Day 12 - The wonderful, beautiful, impressive Torres del Paine

Today we will spend a second day at the park. Some early birds (or at least would-be early birds), have set the alarm clock this morning to witness a magnificent spectacle: the glow of the rising sun that casts on the mountains. However, this morning appears to be heavily clouded. Bummer.  After an hour of fruitless waiting we crawl back in our warm bed. No beautiful sunrise for us.

Today there are two walks on the program.

The first takes us passed the Salto Grande waterfall, up close to the massif. This morning walk is more of a fight against the forces of nature, in this case the wind. Wind speeds are recorded up to 80 km / h. And  this while we walk at times on narrow roads up the hill. At times I even get blown away. But we are rewarded with yet another breathtaking view of the massif and the colours of the lake.

In December 2011, a fire caused damage to tens of thousands of hectares of nature when an Israeli boy was careless. A graveyard of dead trees as far as you can see, is the tangible  memory of this tragedy.

We take lunch just like yesterday with a view of the massif. In the afternoon the wind begins to blow even harder. Normally there is a walk with views of the Grey glacier on the program. But the local guide finds it too dangerous to go up there. The wind blows so hard that you can get a stone against your head. Plan B is to admire the glacier from a distance from the Lago Grey hotel terrace. Not really an alternative, according to a small majority, so the walk will take place for volunteers only. The rest will enjoy with a drink in hand from the hotel terrace, all that natural beauty.

The wind blows phenomenal on the beach of Lake Grey, where the glacier flows into. And I mean phenomenal, with whopping speeds of up to 130 km / h. No weather to let the dog out, let alone to do a walk in for fun. The weather is inclement, the wind is trying to get the upper hand, it is all about withstanding the relentless force that goes out of the wind. Close to the lake, the water is splashing and falls on us, though at times it feels  rather a shower. When the wind is at our backs, we only have  to lift your feet. The rest happens all by itself. Unimaginable. We see icebergs that have broken off from the glacier.

At the end of the beach we enjoy the view of the glacier and then we start the way back. This walk is a victory on ourselves. And we can honestly say: we survived the Patagonian wind. Barely, but we survived it.

Torres del Paine is one of the most beautiful areas I've seen in my life. After the initial cloudiness this morning, it cleared so nicely. There is the robust force of the massif, and with the sun shining on it, it has an unusual beauty. The towers or needles, are threatening, menacing but of absolute perfection. As if God himself has sculpted this mountain range.