Torres Del Paine - 9Days, 130km - the O

After our adventures on Isla Navarino and our relaxed time in Punt Arenas, we are now heading to Puerto Natales, the starting point for Torres Del Paine National Park! Our entire trip to Chile had to be organized around this attraction in southern Patagonia. Camps had to be booked in January so that we can start in March.

In Puerto Natales, we still have to do the shopping for 9 days and pack our backpacks with even distribution. Over the past few days, we have tried to consume as many reserves as possible, which worked out well :)

Day 1

On March 9th, the day has finally come. We set off at 7 am, accompanied by a crowd of backpackers and day tourists, to the bus station in Puerto Natales. There, we get on the bus and head straight to Torres. At the entrance, we are greeted by a long line and a fatal message. The pass is closed, and it looks like we can't hike the "O". Damn, what now?! Based on our previous South America experience, we decide to still walk to the first camp for now. From there, we can still make further decisions. So we set off on the first 17km. We stroll on easy hiking trails with our 25kg backpacks through simple grasslands dotted with burned trees. Heavy rains have caused the surrounding rivers to swell, so we have to wade through icy glacier streams sinking up to our knees. During our lunch break, a skunk visits us, and we spot Guanacos and wild ostriches in the meantime. When we arrive at the first camp, we set up our tent. Everyone who arrives here has the same concern: Can we hike the "O"? We come up with an alternative plan and decide to continue to Camp Dickson the next day anyway. In the evening, we meet Lena, Sonja, and Juliane from Germany, as well as Steve from Ireland, Gun from the Netherlands, and Jenny from France. Everyone has the same plan and the same concerns, and we share the different updates about the situation. These range from collapsed bridges to raging rivers that are impassable to a lot of snow on the steep pass.

Day 2

For breakfast, we have our universally beloved porridge with nuts. Then we pack up the tent and head towards Camp Dickson, the supposed most beautiful campsite in Torres del Paine National Park. We walk along a river and cross a small pass, from which we have a beautiful view of Lake Dickson. We briskly walk the 19km on easy paths and reach the camp relatively quickly. We are among the first and can secure an optimal spot. On the way, we meet Susan, a Canadian retiree who is hiking the "O" alone and carrying everything herself. Respect! We have many interesting conversations with this friendly and cheerful woman. In Camp Dickson, no one knows anything about a pass closure, and we are now confident that we can hike the "O" after all. Communication is not a priority here. In general, even booking the park is a complete disaster. Due to the high influx of visitors to the park, reservations must be made and paid for months in advance. The entire process involves three different paid and free organizations. The prices for camping are not cheap, and the websites have no links, so each campsite must be individually checked and booked on specific dates... This process can easily take several hours and a lot of nerves. When you finally arrive at the park, it is possible that you will be told that you cannot visit your booked campsites. The flow of information between organizations is a disaster. When asked if you will get your money back, you will always be referred to the other organizations, each of which is located at the other ends of the park. You have to go there and discuss it with the responsible people on site. At that point, your heart rate can skyrocket, and you wish you had brought the machete after all.

Now for the positive: The Dickson campsite does not disappoint. We have a magnificent view of Lake Dickson and the adjacent Dickson Glacier. Wow, our first glacier on this trip. To our surprise, some campsites have warm showers and proper toilets. We haven't had such luxury while trekking before. We will come to appreciate the warm shower even more in the future.

Day 3

After a leisurely breakfast and the first glimpse of the mountains that were previously hidden in clouds, we set off towards Camp Los Perros, the last campsite before the pass. We walk uphill through a forest for a long time. A bit boring... At the end of the forest, just before the camp, a steep wall opens up in front of us with a lake at the bottom and a hanging glacier at the top. We hear thunderous rumbling, but there is no cloud in the sky. Shortly thereafter, we see the avalanche working its way down the glacier. Wow, the glacier is constantly moving and working, which is loud and clear. Shortly after that, we reach the camp and set up our camp. Here, we also get the confirmation: The "O" will work out. The pass was never closed. The ranger asks in surprise why there should be any problems. He only advises us to start early the next morning to get over the pass before the approaching bad weather front. Alright, we all gladly take this advice because we have received many warnings before the pass. So we go to bed early on this day.

