weight to about 20kg's... However, the weather was good - some clouds, some sun and lots of wind - such that it took us with breaks about 6hours to walk the 2nd part of the 'W'.

Day 3 - wake up with a little bit of sore mussels but other than that nothing to complain about - weather looked stable and we left the lodge around 8.30am. The rain started about 10min after leaving the lodge - and didn't stop all day long. Our hike took us the next 11k's, wet brushes and foliage, small creeks running down the path's and sometimes some wind as a refresher. Around 4'ish we got to the next lodge - all wet, including our backpacks, socks, underpants, just everything. What a luxury to take of the backpack for the day!

At the lodge we transformed our double bed into a cloth hanger to dry our staff, had ourselves a hot shower and after a treat to a pisco sour we felt much better again. Caro's knees looked a little swollen - probably the price you have to pay for carrying too much weight.
That night we got to enjoy a movie night - some adventure movies that were shown as part of a south american movie tour - climbing mountain Aconcagua (the highest mountain in S'america), free climbing, skiing etc.

Day 4 - luckily we could leave the heavy luggage at the lodge (were we wanted to return to the day after anyhow). Caro's knee's looked even bigger and she would've had had to quit with the large luggage - however with the lighter version we got under way. After only 3hours we got to the next lodge were we stayed for the night before hiking back to the last lodge the day after.
Got our backpacks again and boarded a ferry which brought us to the buses which then took us back to Puerto Natales. Here we got lucky and directly boarded the next bus to Punto Arenas (further south in Chile and boardering with 'Tiera del Fuego' - the most southern part of Chile/Argentina.

Getting of the bus at Punto Arenas I somehow forgot the small backpack under my seat (containing a Nikon camera / credit cards and more) - as by that time I was carrying 2 large bagpacks due to Caro's swollen knees.
We only noted when we got of the taxi at the hostal were we stayed for the night. The bus had already left (for repairs) and the busoffice was closed for the night. The next morning however we went back to the bus office when the busdriver just got in and handed us the bagpack with all contents - that was worth some extra payment for the driver.

With that completed, we went to get our rental car and soon thereafter left punto arenas by ferry to cross over to Tiera del Fuego.

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Comments

[Lori L.]

Wow! I can't believe that you got the backpack back with all of the stuff! And I hope that Caro's knees are better soon! You're trip sounds so amazing!