Roderick Phillips's Blog, page 27

Ascencio Valley, Torres del Paine NP, Day 100

One hundred days on the road.  The time has just flown by, mostly because we’ve barely stopped to draw breath.  And today is no exception.  Our last hike in the park  is deep into the Ascencio Valley to see the sunrise transmute the cold granite spires of Torres del Paine into awe-inspiring crimson towers.  It’s  an unmissable spectacle – at least according to the guide book (and written in small print is ‘assuming the weather cooperates’, which it rarely does in these parts).  Unfortunately, we have to be up before 4 am because it’s a 2-hour hike to the viewpoint  in the dark and along a treacherous icy trail.  And it’s bloody freezing.  It transpires that no-one else, not even Christi, bought into the tourist spiel, leaving me to pile on every layer of clothing I brought with me and step out into the cold night alone. 

I wear a headlamp which hides more of the trail than it reveals.  It’s still snowing and the only sound I hear is the crunch of my own footfalls as I move slowly up the Ascencio Valley .  The further I go the deeper the snow becomes, but my main worry is the black ice.  That, and the rushing waters of the frigid Ascencio river somewhere below me.  In the pre-dawn light the sky remains dull and overcast.  There will be no magic show today; no alchemy.  I’m slipping more than I’m hiking now and reluctantly, I turn around and trudge back to the refugio.

Note to self: stick to sunsets and enjoy an extra few hours in bed.  Later, as a relaxed and refreshed Christi joins me for breakfast, we watch other hikers prepare to take on the hazardous trail – perhaps more sensibly they embark upon their journeys during the cold, gray light of day.

Eventually we, too, leave the hobbit hole, but instead of heading up the valley we turn south back towards Hosteria Las Torres.  From there it’s two bus connections back to Puerto Natales and the Erratic Hostel II, where we enjoy a wonderful steaming hot shower.  There’s no time to relax, however, as we catch the 7 pm bus to Punta Arenas, 3 hours to the south.  We arrive at 10 pm and taxi to our new temporary home, which is run by a Croatian grandmother called Emma.  She also has a frill fetish and, believe it or not, a shrine dedicated to Martha Stewart.  OK, I made that last bit up, but I think Martha Stewart is a goddess in these parts.

Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching tale

The post Ascencio Valley, Torres del Paine NP, Day 100 appeared first on Roderick Phillips.

Torres del Paine National Park, Day 99

It’s our turn to relax this morning as other dorm members scramble to prepare for their hikes.  The weather is certainly not cooperating, however.  It’s snowing and blowing a gale in Torres del Paine National Park.  I’m glad I’m not hiking 17 miles today.  Indeed, we have a quiet morning ahead of us as we wait for the first catamaran departure from refugio Paine Grande to the Pudento docks at 12:30pm.  Christi is happy to sit by the fire in the large, communal living room and read, but I’m bored.  So during a break in the weather I decide to go on a mini-hike to a Lago Pehoe viewpoint.  Pathetically, I lose the trail in the hills above the hostel, then the snow and wind return, and I have an unpleasant cross-country slog back to the refugio.  I’m such a dumbass.

Suitably chastised, I wait with Christi for the sixty-minute catamaran ride back to the Pudento docks.  Several buses are waiting there to connect us with different destinations within the park.  We head for the ranger station at Laguna Amarger.  And while waiting for yet another bus connection, this time to the Hosteria Las Torres, I photograph a guanaco with wonky ears (or maybe he’s drunk).  To reach the Hosteria we have to cross the Paine river via a rickety narrow bridge that’s barely wide enough for the minivan.  It certainly not strong enough to carry the minivan and the passengers at the same time so we walk across separately.

