Mendoza - A glass of Torrontes in enemy territory

Mendoza (Argentina)
20 April - 22 April 2015

I should know better than to suggest de-facto forms of exercise to Inga at anytime but especially when getting off a 22hr bus ride from central Patagonia. Perhaps my mind was foggy at the moment of arrival but I why I made the suggestion that we walk from the bus terminal to our hostel, hostel Empedrado I'll never quite understand. I just assumed that the walk 'wouldn't be far', and in actual fact it wasn't such a distance, I Googled Mapped it just a moment ago and I was advised that the route we took on that morning was 3.1kms. So the distance wasn't the issue but rather the hassle to me, and to Inga also, was that I was dragging my 'wheelie bin' of a bag along and she was carrying a back pack. Hulking additional kilos down suburban streets for a few k's? Challenge accepted!

 

Now there's two reasons why a tourist would come to Mendoza. Either they're an outdoors enthusiast, particularly a mountaineer and hence they utilise this city as a base by which they can launch their bid to summit Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of Asia, and therefore, the highest in both the Southern & Western hemispheres, standing at a height of 6960 mtrs. I would also love to add a line here saying that's the reason I was here. Perhaps on my next excursion to Mendoza I'll get myself onto a team with the aim of making it to the summit as apparently the climb doesn't require any sort of real mountaineering expertise, its just a particularly tough walk!? However the fact that I wasn't aiming to stand atop of Mount Aconcagua could only mean that I was here for the second reason and that's the wine. Actually, lets say it more pointedly, I was here solely for the Malbec. Make no mistake, I think Malbec is the King of the reds and I praise the Argentinians for recognising this to be true.

 

Some 70% of Argentina's yearly wine production comes from the Mendoza region, particularly the areas of Lujan de Cuyo, the Uco Valley and Maipu. The 'golden boy' is the great grape Malbec and I think the style of wine that they make here are phenomenal. I mean when you sit back and think about it, you realise that Argentinians on the whole aren't too crazy a bunch, and just hear me out on this one, they love their beef and have the highest per capita consumption in the world, and they love their red wine, so much so that their national drink IS red wine! You see, not crazy at all. I understand them perfectly!

 

Speaking of crazy though, you know what Inga and I decided to do after we settled in at the hostel? We decided to go for another walk of course. I again just Google mapped the damn route and found that the walk we undertook from the hostel to Plaza Independencia and then out to Parque General San Martin is a distance of 6.5kms, double it for the return and the counter clocks over 13kms! You see, crazy! Add into the mix a stray dog that we picked up along the way that accompanied us for nearly 10kms of that walk and the afternoon became beautifully odd.

 

Corina (Karena) - our guide in Mendoza - Argentina

 

Don't tell BC that I cheated in Mendoza

 

Like many places in Argentina, dogs seem to be everywhere and perhaps it's inevitable that if you're walking the streets for a long enough time that on occasion you'll form an attachment with one of them, especially if you have a thing for dogs in the first place. Now whether these attachments last more than a belly rub or a throw of a ball is in the mind of the dog but on this day, for some reason, Karena (or was it Corina...that's difference between Latvian & Australian pronunciation / and yes, we named the dog), followed us all the way from Plaza Independencia to the lookout at Parque General San-Martin. In fact Karena led the way, so looking back on it we were the ones following rather than the other way around. She walked out in front of us, 5-10mtrs advanced and constantly turned around to make sure we were still there and following her trail. We were 'inseparable' for the whole afternoon, experiencing the best viewpoint in Mendoza together and sharing some laughs of strange monkey chases, weird men undoing their pants and all other things Mendozan. Like all good things however our time together ended at the entrance to Parque General San Martin when Karena turned off and disappeared into the streets of her town, but she remained with us, in memory of course and with every new street corner that we reached, we recalled our 'dog for hire' and hence always seemed to be searching for Karena.

