By Tracey Mason, Judge
Superior Court of Gwinnett County
GRAYSON, Ga. | A little over 500 years after Ferdinand Magellan discovered his Strait in South America, over five days at Christmas, I discovered Patagonia, directly to the north of the Strait that reaches almost to the tip of South America. Some call it the “End of the World.”
Mason
Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, fjords, bays, and intricate channels cradle rugged, stunning landscape. Having visited this far-removed area with its unpredictable extreme weather and high winds, I now appreciate that a passageway safer than the stormy one around Cape Horn was crucial then.
For Christmas this year my family gifted each other with an adventure: to hike the popular W Trek on the Chilean side of Patagonia. After hopping on and off local flights to this remote destination, we finally reached Puerto Natales, the small city where excursions launch an hour or so from our destination of Torres del Paine National Park.
The W Trek, named after the shape of the trail, travels 40 miles up and down mostly rocky trails through the Park around “Las Torres” (the three towers), the French Valley, and the Grey Glacier. Traveling during their summer season allowed us to see in abundance wildlife like guanaco, puma, ostriches, condors, falcons, geese, and eagles – not to mention the beautiful flora highlighting the postcard-picture landscapes.
PHOTO ESSAY: Click here to see more photos of Mason’s South American hiking trip.
Our group of 13 folks in their 30’s to 60’s was challenged in many ways, starting with having to whittle down our gear to the five pounds to be carried by porters, our “best friends.” Anything else we carried in our day packs. Traveling east to west on the Trek, we set out on the toughest part, the 14 miles, out and back up 2,460 feet to the base of Las Torres. Muscle aches were almost forgotten with the panoramic view of Las Torres and its turquoise lagoon below.
Nights were spent at “refugios” or camps located along the trail. Reservations must be booked far in advance. Tucking into a sleeping bag with winds whipping around our tent to the sound of avalanches in the distance was a memorable part of our adventure.
Setting out the second day (of five), our handy guides warned our group that, until we reached our last camp, the only way through was by foot. Not to be dissuaded, we hiked around Nordenskjold Lake with its light blue waters contrasting beautifully against deep green forests.
Temperatures at this time of year were in the 40-50 F. range, but winds were up to 45 mph.
The next day took us to the French Valley to see the imposing French glacier hanging over Paine Grande Mountain. We climbed to 360 degree views to take in the greens and greys, and a few avalanches in the distance, after crossing an eerie and beautiful forest of dead trees (from a wildfire).
Our last day on the W Trek led us to Grey Lake and the lookout point for Grey Glacier. From Lake Pehoe we finished our hike with a ferry ride back to Puerta Natales, where we spent extra days recuperating in this quaint foodie town where it all began as the perfect ending.
Not sure I will ever have the chance to do it again. But, awfully glad I did.
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