Patagonia: Torres del Paine Expedition Dispatch
February 5, 2010 – The Beauty of Torres del Paine
On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we hiked along the well-marked beautiful trails of Torres del Paine National Park. Our goal was to sample the famous “W” trek, which we will do in full next November. Staying in lodges meant that we did not have to carry sleeping bags or cooking gear in our packs. Starting and ending each day with a shower was nice.
Transportation in Torres del Paine is easy. Boats operate on the larger lakes offering a scenic and welcomed ride. Here are some photos to give you an idea what life along the trail in Patagonia’s best national park is like.
Trail signs are informative and well placed along the route.
The trails meander along lake shores.
Views of the “Towers” are fantastic.
Our cabin at Cuernos on Thursday night was especially nice.
The hot tub offered superb views as well as a relaxing soak for tired muscles.
Next day we hit the trail for Pehoe Lake.
There are many waterfalls in Torres del Paine.
Beautiful rock and changing sky dominate the landscape.
Our goal on Saturday was Glacier Grey where a boat was to pick us up.
Once we were on the boat, we moved straight to the top deck to take photos.
Glacier Grey spills into Lago Grey (Grey Lake)
Our boat took us in for close views of the ice.
In the distance, views of the towers continued to impress us.