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Trip Report: Torres del Paine, Patagonia (Chile)

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Tak3r United Kingdom749 Posts January 18 2016 06:59 GMT #1 Hello This is my story of trekking the Torres del Paine in Patagonia, doing an extended W trek since the O was sadly closed at the time. Hope you like it! Day 1, Mirador Condor 12/04/2015 Torres del Paine… Everyone who ever thought about going to Patagonia certainly knows about this location. It is utterly breath taking and I saved it for the end of my trip in southern Chile. Making my way from Puerto Natales, I came prepared with enough food for the six day hike around the famous towers. Check out this update to find out what happened during the first day hiking to Mirador Condor and especially about the unexpected visitor in the night, preventing me from getting any sleep. I was once again in the right spot at the right time, purchasing the round trip bus tickets to the Torres for just 10.000 pesos, rather than the usual 15.000 pesos. The bus left early in the morning and took two hours, dropping me and a few people I met in the bus between the first and second of overall three stops. From there, we hiked up to a viewpoint called “Mirador Condor” after paying the 18.000 entry fee earlier. We also received our badges, which stated all the (partly ridiculous) rules about the park as well as the closing times of each camp site. Being in off season, we should not have too many troubles with rangers though and I would even try to do the complete O-trek rather than the standard W-trek even though the maps indicated that it would be closed. Let’s see… After some rain in the morning, we hiked up to the Mirador in perfect weather conditions. Making a little loop through the grass, we eventually reached the viewpoint and were stunned with the beauty of the landscape. The water, the mountains, the blue sky – everything was just so perfect and I was really curious if the remaining days could get any better than this! Heading down on the official path, we picked up our backpacks again and had lunch while some Caracara birds tried to snatch some of it. The next part of the hike was along a long road for about 8km. Usually, you could try to hitch hike here, but we were five people and obviously not picked up by the few cars that passed. We stopped at Salto Chico, a small but very powerful waterfall close to a hotel with a nice view of the Mountains in the background. It actually turned out to be pretty amazing there! Heading back on the road, we reached the Administration soon after and split up when the two couples continued to the camp spot while I was having a bigger break to have a second lunch Giving them a half an hour head start, I actually made it to the camp site at the same time. The hike was really pleasant along with the slowly setting sun, putting the fields in beautiful golden colours. A lot of clouds came up once I reached the camp site and it got dark pretty fast. Setting up the tent was the first priority now; and it was actually the very first time to use my new tent, purchased just two days ago. I gathered some hay below, hoping to provide some more comfort during the night after losing my inflatable sleeping matt. The campsite was called campamento las carretas, but during the course of the first night I would have loved to rename it to campamento las ratas! Despite the fact that I was already hiding all my food in extra bags high up in the trees, I was still being harassed by one or two annoying little rats. The camp site was really dirty and we already anticipated them, but apparently having no food at all inside the tent was not enough to prevent any visits and it seemed like they were attracted to the smell of my brand new tent. As if the annoying sound of the rat crawling around and even on top of the tent was not enough, it also tried to get inside and I ended up with 4 little holes in the tent, big enough for the rat to stick her nose through. Sleeping was, unfortunately, not an option for the first night… Day 1 Statistics: Distance hiked: 22,5km Time spent: 5h 25m

lichter 1001 YEARS KESPAJAIL22272 Posts January 18 2016 07:11 GMT #2 i hate you as usual as i type this from my office

Saechiis Netherlands4989 Posts January 18 2016 15:37 GMT #3 ^

Tak3r United Kingdom749 Posts January 22 2016 17:03 GMT #4 Haha

Tak3r United Kingdom749 Posts February 02 2016 05:22 GMT #5 Is anyone familiar with Wordpress.org and can me help with my problem? Thanks!

