The W: Part 2

Day 3
Sleeping in a tent was much more successful the second night. There was no rain and the wind was manageable. Day 3 is a big day as we were hiking up into the French valley for some amazing views. We loaded up on carbs and adrenaline at breakfast thanks to the hardcore rap that played while we ate.

Day 3: Ready to go. You can already see the wind

A good sign before the start of a hike (I think)

Our hike took us along Nordenskjold lake for a bit before cutting up into the valley. We were optimistic for the weather today as a rainbow was in the sky as we set off. As we cleared the treeline and walked along the lake we were greeted by our old Patagonian friend, the wind. It was strong enough that it was picking water off the surface of the lake and making it look like rain. That little trick also left us with a moment where it looked like the rainbow was actually moving towards us. It was really just a ploy so we'd stop moving and the water would then dump on us.

Wind blowing water off the surface of Nordenskjold Lake

We eventually cut in off the lake and escaped the wind for a little while. We finished up our segment and found ourselves at the Italiano ranger station. From here we could continue on towards our night's accommodations at Paine Grande or head into the valley. Despite the wind, the weather was on our side (for now) and we chose to head up into the valley. We left our bag at the ranger's station (in a big pile with everyone else doing the same thing) and set off for a 3-4 hour hike.

The first rule of Patagonian weather is you don't ask about Patagonian weather

It was a tough hike up the valley. It was mainly all uphill with a few steep parts but it was very rewarding. When you hit the first lookout, Frances, you're rewarded with a great view back at the lakes as well the snow capped peak of Paine Grande hill. It was rather windy and we were quite exposed so we quickly got some pictures and moved further into the valley.

We saw an avanlanche right after we put the cameras away

The view back out of the valley

The snow up on Paine Grande hill

Heading up to the next lookout, Britannico would take us another hour or so but ended up offering completely different views. Gone was the snowy peak of Paine Grande hill, replaced with a lush forest enclosed by the backside of Los Torres. The lookout was a rocky area with a few large boulders you could sit on that sat above the treeline so you had unimpeded 360 degree views. It was great place to eat our lunch and take in the scenery before heading back to the Italiano ranger station.

The backside of Las Torres

Standing at the Britannico lookout

More of the view from Britannico lookout

As we made it back to Italiano and gathered our things, we still had a 2 hour hike to Paine Grande Lodge. All of the good weather we were afforded in the valley was quickly taken away. About an hour into this section of the hike, the sun went away, the wind picked up and the rain rolled in. Not the steady rain you can eventually get used. This was a light drizzle amplified by the winds. We both quickly compared both it and the terrain we were on to that of Scotland. I did not take this well. Perhaps it was the previous 7 hours of hiking we had already done, but I was miserable for the last half an hour of that hike.

Paine Grande Lodge. Our home for night 3

Relief finally came in the form of Paine Grande Lodge on the shores of Lake Pehoe. This was also our first indoor lodging of the trek and we were rewarded with a private room and bunk beds! After a quick shower, we had a hearty meal of goulash with a beer and sleep came easy to us that evening. 

Day 4. Ready for action!

Day 4
Only a 3 hour hike to go and we've completed the W. After yesterday's marathon, this was going to be easy! Or so I thought. The wind was back in full force and this time directly in our face. The first half of the hike was uphill. Going uphill, into the wind, with a pack on (whose rain cover acts like a parachute) is not recommended. Coming up to the top and having your view open up to a giant lake with another glacier made it somewhat more bearable.

One of smaller lakes in view on the hike towards refugio Grey

Just listen to the wind!

The downhill half was steep (glad we weren't going the other way) and we ran into three guys from Chicago, but we ultimately made it to our final stop and completed the W.

Refugio Grey

We celebrated our completion of the trek with a complimentary pisco sour and an afternoon of lounging on some sofas reading our riveting kindle books. Most of the rooms here are 2 sets of bunk beds. We were the first to our room so it was a bit of excitement to see who our random roommates were going to be for the evening (or 2. We had 2 nights here). As it turns out, it was a nice British couple that we had seen all of the previous days. They had vouchers just like ours and were even living in Wimbledon, near where Jess used to live! It was fate. After a nice dinner, we got our briefing for kayaking the next morning.

