Best-laid plans
With only one more day to spend hiking in TDP National Park, we were feeling pretty ambitious and decided to attempt the mirador climb, which is an all-day hike up to Las Torres base for a stunning classic view. Since we were staying two hours from the park in Puerto Natales, and since we needed to drive back to Punta Arenas after the hike, it would mean a very long day, so we decided to get an early start. I set the alarm for 5:30am with the aim of being on the road by 6.
Well, as it often does in this region, it rained pretty hard last night. The wind and rain were so strong, it sounded like a hurricane out there. When the alarm went off at 5:30, both of us kind of agreed that driving the dirt roads in the dark in the rain was probably not a great idea, so we decided to wait a bit. I reset the clock for 6:30 and went back to sleep, but I think we were both so tired that we didn’t end up waking up until ten to 8. Oops.
We decided to head to the park anyway. Even if it was raining, even if we couldn’t do the whole hike, we would do what we could and enjoy ourselves despite the weather. With that in mind, we set out around 9am.
Where did those views go?
The stunning vistas we had yesterday had all disappeared behind clouds. The weather here is so quirky that it was sunny and raining all at the same time as we drove towards the park. We did see several stunning rainbows, including one perfect 180-degree one that looked like it should have a pot of gold at its end.
Crazy roads
Entering the park, we took a right where yesterday we had gone left, only to find that the dirt roads we’d encountered already were nothing but a warm-up for this one. Almost completely washed out in spots, bumpy as hell, with potholes that make Montreal roads seem amazing in comparison, the road from the entrance to the Torres base lodge was nearly impassable. We did it anyway, in our little rented Nissan Sentra, which held up like a trouper. At one point, we had to go over a tiny narrow bridge, where we sacrificed our righthand mirror to the Torres del Paine gods. Oh well, who needs a right mirror anyway, right?
Hiking in the rain
It was raining when we reached the base, but only lightly. We put on our daypacks and set out for the trail, having decided to climb as far as we could. Well, let me tell you, that is one steep climb. The hiking isn’t particularly difficult, but it is mercilessly uphill. After about an hour and a half, the rain was getting worse and the views didn’t look like they were clearing up anytime soon. I decided to head down, and Scott went up a short way further and then did the same. So, instead of the full day hike, we only ended up spending a few hours on the trail, but given the weather, we felt like it was enough. The whole way, we kept seeing hikers who had done the “W” coming off the trail, cheering with the end in sight after five or six days.
Back at the base lodge, the weather cleared up a little so we got some more views. We took some photos before getting back in the car to head back. Despite the shortened hike, I certainly felt like I saw everything I came to see at the park, and have no regrets whatsoever.
Puerto Natales one more time
On the way back to Punta Arenas, we stopped briefly in Puerto Natales for a couple more photos and a fuel stop. It was so windy that walking straight ahead meant walking sideways. The fierce Patagonian winds are really something!
Finally, back on the paved highway and southward to Punta Arenas.