“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” – Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” NOTE: The below forms a record of events that really happened. Everything possible has been done to embellish them. What I love about the past is that it’s over. There are some views that are so iconic that they’re instantly recognizable – the Mona Lisas and Starry Nights of the natural world. They’re places that, even though you’ve seen hundreds of photos, feel surreal as you’re standing there, gazing, happily letting time slip away as you soak in their remarkable spirit. “What is this life if, full of care. We take no time to stand and stare…” – W. H Davies I never professed to live my life only by getting to the end of it, as a ticket to get to the future, but one of curiosity and considered challenges, and as Orwell said, to be left to myself, like cattle let loose on the plains of Argentina. As well, conscious naïveté holds me firm in its stead. This life motto has often led to unsurpassed surprises, accomplishments one didn’t know one needed, and in this case, a knee strain, screaming quads, and a win for a large rock that somehow hit the side of my head when my head fell against it, leading to an ever changing profusion of colours seldom seen in the most stunning of sunsets. “If something’s hard to do, then it’s not worth doing.” – Homer Simpson Thus, enter the serrated granite spires of Torres del Paine in Chile, a trio of peaks that look like daggers shooting straight out of the earth. Torres del Paine National Park; a place so epic and otherworldly, its name is often spoken with a kind of hushed reverence. This vast and dramatic stretch of Chilean Patagonia is home to some of the most mind-blowing beautiful scenery on Earth, and hiking the 76 km. “W-trek” is one of the greatest ways to immerse yourself in it. It is undoubtedly one of the best (and challenging) treks in Patagonia, beset by ice fields, turquoise lagoons, glacier-fed waterfalls and verdant forests – and rocks, lots of rocks. So I said, “How hard can it be?” (2 AM in bed is perhaps not the optimal moment of which to derive a true picture of reality.)It seems that each country I go to separates me further from financial security and an understanding of my purpose on Earth.  So I set off, flying from Barilouce to Buenos Aries to Santiago to Puerta Natales, with nothing but a song in my heart and a pocket full of dreams. But my benchmark for what was enjoyable and what was not, was soon to be lowered over the next four days. “Too much is never enough.” – Immortal words attributed both to Mick Jagger and 18th-century playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais The mileage and elevation gain of the W-Trek is no joke – 76 kms. and 2730 metres of climbing through Torres Del Paine National Park. In other words, about 100,000 steps – most of it up and down. There are some sections that clock up altitudes of over 610 meters in just a few hours, only to lose it that afternoon. If there’s one constant about the weather in Patagonia, it’s that there’s nothing constant about it. The cocktail “wind & rain” have you soaked within minutes: sleet to snow to heavy rain to sun can come in a matter of minutes. Spring in the Patagonian mountains is known for its extreme winds which can reach speeds of up to 161 kph. We heard plenty of stories of pack covers and rain ponchos being whipped off and torn to shreds. And of 6’ men being blown over, backpack and all. The trails are well-trodden, if not always well-marked, with packed mud, slippery mud, loose stones, gravel, wet rocks (my nemesis, see above), low streams and bridges.  Now there are some salient core principles involved when undertaking such a fundamental endeavour. A walking pole becomes your new best friend. You will spend evenings revisiting memories of your misspent youth and being reminded of muscle groups you forgot once existed. Mornings will see you rise as if recovering from open heart surgery. Sore calves and aching quads are badges of honour, with blisters and lost toenails marks of pride. You find that the width of backpack straps decrease with distance hiked. To compensate, the weight of the backpack increases. There’s such a thing as ‘too much fresh air’. Mountains do what they are hired to do. “We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away.” ~ Pascal Mercier Day One. Climb and Punishment: Las Torres My notes simply state: ‘trekking hell starteth here’. After 22 kms. and 8 hours, the climb to Las Torres begins in earnest. It’s a gritty, demanding rocky terrain of steep, gravelly inclines and large boulders. There are moments when I, between ragged breaths, would look up and see tiny trekkers far above, feeling that the climb would never end. It’s at least an hour of the final gruelling ascent, but in exchange, if you dare look down, the panoramas are absolutely breathtaking. To quote Ed Viesturs, getting to the top is optional, getting down is mandatory. The knee-buckling and slippery downward journey is more challenging than the climb up, and my legs are screaming by the time I get down. Really, to use theological terms, it is just too frigging much.I was beyond grateful for my hiking pole. One pole was ideal as it left me with a free hand to grab tree branches and boulders, haul myself up and down, and catch my fall when I slipped. Which was often. Cause just when you need an arm or a leg, suddenly the body has other things to do.  Day 2 – Come Hill or High Water: Lake Nordenskjöld Despite feeling like my heart might explode, we cover the distance in around eight muscle-busting hours, with a few stops to take in the views, rehydrate, and give our racing pulses a break. And lucky enought to sight a couple of condors and no pumas. Distance: 16 kms. Time: 8 hours   Day 3 – I don’t get it. The trail looked so flat on the map: French Valley Days are long. Here, you get a stunning view of a hanging glacier that comes straight from Paine Grande, the highest peak in the region (3050 metres). Distance: 14 kms. Time: 7 hours   Day 4 – I think I’ve peaked!: Glacier Grey Distance: 11 kms. Time: 3.5 hours.   The consensus? A strange kind of exhilarated fatigue. Where endurance and stamina matter a lot. And a huge one for the books. Anyways, this is how I remember it. |
  |
Needed a Change of Altitude
December 12, 2023 by
Great article. Your articles always make me laugh. This one is excellent. Love the photos and the details. You should submit this to a travel agency or even to a nature magazine.
Rgds,
Sheri Kelly
Phenominal, Karyn. When I took my daughter to South America in 2015 we would have loved to have done this, But I was already having hip problems and trecking all day on flat surfaces was hard enough. I really appreciate that you share your adventures, your thoughts and feelings. Tell me, do you have a PH.D in world literature? I know some of your quotes but really!!
Thank you. I wish you a happy Christmas and more adventures in 2024.
Susan
Well done Karyn! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We’re doing fine here hope things are well with you. Looking at using your opinion to spruce up a few things in the house. Let’s get together In the New Year.
And of course a lunch!
Barb and Daryl