Wednesday 1 March 2006

  Puerto Natales - Parque Nacional Torres del Paine : 190km

We take the road that will lead us from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine National Park. Already after a mere 10 km the tarmac runs out and we have to move on over a dirt road with lots of pot holes and bumps. The authorities are very busy with carrying out road works and at many spots along the road men waving flags have to regulate traffic along the road works.  The entrance to the park about 160 km away from Puerto Natales and we get pretty well shaken (not stirred) by the road. On our way we come through only one village, Cerro Castillo, where we break for coffee. The views of the mountains get more impressive the closer we get to the park, more so when Lago Sarmiento comes into view. A magnificent blue lake with mountains at the backdrop of snow capped mountains. After 2.5 hours we reach the park entrance, where we have to register and pay the entrance fee of CL$10.000 pp (€16). It is then still another 30 minutes before we reach  Hosteria las Torres. We have to pass a narrow suspension bridge and work our way past dozens of curves, before the hotel appears. Our perseverance is rewarded, however,  because it is lovely out here. Views of snow and ice capped mountains and a Parador-like accommodation (see our travels in  Spain if you want to know what that means). The fire place in the guests lounge is burning and there is also a sauna and a massage parlour.

We have lunch at 12.30pm. Well prepared food. We then take a rest to get the vibrations out of our system. In the afternoon we want to walk a bit to warm up the muscles a bit. We want to take the track to Cuernos del Paine, along the Lago Nordenskjold with a view of the Cuernos (horns) of the Paine massif. But after half an hour we take a wrong turn and we are led up the hill. After an hour we do have a fine view on the lake, but we get the idea that we are heading in the wrong direction. This is the track we are supposed to take tomorrow. We have another look around and head back for the hotel. Back at the hotel we have a drink at the bar and then go to the presentation of all the excursions on offer in the park. The are countless. Also the climb we intend to do tomorrow which is labeled as difficult.

Dinner is served in the shape of a buffet and tastes good. We do not take wine, with tomorrows trek in mind. Early to  bed.

Weather: nice summer weather. Sunny, temp. 19 degrees. Windy

Thursday 2 March 2006

After breakfast we pack our bags. Because we booked "quite late" (in September, 6 months in advance!) we could get more than one night straight in this hotel. Tonight we will have to move to our next hotel. Today's goal is the Mirador del Paine, where a beautiful view of the Torres (towers) of the Paine massif is awaiting us. We take the same track as yesterday, which soon starts to climb. That goes on for about an hour. Then we reach the first "peak" and enter the valley of the Ascencio river, between the Monte Almirante Nieto and the Cerro Paine. After this we descend slowly to the trekkers hut called Chileno, below on the banks of the Ascencio river. Here Erik decides not to go any further. We eat some of our lunch box and continue the trek. I take over Erik's walking sticks. The next hour or so takes me through a forest on the river banks. A few times I have to cross the river. Most times by a narrow bridged, but once I have to walk through the water stepping on stones. It is possible to use a tree for support. The water is streaming fast and over my shoes. Next stop is at the  Campamento del Torres. Here I eat some of my food ration and prepare for the final 45 minutes steeply uphill. At first it is not so bad. A track follows a stream. When I pass the tree line it just big moraine rocks I have to climb and scramble over following the occasional dots of paint.  It is a tiresome and very steep (45°) climb. I wonder how ever will come down again. After 45 minutes my efforts are rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Torres del Paine, the towers of the Paine Massif: left the Torre Norte, in the middle the Torre Central and on the right the Torre del Sur. I have, together with a growing number of fellow climbers, a seat on a edge away from the wind. I eat a bit and enjoy the view. The weather is working for us today. The towers are not shrouded in clouds, the sun is shining and it is reasonably warm.  After half an hour I start the descent and make my way over the boulders - some times on all fours. At the camp site I stop for a drink and continue for an hour through the forest to the Chileno hut. Erik has been waiting here for 5 hours in the sun and he has worked up a nice tan. I have a short break, because I am fairly tired. The the final stage: first the climb out of the valley and then down again to the hotel. Once we are up out of the valley we are surprised by the strong winds almost blowing us off the track that leads along the edge of the ravine. The following descent is long but not difficult. Then we have to drive to our next accommodation. We drive for an hour to Lago Pehoé, where the Hosteria with the same name lies on a tiny island in the lake. Beautiful location. A porter helps us with our suit cases over the bridge to the hotel. The room is a big disappointment. Small, jamming doors, blistering paint and the shower produces a microscopic stream of water. We call a plumber who thinks he can remedy the problem with a new shower head. It seems better. At least we get wet. We take a drink in the hotel bar. The view of the lake and the Cuernos del Paine is wonderful from there.  Dinner later that evening is not fabulous either. The main course was not too bad, but the starter and dessert are very questionable.

