This morning, leaving from Punta Arenas to go to Puerto Natales, a nearly compulsory crossroads to join the Torres del Paine park, jewel of the area and probably of the South of America. We'll know more about it within the next days. We get off at Puerto Natales in the beginning of the afternoon after a 4h bus trip. An hostal owner is waiting at the terminal exit and offers us a night for 6€ for each one including the breakfast. This will do, before talking about the rest of our program, Torres del Paine, planned for tomorrow. Inside the park, the main path is called W and lead up to different watchtowers.The upper path is closed because of the depth of snow. It's the low season and the cold doesn't attract many people and according to the information given by the hostal owner, just one refuge is open. As for the rest, we'll have to camp and eat our freeze-dried food. We hasten to buy extra food : soap powder, energetic bars - a 4 days/3 nights trek in the park is waiting for us. For this trek, we'll be 3, Jaume, A Spanish boy we met at the hostal will come with us.
Tomorrow morning, it's the great departure, accordind to the weather, we'll start either at the East if the weather is mild or at the West if the weather is dismal. The trek can be split as following (from East to West) : departure from the "Guarderia Laguna Amarga" to go to "la hosteria Las Torres" before heading for the first part of the W and "la valle Ascencio". From the top, we'll able to gaze at the Torres del Paine. Walking down, we'll carry on the central part of the W called "la valle del Frances" that offers points of view on los Cuernos del Paine. We'll end with the last part of the W which snakes along the lago Grey before coming back to the "refugio Pehoé". From this refuge, we'll reach "l'Administracion" walking alongside the Rio Grey before catching the afternoon bus which goes back to Puerto Natales. A great deal of informations, but everything is on the map, accessible clicking this link (follow the yellow arrows !). Waiting for the pictures I'll send as soons as we're back ! All the same, I have 2 pics here : views of the bordering Puerto Natales lake.