Back in the saddle again

Day 5
Technically the official W is completed but we wanted to get some kayaking in since we hadn't done it since Milford Sound back in New Zealand. We headed down the the water, got kitted up and headed out on the lake to kayak by a giant wall of ice. While the wind cooperated (the previous day kayaking had been cancelled), the rain was there for us instead. Jess was the captain as was per our New Zealand agreement of switching each time we did kayaking.

It took us a bit to get back into form and sync...

...But we got there!

We paddled past a large iceberg towards the eastern face of Grey glacier. Going against the current was tougher than I remembered! We pulled off into a bay for a discussion about the glacier as well as some hot tea and chocolates. This glacier is retreating up to 20m a year in certain points. While the top ice was disappearing, there was more than enough underneath the water. The lake was 400m deep in some points. The paddle back was much easier and we even got to paddle under a waterfall!

In front of the eastern edge of Grey glacier

After a nice lunch, we headed back out on the hiking circuit. While the W ends at Grey, the O continues on so we headed up towards the pass as we heard there were 2 bridges that offered really nice views of the glacier. We hit the first bridge which had a nice lookout onto the lake and towards the glacier. There was even a ladder to climb up to get onto this bridge. While we had no trouble with it, we did get to watch someone try and climb down with hiking poles in their hands. It made for some nice entertainment (everyone was safe).

The eastern front of Grey glacier

 About 45 min after the first bridge we reached an amazing lookout and the 2nd bridge. We were almost even with the glacier and could see the crevasses that had formed in it. The bridge was really the highlight though. We both went halfway out to get some photos but that took some nerve. It was perched quite a bit higher than the ravine below. As these bridges naturally bounce as you walk across, this one was amplified even more with the wind. The boards were also spaced just far enough apart to give you the feeling you could fall through if one gave out. I was happy to get my photos and get back on solid ground!

The second bridge. Don't look down.

Grey glacier

Grey glacier from the 2nd bridge where you can really see the crevasses

After the afternoon hike we retired back to the refugio for our last dinner of not getting a choice in what eat.

Day 6
Our journey in Torres del Paine has come to an end. All we have to do is get on a boat and head back. That is if the boat is not broken down or it's too windy to run! There were people that had to hike from Grey all they way back to Hotel las Torres to catch a bus if their weather didn't cooperate. Luckily for us, it turned out to be one of the nicest days we had. Our catamaran even included a tour of the rest of the Grey glacier (there are 3 outlets). It was nice to see under better conditions. When the sun is shining the blue color from the glacier really shines through.

The middle portion of Grey glacier from the catamaran

Grey glacier with the mountains in the background

We even got a nice surprise in that we got to see fresh ice. We saw all the crew taking pictures. Come to find out, there was a large chunk of ice in front of the glacier that wasn't there when they came through on their morning run. It was extremely blue and we think could have come from under the water rather than from above. 

The blue ice on the left had just appeared before our boat journey. The small ice in the foreground was fetched out and used in pisco sours served on the boat.

Just when we thought we could kick up our feet and relax, we found out that the boat docked on a beach and we'd have a 2km walk back to the parking lot. Part of that walk was on a beach and where the wind had been in our face on the way to Refugio Grey a couple days ago, was now a crazy crosswind with people walking both directions leaning into the wind. We were well-conditioned for scenarios like this and made short work of it. 

After a van ride back to Casa Cecilia in Puerto Natales, we were reunited with our luggage, had a long, hot shower and more food at Baguales (it was just around the corner). A quick sleep and we were on the road the next day bound for Punta Arenas.

The W trek was absolutely amazing and one of the biggest highlights of the trip so far. The views were stunning, the weather cooperated when we needed it, and the trails were all very well marked and maintained (though sometimes their distances were off). Anyone looking to experience Patagonia, I would highly recommend this if you're up for the challenge!

-nick

The W: part 1

After a quick sleep in El Calafate we were back on the bus again, this time to Puerto Natales in Chile to prepare for the W trek in Torres del Paine National Park. Puerto Natales is a small town which is filled with hikers either about to set off on multi day hikes or recovering from them! I had been looking forward to our 4 day hike, but on our travels we had talked to a few people who had said how challenging they had found it, particularly with the Patagonian weather, and I was starting to feel a little apprehensive! 

