3 thoughts on “Torres Del Paine national park . Free camping everywhere and an exhausting ascent ,first of all crossing the border .”
26th Jan – The joys of driving
Day 40
During our stay at El Calafate, the weather had continued to improve, to the extent that we were back into shorts, T shirts and flip flops. The day we left, to drive back into the desert, it got hotter and hotter and the wind diminished into nothing. We drove into town to stock up with enough food in tins and cartons to last and least four days driving around Torres del Paine national park. Any fresh produce we had would be confiscated at the border back into Chile.
Driving:
Driving has never been a problem for us. As Neil and I are equally happy to drive or be passengers, Neil generally Neil starts the day and I take over after lunch, but there’s a slight hitch to that arrangement! After lunch I set off enthusiastically as I live to drive, but if it’s a long the long straight boring road with scenery that rarely changes, after about half an hour I start to nod off! All my good intentions of giving Neil a break, dissolve. So I check on Neil who usually grabs 40 winks as soon as he wakes, I’m afraid I have to pull over. So poor Neil has to drive another hour while I grab my own 40 winks then we swap again over cup of tea. The advantage of this is default arrangement is that I can then drive on well into the evening when required to find a decent camping spot. But overall Neil does more driving and I love the scenery.
Today’s drive has been a classic example. It was so hot when we left El Calefate and once we left the mountains, the landscape became exactly the same for miles and miles and miles. We notice the odd estancia surrounded by trees, tucked into the lea of the wind behind small hills. We’d see guanacos gazing, nibbling at the dried vegetation. If one crossed the road in front of us, there’d be a good chance of a suicidal one to follow, so we’d drive accordingly. Sometimes the guanacos would try to leap over the fencing which lined the roads and some would miss in their panic and get stuck. Fortunately all ours got away but we did see quite a few carcasses along the way. We also saw many rheas which are just like ostriches, burying their heads in the sand looking for food. Once, when I was driving, a cute little armadillo crossed right in front of us at the pace of a hedgehog. Fortunately I saw it in time to stop.
Occasionally a stream would meander its way through a valley where cows and sheep would graze on the greener shrubs around it, but it was still very bare.
It wasn’t long before the wind started up again. Strong crosswinds would blast us sideways forcing us to a swerve to stay on the road. At least today the road was paved until the turnoff for the border so the driving was smoother, but more soporific!
Because Argentina and Chile don’t really get on, neither country has a signpost showing directions or distances to towns in the other country. It’s so silly! The best we can hope for is a sign for the border. Because it had rained recently, the brush was slightly greener and as we drove on, the landscape bore a remarkable similarity to Dartmoor.
As soon as we turned off the main road, we were back on gravel up to the border. This time the dust stayed where it was as we’d driven into torrential rain. For the last couple of miles, we were astounded by how quickly the landscape turned green. It was so different from the parched landscape of just half an hour ago.
So now it was blowing a gale AND chucking it down. We found a huge, well kept farm near the border with no sign of life, so tucked ourselves in to a sheltered corner of 2 farm buildings for the night. It looked like another gymnastics meal was about to happen with me clambering within the van.
Not this time! Instead we found a great big empty barn and camped in there. It was so civilised. The rain pounded on the metal roof and the wind howled between the buildings, but we were dry and sheltered. For this camp, the only compromise was the view which was heavy dusty farm machinery.
27th Jan – Torres del Paine
Day 41
The sound of a farmer driving his tractor nearby past woke us early. I wasn’t too keen on the idea of a confrontation with him, whilst Neil was convinced he wouldn’t mind his little trespassers. But he agreed to pack up quickly and head for the border, where we made our tea and had breakfast. During the night the wind had blown away the heavy rain so today the blue skies returned, although the wind still blew.
This time we decided to hide our contraband veggies in my pockets since the lemons were essential for G&Ts, the onions for cooking, and I was just a middle aged woman with a fat tummy. But in the end it was an easy crossing with a cursory search and we were first through. Big tour busses were coming the other way to visit El Calefate so we were glad to have an early start.