Exhausted of the exiting day we hit the sack at half past nine.

Vrijdag 3 March 2006

  In the shower I am taken by surprise at the sight of a cockroach!! Breakfast is disappointing too. And all of that for  US$169 per night! We enjoy once more  the view of  Lago Pehoé and the Cuernos del Paine and get away. We drive back a bit for the view of the Salto Grande, the big falls. Here the wind is so strong that I am almost literally blown away. The falls are beautifully set between two lakes: Lago Nordenskjold and Pehoé. They drop down a dozen metres. We drive on to our next hotel, the  Hosteria Cabañas del Paine. We drive to the southern limits of the Park. First along the beautiful Lago Pehoé. Then it goes on over a bridge across the Rio Paine, along the Lago del Toro until the road ends and the  Puente Negro over the Rio Serrano. This bridge is out of service and the signs to our hotel conspicuously absent. The only option is a right turn. That road ends at a parking lot near a footbridge over the Rio Serrano. I cross the bridge and walk for ten minutes to the reception of the Hosteria. After registering I drive back to the footbridge together with a porter. He helps us with our suitcases to our room. The room is fine. A relief after yesterday's experience. We have short rest and then take lunch at the Hosteria. Juan is our friendliest waiter. The food is nice enough: salmon or chicken with a vegetable soup as a starter. 

After lunch we drive to Lago Grey. The road there is very bad. We are continuously shaked to bits by the pot holes and the wash boards. 24 km takes about an hour. We try to buy tickets for the boat tour to the Grey glacier at the Hosteria Grey , but they are sold out. This evening is possible, but then we would have to drive home through the dark and tommorow at 8 is also available, but that would involve a very early rise. We settle for a walk to the sand bank cutting the lake in two. We first walk to the car park at the Rio Ping where a suspension bridge connect the mainland with the sandbank over a fast running river. The suspension bridge swings to an fro because of the strong the wind. We walk throug a small forest and then onto the sandbank. We have nice view of the glacier and the icebergs it sheds. We walk back to the hosteria and have a drink in the bar with a fine view of the lake. Chilean have a way with views. Every hosteria here in the national park has a bar with seat in front of  panoramic windows with the best views possible. It is just like watching a live painting.

We drive back to our own Hosteria. We have a beer (Austral) and a Pisco Sour. Juan does his utmost to make us comfortable. We have stroll around the hotel. The horses walking around freely here are for rent. At night we have dinner in the Hosteria. Now we have three choices: salmon, turkey and beef. We take an good Chilean Carmenere wine to wash it down.

Weather: sunny, but windy. 17 degrees.

Saturday 4 March 2006

During the night the wind dies down, but it has started rain quite hard. It still does when get up. We have breakfast, check out and get on our way. Funny enough the roads are easier to drive on. The dirt is softer and the road is less bumpy. It is more slippery though. We drive to the park's exit and take the road to Puerto Natales. The road is undergoing a complete make over. There are many road works. We have our coffee in Castelo Ciero. A bit further down the road a road worker asks us to take him to his hotel. We take him with us. He tells us that the road works will continue for another year or so. In Puerto Natales it still rains a bit. Again we take residence in Concepto Indigo. We have lunch at the hostel. Than we go into town to do some shopping and to bring back the car. That does not go off without a hitch, as the manager had no idea of our arrival, although we had agreed with Avis that we would bring the car back to the Puerto Natales branch. He deals with it very well. In the supermarket we buy, apart from food for tomorrow's bus trip, a bottle of Pisco. A white brandy made from Muscatel grapes, which together with lemon, whipped egg white and some angustura is the main ingredient for the Chilean national cocktail: Pisco Sour (it is very popular in Peru too). During the afternoon we have another go at a Completo (hotdog with everything) and an Austral beer. We eat dinner at Tio Pepe, a traditional Chilean restaurant. We are the only customers, but that is surely down to the time of year. Many restaurants have no clients at all. We take a last Chilean Pisco Sour at the lounge bar  El Living before we head back to the hostel.

Weather: rain and heavily overcast. 10 degrees