Posted 1 April 2007
At last we were going to see the Torres, the uniquely magnificent site in the southern ice fields. Initially in our ignorance of what else there was to do, see and experience, in the far south it had been almost the sole objective. Now we were to be restricted by time pressures to a day trip in a minibus around the south of the park, which is accessible by road, and one night in the top class Hosteria Los Torres hotel, which runs treks in the park by horse.
Once again we had a good guide who made up for his lack of fluency with English by his deep knowledge and sense of the need to tailor information to his clients. For instance we learned that Chris Bonnington and Don Williams (Whillans) had been the first to climb the big tower in a race against an Italian team who considered it their right due the similarity of the stacks with the Dolomites. Both sat it out for a month waiting for the right weather, whilst Chris Bonnington impressed with his ability to consume beer. A call of nature led him out one moonlit night and he considered the right time for an attempt, so the British pair set out in the middle of the night. When the abstemious Italians woke in the morning they found the British had a near impossible lead which was consolidated when Don Whillans started throwing stones down to dissuade them from even trying. How much of that tale is apocryphal I do not know. I learned from him how the sheep had destroyed their own pasture and much more.
I would certainly advise a tour around as a good introduction to the park, for most like us initially have no idea of what it is really like. A morning stroll to a waterfall, where water torrents over and induces a frightening force of wind which threatened to blew us down the chute. We had been warned!
There was a really good BBQ steak four course lunch at a Refugio Pehoe which went for 7K, thus illustrating there are some places with high standards and competitive prices. Outside was a good view of the Torres. We got out at Lago Grey and went to experience the cold wind again as we crossed the south of the lake to get a clear view of the glacier and blue icebergs.
They dropped Joan and I at Lago Amarga and the half hourly transfer took us to the hotel whilst another went to the Refugio of the same name nearby, but run by a separate company. We were in the standard accommodation at 80K/night compared with 140K for the normal rooms which at this stage of the season was virtually empty. Almost no-one took the set dinner at 22K as slightly cheaper snacks like empanadas and beer could be bought at the bar. Next morning we decided to attempt to trek to Refugio Chileno hoping to get a closer view of the Torres across its glacier. However we had only four hours before our bus left and the trek was timed at 3 or 4 hours. In fact we had covered almost the whole climb to the ridge which led into the heart of the park after two hours but had to turn back without gaining a view of the Torres.
Nevertheless we took great pleasure and heart from his uphill/downhill trek. This is part of the middle leg of the so called 'W' which on the whole is done by walkers with day sacks, from Refugio Las Torres and back in one day, very few were carrying full gear and intending to camp at the furthest point. The 'W' was thus three day return hikes and only the far easier transfer between the two camping points were done with full rucksacks. Our German friends from Futuleufu had done the full week long circuit at the height of the season and said that they met almost nobody except when their path happened to coincide with the 'W'. We too met and chatted to many making the day return trek in fact it may well have been one of those who told me about Pulau Weh. Unfortunately there are no photographs to aid memory, as the camera and film were stolen in Valparaiso.
Those who remember my introductory remarks will remember we thought the trekking in Torres del Paine was beyond us. In fact given a full day we would have completed the most difficult route and with five the whole 'W' was within our reach, in spite of continual severe problems with my walking.
At 2pm we took the transfer mini back to Lago Amarga to meet our Gomez bus to Puerto Natales and once there we hurried to the Fernandez bus station in the pouring rain hoping to get on the the earlier bus to Punta Arenas. We and Patrick both arrived just as the 5pm bus was leaving, even though our tickets were for seats on the 8pm bus were allowed on. The woman from Ely House was at the terminus to meet the bus and waved warmly through the window, then, having established that we wanted to stay in the town centre for dinner, she offered to take our case back to the house, and she obviously convinced Patrick and Girlfriend to join her as well.
Next morning we went to the cemetery in Punta Arenas, and as the guide book had indicated found it a fascinating memorial to people from almost all European nations who had made it their home at the turn of the 1900. A memorial to Admiral Graf Spey intrigued us, it was explained when we overheard a guide (probably with a party from the visiting cruise boat) say it had been erected as a memorial centre piece for the German sector of the cemetery. Otherwise I had remembered my history correctly for he had nothing to do with this place. He and his fleet including the powerful battleship Schwarnost had been defeated in the battle of the Falklands in the first world war by the British fleet. He had been forced to run for shelter in the River Plate and scuttled his boat in off Buenos Aires before committing suicide. As the guide concluded if you want to be remembered then you have to die dramatically.
At midday we returned to Ely House just in time to meet up with our taxi to the airport. Aeroleanas del Sur, a newly founded private competitor to LAN Chile flew us efficiently, cheaply, on time and with refreshments to Santiago. This time we traveled to the centre with the Centopuerto bus which runs four times/hour to the Los Heroes metro station. But rather than negotiate the steps underground we walked with our packs to the Residential Londres and checked into a huge room with lovely wood block floors and the high ceilings I associate with the old Railway Hotels for the sum of 18.6K with breakfast, bang in the centre of Santiago. An excellent friendly choice.