Amazingly, the Chilean side had a tiny outpost with a village shop which sold tonic water!!! which we often couldn’t find in big supermarkets. And onions, tomatoes and lemons so my breaking of the rules wasn’t necessary after all.
We continued on and paid our entrance to the Torres del Paine national park then drove on to a car park at the end of a scenic walk.
It was still like Dartmoor, except for the mountains standing behind like tall dark towers (Torres) reaching high behind the moors. The lakes we passed were all sorts of colours. Those without moving water were deep green, those with snow melt were the now familiar azure turquoise, and the deep more established still lakes were dark navy blue.
The walk was lovely along a well trodden path. We passed a waterfall where the blue icy snowmelt gushed so fast you’d swear the sides would cave in. It was only an hour’s walk to the lake, overlooked by the high peaks. The countryside was full of familiar plants: grass, clover, dandelions, daisies with spiked Calefate berry bushes (berberis). There’d been a fire a few years ago which must have been extinguished by rain. The silver carcasses of trunks of huge old bushes reached out of the earth like white gnarled hands of old witches. The wind and rain had stripped the charcoaled bark away leaving silvery dead trunks glistening in the low sunlight leaving the blackened interior to explain their demise.
The walk ended at a pretty lake with quite a few site-seers enjoying the view. So we continued just a little way further where we were alone to enjoy the sun setting over the Cueros del Paine peaks.
The car park emptied, leaving us alone in front of breathtaking scenery. Yet the wind blew so hard that we had to establish our ‘one door rule’. If 2 doors were open, the wind would whip out anything weighing less that 2 stone from poor Wicky (we named as baby brother to own campervan at home called Vicky).
Since we had to cook and wash up inside Wicky, I needed an extra bowl. Lo and behold, Neil found a brand new one blown against a bush! Some poor camper will miss it soon.
Then as Neil climbed into the van, there was nowhere to put his muddy boots. I looked at the tiny floor space wishing we had a mat of some sort, when Neil asked if I need a small towel as he’d seen one clinging to a shrub. YES PLEASE!! Life throws out such odd opportunities sometimes.
So now, with a perfect system for cooking, washing up totally inside, we enjoyed a relaxing meal.
Earlier in the day, Neil saw an interesting book for sale in a cafe called ‘Patagonia Wild and Free’. It was about a young Englishman called Willam Herringham Greenwood who emigrated to S America in 1870, and disappeared into Patagonia where he became a bit of a legend called Don Guillermo A present day researcher has written this book about his extraordinary search to find out about him. Amazingly he found a series of fascinating stories written by Greenwood for a Buenos Aires newspaper between 1901 and 1905 about his life in the wilds: hunting, fishing, tracking, gold prospecting etc, meeting all kinds of people and experiencing the oddest of episodes. He wrote beautifully about his life in this wild, harsh and desolate country during those early pioneering days.
From this evening on, Neil reads a story or two from this book each night, then we sleep soundly.
28th Jan – The long walk
Day 42
We awoke to a beautiful sunrise (well Neil did!) with the sun illuminating other sides to the mountains. We were totally alone again as Neil brought me my cup of tea. These early mornings are his planning time.
He’d researched a long walk we could do to a high viewpoint over the Torres del Paine peaks, so we drove to the car park at the start of the walk. It was a beautiful drive of dirt track, twisting and turning through the undulating countryside and took far longer than we expected. We found a spot at the edge of the campsite where one side of the van opened up to the dramatic view of the mountain peaks. With the other side closed, we could still imagine we we’re alone. The camp site was very eco-friendly in a pretty valley with a meandering river, a luxurious lodge and horses grazing the lush grass.
