 |
| A really hard slog getting up here, getting down was just as difficult Totally worth the effort. No heart attacks noted on this expedition |
March 1st - March 5th 2020. Chile, first visit
 |
| That's Torres De Pain, this from Puerto Natales Doesn't thrill me very much either, but there's great coffee in the visitors centre |
 |
| Arriving at Puerto Natales. The supermarkets are not up to much. Pig n' mash, bottle of local Sauv I have found some questionable quesadilla's for various hikes. It's basic but functional |
 |
| Up at 6:00AM for the bus to Pudeto Estancia |
 |
The early trek for the Grey Glacier. It's full of backpackers |
 |
| Lago Amarga. Park entry point. |
 |
| At Pudeto, there's only a functioning bog and a sign for the ferry to the glacier |
 |
| On time, still grey and cold |
 |
On the boat. Cash only! It's full of backpackers and backpackers and backpacks Of course |
 |
| There's nothing well marked I finally find the trail and head out |
 |
| Not too strenuous, but I wouldn't hike this trail in anything less than hiking boots |
 |
| The mountains but the other side Sun, coming along fine |
 |
| Just to prove that I didn't hire someone to do this |
 |
| Knowing the ferry schedules now, I'm in a hurry I think its about 5Km one way. |
 |
| Wow, but a pix does not quite do it Huge glacier, very stunning Try having lunch with this view. I did |
 |
| Good old Google maps |
 |
| Does a visual from your correspondent add anything? |
 |
| Luna Lake |
 |
| It's certainly a picturesque hike |
 |
| Even more stunning in the sunshine |
 |
| Hard going, but see how worn the track is Obviously, very well traveled |
 |
| I have 30 minutes of R & R time This is the Pudeto Refugio. Endless tents for hire |
 |
| Most travellers book in here then go for a hike |
 |
| I only every use my Pixel phone camera, so its typically at this about half real size |
 |
| Sun down, so I'm back on the return bus |
 |
| Not sure how I did it, but, dinner when I got back, making next days grub, then up really early again As I leave the bus station, I think I can do this today, so I book my next bus ticket for the day after tomorrow |
 |
| Luckily, I don't think too far ahead, or I would never even start out on these treks. Torres centre top |
 |
| Let the adventure begin. you can just see Torres (Towers I assume) top right I have to get there and back in record time. It's raining. It's 9:30 - making good time so far |
 |
| Wet, drizzle but a relatively easy climb for an hour |
 |
| More hanging glaciers I'm heading to the left |
 |
| Shit, now I have to go down 75m Chilenos Refugio, somewhere ahead |
 |
| I'm really hungry by now, 11:30 |
 |
| Ah! So this is how they supply these places. Including casks of beer |
 |
| Refugio, 11:40AM. Pretty good time for my age |
 |
Your correspondents lunch Mashed egg on a bun and mountain spring water. I need this |
 |
| Back on the trail. I work out it's impossible to make my 6:30 bus tonight. Oh well |
 |
| It's not easy, and thankfully, I don't know its going to get much worse |
 |
| I'm totally knackered, but a long way to go I mistake this rock for the route up It isn't |
 |
| Well, it's probable better than a breakfast walk to the Distillery Not easier though, and no coffee |
 |
| Jesus! Am I still alive. The last 45 minutes were brutal |
 |
| Your correspondent celebrates being alive |
 |
| The real deal, just like the postcards, including sunshine |
 |
| I hang out and immerse myself in this splendour of nature That being the guy on the left if you were wondering |
 |
Exhausting!
Look at the altitude folks.
About 750 serious vertical metres today
|
 |
| You think it looks rough? Try hiking it |
 |
| As you can see, a popular destination |
 |
| The "Ranger Station" just a flat area with a bog |
 |
Just for the record. At least its easy walking here Except my feet are really having a hard time |
 |
| Lots of natural waterway crossings. some even sturdy |
 |
| A pleasant diversion from going up |
 |
| I'm 10 minutes behind my hopelessly impossible schedule |
 |
| It's still a lovely day. I've lucked out, eventually |
 |
| Obviously I'm way down |
 |
| I guess these are the party types staying the night at Refugio Chilenos. I think the beer arrived earlier on the horses |
 |
| You don't want to loose your cell phone here |
 |
| This looks familiar, but now down It's really pretty, and pretty adventurous, especially for this correspondent |
 |
Time for everyone to head home Whatever that is |
 |
| This is the 75 metres vertical I walked down on the way up Exhausting! |
 |
| Down, dreadfully aching feet. I've forgotten that the shuttle bus is still another kilometre away. Feet don't fail me now |
 |
| The trail begins, and ends here. 5.8Kms to Torres |
 |
| I spend the next day having a latte and shopping sad supermarkets being pretty basic This is smoked salmon stew. Very tasty, and huge, again! |
 |
| About 14Kms hike from shuttle bus to shuttle bus |
Puerto Natales, Chile March 2nd - 6th
The accommodation in the park are run by agencies and a bed in a 6 bed dorm sets you back $US116 per night. Food another $US85
Bugger 'em. I will do day hikes based from the town.
