I find that when I know that I have to rise early I sleep very badly. And this night was no exception. By 4am I’d had enough of the constant cycle of napping and waking, so I unzipped my sleeping bag, got dressed, had a poor excuse for a wash, grabbed the rucksack and camera and headed down from the tent to the refuge and slowly came around. The moon was out and there was the odd drop of rain in the air, which mystified my sensors, it seems that the Patagonia weather is going to keep me wondering what sort of sunrise they’ll be. It’s dark except for the light of the moon, I’m alone, which surprises me, I thought other photographers would be up and about to get to Torres Base before ‘blue hour’. My head torch is on, I pick out the path and slowly make my way towards my end goal, a spectacular sunrise over the Three Towers at Torres Base. Whether the weather would play ball has yet to be seen!

I make my way up the valley and took the steep path up to the cirque and that spectacular view that all the visitors to the Torres del Paine are here to see. Some are lucky, but many aren’t. As I take the rocky path up to Torres Base, my mind tries to make sense of this dark silhouetted 2 dimensional path and in this strange flat world my mind starts to wander, looking for that grey bearded man that as a child I followed up so many mountains, with him looking down at me smiling, encouraging me as I proudly walked at his side. That time in the night, between 3am and 5am seems to be a time of dreams and for me on this morning they were happy ones.

I crest over the edge of the cirque to eventually see the three towers silhouetted as the moon shone from behind them as it rapidly set leaving a darkness that only the dawn reveals. There are just four other people, so I can set up my camera and phone without pesky Instagram users, who I find have no manners, have no concept of other visitors, just their own selfish goals, facing away from the views, looking only at themselves… sorry, just can’t help myself. I set my camera up for the stills and my iPhone for the TimeLapse and sit and wait. It’s about 7am and very shortly the ‘blue hour’ unfolds. The sky turns a dark blue and the towers start to shake off the blackness of the night. Sunrise is at 07:55am and there are a few more people now, but still not as many as I expected. One of the youngsters, well young to me anyway, sat next to me and we chatted, he says, ‘it’ll be hours before the sun hits the towers’, however, at 08:05 the top of the towers are bathed in a dark red light which rapidly creeps down engulfing them completely. We were both mesmerised as the colour changed from a dark red to ever decreasing shades of orange. A picture paints a thousand words:

I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I started watching the view at 06:15am and eventually tore myself away at just after 08:30am. I can’t begin to describe what I saw or felt. The descent was a blur of passing people on their way up, including Holly and Andrew, I smiled, I think that was enough for them to realise that I’d seen what I’d traveled 8,000 miles for.

Homeward bound!

Camp Grey is the starting point of the ‘W’ Trek. I don’t think I’ve explained what exactly the ‘W’ and ‘O’ Treks are. The ‘O’ trek is the less popular 130km walk that encompasses the full circuit of the Torres del Paine Massif. It also includes the more popular ‘W’ trek, that covers the south side of the massif. The northern section of the ‘O’ trek is more remote and although there are campsites and refuges at regular intervals, they are, as a rule, a little more basic than those found on the ‘W’ trek. There are a number of ways to walk both treks, staying at the refuges, camping in pre erected tents or eco tents (don’t get me started on eco tents!!!) or being self sufficient and carrying your own tent. Wild camping is prohibited within the National Park, so you have no choice but to camp at the designated sites, which has the bonus of not necessary having to carry all your own food. The ‘W’ trek is far more popular as it’s both shorter and the accommodation, food etc. is somewhat better than its northern counterpart.

Day 5 of the trek was from Camp Grey to Camp Paine Grande. A fairly leisurely wander down by the side of Lago Grey. People were coming at us in all directions, as unlike the northern section of the ‘O’ trek, which can only be walked anti-clockwise, the ‘W’ trek can be done East to West or visa versa. I don’t mind people, but I feel a lot better about them when they are somewhere other than on the same path I’m on! Seriously, though, I love to see so many people enjoying, what is one of the most walked treks in the world and I was fully aware of that when I booked it. What I wasn’t fully aware of was that 90% of people on the walk used walking poles and it appears that most of them haven’t got a clue that they are even carrying them, never mind using them in a sensible manner! And I have bruises on both my legs and feet to prove it. It seems that moving to one side to let people past, means that they can stomp past you totally unaware that you also take up part of the path and when one of those titanium spiked poles is ;pressed onto one of your feet… it’s painful. While I’m ranting about trekking poles and their inappropriate use, I’m going to have another rant. As I’ve said the views and the joy they give me along this trek as on many treks I’ve wandered are the sole reason I’m there. I assume that’s why others are there. I believe from what I’ve seen that the human race will evolve over the next millennia to have eyes in the back of their heads… as many of the trekkers didn’t see any of the views. All they ever saw was a 12cm by 5cm screen reflecting their image on an out of focus landscape. You can call me what you like and I’m happy to identify as anything, but for me it’s all about seeing those views and taking the time to take in and digest Mother Nature’s beauty. I know I spend a great deal of time with a camera in front of my face, but I’ve learned that I also need to just sit and enjoy the scene.

