Buenos Aires Day 223 29/04/2015

We originally planned to head north from Buenos Aires, through Uruguay to Iguazu Falls and then either travel across northern Argentina or through Paraguay to Salta in northwest Argentina. After a bit more research we've decided to fly from Iguazu to Cordoba and then head north from there. Whilst there is an appeal to go to Paraguay, as its not on the beaten path, we preferred to go and see Cordoba, as Argentina's second city seems a very exciting place. Anyway we may 'pop' into Paraguay on our way to Iguaza if we decide to go and visit some Jesuit missions on a day trip. Yesterday we tried to book the flight online however the website crashed before we got confirmation of the booking. After breakfast at the hostel we walked to the Aerolinas Argentina offices about 7 blocks away, to check whether the booking had been made and, if need be rebook the tickets. From here we headed back to the hostel with the plan to join the walking tour around downtown Buenos Aires. It started to rain as we walked back to find the tour cancelled. Clearly a fair weather only activity! We used the time to do a bit more planning. It really is amazing how much time it takes to try to work out how to get around, book transport and accommodation. In the early afternoon we headed out, stopped for lunch of empanadas and pie at a local cafe and then walked to Plaza de Mayo. The square is home to the president's offices (from where Eva Peron preached to her thousands of supporters) and Catedral Metropolitana which contains the tomb of General Jose de San Martin, Argentina's most revered hero (we'd seen his statue in San Martin de los Andes). There's a flame outside keeping his spirit alive. The 'Madras de la Plaza de Mayo' (mothers of the disappeared) continue to protest for social-justice causes in the square alongside the Piramide de May obelisk that marks the first anniversary of independence from Spain. We visited the Cabildo museum with scanty exhibits on Argentina's tumultuous history before heading back to the hostel, stopping off for coffee on route. Buenos Aires is very much a metropolitan city but with it's dark side. Cracked sidewalks, graffiti and rubbish abound even in the wealthy neighbourhoods, with poverty and beggars evident. Despite that it is one of our favourite South American cities. In the evening we were picked up just after 2000 to go to a tango show at Cafe de los Angelitos. Unlike the hostel where we definitely increase the average age (fairly significantly) we must have been amongst the youngest at the show! Dinner was served in the same room that the show took place in, an OK affair made better by unlimited wine. The show itself was spectacular with all types of tango including more modern tunes like Bajofondo. We were both really pleased that we decided to go and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Plaza de Mayo with the Piramide de Mayo obelisk and president's offices

Catedral Metropolitana

The private room at Cafe de los Angelitos 

Enjoying the tango show 

Buenos Aires Day 222 28/04/2015

We were up at 0630 as our taxi was picking us up at 0715 for the short drive to the airport for our flight to Buenos Aires via El Calafate. Our hosts had kindly left out some breakfast things but we couldn't manage more than a cup of tea at that time in the morning. The people who owned the b&b were very friendly and helpful and they spoke really good English which was really useful (didn't help Simon who is desperately trying to learn enough Spanish to be able to be of use when we get into the less touristy areas of South America later on in our trip). They were busy packing up to go and live in the centre of Argentina, near La Roija for the next 5 months. They said they love Ushuaia but after being here for 32 years decided that they would spend winter in a warmer and lighter climate (and 2 of there 3 sons live near the area). They were leaving the next day and were still in the throes of what to take, what to leave and trying to pack it all into their car for the 2500km journey north! Our flight left on time at 0910, the runway jutting out into the Beagle Channel. Unfortunately low clouds meant we didn't get many views as we climbed, however an hour later as we fly over El Calafate the skies cleared to give us a great view of the Andes and we tried to guess which peaks were Fitzroy and Cerro Torro. We didn't really recognise the town from the air, not surprising noting it must have changed so much in the last 12 years when we were here last. We touched down smoothly and after the plane filled up with embarking passengers, we were in the air 30 minutes later. The onward flight to Buenos Aires was only 2.5 hours and we arrived at the domestic airport, Jorge Newbury just after 1400. It was nice not to have go through immigration and within 30 minutes we had our bags and, deciding not to take the expensive taxis, got the airport bus into town. We recognised some of the sights of the city on the way in and after been dropped off near the centre walked the 17 blocks to our hostel, America del Sur, in the San Telmo district. Quickly checking in we walked half a dozen more blocks to have late lunch at the famous Es Desinivel cafe. Back at the hostel we decided we would save a few quid the next day and go on the free walking tour. The savings were used to pay for the following nights entertainment of dinner and Tango show. Whilst we had seen one before in BA it was on the 'must do' list as it really is a fantastic spectacle. We had dinner nearby at a local 'parrilla' Simon having a bife de chorizo and Diane homemade pasta with a small bottle of Malbec (it would be rude not to drink our favourite grape in its country of origin especially with steak and pasta - well that's our excuse anyway!!).

