Arriving at Puerto Natales, the best place to prep for the walk and leave your bags etc, we went to a well known free talk for trekkers at "Erratic Rock Hostel". Here we received information on the best way to attack it and what to take with you including equipment, food, clothing etc. Following this talk we went out to get our food supplies which ends up being quite a lot for 5 people over 5 days.
Once again with Mark and Leila in our trekking team, we joined up with an America chap called Derek who we`d bumped into previously but hadn`t really got to know him. But he was on his own so was looking for people to walk with and we were more than happy to expand the team. We did have Cyrille with us but he opted to do the longer 9 day trek the crazy frenchman! Having purchased all our food (which we had seperated out and bagged in bin liners to make them waterproof for the trek) we now needed to get our equipment which turned out to be much more effort that anticipated.
We decided to each get a backpack, sleeping bag, water proof trousers, sleeping mat, with me getting a waterproof jacket (for some reason I didn`t pack one) and Jen opting for walking poles, and we both obviously needed a tent. We handed our list to the erractic rock as they offered equipment hire too however they didn`t have all the gear back in yet as they were waiting for returns. They gave us our tents and sleeping mats and assured us it wouldn`t be a problem, and to come back a few hours later to pick everything else up. So that we did, rocking up 2 hours later only for the same story, not everything in. Now being about 5pm they said to come back at half 9 which again... we did and guess what....same situation. This time they said come back at 10.30. With all the other equipment rental shops shutting at 10pm our mate Mark opted to get his sleeping bag from a different place which turned out to be the savour. Returning at 10.30 we got back to be told that there were only 2 sleeping bags with me Jen and Leila all needing one. With all the shops shut now we thought that we had been screwed over but the erratic rock staff managed to muster together a crappy sleeping bag which didn`t provide enough warmth, good job I like the cold! They did give us that sleeping bag for free though. All this faff had taken away from the fact that they didn`t even have the walking poles we were promised, but at least we had something to sleep in!
With all our gear finally sorted (ish) we went and got an early sleep in preparation for our little journey the next day. By little, I might be underexaggerating.... here`s a run down of what were about to take on (I hope you can make out the W in the map below, but I`ll mention campsites as markers). Bear in mind that I had between 15 and 20kg strapped to my back for this trek!
Day 1 - not actually on the map below but you can just see the end of it in the bottom of the picture.....a nice flat walk for about 6 hours with backpacks (17.5k), ending at Campamento Pehoe.
Day 2 - Campamento Pehoe to Campamento Grey without backpacks (11k) and back. Pick up backpacks then Campamento Pehoe to Campamento Italiano (7.6k), Total 22k without packs, 7.6k with. 29.6k in one day.
Day 3 - Campamento Italiano to the highest point on the central W spike without packs (7.5k) and back. Pick up packs then Campamento Italiano to Campamento Los Cuernos (5.5k). Total 15k without packs, 5.5k with. 20.5k in total on day 3.
Day 4 - the most daunting day! Campamento Cuernos to Campamento Torres with packs (21.9k)
Day 5 - Campamento Torres to Base las Torres without packs to see the famed towers of Torres del Paine (2k but horrifically uphill!) and back. Pick up packs then Campamento Torres to Hotel Las Torres with packs (13k). Total 4k without packs, 13k with. 17k in total on day 5.
W trek in total (give or take a few kilometres as we did some shortcuts uphill etc)
without packs.........41k
with packs...........75.5k
in total..............116.5k
Day 1
Walking along these fields we got some pretty cool views with lakes and moutains etc, a taste of the more impressive peaks to come.
We walked for 2.5 hours and had the option of setting up camp at a free campsite. Upon arriving there it was really small, completely deserted and stunk with the drop toilet metres from where you would camp. The other option was to walk for another 3 hours and reach the frequented campsite Pehoe. Stopping for a while to take in a snack and drink, we cursed our backpacks and then all agreed to push on for the next campsite...probably a good idea being on "fresh" legs.
3 hours later and we arrived at Campamento Pehoe, just like the map said we would. After setting up the tent I took off my walking shoes as quick as possible and donned the flipflops, rushing in outside of the cold for a day 1 victory beer. Not sure it was worth 4 quid for a stubby....but it tasted sooooo good!
This campsite had a sheltered cooking area which was pretty cool so we cooked up the teams first meal, Rice, mixed veg and salami. yum yum.
Turns out we should have picked a better place to pitch up, seeing as we just picked the middle of the site. Everyone else anticipated the battering winds and rains the night would offer, and had picked spots by the hills or by the side of the shelter. We barely got much sleep that night!
Day 2
Waking up a bit groggy, we rejoiced in the fact we could leave our tents and most the equipment where it was and simply donned a day pack to take on the first leg of the W, up to Campamento Grey where you could appreciate an awesome view of Glaciar Grey. With a bit of rain coming down we sported the waterproof jackets and hat glove combo. Not sure the sunglasses were needed!
With a fairly tough walk of 11k up to Campamento Grey, we tackled gravel walkways, steep vegetated areas, crossed fairly wide rocky streams stopping to fill up our water bottles and got to the first view point (MIrador Grey) fairly easily. Stopping for a few photos and waterbreak, we took in the view and pressed on, not knowing whether to trust the times the map had given.
The views on the way were pretty awesome, the trekkers amongst you will appreciate the views of the mountains, not sure you would get the same kind of views in England, maybe something similar if you`ve been lucky enough to trek the highlands.
Getting to the lake and glacier viewpoint a view hours after the first viewpoint, we were pretty impressed with what we saw. Coming over a small hill (which seemed like a moutain in itself after 11k up and down hill) we took in the view of the lake, tucked inbetween two mountains with the glaciar at the far end. Not sure you`d get that one in the Scottish highlands! It did bare a remarkable resemblance the glacier we visited in El Chalten though. Funny that, on bit of ice looks like another bit of ice....who would have thought?!