The following day saw us walking up the Frances valley, the there and back of the ‘W’ trek. The weather was perfect as were the views. We dropped off our packs at Camp Italiano and made our way up to Mirador Frances and Mirador Britanico and it’s here that you really begin to I understand why this is one of the worlds most popular treks. At Mirador Frances the raw power of nature is revealed as hanging glaciers are precariously balanced on what appears to be a shear rock face. A sound like thunder would regularly fill the air and all eyes would scan the rock face, looking for the avalanche as the ice was no longer able to keep its purchase on the rock. Mirador Britanico was different again. as you gained height along the wooded path, the valley to the left suddenly opened up into a massive amphitheatre with a headwall of enormous rock towers. It was mesmerising, a time to sit and realise how privileged I am as I dozed in the heat of the afternoon sun.

Of mice and men… it seems that mice will often get the better of you! Why should I mention mice, well we encountered a few at Camp Frances. All I lost was a lightweight water bottle that I’d purchased especially for the trek, Holly was lucky she lost nothing, but Andrew was awakened by a mouse running over his head and a sinking feeling as his blowup mattress was no longer able to sustain the purpose that it was designed for. At 1am Andrew was busy repairing teeth holes in his mattress, not just one set, but three, the mouse, quite obviously felt comfortable snuggling in his down filled bed! At breakfast Andrew poured his granola only to find that the top was not the only place the contents poured from, let’s just say he had extra currents in his granola that morning! People squeeze toothpaste tubes in many different ways from the top, from the bottom and sometimes the middle, I think it has caused many a divorce or certainly been the last straw, but when you squeeze a toothpaste tube and the contents come out not only at the top but from numerous other small holes then you know it’s time to catch that mouse and give it a good talking to.

The penultimate day was another gentle wander by Lago Nordenskjold, giving some spectacular views south before we slowly ascended to Camp Chileno and the Three Towers.

Was Camping Grey a rest day, partially, but it was a day put aside for Kayaking on Lago Grey near the snout of the glacier and in the afternoon walking on the glacier. I’ve been lucky enough to walk and climb on many glaciers, but even now I still find the ice fascinating. It has shaped so many of our finest landscapes. It has to be one of natures most destructive of forces as it moulds and reshapes the landscape, whether that’s as it retreats or advances. So I take every opportunity I can to explore these forces of Mother Nature.

No lie in, up at 07:00 to be at the kayaking centre by 08:15. As we’d now hit the beginning of the popular ‘W’ Trek, most amenities improved and the kayaking experience was extremely professional… full wetsuits, and insulated jackets even paddles and kayaks, were all provided. Seriously we were very impressed.

The water was dead calm and the icebergs were stationary as we paddled within 50 metres of these towering, luminous turquoise monsters that had calved within the last two or three days.

This was new to me, I’ve never kayaked around icebergs before. There was no adrenaline rush, no leap of faith, just serenely paddling past these giant turquoise icebergs.

In the afternoon Holly and I returned to the Big Foot hut to do a glacier walk, whilst Andrew relaxed at camp. Although this wasn’t a unique experience for me, I’ve walked and climbed many times on glaciers, I still get that school boy feeling of excitement when I put on the crampons and pick up the ice axe and take those first steps onto the ice. Ice that has secrets locked in it that are many millennia old, secrets that are become unlocked as the ice rapidly retreats. It’s a strange feeling walking on history as it literally melts under your feet. Every calving from the glaciers snout sees a part of this world break away, then slowly melts into the glacial lake, lost forever. A sad end for such a mighty force of nature? A natural end hastened by ourselves, one day that natural cycle will hopefully reverse and repeat.

