Mystical Forces of Patagonia- A story by hikers

Patagonia –  the paradise known for its virgin forests, rivers, volcanoes, fjords, snow capped mountains, wildlife, wind and more. An elusive wanderlust for many of us for several years now, finally became a reality this November 2022. 

We were a group of 17 – some of us were already friends or acquaintances and some others who were meeting practically for the first time! 

We did the 5 day / 4 nights W trek Plus offered by Chile Nativo- considered to be a glamping trip aimed at covering the most popular parts  of the W trek in the Torres Del Paine National Park in the Chilean side.  

Day 0: Meet and Greet, and Briefing

We met with the Chile Nativo guides for a briefing on the plans they had for us.  It was a much anticipated meeting.  We met all the three guides – each a person and a personality unto themselves.  We loved the hospitality, their patience and candor in answering our many questions.  For the most part we felt reassured that we were in safe hands.  The anxiety and commotion they created in our minds and our night by limiting our glamping luggage was palpable.  Some of us were carrying luggages the size you would only see in a check-in counter on a flight to India and we were asked to thin down overnight to a carry-on! That was stressful! 

Day 1: Acclimatization to Patagonian Elements

At 8am, after breakfast, we were driven 2 hours from Puerto Natales to Estancia Lazo cattle ranch to start our first hike. The ranch is located by Laguna Verde on the edge of the Torres del Paine National Park

Enroute to the park, we had breathtaking views of the “Paine Massif” , the mountain range in that area- and as we subsequently learnt in the course of 5 days, this mountain range is different from the Andes Mountain range. In other words,  it is not the same!

The photographic stamp for our memory began enroute to the ranch. Of the 2 vans transporting the group, one asked for a picture stop alongside the Lago Sarmiento. And soon, the rest of the group followed

The Paine Massif served as a backdrop to the cobalt blue waters of  Lago Sarmiento. In the foreground were white  blocks of thrombolites- living calcium carbonate fossils!

Soon we made our entry into the park and were promised an easy and flat 5 mile hike for the first day and that which paved a segway into our eyes printing many postcards of the next 5 days.

As we walked through the Magellanic Subpolar Forest, we had our first glimpses of the incredible biodiversity this land has to offer

After a walk deeper into the forest and passing though lagunas, vast fields and more, we had lunch was on a bed of several tree trunks laid flat and bare due to remnants from a forest fire

To some of us the highlight, in addition to the sights, was the hot tea that we could savor.  The guides themselves were savoring Mate’ – drinking off the same cup and straw (which felt a bit jarring for a post-covid world!) – and they discussed the mate’ traditions 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_(drink)

We reached our  first spectacular  lookout point, Toro Lake lookout-  a breathtaking  360 view of mountains, glaciers, rivers and lakes. And, not to forget the clouds!! The expanse of the clouds made the mountain look rather small.

Our first tryst with the Patagonia winds is a story for posterity.

While the entire group laid down their bags and poles and  were gallantly fighting the wind to get the best photo shoot of solos and group, our one and only teenager Krish, remained engrossed in his phone ( did he get phone service there? 🤔)

Hats and glasses flying away in Patagonia is a known fact. 

Krish’s backpack joined the party. At first it seemed it just went down one fold in the cliff right in front of us. While some of us launched on a momentary and instinctive spring of feet  to reach it, the bag took off into a  deeper tumble and disappeared from view.

Luckily we were wise enough to hold ourselves back and his mom started to cajole him into letting go of the bag. Krish was worried about the cash he had in it 😊

Unexpectedly to us, our main guide Santiago , who of course knew the mountain well enough, deftly climbed down and got back the bag.

From our view , it seemed liked the bag would have had a sheer drop and plunged into the deep valley below

So, all in all,  a happy ending to our first day’s summit!

We had to soon wrap up the photo shoot and head to our campsite

The way down was steep and the winds grew stronger making us work harder for balance. However the stunning views of the turquoise waters and dazzling flora  at every hairpin bend of the trial kept us spellbound.

