 |
| Pics like these... impossible without your own wheels |
Unless you get an early flight into El Calafate, an overnight layover is needed, as the drive to Torres del Paine (TDP), including border crossing, takes about 3-3.5 hrs. Had I travelled with “morning people” I could have shaved a day off the itinerary. But between the desire to spend a few more hours in BA, and preference for extra dosage of the last letter in the alphabet (!) we had an overnight layover (read unnecessary packing/unpacking as far as I’m concerned). An early flight could get you in TDP the same day.
Aaaanyway… After a “quick” coffee (I’m being facetious, as the concept of quick breakfast is lost in that part of the world) we were on the road. Nothing but vast, arid, flat steppe, with the Andes far in the distance. Windy, to the point the car was being jerked around. The occasional guanaco herd, or a condor flying overhead. Google shows a direct route with a shortcut (gravel road) from around El Cerito, to Estancia Tapi Aike. DON’T TAKE IT! Even the local professional drivers advise against it. It’s full of potholes, difficult to drive, and serious risk for flat tires. Instead, continue on route 40 to Esperanza, fill up on gas, snacks, then follow route 40 still for about 120 km (full map all the way at the bottom of this post). Take a right and follow signs to Paso Río Don Guillermo (border crossing). Don’t let the shack-looking lean-to derelict building fool you. It is the Argentine border crossing office. Paperwork. Stamps. At two different windows. A few kilometers later, the Chilean equivalent. Three windows this time. And a long line, as we arrived just behind 2 large tour buses. Grrrrr.
Just beyond the border crossing, Cero Castillo is a small community where we spent the night. Hostería El Pionero is a small B&B with clean, large rooms, and a very hospitable staff. It’s close enough to the park entrance (about 50 km) but considerably cheaper than any of the lodging options within the park itself, which are typically in thousands of dollars and minimum 3 night stays this time of the year.
With significant daylight left (sunset in Dec is well after 10 pm) we ventured out a bit. A short drive to a very windy Lago el Toro shoreline, and another 25 km offroad foray to Estancia Lazo (this one, a working ranch) for some initial oooh-and-aaah views into the majestic TDP. Once again, none of this is possible unless you have your own wheels.
Early next morning, a good breakfast, to-go sandwiches from the Estancia, and off to the first major trek of this trip: Mirador Torres. A 12.5-mile hike (says AllTrails) that ended up being close to 14. Partly because they pushed the start of the trail to the Welcome Center (even though it actually starts behind the hotel Las Torres, but the hotel does not allow non-guests to park on the property).
 |
| Early morning traffic jam |
 |
| Hotel del Paine |
The hike itself, one of the hardest I’ve been on. It starts deceptively mild, with a gradual slope, out in the open, which means layers come off and sunscreen is a must.
At the top of the ridge, high winds sweep the valley below. The views are amazing, and it’s a good flat, cooling off a bit, right before Refugio Chileno, about 3.5 miles in. This is a good overnight stop for people that hike the O or W circuits, or those who want to catch Las Torres at sunrise. It’s in high demand – especially during high season – so reservations are recommended way in advance.
This is where we panicked a bit. The skies went dark, winds intensified, and rain started to drop. On went the full rain gear (including rain pants) but as we continued the through the forest, the weather subsided, and it was all for naught. Yet, the entire process of gearing up/down for rain took a while and slowed us down (those who tried to hike in rainproof clothing know what I’m talking about). The forest portion was quite pleasant. Such a mixed terrain overall: meadows early on, barren hills, green forests (both foliage and evergreens) culminating with a bare, massive block of jagged granite at the end.
The last mile or so, absolutely excruciating. Almost vertical ascent through rocks and sediments. Calves, quads and glutes throbbing. Hiking poles a true blessing (not so much uphill, but definitely downhill). After hiking for about 6 miles already, this last bit feels like a moving target. You keep looking up and it seems like it’s not getting closer.
But once you clear the last rocks, it’s all ooohs, aaahs, and OMGs!. It truly is breathtaking. Unfortunately, it was also cold and extremely windy at the top. We were back to full gear, including hats and gloves. Given the earlier weather scare, we considered ourselves lucky to still catch a glimpse of the towers (I’ve read stories where people did all this hiking to stare at a blanket of clouds). The hiking boots came off, thinking that a quick dip of the toes will be refreshing. WRONG! After merely 10 seconds they were frozen. It is a glacier lake, after all…
The crowds were thinning by now. We enjoyed a quick bite and hurried back down to the shelter of the trees. In retrospect, we should have stayed longer at the top. “Take it all in” as they say. We made a conscious effort to do so in the following hikes. As much as it’s all about the journey, one has to spend more time enjoying the destination. If the ascent was hard on the muscles, the descent was hard on the knees. And after cooling down at the top, the restart was not easy. Cramps and blistered toes. Fatigue. Tired legs. Like I said, easily the hardest hike for me. But most enjoyable. The trek back through the forest was enjoyable. Refugio Chileno was no longer bustling, with only the people planning to spend the night hanging about. Paso de los Vientos was no longer a welcome, cooling breeze. And the last descent back to the base seemed to take forever.
Ten hours later – yes, we did stop a lot along the way – we were back to the car. There is no better feeling than taking off the hiking boots and jumping into sneakers. And dropping the heavy backpack (we did overpack for this hike). Light as a feather once more!
 |
| The excitement of the "before"... |
 |
| ... and the drained agony of the "after" |
Puerto Natales is small. Just another steeping point into TDP. It’s at the edge of the water, just before the Patagonian fjords. The scenery is wildly enchanting. So is the drive back to the park, via Y290, with panoramic views of Laguna Sofia, the bottom part of Lago el Toro, and – of course – the best views of Los Cuernos.
