After a busy first day in Torres del Paine National Park, Maggie and I started making our way into the backcountry along the O trek. It didn’t take long to find some solitude, which was a welcome change and nice surprise. Fresh views were found around every corner as we wandered deeper into Patagonia.
29 January 2023
The two of us were up at 6:30 am and hiking by 8. The sun was shining between a few low clouds, just kissing the tops of the towers we had hiked to the day before. I think we were rather lucky to see them in the sun!
In a complete reversal from the conga lines on trail, we didn’t see a soul for several hours. Our itinerary was a bit odd, since we would be hiking 20 miles to the second refugio on the loop, skipping the first one just 9 miles from the starting point. In addition to the fact that O trek sees less traffic, we deduced that we were probably on trail before most people set off for the first refugio. This left us to enjoy the wilderness unbothered by extra humans.
The scenery was nice, but nothing exceptional. Rolling hills of grass, shrubs, and beech were split down the middle by the snaking Rio Paine. A handful of horses grazed along side the trail. A flock of black faced ibis sauntered across the trail in front of us, pecking at the ground as they passed. We had been seeing these birds for most of the trip, but it was cool to see them up close!
We passed by the first refugio (Serón), then found a gravelly beach by Rio Paine to stop for lunch. Friends of ours from the PCT, Bennet and Burrito-with-a-J, had given us some extra large tuna and veggie packets from Australia. We had been saving these packets for a couple months, and we were stoked to finally be eating them out here on this far flung adventure.
On trail again, we climbed up about 500 feet where we crossed over a windy pass. Finally, some epic mountains and glaciers appeared before us. The gusty weather only added to the intensity of the experience.
The landscape was pretty dry, grassy, and thorny in between the lenga forests, which felt odd in the midst of so much water in the rivers, lakes, and glaciers. It would appear the mountains create a rain shadow, leaving this side a bit parched. As for wildlife, we only saw birds, which was a bit a disappointment. We were hoping to at least see some South American deer, such as huemúl or pudu. Eventually, we caught up to a handful of hikers as we got closer to the refugio. A long boardwalk though a wetland offered up great views of Cerro Trono Blanco, and the surrounding mountains.
We arrived at Dickson camp just after 5 pm. After a day of solitude, we were shocked to see a decent number of people milling around and setting up camp. Ostensibly, these folks had all started at Camp Serón that day, and we had finally caught up to everyone.
In addition to the refugio, there were a few buildings for staff, and a couple dozen pre-pitched tents for hikers to rent. Maggie and I set up our tent, then wandered over to the refugio kitchen to make dinner. It was a simple room with a few rows of tables where everyone (unwilling to buy the overpriced food) was cooking with their backpacking stoves. We shared small talk with a few folks, but not much.
Later, I was checking out the other buildings around camp. A young guy was hanging out by the door doing pull ups, so I figured it was another hiker hang out. I poked my head into the door and was greeted by a rush of warm, fragrant air. I saw people – clean and well dressed people – dining on steaming piles of pasta which sat upon fine ceramic plates. It took me a moment to realize that I probably didn’t have enough money to hang with this crowd, so I backed out before my feet even got through the threshold. The guy doing pull ups was a staff worker, and he asked if I needed something. I apologized and said I was only looking. This was the luxury crowd I had heard rumors about – carrying only small day packs, sleeping in beds (indoors), and having their meals prepared each night. Always interesting to see how the other half, or 1%, lives…
Afterwards, Maggie and I walked down to a black sand beach on the river briefly. The evening was getting chilly, and the mosquitoes were getting thick, so we returned to our tent and laid down at 8 pm. Light rain started after we crawled in the tent and we dozed off with the late summer sunset.
30 January 2023
We “slept in” till 7:30 am. It had rained off and on for most of the night, but our tent did its job and we woke up dry. Thanks tent. We made hot oatmeal in the refugio to hide from the damp cold as well as the cloud of mosquitoes that was inside our rain fly. The mandatory “check out” was at 9:30 am. Why check out is so early is beyond me. The next section of trail is only 8 miles, and you aren’t allowed to hike past the next camp after 7:00 am. This would force most everyone to end the day very early. We were in no rush to adhere to the 9:30 departure time since we could easily hike to the next camp by about lunch time.
