The ¨W¨

The "W" trek in Torres del Paine, Patagonia. I'm pretty sure this is what people have in mind when they think about "Patagonia", big big mountains, glaciers and unpredictable weather (not cutesy swiss chocolate shops!) The trek starts near Puerto Natales, Chile, not far from the bottom of the continent. I couldn't get over how much that town reminded me of the flip side - AK! Anyway, in Puerto Natales I found my way to a hostel there which is well known for preparing people for Torres, and went to their "info session". There is a whole culture around preparing for and making this trek! People follow the advice the guy gives like a guru, funny story about that later. The talk is also a good place to meet up with other trekkers if you are alone, which I was. Rumors of winds so strong they blow people to the ground and deaths in the park made me think heading in alone wasn't the best idea... So, I met Alice, from London, and Carine, from Holland. We were a bit of a motley crew, but set out to prep for this trek. We followed the advice word for word - he tells you what food to bring, how to dress, how to handle the weather, what direction to hike, where to camp, etc. I will say it was all good advice and I definitely learned a few things that will help me in future mountain adventures....
So it is called the "W", because it literally looks like a W. It typically takes 5 days, but you can extend it to include the "circuit" which takes another 2-3 days. We stuck with the 5 day trip. The weather there is so variable, and you really have to be prepared for anything. And it changes so quickly! I heard some horror stories from friends who had done it, with trails washed out, etc. So, given that - we really lucked out. Spectacular sunny days for most of the trip - and views and views. Glaciers and peaks on almost every trail. Spectacular. I will say - the winds lived up to the hype. Up to 90 miles per hour at times. I met a guy who must have weighed 225lbs or more who had a big laceration on his chin from being blown down to the ground by the wind. Trekking poles definitely helped. And I finally saw condors!!! I actually got swindled into paying to see condors in Peru and never saw one. Have been hoping my entire time in South America and, finally, saw 6 in Torres. They are giant, wing span up to 4 meters, and magnificent. So, in following the advice, the recommendation is to spend the final night up near the Torres "towers" and then wake up before sunrise to see the towers with the red glow of the sun coming up. People listened to his advice so religiously, that I met some people that planned on hiking up there at 4 am, even though sunrise was currently around 7 or even later (he hadn't adjusted his lecture for the season changing.) It was so difficult to convince them of this! But finally, they altered their plan. They were there at the top, with sleeping bags and stoves, cooking breakfast - another recommendation. We did not bring breakfast, and I have to say - I was jealous, it was a long wait for sunrise! Hiked 90km's in all. Whew! Great trip!









Here is a shot of people at the towers for sunrise - it was quite a crowd!

Post-trek dinner...