Friday 3 February Torres del Plain
C on the bunk again this morning. A few hours up along the coast, gradually climbing until late morning we stopped for shopping at Puerto Natales. This was for the hikers to go and hire camping equipment and the cook groups to get food for the next 4 days we will be in the national park. Mountains were in evidence by this time and very shortly some very spectacular scenery arose. A freestanding range of very spiky jagged mountains, surrounded by mountain lakes, streams, waterfalls and glaciers.
Guanaco herd in Torres del Paine NP
Some of the recent devestation caused by wild fires in January
We dropped about 10 hikers at a bridge the truck cannot pass and they will attack one or more of the hiking trails tonight and tomorrow. The rest of us are camped at a farm on the edge of the park. Very nice grassy area with showers and a good dining/cooking room, enclosed from the BITING wind. There have been stronger and colder winds but nothing quite with the cutting power of this blast. The worst was the moment when we dropped the hikers and I can well imagine that I might have turned and hopped back on the truck. There were some very experienced hikers and a few pretty raw and unfit ones.
No internet here but electricity for a few hours in the evening, and apparently the hot water boilers are going. Sam hopped in the back this morning and pronounced that we were the most malodourous ever – I’m sure she meant that in a loving way. Turning to look over my left shoulder, the mountains are shining in the afternoon sun (7.30). To cap it off, there is a resident puppy, which is all fluffy and appealing and loves frolicking and dashing.
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