Torres del Paine

02/20/2008

We have headed up to the national park for some hiking in the mountains and more extreme weather conditions. We have rented a 4-wheel drive vehicle as this is the best way to get to the park and to cover the large distances within it. We will be covering 400 miles of dirt roads as the pavement stops not far from Puerto Natales. The park has some very rugged mountain terrain interspersed with large lakes where there were once glaciers -- there are plenty of glaciers as well.

We are very excited to see some guanacos alongside the road (remember last night's carpaccio) but soon they are everywhere, some just watching us drive by from the shoulder of the road. Every one we see, though, reminds us that we are in The Andes. Our first night is spent at a ranch with guest facilities. Because electricity is generated with a wood-fired generator, we only have that luxury available from 7-10.

Our first hiking day starts out with snow on the ground and some cold temperatures. However, the weather seems to change hourly so we are treated to a variety of conditions. We finally experience the 60 mile per hour wind we have heard about and watch it whip clouds of spray from the surface of the lakes as it approaches. The park has a wealth of hiking trails that are supported by backcountry lodges and campgrounds. Even though we don't meet much vehicle traffic on the roads, there are plenty of people hiking here.

We move on to a small hotel located on an island in the center of the park and spend the next day exploring the French Valley which can be accessed by a boat trip across a lake and a fairly lengthy hike into a valley surrounded by glaciers and enormous peaks. There just isn't enough time to see this place!