5 days walking in Torres Del Paine
Update - I´m in the far south of Chile in Punta Arenas/Puerta Natales before making my way back up to the north of Chile, the slow route!
Well they accurately described this walk in terms of pain as my knees and feet are completely shot but I was very pleased with my progress and increase in fitness since New Zealand´s Tongairora Crossing.
Torres del Paine National Park in Chile is a vast expanse (80km´s) of flat brown pastures with snow capped mountains at the end. The Torres del Paine area is the only area of the National Park (600sq km approx) that can actually be accessed and as such its popular with walkers. I was going to be walking outside of the main season and had to wait for 2 days in Puerto Natales for the 60-100km per hr winds and rain to subside before heading off for the walk.
We were lucky as the people coming off the mountains had had snow hail wind rain, in one day alone. We had 80km winds and rain the first day but sun, cloud and wind every day after that.
Day 1 - Walk to Glacier Grey in the rain and wind. 5 hrs walking
Day 2 - Walk back to Lake Pehoe and then round to the middle of the walk. I misjudged the distance and my ability and ended up spending the night in someone´s tent in a sleeping bag only suitable for a hut and froze my butt off whilst the winds howled outside and rats ate out food (Thanks Oliver for the tent space:))! 9 1/2 hrs walking
Day 3 - Walk by lakes with the wind picking water off the lake and twisting it into mini tornadoes. After being knocked to the ground 5 times in 100 metres by this I ended up using a goat track inland to get to the hut. 9 1/2 hrs walking
Day 4 - the highlight, walking up the Torres del Paine lookout through lunar landscapes, bogs, forest and climbing 1km up a boulder field to the actual lookout. 9 hrs walking.
All in all, a gorgeous place, lovely scenery, friendly walkers and oh so grateful heaters in Refugios at the end of the walk. Hope you enjoy the photos...... (when there is an internet connection fast enough to load them there´ll be there - glow-worm speed connection in the far south of Chile)
Well they accurately described this walk in terms of pain as my knees and feet are completely shot but I was very pleased with my progress and increase in fitness since New Zealand´s Tongairora Crossing.
Torres del Paine National Park in Chile is a vast expanse (80km´s) of flat brown pastures with snow capped mountains at the end. The Torres del Paine area is the only area of the National Park (600sq km approx) that can actually be accessed and as such its popular with walkers. I was going to be walking outside of the main season and had to wait for 2 days in Puerto Natales for the 60-100km per hr winds and rain to subside before heading off for the walk.
We were lucky as the people coming off the mountains had had snow hail wind rain, in one day alone. We had 80km winds and rain the first day but sun, cloud and wind every day after that.
Day 1 - Walk to Glacier Grey in the rain and wind. 5 hrs walking
Day 2 - Walk back to Lake Pehoe and then round to the middle of the walk. I misjudged the distance and my ability and ended up spending the night in someone´s tent in a sleeping bag only suitable for a hut and froze my butt off whilst the winds howled outside and rats ate out food (Thanks Oliver for the tent space:))! 9 1/2 hrs walking
Day 3 - Walk by lakes with the wind picking water off the lake and twisting it into mini tornadoes. After being knocked to the ground 5 times in 100 metres by this I ended up using a goat track inland to get to the hut. 9 1/2 hrs walking
Day 4 - the highlight, walking up the Torres del Paine lookout through lunar landscapes, bogs, forest and climbing 1km up a boulder field to the actual lookout. 9 hrs walking.
All in all, a gorgeous place, lovely scenery, friendly walkers and oh so grateful heaters in Refugios at the end of the walk. Hope you enjoy the photos...... (when there is an internet connection fast enough to load them there´ll be there - glow-worm speed connection in the far south of Chile)
posted by boozysoozy at
4:33 PM
1 Comments:
merci, et bien sur! Qu´est ce que c´est ton address d´e-mail pour que je puisse t´envoyer un ´update´ direct un fois par mois. La mien est sstuart_smith@hotmail.com. Comment va les choses de ton part?
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boozysoozy, at 12:53 PM
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