Post 103: Torres del Paine pt. 2

Fellow adventurers,

Day 4 -

A long hike awaited us, as we set off from Los Cuernos towards Campamento Torres, an estimated 10 miles away.  Clouds covered the skies, with no expectation of the gusty winds ever letting up.  I could see the winds as they blew over the lake, carrying a heavy mist along with them.  It was like a broom, sweeping up the water.  I was curious as to how the black condors hovering around us, could fly against such a force.

As we neared the last few miles of our trek, the Andean desert across the lake and the boulders of granite we hiked along were now behind us.  Gavin and I were gradually hiking up a mountain, heading into the gorge.  A rushing stream was below our trail carrying water from the melting snow and glaciers that lay on the mountains in the the distance.  When we descended, we we're along that same rocky stream, in an old, low lying green forest.  The change of scenery was welcome, but the colder climate was not so much.  We promptly set up camp, had dinner and attempted to sleep and most importantly, keep warm.

Day 5 -

The morning brought with it some snow off the mountains, not enough for accumulation but certainly enough to sustain the chill in the air.  It was decided that we would not camp there for another evening, as it was intolerably cold if you're not properly prepared (in which we were not).  After breakfast, we made haste to ascend towards the base of the famous towers; for with haste comes warmth.  The hike was rather steep although not long, and involved crossing and climbing large rocks.  I could not imagine it being comfortable for everyone, especially for the elderly without the assistance of hiking sticks.  Unfortunately, as we were climbing, the icy snow brushed our faces as the wind picked up, and we could not see the towers due to the weather.  Gavin and I persevered though, determined to wait in case the sky should clear in the mountains, in which the weather is ever changing.  After about 20 minutes waiting we exceeded our patience, took in what views we could, and headed back down towards camp.  We packed our things, had lunch, and headed back towards the dry Andean lands, where the sun and warmth awaited us.

Day 6  and 7 - 

A noisy woodpecker hung around our campsite, and the wind persevered.  The temperature was pleasant enough though, and the sun was shining.  After a week of ever changing weather, I welcomed it and spent the day reading, finishing up "Pride & Prejudice."  We anticipated our return to El Calafate the following day, longing for real food and a bed.  When the day came, we hiked towards where we were to be picked up.  Our arrival back to El Calafate was rather late, so we took up a dorm room as opposed to camping again, and treated ourselves to a cheeseburger and lamb chorizo sandwich for dinner. After a week of dry packaged food, we were in need of protein.

Our next destination was a flight to el fin del mundo, or the end of the world, also known as Ushuaia on the southernmost peninsula of Argentina, Tierra del Fuego.  A brief update of our time there will follow this post.

June y Gavin