We entered into the Southern Patagonian town of Puerto Natales, gateway to the Parque National Torres Del Paine. Due to it's dry summer terrain and strong winds this area is particularly vulnerable to devastating fires. Unfortunately Torres Del Paine has been the victim of several non-natural but accidental fires in the last decade. Two destructive fires accidentally started by tourists in 2005 and 2009 caused widespread damage, and just two weeks prior to our arrival a fire broke out causing more damage than either of those before. So much so that it led to the evacuation of the park and the President of Chile declaring the area a 'disaster zone'.
Fortunately for us on our arrival 80% of the park was open, but only half of the 'W Circuit' hiking trail. Not fancying our chances of undertaking the full five to nine day W route anyway there was still plenty on offer for us.
After a night in Puerto Natales to plan our route we made our way to the Parque Nacional with just our sleeping bags and enough food for a couple of days. On approach of the park we got our first sight of the 'towers of pain' rising up from the Patagonian Steepe like a fortress. The towers are akin to a violent force that could be attributed to Dantes seventh level of Hell, and would make the perfect lair for the bad guy in a James Bond film!
On arrival we dumped out stuff at a refuge and started the 10km hike to the base of the Torres. Expecting a freezing temperature we'd packed hat and gloves but the first few hours of our uphill hike was in the powerful Patagonian summer sun. The ozone over Patagonia is very thin so you can really feel the full force of the sun on your back when slogging your way up a rocky incline.
Four hours, a couple of litres of water and a few sandwiches later we arrived at the base of the Torres Mirador. A final one hour climb had us scrambling up and over loose rock and slate to reach the laguna at the base of the Torres Del Paine. Mission accomplished, it was a chance to catch our breathe and have a snack before starting our descent.
Another four hours and another 10km later and we were back at the refuge, and time to bed down for the night to give our body's some much needed recuperation.
Despite some stiff limbs and sore feet we were eagerly anticipating a 24km round trip hike on day two. However after a relatively straight forward first couple of kilometers the wind began to pick up to an almost intolerable level. Northface jackets came on (despite it still being relatively hot and sunny) to provide some respite, and we decided to push on! After 20 minutes or so we found ourselves stuck 'sheltering' every couple of minutes. Sheltering is a loosely used term here, and in essence we found ourselves flat on the floor in a desperate attempt not to be whisked into the air like Dorothy and Toto. Either through bravery or stupidity we continued on to the Laguna, trying to cover as much ground as possible in between every two minute 'GET DOWN' situations! In no exaggeration of the truth it was not possible to stay on your feet when these winds are at their bi-minuitely high. They took the sunglasses clean of Adams head and 50m into the air never to be seen again. Quite literally beaten by the weather we decided to turn back once reaching the extremes and open space of the laguna. Here you could be fooled in to thinking it was raining as the winds plucked the water out of the laguna and scattered it in the air.
Slowly we started to make our way back to the comfort of the refuge. As we did we started to feel quite fortunate to return intact as we passed a few people who had not been as lucky and suffered injuries to exposed limbs and faces where gravel had been picked up in the wind! I'm not superstitious but this day happened to be Friday the 13th! Pleased to report we survived our visit to Torres Del Paine, and got a great understanding of the reasoning behind the name!
With winds this strong and in such a dry climate it's very easy to see how a small fire can quickly spread to 20,000 acres, and take days to get under control. We were fortunate not to have been affected by the fire, but the park which usually receives an annual 200,000 visitors (just two and a bit Wembley Stadiums) and has a high season of just three months of the year has been severely hit. The impact on the local community and their livelihood, as well as the seven firefighters who gave their life battling the blaze is a tragedy. Meanwhile the tourist who has been charged with starting the fire (by burning toilet paper) has received a $100 USD fine, and his country have as yet offered up no form of compensation. A current controversial and political issue in Chile which we will be keeping our eye on.
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