The rain had let up during breakfast, and miraculously our tent had dried out by the time we came back outside. We packed up and got moving at 9:45. A French couple looked at us in amazement as we set off in shorts and fleece sweaters, while everyone else was wearing pants and rain jackets. I told them the classic adventure adage, “Be bold, start cold!” Our alone time on the trail was no more. We passed about a dozen folks as we cruised up the hill towards the next refugio at Los Perros camp.
We hiked through beech forest, much taller and more mature than the scrubby, windswept patches the day before. There was a well placed clearing in the trees to admire Cerro Trono Blanco, an pale orange granite block otherwise surrounded by dark gray volcanic rock. A fresh dusting of snow from the last night’s storm highlighted the texture of the mountains.
The rest of the hike was all through the forest. It was nice to get some shade and move quickly in the cool air. An odd smell permeated the woods, sort of like the earthy decay you expect in old growth forest, but it was also a touch sweet and a touch stinky. The closest comparison that comes to mind is the smell of a very old, musty book.
We stopped a couple miles short of camp to enjoy lunch with some peace and quiet in the woods, two things we did not expect to have later. We hiked on and started seeing Los Perros Glacier. The trail emerged from the woods and climbed up a rocky moraine for a full frontal view. The wind was howling! But it felt nice after getting sweaty on the uphill.
It was a short walk from there to camp, which we arrived at before 2 pm. Familiar faces from Dickson camp were hanging around the refugio. Maggie, always looking for more adventure, spotted a side trail on the map from Los Perros camp, supposedly up to a waterfall.
After pitching the tent and stashing our gear, we set out to find the secret trail. A creek crossing, sans bridge, was the first obstacle. Maggie tried some rocks, but ended up walking through with her shoes. I was not keen on that, so I took mine off to cross the icy glacial melt water. We found some blazes on the trees and followed them up into the trees.
In the understory, I spotted what I thought to be a tiny conifer, but was actually a club moss (Lycopodium). Cool nonetheless! We also saw Cytarria balls on trees and littered on the ground. These orange golf balls are a fungus that grows exclusively on southern beech, both in South America and in Australia. This is an excellent example of a biogeographic link between these distant continents, which tells us that they were once connected.
Club moss and beech fungus
Maggie and I checked our GPS and found that we were not the trail we wanted, so we backtracked to get back on track. Finally righted, we hiked through the beech forest, following a mostly clear path. Blowdown was littered in a couple spots, but not too bad.
The trail gently climbed up the valley, closely following a creek flowing swiftly through the middle. We found tree line, where carins began leading the way. Craggy peaks stood at the top of the valley, holding a pair of glaicers. We carried on, stepping on stones the rest of the way.
The wind was chilly and biting, blowing right through my fleece, and occasionally carrying brief spits of rain. Maggie lead the charge up, stoked on the scenery as we explored alone. I was feeling a bit fatigued by a lack of sleep and calories, and my pace showed it.
We came within 100 yards of the foot of the glacier. We admired the raging rush of water coming from the precarious pile of ice which lead up to gnarly sawtooth ridgeline.
We didn’t linger too long, as I was cold and hungry. The hike down was much quicker. We did run into a British hiker who was on his way up, and I think we were all surprised to see someone else. Between the solitude and the scenery, this little side trip turned out to be one of our favorite parts of the entire circuit!
We cruised down to camp and broke out the snacks. In total, we hiked 13 miles, which felt like much more of a day than 8. We eventually took refuge in the refugio, cooking up dinner in the crowded cooking area. We met some fellow travelers, from Australia, Canada, and the US. It was refreshing to once again be with folks living life on the road, sharing stories from all corners of the globe, and connecting on places we had both been. We returned to the tent early, to lounge and rest up for the early morning ahead.