The second day in the park was spent mostly around Lago Grey. We still managed about 5 miles, on the shoreline and to the glacier viewpoint. Mirador Ferreira was also on the schedule (and less than 4 miles round trip) but still recovering from the previous day, and considering the 2,000 feet elevation, and the fact that had Christmas Eve dinner reservations later, we decided to skip it. Still, Lago Grey showed a different flavor of Patagonia. A gloomy day. Windy. Extremely windy, indeed. Saw a couple of Culpeo Fox cubs. And a fragment of a glacier up close. Heard others speak Romanian in this remote place. Small world!
After cleaning up a bit, we were back up at Lago Grey Hotel for Christmas Dinner. Took forever to persuade them to make the reservation. All other hotels in the park were “reserved for guests only” that evening. It was pleasant. Fixed holiday menu. Quite good, actually. And the bar served killer pisco sours! Feliz Navidad!
After dinner, we went back to Rio Serrano (stayed the night at Cabanas Tyndall, just outside the park entrance) and capped the evening at the Pampa Lodge, after a pompous manager at the Río Serrano hotel bar refused to serve us drinks, even though the bar was half-full. “For hotel guests only” he said, under the bewildered stares of the bartenders who would have liked to make some extra money on Christmas Eve…
 |
| Merry Christmas!! CHEERS!!! Feliz Navidad!! |
On Christmas day, we woke up under the pitter-patter of rain drops on the cabin roof, soon followed by a gorgeous rainbow. The only rain encountered in Patagonia. A bit “ruffled” from the night before, but quickly cheered by the colorful arch across the gray mountainous backdrop. Further cheered by a greasy spoon breakfast at Hotel del Paine next door. And on the road again, as the sun was peeking through the clouds, with the promise of another beautiful day.
We had another half-day in the park, so we stopped first at Hosteria Pehoe. A bit old, run down, with mixed reviews from visitors, but the location (likely most central in the park) and the view – once you cross the pedestrian bridge – is equal to none.
A few miles from there, another quick stop and a short hike (about a mile) to Salto Grande. Easy hike, but worth the view. Also experienced the strongest winds up there, which is why we didn’t go further, to Los Cuernos lookout! (apparently, it’s often closed, with winds reaching as much as 120km/hr.).
After a quick pit stop, a cold beer and guanaco sandwich (lean, tastes like veal) we headed back to El Calafate, not before a few more over-the shoulder looks back to the majestic granite towers we hiked to the other day. Simply breathtaking. No picture or National Geographic 4k video can do it justice. Adiós!
As promised, a bit more around logistics for Patagonia. Car rental, lodging, and so on:
A few things worth mentioning about driving in Southern Patagonia:
1. Outside of El Calafate, El Chalten or Puerto Natales, there are very few gas stations. Fill up often, even if not needed. In fact, Puerto Natales (about 80 km south of the nearest entrance to the park) is the closest. We had to spend one night there just to fill up.
2. Roads are not the best (with the exception of the main connections between the aforementioned cities). The road from Puerto Natales to the Southern entrance to the park is partially paved. All roads inside TDP are gravel. And dusty. Very dusty!
3. Make sure the car is in tip-top shape and spare tire is full. There is no cell signal, so any breakdown can turn into a challenge.
4. Let the rental agency know if planning to cross the border, so they can prepare the necessary paperwork (additional cost; we paid $100)
5. Download offline maps or grab a good ‘ol fashioned paper map. Again… no phone service!
6. Crosswinds (always heavy) make driving a two-hands-on-the-wheel-at-all-times exercise. Especially when big vehicles pass from the opposite direction
7. On the plus side, you can stop anywhere, anytime, to take in the in the natural beauty. Complete freedom. For a price…
Lodging in Patagonia varies from luxury, arm-and-leg pricing inside the park (over $1,000/night, albeit “all inclusive”) to rustic huts (which have to be booked well in advance, as they tend to fill out fast, especially during high season) and everything else in between. For our group size and having rental cars, AirBnB and lodging outside the park made the most sense. And saved us quite a bit. Most places are not up to modern standards but are clean and efficient. Covid closed down the entire area for almost 2 years. People struggled, and the last thing they could afford were improvements. And in the end, we just needed places to clean up and spend the night… so we didn’t mind the lack of “luxury”.
In Calafate, we found a very nice, inexpensive and accommodating AirBnB. He even let us store everything an extra night while we went to El Chalten for an overnight trip! For Torres del Paine, Hostería El Pionero was just perfect, from a location perspective, close to the northern entrance to the park, without having to pay thousands. Estancia Dos Elianas (even closer) was another option, but the reviews were a bit mixed. In Puerto Natales, there are plenty of options. Etnias Apartments was clean, quite new, and accommodated late check in. And near the southern entrance to the park, the Rio Serrano area offers several options. Cabanas Tyndall are bare bones, but again, convenient, and half the price (or less) than some of the hotels. For just an overnight stay in each, it was enough. As you can see, we’re nomads when it comes to travelling. All about efficient use of time/distance, rather than “parking it” in one place. For that, there are a hand-full of hotels inside the park, but they also require a hand-full of dollars. And most have a minimum 3 night stay requirement. At the other end of the spectrum, refugios and camp sites for the true hikers. To each their own.
Next: back to El Calafate, for a few more days in Patagonia: https://disdatdudder.blogspot.com/2024/02/patagonia-beyond-4-of-9-el-calafate.html
Quick jumps all the other legs of this trip:- Two days in Iguazu Falls
- Two days in Buenos Aires
- Three days in El Calafate/Perito Moreno
- Two days in El Chalten
- Two days in Bariloche
- Two days in Mendoza
- Two days in Santiago, Chile
- A half-day layover in Bogota
No comments:
Post a Comment