Our guides too supported us with solid lessons on how to navigate the fairly loose sand/ gravel descent

We headed  to our campsite along the shores of the Serrano River. It was a beautiful retreat complete with majestic mountains on one side and the soothing sound of the river waters on the other.Our tents were unique lotus shaped and generous in size.

The campsite had a dining hall and was our meeting point after settling in our tents

Dinner followed by the briefing for the next day was  the agenda for the evening.

Delicious local food treats was a great culmination of the Day 1. For starters, we had Sopaipillas, a Chilean Donut. This was  topped off with  tangy salsa, guacamole and lip smacking ceviche. Drinks on house was another tangy delight, Pisco Sour

And much to our delight, the cook treated us to our best surprise of the day, Carrot halwa for dessert. We all appreciated the perfection of the  taste and match of texture to the halwa that Indians typically make!

Day 2: Geography and History  Lessons – Familiarizing the Mountains 

Next morning, all of us were eager with anticipation and ready for our hike and  glacier tour.  After eating a sumptuous breakfast and taking our packed lunch, we started our journey to Pingo Valley. Along the short 5 mile hike we were mesmerized  by the beautiful layered formation of sedimentary rocks on the mountain, which our guide explained is the work of 1000s of years of push and pull of volcanic force underneath the sea/ground eventually imploding to form a mountain.

Viewing this beautiful art by nature, makes one think how insignificant we individuals are in the grand scheme of the universe. 

With the mountains in the backdrop, the  gorgeous fireball flowers in the bushes were a splash of flaming color on the canvas. Wild orchids were just pushing their way up. It felt like walking in a shire, alongside beautiful mountains and valleys. It almost felt like we would run into Frodo and Sam around the corner. 

Our hike led us to the  gushing  multilevel cascades “Cascada los Salmones” with fallen trees strewn around, giving us ample options for photo shoots :). Although we didn’t get to see the jumping salmon, sitting there quietly listening to the water sound evoked the tranquil feeling within us.  Given an option we would have spent the whole day there, but we had a boat to catch to view glaciers.

After hiking back to the trailhead, we had to cross the bridge and walk half a mile through an exposed sandy beach to get to the boat for glacier viewing. During winter and rainy season this beach would be inundated and not walkable.

It took us around a 30-35 minutes boat drive to view the sheer  beauty of a huge wall of glacier 

Enroute, we saw several boat size icebergs floating on the water, filling our hearts with delight and excitement. 

Sunlight reflecting off the Grey glacier ice, with a clear deep blue sky and turquoise waters beneath, was an artistic delight and a once in a lifetime photo opportunity:). 

We were so lucky to watch the glacial calving in front of our eyes!

Our boat ride was topped off with  a  welcome drink, Pisco/Calafate Sour with fresh glacial ice in them, what more could we ask for 🙂?

Upon return to the campsite, and as with the routine  set on the Day 1, there was a welcome drink and hot appetizers along with a discussion of the next day’s plan with instructions from the guide. Our guide warned us about the day’s weather and the long hike ahead, asking us to pack our daypack accordingly.

During dinner we realized Madhu is an excellent singer, so by public demand she graciously sang a few songs for us. These were well received by everyone including the locals. And Kala, our fearless leader who is studying classical Hindustani  music, sang a bhajan in true virtuoso fashion. There was pin drop silence while she belted out all the high notes and a resounding round of applause from all the people in the dining hall including others not part of the group.

And, to our musically extravagant evening, we added the  usual Desi tadka and fanfare –  we formed 3 teams for playing Antakshari-  singing fun old songs, evoking nostalgia and bringing back memories of college and carefree days.

The grande finale was the kitchen staff joining our repertoire and performing a dance for us!!

