Not to be deterred, your intrepid narrrators returned to Torres del Paine for a second go at the park and a glimpse of the signature peaks. As luck would have it we hit upon a window of gorgeous weather and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.
Rather than retrace earlier steps we opted to head directly to Campamento Torres -- at the far right end of the popular 'W' hike. With an extra dose of suerte we spotted several foxes playing alongside the road on our drive in. Spirits were at an all time high.
Hypothermia not spoken here!
With nary a cloud in the sky we made good time up the valley and established a cozy camp made even cozier with the arrival of two dozen Israelis on gap year. No worries. With weather like this, who could be grumpy?
The real draw of the Torres is a sunrise view of the Torres from the mirador, a stout hour's hike up the valley from camp. Aside from the obvious drawbacks of trying to function in the wee hours is the nearly crippling cold. We donned every item of cold weather gear we had and with cloven hooves, plodded up trail.
The transition of colors -- as viewed from beneath a sleeping bag with a piping hot cup of coffee in hand -- is truly other-worldly.
Not warm...
...warming...
...warmer still...
???
These made it all worth it
The mighty Torre Central
Reflecting on the view...
Later: polenta has never tasted so good
Yay! Intrepid is right! Mom and Dad, who are currently complaining about how cold it is here (yeah, right) are truly impressed.
ReplyDeleteIs one of your pictures (#12, I think) upside down? or is that an exceptionally still and reflective lake? Very mysterious.
Beautiful! Sometimes persistence pays off!
ReplyDeleteYesterday, I saw a tree flowering here yesterday, so I think warmer weather is on the way here, too.
Yup, that´s the lake at the base of the Torres reflecting the towers. Very still, very reflective, and very, very cold!
ReplyDeleteSo glad we went back.
Hang in there for spring, jd!
Was Marty purposefully trying to make his hairstyle mimic the landscape...? This does look beyond "worth it." So incredible...I can only fathom what it means to the four of you.
ReplyDeleteAnd in case anyone subscribes to the comments:
@Patricia: Seriously...cold there? Have you talked to your Maryland peeps or have they stopped talking to you because they are stuck in a snowbank...?
@jd: What are flowers? All we have is white or sludge-colors. Sigh... I still can't even see the tops of some of our large bushes. :(