We've just got back from doing the 'W' hike in Torres del Paine National Park, which was really beautiful, and lived up to its reputation of crazy weather- on our first day it was so sunny we got sunburnt, then we
walked over a hill and almost got blown away by wind, then further up the hill it started sleeting, by which time it was so freezing cold it was ridiculous- then on the way down we had torrential rainfall! And this pretty much went on for the whole 4 days we were walking, so it made a relatively easy walk a lot more difficult!
I think more than anything though, it was the wind that made things difficult for everyone- at one place we stayed, a French couple's tent got blown over and ripped apart while they were sleeping, so we were pretty happy we stayed in a Refugio that night! The walk was really well set up- if you wanted to camp you could, or there were guest houses and refugios along the way, with bars and food for sale- although some had more character than others.
These guys were all over the road on the drive up to Torres del Paine, they were so cool, apparently pumas eat them, and leave the rest for condors though so I guess thats why they hang out in packs... On our first night we had dinner a restaurant and I thought that some chairs looked cool because they had furry backs, and Sam pointed out that they were made out of the guanacos...
Most of the walk was around these incredible glacial lakes, they were aqua blue, and the colour just doesn't seem to come out properly in photos- has to be seen to be believed I guess! Anyway, you could drink the water straight from the streams, it was so icy and fresh...
So did I mention that it was really really cold and usually really really ridiculously windy?
Thats because there are glaciers everywhere- so so cool to look up at snow-capped mountains and glaciers...
Anyway, we are doing a group tour with G Adventures called 'Essential Patagonia' and Sam has managed to find another person as crazy as he is to hang out with.... see this beautiful snow-capped mountain? Remember how I mentioned the wind? well, it has been between 30km-100km an hour at stages, and maximum temperatures have been about 5 degrees, so it is cold cold cold....
Anyway, apparently in the USA, they have this thing called the polar bear dip- it's when you go for a swim before breakfast- so Sam and 'Mas Alto' decided they would have the ultimate polar bear dip and swim in the glacial lake!
They didn't last very long, but I did film it so that make may it up here at some stage- but did I mention how cold the water is? the next lake over has icebergs!!!!
