Torres del Paine - day 3 - dest 5

it was going to be a great day!

​Day 3 started with as much cloud cover as the night before but not as much rain, the fog was low and it felt cold. But today was going to be my longest day and so I didn’t want to leave late despite the weather. Also Anna and I realised it was our last day together cause she was staying at a different Refugio that night. So all wrapped up in waterproofs we headed off.

trying to get excited about heading off in the rain

We made good progress thanks to Anna’s positivity. And then we reach a massive river cross with no bridge. It was flowing in full force and we were just supposed to cross with our backpacks balancing over rocks. This was scary for me. We went up the bank to see if there was a better spot. Anna, the pro that she is, started throwing rocks over and made herself a bridge and began to cross it. But the stones were so unstable that I couldn’t. I saw a couple who crossed back down, where the path was supposed to be and so I ventured back down the bank and mustered up my courage to balance this massive backpack on rocks. One step at a time is the only way and I’d rather get wet than fall into the river get hurt. So I went for it and amazingly my shoes did the job. They really held on and at one point my right foot was submerged in water for a while but I came across the other side and my socks were pretty dry and I had crossed without falling into it. Success! The little things. And also the first example where a thing Maria told me later that nightwas true for ‘trust your shoes’ and boy I really do. Good shoes take you so far.

Right, first hurdle passed and then as I’ve said before in Patagonia and especially in the mountains the weather is completely unpredictable. So just like that we saw the clouds giving way and the sun was trying to come out.

and the sun came out!

It got beautiful, the day was simply amazing from here on. We went through a beach and into a forest and up across the first hill and then got to the top to a clearing. We stepped out and wow. I noted the below in the moment:

I’m sitting on a rock with one of the best views of the valley and mountains and the sun came out and an hour and half later you’re rewarded with amazing sites. I feel on top of the world. I feel overwhelmed, yet again with tears in my eyes, of how lucky I am to be here and that I made it. It’s spectacular.

After this spot I was full of energy and excited to make the remaining trip into the valley and up to the Frances glacier lookout.

the lake with a gorgeous view of the mountains around

We stopped at the Domo Frances so Anna could drop off her big backpack as she was spending the night there. I had to carry mine till Camp Italiano and further to Refugio Pain Grande. While waiting for her I realised I felt some pain in my left hand and saw I had some small thorns. I had to pull out my tweezers and remove three tiny thorns, those deceiving small wild berry bushes with their thorns. Successfully removes we were off to Italiano. Fairly easy walk there and I got a chance to leave my big bag and switch before we entered the valley for the lookouts. The rangers told us the Britanico look out was closed cause of the heavy rain the night before but everyone said the valley is stunning so I was glad I at least got to make it to Frances glacier.

This stretch is pretty steep too but not super hard. Maybe my body kinda got into the rhythm of it. Somehow this day seemed to be going better for me at that time. You can look at Francies pretty much the whole way up but honestly every time I looked at it I wanted to take a picture. It was stunning and at one point I turned around and saw the  lake we stopped at a while ago with its perfect blue green turquoise colours glistening in the sunshine.

Frances glacier on the way up

The stunning blue lake from way up

An hour and 10 mins later we made it. Anna found a perfect fallen tree branch spot and we made ourselves comfortable there. The sun was so nice and strong we lay down and took in the 360 view that lay in front of us. We could see Frances and Cuernos now as clearly as possible. This was the perfect lunch spot. Stunning. Amazing. Spectacular. And many more such adjectives come to mind. I was happy and satisfied and pleased all at once. It was great. Again a spot I didn’t want to leave. But we had to specially since I still has more than half my trip to complete for the day. This was when I felt my knee. Going downhill is not fun so I couldn’t do it any quicker but we made it.

Loan Curenos range

At the top taking in the view

I said goodbye to Anna promising to go visit her in Moscow and picked up my bag for my solo 7km walk to my stop. At the beginning I was a bit lost without her but slowly I got into it. Walking alone was different and nice. I had no epiphanies or moments of clarity or anything like that but I sure loved it. I was almost alone the whole way. I listened to my music and just powered on. The last hour was hard, I’d been walking for 8 hours already so I was pretty beat but the music helped. Finally after many valleys and hills I cross one to see another gorgeous lake and knew that’s where I had to get to. When you actually see the lodge for the first time you will know. The setting and view is simply divine. I struggled but the good weather and view helped and I made it in.

And the solo walk begins

 Checked in and got shown my room and well my room buddy was Maria. I took off my bag and I literally broke. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t bend my knee. My foot was better today perhaps cause the pain in my left knee was overpowering. Then I realised I had actually hit my knee somewhere cause it was bruised and wasn’t just muscle pain. I had to shower. Get some hot water and feel relaxed. Somehow I made it just in time for dinner. Maria and I didn’t say a word over dinner. We simply ate. The bar was up a flight of stairs and honestly that was the hardest staircase of my life I felt. But I also really wanted a glass of wine. So one step at a time we ventured up. Had a beautiful view and sipped our reward and felt how much I had worked my body today and knew tomorrow would be small. I had decided not to make it to the second lookout of Grey glacier. But today was spectacular one of my favourite days of the W.