At last we were going to see the Torres, the uniquely magnificent site in the southern ice fields. Initially in our ignorance of what else there was to do, see and experience, in the far south it had been almost the sole objective. Now we were to be restricted by time pressures to a day trip in a minibus around the south of the park, which is accessible by road, and one night in the top class Hosteria Los Torres hotel, which runs treks in the park by horse.
Once again we had a good guide who made up for his lack of fluency with English by his deep knowledge and sense of the need to tailor information to his clients. For instance we learned that Chris Bonnington and Don Williams (Whillans) had been the first to climb the big tower in a race against an Italian team who considered it their right due the similarity of the stacks with the Dolomites. Both sat it out for a month waiting for the right weather, whilst Chris Bonnington impressed with his ability to consume beer. A call of nature led him out one moonlit night and he considered the right time for an attempt, so the British pair set out in the middle of the night. When the abstemious Italians woke in the morning they found the British had a near impossible lead which was consolidated when Don Whillans started throwing stones down to dissuade them from even trying. How much of that tale is apocryphal I do not know. I learned from him how the sheep had destroyed their own pasture and much more.
I would certainly advise a tour around as a good introduction to the park, for most like us initially have no idea of what it is really like. A morning stroll to a waterfall, where water torrents over and induces a frightening force of wind which threatened to blew us down the chute. We had been warned!
There was a really good BBQ steak four course lunch at a Refugio Pehoe which went for 7K, thus illustrating there are some places with high standards and competitive prices. Outside was a good view of the Torres. We got out at Lago Grey and went to experience the cold wind again as we crossed the south of the lake to get a clear view of the glacier and blue icebergs.
They dropped Joan and I at Lago Amarga and the half hourly transfer took us to the hotel whilst another went to the Refugio of the same name nearby, but run by a separate company. We were in the standard accommodation at 80K/night compared with 140K for the normal rooms which at this stage of the season was virtually empty. Almost no-one took the set dinner at 22K as slightly cheaper snacks like empanadas and beer could be bought at the bar. Next morning we decided to attempt to trek to Refugio Chileno hoping to get a closer view of the Torres across its glacier. However we had only four hours before our bus left and the trek was timed at 3 or 4 hours. In fact we had covered almost the whole climb to the ridge which led into the heart of the park after two hours but had to turn back without gaining a view of the Torres.
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| TORRES Del PAINE from bus there. |
Nevertheless we took great pleasure and heart from his uphill/downhill trek. This is part of the middle leg of the so called 'W' which on the whole is done by walkers with day sacks, from Refugio Las Torres and back in one day, very few were carrying full gear and intending to camp at the furthest point. The 'W' was thus three day return hikes and only the far easier transfer between the two camping points were done with full rucksacks. Our German friends from Futuleufu had done the full week long circuit at the height of the season and said that they met almost nobody except when their path happened to coincide with the 'W'. We too met and chatted to many making the day return trek in fact it may well have been one of those who told me about Pulau Weh. Unfortunately there are no photographs to aid memory, as the camera and film were stolen in Valparaiso.
Those who remember my introductory remarks will remember we thought the trekking in Torres del Paine was beyond us. In fact given a full day we would have completed the most difficult route and with five the whole 'W' was within our reach, in spite of continual severe problems with my walking.
At 2pm we took the transfer mini back to Lago Amarga to meet our Gomez bus to Puerto Natales and once there we hurried to the Fernandez bus station in the pouring rain hoping to get on the the earlier bus to Punta Arenas. We and Patrick both arrived just as the 5pm bus was leaving, even though our tickets were for seats on the 8pm bus were allowed on. The woman from Ely House was at the terminus to meet the bus and waved warmly through the window, then, having established that we wanted to stay in the town centre for dinner, she offered to take our case back to the house, and she obviously convinced Patrick and Girlfriend to join her as well.
Next morning we went to the cemetery in Punta Arenas, and as the guide book had indicated found it a fascinating memorial to people from almost all European nations who had made it their home at the turn of the 1900. A memorial to Admiral Graf Spey intrigued us, it was explained when we overheard a guide (probably with a party from the visiting cruise boat) say it had been erected as a memorial centre piece for the German sector of the cemetery. Otherwise I had remembered my history correctly for he had nothing to do with this place. He and his fleet including the powerful battleship Schwarnost had been defeated in the battle of the Falklands in the first world war by the British fleet. He had been forced to run for shelter in the River Plate and scuttled his boat in off Buenos Aires before committing suicide. As the guide concluded if you want to be remembered then you have to die dramatically.
At midday we returned to Ely House just in time to meet up with our taxi to the airport. Aeroleanas del Sur, a newly founded private competitor to LAN Chile flew us efficiently, cheaply, on time and with refreshments to Santiago. This time we traveled to the centre with the Centopuerto bus which runs four times/hour to the Los Heroes metro station. But rather than negotiate the steps underground we walked with our packs to the Residential Londres and checked into a huge room with lovely wood block floors and the high ceilings I associate with the old Railway Hotels for the sum of 18.6K with breakfast, bang in the centre of Santiago. An excellent friendly choice.
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