Tak3r United Kingdom749 Posts February 05 2016 12:06 GMT #6 The second part is ready! Day 2, Grey Glacier 13/04/2015 I was happy to leave the rat-infested camp of the first night behind and fixed the holes in my new tent. Happy for the sun to provide warmth after a cold morning, I soon got to see the first splendid views on Glaciar Grey in the distance. My plan was to hike up to Paso John Gardner, but I knew that the circuit was officially closed and when two french hikers passed me on the way down after being sent back from a ranger, I had to come up with a damn good first impression in order to convince him to let me pass… I was not particularity pleased with the first night. Rats were attracted to my new tent, trying desperately to give me some company inside and they would even climb up the trees and then jump on top of my little home!! I did not get a lot of sleep since I was either annoyed by the noise they made or busy hitting their little noses poking through the tent. After fixing it with duct tape in the morning, I started to hike at 09:30 while everyone else was still having their breakfast. The sun showcased the grass in a beautiful golden color on the ground while the horizon was filled by blue sky and the majestic mountains – such a delight for the eye! I reached a good spot with a view on the lake and unwrapped all my wet equipment from the morning temperatures while having lunch and waited for the others to arrive. They turned up about 90 minutes later, just when I was about to leave. We walked together for a bit along the picture perfect lake, reflecting mirror images from the peaks inside of it. The couples needed another break and I was heading towards Camp Grey on my own again. Walking up a gentle slope, I could finally see the ice cap of the Grey Glacier for the first time. The view was just incredible and I could not wait to get closer to it! Approaching Camp Grey, I was not sure if anybody would try to stop me to move forward toward Paso John Gardner, which I knew was closed off. I just walked right through the camp and nobody tried to stop me, so my hopes were high to actually make it to a smaller camp called Las Guardas up the hills for the night before heading to the pass the next morning. The path led me close to the glacier for some great views before entering a forest again, containing a lot of hard-working woodpeckers that were not disturbed at all by my presence. Further along the trek, I met two french hikers that were just sent down by a ranger patrolling high up to the entry of the John Gardner pass. I was not happy to hear the news and hoping to make friends and convince with him to let me pass. Crossing a huge hanging bridge over a big gorge, I actually ran into the ranger just 20 minutes after. My plan to leave a good first impression worked out perfectly and I could actually continue my trek! He judged me as an experienced hiker and allowed me to continue my trek up until the pass, even telling me about hidden food supplies near the old camp. I promised him to report back the next day at his ranger house close to the lake and set up my tent on top of a thick layer of moss, making sure I would have a much more comfortable night compared to the first! I even had time to trek through the forest for about five minutes to get a good view on the glacier and the last minutes of sunshine, before the sun disappeared behind the mountains. No rats should be around in this altitude either, so I was looking forward to a good night’s sleep finally… Day 2 Statistics: Distance hiked: 24km Time spent: 6h 20m

Tak3r United Kingdom749 Posts February 08 2016 13:30 GMT #7 Next part is up, dont have time to put the text and pics in here now but check it out on my blog if you cant wait

Tak3r United Kingdom749 Posts February 15 2016 11:37 GMT #8 Hey! The report of day 3 is out, hope you enjoy it as well Oh and I just quit my job again today, flights to Africa are now booked to travel full time again with a quick trip to the balkans first in a week from now Happy times! Day 3, John Gardner Pass 14/04/2015 The third day of my trek in Torres del Paine National Park would finally lead me to one of the highlights: Paso John Gardner. I was happy to wake up full of energy after a very comfortable night without any rats around this time and had to cross a second hanging bridge, spanned high above the valley at an awesome viewpoint of the glacier. Taking pictures in that situation turned out to be pretty difficult because of the bridge’s movement.. A very unstable ladder helped me to climb down a cliff face and reach the second hanging bridge. Compared to the first one from yesterday, it was even longer and higher, resulting in even more vibrations as soon as you start walking on it. Throw in a tiny handrail and you got your self into a pretty shacky situation! Nevertheless, the view on the glacier from the middle of the bridge was just too amazing to not take any pictures, so I reached for my camera and carefully took some pictures while the bridge was still swinging. I’m usually not that afraid of heights, but in this situation I was just worried about dropping my camera and really relieved to have made it to the other side! I just wonder how people suffering from fear of heights are supposed to cross this stage of the trek… The trek would lead me higher and higher, crossing several forest until I finally reached the wide open last bit towards Paso John Gardner. From here on, the complete ice field presented itself in front of me in an amazing panorama. Having seen multiple glaciers in my life already, I was familiar with the view but nevertheless still amazed about the visual effects it had on me. Staring at the immense collecting of moving ices for a while, I eventually started the last twenty minute ascent towards the pass. Once I got to the top at 11:45, all I could see was a little pole with some flags on it. The view on the glacier from here was not as good as on the way anymore and the other side showcased a deep valley that is usually crossed to complete the O trek. The view towards that side was not too amazing though and I had no problems leaving it behind, instead going back the same way I came to reach the camp site and my backpack again – and a long overdue lunch! After passing Camp Grey again around 16:30, I still had one thing left to do: Report to Esteban, the friendly ranger that let me pass yesterday! It was really easy to find his house and he seemed happy to see me again, even offering me to put up my tent next to his house at the beach instead of spending the 4300 pesos at the camp site. I went out to check the nearby viewpoint of the glacier and enjoyed the silence and cold evening of Patagonia’s autumn, without too many people around. Heading back to Esteban, I was introduced to two of his friends and we spent the evening together watching some of my climbing movies, eating delicious freshly baked bread and having nice conversations. A situation I was certainly not expecting to end up in, but I was very happy that I did. After a rather cold shower, I crawled into my tent at the beach and woke up cold early morning. My tent was covered in frost and I witnessed the slow change of colors in the black night sky, before getting some more sleep and waiting for the sun to rise up behind the mountains in the distance.. Day 3 Statistics: Distance hiked: 20km Time spent: 8h 00m >> All Pictures