Day 4 - The Pass

The alarm clock rings at 5 am. With clear tasks assigned, we make porridge, pack up the tent, and all of that in the dark. Shortly after 6, we set off. In absolute darkness, we search for the trail in the forest with our headlamps. In the meantime, I lose Max in my running trot, and he reappears about 100m away from me in the forest. Then together with Arne and Sophie, we search for the trail together. As it gets brighter, we emerge from the forest, and the scree field to our left looks like a trail. Just like a trail in Dientes. So determined, we climb up the scree field. In the meantime, strong winds blow, so we need to kneel briefly. When we finally reach the top, we are disappointed. From up here, the trail is clearly visible. It leads below! So we traverse through the forest back down to the trail. Back on the trail, we continue on an easy path towards the pass. The uphill trail is relatively easy to ascend, and we soon find ourselves standing on the pass with the German girls. A wide view opens up over the mystical, giant Grey Glacier. Gigantic! After a short celebratory sip of liquor, we descend the steep mountain towards Camp Paso. But actually, the barrel that is opened around the pass is not really that bad. The pass and the uphill trail are so well marked that even in bad weather, you can find the way. There are no really steep cliffs, so it's not fatal if the strong wind moves you a few meters. Compared to our previous pass crossings in South America, this pass was relatively easy. It will certainly be a bit harder with snow. By noon, we reach Camp Paso after a challenging steep descent. We set up our tent and enjoy a warm tea. Here, we meet Alan and Natalia from New York for the first time. Although they continue on this day, we will meet them again soon. After such an eventful day, we have time for a siesta and a small exploration tour around the camp. With a bit of scrambling, you can reach a rock outcrop from which you get a gigantic view of the mist-covered glacier. The wind at this spot is so strong that you can only crawl to the edge. The announced bad weather front lashes with drizzle and 120km/h winds in our faces. We are relatively happy to be able to stay in the camp.

Day 5

Today is the longest section. It is estimated to take 8 hours. We want to hike to Paine Grande, so we start at sunrise. We cross suspension bridges and beautiful narrow paths along the mountain ridge. All of this is accompanied by a breathtaking view of the glacier and the peaks of Valle Francaise. The largest suspension bridge stretches 120m above the river. When we pass Camp Grey, we meet some of our fellow trekkers again who are taking a rest day here. They show us videos from the previous day when they crossed the suspension bridges in 120km/h winds. It was quite a swinging experience, sometimes crawling on all fours. We were lucky. In the last few meters, we catch up with the rest of the group and manage to complete this 22km day in 5 hours of walking time. In Paine Grande, the camp is set up in strong winds before we retreat to the cooking area. After Camp Paso, we encountered an unusual hiking landscape. Extremely many day tourists, masses of people, and some very disrespectful behavior. Exactly what we were warned about. Fortunately, this was balanced out by the beautiful landscapes and the reunion with our "O" group. That evening, we all enjoyed a cold, expensive, but well-deserved beer. It was a fantastic change from our otherwise monotonous food intake. Especially Max is getting tired of our everyday lunch: peanuts.

Day 6

After the longest day comes the shortest day. Together with Alan and Natalia, as well as Arne and Sophie, we walk the short distance to Camp Italiano in a relaxed 2.5 hours. When we arrive, we decide to climb Mirador Francaise with Lena, Sonja, and Juliane after a small lunch snack. We are lucky because when we reach the mirador, the weather clears up, and we see the glacier on the steep mountainside, with a magnificent view through Valle Francaise of the lakes below.

Day 7

Unfortunately, on this day, we have to bid farewell to most of our fellow trekkers. The majority of them take the mammoth route directly to Camp Base Torres (27km). We still have an additional booking in Central (22km), and we will tackle the ascent to the Torres the next day. For us, it is a relaxing day of walking along the lakes under blue skies and sunshine. In Camp Central, we secure a nice spot by the river and can relax in the sun for the first time in days. At night, we are treated to a clear starry sky, which finally allows us to take photos of the stars.

Day 8

The final ascent awaits. On our way up, we meet our happy fellow trekkers again. They had a stunning sunrise over the Torres. They were bathed in a magical red. We say goodbye for today and make plans to meet again in Puerto Natales the next day. After about 2.5 hours, we slowly reach Camp Base Torres, already exhausted from the 120km we have walked. After a short power nap of 2 hours, we still go up to the world-famous "Towers" on the same day. We are lucky to be able to see them. On the way, we meet Diego again, whom we already know from Puerto Williams.

Day 9

Early at 6 am, we set off in the darkness. With the help of our headlamps, we climb the trail to the Torres and wait there under a clear starry sky for the sunrise. After 2 hours of waiting, the Torres are slowly immersed in gold. It shouldn't be like this. We endure the cold for another 30 minutes before it becomes clear that we had some bad luck. No blood-red Torres. Nevertheless, we have another fantastic view of this natural wonder. We pack our things one last time and manage to descend in just 1.5 hours. New personal record. When we reached the bottom, we dry our tent, and then we take the bus back. Back in Puerto Natales, we go shopping on an empty stomach for the next day, and in the evening, we go out for steak with Sonja, Lena, Juliane, Alan, and Natalia. What a delight after 9 days of porridge, nuts, instant noodles, and rice! After that, we may have enjoyed a few beers with a sociable group.

Many thanks to our newly acquired friends for a fantastic time on the "O"! I hope we will see each other again soon.

Next, we will regain and relax on a cargo and ferry ship through Patagonia's fjords. We need to gain weight again because I'm sure each of us has lost 10kg on the track. Finally, boating again :)

See you soon,

Max and Marius