Torres del Paine
Sorry for the long wait since the last post. Internet in Patagonia has been hard to come by. We started this trail on February 16.
Leaving Santiago was not a difficult decision, but we left without fully understanding what we were getting into. Patagonia is a big place.
Patagonia offers a treasure-trove of hiking and adventuring, and Torres del Paine is one of the crown jewels. People come from all over the world to hike its trails, which means large crowds.
There are two main circuits in the park: the “W” and “O”. The W offers a view of the famous “torres,” and with it, easier hikes. The corresponding droves of people turned us off, so we opted for the “O”, which is a circuit around the backside of the park.
Every day gave us different terrain and landscapes including rivers, waterfalls, deciduous forests, lakes, and glaciers. Conditions changed hourly. Wind exceeded 100 kph at parts, but luckily that calmed when it snowed…
Day 1: Laguna Amarga to Serrano Camp
Torres del Paine is like Disneyland for hikers. From Puerto Natales, you take a bus for 2 1/2 hours with a bus load of gore-tex clad “senderistas.” Once in the park, you jump in line to receive required documentation, pay proper fees, etc.
After some confusion and last-minute decisions, we set out on our hike. Shortly after leaving the administration building we encountered the wind I mentioned. Later we learned that the wind knocked over a tour bus, it’s occupants still inside. Luckily, no one was killed.
After 4 1/2 hours we arrived at Serrano camp. Almost all the camps have “refugios,” where you cook your meal. You can even buy a beer, box of wine, or cookies. How many times have we summitted a hike in the Cascades and wanted a cold beer? That’s STANDARD in Chile! Most of the camps also offer hot meals and bed, but one needs to reserve those far in advance. (Also, flush toilets and sinks, in various states of repair.)
Day 2: Serrano to Dickson Camp
Weather changes hourly, and shortly after our arrival at Serrano it began to rain. The temperature dropped and the next morning we woke up to sleet. We learned how “impermeable” our waterproof pants actually were, which was very little. Oh well, the rain and sleet stopped after 30 minutes of hiking, and our persistence began to pay-off.
We had about 5 hours of beautiful hiking until the rain and snow rolled-in again. Luckily the refugio at Dickson offered a wood-burning stove, cold beer, and a chance to meet our fellow hikers. Since everyone who starts on the same day has the same destination, you have a cohort of people to meet. We got to know some great people from all over the world. While cramped in a refugio, boiling a pot of rice and lentils, we chatted with Chileans, Venezualans, Swiss, Australian, French, German, Japanese, and even the exotic Canadian. Like a little United Nations summit in Patagonia.
Day 3: Dickson to Los Perros.
This was an easy 4 hour hike through rivers, waterfalls, and deciduous forest. The weather was beautiful and trail was easy. Nothing much to report. No news is good news, here.
Day 4: Los Perros to Lago Grey
We prepared for this day to be the most challenging. Over the last few days, were steadily gained altitude without feeling it very much. However, on the fourth day we actually had to climb the pass. We woke up early, prepared for a six hour hike to El Paso camp.
We needed about 3 hours to summit. The “trail” was tough — fresh mud, unmarked streams, loads of rocks and boulders. Once we arrived at the treeline, we found snow between 1 foot and 3 inches. This was a tough trail for us, but we later heard that we had it easy. People who summited the day before had to break 2 feet of snow.
After summiting, we descended for 3 hours down a steep trail made precarious by mud. We arrived at El Paso camp only to find that its tent sites were limited. After a little discussion we pressed on to the final camp, Lago Grey, which was another 3–5 hours down the road… depending on who you asked.
In the end, we hiked 11 hours after summitting a mountain pass. We’d never done that before. For the physical strain, we were rewarded with gorgeous weather and constant views of Glacier Grey and great weather.
The next day we hiked 3 1/2 hours, which we completed with much less gusto, to Paine Grande. From there we hopped on a small ferry, where we caught our bus, and back to Puerto Natales.
This trek catalyzed our trip to Patagonia. We found the loads of people overwhelming, but justified. We’ve decided to work our way north along the Carretera Austral for the next few weeks, so the trek kickstarted our trip in Patagonia and won’t be the last.
