Day 1 (2/27): Puerto Natales to the park entrance to Campamento Seron (12 km, 7.5 miles)

We walked to the bus station with our bags (good warm up at 7 am) and then slept the whole 2 hours to the park.  After getting dropped off at the Refugio in the hot mid-day sun, we couldn't find the sunscreen so Mark ran to the hotel and bought more (which we of course found later that evening and really didn't need at all the last 6 days).

And we are off!

These owls are actually quite rare to see in the park and we saw one feasting on a mouse right next to the trail!

Eventually, we walked the 4 or so hours (12 km) to Campamento Seron which was a slightly hilly but easy first day.  This camp had hot showers and a really nice camp host. We socialized with a Chilean couple on their first ever camping trip.  I was impressed that the 100 pound Pami was carrying a pack much bigger than mine however, I don't think she was happy with it on our longer day 2.  We also met 6 Israeli's on their post-military travels.  They were all very fit and hot (Mark agreed too) but definitely on vacation because they took hours to hike between each camp (more on them later).  Great first day!

Stickers went on the tent to prove we paid... don't want to be woken up in the night to show proof!

Day 2 (2/28): Seron to Refugio/Campamento Dickson (18 km, 11.2 miles)

I slept so great and after a delicious granola and apple breakfast, we were on our way to Dickson.

The trail passed beautiful streams (I hear the fishing is good here Dad!) and climbed one decent hill but then the rest of the trail was a flat and long but beautiful trail to Dickson.  Since we are on the backside that only those doing the full circuit access, we practically had the trail to ourselves as we met no one going the opposite way and passed just 2 other groups going our direction.  It was sunny and just wonderful!  

The best part of trekking here is that the river water is safe to drink and plentiful!  Some people trek with only cups and fill up as they go!

Two thumbs up to a great lunch spot!

We ate salami and cheese wraps on a beautiful perch overlooking Rio Paine and Lago Dickson which is fed by the Glacier Dickson.  The camp spot was on the end of the peninsula.

The view coming in to camp (down there on the right side of the peninsula)

As it was a warm day, I decided to shower but the one with hot water didn't have a door so at least I accomplished laundry and a shower at the same time!  Pami and Ignacio arrived very late so we shared our fajitas and rice dinner with them as they still had to set up camp and it appeared rain was coming.  Unfortunately, just as we transitioned in to March, so did the weather and it rained all night. 

Day 3 (3/1): Dickson to Los Perros (11 km, 6.8 miles)

Our plan originally was to relax and walk around the lake to view the glacier this morning but the residual morning rain (and clouds blocking the glacier view) meant we relaxed in the tent until nearly 9 am.  It finally cleared some and we left camp at 1130 to hike up through the beautiful green (and muddy) forest.  

The view looking back at Lago and Glacier Dickson

The mirador of the Valle de Los Perros was breathtaking.

We stopped by a quiet stream for lunch with only a slight sprinkle overhead.

However, as we kept climbing (we gained 400 meters, 1300 feet today), the sprinkle turned to rain which turned in to a windy downpour.  We knew we were close to just kept going which unfortunately meant for very wet feet (while my gaitors were dry in my bag... kicked myself for that one!).  Thankfully, Los Perros had a pretty large enclosed cooking shelter with a fire and soon, all 25 or so trekkers had lined the rafters with wet clothes.  

Our tent was soaked so we opted to rent a pre-set up tent in hopes that would also assist us in an early departure in the morning to get over the pass. 

However, we later learned that the river past the next camp may be too full for those at Paso to leave so we had to wait until 9:30 in the morning to see if they left before we could head that direction.  So that was somewhat futile but we did enjoy the bigger and dry tent space.  We cooked and mingled with a Swiss guide whose client was a German woman on her first big trek.  He was super prepared for any weather option (he is also sponsored by Adidas) so we figured she must be paying a lot of money to have him fly from Switzerland to lead her on this trek!  But it offered me peace of mind we would be hiking over the pass with an expert!  We fell asleep with crossed fingers that we wouldn't be stuck another night at soggy Los Perros!