Beagle Channel Day 221 27/04/2015

We woke up to a near perfect day of clear blue skies, no wind and a crisp chill that we hadn't experienced since being near Cradle Mountain in Tasmania, what seems such a long time ago (only 3 months in fact!). We had a prompt start with the intention of trying to get on a boat tour that morning. Our luck was in and just after 0930 we headed out on a quarter full catamaran into the Beagle Channel. As we moved towards the first point of interest, the Isla de Bridges, in the centre of the channel, the full majesty of the vista emerged. On all sides were snow capped mountains; to the north encircling Ushuaia, to the east into Chile and over the other side of the strait towards Isla Navarino, which is also part of Chile. Eastwards we could see the mouth of the channel in the distance into the Atlantic with the next stop being the Antarctic. The sea was quite calm and the views, in the crisp, clear sunlight was breath taking. At the Isla de Bridges we got off the boat in a sheltered cove and walked slightly up to its promontory to be able to soak in the wonderful 360 degree views. Back on board we went close to a sea lion colony (thankfully upwind) and spent 15 minutes floating there watching these huge creatures. Next stop was a seal colony and whilst we've been lucky to see so many seals on out trip, we've never been quite this close and we also enjoyed watching them hunting for fish in the water and generally 'mucking about'. We then sailed further out into the channel to go around the second most southerly lighthouse in the world (the most southern one is near Cape Horn). Built in the early 20th century, Les Eclaireurs has saved countless shipwrecks although not before there was a major one when 3000 people had to abandon ship, with remarkably only one loss of life (the captain). We sailed back to harbour drinking in the scenes around us, docking back in Ushuaia 3 hours later. The perfect nature of the trip made up slightly for the disappointing weather on the Navimag ferry which had prevented us getting any views. Whilst it did mean we had to forgo going on the train at the end of the world due to lack of time, it was well worth it. Over lunch we reviewed the photos of the boat trip, having to make some tough decisions of which to keep and which to delete so we could get it down to a manageable number; we still think we've got more than 3 times too many but like all the pictures we've taken we can edit them when we get home (as a welcome break to job hunting!). We got back to the b&b mid afternoon and spent the rest of the day planning what route we would taken after we get to Buenos Aires, through Uruguay and then back into northern Argentina over the next month. Dinner that evening was a simple affair at the local Italian and being good on the wine front too (keep having to tell ourselves we are not on holiday!!).

Setting sail from Ushuaia

Looking back from the Isla de Bridges 

Soaking in the views (and sunshine)  

The panorama from Isla de Bridges 

The catamaran moored on the beach 

Luxury beach accommodation (where's wally!) 

