Good Luck, Bad Luck
My sorely aching feet are now resting in the first proper city in more than a month, called Punta Arenas. Yes, I did do the Torres del Paine trek, but not the big ´around the mountain´ version. I contented myself with a four day adventure.
Torres del Paine is a national park in the south-west of Chile. It is named after the tower(torre)-shaped mountains in the center of the park. The Chileans have cleverly turned it into a trekking and walking valhalla. You can do hardcore trekking for weeks if you want, but also day hikes; camp every night with nothing but the things you carry or stay in hotels along the way, and everything in between.
** PRACTICAL TREKKING INFORMATION FOLLOWING **
It might not surprise you that Señor Hans opted for the cheapest way, so I lugged everything around for four days: tent, sleeping bag, cloths, food, stuff ... "So Señor Hans, what do you do in those four days", you might ask ? Well, essentially three things: walking, eating and sleeping. There is a bit of hurting, cursing and peeing in there as well, but these are not essential. I wanted to limit the amount of walking with the big pack, but the *free* campsites where far between, so I was forced to walk ´far between´ - you are only allowed to camp in designated areas.
The greatest thing about places like this, is that there are streams everywhere and the water is
the coolest, clearest, most drinkable water you will ever taste. Add a large variety of variously-coloured powders, a small camping stove and cooking gear, and you have all the soup, milk, porridge and fruit juice you would want. Take a few sausages and some ´10 minutos´ rice/pasta meals and that is your diet for four days: tasteful and light. Haute cuisine in the mountains :-D
** END OF PRACTICAL TREKKING INFORMATION **
Seems jolly nice and fine until now. It wasn´t all like that. For the past 5 and half months the weather gods had been well and truly on my side. Sunny skies, perfect temperatures and hardly any rain. "Enough is enough", they apparently decided.
The clear skies on the approach of the park in the bus were deceiving. Rain was the main player on the first day when, already pretty much soaked (despite rain gear), I had to set up camp in the wet after more than 7 hours of walking. When things started warming up a bit inside the tent, it looked like a sauna with all the steam coming from my stuff. On day two the rain was still there, which higher up the valley I was climbing was replaced by first hail, and then snow. Day three was not bad, with patches of sun and some views of the mountains in between. I made very good progress. The last day there was hardly any rain either (except at night), but the Patagonian winds were about, hunting for unweary travellers (or their hats) to blow into ravines ( but I got mine back!)
Added to that, despite getting up at 5.45 the last morning, I just missed the famous pink morning glow on the "Torres" by five minutes.
I actually found this string of bad luck quite enjoying to experience for once. I am sure this is only temporary. The good luck will return soon ...
Torres del Paine is a national park in the south-west of Chile. It is named after the tower(torre)-shaped mountains in the center of the park. The Chileans have cleverly turned it into a trekking and walking valhalla. You can do hardcore trekking for weeks if you want, but also day hikes; camp every night with nothing but the things you carry or stay in hotels along the way, and everything in between.
** PRACTICAL TREKKING INFORMATION FOLLOWING **
It might not surprise you that Señor Hans opted for the cheapest way, so I lugged everything around for four days: tent, sleeping bag, cloths, food, stuff ... "So Señor Hans, what do you do in those four days", you might ask ? Well, essentially three things: walking, eating and sleeping. There is a bit of hurting, cursing and peeing in there as well, but these are not essential. I wanted to limit the amount of walking with the big pack, but the *free* campsites where far between, so I was forced to walk ´far between´ - you are only allowed to camp in designated areas.
The greatest thing about places like this, is that there are streams everywhere and the water is
the coolest, clearest, most drinkable water you will ever taste. Add a large variety of variously-coloured powders, a small camping stove and cooking gear, and you have all the soup, milk, porridge and fruit juice you would want. Take a few sausages and some ´10 minutos´ rice/pasta meals and that is your diet for four days: tasteful and light. Haute cuisine in the mountains :-D** END OF PRACTICAL TREKKING INFORMATION **
Seems jolly nice and fine until now. It wasn´t all like that. For the past 5 and half months the weather gods had been well and truly on my side. Sunny skies, perfect temperatures and hardly any rain. "Enough is enough", they apparently decided.
The clear skies on the approach of the park in the bus were deceiving. Rain was the main player on the first day when, already pretty much soaked (despite rain gear), I had to set up camp in the wet after more than 7 hours of walking. When things started warming up a bit inside the tent, it looked like a sauna with all the steam coming from my stuff. On day two the rain was still there, which higher up the valley I was climbing was replaced by first hail, and then snow. Day three was not bad, with patches of sun and some views of the mountains in between. I made very good progress. The last day there was hardly any rain either (except at night), but the Patagonian winds were about, hunting for unweary travellers (or their hats) to blow into ravines ( but I got mine back!)
Added to that, despite getting up at 5.45 the last morning, I just missed the famous pink morning glow on the "Torres" by five minutes.I actually found this string of bad luck quite enjoying to experience for once. I am sure this is only temporary. The good luck will return soon ...
;-D
posted by Hans at 19:51
2 Comments:
Or this is really a turning point in your life, after which bad luck will follow you every step of the way.
I'm sure lots of people around you know all about proper insurance, so ask around is my advise.
Yes, and I also remember I wanted to see the grizzly bears up close, but little sister did not. So she bought a "bear bell" to warn the bears and drive the away ...
Señor Hans will go back to Denali with his new trekking skills and wrestle bears and stuff ... but without little sister :-p
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