We headed into Puerto Natales with a plan. That was for Nick and I to hike for 4 days in 
Parque National Torres del Paine and my sister was to work on her masters thesis in town. We headed into the park and hiked two hours up to a camping spot on the first leg of the ´W´ (a hike up to three miradors, view points, in the shape of a W). Nick thought we wouldn´t fit in the tent with our bags and left his outside. The next day he spent a little time cleaning the mouse droppings out of his pack, and figure out which granola bars they got into. 
We got to the first mirador around noon o´clock the next day. It was all socked in and we couldn´t see the Torres (towers) that the park is known for. However, the clouds gave it a different feel and it was still worth it
. We spent the next 6 hours hiking down to Campamiento Los Cuernos. This was the most painful, exhausting part of the hike. By this time the blisters have set in and the shoulders are sour from carrying our packs. 
The following day was the Valley Frances. 
We hiked for 5 hours and were ready to quite, when Nick asked a guy how much further to the mirador. He ended up being from Aspen and luckily we didn´t turn back, it was only another half hour to the top. We got to see some amazing views, avalanches, and ate some cheese
. The hike down was a little faster, however, the estimates on the hikes were way off, and the wind started to pick up.
The wind registered upwards of 60km/hr, and our packs acted like sails, blowing us off the paths. The wind was even strong enough to slightly bend a bar on my tent.
We made it into Campamiento Paine Grande, hungry and tired. With the wind blowing as it was, we decided it would be better to stay in the refugio than to try and fight the wind. The next day we headed out towards lago Grey to see the glacier.
We had lunch atop the cliffs and headed back for our boat out the next day.
Ambition told us that we could complete a 4 or 5 day hike in 3 and 1/2 (25 hours hiking). We did it, however, we paid for it in blisters, pain, and the loss of a toe nail (not mine). We took the boat across lago Pehue where Nick would catch his bus back to Calafate for his flight home to the States, and I would head back to Puerto Natales and my thesising sister. While waiting for our buses we hiked up to Salto Grande, a waterfall nearby. We tried to take the same picture we took over six years ago the last time we were here.
Parque National Torres del Paine and my sister was to work on her masters thesis in town. We headed into the park and hiked two hours up to a camping spot on the first leg of the ´W´ (a hike up to three miradors, view points, in the shape of a W). Nick thought we wouldn´t fit in the tent with our bags and left his outside. The next day he spent a little time cleaning the mouse droppings out of his pack, and figure out which granola bars they got into. 
We got to the first mirador around noon o´clock the next day. It was all socked in and we couldn´t see the Torres (towers) that the park is known for. However, the clouds gave it a different feel and it was still worth it
. We spent the next 6 hours hiking down to Campamiento Los Cuernos. This was the most painful, exhausting part of the hike. By this time the blisters have set in and the shoulders are sour from carrying our packs. 
The following day was the Valley Frances. 
We hiked for 5 hours and were ready to quite, when Nick asked a guy how much further to the mirador. He ended up being from Aspen and luckily we didn´t turn back, it was only another half hour to the top. We got to see some amazing views, avalanches, and ate some cheese
. The hike down was a little faster, however, the estimates on the hikes were way off, and the wind started to pick up.
The wind registered upwards of 60km/hr, and our packs acted like sails, blowing us off the paths. The wind was even strong enough to slightly bend a bar on my tent.
We made it into Campamiento Paine Grande, hungry and tired. With the wind blowing as it was, we decided it would be better to stay in the refugio than to try and fight the wind. The next day we headed out towards lago Grey to see the glacier.
We had lunch atop the cliffs and headed back for our boat out the next day.
Ambition told us that we could complete a 4 or 5 day hike in 3 and 1/2 (25 hours hiking). We did it, however, we paid for it in blisters, pain, and the loss of a toe nail (not mine). We took the boat across lago Pehue where Nick would catch his bus back to Calafate for his flight home to the States, and I would head back to Puerto Natales and my thesising sister. While waiting for our buses we hiked up to Salto Grande, a waterfall nearby. We tried to take the same picture we took over six years ago the last time we were here.
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