The Hosteria Las Torres is the type of accommodation Christi and I live for: hotel rooms with comfy beds, and en-suite bathrooms.  Trouble is, in this park, these rooms go for US$400 a night – real budget busters.  The snow has returned and we wait in the heated lobby of the Hosteria trying not to look conspicuous.  We still have a 2-hour hike ahead of us up to refugio Chileno in the Ascencio Valley and this time I’m lugging the full backpack.  I’m not looking forward to this at all: the weather, the weight of the pack, coupled with the long hike – but as they say, it’s the hike that’s never started that takes longest to finish (or something like that).  Reluctantly we say goodbye to luxury, throw open the doors of the Hosteria (not a popular move) and with hunched shoulders we trudge on into the white-out.  We hike in silence.  There’s nothing to look at other than the patterns our breath makes in the cold air.  We place one foot in front of the other, concentrating on the slick trail until finally the refugio Chileno appears out of the gloom, hobbit-like, nestled at the base of a wooded valley and beneath the spires of the eponymous Torres Del Paine (well the guidebook says the peaks are out there somewhere.)  The refugio is packed, but luckily we booked ahead from Paine Grande (being anal sometimes pays off).  The eating area is toasty warm and there’s much talk and much excitement about tomorrow’s hike.  The dorm rooms are freezing, though, and the bunks extend three tiers into the rafters.  Poor Christi is on the third tier above me.

Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching tale

The post Torres del Paine National Park, Day 99 appeared first on Roderick Phillips.

French Valley, Torres del Paine NP, Day 98

Shuffle around our freezing 6-bed dorm at 7 am trying not to disturb the other, still snoring, occupants as we prepare for our long hike (28 km / 17 miles) to the French Valley and back.  We leave the refugio at 8:15 am.  The first 2 hours are over relatively flat ground beside Lake Skottsberg to reach the entrance to the French Valley at the Italian campsite.  From there, it’s 3 more hours, sometimes scrambling over huge boulders, sometimes  crossing rivers, and always staring spell-bound at the gorgeous scenery (particularly the aquamarine waters of Lago Pehoe -  and glinting on the horizon the refugio Paine Grande) to the end of the French Valley and the viewpoint. 

Clinging, sometimes precariously, to the Paine Grande mountains is the French Valley glacier.  And it’s no surprise when a rather large section breaks off.  The avalanche occurs on the far side of the French river from where we’re hiking and initially it feels as if we’re watching a disaster movie with the volume muted.  But then, after a few seconds delay, there’s a tremendous rumbling sound, like a jet soaring overhead, and a blast of cold air saturated with fine droplets of water slams into Christi and I.  Even at this distance the power of nature is unmistakable.

We arrive at the British campsite at 12.30 pm.  According to our map, the viewpoint is 2 km further on up a steep incline.  I’m game, but Christi is content to remain at the British campsite and eat her lunch.  After 20 minutes of scrambling I make it to a box canyon surrounded by many peaks, all clear and all standing proud (as with much else in this part of the world the peaks are often covered in low cloud so for once I get lucky).  The views are magnificent.

Our return hike is smooth and easy until the last hour when the rain comes and the temperatures plummet.  Thank goodness for the waterproof trousers we rented in Puerto Natales.  Christi hikes on in silence no longer enjoying herself.  Distant views of the refugio coincide with an end to the rainstorm.  At 6:15 pm, 10hrs, and some 27 km of hiking later, we finally make it back to refugio Paine Grande.  And no amount of grunting, farting, and snoring in the dorm tonight keeps us from a fantastic night’s sleep. 

Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching ride

The post French Valley, Torres del Paine NP, Day 98 appeared first on Roderick Phillips.

Lago Grey glacier, Torres del Paine NP, Day 97

  

Our plan is to stay at the refugio Paine Grande for 2 nights (which will allow us to explore the Grey Glacier and the French Valley) and 1 night at refugio Chileno (for the sunrise over the Torres del Paine).  It’s our take on the classic ‘W’ park trek.   It’s a 3-hour bus ride from Puerto Natales to Pudeto in Torres del Paine NP.  Here, a catamaran crosses Lago Pehoe to refugio Paine Grande, although we have time for a quick peak at the nearby waterfall, Salto Grande, before the launch leaves. 

Considering it’s still early in the season there are a surprising number of hikers on the catamaran all requiring accommodation.  Being irredeemably anal, we’d have normally booked a bed in advance but the park offices have been closed recently in celebration of back-to-back national holidays. This could be a problem, but we have a plan.  Once the boat docks and this Hunger Games-style contest begins, Christi is going to run like buggery to snag whatever limited accommodation is available.  If necessary, she’ll employ a series of lethal poisons concealed within her pharmaceutical bag of tricks to take out the opposition, so we’re pretty confident of success.  I’ll be struggling along in Christi’s wake shouldering an overstuffed backpack (that holds everything we’ll need over the next few days) but I fully intend to delay as many contestants as possible along the way.  And you think I’m joking! 