On went the walking boots etc and we set off at 11 am for a walk which was listed as 5 hours to the top. The actual start to the walk didn’t come until we’d already walked 2 Km down the flat open valley, but then it started up earnest! Up and up we walked with no walking poles to help us. People were stopping to take breaks, and soon we were doing the same. It was pretty steep, and not that scenic really. The opposite mountainside was black and steep with nothing able to grow on its raw side of curving geology. Having reached the top of this particular mountain we then descended the long way back down to the river. This part was pretty with the steep mountain stream gushing over boulders and trees growing either side of the valley. We stopped at a Refugio to eat our sandwiches, then continued up. Again it was a pretty steep and long climb which eventually opened out into a flat sandy part where some people turned back. There’s views weren’t particularly inspiring. The mountains were still black and bare of vegetation with ribbons of different strata curving up and down.
The last hour we spent scrambling over the dusty white rocks and boulders of the steep moraine trapping the lake above. It certainly tested my vertigo, but I’m nervously ok if I don’t look down . There were lots of people making the walk, although not many our age. Some carried toddlers in rucksacks, even Mums! I was so impressed. The wind stayed away, but we had cloud cover mist of the day. Maybe I need sunshine to enjoy these mountain walks.
Finally we reached the top to look down on the icy lake formed at the base of the towers del Paine. It was pretty impressive, but, for me, nothing like other mountain lakes we’d seen before in Europe, Nepal and even S America. It was simply a dramatic rock face and icy water. Maybe I was just nervous about clambering down that moraine again as, having seen it and sat for 5 minutes, I was ready to descend. Neil wanted to stay another 15 minutes to soak up the amazing vista. He describes it a “cathedral-like amphitheater of dreaming spires in the majestic tilt at the celestial bodies”. (His words). He kindly gave in to my need to start our return.
The good news was that we’d made it up in 4 hours so we’d be back in time for a restful evening. Since it was light until 11pm, the light isn’t an issue here. I just didn’t really want to be walking till 10 pm, but in fact, we were back by 7.30. It was a pretty arduous return and Neil said we’d climbed at least Snowdon in height. I’m glad we went to see Torres del Paine close up, but we both agreed that our day climbing up the the Fitzroy lake was prettier and much more enjoyable.
The wind had died down in the valley and we enjoyed our G&T, the cooking and the story telling. It was another successful day, though not as enjoyable as others. We we were glad to be snuggled up in bed after a great day of exercise and perseverance.
South America 
26th Jan – The joys of driving
Day 40
During our stay at El Calafate, the weather had continued to improve, to the extent that we were back into shorts, T shirts and flip flops. The day we left, to drive back into the desert, it got hotter and hotter and the wind diminished into nothing. We drove into town to stock up with enough food in tins and cartons to last and least four days driving around Torres del Paine national park. Any fresh produce we had would be confiscated at the border back into Chile.
Driving:
Driving has never been a problem for us. As Neil and I are equally happy to drive or be passengers, Neil generally Neil starts the day and I take over after lunch, but there’s a slight hitch to that arrangement! After lunch I set off enthusiastically as I live to drive, but if it’s a long the long straight boring road with scenery that rarely changes, after about half an hour I start to nod off! All my good intentions of giving Neil a break, dissolve. So I check on Neil who usually grabs 40 winks as soon as he wakes, I’m afraid I have to pull over. So poor Neil has to drive another hour while I grab my own 40 winks then we swap again over cup of tea. The advantage of this is default arrangement is that I can then drive on well into the evening when required to find a decent camping spot. But overall Neil does more driving and I love the scenery.
Today’s drive has been a classic example. It was so hot when we left El Calefate and once we left the mountains, the landscape became exactly the same for miles and miles and miles. We notice the odd estancia surrounded by trees, tucked into the lea of the wind behind small hills. We’d see guanacos gazing, nibbling at the dried vegetation. If one crossed the road in front of us, there’d be a good chance of a suicidal one to follow, so we’d drive accordingly. Sometimes the guanacos would try to leap over the fencing which lined the roads and some would miss in their panic and get stuck. Fortunately all ours got away but we did see quite a few carcasses along the way. We also saw many rheas which are just like ostriches, burying their heads in the sand looking for food. Once, when I was driving, a cute little armadillo crossed right in front of us at the pace of a hedgehog. Fortunately I saw it in time to stop.
Occasionally a stream would meander its way through a valley where cows and sheep would graze on the greener shrubs around it, but it was still very bare.