 

El Decimo Resto Wine Bar - Mendoza - Argentina

 

Words to the wind - El Decimo Resto Wine Bar - Mendoza - Argentina

 

Inga's Van Halen tribute - 'you might as well jump' - Mendoza - Argentina

 

As evening started to fall over this provincial capital we were able to finally locate a place that accepted MasterCard as a valid form of payment, (geez, I mean Visa is REALLY is KING in this country). Inga and I then made our way to a great bar named El Decimo Resto Wine Bar. Located on the 10th floor of a building in the middle of town, the bar had some impressive views over the surrounding areas and also had these particularly large glass windows that could readily be opened for those wanting to grasp a little fresh air. Now let me ask you, where in Australia could you do that? Where in the world could you go to a bar in Australia, happily stand by an open window 10 floors above the city and feel happy in the fact that nobody will pull you up for just enjoying the view and getting some fresh air? If I may get onto my soapbox for a moment, that's the freakin' problem with Australia, its turned into such a nanny state that politicians and lawmakers can't trust the average person to be sensible and not do themselves harm. Everything is sanitised, everything is dumbed down so that others can save our precious craniums through the miles of ridiculous legislation that takes the enjoyment out of most things. Australia, stop holding the hand of your citizens as they cross the road, I'm sure they can do it for themselves!!

 

If our first day in Mendoza was all about walking then our second day was going to be all about cruising through the vineyards. This was the reason why WE were here, the wine, the ride and the Andes, a triumvirate of eternal success.

 

A ride through the vineyards - Maipu - Argentina

 

Have bikes, will drink - Maipu - Argentina

 

We commenced our ride out of Mendoza on a local bus heading for Maipu, a journey of some 50-60 mins or so. Now I had it in my mind that Maipu itself was the gateway to the many acres of vineyards in the area. I was basing this on my previous journey here (which I actually took by taxi and which dropped us off at an exact location). So when we were alerted by several people on the bus as to our arrival in Maipu, I exited onto Avenida Manuel Belgrano ever so confused. We had arrived in the township of Maipu surely enough but right here in midtown there wasn't a grape or grapevine to be seen. After locating a tourist office we were advised that we weren't so far away from our destination but that we needed to hop on another bus that was heading to Coquimbito, which we did. Not a problem in itself and it would have been reasonable ride but for the school kids and soccer mums that were getting on the bus at every stop, and every stop wasn't more than 50mtrs from the last! A ride  that could have taken 15 mins turned into a brutal 45 minute ride through the Maipu countryside!!

 

Wine tasting at Mevi boutique winery - Maipu - Argentina

 

Wine tasting at Mevi boutique winery - Maipu - Argentina

 

Someone liked the Torrontes!

 

Wine makes you CRAZY - Familia di Tomaso - Maipu - Argentina

 

Our early afternoon arrival however was actually pretty decent timing all things considered as it allowed us to cover a bit of ground and still make it to three fantastic wineries. Visiting Bodega Trapiche (which unfortunately had their tastings booked for a few hours), then Bodega Tempus Alba, Mevi S.A. Boutique winery & Familia di Tomaso, in our tastings we covered quite a few of the established grape varieties that were being grown in the area and even encountered the odd surprise, such as the fantastic white Torrontes wine that we had at the Mevi winery. For me, the Familia di Tomaso and Tempus Alba Malbecs were the stars but I have to admit that Inga's favourite, the Torrontes, was a more than pleasant white wine option. With that said, this is Argentina and this is Malbec country, so if you're going to play with the big boys then you had better know your place in the grand scheme of things little Torrontes. That's just a quite word between you and me, OK.

 

Be aware Torrontes - Malbec has its own World Day!!

 

 

 

 

San Carlos de Bariloche - Fool's gold

San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina)
16 April - 19 April 2015

An 18hr overnight bus ride from El Calafate via a stop in Rio Gallegos and we were in San Carlos de Bariloche, a town situated on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi sitting under the cover and watchful eye of the magnificent Andes. Five years ago as I was travelling through this region I became so enamoured with this place that eventually I rued the decision to turn the 180 degrees at the critical moment of reckoning and head north when all  of Patagonia was calling me to travel further into its depths. Not that I was complaining about that decision now, all things have a reason associated with them and I guess my time for Patagonia was slated for right now rather than then.