With not much time to hang about, we needed to get back down the 11k walk to the campsite and back up the tents and equipment, leaving enough time to do a 2 hour walk to the next campsite. So off we set, pushing the pace on the flats. Mark had obvioulsy decided that we were short for time so had pressed on infront of the group, with the rest of us chugging behind.
Arriving back at Campamento Pehoe, the 4 of us went and collapsed in the communal indoor area and enjoyed a tea or coke. Mark had gone straight to his tent and packed everything up, coming back to join us after. Probably a good shout as we were in no mood to pack up after a sit down! But necessity came a calling, and packing up the tent was on the agenda so thats what we did, packed the backpacks up, slung everything on our bags and off we set. With aching feet we clambered 7.6k to Campamento Italiano. At least with the weight of the backpacks on our shoulders and hips, we almost forgot that our feet were soar.
Arriving at the campsite we set up the tents as fast as possible, cooked up some more salami but this time with spaghetti. We had bought what we thought was a pasta sauce to go with it but it turned out to be a super hot fiery salsa accompanyment. Still didn`t stop 5 hungry trekkers yamming it down. With tingling lips we comfirmed the decision to pick up a box of wine at Campamento Pehoe was a great idea and spent the rest of the night relaxing supping wine.
Day 3
After cooking up some not so delicious porridge and weird jam stuff, we prepared our day packs and set off up the middle spike of the W, leaving our equipment at the campsite once more. After walking in the rain and through puddles the day before, it wasn`t much fun putting back on your wet socks from the day before, but to save weight we only took day wear and night wear. If your day wear got wet at least you had the night wear to keep dry and warm in. Only problem was, come the next morning, on goes the damp socks and boots.
Heading uphill once again for 7.6k we were happy to see that the rain and wind had passed and we had clear and dry skies. However after the first 15 minutes your legs reminded you that they were already sore. But there was a goal and a sore pair of legs wasn`t going to stand in our way. Trudging through the forested area, we were guided by orange poles and arrows on trees every so often. However at one point we missed one of the markers which to be fair was so tiny others had missed it. Going for about 10 minutes the wrong way the path kind of fizzled out. We bumped into 2 german chaps who said they had been looking around for an hour trying to find the path and were about to head back if we hadn`t shown up. Mark decided that he knew the way and clambered up masses of rocks which clearly could no longer be classed as trekking but more rock climbing. Foolishly, we all thought that was a good idea but after 5 minutes of scalling rocks, Jen and I decided this clearly wasn`t the way so watched the other 3 in the group cross a river and up a hill closely followed by the inquestivie germans. Clearly knowing it wasn`t the right way the team stopped but this didn`t deter Mark, who carried on up a 45 degree gravel path to get a view of what was going on. With rocks falling from under his feet to the perilous cliff face inches away, he proclaimed that we had indeed gone wrong and the path was just back where we had come from. Tell me something we didn`t know Mark! So with me and Jen sitting smuggly on a rock the right side of the river, the others finally crossed back over and back we went following our footsteps. The germans had clearly given up by now and walking about 50 feet infront of us, they missed the trail and were heading back to where we started. We found it though and called out this is the way so they turned back and rejoined the trail only to steam past us and we didn`t see them again until the end of the trail. That`s gratitute for ya!
Reaching the top of this trail was a great moment after we thought we had lost too much time to catch back up. But catch back up we did and took in the views from the top of a boulder.
Don`t judge me for my hair! It was dry and windy at the top which fuzzed my hair up. I am of course lying, that is a bad ass hair style. Owwwww. But anyway, here is the team at the top with a view back down the valley and forest we had just come through.
Back down we went after some photos this time being sure to follow the trail and got back to the campsite in decent time. Packing up the tents and gear again we trundled on to Campamento Los Cuernos where we wouuld spent the night. 5.5k later with backpacks on, our feet hurt, but now our shoulders thought that they were missing out on the party so they decided to hurt too. Loosing they shoulder straps was a great idea at first to put more weight on the hips so they decided to hate me too but the shoulders were grateful. Deciding that the hips had had enough, I tighted the straps back up only for the shoulders to think "you douche, I`m gonna start hurting again, suck on that". So now the feet, shoulders and hips hurt. By the time we reached the campsite we were all done in and surprised to see their crazy methods of raised wooden tent pitches. Quizically, we set up our tents, the pegs and ropes being no good, we weighted the tent down with rocks.
Having had a long and tiring day, we thought that we would treat ourselve to a 3 course meal at the campsite refugio costing 11 quid. After sitting down we were greeted by the douche bag chefs who thought that they were funny (but really weren`t) stating that they took their job really seriously followed by them breaking into dance to the annoyingly overplayed gangnam style. Sooooo original. As others found it funny, I couldn`t wait for them to shut up and serve me some food....might have been the grumps from an achy day of walking or it might just be that I famp;king hate that song. Anyway out came the food and unsurprisingly it was pretty shocking, the soup starter was worse than packet soup, the main was mediocre, but the desert was good....only to be served up a diddy portion. Cheekily we managed to swindle an extra portion, but shared between 4 this was literally 1 more bite each.
Putting that behind us even though still hungry, we went to bed. Turns out sleeping on a wooden platform sucks. Now a bad back and stiff neck joins the list of sore legs, shoulders and hips. To top that the condensation from the tent made the wooden platform super wet which in turn made the sleeping mats wet so all in all a pretty rubbish nights sleep. 10 points to anyone who can guess where the tent was on the platform.
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