A Walk in the Park (Not!).

PUERTO NATALES, CHILE, 6 March 2023.

The alarm goes off at 5:45am. If breakfast was difficult to swallow yesterday it's even worse today. Transport arrives at 6:30 prompt. PG is still asleep so walks straight past the guide in the lobby. Once on board, he introduces himself as Gregorio and the drive as Christian. We collect a couple of Spanish girls who we learn later are called Cynthia and Nourra that have just completed medical school.

Gregorio repeatedly checks that we have access to the QR codes for entry into the park, even offering to lend us his phone to use the internet. He tells us that the journey will take two hours to get to the park and then a further thirty minutes to the start of the walk.

The road is only good for the first half of the journey. Then major roadworks are underway. We're driving on soil roads rutted by recent heavy rain. After ninety minutes we stop at a Mirador with views across the lake to the mountains. Gregorio takes our photo, it looks like we have been photo- shopped into the picture.

The scenery is fantastic as we drive through the first part of the park. Our QRs are checked and I learn that we could have paid here. I'd spent over an hour last night trying to buy on line. We drive to the check in point at the start of the walk. A guide must accompany hikers on this trail. Gregorio signs in and tells us to read the poster about how to deal with a puma!

Now that we are experts, we can start the walk. Gregorio sets off at pace, Cynthia and PG can keep up but Nourra and RJ drop behind. He makes no adjustment just waiting for them to catch up from time to time. At these stops, he shares the history of this area from prehistoric times through the changing geology to the movement of people following the las Ice Age. At a point high in the hills, he points out some cave paintings. The walk takes nearly three hours any PG's watch shows over 8km. On the way down to the finish, we are treated to the sight of several condors and meet a herd of guanacos.

We eat lunch on the move in the minibus. We'd met Christian at the end of the walk which was back at the entrance to the park. Gregorio tells us that the next part of the walk will take three hours! RJ & PG look at each other aghast! Fortunately, he's wrong. We pass a stunning waterfall and walk for an hour until we hit the end of the path with spectacular views of the three horns of the Torres del Paine.

A young guy was practicing yoga on a rock far from the pathway whilst his father took photos. Gregorio then performs the equivalent of a citizens arrest, phoning ahead to the rangers. His passport was taken and he could be fined. The lad's attitude cost him because Gregorio thought that he was arrogant without sorrow.

Back at the car park, we hear a guanaco making a distress call. Gregorio looks for a puma without success. Then RJ spots something. It's a large fox according to Gregorio using his binoculars. We would like to think otherwise!

Then on to the final walk, a steep climb and descent to a viewpoint over the valley. At the last stop, we'd met a couple from Reading and Moston and they appear here as well. RJ decided that a steep climb was beyond her so stayed in the coffee shop. Quite quickly it became apparent that Nourra should have done the same! She struggled from the start. We started in bright sunlight but as we approached the summit the wind strengthened and the rains came. At the collar, PG decided that the wind was too strong and would wait for them. Nourra agreed. As it turned out,there was no view from the top only white cloud. The descent was much easier.

It was 5pm when we left the park, we'd been there 8 hours. We exited the park by the west entrance which was closed this morning. We didn't have to face the roadworks on the way back but there were still sections of rutted road. At 6:30pm, we arrived back at El Sendero, a full 12 hours after leaving.

After a quick change, we headed to a pizza restaurant, called Napoli, where we shared a pizza and a salad. Along with a beer and a pisco sour. A young lad sat at the table next to us, asking if we minded him sitting so close. He' s called Xavier and his girlfriend, Camilla, works in the restaurant. We talk of Chile, Europe and England and learn that he's 32 and works in local hotels but only the posh ones. It must be difficult if his an Camilla's night's off don't coincide, as they don't tonight. The pizza is too big for us to finish. So, we offer it to him. He gratefully accepts then proceeds to ask for a box to take it home. Much to our amusement.