A day of rest, maybe not, but it was certainly a change and as the saying goes

I’m going to devote a whole post to this one day. We were aware that this would always be the crux of the trek. The guide says 9 – 12 hours. A time guide, I’ve found over the years is far more informative than the distance, as the distance covered on the flat and that covered In mountainous terrain can differ in time by many hours, add in a heavy pack and the distance is no longer of any great use, but how long it’s likely to take you is.

We are at Camp Los Perros and the check out time is before 07:30. All the other campsites are 09:30… a little ominous. The reason soon becomes clear! We could see that the snow line was around the 650 metre mark that’s 600 metres below the height of the pass. The question is how much snow would there be. My thoughts are that the pass itself will have little or no snow as the wind is pretty much a constant as the cold air is drawn and funnelled through the pass from the Grey Glacier below… that means that the worst of any lying snow will be on the East side of the mountain blown by the constant wind, the side we were ascending. The only question is, what condition will the snow be in. If it’s fresh wind blown snow it could be soft, which makes it hard to walk in and break trail. If someone’s already broken trail then the steps are already cut and it’s like walking up irregular stairs. If, however, the snow has had a couple of nights freeze, thawing then it could be treacherous without crampons, but easier walking if you have the right equipment, as long as you don’t slip! No one of course was geared for full on winter conditions! I did, however, have a pair of micro spikes, smug git that I am! My thought was that these would come in handy on the descent.

The snow was soft and over the last couple of days the trail had been blazed by many trekkers. Although, if you wandered off the trail just slightly it wasn’t unusual to go thigh deep and then spend the next minute or so fighting your way out of the hole! The summit as expected was devoid of snow as the wind gusted at 50 – 60km an hour. There was only one occasion when I had to lean forward, using the full weight of myself and pack to stop from being blown backwards. Once over the crest the wind miraculously eased and the long, steep, slippery for some, descent began. I, of course, used my micro spikes, worked a treat!

The views once you crested the path were worth the climb. There in front of you is the snout of the 28km long Grey Glacier as it winds its way down from the massive Patagonian ice sheet. The glacier dominates the view as you take, what feels like, a very long descent to Camp Grey and well earned beer, oh and first shower of the trek!

Camping, just a few thoughts… I have always said that I would never camp except on an organised trip like in the Himalaya, where everything is carried for you ‘lazy man’s camping’ you could say, but for some unknown reason over recent years I’ve regularly put a piece of lightweight ripstop nylon in my backpack to act as a shelter overnight and on the odd occasion just slept in the open ‘cowboy’ style, seems to be the in way to describe bivvying. The good points about this lightweight piece of material are that you can, in theory, stop and set it up wherever you like, it’s cheap, once you’ve bought the equipment, however, I’m beginning to struggle to think of any more pros! The cons, there are many, it’s heavy, sounds like thousands of people are blowing dried peas through a blow tube, at the tent when it rains. When it’s windy it’s like being in a wind tunnel when they test a jet engine. There’s no privacy. You have to decide what you’ll eat every night days in advance. Normally expensive dried food, although I have to admit these have improved considerably in recent years, but still not as good as freshly cooked veg and meat and it means carrying anywhere between 12 and 16kg depending on how many days food you’re having to carry. It also goes without saying that I’ll be carrying some photographic equipment which adds around 3.5kgs to that weight… a sucker for punishment!

Camping doesn’t have many pros, but it is convenient, which is why we are camping our way around the ‘O’ Trek in the Torres del Paine. Our second night camping was at Torres Central, the start of the trek for us. The first two days were 14km and 19km respectively. They were rather sedate and not too strenuous. The campsites at the end of each day, were good with flat pitches The Refuge’s, though, had ever depleting supplies and choices of food as the end of the season approached. I’d only brought three days of dried food so I had to be selective in which days to eat in or eat out! If the meals hadn’t been pre booked then the choice was always pizza or burger. I don’t mind either but at all but one of the campsites burgers were off… so the choice was restricted to pizza, three cheese pizza, salami pizza or ham pizza. As I’m writing this retrospectively, I can honestly say I don’t want to see another pizza for a very long time!

On the third day the walking became a little more serious as we headed closer to the John Gardner Pass. As we approached the first real highlight of the walk (don’t get me wrong the walk so far had been very scenic) the hanging Los Perros Glacier as it clung precariously to the cliff face, inching its way into the beautiful turquoise lake below. The infamous Patagonian wind was rushing down from the glaciers high above, gaining momentum and slamming into the unprepared as they walk up to the terminal moraine holding back the glacial lake, sucking the breath right out of you. That night’s campsite was far more basic than the others we’d been in so far, as all the supplies had to come on horse back from Torres Central 45km down the valley… so a very welcome dried meal was consumed… pulled pork and blueberry rice pudding.