Thankfully Christi secures us two bunk beds without having to resort to the poison.  We unload our gear, and trusting to the fact that no-one wants to steal our grungy thermal pajamas, we have a bite to eat and head out on the trail to Lago Grey glacier.  In light of the fact that tomorrow will be a long day we choose the shorter of the two hiking options available: a 4-hour RT journey to a viewpoint overlooking the lake and the glacier.  It’s cool and overcast as we stride out of the valley and around the slopes of Cerro Paine Grande, which dominate the views from the refugio (at least they do when not covered in clouds).  We cross a narrow strip of land from Lago Pehoe to Lago Grey and follow the shoreline to the cliff-top viewpoint of the glacier.  The three fingers of glacial ice appears to be literally crushing the volcanic rock it encounters during its relentless passage down the valley towards the lake.  The wind here is absolutely ferocious and we have to crouch-down to avoid being blown away.  We put on sunglasses – not to shade us from the sun, but so that we can keep our eyes open in the teeth of the gale.  The hike sure builds up an appetite and we’re absolutely ravenous by the time we reach the refugio again.

Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart, a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching tale

The post Lago Grey glacier, Torres del Paine NP, Day 97 appeared first on Roderick Phillips.

Puerto Natales, Chile, Day 96

 

The start of our fourth month on the road.

We begin it in easy fashion with a rest day, barely making the last call for breakfast before undertaking a brief exploration of Puerto Natales.  The waterfront overlooks Ultima Esperanza Sound (Last Hope Sound) snow-capped Andean peaks, and features a dilapidated pier where pied cormorants sunbathe.   It’s quiet and relaxing.  There’s hardly a soul about.  The cloud formations today are remarkable – it’s as if a fleet of UFOs were hovering over the town.

As usual our rest days are really chores days and since everything is so expensive in Southern Chile and those prices only escalate further as you enter the remote reaches of Torres del Paine National Park we stock up on supplies from the local supermarket before we enter the park.  Coke at Erratic Rock also advises us to rent waterproof clothing and warm sleeping bags.  We don’t argue.

Christi has got into the seriously bad habit of sharing her meals with the local wild dog population and there are plenty roaming the streets of this tiny town.  I ask why the dogs aren’t neutered and the surprising answer I receive is because of ‘machismo’.  I’d heard this was a trait popular among Latin men – but their dogs?  Apparently no-one feels inclined to castrate these canine Adonis’s, preferring to let nature take its course.  And it’s a tough climate down here so many dogs don’t make it through the winter. (Note: ‘machismo’ is defined as an exaggerated sense of masculinity as relates to physical courage, virility, domination of women, and aggressiveness).  Just like me, Christi says.  I’m not sure if she’s trying to flatter me, but it’s all so true!   

Blog Post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching tale

The post Puerto Natales, Chile, Day 96 appeared first on Roderick Phillips.

Lago Argentino, Day 95

 

We continue the dance between Argentina and Chile today, which begins with a beautiful ride alongside the gorgeous Lago Argentino. It’s a 5-hour bus ride from El Calafate south along route 40 before dipping across the border near Puerto Natales.  Border formalities remain tedious and confusing.  Exiting Argentina – exiting most countries (Israel being a notable exception) – is relatively simple, but before we can re-enter Chile customs and immigration insist, yet again, upon scanning every item of luggage on the bus.  This is such a slow, laborious and tedious process.  Chilean immigration just love to mess with the backpackers.

Puerto Natales is a much smaller town than I’d envisaged and due to a local annual car race in the vicinity completely deserted when we arrive.  We quickly find a room at the Erratic Rock II hostel, which is charming, although as we travel further and further south accommodation costs are skyrocketing.  Our room does, however, come with cable TV (and English language programming) and an en-suite bathroom with luxury of luxuries a bathtub.  It’s the tiniest bathtub I’ve ever seen – perhaps only 3 feet long – but Christi is elated.  The owners of this hostel do seem to have a frill fetish, though.  Chair covers, beds, curtains – everything has a lacy trim.  It’s like Martha Stewart on steroids.

Later we attend an info session at Erratic Rock hosted by the delightful Coke (who hails from Washington State) gives us the latest information on hiking and weather conditions and accommodation options in Torres del Paine National Park.  This park is the Chilean equivalent of Parque Nacional de los Glaciares – undoubtedly two of the preeminent national parks in the world.  And anyway,  you can never have enough glaciers, can you?