 

On the road to Bariloche - somewhere in Patagonia - Argentina

 

Arriving after nearly a day sitting within the confines of our road transit chariot we cruised in during the early evening in Bariloche on a night filled with a slight chill and intermittent drizzle.  Grabbing our bags and jumping into the nearest cab we made our way from the bus station  through downtown Bariloche, via an ATM pitstop, to the Green House hostel on Avenida Exequiel Bustillo, somewhere around kilometre marker 4.6. Truth be told, this hostel stop was somewhat of a rarity for us. During the 3.5 months that we were away we didn’t really end up staying at too many hostels on our travels, but as far as they go, this was one was actually a pretty good. We had what I considered to be a really cool room, an attic style abode that that was particularly comfortable and had Eastern facing windows which I discovered in the morning looked out over the lake Nahuel Huapi and accepted a hell of a lot of sunshine in its early hours.

 

Breakfast at the Green House hostel - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

Attic room - Green House hostel - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

Attic room - Green House hostel - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

Now there seems to be two main ways to appreciate Bariloche, you can in fact remain mostly indoors, within the confines of its many chocolateries, gorging yourself on a chestnut, or ginger & hazel,  or burnt-sienna sepia toned Dianthus flaked chocolate construct whilst downing a light hot chocolate and taste testing the latest version of the new and improved dulche de leche, OR, you can get yourself outdoors, be active and 'do stuff'. I mean no prizes for guessing what we did! That's not to say a chocolate appreciation hour didn't arise at some point but for us but if it involves being active then the assumption can be made that we'll be signing up first and foremost. It only took a quick read of a few pamphlets in the hostel for us to select the Circuito Chico Mountain Bike company and we were away.

A few kilomteres up Avenida Exequiel Bustillo, almost on the 19km marker, we got around to hiring our bikes in order to take on the 40km+ Circuito Chico (small circuit). Now the conditions of hire were that to ride around in this part of the world you were required to look like the construction worker from the village people, apparently that's how mountain bikers roll here. With a blisteringly fierce orange vest that would have put City Rail workers to shame and a bike helmet that was straight out of the 1980's movie BMX bandits, it was with a dose of awkwardness and shame that we pushed off into the beautifully forested peninsulas that stretch out into Nahuel Huapi lake.

 

Village People bandits - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

Construction  works sucks

Without question the scenery is beautiful, it just is, but on the day that we were out riding it was overcast, windy and we naturally made comparisons between here and the areas of El Chalten  &Torres del Paine, which are just on another level entirely. To do that admittedly is also to treat Bariloche harshly and the place cater for different things. Other than natural beauty this area is something entirely different in that it has both Summer and Winter activities plus the facilities to support those endeavours. El Chalten and Torres del Paine in that sense are one trick ponies, stunning locations and scenery but that's about it (as magnificent as it/they are).

We cruised around Circuito Chico quite easily, within 2.5hrs of the suggested 4, (but of course we did), and thus due to our early return Inga suggested that we ride back to our hostel at kilometre 4.5 (I've temporarily forgotten the reason why) and then ride back to kilometre 19 to drop off the bikes. Now it doesn't take a maths wizard to realise that that's an additional distance of 28kms being added onto our 40km cycle. Not entirely debilitating in itself other than the fact that was ALL downhill  from kilometre 19 to 4, which in turn meant that the return journey would be an uphill battle akin to wading through treacle. It was only somewhere near kilometre 10 that the 'smart pills' that we had taken that morning kicked in and we turned the bikes around and headed back to km 19.

 

Lake Nahuel Huapi - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

Mosaic of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo - outside Dias de Zapata - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

That evening, after having wondered past nearly every chocolate store in town and having purchased probably only 50g worth, we ended up at a little Mexican joint named Dias de Zapata that I remembered from my last excursion to this area. I only say this as I believe the 'inspired' choice of cuisine was a direct reaction to the aggressive meat infused diet that Argentina had thrust upon us. I was happy to let go of my red meat fetish for one night and I think Inga felt blessed that I had somehow come to my senses.