It wasn’t long before the wind started up again. Strong crosswinds would blast us sideways forcing us to a swerve to stay on the road. At least today the road was paved until the turnoff for the border so the driving was smoother, but more soporific!
Because Argentina and Chile don’t really get on, neither country has a signpost showing directions or distances to towns in the other country. It’s so silly! The best we can hope for is a sign for the border. Because it had rained recently, the brush was slightly greener and as we drove on, the landscape bore a remarkable similarity to Dartmoor.
As soon as we turned off the main road, we were back on gravel up to the border. This time the dust stayed where it was as we’d driven into torrential rain. For the last couple of miles, we were astounded by how quickly the landscape turned green. It was so different from the parched landscape of just half an hour ago.
So now it was blowing a gale AND chucking it down. We found a huge, well kept farm near the border with no sign of life, so tucked ourselves in to a sheltered corner of 2 farm buildings for the night. It looked like another gymnastics meal was about to happen with me clambering within the van.
Not this time! Instead we found a great big empty barn and camped in there. It was so civilised. The rain pounded on the metal roof and the wind howled between the buildings, but we were dry and sheltered. For this camp, the only compromise was the view which was heavy dusty farm machinery.
27th Jan – Torres del Paine
Day 41
The sound of a farmer driving his tractor nearby past woke us early. I wasn’t too keen on the idea of a confrontation with him, whilst Neil was convinced he wouldn’t mind his little trespassers. But he agreed to pack up quickly and head for the border, where we made our tea and had breakfast. During the night the wind had blown away the heavy rain so today the blue skies returned, although the wind still blew.
This time we decided to hide our contraband veggies in my pockets since the lemons were essential for G&Ts, the onions for cooking, and I was just a middle aged woman with a fat tummy. But in the end it was an easy crossing with a cursory search and we were first through. Big tour busses were coming the other way to visit El Calefate so we were glad to have an early start.
Amazingly, the Chilean side had a tiny outpost with a village shop which sold tonic water!!! which we often couldn’t find in big supermarkets. And onions, tomatoes and lemons so my breaking of the rules wasn’t necessary after all.
We continued on and paid our entrance to the Torres del Paine national park then drove on to a car park at the end of a scenic walk.
It was still like Dartmoor, except for the mountains standing behind like tall dark towers (Torres) reaching high behind the moors. The lakes we passed were all sorts of colours. Those without moving water were deep green, those with snow melt were the now familiar azure turquoise, and the deep more established still lakes were dark navy blue.
The walk was lovely along a well trodden path. We passed a waterfall where the blue icy snowmelt gushed so fast you’d swear the sides would cave in. It was only an hour’s walk to the lake, overlooked by the high peaks. The countryside was full of familiar plants: grass, clover, dandelions, daisies with spiked Calefate berry bushes (berberis). There’d been a fire a few years ago which must have been extinguished by rain. The silver carcasses of trunks of huge old bushes reached out of the earth like white gnarled hands of old witches. The wind and rain had stripped the charcoaled bark away leaving silvery dead trunks glistening in the low sunlight leaving the blackened interior to explain their demise.
The walk ended at a pretty lake with quite a few site-seers enjoying the view. So we continued just a little way further where we were alone to enjoy the sun setting over the Cueros del Paine peaks.
The car park emptied, leaving us alone in front of breathtaking scenery. Yet the wind blew so hard that we had to establish our ‘one door rule’. If 2 doors were open, the wind would whip out anything weighing less that 2 stone from poor Wicky (we named as baby brother to own campervan at home called Vicky).
Since we had to cook and wash up inside Wicky, I needed an extra bowl. Lo and behold, Neil found a brand new one blown against a bush! Some poor camper will miss it soon.
Then as Neil climbed into the van, there was nowhere to put his muddy boots. I looked at the tiny floor space wishing we had a mat of some sort, when Neil asked if I need a small towel as he’d seen one clinging to a shrub. YES PLEASE!! Life throws out such odd opportunities sometimes.
So now, with a perfect system for cooking, washing up totally inside, we enjoyed a relaxing meal.
