Torres del Paine!

We leave the deep South of Ushuaia and head for our 5-day "W" trek through Torres del Paine!  A bucket list event!!!

The Torres del Paine are the distinctive three granite peaks of the Paine mountain range, or Paine Massif.  Torres del Paine  is part of Unesco's Biosphere Reserve system since 1978.  I was sure the name must mean "Towers of Pain", but it is actually translated as Towers of Blue, which is also appropriate!

When the weather is clear, panoramas are everywhere. However, unpredictable weather systems can sheath the peaks in clouds for hours or days. Sometimes you get four seasons in a day here, with sudden driving rainstorms and knock-down gusts, gorgeous sun and then fog and snow.  We had the privilege of a full initiation. 

Grey Glacier was our first day's destination.  The Glacier is in the south end of the Southern Patagonia Ice Field.

Day 2 we hiked out of Glacier Grey and down to Camp Italiano where we could hear the thundering of mini-avalanches and chunks breaking off of the hanging glaciers, echoing down the French Valley.  Our hike, unfortunately, was fogged in and we didn't get great views of the peaks, but still had a beautiful hike and some peaks at the glaciers.

View of the French Valley ampitheater of granite spires, from camp.

Day 3 takes us from the French Valley, down to the views of Lago Pehoe and surrounding views.  This pebbly beach had great rocks for rock skipping on the lake!

AAAAAH.  SUN.  Wonderful afternoon and evening, basking in the warm rays on the deck of Refugio Los Cuernos with Wolf and Carolyn and several other great people.  Good people, good conversation, good food.  Can't beat that along the trail!

Day 4, Los Cuernos up to Camp Torres and a rock sprint up to the towers themselves.  A day of short sleeves, long sleeves, fleece, down jacket, and wind protection. Don't ask about the weather. They can't tell you.

Day 5: Thank goodness we sprinted up the evening before and caught clear views of the Towers!  After a 4 a.m. wake up, opening the tent to a snow storm, we STILL sprinted up the trail again in hopes of seeing sunrise on the towers.  Freezing cold, but happy to spend time sipping hot tea in the shelter of granite boulders with good friends, Rafael and Natalie from Canada.  After no love from the sun, we ripped back down the trail to our camp, took a nice warm nap, and hit the trail for the end of our journey!

What a privilege to meet and share this trek with such terrific people.  Rafael and Natalie are from Canada and Wolf and Caroline are from California and Germany. 

What a beautiful finish!  As we arrived at the final Refugio, the gauchos were driving a huge herd of horses through.  Really amazing to watch their precision in horsemanship, both as a rider in hardly moving while at a dead run, as well as managing this mass of beautiful animals with their ropes and whistles and their own horses.

Click HERE for the full photo album on our Torres del Paine trek!