 

Lake Nahuel Huapi - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

The next day we had reserved for Cerro Campenario, known to be the supplier of one of the greatest views in the world. I mean seriously, that's what the Argentines in Bariloche will tell you and did tell us, go up there and see a world class view! Fair enough, hard to deny such a recommendation although it was also hard to deny that the rain had come in just at the most inopportune moment that day also. Not enough to stop us in our tracks but enough to take the sting out of the might and power of Bariloche. So as we set off up Cerro Campenario, by-passing the chairlift and walking the main trails up to the main lookout, we hoped that somewhere along the line the sun would miraculously disband this cloud union and assign them to a mere supporting cast slot. But not even close hombres! At the top of the lookout the wind howled, the clouds gathered, the rain pelted down and there we remained, huddled in the safety of the coffee shop with the worlds greatest view to what was a complete whiteout! We waited of course and hoped, much the same as the supporters of vanquished teams sit through the final periods of time in games where there is the understanding that defeat is certain but  there also exists the wild hope that on this day they will bare witness to the 1 in a million chance of a Lazarus like return. Needless to say, Lazarus did not rise for us on this day and so as a form of self inflicted punishment that had masochistic overtones, instead of making a speedy escape from the hillside via chairlift we decided to walk down the now muddy, slippery slopes of Cerro Campenario. And ok, for the most part we were successful, actually, for ALL the part Inga was successful. As for me, in my final moments I reminded myself of one of those desperate YouTube characters where the last seconds of what looks to be certain glory is shattered by some unworldly force that also suspends belief in onlookers as failure in those moments is considered to be virtually impossible. So there I was, not more than 10mtrs from successfully negating the trail of Cerro Campenario and making back  it to flat land safety when my left foot started to give way. As it slid further away from me my right foot followed and it was then that I realised that I was now mud surfing in Argentina. In those split seconds when your mind  weighs up the situation  and assigns probabilities to permutations, it also tries to rationalise your actions in accordance to your abilities. Let me give you a snippet of the radio broadcast that was going on in my mind and the responses that were being provided by my body;

'Oh, ok, that's both feet gone, and you're not holding on to anything? Mud surfing dude, I like it' - Brain

'Oh shit. Ok just stay upright' - Body

'Dude, you can snowboard, you've got balance, just slide down to that tree 6mtrs away' - Brain

'Are you freakin kidding me you mental case?' - Body

'Why aren't you stopping? Why are you picking up speed? What's going on?' - Brain

'Brace for impact' - Body

'Brain, lay it down, lay it down, take the hit! Ok body, time for me to split, I'm not hanging around! Ciao' - Brain

Those were the final words of transmission before I hit the ground and slid on my arse for 10mtrs. End result, I was literally tasting mud in my mouth for 3 days after the event! Needless to say that Inga was a little more careful in that final sector.

 

SCUM ???

After a much needed wash up in the afternoon we headed back into the centre itself for some more chocolate window gazing and once again came to rest at Dias de Zapata for some homely quesadillas then attended a little bar on Juramento called Konna Bar where in fact we had been the night before. It's was a small venue but the drinks were cheap, the pours were long, the staff were fun and their was a great buzz to the joint.

Reflecting back on our few days there, I don't know, Bariloche didn't quite live up to the billing that I'd given it previously and I know in the eyes of Inga it was disappointing. It may have been the weather that slanted our view or it may have been that after so much exposure to 'Patagonia on steroids' in El Calafate, El Chalten and Torres del Paine, that this, even though it looked like a find of gold, was in fact actually just pyrite. I'm not ready to give up on Bariloche just yet though, I still think that there gold to be found, I think this we may have just looked in the wrong place.

 

I'll see your postcard and raise you a selfie - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

Heading out of Bariloche on another 22 hour voyage, this time to Mendoza, we lined up at the bus counter of Andesmar (I think), showed our passports and waited to board...but no, it wasn't going to be that easy was it? The service agent asked us to produce a printed copy of our tickets, which we did not have, and then when we advised him of this he basically went about saying that he couldn't do anything else...ummm, what was that chief? So commenced the questioning;

Can't we just show you our tickets online?'

Answer: No

'Can't you just verify that we have tickets by checking passenger lists against our identification?'

Answer: lo siento, no

'Ah certainly you have a printer, can't we just print tickets at this office?'