Day 3: Our Braveheart Shreya

This day was the hike along the French valley, which is the middle arm of the W, lying between Paine Grande and Los Cuernos.

The guides by now painstakingly had and for several times over the past few days, helped us identify the main mountains Paine Grande, Los Cuernos, Las Torres, Almirante Nieto. 

Additional questions from us  on identification of the specific mountain led them to exasperation with claims that it’s all the same mountain from yesterday, no matter the view! 

The day started with a 30 minute catamaran ride across Lake Pehoe. As there was a first come first served policy, we had to hurry to wait in line to get into the catamaran, where our tickets were purchased by the guide and scrutinized by the official, before we could walk inside and find a seat. It was packed and our group scattered to find a seat wherever they could.

The day so far was clear.Once we reached the trailhead, after clicking our mandatory group picture, we started our hike. 

As we were hiking, we came across many silvery burnt tree remnants, adding a beauty of their own to the surrounding lake. Deep blue lake waters and a vast snow capped misty mountain, kept us mesmerized as we kept walking and taking pictures.

We learnt from our guide the reason behind the silvery color of the burnt  tree trunks- the forest fire was very quick moving due to the winds- and yet long enough to burn the cells of the tree to kill it. But not long enough char it

The weather was getting rough with cold wind and rain caressing us, as we reached our 1st stop at the Italiano camp. 

Due to the park rangers’ strike, the camp was closed. We had our snack break outside the camp. Meanwhile the guides, taking stock of the weather, decided to venture further for about 45 minutes to the first lookout point, and then  return back as the path ahead was rockier terrain.

We hiked in the cold drizzling rain till the first lookout in the French valley. When asked, our guide explained that long back some French explorers found this place and to honor them, it was named French Valley. 

On a clear day, this lookout point would have provided a solid view of the 3 granite towers that compose the Torres del Paine. 

Making best of the freezing and wet photoshoot here, we had a short and quick break for lunch- some ate surrounded by the hazy mountains and others chose to listen to the burbling of the gushing stream nearby.

As we started our journey back, the rain and wind gods decided to display their strength each trying to outdo the other. We struggled with our flying caps and ponchos barely managing to stand stable, far less walk. We were witnessing 30-35 mph famous patagonian winds in full blown glory. 

We hurried ahead to escape the rain, sleet slapping at our faces feeling like an acupressure treatment, some slowing down to adjust their gear. 

When Shreya was distracted for a split second, she tripped and fell flat on a sharp rock, sustaining a cut on her nose.  Kanchan was overwhelmed by the blood dripping freely down her face and loudly called for help. The guides came running along and tried to stop the bleeding with some bandages. At this point Shreya was still 1.5 miles away from the trailhead/Refugio.  There was no choice but to keep walking. She bravely kept walking, holding her bandaged nose, through the rain/sleet and reached the Refugio. There Carolina, our guide,  with the help of Lopa (who is a doctor), washed and dressed the cut. The decision was made to take her to a Puerto Natales hospital for further treatment. 

But we still had to wait for an hour before the 6:30pm catamaran that would take us back. During all this cold and arduous wait,  the grit and courage that Shreya showed, was a great inspiration for all of us. Santiago took Shreya to Puerto Natales after dropping the rest of us at the campsite. The ride to Puerto Natales was a good two hours and Shreya insisted on going alone, refusing Kala’s request to join her as she didn’t want her friend to get tired further. 

All of us were cold and tired, and anxious for Shreya. We finished our dinner and went to bed a bit subdued.We’d also had an early 5 am  start for the next day’s Puma sighting.

The true blessing was that Shreya returned back to camp around 3:15 am to the camp, with sutures on her nose and yet with strong and firm conviction of being ready for the next day’s puma tracking!!.

Our  worst fears of severe injury were put to rest and we made the best use of the  two hours rest ahead of us!