The trek is named after the shape of the route (the red line)

These were the peaks we would be walking around

Our first task was to do some laundry. The second task was to consume plenty of calories to provide energy for the hike! We managed to fit in a trip to Baguales the local microbrewery whose food specialty was either a 1/2 kilo or a kilo of chips covered in cheese, bacon and chicken nuggets (we did not sample these) and the next day we ate some delicious cake and hot chocolate! We then packed our essentials in our hiking bags, trying to make them as light as possible. We had opted to eat in the refugios along the way and hire tents at the campsites to reduce the amount of equipment we had to carry. We had arranged to leave the rest of our luggage at our self catering hotel in Puerto Natales whilst we were on the hike.

 The distance to various international breweries from Baguales

 On the first day of the hike we set off, on another bus, to the park. The W has become increasingly popular in recent years with both Chilean and foreign hikers. Last season the campsites became particularly overcrowded and as a result from this season if anyone wants to stay in the park they must make reservations in advance (which caused some confusion this year as not everyone knew about the new system). We had opted for a mixture of camping and sleeping in the refugios and had made the bookings in September (and even then we didn't get our first choice of dates). Luckily our bus was one of the first to arrive at the visitor centre so we were near the front of the queue to get our park entry tickets. It was then on to the next bus to reach the trail head (only a few people walked this unexciting 8km).

 The queue behind us for the visitor centre

With all the administration out the way we started the hike! Our journey on the first day would take us from the trail head to our campsite at Chilenos where we would leave our bags and then up to Las Torres. This part of the trail is easily accessible to day visitors (who had either failed to reserve campsites or who didn't want to stay) so it is particularly busy. We came across one hiker who was taking everything in his stride - playing a guitar and singing as he walked. We also had to share the path with horses who were used to transport resources (and tired/lazy hikers) to and from the refugios and campsites.

 Day 1: Looking fresh, clean & energetic at the start of the trail

 The Las Torres Hotel at the trail head for those who require some luxury

It was a varied trail and we had the usual variety of Patagonian weather (wind, rain, sunshine etc) each change in weather was accompanied by a stop to change into the appropriate clothing. The paths were generally well maintained, although there were some interesting homemade "bridges" along the way! A number of trees had "polished" patches on their bark where they were regularly used by hikers to provide stability on the trail.

 views from day 1

The final kilometer up to Las Torres (as with Fitz Roy) was the steepest, but the weather co-operated and we were rewarded with a cloudless view on arrival at the top of the towering columns of stone with riverlets running down into the cloudy blue lake below.  

 Las Torres 

Once back at the campsite I had my first lesson in playing the card game Euchre, playing four hands between two of us. We need to find some midwesterners during the rest of our trip so I can test out my new found skills!

Our platformed campsite among the trees

After a traditional Chilean dinner in the crowded hostel we headed off to bed just as the heavy rain and the howling wind started. We hoped the tent that we had rented would stay tied down to the wooden platform and none of the trees would fall down! It was not the best night's sleep (my fitbit later told me I was restless 34 times during the night), but we woke to find that there was just one small patch wet patch. After breakfast in the refugio, it was time to start the hiking for day 2.

 Sunset at our campsite - note the brewing rain clouds!

 Day 2: not looking quite so fresh in the morning rain (refugio Chilenos in the background)

The hiking today started with some backtracking along the same route from the previous day before a fairly flat section along the edge of the lake towards Los Cuernos our next campsite. Following the overnight rain some of the streams leading into the lake were higher than normal and we were happy to have our water sandals to make up for the lack of stepping stones. There were no particular viewing points on this part of the hike, but as the photos show below the scenery was far from average!

Backtracking down the valley with a faster flowing river

The view above us as we hiked 

Views from day 2

Campsite number 2 with the trail next to our tent

We arrived, napped, showered (the hot water only ran between certain hours at this refugio) and settled in just in time for dinner. At dinner we had an excellent view from the refugio over the lake with blue skies and sunshine. It was interesting comparing notes with other hikers at our table about the routes they were taking (and the price of alcohol at different refugios). It soon became clear that everyone was doing something slightly different. Some were doing the O, the full route around the mountains and others were doing the W in the opposite direction to us, another couple were doing more of a U shape.  

Over to Nick  to pick up the journey from here. 

-Jess

El Chalten: A hiking town

After all the glacial excitement from Perito Moreno, we had to get up early the next day because we were on the move again. This time it was a couple hours up north to the small town of El Chalten (town is being generous). The area is known for it's hiking and the town is really built around supporting that with the majority of the buildings being hostels/hotels and restaurants. The cool thing about El Chalten was the trail heads were right in town so you didn't need to worry about any sort of transportation other than your feet. It was to be our home for the next three nights. 

