Patagonia 2017: Return to Refugio Paine Grande - Día Doce

Patagonia 2017:  Bird Day: Return to Refugio Paine Grande - Día Doce – 2/19/17 – 13 km

So our “W” hike is officially completed. Now what’s the best way back civilization?

 

In our planning we weighed options: hike from Refugio Grey back to Refugo Paine Grande, spend a final night, and take the morning half-hour ferry on Lake Pehoe to a bus pickup OR take a 3-hour ferry from Refugio Grey on Lago Grey to a bus pickup.  Because of our travel plans beyond Patagonia, we chose the first option.  So…hiking back to Paine Grande via the same route, you see the world from a different direction, different lighting, all things made new.

The resident caracaras made an appearance during breakfast

Back on the trail

Oh, yeah, I forgot about the foxgloves!  Excitement all over again!

I’m pretty sure I didn’t see this one yesterday

Every morning of our trek my weary feet have been bouncing back ready for the challenge, but my legs still start out tired and need coaxing up the climbs.  Going slowly, my sore quads eventually got the rhythm and warmed up. 

Cerro Paine Grande peeking out under an intimidating cloud

Looking back over my shoulder at La Isla O Nunatak and… the apocalypse?

Let’s crop that to make it look a little friendlier

Lago Grey

Back into the trees, we heard loud chattering, not exactly bird calls, more like squirrels arguing. Are there squirrels in Patagonia?  Rounding a bend, we were graced with an appearance by rock star Magellanic woodpeckers, obviously not disturbed by a dozen hikers frantically snapping photos.  These are two males, father and son.  Dad has red coloring from the neck up and the fledgling male has the red crest. [The red will progress over the next 2-3 months until he looks like his dad.]

We retraced the path alongside Laguna Los Patos, looking grayer and more intimidating than yesterday.  Like back home in the Blue Ridge Mountains, though, threatening clouds gather and dissipate quickly. We put on rain gear and pack covers just in case.  Got a little wet but nothing major.

Almost there

As we approached Refugio Paine Grande we noticed a hawk flying above the meadow, looking for its next meal.  After a few passes over, it pointed its head into the brisk wind and hung, nearly stationary, peering to the ground for any movement.  Amazing.

 Hike is done, Cathy is ready to kick back

Pisco sour toasts to leaving our last footprints in Torres del Paine National Park

“We need the tonic of wilderness.  We can never have enough of nature.”  ~Henry David Thoreau

Patagonia 2017: The French Valley - Día Diaz

Patagonia 2017:  My Favorite Day: Valle Francés - Día Diaz – 2/17/17 – 27 km

Waking up early in a damp, smelly bunkroom, every surface and inch of floor space covered with muddy hiking gear for eight backpackers after a day and night of rain.  Nothing dry. Taking turns going in and out of the door, bumping behinds when bending down to pick up socks. Ah, hiking the “W”! What will the new day bring?

Same breakfast fare, now quite practiced at the egg-and-cheese sandwich combo, sitting by the window looking at misty, wispy clouds.  Today’s plan is hiking first to Campamento Italiano, then up-and-back on the middle section of the “W” called the French Valley, then on to Refugio Paine Grande on the edge of Lago Pehoe. We'll see Los Cuernos (the "Horns") from many sides today.

Bluish morning light on Los Cuernos

I stepped out onto the deck to see if it was really raining or just misting – is the sky lightening behind the mountains?

Mist lifting from Los Cuernos

Everyone scrambled to get backpacks together, pulling on full rain gear just in case.  The sky was still tentatively gray but visibility was improving. Lots of hikers on the move, peeling off layers as the day warmed up. First section: 5 kilometers to Campamento Italiano, hugging the shoreline of Lago Nordenskjöld.

Blue sky!

Fuschia blossoms

Los Cuernos and a waterfall

Rocky shore of Lago Nordenskjöld

At Campamento Italiano we stopped for a short break.  The area is grossly overused, most ground cover washed away, dirty and stinky pit toilets but no other privacy option.  It’s possible that the camp didn’t look its best because of the recent rains, but I was now grateful for the crowded bunkroom I had shared. 

However, we weren’t here to review the accommodations; we here to offload our backpacks for the out-and-back hike into the Valle Francés.  Cathy, Carol and Rick had small daypacks, but I did not, so I stuffed my excess gear into their large packs to leave at the camp.  Wow, lightweight euphoria!

