Following my glacier trekking, I crossed the border into Chile to begin a 5 day trek through the Torres del Paine national park in Chilean Patagonia. Finally able to make use of the tent and sleeping bag I’d been hauling around with me for the last month, I set off with enough cans of tuna and beans to last through the winter.
During my 5 days on the trail, I witnessed the gamut of scenery and weather. From massive glaciers to jagged peaks, roaring rivers to crystal clear lakes, drastic valleys to flowered meadows, the park had it all. While I hit some bad weather on the first day, it cleared (by Patagonia standards) for the last few days, making for some pretty stunning vistas that made me forget how much my feet hurt. In total, I walked somewhere close to 50 miles during the trek, thankfully lightening my load each day as I devoured my food supply.
The last morning, I was up at 4am to make the 40 min trek up to the famed Torres for sunrise. While it was a bit chilly on top, seeing the majestic towers appear at first light was well worth it, a perfect end to a quintessential week in Patagonia.