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Donna & Neils Travels
Having arrived in Puerto Natales, with Lissette (the Dutch woman from the Spanish class), we decided to do the W trek around the park. There are quite a few treks around the park taking from 2 days up to 8 days and they all have different names, the W is a 5 day trek.
Having decided on this we then had to go out and rent camping gear, stove, and all the other accessories, plus buy 5 days worth of food to take with us. I think Donna and I were a bit niave here as we hadn't done anything quite like this but we were like excited children and it seemed like a good idea.
So on the Wednesday we were off. We had a 2 hour coach trip to the park and fater we got dropped off we started our first trek up to the Lake Pehoe campsite, about 11 miles away. This wasn't part of the W but we had been to an informal talk at one of the hostals the day before and one of the experienced trekkers had told us that this was a good start to warm yourself up and get used to your backpack. First big mistake, I was hot after about an hour never mind warmed up and we still had 4 hours to go. Having a tent, sleeping bag and 5 days worth of food and clothes suddenly becomes really heavy when you've trekked a few miles. The trek was beautiful with mountains all around us and lakes springing up along the way, but I think Donna and I were please to get to the campsite.
Although we had great weather the first day after we had set up our tent the heavens opened and the winds picked up. That night we were battered around the head by the tent buckling under the wind every 5 seconds. Also we had noticed our hired tent was starting to leek.
In the morning we woke to ............... rain, but we got up and after a good breakfast we started the first leg of the W, which was a 6 mile walk to Glacier Gray, and then back again. We started in good spirits but then the rain really picked up and then as we walked down the valley the winds decided that Gale force 9 wasn't good enough and that it would pick it up a few knots to try and throw us off the edge. We reached the panorama view point, about halfway and decided to turn back as we couldn't see the point in carrying on. Lissette decided to brave it and we parted company for a while. Donna and I slowly walked back taking in the views and the weater picked up and in the end we had a great day trekking. That night though, guess what, yes the heavens opened and the wind decided to have a bit of fun with our tent as well. At one point we turned on the torch, after another episode of headbutting the tent walls, and we noticed the tent had been squashed to half its width, needless to say we didn't get much sleep.
When we awoke for the 3rd day we just about got the tent down before the heavens opened again and it looked like another day and night of rain so we decided to pack up and go back into town. The thought of another 3 days of this didn't seem too appealing, plus the fact Donna's feet started to blister quite badly, it was time to go home and rethink. The walking and views were great but the weather and the tent were not.
After 2 days of rest and a rethink we decided to go back and do the Torres which is the highpoint of the trek. We were in better spirits, expecially after having a night on the town swigging a few bottles of wine. We still had to carry camping gear but only provisions for 1 night.
We got to the park and we were off again, trudging away like a pair of boy scouts up the first part of the trek. And what a first part, we had to trek up a steep hill for about and hour and three quarters before it subsided into a slight trek downwards to the first stop off. The things some people do for fun. This was the worst part and the second stage, although steep in parts (at one point you needed a rope to get down the valley, something Donna particulaly enjoyed) was not as bad as the first stage.
Eventually, after about an hour and quarter of a pretty amazing walk up the valley we came to our campsite. It was hidden in a small forest a few minutes from the walk and had no facilities except for a toilet at the back of the wardens hut. We set up tent and decided to have something to eat. As it was raining, yes it decided to rain again justr as we set up tent, we had to cook in the makeshift dining area, which can be best described as a schoolboys den made out of branches and polythene. I kid you not the chairs and table were logs that had been thrown inside. After a hearty meal of pasta that Donna had cooked on our little stove we decided to go to bed. It was freezing and for the rest of the night we lay there shivering and listening to the hurricane winds outside, at least it wasn't raining.
In the morning we woke at 6 and headed up to the Torres. This was the steepest and most difficult climb we experienced over the 3 days, the final part of the climb was over large boulders. But it was all worth it as the Torres came into view we both wanted to collapse with Joy but we knew we had to get back so decided to hug each other instead. It was an awesome sight, these 3 pink (well not so pink but maybe peach) granite towers of stone jutting up into the sky, above the beautiful green water of the lake, I'd like to have said blue sky but you can't have everything. It was still dramatic to say the least. After staying there for about an hour and a half we decided to make our way down. We felt great and elated having seen them that the 3 hr walk down didn't seem that bad, even Donna had a spring in her step but I think that was because we were heading for the Refugio that sold Hot Chocolate drinks.
All in all this was a fantastic experience for the both of us. The walks were both beautiful and stunning and the finale of the Torres has kept us elated for days. Although Donnas legs feel more deflated than elated.
We have to admit that we went into this quite blindly and the walks were very difficult at times for us and we were left feeling very tired. But the views and landscapes we experienced has left us wanting to do more, at least we know what to expect now.
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