W Trek, Chile

Day 1: Tensions are high, you can smell the anticipation as we arrive at the bus station at 7 am.  People frantically jostle for the bus, even though it is clearly ticketed and will get us all there at the same time, but we have come to expect this kind of behaviour from our fellow travellers.

Diverting out of Argentina we had travelled to Puerto Natales near the National Park Torres Del Paine, Southern Chile for a 5 night hike, titled the 'W Trek'. This place is inaccessible by road from the rest of Chile, you have to arrive via Argentina.

As we take a better look around it is unclear whether people are going to the W Trek or to a North Face Convention. The 5 full buses that arrive at the park after the 2 hour journey quash any romantic notions of a secluded hike. Curse lonely planet.....again.

Day 1, hike to Refugio Paine Grande

 

A grueling 18 km hike ensues to our first camp site, Refugio Paine Grande. We set up our hire tent next to 10 other identical tents. Realise there are hot showers, hot meals and even real beds at our campsite. Doubting the hardcore-ness of the hike and indeed, the need for dramatic language in this recount. Left over curried sausages for dinner.

Day 2: Kath's stomach issues haven't abated as first thought. Regretting decision to bring curried sausages for dinner the previous night, but Brad chows down on some more for breakfast. 12 km hike to next campsite, Refugio Grey. Kath quoted as describing the day's hike as very 'uppey downey'. Spectacular views along the way. Camped right next to glacier grey with ample sun baking time. Tuna pasta for dinner, oreo stash cracked open after big day. Early to bed. Notice that the sun never seems to go down in Patagonia... Ever. Fellow hikers drinking red wine until late yelling, "Nao falo Portugueeeese" and "Noooo hablo Ingleees". So much serenity...

Halfway to Gracier Grey

Glacier Grey

Day 3: Oreo stash MIA. I repeat. The oreos cannot be found... Kath has her suspects; only the red wine drinking hikers saw us with them the previous night. Faith in humanity takes a huge dive. 18 km hike to the next camp, Italiano. Pasta for dinner with extremely boring tomato sauce. Cursing red wine drinkers for stealing oreos... Insect repellent and cards seem to be missing now as well. Strange.

Interesting cloud formation in French Valley

Chilling out at Campamento Italiano

Day 4: Walk to the "bum crack" of the "W", Mirador Britannico. Almost get blown off mountain. Ray ban sunglasses blown clear off head, landing precariously near edge of giant cliff. Risk life to retrieve them before realising they're fake and probably weren't worth it anyway. Mirador looks much like the view from campsite, but still glad we risked our lives in the rain and gale force winds to get up there. 

'Hola' reply rate from fellow hikers at an all time low today, must be the rain and wind. Another 19 kms that day, walked to next campsite when there was a break in the rain. Kath fell in river and blamed Brad for taking wrong path. Decide we deserve a beer at next campsite, no matter how over priced. Wraps for dinner with tuna, cheese and Mexican rice. Interested German hikers comment on our chef-like creativity before telling us they're going to have a three course meal cooked for them at the refugio.

Nearly blown off the mountain

"Taken enough photos yet Kath?"

All packed up and ready for the next walk

Day 5: Exited the tent at 6am in the morning to the sight of an elderly German gentleman walking around in his jocks and hiking boots. Wide awake after that. Walked 19.7 kms to the last campsite before the peak. Tough climb, ascending a few hundred metres. Set up camp and cook mushroom-soup-flavoured instant mashed potatoes with salami. 5 day old salami never tasted so good. Proud of our cooking prowess.

Oreos mysteriously appear in "secret pocket" (if you can call a completely obvious side pocket secret) along with insect repellent and cards. Brad proud that a 'boy's look' is finally as good as a 'girl's look'. Oreos and peanut butter consumed with pure joy. Feel bad for blaming red wine drinking hikers, hope they enjoyed their hike and returned safely... Faith in humanity restored.

The missing oreos!!!

Oreos and Peanut Butter

Day 6: Up at 4 am to push for the peak, Torres Del Paine, where you can apparently see the rock face turn red at sunrise. 1.6 km return. Arrive way too early with way too few layers. Absolutely freezing. It's snowing and windy. Rocks not changing colour, comparable to watching paint dry. Except on top of a mountain. Decide to bail, losing feeling in fingers. Sunrise looks amazing from other side of mountain. Look back and rocks are FINALLY red.

Bloody freezing and no sunrise.

Totally worth it though, right Brad?!

The sunrise from the other side of the mountain

FINALLY, they slowly turn red.

Yay, sunlight and warmth!

Descend, pack and hot foot it back to the hotel at the end of the W trek, 8 kms downhill. Smiling the biggest grins at everyone passing by, other hikers coming up the hill look none too impressed. Arrive at bottom of mountain by 1030 am and after 85 kms we enjoy a beer in celebration. Spirits are high (just check out the photo below). Await bus to take us back to our hostel.

Take me hoooome!

Going downhill on the last day, hooray!