The next day loomed, a day Holly was apprehensive about since our meeting with an all knowing, scare monger at Torres Central before we set off for the first day. The John Garner Pass, he said, was covered in one metre of fresh snow and that full winter gear would be prudent! We checked with the Refuge reception, who confirmed snow but that there was no real issue crossing the pass. In Holly’s mind, the seed of doubt had been set!

It’s feels like along time in coming, we’re on the bus making our way to Torres del Paine National Park. It’s a drive along, initially tarmac roads but then deteriorating into gravel. The driver was quite obviously very confident with the sudden change in surface and his speed hardly altered, which meant that we flew over most of the potholes!

Camping Lago Pehoe was quite a revelation each spot had its own wooded enclosure, pyramid in shape with the front third missing and each had their own picnic table. Luxury, both bomb proof, wind proof and snoring proof… was this what we were to expect throughout the whole trek? In the afternoon we walked up to Mirador Condor, which very much gave us a taster of what was to come! The Col before the short climb up to the actual view point, funnelled the wind through the gap at a rate not suitable for a human unless they were on all fours and the summit was not a great deal calmer. A Mirador is an established view point, which I’m sure under a cloudless sky is a sight to behold, but when the cloud base is at 3 or 4 hundred metres and the mountains are over 2500 metres then the view is somewhat lost. To top it all it started raining. This is when I wished that I’d booked the Hotel Pehoe rather than Camping Lago Pehoe!

The rain passed as quickly as it started, a constant theme of the trip. The following day was a day of miradors (view points) and slowly making our way to Torres Central the true start of the trek. It wouldn’t be the first time and no doubt it won’t be the last I was reprimanded by a guide for taking photographs where technically the authorities didn’t want me to be! The sign said ‘Serious Risk of Falling’ I assessed the risk and decided the risk wasn’t that great. So I moved around the barrier to get the photograph of the waterfall that I wanted. Two minutes later a mountain guide appeared with a group and in no uncertain terms told me ‘to move back behind the barrier or he would inform the authorities and have me removed from the Park and it’s people like me that ruin it for everyone else’. I did as requested as I couldn’t risk being thrown out of the Park before starting the trek! Not sure it’s people like me that ruin it for others, I would say it’s others that ruin it for people like me! He reminded me of the guide I met on the Wales Coast Path who, after I said I was wild camping, said that ‘all wild campers are scum’ . I don’t suppose it’ll be the last time I have a run in with the ‘authorities’ or guides over taking photographs, it’s an occupational hazard!

At last we arrive at Torres Central, not as nice a campsite as Pohoe and I have my first pizza of the trek.

Sitting in Cafe Nero with Carolynn in Terminal 5 at Heathrow saying our goodbyes as I prepare for a 16 hour non stop flight to Santiago Chile. This is the one part of any trip where butterfly’s abound and sadness over rules the excitement of the up and coming walk or climb. At the security entrance we cuddled for the last time. I wondered through security and into the Club Lounge. Matthew would be proud of me only 3 hours before the flight leaves! It’s here where I meet one of my fellow walkers, Holly. We’ve never met before, but I assume we’ll get to know each other in the next two and a half weeks. I’ve done a number of trips with total strangers as my companions and have made some life long friends. I’ve also had a couple of trips where, how do I put it, the more stranger companions and I haven’t necessarily hit it off. So I’m always a little dubious about organising trips with people I’m not familiar with. Meeting someone for the first time at an airport is not easy for either of us, but I think we got off on the right foot. My problem is that I’m a bit of a loner and struggle these days and most of the people that will read this blog, know full well how socially inept I am.

16 hour flight to Santiago, I don’t think I need to say how tedious a flight that is… there’s only so many films a person can watch even with that much free time on their hands! The flight landed on schedule and I have to say it was the softest landing I’ve ever experienced. The next 16 hours were spent at a hotel near the airport and then repeat. Maybe not a 16 hour repeat, well actually only a 4 hour repeat. At 4pm Chilean time we landed at Puerto Natales the gateway to the Torres National Park. So we’d arrived, Holly, Andrew and myself, sharing a room in a hostel killing time again waiting for the clock to tick around for the bus to depart to the National Park tomorrow lunchtime.