Cormorants 

Sea Lions 

Sea Lion Island 

Fur seals 

Enjoying the close up views from the boats viewing platform 

Les Eclaireurs light house 

Ushuaia Day 220 26/04/2015

After breakfast at the b&b we headed downhill to have a look around the town. The plan was to spend the morning getting to know the town, before taking a boat tour into the Beagle Channel in the afternoon. As we walked downhill towards the shores of the Beagle Channel we got our first view of the Fuegan Andes peaks that are the backdrop to the city. Snowcapped and with low early morning sunshine they looked stunning. The town itself didn't seem to have a huge appeal but it's position and surrounding scenery make up for this and more.  It was originally established as a penal colony and then later become a naval base. Today tourism feeds the economy and drives up prices. Ushuaia is known as the 'southernmost city in the world' and is the main gateway to the Antarctic. Despite this title it's still 150km from Cape Horn. Passing ships gave Tierra del Fuego its name when they spotted campfires that the indigenous Yamana people tended.  The 'land of fire' is reluctantly shared by Argentina and Chile. South and west of Ushuaia is Chile and north and east belongs to Argentina; in fact the eastern end is unoccupied and we thought if you trekked out there it must really feel like total wilderness and at complete mercy of the elements. This archipelago at the end of the world is surrounded by the Atlantic and the Strait of Magellan with astounding mountains, glaciers, forests, lakes and a dramatic coastline. After looking at the different boat tour operators, comparing itineraries and prices we went back to the Ramos Generales for coffee and a cheeky cake. We reflected on how many references there were to the Isla de Malvinas (Falkland Islands as we know them) around the city and, whilst we have never felt uncomfortable being in Argentina, we decided here that if asked we would say we were from Scotland as any anti UK slogans were anti English rather than anti British. We then had a leisurely stroll along the harbour front and the main high street (all shops were closed as it was Sunday), stopping for lunch at the Banana cafe. By this time it was 2pm so we headed back to the sea front and entered the office of the tour company we decide to voyage with. However as the wind had picked up the office rang the port to see if the trip was running, only to be told it wasn't. Disappointed  we decided to go to the nearby Museo Maritimo. This is located in the old prison that held 700 inmates in 380 cells and was divided into 4 sections. The first section was on the original discovery of the area by Europeans including Francisco Magellan (first person to circumnavigate the globe in the 16th century, James Cook (he got everywhere!) and Charles Darwin. This showed how ships have developed over the last 400 years and also how the maps evolved as more of the territory was discovered. Also there was a haunting display showing some of the ships that have been shipwrecked around Cape Horn, which is recognised as one of the most hostile and unpredictable stretches of water on the earth; where all the fury and energy of the two huge oceans crash together. Also part of this section was fa  cts and pictures of the life of the indigenous people, the Yamanas. They had been here for over 7000 years and it only took 100 years for them to be wiped out by the Europeans, mainly through disease principally measles, TB and influenza. Ushuaia is actually a Yamanan word meaning land facing the sunset. The second section was in one of the prison wings and each of the 32 cells downstairs was full of prisoners stories and prison life in general. Up stairs in this block were exhibits on expeditions to Antarctica including Scott and Admunsen, Shackleton plus many other stories of man braving (and sometimes perishing) in this most harsh but beautiful part of the world (one day we would really like to go there but need to save up a lot of money to do it first!). The 3rd section was a wing of the prison which hadn't been renovated and as Diane didn't fancy it Simon went down it on his own. It was very cold and eerie in this part and the shower and tower block was there which just added to getting a glimpse of how hard it must of been for the inmates. Just for added authenticity Simon went into a cell and shut the door; it was very cramped (only 2 paces by 2 paces big) as well as being very creepy; he didn't stay there long. By the time we go the the 4th section on local art, we were both a bit 'cultured out' so we left and walked back up the hill, remarking with some frustration that the wind had dropped. At the b&b we caught up with the emerging news of the dreadful earthquake in Nepal, reflecting on what a tragedy for the local people, who we found to be so friendly and helpful. We were relieved though that as the stories unfolded, the friends we know who travel and work there are accounted for and are safe and well. It was sobering to think that as we travel the world how many of the most beautiful places are so dangerous and how life there is so tenuous. That evening we decided to try one of the famous local 'parrillas' (steakhouses), Bodegon Fueguino. Simon enjoyed the Patagonian lamb chops and Diane had Chicken Milanese washed down by bottle of malbec, aptly called 'Fin del mundo'.

The end of the world 

Ushuaia with the backdrop of the Fuegan Andes 

The old prison 

Surrounded by snow capped peaks 

The notice at the port - 'No English robbing pirate ships here'!   