Answer: No, we have no printer at this office

'WTF"!?!?

'So what are we suppose to do'??

Answer: 'I cannot do anything'

Ah, good 'ole South America striking with a vengeance. When there's a 'need' for bureaucracy then here is where you'll find it. As my sense of incredulity and frustrations levels rose, Inga suggested that we go to the Information Desk. Which we did. We explained the situation to the guy who initially said, 'Yes, this tends to happen a lot'....AND....AND what now? You guys don't cater towards occurrences like this? Inga then seconded the guy to act as our agent in finding bus company service agents that 1) Had printers and that 2) Were willing to print out our tickets, all of this whilst the clock was ticking down to departure time. As Inga went around from booth to booth the guy made the suggestion that we could 'maybe' print out our tickets from an internet café in Bariloche, but of course it was Sunday and who the hell knew if they were going to be open!? As that debate went on I was also trying to make my argument for jumping a cab and going into town but knew that the time to do that was much longer than what we had before departure. Now we were really running out of options! It was either stall the bus, or find someone in this bus station that could print the tickets now! Personally I thought the bus station was a lost cause and thought that hunting for a negative outcome was futile, but Inga being that fiery determined Aries character (and Ares being the God of War) just switched her eye colour to RED ALERT and made it happen! I honestly couldn't believe it when she pointed to probably the one guy in the place that was willing to help us out and just said 'C'mon, lets do it'. That was cool, not for the experience so much as just the will of this girl saying 'Right, there's a brick wall and I want to get through it and go to Mendoza', and right on 3:30pm on that Sunday afternoon in April that's exactly what we did!

 

On the road to Mendoza - Patagonia - Argentina

 

Puerto Natales & Torres del Paine – A place where anything after Rio Turbio is a bonus...?

Puerto Natales (Chile) – Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Chile)

11 April – 14 April 2015

When you think of famous drives you think of Route 66 in the US, the Panamerican Highway and the Sturt Highway in Australia, but equally as impressive as those and one that has remained on my bucket list for some time is National Route (40), or simply Ruta 40 in Argentina. This run is one of the longest rides in the world and virtually traverses the length of the Andes on the Argentinian side. This was had always been a bucket list item for me, to cruise Ruta 40 in Patagonia, to take a ride in an area that seemed like the end of the world.

 

Ruta 40 - Santa Cruz Province - Argentina

 

Heading out of El Calafate and climbing up onto the expansive Patagonian steppe I had my right hand side drive style under control. The topography here was mostly flat, the impressive Andes fencing off the Western side of a vast plain that was desolate and monotonous. Pastoral lands rolled on endlessly under broad skies as the kilometres clicked over with hypnotic regularity. Making a short stop for fuel (and a random police check) in Esperanza, we joined back up onto Ruta 40 as it made a straight run for the Andes. Winding roads flowing over rolling terrain with the Andes rising under skies of blue, if ever a road had mythical attraction about it then this would have to be it.
.

For all the romantic notions of the open road there was a place of wretchedness at the end of the world where all things of beauty and wonder I believe went to die without a trace. The mining town of Rio Turbio acts like an apocalyptic centre, a place where your escape is never assured and a place where the dire images of infinite grey burn themselves upon your cerebral cortex. Is there a reason to come to Rio Turbio? Yes, if you’re in the mining game then this place exists for all those that enjoy the game of metallic extraction, but if you’re a tourist it gives you every reason to put the foot down and make a break for Chile, and 10 mins later we were in fact at the border crossing of Cerro Dorotea and making an entrance.

Puerto Natales - Patagonia - Chile

 

Pisco Sours in Puerto Natales - not bad, not bad at all

Chile in Chilli! 'Ya get it? Do 'ya punk?

 

Puerto Natales - Patagonia - Chile

Reaching the shores of Seno Última Esperanza we also reached what would be our base for the next few days, Puerto Natales, a town of some 20,000 inhabitants whose purpose in life I think is to come to the realisation that its future dreams will be built on the endeavours of tourists like us. Slightly ramshackled and derelict in part, the colourful single floor tin roof shacks that make up parts of the town are interesting and make it photogenic. The town itself is surrounding by physical beauty, stark, wind beaten mountains in its immediate vicinity whilst stunning snow-capped peaks rest across the fjord as fishing boats move slowly across this Patagonian stage. As a town it’s nice, cozy and was interesting enough to hold our attention long enough to offer up a few places for drinks and dinner (El Asador Patagonica was very good).

