Rain, Hail, Snow, Sun

Hiking in Chilean Patagonia

From Ushuaia we now needed to get to Punta Arenas (start point for Chilean Patagonia). Taking the bus was the expensive easy option so we resorted to hitch hiking. Not sure how long it would take we gave ourselves three days to do what a bus does in 14 hrs. On the edge of town with 700 km and two border crossings ahead of us we outstretched our thumbs and started fishing. After five minutes a pickup pulled over and offered a ride only 100 km up the road, we kindly thanked him and declined. We wanted a bigger fish. After a half hour a German couple pulled over their rental car to take a picture by the "Bienvenidos al Ushuaia" sign. After taking their photo we politely asked for a ride but they said their car was too small. In the cold watching them drive off we wished they got the upgrade to a mid size vehicle. 

Thumbs out

After an hour a VW pickup pulled over and a jolly local offered us a ride to the next big town 230 km away. We climbed in and arrived in Rio Grande 2 hours later. On the side of the road again a well dressed man with his 5 year old son pulled over and explained to us that we were in a bad spot to get picked up and we would be there "todo dia". A ways down the road was where the city bypass reconnected with the road, this was the place for the "big fish". After waiting for 15 minutes who drives by but the German couple. The astonished look on their face was priceless "what the? How the?" again they passed us up, however the big rig headed to Buenos Aires didn't. The driver hopped out to help us with our bags and said he could drive us to the border 60km down the road. 

The border

Checked out of Argentina with 30 km of "no mans land" until the Chilean border, we began fishing once again. We now realized a predicament, drivers were unsure of picking up hitch hikers before crossing a border (understandably), so when a trucker said yes (after 4 hours of waiting) he would take us we were ecstatic. At the Chilean border, stamp stamp, we were in. Now riding in Pablo's well kept big rig we were back on the road. A chatty Pablo offered us tea while he told us all about his friends and family at home. Politely turning down a cup of tea we realized we hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and it was now 20:00. We watched the scenery pass by on a gravel road with nothing but blowing grass in every direction. We realized we really were at the end of the world. 4 hours with Pablo and we were at the ferry to get off Tierra del Fuego. Our destination was only 2 hours farther but the opposite way he was headed. So scoping out vehicles with Chilean license plates on the ferry we found an empty mini van and asked where they were headed, Punta Arenas, we were in! We said bye and thanked Pablo and jumped in the van for our 5th ride and final leg! Dozing in and out of sleep we arrived in Punta Arenas at 1 am. Hitch hike success. 18 hours, 5 locals with big hearts and 2 border crossings! 

Torres del Paine national park

The main attraction in southern Chilean Patagonia is the Torres del Paine national park. With lakes, mountain ranges and deep valleys it's a place no backpacker can miss. We rented a tent and stove and set out to do the "W" trek. A hike that takes you 5 days 4 nights through the most beautiful scenery, and camping along the way. Our first day was an easy 11 km hike up the first valley to Glacier Grey. Making the hike not so easy was the sideways rain and 90 km/hr gusts of wind! We made it wet and cold and set up our tent. Walking up to the glacier "look out" we had a break in the weather, the sun shone on the ice bergs and birds chirped. 

Hiking up the valley

Snow dusted mountain towering over us

Glacier Grey

Ice art

I wanted to sit on an iceberg and Chris said "I would fall in the water."

Day 2 was an 11 km hike back down the valley and we could have stayed the night at that campsite but decided to keep on going. In 2011 a tourist set the park on fire, 17,000 hectares of forest burnt down leaving an open desolate looking landscape. Hiking the next (7.6 km) 3 hours in the open we were toys to the weather. Wind, sideways rain, hail and mud up to your shins. Arriving at the next campsite we learned it was closed! Bano problems. Looks like we must keep going. Climbing over boulders up the French valley we kept hearing loud rumbles and looking up to see avalanches dropping tons of snow off the glacier shelves. A look out over the valley there were green lakes and snow caped mountains. 

Feels like home

Burnt forest

Patagonia berries

View from French Valley

The next camp of Los Cuernos was another 7.5km. Sore feet setting in and aching backs from our packs we kept going. Not long after the clouds parted and sun shone through! With the wind at our backs we hiked along the lake stopping every 15 minutes to take a look at the waterfalls cascading down next to us. 26.1 km, we slept like logs that night! 

Day 3 started as a beautiful sunny day. Packing up the tent we hiked the 13 km to campmento Los Chilenos where we had some of the craziest winds! Setting up the tent and anchoring it with child sized boulders we were just about to hike up to the famous Torres when the valley became socked in and rain poured down. We decided to give it an hour to see if it cleared but with no luck we called it a day and went into the lodge for some much deserved beers. 

That's a stinky sock

Day 4 started much to early when the alarm went off at 4:30am. Ugh, but we wanted to see the Torres before hiking out. The 6km early morning hike was refreshing and arriving at the look out for the Torres was beautiful. Clouds rolling over the peaks with the morning sun casting shadows. Hiking the next 5 hours out to catch the bus we laughed at how we did in 4 days what takes most people 5. Crazy Canadians. 

Torres

Goes to show how fast the weather changes in Patagonia