Tierra del Fuego/Ushuaia Day 219 25/04/2015

We got up early, packed and had a quick breakfast before jumping in a taxi to the bus terminal. The terminal was only about 10 minutes away from the b&b but with torrential rain we opted for the comfort of a taxi. The bus left relatively promptly at 0730 in the pitch black. Around 90 minutes later, near the outskirts of Puerto Arenas, we stopped by the roadside and switched buses, still in the rain and dark. It reminded us of previous European ski trips where you got 'left' by the roadside waiting for the resort shuttles to turn up. Not far from here we were treated to onboard refreshments with the sweetest cup of coffee that we've ever tasted (definitely more sugar than coffee). We continued south towards the island of Tierra del Fuego not really sure how we actually got across, whether there was a road bridge or some other means of crossing the Strait of Magellan which separates the island from the rest of South America. All became clear as we arrived at Punto Delgada and stopped at the ferry terminal. After a short wait we boarded the ferry on foot and had a short crossing. It was hard to believe we were now by the Atlantic Ocean. On the island the roads deteriorated to unsealed tracks and we slowed down accordingly before eventually reaching the border at San Sebastian. As is customary we left Chile, travelled through no man's land for a short distance of a couple of kms, and then entered Argentina. From here we continued on to Rio Grande on the Atlantic Coast, one of Argentina's naval bases, references to Malvinas (Falklands) and who should 'own' them, very apparent. Our bus stopped here and we transferred to a minibus, full to the rim with people and luggage all heading to Ushuaia. Not far from Rio Grande we came to a stop as the engine lost power. The driver lifted the bonnet, waited for a bit, tried the ignition a few times and thankfully we were off again. A few kms further down the road it happened again although it was now dark. With no mobile phone signal, and a two way radio that didn't appear to work, we wondered what it would be like to spend a night in a minivan by the side of the road! After about 15 mins and repeated attempts at starting the ignition we set off again. It was pitch black outside by now but with clear skies and we were very glad that we didn't have any reoccurring problems. The road to Ushuaia follows the coast before heading west through mountainous scenery to reach the city. We finally arrived just after 2100 and were dropped off along the main street. With no taxis in sight we walked uphill to Galeazzi-Basily b&b where we'd booked to stay for three nights. On arrival we were warmly greeted by the owners and despite the late hour we dropped off our bags and headed back to the main street to find somewhere to have a late night snack before wandering back uphill to a welcome night's sleep.

Boarding the ferry at Punto Delgada 

Crossing the Strait of Magellan

Torres del Paine/Refugio Torre Day 218 24/04/2015

After an excellent night's sleep we got up to have breakfast at the refugio. The weather was much improved with no rain and some sunshine seeping through the clouds. The temperature must have dropped in the night with the snow level being much lower than on previous days. We planned to head back to Puerto Natales today, by shuttle from the refugio to Laguna Amarga and then by bus. The shuttle was scheduled to leave at 2pm so we had the morning to entertain ourselves before heading off. After sorting our gear (all dry) we went for a short walk back in the direction of Refugio Chileno where we had come from yesterday. We were interested to see what state the rivers were in now the rain had stopped. The water level in the Rio Ascencio had dropped significantly, probably by more than 1 metre and, whilst it was still a ragging torrent, the bridge was now accessible without getting wet feet. From here we headed uphill for a short distance to see if we could get any view of the valley ahead. After a short while we decided to return back to the refugio. We met a few trekkers heading up the valley as we descended but none seemed to be put off by our news that the top bridge was damaged! Back at the refugio Diane thrashed Simon at chess (there's a first time for everything) and then Simon got his own back at dominos. A few more trekkers arrived all with tales of challenging river crossings from the previous day. We found out that the Italian couple we had lent our poles to a few days before to cross the river near Refugio Los Cuernos had both fallen in the river before we arrived. It's a good reminder of how quickly the environment can change and the need to be well prepared at all times. The shuttle soon arrived and we headed back to Laguna Amarga. We remembered this part of the route from when we'd been here previously, with an extremely narrow road bridge crossing. Now there's a new bridge, which whilst still narrow, must be twice the width of the old bridge which runs alongside. We were surprised to find that the buses back to Puerto Natales were all empty. Expecting to set off in the direction of the town, we headed towards Pudeto to pick up trekkers off the catamaran and then continue on to the park administration (the return route is normally in reverse, with the final pick up at Laguna Amarga before heading back to town). We never did find out why, whether the road had been damaged in the rain or the catamaran delayed for some reason. What it did mean was a c150km journey on unsealed roads! Luckily it wasn't too bumpy but even so we were glad to get back to the bus terminal. A short walk downhill and we were at the b&b, showered, out within the hour and back at the Italian for a huge pizza and celebratory drink. Whilst we hadn't done any walking today we felt that we'd earned it over the last few days! It really is a beautiful part of the world. We'd had a fantastic time and came out with a few tales to tell. Later in the evening we saw that Volcan Calbuco near Puerto Varas had erupted. Whilst the photos online were amazing we were very glad that we'd left a week before and hadn't been caught up in the evacuation. It was a relief to read that nobody had been killed although the impact of ash clouds is immense and will no doubt have a serious impact on the livelihood of those affected. Tomorrow we're heading off to Ushuaia in Argentina. The bus leaves at 0730 so after repacking our bags we headed off to bed for an early night.

