Patagonia, Torres Del Paine, W-Trek (Part 3 )

Introduction

Day 3 had us waking up in rain, walking in rain and getting to shelter from rain. In sharp contrast to day 2, day 3 was filled with less colors, while emitting an ominous atmosphere, cool! We got spectacular views at the French lookout and got a short trekking day which meant more rest. Additionally, we got a lodge, a welcome comfort for my drenched feet.

French Glacier, loves

Day 3

I woke up in my tent in the rain, finding my shoes soaked and my food eaten by mice. Definitely not the best start. Just like dinner, we had breakfast in a little hut, with our torchlights on as sunrise was a good 1-2hrs away. We then took a hike up to the French lookout in the rain and fog. At this time, we had to make a decision, whether to give up on the lookout as the fog would have rendered the scenery at the lookout miserable. Tip - when in doubt, quit thinking, push on and hope for the best (Spirit!).

The French Lookout

The French Lookout overlooks the French Glacier. With clouds and mist constantly shifting in front of it, there was a cool and mysterious atmosphere in the area. Additionally, we witness several avalanches while my group mate sang a song of whether man or mountain is bigger. Definitely, mountain is bigger, and it wants to tell man that, HA.

Trekking to Paine Grande

The entire trek to Paine Grande involved walking through long flat stretches (yay!) of muddy paths (nay!) in never ending rain (sad). With mist blocking most of the surrounding views, I could not quite capture photos of the surrounding mountains.

Paine Grande Lodge

After having a rain drenched night and day, I was really glad for a bit of luxury at the end of day 3. Overlooking a beautiful lake, which is where people normally catch the boat to get out of the park (not available off-season), the lodge gave me a nice shower and heater to dry my clothes and shoes.

Up Next

Day 4 is up next, which means the brilliant gray glacier is coming up!

Stay tuned!