Update, 13th January

We last update this from the Refugio on 10th January.

 

That night was very cold, but we were snug in our sleeping bags, and the tent did not leak!

 

On 11th we took the ferry back at 10am across Lake Pehoe. Riki, our driver (from Dunedin) was there to pick us up in Cindy (our truck), and took the 8 of us who returned back to our next camp at Lake Pehoe. So we re-erected our tents and had a late breakfast! Did our washing and went for a short stroll. Then just relaxed....had a sing-along around the camp fire in the evening.

 

Next morning we were up and ready to leave by 8.30. We drove 40 mins, to a point where we were picked up by a smaller bus for the sum of 2,500 pesos one way, and driven over a very narrow bridge (ie only centimeters to spare with the mirrors turned in!) and then another 7 ks to the start of our walk.

 

This was a 9km climb up 2500 feet to a stunning view of the Torres del Paine. We started on a good track, climbing steeply in places, before heading through forest on an undulating track. THEN the last 45 minutes was scrambling over boulders up a track. It was steep and a very loose surface. At the top it was snowing lightly, and there was a 50kph wind blowing, so it was very cold. You will have to see the photos to see the view, which was amazing. It took 3 hours 45 minutes for us to climb up.

 

The downhill was easy! We were back to the bus transfer in two hours! All in all a very tough but satisfying day. In the evening we had a half lamb, which one of our group butchered into suitable cuts to barbeque (he is a trained butcher) over an open fire. Liz was on cook group, and helped prepare the fried potatoes, onions and coleslaw. A very much enjoyed meal.

 

Today we were up at 6.30. It was raining, but fortunately our tent was under a shelter. Liz was cooking breakfast - sausages, tomatoes and scrambled eggs - so John packed up the tent. We left at 8.30 and drove back to Puerto Natales to drop of gear which some people had hired. Then we headed for the border and went back through into Argentina.

 

We have now had 6 Chilean stamps in our passports! We drove down Highway 5 and the famous Route 40 back to El Calafayte. Lunch was crackers and pate while driving. We are staying for one night in the same hostel we were in for New Year´s Eve. Tomorrow we are off to El Chalten where we will be staying for three nights at a hostel. There we will be ice walking on a glacier....after that we will head back into summer weather!