Day 4: Day of  the Big Cat  And Some  Rest

All of us were ready to start our day with the joyous news of Shreya’s return with minimum stitches on her nose.  Strategically, both the vans transporting the whole group drove in different directions so as to increase the likelihood of Puma sightings in the surrounding Valley. After a while, since we were yet to see any, the guides offered us the option of a short hike apart from the van ride. The agreement was one group alert the other via satellite phone should each come across any Pumas!  

Few of us went for a quick uphill  hike that led us to the small cave atop the mountain built into the sedimentary rock. 

Us hikers met no puma on the way, but did get to  see what remains after the puma prevails – the skeleton of a Guanaco!

We saw ancient cave paintings there, done by the indigenious people. There was also a detailed scientific informative board , stating how the caves were demarcated into different sections for , cooking , and bedroom using the guanaco wool curtain stitched by the females,  which also helped in keeping them warm. 

Uphill, we could sight several  Guanacos up close, and in turn they were looking at us in a very queer way 🙂

Returning from the hike, we reunited with the rest of the group in the van. We heard of their exciting sightings of about 4 Pumas. All of us then went on another short drive with hope for more encounters – and  lo and behold we were able to sight one Puma very far in the valley. While some were adjusting to view it  via mounted binoculars, Madhu was able to sight the moving cat with her naked eyes! The contrast offered by sand colored rock and white ice  helped her  identify the moving animal and she got a video of it  walking down into a valley and away from our view

After a few more rounds of the valley, our guides concluded that we may not be able to sight any more that day so we were resigned to continue with the plan for the remaining part of the day

During our extended lunch stop that day,  we had a satisfying photo shoot- the sun was out in all its splendor and courted us with great views of the Torres Del Paines

On our way back to the campground, we were able to make quick stops at quite a few scenic locations. 

The Cascada del  Rio Paine was one of the most mesmerizing viewpoints with massive mountains, the raging river, and amazing waterfalls!  and that too right in front of the Torres Del Paine. A perfect spot for a group photo that would hopefully make it to our hiking groups meetup cover page 🙂 

Another stop, by the Lago Pehoe – regarded as the heart of the park, was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful, with unique turquoise blue colored water by the mountains- and that which were  covered by clouds that looked like marshmallows!!  Or, were they saucer shaped – so called standing wave clouds or lenticular clouds??

What makes this lake so blue in color? 

These lakes are fed by glaciers melting, the water that comes from melting thaw is transparent, then is nourished by other organisms and sediments in its course, taking the color we see! 

That day being ThanksgivingDay, our Chef decided to surprise us with a special meal including an entree of zucchini boats stuffed with beans and vegetables  and a delightful dessert calafate mousse, made with the barberry of South America.

The cooking staff also had drawn an artistic Happy Thanksgiving note on the blackboard. Ritika suggested we share what we all were thankful for. Each of us took a turn, expressing our gratitude and thanks. 

Indeed it was a soulful evening, being away from family members, but blissful in the company of our hiking family and cherishing our time together that night !!

Day 5:  Hike to the imaginary Torres Del Paine – Longest Day

During the daily briefing, the guides had informed us that this would be the longest day with a 14 miles hike. The weather forecast was rainy and cloudy, with a very poor chance of viewing the Torres. We were offered two options, one of hiking 14 miles with a low likelihood of viewing the towers and second of hiking up Cerro Paine, which would be shorter and steeper but a slightly higher chance of seeing the towers. 

Some were really disheartened with this news, and some were still ready to brave the weather and go to the base of the tower to try our luck. There was a lively discussion trying to assess the risk and futility of our demand to trek a full 14 mile trail. Some of us, trained by our great leader Vivek, insisted on the 22km trail, leading to the formation of two groups. 

Next morning, the weather was still the same, and as decided 2 groups were ready to go their own way.  Both groups, well prepared for the weather conditions, started our hike. 

Carolina was leading the group that went to the 8 miles Cerro Paine hike. Niko and Santiago joined the 11 member group that was ready for the 14 miles hike – the iconic Mirador las Torres  hike. 

