Torres del Paine, Chilean Patagonia

Between creature comforts and spectacular scenery, which is more important to you? And to visit the world´s most amazing natural scenery, how long are you willing to sacrifice physical comfort?? Our early Fall visit to Torres del Paine Nat´l Pk in far southern Chilean Patagonia presented us with exactly this issue. Months ago, planning our trip intinerary, we made a main goal of arriving in Patagonia by April before the weather became too cold and icy to hike. That said, the weather here is equally unpredictable year round, and we experienced every kind in our six days trekking through the park, from heavy sideways rain pushed by freezing 50mph winds coming directly off Glacier Grey (but dazzling sun & rainbows 15 minutes later), a blizzard in Valle Frances, and then gorgeous sunny skies for 3 straight warm days, for which we were OH SO appreciative, as we made our way up to the Torres peaks. We learned a lot on the way and managed to keep warm, dry and cozy in our tent with a few tricks. After a warm dinner every night, we would bring water to nearly boiling, fill a water bottle, and throw it into our sleeping bags to keep us nice and toasty. Works GREAT! The mountain wonderlad scenery we enjoyed is surreal and beyond description, so a return trip to Patagonia was tops on my list of planned destinations. Andean condors soar through spike-y granite monolyths towering overhead, and waterfalls spill off them to turquoise glacial lakes surounded by yellow and orange forests of southern beech trees below. And you can safely drink the delicious, crystal clear, and slightly sweet water that comes directly from the glaciers, right out of the rivers and falls. An unforgettable week full of rewarding challenges that deliver us closer together than when we started.