Blog Post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching tale

The post Lago Argentino, Day 95 appeared first on Roderick Phillips.

Perito Moreno Glacier, Day 94

 

Hiking in the northern section of Parque Nacional de los Glaciares was a great experience as was Rancho Grande and El Chalten.  We never did see the top of Cerro Torre though or make it to the base of Cerro Fitz Roy; maybe we’ll return one day and try again (and to eat another piece of the most exquisite home-made dulce de leche and nut pie) 

There is little opportunity to rest after our exertions in the northern part of the park, though, as today we have signed up for a tour of the Perito Moreno Glacier in the southern part of the park.  The weather again proves to be unpredictable and unsettled, alternating between snow and sun.  The Perito Moreno Glacier is remarkable for being one of only a handful in the world to still be moving forward.  Most glaciers are receding due to the ravages of global warming.  Perito Moreno is also very active, such that calving is a daily occurrence.  There are various terraces and platforms built amid a forest that give close up views of the glacier’s activity.  We see one actual calving and hear groans and crashes as other sections disgorge icebergs into Laguna Argentino.  Up close the glacier is very blue with spires or giant crystals of ice perched precariously at the front of the living, breathing monster.  As the clouds lift and the sun peeps out the complete awe-inspiring spectacle of the ice field comes into view demanding to be photographed. 

The boat ride is even more spectacular.  The glacier dwarfs us and each time ice crashes into the lake huge ripples slam into the boat.  We are so insignificant and powerless in the face of this force of nature.  The weather remains unpredictable and during our 45-minute excursion we experience snow, rain, and sun.  A typical day in southern Patagonia.

 Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching tale

The post Perito Moreno Glacier, Day 94 appeared first on Roderick Phillips.

Laguna Torre hike, Day 93

 

I have a little gripe today.  I know it’s utterly ridiculous that someone on a year-long sabbatical dedicated to travel would dare complain, but I can’t help it.  The internet has opened up a new world to travelers in terms of sharing information and photographs.  And boy do some of those photos look stunning (it must be enough to drive a professional photographer to drink).  Those iconic images are, of course, the type of photos I aspire to take; the memories I want to take away with me.  And here I am in this magnificent national park in this remote corner of South America and – nada.  If only you’d been here last week, the locals cry, people were walking around in shorts and t-shirts and the mountains were clear and the sky was blue.  Well fuck-a-doodle-do.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m ecstatic to be here, wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, but I’d still like to see where I am. 

This morning Christi and I forsake the Laguna de Los Tres trail and Cerro Fitz Roy (which is still in hiding) in favor of the Laguna Torre trail.  Initially, we walk through a rugged valley where a narrow waterfall cascades into the milky, glacial run-off of Rio Fitz Roy.  Our first stop is at the Cerro Torre mirador, but naturally the mountain is lost beneath a fog bank.  We have quickly learned, however, that predicting the weather even 15 minutes into the future is impossible, so we trudge on ever hopeful.  Interestingly, a beautiful peak called Cerro Solo is clear and I photograph the hell out of it.

It’s another 2 leisurely hours to Laguna Torre from the mirador and the weather changes constantly.  Fortunately the trail is largely flat, so the hiking is easy.  As we approach the terminal Moraine of Glacier Grande the playful breeze that had accompanied the latter part of our hike turns into a ferocious gale.  The views of the lake and its ice-bergs plus numerous snowy peaks rising up around the lake are fantastic and I know I shouldn’t be greedy, but Cerro Torres refuses to drop its foggy camouflage even for a moment.  Christi and I eat a chilly lunch hunkered down behind a rock shelter before completing the 14-mile round trip walk back to town where more delicious pie is waiting for us at Rancho Grande.  Sadly, it’s time to leave this wonderful place and we return to El Calafate on the evening bus. 

Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart, a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching tale

The post Laguna Torre hike, Day 93 appeared first on Roderick Phillips.

