The Dreaded W

For some strange reason, I thought it would be a good idea to spend five days on a mountain, camping and hiking through a national park in Chile. Chris couldn’t believe it, but I figured it was something I should try. We spent last Sunday renting supplies (tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, stove, fuel, etc.) and getting ready to leave for Monday morning by bus.

The hike was through Torres del Paine National Park. The route is known as the W because you go up one mountain, back down, into a valley, and back up and down another mountain, making the shape of a W… and then some.

So I kept a little journal for each day, and here it goes:

Day One
Time spent hiking: 4 hour 40 minutes
Ground covered: 15 km

We took a ferry boat across a lake and hiked up to Glacier Grey. I saw my first iceberg today. Met an American from San Diego on the trail (Morgan) and a Swede (Bjorn) and a Swiss (Tim) at camp, all of whom had been on the trail for at least 3 days.

Things I love:
my new Mountain Hard Wear orange polyester/moisture wicking shirt
my hiking shoes (thanks dad and Cabelas and Merrell)
eating any kind of dinner, even crap pasta out of a package and canned veggies

Things I hate:
buggy campsites
pit toilets

Day Two
Time: 6:10
Distance: 22 km

Hiked back down the mountain from Grey and across a valley into Campo Italiano.

Things I love:
packaged pasta dinners with canned white beans added
wine in a box (like a big juice box, but better)
a small mouse hanging from a piece of wheat and trying to eat it at the same time
listening to glaciers crack and fall into the lake at night
drinking pure glacier water

Things I hate:
loud old people on day hikes, blocking the path, and smelling fresh and clean with trekking poles they will never really use
loud old people that ride horses on the trail instead of walking
horse poop on the trail
when my feet and hands get swollen (sausage fingers) from hiking
walking 22 km with a heavy backpack
the 50lb midget*

* the 50 lb midget first made an appearance on Day One about 30 minutes before we were done trekking. When I get tired, it feels like a 50 lb midget has jumped onto the back of my backpack for a ride. He follows me through the forest and jumps on when I least want him.

Day Three
Time 5:10
Distance: 17 km

We decided to skip the middle part of the W (Valle Frances) in order to gain more ground. This way, we will get to the top of the other side of the W (Torres) on Day Four with less ground to cover in one day. I’m sore and tired. Park is now known as Torres del PAINe in my ass. Bjorn and Tim from the previous night were at our camp last night and we had hot chocolate, it was great.

Things I love:
hot chocolate (even with powdered milk)
being done hiking for the day
green parrots roosting in trees by the campsite
packaged pasta dinners (still taste good!)
a shower

Things I hate:
crossing major rivers with no bridges and trying to hop on rocks with a big backpack
wet hiking shoes as a result of not hopping correctly on above mentioned rocks
stinky clothes worn three days straight
mosquitoes – they are EVERYWHERE and yet only on me

Day Four
Time 2:10
Distance 13 km

My knees are swollen, achy, and stiff. I have mosquito bites all over my face and neck. By skipping Valle Frances on Day Three, we didn’t have too far to go today. We set up camp around 2:30pm and headed up to see the Towers. They are big granite rocks that light up when the sun rises. I made it about half way up a bunch of boulders and quit. I’m done. Tomorrow, I should get up pre-dawn to see them, but I doubt I will. The walk back to the bus is almost all downhill and that will be a killer on my knees so I’m opting out of the Towers. I told Chris to take good pics.

Things I love:
being done tomorrow and the prospect of a real shower and a good meal with fresh veggies
sleeping next to running water, I like the sound
clean underwear
Chris getting me a walking stick

Things I hate:
swollen and stiff knees
heavy pack
long hiking trips

Day Five
Time 2:00
Distance 10 km

Chris got up at 5:30a and took the hour hike up the boulders to see the Towers at sunrise. I stayed in my sleeping bag. Last night, mice (or something) were trying to get into the tent so I didn’t sleep well. After sunrise, we booked it down the mountain. I hobbled a bit but the walking stick helped, it also helped give me some blisters on my hands. We made it down so quickly that we had to wait over 2 hours for the bus to take us back into town.

I’m done and I doubt I’ll do this anytime soon.

Total distance in five days: approx. 77 km, about 47 miles