Tak3r United Kingdom749 Posts February 22 2016 17:34 GMT #9 Got the next part ready Cheers, Chris Day 4, Vallé Frances 15/04/2015 The ice on my tent was a remnant of the bitter cold night and I had to start walking in my shorts after falling to the ground and opening up a wound on my knee. I couldn’t help but smile when I was asked if I would be heading to the beach! My final destination for the day would be Mirador of Vallé Frances though, offering a first close-up view on the famous Torres. After my little accident on the ice, I made quick progress towards Campo Italiano and arrived there at 2PM for lunch. The route until that point was just backtracking from the previous day, allowing me to focus on the walking rather than taking pictures I then quickly did the check in and set up of my tent before heading out towards Vallé Frances at 3PM. The trail led me through a big boulder field and a lot of people had just returned from the 3-hour hike, making me realise that I was actually pretty late and the last person to head towards the viewpoint! The following uphill path with trees on each side was really beautiful thanks to the warm and soft sunlight peaking through the leaves as I was slowly entering the golden hour. I was told that the end of the trail will offer a 360° Panoramic view – however, looking at the landscape and taking into account that I should not have much more than an hour to walk from the Glacier View point, I was starting to doubt that. After some time walking through yet another forest section and drinking from the streams (which actually made me even more thirsty!), I eventually had the first good view on the back side of the Torres. The last remaining hikers told me that I was very close to the viewpoint and when I finally arrived, completely alone and enjoying the last moments of day light and the more or less 130° “Panorama” view, I could give my hurting toes a well deserved break of all the hiking today. I was making it back to the camp in complete darkness, had a quick dinner and fell asleep really fast after an exhausting day with nearly 30km distance covered. Day 4 Statistics: Distance hiked: 28,35km Time spent: 6h 22m >> All Pictures

Tak3r United Kingdom749 Posts February 27 2016 18:36 GMT #10 Hey guys! Greetings from Greece and have fun with the 5th and final part of this series The Final Days! 16/04/2015 It was the fifth and final (full) day of my trek through Torres del Paine. The weather conditions remained the same; a freezing cold morning, followed by a great sunny day. I would make my way through an impressive canyon before attempting an early morning sunrise hike towards the Torres Lake, hoping that the weather would stick around for just a bit longer as rain was dominating the forecast in the next days.. The hike during the first half of the day was not as spectacular as the ones before until I reached the canyon, leaving me yet again astonished by the beauty of the landscape. I was also joined by three other guys and together we made our way downwards to the river and then into a forest, which would eventually lead us to the camp site for the night. I found a nice spot next to a small stream and could collect some moss for more comfort again. Meeting up with the British guys from yesterday was not only great for the brilliant company they provided, but also for the dinner they kindly shared with me after losing about 20% of my food supply due to the rat attack in the first night. Everyone went to bed early and we all had the same plan: Get up around 6AM to see the famous Torres peaks close up from the Lake. It was only a good hour of walking in general, but you want to be there early enough just in case. I knew that I would beat that time though, giving me some more time to sleep until 7AM. Sadly enough, the weather forecast was correct and I was faced with a lot of rain going uphill. The rocks were slippery and I had to be careful, but I made it up quickly anyway in about half an hour and joined the waiting group at the lake. You could not see a lot of change during the sunrise time, too many clouds were blocking any light. At least, after half an hour waiting around 8:30AM, the clouds just in front of me disappeared again and I could see the Torres finally. The rest of the group had already left the lake by the time as they were probably being cold from waiting here too early. I could make some pictures and witnessed the impressive sound of ice crushing down the glacier before heading back as well. The rain stopped as I reached camp and I could enjoy a nice last (and long) hike back towards the starting point of the circuit. Everyone else decided to wait for the shuttle taking them there, but I still had enough energy left to finish the hike by walking. Some nice views came up on the way back and I made it there way ahead of the shuttle buses, allowing me to dry my gear a little bit in the sun before boarding the bus that would take me back to Puerto Natales. Hiking in Torres del Paine has been absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait to get to New Zealand next, probably one of the few places that could potentially top this experience… Day 5 Statistics: Distance hiked: 20km Time spent: 5h 20m Day 6 Statistics: Distance hiked: 18,2km Time spent: 4h 36m Total Altitude.. ..gain: 7426m ..loss: 7364m >> All Pictures

Tak3r United Kingdom749 Posts March 02 2016 20:30 GMT #11 got a few more pics, that's it then! --- ---

Tak3r United Kingdom749 Posts July 02 2016 17:34 GMT #12 Hey! got the video from Torres del Paine online now as well, hope you like it https://vimeo.com/150074294 Cheers, Chris

Physician United States4146 Posts July 04 2016 22:24 GMT #13 u need a multivitamin daily ~ ur looking rough lately

Tak3r United Kingdom749 Posts July 10 2016 10:42 GMT #14 Haha I always lose weight on big trips.. combination of walking too much and not eating as much as i would at home, I guess.

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