Waking up to clear skies

Refugio Torre 

The communal area 

Snow capped peaks 

Looking south across the park 

No wet feet today! 

Volcan Calbuco, in Chile, before it erupted 

Torres del Paine/Refugio Chileno Day 217 23/04/2015

And it didn't stop raining all night. All packed up we left the refugio when it got light at 0830 and headed out in the rain. To be fair it had lessened to only a moderate downpour but the clouds were really low and the ridge above us appeared in and out of the gloom. We wondered what the route in front of us had in store especially the many river crossings which would no doubt be even more swollen than the day before and every small streams could become an uncrossable barrier. After 5 minutes on the path we met our first major river and were mightily relieved to see a swing bridge crossing it. We walked across it quickly and found route finding a little more difficult as the path had water pouring down it on the uphill/downhill sections along with many rivulets of water either side. A further 30 minutes along the track we came across the next river. No bridge here. A Swiss guy who we spoke to at breakfast, and had come the other way the day before, advised us to look for a tree upstream which had a branch that hung over the river. "Climb up and then swinging across it like a monkey" was his advice! We found the tree but Simon decided it was better to inch across the branch on his feet as it looked quite sturdy. He did this successfully the only concern was dropping onto the other side onto what seemed to be slippy rock. Thankfully it was grippy and Diane followed across. We marched on wondering what would the next crossing be like. The next few water crossings were fairly benign compared to the tree climbing one and one which we feared we would not be able to cross as we heard it roar a good ten minutes before we reached it, had, much to our sheer relief, a swing bridge across it. We continued to squelch along the wet, muddy path until we reached a cross roads in the path. To the right along the lake was Refugio Torres and whilst that would see us safely out of the park, it would mean we would not have time to climb up to see the Towers of Paine tomorrow as we needed to get the 2pm bus out (weather permitting). So we turned left and slowly started to head uphill towards Refugio Chileno, which we kept thinking was either a really smart move if the weather improved tomorrow as forecast or really stupid if we couldn't get across the still numerous river crossings. It wasn't long before the next river raged in front of us. After walking up and downstream for 5 minutes we saw the least dangerous point and using some mainly submerged rocks kept most of our boots out of the water and so safely crossed without having to endure the force of the water. By this time anyway the inside of our boots were wet from water inevitably getting over the top as we hopped and slithered across the rivers. A flat section of the route meant we were squishing through mud, bog and water sodden grass as the misty peaks emerged before us. The next river didn't disappoint and after a 10 minute walk up stream we found another place we managed to soggily get across and as we climbed diagonally on, we could see the roof of Hotel Las Torres glistening below us. We reached the intersection of the paths with the route from Torres, turned left on steeper but drier ground and started to feel relieved that our destination was not too far away although still hoping we'd seen the last of the river crossings. After walking past some very loose rocks above us that indicated dangerous ground around (it was along drop down on our right) we could see Refugio Chileno ahead. We could also see two figures on the path coming towards us, one waving their arms. A couple of minutes later we met them and the one waving turned out to be the Guardian of the Chileno. He told us to turn back as they had closed the refugio as the river next to it was touching the bridge and it was too dangerous to cross. And in any case the bridge further up, which we needed to cross in the morning to get to the Towers, was damaged and not safe. Disappointed to be so close we turned around and headed back to the intersection and the hour descent to Torres. As we were walking along we reflected on our good fortune meeting the guardian on route, as if not we would have turned up at a closed refugio. We did ask him when they made the decision to close it and he said the night before; the park rangers had come up and asked people to leave. On enquiring why we were not told this he said the guardian at Los Cuernos was advised the night before and couldn't understand why he had not advised those staying there. Our relief was mixed with anger as we trudged towards the refugio now soaking wet and cold as we had turned into the wind and it was blowing the rain straight at us. However the conditions had one more 'treat' or test in store for us. We needed to cross Rio Ascencio, the huge river which comes down from the north of the park and has carved out a massive gorge through the valley, to get to the hostel. Noting the size of the river we reassured ourselves that there must be a bridge. Whilst we were correct in our assumption, what we hadn't reckoned on was that the river had breached it's bank by the bridge. Not sure how deep it was, noting we were already drenched with wet feet, Diane took a 'sod it' view and splashed across to the steps and marched across the bridge. Simon followed her fine 'example' and did the same, and we crossed looking agog at the fierce, raging water below our feet, hurtling past to smash into a rock cliff on the right hand bank, crashing across and doing the same on the left hand bank before roaring downstream to Lago Nordensjkold 2 kms away. Elated in a 'we've survived' sort of way we walked past the, closed for the season, hotel (the film 'The Shining' came to mind) and covered the last km to reach the refugio. We arrived just before the 2pm shuttle back to Lagunda Amarga to find the reception packed with people waiting to catch it; there was a mix of people who had got out of the park the night before and also people, like us, who had stayed in Los Cuernos the night before and had headed straight here (we were to subsequently find out we were the only ones who attempted to get to Chileno). Luckily the shuttle left on time, emptying the place, and so we checked into our dorm, stripped off all of our wet clothes and had the stove to ourselves so we could drape our clothes and boots in front of it. We felt very tired, wet and relieved but also strangely exhilarated. We had a very welcome hot chocolate and our packed lunch, revelling in being in from the rain and in nice warm clothes. We chatted with an Australian lady (who Diane found out used to work for RBS in London a few years ago) and a couple of 20 year old German girls who had just arrived at the refugio and were hoping to head out the next day. We tried to explain the challenge posed by the river crossings but think that they didn't quite understand the scale; maybe you just had to be there to get it! We had a 6 bed dorm to ourselves so we weren't too long to bed after dinner, falling asleep in the warm duvet with the same feeling of exhaustion, relief, frustration at missing seeing the Towers but reflecting on what an adventure the last couple of days had been. At least we had seen the Towers 12 years ago in brilliant weather and the photo of them is hanging in our hall at home!