Day 4 (3/2): Los Perros to Refugio Grey (14 km, 8.7 miles, peak altitude 1200 meters, 3930 feet)

Since there was no hope of leaving before 9:30 and we didn't have to take down our tent, we slept til 8, ate a hearty oatmeal breakfast and were ready to go when we got word from the rangers that we could thankfully continue. It even seemed like the sun was trying to peer out so we were optimistic that the weather would cooperate today. We hiked up through more mud though this time we were prepared with gaiters and all our waterproof gear on.  We soon reached treeline where the path was only rocks up to the pass. Thankfully we could see in the distance so continued but soon the snow started falling and the wind was wiping it around us. As the snow began to rise with every meter we gained in altitude, we were thinking to ourselves that on a Colorado hike we would have already turned around.  But on this hike, the promise of a warm, dry bed on the other side kept us moving!

The clear skies quickly turned in to snow!

 We made it to the top about 2 1/2 hours after we started, paused for a very quick photo and then worked our way quickly down out of the wind.

 As we lowered, the snow and clouds subsided and finally saw the ginormous Glacier Grey spread out before us. It began in the clouds to the right and extended all the way to our left.  Just phenomenal!

Even the panorama option doesn't do this glacier view justice!

Soon we reached a very steep downhill descent through the trees and reached Campamento Paso 4 1/2 hours after we left Los Perros. Though we planned on staying here, this free camp spot looked wet and baren and only a windshield (versus a shed) to cook in so we ate a quick dehydrated meal and kept going.  However, we did have the camp ranger radio ahead a Refugio reservation because I decided this day was the perfect excuse to splurge a little for my birthday!  Another 3 hours or so of hiking along the glacier and over 2 very long and somewhat scary suspension bridges (reminded me of Nepal) led us to Refugio Grey.  

That's a long ways down but the view next to the glacier was phenomenal!

Looking back at the glacier edge as we neared Refugio Grey.

Finally a place to dry our clothes (and selves)!  Slept like a queen!

At the Refugio, we were shown our room with 3 empty bunks and immediately started laying stuff out to dry. After a hot shower, I felt like a new woman! We cooked our delicious chicken teriyaki dehydrated meals in the camping cook area and followed it with desert of the Nutella wraps heated up in our pan. We enjoyed conversations with Spanish and Chilean hikers and finally fell asleep in our quite and dry Refugio beds (we ended up with the whole room to ourselves even). This pre-birthday splurge was exactly what we needed!

Day 5 (3/3): Refugio Grey to Campamento Paine Grande (10 km, 6.2 miles) and Suzy's Birthday!

Waking up dry and warm (especially since it was windy and rainy outside) was awesome! Mark surprised me with a sweet card that he carried all the way from Colorado and a Refugio breakfast of eggs, salami, cheese and toast. A perfect start to my birthday here in Chile!  At breakfast, we met a guy from San Diego named Kerry who was celebrating his birthday too!  He was hiking the W with his 5 months pregnant sister Kaitlyn (she gets adventure points for doing this pregnant!) and her husband Brandon.  We made plans to meet for drinks in Paine Grande to celebrate that evening.  We slowly packed and geared up for the rain, leaving around 11 for Paine Grande. 

We really need to get new, non-matching gear!

We are now on part of the W trail so encountered as many people within the first few kilometers as we did the whole four days on the backside. The weather soon cleared and we said adios to Glacier Grey behind us but had fabulous views of Lago Grey to our right and the huge Cerro Paine Grande mountains to our left. And wind. The wind here was the strongest we have experienced yet and would have knocked us over a few times if we didn't have sticks to support our weight. 

Thankfully my hat had a good strap but it still wanted to blow away in these winds!

After 3 1/2 hours, we approached the crystal blue of Lago Pehoe and saw Refugio and Campamento Paine Grande ahead. 

Birthday camp spot with quite a view!

