We have completed our 8-day trek around Torres del Paine National Park in the southern region of Chile. They offer a couple of different hikes that are very popular that just hit the highlights of the park, but we opted to do the more difficult one called The Circuit. This trail includes the highlights of the park, and also gave us a chance to hike through the back part of the park. We made a complete circle around the small mountain system called Paine Massif. We hiked about 75 miles total, and we did it while carrying all our supplies and food. We were very lucky with the weather until the last two days. The second to last day the wind blew like I have never seen, and I grew up in Kansas!! It even blew me over once!! The last day it was really wet. We were soaked and cold!!! But the other days were absolutely beautiful!!
Just starting out on the trail! We are pretty excited!!
We found the first half of the back country hike to be quite flat. I believe this is the area that was burned by some guy that let his stove get away from him.
More flat land.
Now we are getting into some mountains. This was a lake and mountain covered in clouds by our second camp site. The clouds were just rolling over the mountain top.
This is the same mountain in the morning covered in snow. All those clouds were delivering a good amount of snow to that area.
A beautiful waterfall!
Woody the woodpecker.
One of the few ladders we had to climb on trail.
We made it to the top of the pass. This is supposed to be the hardest part of the whole trail. We found going down the mountain was much more difficult than going up it. Our knees were screaming at us going down!! We are very very fortunate to have wonderful weather the day we went through the pass. I can´t imagine doing this pass if the wind was blowing!
The view of Glaciar Grey from the top of the pass.
The back half of Glaciar Grey.
A closer picture of the huge Glaciar Grey.
The tip of Glaciar Grey from the side. As we were walking along it on the ridge we could hear it groaning and cracking. It was really neat!!!
In front of Glaciar Grey.
Nick standing in front of just a piece of ice that had broken off the glacier.
Far away picture of the glacier from the front.
Laguna Los Patos (The ducks lake) and the reflection of the clouds in the water.
Me standing in front of two huge peaks made up of two different colors of stone.
Walking across a big suspension bridge.
A river with Cerro Paine Grande in the background.
Cerro Paine Grande with the Glaciar Francés. We camped at the opening of this valley and during the night we kept hearing huge rumbles like thunder, but they do not have thunder down here. So in the morning Nick asked and the ranger said it was avalanches. As we walked up the valley the next morning we got to see avalanche after avalanche. It was really neat and loud!!
I caught just the ending of one avalanche. It looks like a waterfall, but that is snow and rocks.
Nick in front of the bi-colored peaks.
Neat little trail between the trees.
The view of the valley from the top of Valley Francés.
We woke up on day 6 to this wonderful rainbow over the mountain.
Lago Nordenskjold. It was very windy this day, and it made the lake seem more like the ocean creating small waves.
Nick rubbing his knee. We were worried for a day or so that Nick´s knee was not going to make the trip, but it seemed to adjust on the second to last day.
The only mountain in the park actually named a mountain. It is called Monte Almirante Nieto.
Funny looking clouds. It was really windy this day and the clouds looked really blurry and fake.
The view of the dry terrain coming up to the mountain range.
The towers of Torres del Paine. This is the most popular part of the park, but I think the tower at Fitz Roy was better.
The last day was the weather was the worst. It was raining, snowing, and sleating. This picture does not show how bad it is snowing, but it does show the snow accumulating.
Just starting out on the trail! We are pretty excited!!
We found the first half of the back country hike to be quite flat. I believe this is the area that was burned by some guy that let his stove get away from him.
More flat land.
Now we are getting into some mountains. This was a lake and mountain covered in clouds by our second camp site. The clouds were just rolling over the mountain top.
This is the same mountain in the morning covered in snow. All those clouds were delivering a good amount of snow to that area.
A beautiful waterfall!
Woody the woodpecker.
One of the few ladders we had to climb on trail.
We made it to the top of the pass. This is supposed to be the hardest part of the whole trail. We found going down the mountain was much more difficult than going up it. Our knees were screaming at us going down!! We are very very fortunate to have wonderful weather the day we went through the pass. I can´t imagine doing this pass if the wind was blowing!
The view of Glaciar Grey from the top of the pass.
The back half of Glaciar Grey.
A closer picture of the huge Glaciar Grey.
The tip of Glaciar Grey from the side. As we were walking along it on the ridge we could hear it groaning and cracking. It was really neat!!!
In front of Glaciar Grey.
Nick standing in front of just a piece of ice that had broken off the glacier.
Far away picture of the glacier from the front.
Laguna Los Patos (The ducks lake) and the reflection of the clouds in the water.
Me standing in front of two huge peaks made up of two different colors of stone.
Walking across a big suspension bridge.
A river with Cerro Paine Grande in the background.
Cerro Paine Grande with the Glaciar Francés. We camped at the opening of this valley and during the night we kept hearing huge rumbles like thunder, but they do not have thunder down here. So in the morning Nick asked and the ranger said it was avalanches. As we walked up the valley the next morning we got to see avalanche after avalanche. It was really neat and loud!!
I caught just the ending of one avalanche. It looks like a waterfall, but that is snow and rocks.
Nick in front of the bi-colored peaks.
Neat little trail between the trees.
The view of the valley from the top of Valley Francés.
We woke up on day 6 to this wonderful rainbow over the mountain.
Lago Nordenskjold. It was very windy this day, and it made the lake seem more like the ocean creating small waves.
Nick rubbing his knee. We were worried for a day or so that Nick´s knee was not going to make the trip, but it seemed to adjust on the second to last day.
The only mountain in the park actually named a mountain. It is called Monte Almirante Nieto.
Funny looking clouds. It was really windy this day and the clouds looked really blurry and fake.
The view of the dry terrain coming up to the mountain range.
The towers of Torres del Paine. This is the most popular part of the park, but I think the tower at Fitz Roy was better.
The last day was the weather was the worst. It was raining, snowing, and sleating. This picture does not show how bad it is snowing, but it does show the snow accumulating.
3 comments:
Damn Sara! I totally cannot get over all these pics! Waterfalls, Avalanche, Glaciers, Crazy Looking Clouds, Cool Tree Trails....I am so mad for not being there right now minus the hiking 75 km, that is so out of my league. You are going to come back with calfs that can kill! What kindof food are you taking with you during your camp? Yummy beef jerky? Everyone always tells me I would be a bad cowboy because I always eat all the beef jerky first thing, I probably wouldn't last a day on your hike..you guys so rock! I really can't say it enough, how awesomeness plus icecream super cool! Love love love love the pictures!
Damn Sara! I totally cannot get over all these pics! Waterfalls, Avalanche, Glaciers, Crazy Looking Clouds, Cool Tree Trails....I am so mad for not being there right now minus the hiking 75 km, that is so out of my league. You are going to come back with calfs that can kill! What kindof food are you taking with you during your camp? Yummy beef jerky? Everyone always tells me I would be a bad cowboy because I always eat all the beef jerky first thing, I probably wouldn't last a day on your hike..you guys so rock! I really can't say it enough, how awesomeness plus icecream super cool! Love love love love the pictures!
Oh and I love the rainbow picture too, that is just too great that you were able to see that.
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