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We conquered the 87km W trail in the remote and ruggedly beautiful Torres del paine National Park in Chille. The first day was a long one, finally getting to the park after the long drive and customs at 2pm in the afternoon. Luckily we saved some time by accidently getting on a free hostal transfer bus for a hostel we weren´t staying at! The weather is notoriously tough, with winds of up to 70km an hour, and icy cold. The winds at the start of the walk were so strong it was like trying to walk up a mountain against a fan force of icy air! Kate´s right knee packed it in on the first day from all the ascending and boulder desending in Fiztroy so it was a very painful trek up the steep boulders to the breathtakingly stunning Mirador de Las Torres, a view of 3 of the Towers with the rockface and lake below. This can often be covered in cloud so we were lucky to see it on such a great day.
Back to the hostel that night with dinner and pot bellied stoves burning to keep everyone warm ( b***** that the roof didn´t meet the ceiling though so we could hear ALL the snoring from all through the hostel! Next day was the trek to Los Cuernes on lago nordenskjold which involved a glacial river crossing down a sharp slope of boulders covered in icy water. We watched a few people stack it as we contemplated where to cross, Peter crossed first and then luckily a guide came along and helped Kate across as it looked impossible! Kate was in agony on the steep decline down into Los Cuernos and waited the next day athe the refugio whilst peter did the 9hour steep climb and descent into the Valle Francais. The views of the surrounding rocky mountains and glaciars were so stunning.
The next day we headed to Paine Grande a fairly easy 11km walk along the lake with the glaicer to our right.
The next day we battled the onward winds off the glacier & headed to Refugio Grey a cute tiny wooden refugio on the Grey Lake with the huge and impressive Grey Glacier above it. Descending down to the refugio we could see all the the glacier with bright blue icebergs floating in the lake, and condors circling over head. we also stopped to watch a busu little woodpecker hammering into a tree overhead! The winds the next day coming back were mental but luckily mostly from behind pushing us onwards and howling around us.
We left the park a day early after some imploring with customs to let us out! and arrived back in Calafate at 11.30pm, no vacancies at our hostel and nowhere open to eat! we managed to find somewhere to stay and then crashed out. The next night we went to our fave parilla in all of argentina for the most mouthwatering tender lamb and beef and blackpudding, washed down with delicious argentinian malbec!
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