Laguna de Los Tres hike, Day 92

 

With the promise of good weather we’re up before dawn to catch a ride to El Pilar hostel some 17 km north of town.  The advantage of starting our hike to Laguna de Los Tres here is that it’s now a one-way 19 km trek, rather than a 25 km round trip hike up and back the same trail.  Sunrise over the Fitz Roy mountains is quite beautiful with sun dappling the peaks in a warm orange glow.  We follow the trail alongside the gently lapping waters of the Rio Blanca passed stands of lenga trees.  It’s all so peaceful and serene.  Shame it doesn’t last.

Over the next hour low thick cloud rolls in obscuring the mountains.  In fact, on a day that is supposed to be clear and warm, we’re hit by a massive blizzard: snow is slamming us in the face, driven by ferocious gusts of wind.  Clouds are low and bleak, obscuring the panoramic vistas.  This is not the weather we were expecting, but we packed appropriate clothing and extra food and the trail is easy to follow so we continue.  Clearly the weather in the park is more changeable than we’d anticipated.  On the plus side there are very few other hikers to disturb our peace and solitude.  We do manage some good views of the Piedras Blancas glacier and lake, but what we didn’t realize until much later is that rising up over the lake and glacier is the Cerro Fitz Roy massif.  By mid-morning we reach Poincenot camp ground and amazingly people are emerging from their freezing, snow-covered tents, preparing to hike.  From here we can either cross the Rio Manso to the west and continue slogging through snow and fog, and gales to Lagune de Los Tres or turn southeast and head back to El Chalten.  We’re nothing if not stupid so we cross the river, but 30 minutes further on we reach an exposed ridge with punishing winds that could easily knock us off into – well – who knows what because we can’t see a damn thing.  The Manhattan skyline could be back there, but you’d never know it.

We have little choice but to turn around, although we pass many hikers determined to make it to Laguna de Los Tres and, they hope, spectacular views of the Cerro Fitz Roy massif.  The strong winds and driving snow finally ceases about 1pm (after 4 hours), but clouds still mask the mountains.  An hour later we reach the Cerro Fitz Roy mirador and the clouds have begun to clear.  The massif is slowly appearing out of the gloom.  It’s decision time: either a 90-minute hike back to our hostel and a steaming hot shower or 2.5 hours to Laguna de Los Tres with no guarantees the weather won’t turn again.  This time the hot shower wins.  The beautiful views down the Rio de las Vueltas Valley on our way back to town almost make up for the disappointment of not making it to the base of Cerro Fitz Roy.  

Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching ride

The post Laguna de Los Tres hike, Day 92 appeared first on Roderick Phillips.

El Calafate to El Chalten, Day 91

Take an early morning bus to El Chalten.  It’s a spectacular 3-hour journey with stunning views of geologic up-faults, glacial lakes, and snow-capped mountains, plus guanacos,  ostriches, and even a fox.  On arrival, we stop briefly at the national park offices where we receive an introductory talk on the trekking options.  An example of how quickly the weather changes in this part of the world: when we entered the national park building Cerro Fitz Roy was hidden beneath dense fog and clouds; now on our way out the serrated spires are clear and the sky is blue.

Tomorrow we will get up close and personal with the Cerro Fitz Roy massif but today we’re going to do a couple of easy hikes to nearby view-points.  Before we embark on our hiking adventures, though, we check into our expensive dorm accommodation at Rancho Grande.  The hostel is situated at the far end of town – a town that is still being built, incidentally.  Indeed, El Chalten was only created in the mid-80s as a way for Argentina to claim sovereignty over the national park, thus preventing neighboring Chile from getting its sticky paws on the place.  El Chalten has the sense that its history is being written now.  After dropping our bags at the hostel, we wander back through town, passed the visitor center, and up some easy trails to a viewpoint over lake Viedma and then  to mirador de los condors for an impressive look at Cerro Ritz Roy (3,359m – 11,020 feet).  Although not particularly tall, this mountain is among the most technically demanding climbs on earth due to its sheer granite face and the treacherous and unpredictable weather in this area.  At a time when long lines of climbers reach the summit of Everest every year, there may only be one successful ascent of Cerro Fitz Roy during the same period.

Later we return to our hostel after purchasing snacks for tomorrow’s 19km (12 mile) hike.  By sheer good luck we order a slice of home-made dulce de leche and nut pie from the restaurant at Rancho Grande.  It’s exquisite and very addictive and highly recommended! 

Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching ride

The post El Calafate to El Chalten, Day 91 appeared first on Roderick Phillips.