The peaks shrouded in mist  

Looking (and feeling) rather wet 

Water pouring down the hillside in Rio Ascencio 

The breached river near Hotel Las Torres  

Dry and enjoying a hot chocolate at Refugio Torres  

Torres del Paine/Valle Frances Day 216 22/04/2015

After not too bad a sleep considering the noise outside, we awoke and had breakfast at 0730. The wind had dropped slightly, and whilst the rain still fell it was more 'showery' in nature. Despite the low clouds we ventured out back along Lago Nordenskjold in order to go up into Valle Frances and see if we could climb the 650m up to the mirador just above Camp Britanico. Heading east we crossed a river c15 minutes after leaving the refugio which was much higher and wider than the day before (we hadn't even noticed it when we crossed then) and Simon did think that it might be tricky to recross later if the rain continued to fall and noting the temperature was warm at 11C, with increased snow melt from the glacier it originated from way above us. However undeterred we cracked on, reaching Camp Italiano after only 100 minutes (lighter packs and fresher legs meant we were much quicker than the day before). After checking with the guardian at the camp that the valley was still accessible ("yes but with strong winds" was has reply in Spanish) we started to climb quite quickly. The path wove over the moraine, boulders and fast streams in and out of the trees so we kept seeing glimpses of the emerging Glaciar Frances on our left. On one of these glimpses we heard and then saw a huge avalanche emanating from the hanging glacier just below Cumbre Principal, which raced down it's face and onto a huge snow pile. It was an incredible sight to see and quite scary to witness the force of nature just a few hundred metres across from us. Not long after resuming our walk we came across another of natures forces, that being the ferocious Rio Frances, hurtling across from us. We were glad to see that the path went right of it and we climbed steeply up the moraine to leave it well behind (we couldn't see it now but we certainly could still hear its roar). At 450m spot height we emerged from the trees to be almost blown over by the horizontal cross winds. We struggled on through the wind and the incessant rain to a mirador and after seeing that the path continued across the valley floor into the distance, giving no respite from the wind, decided to retreat from the wind and descended back to Camp Italiano. From there we retraced our steps back along the path beside the Lago, seeking shelter under the trees which criss-cross the path. Then we reached the river near the refugio again; it had grown enormously and what was tricky before, now seemed to be a barrier of thunderous, angry water. As we saw another couple of people downstream from us near the lake not being able to get across it, we headed upstream. Just as we thought we would need to plunge across and get wet boots and legs, we saw a couple of tips of rocks peaking out across the water and decided the try these. We were glad we had poles as we got across with a mix of balance and speed especially as the couple behind had decided to try to go the same way but were hesitating as they couldn't stretch across without assistance. Diane gave her poles to Simon who managed to pass them across to the other couple thereby assisting them to reach the far bank safely too. We were relieved to be back across and as it was only around 1pm wondered how much the river would continue to grow by as other walkers would surely be coming that way during the rest of the day. We didn't hang around as the light rain suddenly turned into heavy with stair rods lashing down on us and we quickly walked the last 1km back to the hut. Wet and relieved to be back we got out of our gear and had our pack lunch and 3 cups of hot tea. We stayed in the common area of the refugio watching other bedraggled, wet walkers arrive, some seeking shelter and warmth in the refugio, others who were camping being set out to another building which served as their cooking area. Many of the people arriving recounted their stories of getting across the river including an Australian lady who we chatted with over dinner, who said was too scared to cross the river and so swam out into the lake to get around. Now to us that was scary! We also listened to people who had come the other way from either Refugio Torre or Refugio Chileano with similar stories of very challenging river crossings. As the latter refugio was tomorrow's destination we fell asleep with trepidation, thinking about what would greet us the following day, with the rain continuing to lash down outside.

