7th November: Day 5 of Torres del Paine

Day 5: Campamento Torres to Puerto Natales

The night was freezing cold, and we did not sleep well.  The poor insulation provided by the thin sleeping mats and sleeping bags allowed the cold to penetrate us to the bones.  It was thus with great relief that we woke up (or rather stood up, since we were already awake) at 4 am to the sound of the alarm clocks.  Our backpacks had been stuffed the previous night with sleeping bags, the stove, the pot and two cups, some water, tea bags, and biscuits. 

Without hanging around to get even colder, we set off up the slope.  Our headtorches caught the reflectors set along the way, and we made it to the top quite smoothly.  The sky was clear and full of stars, which also helped us see.  The silence was broken only by the springs coming down fron the glacier.  We were the first to arrive at the lookout.  I quickly started boiling water, while John was trying to catch a glimpse of the sunrise on camera.  The sky was brightening up gradually.  At around 5:45 am, the first rays of sun reached the Torres, colouring their tops in a soft pink.  By then, some foggy clouds had emerged in front of the Torres, but they didn't linger for too long.

First sign of the sun

The sun starts to disperse the darkness over the Torres

Sunrise across the valley, with the Lago in the distance

Torres starting to catch the pink light through the light fog

Pretty in pink

Meanwhile the light was becoming more intense, and the sun soon gave a stunning orange colour to the Torres and their surroundings. We gazed at the various stages of the sunrise for about 2 hours, at which point the lookout and the lake below were bathed in sun.  We left the Torres under a blue sky.

Incredible colour on the Torres

Reflejo

Back at the campsite, we enjoyed our habitual breakfast of soup and pasta, packed the tent and our bags, and started walking down towards the Hosteria Torres (where we could catch a 20-minute shuttle to the entrance of the park, at Laguna Amarga). We paused for a snack 20 minutes after Refugio Chileno, at a spot with a great view over lake Nordenskjöld and the valley (backtracking our itinerary of the previous day).  From then on, it was downhill and it only took us an hour to arrive.  We had a drink and checked our emails at the comparatively luxurious hotel, while waiting for the shuttle to Laguna Amarga.

Washing line with a view

On the way down to Hotel Torres

Finished!

100m before the shuttle dropped us at the Laguna, the driver asked us to get off the shuttle and walk to the other side of the bridge.  A signpost indeed warned visitors of the bridge's old age. We then hopped on the bus to Puerto Natales and quickly fell asleep.

Interesting bridge

Last view of Torres del Paine and of Laguna Amarga from the bus back to Puerto Natales

In Puerto Natales we returned the rental gear (we even had to set up the tent to show it was in working condition), gave some washing, and chose a restaurant to reward ourselves (and savour something other than pasta, dehydrated soup, or potatoe purée). Our choice was set on a traditional steak-house, which served us delicious grilled Patagonian lamb.  Well-fed, we slept soundly for the first time in what seemed like weeks.