Towers of Pain
Once in Chilean Patagonia, a visit to the Torres del Paine National Park is a must. The park is ideal for camping and trekking and the views are amazing! 
The origin of the park’s name is a bit unclear. In Spanish, “torres” is the word for “towers.” On the east side of the park there are three huge rocky towers standing side by side seeming to look down on the rest of the park. The view of these three towers is one of the most photographed views in Chile. 
However, the origin of the word “Paine” has historians mystified. There are several theories. Some say it’s named after a mountain in Argentina -- although it is both spelled and pronounced differently. Some say it’s named after the word “sky blue” in an indigenous language – but the language was spoken in a distant part of Chile, not by the locals. There are other theories, but in reality no one is certain where the “Paine” part of the name originated. Until now. . . I think I’ve figured it out. After four days of being sedentary on a boat, followed by an early morning wake-up call and a two-hour van ride, we embarked on the trek up the mountain to see the famous Torres. Straight up the mountain. It was an 18km trek (that felt) uphill both ways! Nothing like a day of trekking to make a person realize how truly out of shape one really is!! Midway up the mountain it occurred to me: “Paine” is based on the English word “Pain.” Exactly what a hike to see the beautiful Torres causes! Once I realized that the park was called the “Towers of Pain” I really questioned why I was so excited to visit this den of sadism. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit – regardless of my muscles getting a wake-up call they never wanted, the views were stunning and totally worth it! 
And after 15km, 19km, and 11km treks on the following days, I was back in the groove and feeling much better! The park and its scenery are amazing and well worth a visit and a few days of trekking to really experience it!
Besides, it wasn’t all exercise, we found time to relax and slow down a bit as well. 
In addition to amazing scenery, we were fortunate enough to see some wildlife along the way. Plenty of the infamous Andean condors (which are tough to photograph but beautiful to observe).And during the hour-plus drive through rolling hills and mountains (where we saw no signs of people for miles!) we passed numerous family groups of guanacos. They are a smaller relative of the llama and alpaca and super cute! 
We also happened upon a grey fox while trekking up to see the Torres. He wasn’t too big but we gave him a wide berth nonetheless. 
On days three and four, we trekked up the mountain to see glaciers. I continue to be in awe of the size and grandeur of glaciers. 
Surprisingly, we were told that it can get very cold in the park and were told to bring warm layers. (I guess a windbreaker and a knit cap don’t count as warm?) I had a hard time envisioning super cold temps when I was sweating in the 80 degree campsite. So, when we got to one glacier lookout and stood there in the freezing rain and hail, I was cold. Really cold. Amazing how a two-hour trek can change the elevation enough to make a 40 degree temperature swing! Regardless, I stood in the rain and hail admiring the French Glacier.
Every 10 minutes or so, we would hear a huge sound – like thunder almost. And we could see a chunk of the glacier at the higher elevations falling down the mountain. The avalanche sound was incredible. And watching the snow as the avalanche moved down the mountain was awe-inspiring. Nature is so powerful. I was thankful that I was on a mountain across the valley and not down the mountain from the avalanche! The park is a beautiful spot and Patagonia is still unspoiled by human intervention – just nature at its finest. The best word I can use to describe it is vast. More soon. . .
Renee, Great post! It sounds fantastic!
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