I check into a hostel/ someones home and set about sorting out my week. I envisage 3 separate trips to cover the park, so as I won't be here during shopping times, I buy 8 empanadas, and find ham in the supermarket and make several ham sandwiches. There's always cherry tomatoes everywhere, so that's my fruit for the trips
Torres is about a 2 hour bus trip away. I'm a 10 minute walk away so as the bus leaves at 7:00AM it's best not to waste your efforts by lots of walking, and relying on taxi's at 6:30AM is not for me.
The weather is very important, you really don't want to go when it's pissing down if you can avoid it, so it's best to do lesser spectacular stuff on the wetter days
It's dull tomorrow and improving through the week, so I opt for the easy one first
My schedule is up at 6:00AM and back at 8:30, or 10PM if I blow the walking schedule for two days. Information is very difficult to come by on the web (see note about demographics and hostels), so I only have vague ideas about what the trekking scoops are
There's many buses leaving through the day. Anything later than 7:30 and you won't be doing much in the way of complete hikes
Grey glacier, which you need to take a ferry to ($US35 EACH way no less), and the actual Torres hike. I fit in the grey glacier one pretty easily with bus and boat schedules, but Torres is in it's own world. A new (or maybe previously forgotten) experience.
This is a relatively simply hike, maybe 300M vertical, about 5Kms. On the boat back, there's what is obviously a guided tour, with young and old. The guide is full 3 day beard, tattoos to go and a latin approach to the younger chicks on the tour. Ah yes, I know your type.
Back at 8:30
Repeat
Back early next day it's time for Torres: I realise that, 1: I'm in no shape to do three separate day trips, and 2: that the other hike isn't actually spectacular in any way, and just to tell myself "I did it!" didn't stack up, so as I'm leaving on the bus, I book my departure to Calefete.
Arriving at the park, it's raining, not a great idea, but as I've said, this is what I'm here for.
I start the Torres hike: it is a totally magnificent though. I strongly recommend this for everyone's bucket list
However, it's a real power hike to be able to get to the top (800 metres vertical I think) and catch my return bus.
I only allow myself a short break for a favourite, egg mayo sandwich, and then power on to the top.
The final "45 minutes to top" is actually more like 1 hour & 20, mainly because I loose my way and head off into a boulder strewn no hikers land. Bugger!!
It's pretty busy, I'd guess about 1000 hikers a day up here, a very few old folk, some obviously on tours, but most seem to be self guiding, admittedly, this is actually extremely simple, even if physically very demanding, well for an old fart anyway. I indulge myself with a self congratulatory smile and suck in the moment for about 20 minutes
I make excellent speed on the way down, every step is a real pain, because unlike Nepal, where every path is made of solid hand hewn granite steps to connect villages, here there's no such thing. Just rocks, roots, scree and streams. Consequently, instead of using your full foot to descend (and kill your knees with the shock of each step), here your toes have to take the brunt of the downward slope in your boots, and of course, your knees still get hit, but it's the toes that turn into sausages
I'm knackered.
Bugger 'em. I will do day hikes based from the town.
I check into a hostel/ someones home and set about sorting out my week. I envisage 3 separate trips to cover the park, so as I won't be here during shopping times, I buy 8 empanadas, and find ham in the supermarket and make several ham sandwiches. There's always cherry tomatoes everywhere, so that's my fruit for the trips
Torres is about a 2 hour bus trip away. I'm a 10 minute walk away so as the bus leaves at 7:00AM it's best not to waste your efforts by lots of walking, and relying on taxi's at 6:30AM is not for me.
The weather is very important, you really don't want to go when it's pissing down if you can avoid it, so it's best to do lesser spectacular stuff on the wetter days
It's dull tomorrow and improving through the week, so I opt for the easy one first
My schedule is up at 6:00AM and back at 8:30, or 10PM if I blow the walking schedule for two days. Information is very difficult to come by on the web (see note about demographics and hostels), so I only have vague ideas about what the trekking scoops are
There's many buses leaving through the day. Anything later than 7:30 and you won't be doing much in the way of complete hikes
Grey glacier, which you need to take a ferry to ($US35 EACH way no less), and the actual Torres hike. I fit in the grey glacier one pretty easily with bus and boat schedules, but Torres is in it's own world. A new (or maybe previously forgotten) experience.
