Introduction to today's journey
Today's journey takes us from Camp Paine Grande along the main trail of the W Trek following above Lago Scottsberg until eventually crossing Rio Frances to Camp Italiano where we stop for lunch. From there we continue under the mountains passing Camp El Fraces to our destination at Camamento Los Cuernos.
Today's Journey
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Waking up under overcast skies as a fox lurks around the camping ground. We pack up and have breakfast before starting our hike wearing packs along the front of the mountains. |
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Climbing high above Lake Pehoe with the camping ground still visible on the grassy flat in the distance. |
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Looking forward, we are how hiking the hills under the base of Cerro Paine Grande and making our way towards the Torres del Paine directly ahead of us, shortly to cross a low saddle to follow the shores of Lago Scottsberg. |
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Rickety bridge across the river at Vallee del Frances, the valley between the two groups of mountains. The cloud has fallen quite low now so we don't proceed much upstream along what would be a rough track making up the middle of the W. |
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Once across the river we stop at the Italiano camping ground before following Vallee del Frances downstream as the weather closes in. |
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The cloud briefly lifts for just long enough to get a glimpse of the spectacular face of Cerro Paine Grande and its plunging glaciers. The valley will have been completely filled with a glacier during the ice ages. These glaciers would have carved out the lakes surrounding the mountains. |
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Approaching the bottom of the valley with the first view into Lago Nordenskjold where the river flows into. |
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Although I don't see the mountaintops, the peaks of Torres del Paine rise vertically two kilometres overhead. Here a waterfall plunges out of a kilometre deep ravine between two of the mountains as rain falls. |
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Reaching the camping ground of Refugio Low Cuernos where we settle in our tents for the second night as the rain starts to clear. |
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Fortunately the camping ground has an amazing hut where we are well fed with Patagonian cuisine - they love their meat here. |
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