31 January 2023
The alarm sounded at 5:30, although I had woken up at least an hour early to pee 🙃 We made hot drinks and ate cold oatmeal in the tent. My digestive system was not happy first thing in the morning, which was unfortunate under the circumstances of sharing a bathroom with only two toilets. All this to say, I wasn’t a happy camper on this morning, my 32nd birthday.
We were packed up and on the move a little after 7 am, the required check out time. The trail began steeply up towards John Garner Pass, at first in the forest crossing muddy seeps and drainages. Once again, we quickly caught up to those who set out before us. The trail climbed up above tree line at an elevation of 2,500 feet. Despite the relatively low altitude, it really felt like the high alpine and I quickly felt like I was climbing towards a mountain pass in the high Sierra Nevada.
I was moving quite slow, and Maggie noticed. Between instant potatoes for dinner and oatmeal for breakfast, and otherwise eating less than I typically do, I was feeling weak and foggy. I didn’t want to move any faster, and I’m not sure I physically could have.
As we came closer to the top, another glacier highlighted the view. However, this little mountain glacier was nothing compared to what we would see when we crested the pass.
The wind was stiff and chilly, blowing straight through the gap atop John Garner pass. Before us lay a field of white – Glacier Grey. Three miles wide and 100 feet thick at its toe. The sheer size of it was mind boggling. We found a stone wind shelter and ate some snacks while we layered up.
We set off down the pass, which started with a couple wide switchbacks on the talus. Back in the trees, however, the trail descended straight down, occasionally with planks and pipes for steps. I typically move slower than Maggie on the downhill, but today was especially sluggish, testing Maggie’s patience.
We made it to a ranger station 5 miles in, 4 hours after setting off… An abysmal pace. Luckily we only had 5 more miles to go. We found an open view point soon after and sat down for lunch. A few hikers came and went while we sat. I recorded a timelapse of the clouds whipping above the glacier.
We plodded on through the woods, and while I was feeling better after lunch, I still felt quite beat. I was feeling down for not being able to move how I normally do, and Maggie was expressing her concern for me, especially since we were thinking about hiking 23 miles the next day. It’s almost comical, to have such a crummy day on your birthday while on the adventure of a lifetime. It wasn’t really that bad. I knew I could keep moving, just slowly.
A Stupendous Suspension Bridge
We came upon a high suspension bridge. The views were as epic as the bridge was wobbly. The slats were spaced about 3 inches apart, making it difficult to focus on either the bridge or the deep canyon below. I always think of the scene in Shrek where Shrek and Donkey are crossing the suspension bridge over the lava towards the castle containing Princess Fiona – “I’m lookin’ down Shrek! OOOAAHHAHHHH!” Classic. There would be two more high bridges like this, adding a bit of spice to the hike.
Trail Snipets
We made it to Camp Grey a little after 2 pm, checked in, and set up our tent. With boat access, Camp Grey is more developed, including a restaurant, wifi, and a small store. By 4 pm, I was starving, so Maggie graciously joined me for a birthday burger. We each had a half liter beer while we sat. We chatted with a Chilean man from Santiago. He spoke good English, and we talked about travels past, present, and future.
My burger was great, but it was just an appetizer. We grabbed our food and cook sets for second dinner – ravioli for Maggie and ramen for me. Maggie bought us another pair of beers to sip while we ate. I was content now with a full belly and a slight buzz.
It was barely 6 pm, so we killed some time by walking out to another viewpoint of Glacier Grey. The steep rock face to the north east was awash in sunlight. Waves were lapping upon several small icy blue ice bergs in the water, milky gray with glacial flour. The wind was still blowing, which was unsurprising at this point.
We stood on some rocks to admire another perspective of the world. It was quiet, other than the wind swirling in our ears. We returned to camp to chill for the evening, only to find the number of tents had quadrupled since 2 pm. Music was bumping from two speakers. I think we were too tired to really care, what else could we do? We got in the tent and laid down to read and write as the evening passed. Despite all the struggle, it turned out to be a very happy birthday 🙂
Distance Over Time 