The initial few miles of the Mirador las Torres hike were easy, but it kept gradually going up. Along the way we passed beautiful bridges with huge rivers flowing underneath,and Refugios -where serious backpackers were staying, taking breaks for food and restrooms.  

As we kept trudging ahead, the weather was getting colder, and the drizzling rain turned into flurries. The ascent was getting steeper, somewhat slowing us down. 

We had a mandate to complete by 7 pm, since, on  our last day,  we were driving directly to Puerto Natales. We maintained our pace with the guides’ encouragement. 

The last 2 miles to the base of the tower was just boulder/rock scrambling. Navigating our way very carefully was crucial as  one misstep could lead to a bad fall. The final push to the base, brought us to the beautiful blue lake surrounded by snow capped mountains. Nature played the hide and seek game very well that day and the iconic towers remained  totally shrouded in the clouds, but our hearts were filled with satisfaction from our attempt. The journey can be more meaningful than reaching the destination. 

Upon our guides’ insistence, the photo shoot was wrapped up in ten minutes because of the heavy snow and freezing cold and we started our descent back. 

While we were  coming down, the clouds lifted for a brief moment, and there was the much anticipated view of the towers!

Lunch break was on the enclosed trail to avoid the sleet and snow. This day was a day  of reckoning for the humongous sandwich that is usually packed for us and we were actually able to finish, famished after the long hike 🙂 

Those that were part of the Cerro Paine hike kept our hopes high of having better chances of viewing the towers. Strategically it seemed a better option given the conditions of the day. The hike was steep from the beginning and as we walked up, the steady rain and clouds made us accept reality

We reached our vista point and took pictures in front of the imaginary towers. We also had an added bonus of hazy yet beautiful views on the other side with large open landscape of lakes and mountains

Caroline did a great job of navigating us back down via strips in the forest such that we can escape the extremely slippery slopes and rain on our way down

We decided not to stop for lunch and did as quick a descent as possible

By the time we got down, the clouds had  cleared and we got a clear view of the mountain behind us! Although a bit disappointed for having lost the chance to view the towers, the hike was beautiful nevertheless

The Cerra Paine hikers were back down by 3pm. The Mirador las Torres hikers came back around 6:30 pm. In good camaraderie, the  Mirador las Torres hikers were met with loud cheers by the rest of the group making them feel accomplished and rejuvenated.

Kneeling is a posture that demonstrates respect, submission and loyalty 😀.  Here, in the final group photo shot,  you see les minions – the Cerra Paine hikers, kneeling – while the mighty and majestic Mirador las Torres hikers, standing tall even after hiking for over 9 hours! 

On our final drive back to Puerto Natales, our geography lessons continued. 

The final lesson we learnt is of  the singular feature of the Torres del Paine as we had seen and experienced the past few days – the high velocity winds that barrel through the park leaves everyone chilled to the marrow. The wind pushing you along with the freezing rain while one is traversing the bare rock face is enough to daunt even the most intrepid hiker. 

There is a simple physical explanation for these winds. As air moves in eastwards from the Pacific Ocean and across the vast ice fields of the Andes mountains it cools down significantly. Once it crosses the mountains it meets the relative warm air over the valleys east of the mountains. As the warm and cold air meet, the great temperature differential creates the turbulence and hence the winds that go tearing through the valleys.

And what made this almost 10 day trip so successful? It was truly the unity amongst all the hikers of all levels coming together to witness one of the most beautiful places on earth! 

In closing, the prayer is to always remember the stillness and the beauty of those gigantic snow covered mountains and the always moving clouds that never stopped creating new picturesque views. The visions of the most dazzling turquoise lakes, the stunning blue glaciers, the big icebergs, the green forest, the magnificent waterfalls will often be visiting our dreams. 

The Mountains, Lakes, Glaciers, and the Waterfalls

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