Earlier in the day, Neil saw an interesting book for sale in a cafe called ‘Patagonia Wild and Free’. It was about a young Englishman called Willam Herringham Greenwood who emigrated to S America in 1870, and disappeared into Patagonia where he became a bit of a legend called Don Guillermo A present day researcher has written this book about his extraordinary search to find out about him. Amazingly he found a series of fascinating stories written by Greenwood for a Buenos Aires newspaper between 1901 and 1905 about his life in the wilds: hunting, fishing, tracking, gold prospecting etc, meeting all kinds of people and experiencing the oddest of episodes. He wrote beautifully about his life in this wild, harsh and desolate country during those early pioneering days.
From this evening on, Neil reads a story or two from this book each night, then we sleep soundly.
28th Jan – The long walk
Day 42
We awoke to a beautiful sunrise (well Neil did!) with the sun illuminating other sides to the mountains. We were totally alone again as Neil brought me my cup of tea. These early mornings are his planning time.
He’d researched a long walk we could do to a high viewpoint over the Torres del Paine peaks, so we drove to the car park at the start of the walk. It was a beautiful drive of dirt track, twisting and turning through the undulating countryside and took far longer than we expected. We found a spot at the edge of the campsite where one side of the van opened up to the dramatic view of the mountain peaks. With the other side closed, we could still imagine we we’re alone. The camp site was very eco-friendly in a pretty valley with a meandering river, a luxurious lodge and horses grazing the lush grass.
On went the walking boots etc and we set off at 11 am for a walk which was listed as 5 hours to the top. The actual start to the walk didn’t come until we’d already walked 2 Km down the flat open valley, but then it started up earnest! Up and up we walked with no walking poles to help us. People were stopping to take breaks, and soon we were doing the same. It was pretty steep, and not that scenic really. The opposite mountainside was black and steep with nothing able to grow on its raw side of curving geology. Having reached the top of this particular mountain we then descended the long way back down to the river. This part was pretty with the steep mountain stream gushing over boulders and trees growing either side of the valley. We stopped at a Refugio to eat our sandwiches, then continued up. Again it was a pretty steep and long climb which eventually opened out into a flat sandy part where some people turned back. There’s views weren’t particularly inspiring. The mountains were still black and bare of vegetation with ribbons of different strata curving up and down.
The last hour we spent scrambling over the dusty white rocks and boulders of the steep moraine trapping the lake above. It certainly tested my vertigo, but I’m nervously ok if I don’t look down . There were lots of people making the walk, although not many our age. Some carried toddlers in rucksacks, even Mums! I was so impressed. The wind stayed away, but we had cloud cover mist of the day. Maybe I need sunshine to enjoy these mountain walks.
Finally we reached the top to look down on the icy lake formed at the base of the towers del Paine. It was pretty impressive, but, for me, nothing like other mountain lakes we’d seen before in Europe, Nepal and even S America. It was simply a dramatic rock face and icy water. Maybe I was just nervous about clambering down that moraine again as, having seen it and sat for 5 minutes, I was ready to descend. Neil wanted to stay another 15 minutes to soak up the amazing vista. He describes it a “cathedral-like amphitheater of dreaming spires in the majestic tilt at the celestial bodies”. (His words). He kindly gave in to my need to start our return.
The good news was that we’d made it up in 4 hours so we’d be back in time for a restful evening. Since it was light until 11pm, the light isn’t an issue here. I just didn’t really want to be walking till 10 pm, but in fact, we were back by 7.30. It was a pretty arduous return and Neil said we’d climbed at least Snowdon in height. I’m glad we went to see Torres del Paine close up, but we both agreed that our day climbing up the the Fitzroy lake was prettier and much more enjoyable.
The wind had died down in the valley and we enjoyed our G&T, the cooking and the story telling. It was another successful day, though not as enjoyable as others. We we were glad to be snuggled up in bed after a great day of exercise and perseverance.
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Keep it coming,
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Just caught up with your blog – what a wonderful journey, I am so jealous!
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