Walking back towards Camp Italiano 

Vallee Frances and the view from the lower mirador 

Looking north into the valley 

Refugio Cuernos - a welcome sight!  

Torres del Paine/Los Cuernos Day 215 21/04/2015

We were up for breakfast at 0720 as we wanted an early start as we had 8 hours of walking to do today. We hit the trail at 0810, using our headtorches for the first 20 minutes until it got light. We went back down the same path we were on yesterday and the view was just as spectacular in the reverse direction. Whilst it was still windy, it was less than the day before and with the wind behind us we arrived back at Paine Grande 30 minutes quicker than yesterday. We were glad to have our walking poles with us to act as stabilisers and help break against the wind. After a short detour to the Park Rangers hut (we were trying to locate where we had camped when we were here last 12 years ago), we regained the path, which headed north east towards Camp Italiano and the Cumbre Bariloche mastif. As we started to walk past the shores of Laguna Scottsberg, we were sheltered from the wind and soon it became quite hot with the sun on our faces. The wind break was mainly provided by the abundance of trees that had not been victims of the 2011 fire and we could see and hear how effective they were by the many small wind skerries on the lagunda and the animal like howling noises on the water. After a couple of hours pleasant hiking, often peering up to the huge jagged peaks on our left, we came across the noisy, thrashing waters of the Rio Frances. Following the path we turned left and headed up the right hand side of the river, hoping there was a bridge so we could cross it. After 10 minutes we were relieved to find there was one and we crossed the decidedly looking wonky and long swing bridge to reach the other side. There was a sign saying 2 people max but we decided to be risk adverse and crossed the wild, angry waters just a few metres below us one at a time. On the other side is Camp Italiano and, as it has no refugio, it meant we needed to go another 5.5km west along the banks of Lago Nordenskjold to our destination of the refugio at Los Cuernos. We had contemplated walking up Valle Frances but noting it was going to another 5 hours for the return trip we didn't have enough daylight to do it; however we decided to come back and go up it tomorrow. We settled instead to have lunch by the river with fantastic views upstream across to the Glacier Frances, with the steep high cliffed mountain range behind, towering over 3000m above us. Back on the trail we were soon greeted by first class views to the right and left of us. To the right was the long thin Lago Nordenskjold, 15km in length and 28m squared in total, with small rounded peaks behind it. To the left were 1000m plus sheer cliffs that stretched up to the many steepled summits across the Los Cuernos range. From there we saw over a half dozen condors soaring above us, majestically cruising the air currents looking for food and occasionally landing on the small clefts in the cliffs. Whilst close up these birds are quite ugly with huge beaks and long, pink necks, designed to quickly tear into dead carcasses, but flying at a distance they were very graceful and beautiful. We arrived at the refugio in just under a couple of hours and after checking in, we were glad to have been so quick as the wind changed direction and started to pummel the side of the refugio. We were especially glad we were indoors as we saw people arriving either battling into a head wind or if they were travelling from the other direction, trying not to take off. The forecasted 100 kph gusts of winds had arrived with earnest. As the refugio is mid point on the 'W' walk we met people who had got off our bus at the Laguna Amarga park entrance the day before. We roomed with an Irish couple, David and Tracey, whom we had seen on the Navimag ferry a few days before, and who were travelling back to Ireland from Sydney. They had lived in Oz for 7 years and were spending 4 months in South America before going back to Dublin for a friend's wedding with a view to living back on the Emerald Isle again. We got the impression that David seemed more keen on the idea than Tracey as we chatted, sharing travelling stories over dinner. We went back to our dorm (Simon is getting a schoolboy thrill of being on the top bunk!) and hoped we would get some sleep as the fierce winds were joined by heavy rain, which crashed and banged outside our dorm window.