This is a relatively simply hike, maybe 300M vertical, about 5Kms. On the boat back, there's what is obviously a guided tour, with young and old. The guide is full 3 day beard, tattoos to go and a latin approach to the younger chicks on the tour. Ah yes, I know your type.
Back at 8:30
Repeat
Back early next day it's time for Torres: I realise that, 1: I'm in no shape to do three separate day trips, and 2: that the other hike isn't actually spectacular in any way, and just to tell myself "I did it!" didn't stack up, so as I'm leaving on the bus, I book my departure to Calefete.
Arriving at the park, it's raining, not a great idea, but as I've said, this is what I'm here for.
I start the Torres hike: it is a totally magnificent though. I strongly recommend this for everyone's bucket list
However, it's a real power hike to be able to get to the top (800 metres vertical I think) and catch my return bus.
I only allow myself a short break for a favourite, egg mayo sandwich, and then power on to the top.
The final "45 minutes to top" is actually more like 1 hour & 20, mainly because I loose my way and head off into a boulder strewn no hikers land. Bugger!!
It's pretty busy, I'd guess about 1000 hikers a day up here, a very few old folk, some obviously on tours, but most seem to be self guiding, admittedly, this is actually extremely simple, even if physically very demanding, well for an old fart anyway. I indulge myself with a self congratulatory smile and suck in the moment for about 20 minutes
I make excellent speed on the way down, every step is a real pain, because unlike Nepal, where every path is made of solid hand hewn granite steps to connect villages, here there's no such thing. Just rocks, roots, scree and streams. Consequently, instead of using your full foot to descend (and kill your knees with the shock of each step), here your toes have to take the brunt of the downward slope in your boots, and of course, your knees still get hit, but it's the toes that turn into sausages
I'm knackered.
Just catch the shuttle bus. I was there with several minutes to spare, but didn't hook up the coach to a shuttle.
god was there to help
Al ham dolelah
On the bus, my feet are exploding, my thigh muscles are telling me they are going to cramp any second and my toes not only look like they have been in a vice, (which I didn't check on the bus) which is standard, but feel like they have been hammered into my feet (walking down hill does that). My knees are surprisingly resilient to this abuse
I smell, but I sit next to a guy who's been trekking for 8 days. No one is concerned
I indulge in a hasty egg sandwich. I guess I'm hungry
I hobble, literally to the lodgings
Back at the shack, I'm out, shower, wash hat (God! it stank, just like me), brush teeth, take pills, go to bed
I dream about how much my body aches
No heart attacks
No strokes
No embolisms
No aneurysms
I've survived again
Next day, I have no alarm set and have to wait for the coffee shop to open. It's a lazy day and I get some pix up on the blog for my adoring vicariously living public
I spend the day having a latte and organising dinner (I find some smoked salmon and buy a big bit) for smoked salmon stew dinner, with a local Sauv
The day passes
If I'd known how hard and demanding these hike were, I'd probably have doubted that I could actually do any of them except maybe the very first, just goes to show how much ignorance can achieve doesn't it?
To be continued in Argentina, tomorrow, where there's lots more of this kinda stuff
But wait! There's more, see next trek studded events in Argentina
god was there to help
Al ham dolelah
On the bus, my feet are exploding, my thigh muscles are telling me they are going to cramp any second and my toes not only look like they have been in a vice, (which I didn't check on the bus) which is standard, but feel like they have been hammered into my feet (walking down hill does that). My knees are surprisingly resilient to this abuse
I smell, but I sit next to a guy who's been trekking for 8 days. No one is concerned
I indulge in a hasty egg sandwich. I guess I'm hungry
I hobble, literally to the lodgings
Back at the shack, I'm out, shower, wash hat (God! it stank, just like me), brush teeth, take pills, go to bed
I dream about how much my body aches
No heart attacks
No strokes
No embolisms
No aneurysms
I've survived again
Next day, I have no alarm set and have to wait for the coffee shop to open. It's a lazy day and I get some pix up on the blog for my adoring vicariously living public
I spend the day having a latte and organising dinner (I find some smoked salmon and buy a big bit) for smoked salmon stew dinner, with a local Sauv
The day passes
If I'd known how hard and demanding these hike were, I'd probably have doubted that I could actually do any of them except maybe the very first, just goes to show how much ignorance can achieve doesn't it?
To be continued in Argentina, tomorrow, where there's lots more of this kinda stuff
But wait! There's more, see next trek studded events in Argentina
From your correspondent
4 comments:
Congratulations on completing an amazing trek..just spectacular. Sure beats my walk to the bank and back!
Sounds like a great trek with lots of ups and downs. Stay well
Congratulations on completing that amazing trek. Well done Jim.
Hi Jim! Greetings from Sweden. It's amazing, just keep on!
Post a Comment