January, 19, 2017
photo credit due
I cannot exactly remember for how long but I always knew that one day I would go to Chile. The reason was always the draw of what forever seemed to be this magical place called Patagonia. This place of the iconic image of towering rock spires. For the longest time it seemed as mystical in name as in place, close to the end of the world.
photo credit due
When it came to be that we were thinking of heading to South America, Patagonia seemed to be the only "must go" destination. Focusing more on this "must go" spot was Parque Nacional Torres del Paine.
Further study has us realising to get into the park we needed to have a complete and confirmed itinerary.
This was all possible through a rather complete but well "booked" reservation system.
Our best guess routing and "reserving" will be well illustrated as we trek through the park.
As shown here, the park for quite a while now has become an extremely popular destination. This popularity has resulted in late of tight and restrictive rules and regulations. Most notably as a result of one errant camper that seemed to have unintentialy set fire to a rather large portion of the park. This seemed, without an unreasonable doubt of reason, to have put of an extremely tight control of activities that seemed to have imposed a bit of a disconnect with "nature".
Will comment later of the large "disconnect" of dollars from our wallet to connect with nature.
Will comment later of the large "disconnect" of dollars from our wallet to connect with nature.
With the limited number of beds in the Refugios and the controlled number of campsites, many people we've meet were booking already a half a year ago.
Our first challenge in the park, besides the park permits was accessing our starting point. In the park, as our trek will illustrate is either hiking the "W" route or the long and intenser around the park "O" trek. We will be doing a slightly toned down "W" where we will hike west to east.
To do that we will make our way by boat to the Paine Grande lodge. That will even become a slight challenge as the usual catamaran that makes the crossing is down. Fortunately for us today, the smaller back-up will serve us fine on this day of "eerie" calm in the park.
If there was one thing noted and given plenty of notice and warning about the parque is the potentially dangerous wind, making this crossing questionable.
Unbeknown to us at the time, we are already meeting people here that we will continue to cross paths with and exchange stories over the next week.
WELCOME TO,
So after months (and years) of dreams, best guesses, planning, booking, reading, listening to fellow travellers, trying not to look at the weather forecast too much, grocery shopping, thinking of training, praying, a bus transfer today from Puerto Natales and our safe boat passage, we have arrived safely in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile.
So after months (and years) of dreams, best guesses, planning, booking, reading, listening to fellow travellers, trying not to look at the weather forecast too much, grocery shopping, thinking of training, praying, a bus transfer today from Puerto Natales and our safe boat passage, we have arrived safely in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile.
Our first night will have us bunking up in the Lodge, Paine Grande. But before that we'll go stretch our legs.
Please join us.
Please join us.
senor blogger
photo credit
Down the trail.
Sweet dreams are made of this.
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