A travel blog of a journey that I started in 2010 and I don't know when it will end ...

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas, Las Torres del Paine and Magallanes

I go in to Chile again. Arriving at Puerto Natales where I do Couchsurfing in the Seguel family with many couchsurfers ... 4 tonight! We had homemade lentils for dinner.



The next morning I meet Judith and Karim to do some shopping of provisions for the trip to Torres del Paine National Park. We buy the lightest food and the more energetic one. The plans are up to 9 days to make the classic track "W" and "Circle" at the end of the “W” we'll see if we continue or not ...
In the evening dinner with fish and sleep... in the morning I have to go to the park.



Parque Nacional Torres del Paine.

Mapa CONAF Torres del Paine


Day 1. The bus leaves us at the dock where we take the catamaran to Refugio Paine Grande and Camping at the beginning of the circuit "W". We assemble the tents and leave the backpacks to start walking to El Glaciar Grey. We have a very nice day and the views are spectacular!





We got back at Paine Grande when it starts to get dark. We had dinner and went to sleep.

Day 2. We wake up with sun and wandering to walk. We collect the camp and take the direction to Campamento Italiano, we arrive for lunch. Then mount the tents and leave the bags to move towards the Valle del Francés where we can see the Glaciar Francés and the perspective of the valley. We reach Campamento Británico to go up till the Valley Viewpoint.
Then go down to Campamento Italiano again to try to have dinner with daylight. We do.




Day 3. I wake up in the rain, the sound of rain. Lunch covered in a small shelter at the camp. We decide to go to the Refugio los Cuernos where there are more services ... We went together with Jon (USA).
The weather during the walk seems to be improving, but when we arrive at Refugio, starts to rain again.
Shower with hot water and hot food.
By night while we are doing some wine with Karim we observe a group of Germans nonstop drinking Pisco who are accompanied by three Chileans. The Chileans are one guide and two porters of the material of the Germans! Our wonder is to know much can be ... € 1,500 per person for 7 days!

Day 4. The next morning the weather is better and after breakfast we continue the trek towards the valley of Las Torres.
We go together with two English women, well Londoners.
Head up Refugio Chileno we continue to Campamento Torres, just below the Las Torres. We arrived very tired and strength to build the tents and prepare dinner.




With Karim we make a new friend, the rangers, Manuel (Santiago de Chile).
He offers some pisco and worm place in the hut for a while.
Later Zaloa (Bilbao), two Brazilian and two more Catalans join us.

We went to sleep with the idea of wake up for climb the Towers before the sunrise.

Day 5. At 5 am, rain. We stayed asleep until late ...
Lunch at the camp at the shelter and later Manuel invites us to mate. He is so nice with us!
The British and Judith decide to go down to take the bus to Puerto Natales. Karim and I climb to the lookout. Towers are not completely visible ... but at least we see them.



Going back to camp, Manuel just finishes preparing some homemade bread! He invites us to eat some!
At the afternoon we collect the tents, say goodbye to Manuel and take the direction of Refugio Las Torres, where we camp. Halfway down, starts raining again...
We had dinner with two French are installed next to our tents.
We have already completed the circuit "W". My intension is to continue doing "The Circle".

Day 6. Rains. It rained all night and an incident happened to my shoes. I left them inside of the tent without covering them (theoretically there is no rain inside the tent), but the drops from the trees had made the condensation of tent fell down on some parts of the tent, among which one of the shoes.
So, wet shoes, good experience doing the "W", and rain ... I decide to return to Puerto Natales with Karim.



In Puerto Natales I go back to the Family of Couchsurfing. Karim comes to dinner to see what this of Couchsurfing is. We had Neapolitan meat and fish soup.

We meet next day for a coffee before catching a bus to Punta Arenas, the next stop.
We stayed there in a cheap hostel and go out looking for somewhere to eat. Punta Arenas has many historic buildings of European style.

The next day we sleep until we can no longer more ...
We start to walk, and I buy my ticket to Ushuaia. Lunch at the restaurant Los Sabores.
Rest day.




I say goodbye to Karim. He is going Salvador de Bahia for Carnival .... grgrgr Is not on my budget ...

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Versió catalana
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