Our home in El Chalten. Our neighbor was a horse.

The town from the Laguna Torre trailhead

The nice thing about this place was that before the bus even dropped you off at the station, they stopped at the welcome center where everyone got a trail map and a quick rundown of the park rules.

It was a short bus ride so we decided to hit the trails that afternoon. We decided to head up to Laguna Torre in hopes to see some views of Cerro Torre. It was a 5 hour round trip but when it stays light until well after 9pm, it's easy to leave for a hike at 3pm. 

On our way to the lake.

All the water in the park was drinkable!

The hike itself was a nice stroll. There was a bit of an uphill to start (the trailhead was only 2 blocks from our place!) After hiking into the valley it appeared the weather didn't quite want to cooperate with us. The hike was fine but the clouds over the mountains didn't quite reveal Cerro Torre to us!

Panorama of the lake. You can see the blue skies disappear behind clouds just over Cerro Torre.

"No Photo!" is most likely what the fox says.

By the time we finally made the lake, the sun was out and blue skies were abundant. Except directly behind the lake. Still we had a great time. This was also the location of our first wildlife sighting. A fox! We tried to ask, What does the fox say?, but it ran away before we got the chance. We headed back satisfied and had another home-cooked meal of pasta and sauce and prepped for our hike the next day.

Fitz Roy!

The next day, we were up early as we wanted to get underway on the most famous hike in the area, Mount Fitz Roy. To catch a glimpse, we were going to hike up to Laguna Los Tres. With the traditional Patagonian weather of wind and always a chance of rain, we held out an hour in the morning to see if it was going to clear up (as we also had the next day available to hike there as well). We were satisfied with the weather and set off. It was a 10km one way hike so we had our work cut out for us.

Our destination

The first 3km was pretty much all uphill at a gradual pace to get to the base elevation. After that the next 6km was fairly flat and flew by quickly. At 9km, there was also a campsite so we stopped there to get out of the wind and have some lunch before attempting the last 1km.

Up we go!

The last 1km at Fitz Roy is the most challenging. It's a lot of scrambling while gaining over 1300 feet in elevation. The map estimated the last kilometer would take an hour! It was a brutal part of the hike but we managed to pull it off and boy were we rewarded. The clouds opened up on our final approach and the what a sight we were able to see. Over 11,000 feet, it's not the tallest peak around, but it dominates the surrounding landscape and sits over another beautiful, milky blue lake. Only this one had a surprise for us in that if you walked around the left side of the first lake there was actually a second lake! 

Panorama from the first lake. The second if to the left under the snow/ice.

Fitz Roy in all it's beauty

Towering over the landscape

The second lake.
There was a waterfall from the first lake on the other side of the closest rock.

Proof we made it!

We stayed up there for about an hour taking it all in before we decided it was time to start heading back. The approaching gray clouds may have also helped in that decision. We made it back into town and to celebrate our hike, we stopped for a hearty meal at Don Guerro. Meat was on the agenda as Jess had a nice big steak and I had their version of poutine sans gravy with Chorizo, potatos, and onions covered in two fried eggs. It hit the spot and we made it back to our place tired and satisfied!

Fitz Roy completion meal! Fried Provolone, poutine sans gravy and steak!

After two days of hiking, we were planning for a rest day and the weather cooperated! It was rainy and windy all day long. Not just a gentle breeze, but a downtown Chicago breeze. We saw a guy on a skateboard going backwards just by using his sweatshirt as a sail! The only place we managed to make it to was La Wafleria for some brunch. It was a tasty place and also very crowded.

Chorillo del Salto

So many veggies!

Our last day in El Chalten, we settled on a relatively easy hike to pass the time before we took an evening bus back to El Calafate on our way to Puerto Natales. Chorillo del Salto was only a 3km hike to a solid waterfall where we had some lunch and relaxed before heading back to town. On our way back to the bus station we stopped off at La Cerveceria. Since the sun was out, we relaxed and had some beer and the most impressive veggie pizza I've ever seen! It had broccoli and a whole heap of carrots on it. After our pizza, we hopped on the bus back to El Calafate and said goodbye to some amazing hiking in El Chalten.

-nick