 

Puerto Natales - Patagonia - Chile

 

Puerto Natales - Patagonia - Chile

 

Puerto Natales wasn’t our destination for this section of travel however but it did act as our launching pad for being able to make our way into the other worldy Torres del Paine National Park and to witness in person the famous towers of blue. The only unfortunate thing was from a timing perspective that we had only been able to dedicate 2 days to this glorious corner of the world. Most trekkers come to Torres del Paine to do either the ‘O’ trek or the far more recognised ‘W’ trek, understood to be one of the top 10 treks in the world. Still, you take what you’re given and I know that we were ready to make the most of the two days that we had.

 

Heading out of our hostel before the sun had peaked through the clouds and from behind the mountains, we were sent on our way into a morning that was shrouded by early morning mist and steady drizzle. However, as became common place for us during the whole time we were away, the sun rose up off the deck like a beaten Rocky rising to shine once more (like Rocky in every Rocky movie in fact), it was almost as if our collective will always drew out the sunshine at the right time. Drawing closer to the mountains and national park was like a signal that sun should make an appearance NOW.

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

The journey to the national park was not far in terms of kilometres needing to be covered and the drive itself was perhaps only in the 2-2.5 hr range, but turning off the main road to get into the national park was the point in time we encountered 40kms of gravel road followed by dirt road that wound and turned sharply in, out and over hills. Needless to say, even from a distance we could already see how these mountains and this environment was such a draw card. Rising high from lakes of blue, these jagged, chiselled granite blocks were majestic and has an imposing presence.

Arriving at the north-eastern entrance of TDP (Torres Del Paine – for those that are going to wonder), we signed in at park administration, received our debrief and were waved away into the wild. Not having researched a copious amount regarding the day walks in the region both Inga and I figured that actually seeing the towers was the primary reason that we were here and that a 20km walk in one day was more than an achievable outcome for us. So with that in mind we drove another 15kms or so to the Hotel Las Torres Patagonia which acted as the starting point for the Circuito Torres del Paine.

 

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Show that tree some love...

 

The backyard to the Hotel Las Torres were the mountains of Torres del Paine, snow-capped, towering peaks. Standing there at the Hotel and eyeing off the trail you knew a few things in advance of walking. One, that when getting back to the hotel you’d be exhausted, two, the scenery was going to be mesmerising and that three, the only way the track was going from here would be ‘up’. Indeed it didn’t take long to verify point three as two minutes into the hike we saw the trail heading skyward above our very heads. Certainly with our experience of Mont Fitz Roy behind us there was already the expectation that this would happen and thus it somehow made the idea of acquiring elevation less daunting mentally. It was also at this point that I witnessed the most ‘mental’ and severely deluded person that I saw on the whole trip! Now, just to quickly set the scene, this is Patagonia, its wild terrain and when you hike you’d imagine that you’d need to make yourself as comfortable as possible as the distances you need to cover for any real return on your time investment are usually quite far but bugger me if I didn’t see a girl making her way up the mountain side wearing high heels!!! SERIOUSLY!!! Did this girl fail to take her medication today or did the Dream Police just take over her mind the night before?

 

The first few kilometres of the walk headed up what looked and felt like an old river bed. Not treacherous as such but a nuisance in part for the boulders and ‘hand & foot’ climbing needed to be done in part. This section gave way to a rolling hillside walk up into the valley. As we slowly rose up the mountainside the view back down the hill was stunning. Deep blue skies with heavy clouds casting shadows over the patchwork coloured landscape. Continuing up the hill we followed a river line formed by the melting glacial ice from the glacier above. By this time in our walk the sun was well and truly up and the weather was perfect, so we had nothing but good reviews for mother nature on this day.