Checking out the map and “don’t ask about the weather, we are in Patagonia”

The hike up Valle Francés was simply stunning and rivals anything I saw on the Mont Blanc trek in 2016.  I am immensely grateful that this was a good weather day or we might have skipped it. Beginning at Campamento Italiano and tracing up Río del Francés between the massifs of Cuernos del Paine on the right and Paine Grande on the left, the head of the valley opens to a majestic cirque of granite peaks. Every step was breathtaking.

The hike began with a bit of scrambling and climbing around boulders and heavy water flowing from the rains.  We crossed several side streams, large and small.

Río del Francés, roaring and pounding with power

We ate lunch at Mirador Francés, a flat space with low scrubby trees and a front row seat for Glaciar del Francés flowing down from Cerro Paine Grande, which was still wreathed in clouds

Looking back down the valley towards Lago Nordenskjöld

Blending back into the trees and continuing the gradual ascent, the trail undulated up and down over fingers of land stretching down from the Cuernos massif. (Imagine laying your palm flat on a surface. Now bend at the base of the fingers, which pushes the knuckles up to make a "mountain" of your hand.  Now imagine walking across your fingers, up and down and up and down.)

The trail emerged from the trees onto an expansive boulder field at the head of the valley. Once upon a time a backcountry site (Campamento Británico) was located near here, but it is now closed. Really a shame, as this would be the best case scenario for visiting Valle Francés, spending a night or two and having plenty of time to soak in the glory of the cirque. On the far side of the field, the final brief but steep push up to Mirador Británico began.  Seems like a pretty good “mirador” from here, you say?  True, but you’ve come this far!

On top of Mirador Británico - the highest snowy peak is Cerro Paine Grande

Peak names L/R: Purple = Cerro Cota, red = Cerro Catedral, green = Punta Negra, yellow = Aleta de Tiburón (Shark’s Fin), light blue = Cerro Trono Blanco.  Lago Mijal is down there in the valley somewhere.

Looking the other way from Mirador Británico, L/R: red = La Espada, blue = Cerro Hoja,             purple = Cerro Mascara, yellow = Los Cuernos (back side)

None of this looks real, right? There are more trails in the valley used for guided hikes that go close to Cerro Catedral and Punta Negra.  I wonder if they are allowed to camp…

Sadly, there was too little time to hang around Mirador Británico, as we had 14 kilometers still to go to Refugio Paine Grande, our home for the night.  We waved goodbye, picked up the pace and retraced steps, pausing again at Mirador Francés just because…we may never be here again.  This time the tip of Cerro Paine Grande was visible above Glaciar del Francés.  Two condors floated on the air above the mountain peaks.

Back at Campamento Italiano, we retrieved and repacked our backpacks and crossed the Río del Francés (yes, on a sturdy bridge) to continue on our trek. 
 

The last 7.5 kilometers to the refugio were a bit of a march but filled with much to appreciate, a heaping helping of stunning scenery with a side of flora and fauna, thanks very much.  So much to see looking back, forward, up to the sky and down at our feet.

Looking back at Los Cuernos

Cathy walking through “ghost trees” from recent fires

Amancay is called the “romantic flower,” a symbol of unconditional love. According to the legend of thwarted lovers, the red streaks symbolize a young woman’s blood. 

Rick getting up close with a Southern caracara raptor

A European hare that I wouldn’t want to be surprised by – enormous! 

A ferry on Lake Pehoe approaching the dock for Refugio Paine Grande

The desk manager at check-in had us pegged after a long, long day.  He was flirtatious and accommodating, giving us a 6-bunk room with no other lodgers – luxury!  After last night’s high perch, I sank into a bottom bunk before searching out the showers. The bathrooms were not too close, but our room’s quiet back hallway location made it worthwhile.    [Note:  showers offer hot water only during certain hours, of which this was not one, but a cold shower was better than none and I washed my muddy duds to boot.] 

The architectural design gives each room a corner window with a mountain view

Supper was served cafeteria style with plenty of room to spread out – again, a welcome change from last night’s cramped dining room – but the fare was not new: chicken, mashed potato, simple salad and flan for dessert.  Our longest hiking day so far in Torres del Paine, yet it was still light out, so we lingered over our food to enjoy the space.

And guess what's happening at the bar? Cheers!

"There are none happy in the world but beings who enjoy freely a vast horizon." ~Henry David Thoreau