Early morning sunlight over Lago and Glaciar Grey

Battling the headwind around Lago Pehoe

Cumbre Principal above Glaciar Frances 

Crossing Rio Frances 

Enjoying a break for lunch 

Looking back over Lago Nordenskjold 

Majestic condor in flight 

Contemplating a beach holiday! 

The magnificant peaks of Los Cuernos 

Torres del Paine National Park/Lago Grey Day 214 20/04/2015

We had an early 6.30am breakfast at the b&b, left our big bags and then walked up to get the bus to the national park. A number of different companies all carry walkers in and out, co-ordinated with the catamaran and shuttle buses and we spotted most of our fellow ferry travellers on one of the buses. We were planning to walk the 'W' (named for the rough approximation to the letter that it traces out on the map) from west to east. On route to the park entrance we passed gauchos at work moving sheep across the arid landscape, guanaco and rhea. At the entrance we registered and paid our fees (18000 Chilean pesos each), taking in the views of the granite pillars of Torres del Paine which dominate the landscape, before continuing on the bus to Pudeto where the catamaran leaves from to go to Pehoe in the west of the park. The weather was warm and dry although very windy. The forecast was for 100km gusts and whilst we didn't know if they were this strong it certainly was very windy. On board the catamaran we set off across Lago Pehoe, slowing down as we starting to roll and pitch at the same time sailing head on into the wind. Luckily the crossing was only 30 minutes and certainly Diane was glad to disembark at Paine Grande. We found shelter out of the wind by the nearby refugio to sort our packs before setting off to walk up by the side of Lago Grey to Refugio Grey where we planned to stay the night, the western leg of the 'W'. Despite a fire in 2011, accidentally started by a tourist trying to start an illegal fire and burning over 40,000 acres, it's still a beautiful walk with wonderful panoramic views. The wind was full on as we headed up the valley with very little rest-bite (no need for a facial for a few months!). We reached the mirador with knock-down gusts of wind and got our first views of the magnificent Glaciar Grey and the iceberg strewn Lago Grey. From here is a short walk to the refugio where we checked in, dropped off our rucksacks and continued a short distance further to the mirador nearer to the face of the glacier. We both remember being here previously and keen to look back on our photos to see how much the glacier has retreated over the years. The refugio certainly wasn't here although there was a rustic shelter close to the lake shore where you could sleep. Back at the refugio we chilled out in the lovely communal area. It really is a very smart refugio with leather sofas and lovely wooden tables and benches. Over dinner we chatted to an Australian couple who are on a six week holiday in South America. The dorms were so warm neither of us made use of the sleeping bags we'd hired!

Gauchos at work

The granite peaks more than 2000m above the Patagonian steppe 

The magnificent Torres del Paine 

The catamaran from Pudeto to Paine Grande 

Loaded up with ruck sacks 

Looking across to the black sedimentary peaks of Los Cuernos 

Walking up to Refugio Grey 

Glaciar Grey from a very windy mirador 

The snout of the glacier 

Iceberg strewn Lago Grey