Torres del Paine

Winter in DC has been colder than usual. So I decided it was time to go to the southern hemisphere where it is the beginning of fall – to the Torres del Paine National Park.

Lots of getting there, and the mountains rise right out of the pampas.


The buses from Puerto Natales to Torres are colorful. Drivers seem to be on an hour-then-rest schedule.


Few towns – but they cower from the wind in valleys


After 1 ½ hours, we finally arrive at the main entrance to the park – and the hike begins.



For the rest of this trip, the views never stop




For 2 days hiking besides the Rio del Paine



Not much in terms of wild life. The puma territory starts around Campo Seron (below) – favorite meal is rabbit:

Over a ridge


Vortex behind the mountain



Hiking in the woods and the valley for several hours – then breeching the crest of glacial moraine we came upon this view – Lake Dickerson, the ranger station on the point, glaciers in the background



Next day was rain all day.



Just before Camp Perro is this glacial lake. Moments later a gust of wind at about 100 mph sent me flying backward about 8 feet and a series of rolls thereafter. Fortunately only full leg bruises.




Campo Perro rangers had stopped 2 days of hikers from crossing the pass because of blizzard conditions.

We thought that we would have to wait with the bunched up hikers for a third day. But the wind dropped, and the rangers decided to lead a group of around 30 hikers (3 days worth) over the snow covered trails and the pass.

No – I was not the last one – though I could have been. At the crest the wind was about 40-50 mph and the sleet horizontal.



We went over the saddle of the pass and thought we had lake in front of us



But not a lake, but rather Grey Glacier – hundreds of feet above it



Over 2 days we walked along the glacier along brutally [for us at least] slick and rough trails. The rangers closed the trail right after we went over because the rain on the west side had made the trail too slick and the fear of flash floods.




When hiking Torres you must look both left and right

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And behind you



Morning view from our tent at Paine Grande campsite

Climbing the Frances trail is accompanied by the retorts of cracking glaciers and the roar of avalanches. Here you can see the mist of an avalanche.

More rain



Going to the Torre


But this is close as we got to the Mirador



Due to snow that made the trail so slick even the youngsters who tried to get to the Mirador came back.



Same view as a couple above:



An owl drying out


End of the trial at the Refugeo Torres – no we did not stay there.

Thank you.And thanks for the realistic photos.I have wanted to go there ,probably from Galen Rowell photos,but he selected for better sun and light.If the weather isnt very good in their September,is it ever? Many of the rainy pics reminded me of New Zealand.

very nice! I'm also from the DC area, had the same thoughts, and headed down there on Friday. Hoping the weather holds out and doesn't cause any delays during the hike. Did you do the full circle or just the W?

Full circle, about 110 km.



Have to have Sprinters - this is a tour company Sprinter. The problem, though, is that they overbooked, and 20 showed up to return to Puerto Natales for a van with only 15 seats.



This monster is from a fleet of such tour buses out of El Calafate, AR. They take a dirt road from El Calafate to Torre del Paine NP to cut off about 200 km of travel. Further, while the road may or may not be OK for high clearance vehicles, what I was told is that to further reduce the time of this all-day tour is that these buses go at 100 km/hr on these roads - hence the tires are almost more important then the mechanical upgrades.

Great stuff!

Bringing back lots of memories from 2004 when I spend 7 weeks down there. One (well several in SA) place I definitely want to return. We did the "W" in TDP, spend a lot of time hiking around El Chalten - and even a circumnavigation of the Fitz Roy range out on the Patagonian Ice Cap

good pictures Keith