 We set up our tent by the hill to minimize wind but it was still quite a feat. We even put rocks on the stakes to ensure it would stay put! For my birthday dinner, we enjoyed a nice glass of wine and a delicious Refugio dinner of chicken, potatoes and flan (complete with the candles Mark trekked in).  The whole room ended up joining in on singing Happy Birthday to Kerry and I!

 I would have felt a little guilty enjoying these comforts on a typical backbacking trip but it's part of the Torres del Paine experience and hey, it's my birthday! What a fun day with a great guy in a very special place!

Day 6 (3/4): Paine Grande to French Valley to Los Cuernos (22.5 km, 14 miles)

When we opened the tent, we were greeted with a beautiful sunrise over the mountains!  It was like a painting and I'm so glad I opened my tent to see it! 

 Thankfully my now 32 year old feet were feeling more rested after the short day prior and I was ready for a long but scenic day ahead.  We left at 9 and through some rain and sun, arrived at Italiano, a rough looking free camp that I'm glad we didn't stay at. Here we left our packs tied in the trees because I saw a mouse near the shelter and didn't want our packs to be lunch!  We then hiked up the French Valley with only a light daypack. It felt great! Except it was up and up to the first Mirador of the amazing hanging glacier, Glaciar del Frances, looming above us.

Then we hike up more (about 1800 feet up in elevation) to the last viewpoint at Mirador Britanico.  We scarfed our sandwiches and enjoyed the great views of the massive peaks surrounding us. We ran in to the San Diego crew and they helped us take lots of photos in the beautiful valley. 

 While I would have wished for more sun, the rain at least stayed away for the most part. We walked back down, stopping for more photo ops along the way.

 We met up with the 6 Israelis and they really seemed to be enjoying this hike less and less (especially after crossing the pass in even more snow than we had since they left later).  We wished them well but wouldn't see them again until the bus stop in Puerto Natales when we learned they all left a day early (skipped Torres) because they were exhausted and said it reminded them too much of their time fighting in the military.  We also never saw Pami and Ignacio again but heard they made it over the pass fine too.  Around 5, we left Italiano with our packs again and slogged the next 1 1/2 hours to Los Cuernos. We hiked along Lago Nordernskjold, even down along the waters edge, before reaching Los Cuernos.

 At Los Cuernos, we put the tent up quick and enjoyed a much needed and earned feast of noodles and chicken, soup and the last of the Nutella wraps heated up with some condensed milk our German neighbors lent us. It was delicious.  I really enjoy the cooking part, mainly because our meals really only require hot water and the company of fellow hikers from all over the world is a lot of fun.  It was also definitely time for a hot shower which certainly makes it worth it for these paid camps.

Day 7 (3/5): Los Cuernos to Campamento Torres (16 km, 10 miles)

Our calm evening transitioned to rain and wind overnight. Sure, the rain brings nice rainbows but I didn't sleep well, thinking our tent was going to blow away, and so in the morning, I decided I was over it. Over the rain, the wind, the cold, the pack, the hiking.  

 A delicious granola breakfast and a somewhat clear sky made me feel better though and we left around 1030 to Torres. We ate lunch at the shortcut turnoff to Chileno and had snippets of sun before climbing up and up and back in to the clouds and rain. 

We had met up with our San Diego friends and were sad to leave them in the warmth of their Refugio as we slogged another hour up to free campsite Torres. Thankfully, this at least meant we only had an hour hike up to Torres to watch the sunrise tomorrow. We quickly set up our tent before the rain got heavy again and cooked up our last dehydrated meal. Thank goodness we brought those from the US! They were so perfect for this backpacking trip. Unfortunately, it kept raining and again, I was so over it so we went to bed early with all our layers on (we are back up at 600 meters so I predicted a cold night ahead). This sunrise better be good tomorrow!

Going to sleep all bundled up and it was still light out.

PS- I realized I only took a few photos today because of the rain and again, I was over it.  Thankfully Mark was very motivating and I don't think I would have gone all the way up to Torres without his encouragement!