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Hola! Como estan chicos?
Currently in Bariloche in the Argentian Lake District. It's beautiful here, very pretty, chilled and relaxing. Going to spend a few days here and work out what's what. We were headed back into Chile in a couple of days but not sure about things now. Very sad to hear about the Quake. Didn't feel it at all here despite being just over the other side of the Andes, (might of had something to do with several beers following our 2 day bus journey here along Ruta 40). I hope that it does not get any worse for those affected and my thoughts are with those with friends and families in the area - Marion; I really hope you have not got anyone close caught up in it.
So, in light of this recent catastrophe I shall try to keep this entry brief. I hope you may of seen the photos by now of Torres Del Paine. We completed the W in 5 days, (80KM), and had an absolutely amazing time. This was a week ago now but what with Patagonia wilderness, so much to cram in, 2 day bus journeys and rubbish internet I have not had the chance to update my blog.
I've also not been sure of how to write about the experience. It was truly immense and despite being in bed by 9pm on my birthday after only 2 beers, it was probably one of my best. After the flight down to El Calafate and a night there we got the bus to Puerto Natales in Chile. The border crossing was a breeze compared to the Santiago to Mendoza one and we arrived with little mishap just in time to check out the 'talk' they give at Erratic Rock and sort our kit out.
Massive coincidence - a friend of Jess's from back home was also starting the W on the same day with her mate so me, Katie, Holly and Jess headed off to the Park in glorious weather the following morning. Having been expecting the worst from just about everybody who we'd spoken to, (some people spend a week in the Park and never see the Torres due to cloud cover), it was amazing to see the peaks of all the mountains from the bus on our way there. Still imagining the worst and this would be our last glimpse of them we were off, complete with everything we would need on our backs. I was in shorts and a t-shirt the weather was so great and it just got better and better. By the time we hit the start of the climb to the Torres it was baking and we were already seeing how truly mind blowing the scenery is. The rest of the 5 days was just unbelievable:
We trekked up amazing valleys with sheer drops into beautiful rivers, traversed scree covered mountains and clambered over rocky ridges around huge boulders, ate lunches on cliffs with spectacular 360 panoramas, walked along Dulex Emulsion blue lakes so still they looked like you could walk on them and so blue they matched the colour of the sky, felt the ground shake and heard the rumble of ever present avalanches and watched chunks of ice and snow clinging impossibly to vertical rock faces finally give up and fall, saw huge Condors patrolling the mountainous ridges over 2KM above you and yet still clearly visible, crossed beautiful rapids on a variety of bridges - mostly narrow planks or tree trunks with one swaying old suspension bridge, walked along beaches with huge mountains one side and mirror like lakes on the other offering a perfect reflection of the view ahead of you, saw and heard distant waterfalls coming off of huge peaks above us, marvelled at glaciers hanging off cliff edges and depositing snow and ice every few minutes down into the valley below, walked in eerie, early morning cloud and mist where you caught the occasional glimpse of the mountains above you and where you really felt like something terrible had happened to the rest of the World and there was nobody else, felt the elation of seeing the campsite / mirador / ferry home, felt the frustration of losing a box of wine to some greedy mice, drank beer whilst sitting on beaches by incredible lakes surrounded by incredible mountains watching incredible sunsets, ate the tastiest and most rewarding food ever despite it only being super noodles or instant pasta, sat on ledges overlooking simply breathtaking views of snow capped mountains, glaciers, lakes, and forests, slept under the blackest, and biggest star filled skies whilst hearing the creaking, groaning and occasional cracking and splashing of ice falling from the glaciar, woke up to icebergs floating past on the lake not 50m away, talked crap solidly for the whole time about the most irrelevant of things, devised 'Puma Defence Plans', decided on our last meals and got concerned about fish feeling the cold and finally felt the most amazing feeling of accomplishment drinking tea and pisco and eating the last of the chocolate whilst waiting for the Catamaran to take us back to the bus for Puerto Natales.
And then there was the Torres - I headed up on our first day, worried that the sunrise would bring cloud and rain and we wouldn't see them. It's simply amazing when you clamber over that last ridge and see the lake, the sheer rock face streaked with black and the 3 Torres towering over you, the tallest peak standing 2KM vertically up from where you stand. Absolutely impossible to comprehend! I was so incredibly lucky to have a perfectly clear blue sky but waking up at 5am in the pitch black on the morning of my birthday to see nothing but stars above just felt brilliant. The climb in the dark was awesome and we watched as the sun rose and the Torres were firstly illuminated by the sky and then slowly, one by one the peaks turned red as the sun hit them and the shadow moved down until the red had gone. The advice we were given to bring our sleeping bags and stove up was brilliant and we sat in total warmth and comfort drinking tea and tuaca! Jess had cards and presents from her and friends back home and even blew up a couple of balloons which got attached to my backpack for the day, (they had skull and crossbones on for some reason!). Stunning way to spend your birthday. The 24KM walk that followed was in clear blue sky and the locals at the Refugio that night just couldn't understand how unusual the weather was. Surely it couldn't last! I managed 2 beers that evening before heading to bed at 9pm after falling asleep watching the sunset on the beach.
The clear blue skies didn't last but in our whole 5 days we had no wind, (impossible in Patagonia), and it rained twice, both times at night whilst we were safely in our tent.
That ladies and gents was Torres Del Paine in Chile and I seriously recommend you visit. For those who have done it before or for those interested, we went from East to West - walking up to Campamento Torres for our first night from Laguna Amarga, doing the sunrise and then walking to Refugio / Campamento Los Cuernos for our second night, Campamento Italiano and Valle Frances on our third day and night before heading up Lago Grey to Glaciar Grey on our fourth day, staying at Refugio / Campamento Grey on our last night before heading back to Refugio Paine Grande to get the boat back.
So, we're now having a very chilled time doing very little in Bariloche after spending the last week doing some more trekking and Glaciar gazing in Patagonia. This and the infamous Ruta 40 trip will be divulged in yet another blog on a computer screen near you very soon.......
Chicos: esparo los todos estan muy muy bueno! Por favor me escriben pronto......
Hasta luego!
Matt.
- comments
Blossom Happy Belated Birthday Splatt! Sorry I didn't email on the day, we were away skiing/snowboarding! Sounds like you had the most amazing day- very jealous! Take care xx