Date: 20231102
Time: 8:10 – 16:30
Distance: 18,9 km
Overnight stay: Chileno Camping, Torres del Paine
Walk
No big breakfast today, only some cookies and chocolate nuts, with water. I save the can of Fanta I bought yesterday for later today when I need a sugar shot.
Today I am not only blown away by the scenery but also literally by the fierce winds. I already think the wind is strong, man am I in for a surprise later today.
And then you are ‘on the beach’, that is if you count big pebbles as beach. I walk a small section very near to the water. The wind is so strong that the water gets blown from the lake.
I meet the couple from Utah again, they stayed at Cuernos and are now going up to Britanico. They made it to the first suspension bridge at glacier Grey.
After about 3.5 kilometers, and not 2.5 kilometers as is shown on all the signs, I reach Cuernos. Time for coffee, Nescafé but better than nothing.
Before I leave, I put the rain cover on my backpack because there are some dark clouds in front of me. But luckily they drift away from me. I only feel some drops. This is good because the rain cover comes of the backpack, probably because of the shrubs and trees that are growing over the path.
I take regular stops when going up, this is good to take in the view and to catch my breath. I remember when doing the South West Coast Path this was not necessary, but then again that was almost 6 years ago…
Just like yesterday I take a break after I cross a suspension bridge, here I notice that I am off track, but given the amount of other hikers I don’t worry. There is also a horse track here and I think Gaia took that one when it created the route. A little bit later I am back on track again.
I see sparrows catching the gusts of wind and flying away at very high speed. Looks like a very good adrenaline rush (do birds have adrenaline? I checked, they do).
I decided to have a big break when there are less than 7 kilometers to walk. When I do there are 6 kilometers left and I sit on a rock and have my sugar shot and a protein bar. A couple passes by that I already met a couple of times today. The guy asks if he should take a picture of me. So today not only scenic pictures, but also one or two with me in it.
Then it goes up to Chileno, a steep section of a few kilometers and exposed to the wind. Here I learn that the fierce wind of today was nothing but a breeze. At some sections going up the wind gusts are so strong that I am glad I have my hiking poles, otherwise I would have been blown from my socks (sorry for the literal translation 🙂
Raindrops are falling but not too much and they are welcome to bring some extra cooling.
At some point I see a lot of people coming from another path to the left. I think they also come from Cuernos, I probably could have taken another route, maybe with less height differences. But then again this was a nice trip.
I made it! Before half past four I am at Chileno and check-in for my tent. While checking in I also order my first and very well deserved beer of today. First things first.
At first I sit outside but with these winds that is not very nice. So I go inside the overcrowded restaurant and I find a spot to sit. Here I meet Renata who is walking the trek with here two Brazilian friends. I passed them a couple of times today and she asks if it was easy for me because it looked like I was walking the trek without any difficulty. I assure her that it wasn’t as easy as it looked. Renata is originally from Brazil and we talk about al lot of things. Sitting with Renata and her friends is a couple with a woman from Peru. She tells me to go to Peru, like Lise and Sven did last year. She also tells me to go to restaurant Central in Lima, the number one restaurant in the world. Expensive but worth it. I checked it and in 2023, it earned the No. 1 spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants ranking.
They are making plans to go up to Tres Picos tomorrow and they want to leave at 3 am! They ask me to join them but this is really too early for me. I am having breakfast at 7 am, my first decent meal in two days.
After taking a shower I go back to the restaurant to have another beer and to type my adventures of the day.
Weather
Today it was mostly cloudy with some short sunny periods, some drops of rain and a lot of wind.
Songtext of the day
The sparrows were flying fast and high today. Here is Flying High by Captain Hollywood Project.
We ‘re flying high
We ‘re flying right up to the sky
We fly so high
We’re flying right up to the sky
We fly so high, we fly so high
Yes I don’t need no stress
‘Cause that’s the kind of stuff that makes a mess
Breakin’ me down and takin’ me to the test
Keepin’ me brother from givin’ my best
Gotta chill gotta chill gotta gotta kill
Before I cannot feel anything that’s goin’ down
Turnin’ my head around and around
Takin’ me to the highest level
Diggin’ my own grave with a shovel
Many boss remain in my brain
Cover me truly and sing.
I cannot speak, I cannot speak
I wake up sweatin’ up in my sleep
That’s why, that’s why I’m flyin’ high.
We’re flying high (We’re flying high)
We’re flying right up to the sky
We fly so high (We fly so high)
We’re flying right up to the sky
With an extra station from the ground
The stars are shining round and round
So high we’re flying right up to the sky.
We’re flying high (We fly so high, we fly so high)
We’re flying high.
Yeah that’s the way I got to go
When everybody’s singin’ my mo and mo
Pickin’ up the record in a record store
Hollywood, Hollywood on the radio
Jammin’, jammin’ forty people bang me
It’s me and gets his slam in right
So why don’t you play all night
Puttin’ on the jeans and the jeans all tight
Gotta go gotta go gotta go now
Try to relax and I don’t know how
Listenin’ to the sound I like to hear best
The sound that makes me cheer
I’m gettin’ away from a everyday cry
Runnin’ away from hardcore lie
I’m flyin’, I’m flyin’ high.
We’re flying high (We’re flying high)
We’re flying right up to the sky
We fly so high (We fly so high)
We’re flying right up to the sky
With an extra station from the ground
The stars are shining round and round
So high we’re flying right up to the sky.
We’re flying high (We fly so high, we fly so high)
We’re flying high.
We’re flying high (We’re flying high)
We’re flying right up to the sky
We fly so high (We fly so high)
We’re flying right up to the sky
With an extra station from the ground
The stars are shining round and round
So high we’re flying right up to the sky.
We’re flying high (We fly so high, we fly so high)
We’re flying high.
