Torres
del Paine National Park
November
17 - 26, 2017
Summertime in South America. The shoulder season is around Thanksgiving so Laura and I knew we were a few weeks early but since our schedules worked out, we made the 30 hour trip down to the Patagonian region of southern Chile. The picturesque Torres del Paine National Park is for many something only seen on calendars and in pictures. It is regularly listed as one of the top adventure travel destinations of the world. The soaring, rugged peaks with different colored rock layers are unique and it’s towers simply amazing.
Known
for its ferocious winds and variable weather, Patagonia is a place many seem to
skip due to unpredictable conditions. We figured that we could deal with just
about anything for a week so off we went. There are two options for trekking in
Torres del Paine and we chose the longer, 80 mile O circuit. Since we’d be
carrying everything we would need for the week on our backs - tent, sleeping
gear, clothes, and food - we went as light as possible, each packing only the
clothes on our backs an extra coat and rain gear. I carried a jet boil stove to
cook our meals and Laura carried just a few additional necessities like
toothbrush and sunscreen for us both. Including food for the week, we got away
with our packs at 25 pounds each.
Arriving
at the world’s southernmost airport in Punta Arenas, Chile, we caught the bus
to Puerto Natales and grabbed a bed for the evening. The next morning we
discovered first-hand the extreme Patagonian weather. 50mph winds, rain, hail,
sun and snow. All before noon! We had lunch and boarded our bus to the park
entrance.
In
December 2016, the park changed its regulations to limit the number of visitors
but upon arriving, we quickly learned that there was mass confusion and really
no rules were enforced. There were fewer people than in the past, just 300 per
day allowed, but there was no communication between the park staff and the two
different companies operating the refugio's and camp areas. 
We
went to our first camp and set up the tent in a small area sheltered from the
ferocious winds. Day 2 we woke early and made the 12 mile out and back hike to
the famous Torres. Only partially visible due to fog and clouds, we spent an hour and headed down to pack up camp and move on to our second site which was to be the beginning of the O circuit.
The O circuit is essentially the back side of the park. Far less travelled than the W, or front side of the park, the O is more difficult, longer and exposed. We had heard varying opinions on if John Gardner pass was open, the only option if you are to complete the O. It had been snowing heavily in the mountains and the pass may not be passable. We decided to head that way and see what happened. After walking a few miles, we met a couple who had our same itinerary but were turned around by rangers due to John Gardner pass being closed because of recent snow. We made the tough decision to turn back as well and started rearranging plans.
We could still experience the front side of the park the way the vast majority of visitors do so we decided to go for that, the W trek. Booking a bus the next morning, taking a catamaran and jumping off at Paine Grande, we headed about 6 miles out to the base of gray glacier and made camp there.
The next morning we walked from Gray to Paine Grande, stopped for lunch and then headed to the camping area at the bottom of the hike up to Britanica. They say it closes at 2 pm but we decided to start at 4 and make a run up the 5 mile trail. We are happy that this is how we chose to do this hike because we passed many people coming down and had the up trail to just ourselves and one other couple following us. Passing by mountains with huge hanging glaciers, beautiful forests and a river flowing the entire way, when we reached the final lookout it was magical. Not another person in sight and no yelling or crazy tourists, just us and the mountains. They were completely surrounding the area. It was like being in a bowl of peaks! This was undoubtedly the highlight of our trip! We spent time there in amazement, talked about the mountains and maybe even climbing some of them and took many pictures before heading down once again.
We made camp for the evening and headed on to our original starting spot the next morning. The day was beautiful, walking along lake shores, rocky coasts and through dense forests. We had intended to make another go for the Torres and took a trail cutoff, but by the time we reached the main trail again just an hour later, the weather had changed once again. Storms had started and the wind was blowing us around making hiking difficult. The Torres were in the clouds again so adjusted our plan and decided to make a run for them early the following morning before heading out of the park. We make it to camp just in time to set up and beat the rain, relaxed for a bit and then visited the refugio where we sat and had a beer.
The next day we would leave the park at 1 pm so we awoke early and for the second time made the 12 mile run up to the base of the Torres. The sun was shining and it was a fantastic morning. We had seen the final viewpoint of the W trek and were happy that we made the effort to go up the difficult steep, loose and rocky trail again. Our friends Mandy and Zach were here just a few years ago so we copied their goofy pictures with some of our own and then made a beeline for the bottom.
Our first hostel when we had arrived to Puerto Natales was owned by a guy from Oregon who had moved here a decade ago and never left. He had family and friends here and celebrated a traditional Thanksgiving with everyone. Since it was Thanksgiving Day, they prepared a feast at their restaurant called Base Camp and invited anyone who wanted to join. The cost? Just donations - this was for family and about being together on Thanksgiving. Laura and I were definitely thankful for Bill and everyone who had brought home cooked meals. Turkey, potatoes, green beans, fruit salad, dressing, corn, bread and many desserts, nobody left hungry. It was nice to celebrate the holiday with our new friends and made the evening a memorable one for sure.
We retired to bed with plans for our final day in Chile. The next morning, after some insistent battling by Laura, got 2 seats on an early bus to Punta Arenas with the plan to take a ferry to see whales and penguins. Once again plans would change due to weather when the tour to Magdalena Island was cancelled so we chose to explore the city and go to a Celtic rock concert we learned about because the band was staying at the same place as us and jamming in the lobby a few hours before the show.