 

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

As the walk continued higher we cut through lush forest which had beautifully coloured beech trees and pine. This section was quite pleasant until the point that the trail took a violent turn and headed in the ‘upward’ direction once again. This time the trail called for boulder climbing and general mobility. We climbed in this manner for near 45 mins or so until we encountered a brutal section of  moraine and scree. This section, essentially loose smaller rocks and sometimes large rock debris, made going in some parts a little treacherous. Indeed some of the boulders were quite exposed and as we followed the orange markers and painted orange dots which indicated that we were still on the right trail we questioned whether in fact this part of the hike was actually in the ‘easy does it status’. It was a hell of a lot of fun in any case. As we topped out the climb we were finally rewarded with our introduction to Los Torres del Paine themselves! There they were, the three of them standing tall and proud above a lake of sapphire blue . Towering blocks of granite surrounded by walls of bare, exposed rock, an absolutely stunning sight.

 

Los Torres - Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Los Torres - Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Inga and I stayed there for what may have been 35-45 mins, admiring the surroundings and sitting there kind of in awe of our ability and may I say good fortune to have been able to place ourselves in such a spectacular setting. Indeed we would have stayed longer but what the photos won’t show and what the sun didn’t assist with at the time was the biting cold that existed at that altitude. A glacial lake exists for a reason ladies and gentlemen and ‘general cold’ has a lot to do with it.

 

The walk back down was challenging in part as the ‘boulder dash’ made movement an operation of logistics and sometimes good fortune. What I do remember from the journey way down was a poor lady that was hopping on one leg. Now I don’t know exactly where she damaged her foot but either way, in the kind of form she was in and the awkwardness of her movement, she was going to have an extremely long day!

 

Los Torres - Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Los Torres - Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Arriving back at the hotel Hotel Las Torres Patagonia we were disappointed to find the bar in the hotel closed for some ‘special’ event. Ah, damn you Las Torres! I had been imagining the taste of that first Pisco Sour from high up in the valley, and this is how you repay me for dreaming! Still, Day 1 of TDP had been absolutely brilliant and I had captured enough images in my mind that I’m sure will last me a lifetime or at least until the next time I come here.

Now if Day 1 was all about hiking then Day 2 was, to borrow a line founded in El Calafate, ‘All about the view’. Driving out of Puerto Natales early once again we encountered the same type of winding, biting gravel and dirt rounds for most of the journey into the park. This time we entered through the more southerly entrance and I have to say the more impressive when it came to overall scenery. Each rounding of a hill brought scenery and views that literally made us stop in our tracks.

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Our intention this day was to take a ferry across Lake Pehoe and walk up the Lago Grey lake to the Grey Glacier – that was the intention. So after undertaking a short 1hr walk to Lago Nordeskolja and working our cameras overtime, we attempted to make it back to the dock on Lake Pehoe and undertake the journey across the lake. Certainly we did actually manage to get on the ferry, even though we were overly ambitious in our earlier walk with distance and thus our timing enforced a run in order to make the final cut for the ferry, only to find out on the ferry itself that the only return for the day would be immediately after its arrival at Lago Grey. Had we accepted that challenge then we may well have needed to camp out on the lake Into the Wild style for that evening. So, resigned to the fact that we’d literally ‘missed the boat’ we drove around Lake Pehoe and found the perfectly positioned Hotel Pehoe. This place has what I consider to be one of the best views of the Torres del Paine in the whole park. Even better in that you could sit back in the bar, happily order Pisco Sours whilst the sun streamed through the large glass windows and just sink into eternal traveller bliss.

Hotel Pehoe - Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

 

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile

Several ‘Pisco Pehoe’ sours later  and feeling inspired we drove a little further down the road and undertook a 1hr hike up to a local mirador. It would be an understatement to say the views were simply spectacular, or magnificent, or majestic, or ethereal, or celestial but hell, it was all that and more. Not only was the view like a world created through poetic imagination but we were the only two people occupying this location so the feeling we had was as if we were the sole owners of all that we could see, and I guess in a certain way we were, as on that day, at that time and in that location, it was only us and Torres del Paine in that frame and that my friends is something worth writing about!

Torres del Paine National Park - Patagonia - Chile