28 km in about 13 hours (including breaks)... I'm so exhausted! I guess you could say I'm in a lot of "Paine" right now, but that would be a bad joke, wouldn't it?
I got up at 5:15, when everybody was still sleeping, and left at 6 - this left me with at least 15 hours of daylight to complete the hike which according to my map can be done in 10 hours.
The hike took me from lodge Paine Grande to Campamento Italiano, then up Valle del Francés, all the way to the lookout at the top, back down the valley again, and then on to Refugio Cuernos - all the way carrying my backpack. On the way up the valley, I accidentally followed the wrong trail for a while - at least 20 minutes straight uphill, all for nothing. At least I wasn't alone: I met three other hikers who had also chosen the wrong trail independently from each other.
Just before Campamento Italiano, there is an interesting suspension bridge crossing a major stream.
The weights supporting the bridge are river stones in a wireframe cage. As I found out later, all the bridges and trails in the park are made and maintained manually - including the usage of manual drills because there is no electricity at arbitrary points on the trail. Knowing the amount of manual labor involved, it is all the more surprising that the trails are all in an excellent condition.
Further up the valley, there are great views of Glaciar del Francés. Unlike Perito Moreno, where chunks of ice just sink into the water when they break off, this glacier produces a small avalanche every time. The avalanches make a sound just like thunder, and the first few times I was afraid there was a storm coming (though it didn't look like that).
The viewpoint at the top was magnificent. It offered a 360° view of the surrounding mountaintops and the valley.
Descending the valley, I was overtaken by a group who were running and jumping down in a very light-footed manner. I was immediately jealous: why do I have to feel fat and heavy and move at a glacial pace? So a bit later I gave jogging a try. Surprisingly, jogging makes everything easier: you go faster, but the pace is a lot easier to maintain. I guess the key is not jogging in itself, but rather applying the same principles to your steps that also apply in running: short, quick steps, and making the front foot touch down very close to your center of gravity. I applied these principles during the last part of the hike (when I was already so exhausted that I felt like sleeping on the spot), and it was really amazing how refreshing it felt, and how quickly I arrived after.
The refugio is named after these mountains. They are called Cuernos - horns - and views like this can be seen from the refugio and nearby:
I got up at 5:15, when everybody was still sleeping, and left at 6 - this left me with at least 15 hours of daylight to complete the hike which according to my map can be done in 10 hours.
The hike took me from lodge Paine Grande to Campamento Italiano, then up Valle del Francés, all the way to the lookout at the top, back down the valley again, and then on to Refugio Cuernos - all the way carrying my backpack. On the way up the valley, I accidentally followed the wrong trail for a while - at least 20 minutes straight uphill, all for nothing. At least I wasn't alone: I met three other hikers who had also chosen the wrong trail independently from each other.
Just before Campamento Italiano, there is an interesting suspension bridge crossing a major stream.
The weights supporting the bridge are river stones in a wireframe cage. As I found out later, all the bridges and trails in the park are made and maintained manually - including the usage of manual drills because there is no electricity at arbitrary points on the trail. Knowing the amount of manual labor involved, it is all the more surprising that the trails are all in an excellent condition.
Further up the valley, there are great views of Glaciar del Francés. Unlike Perito Moreno, where chunks of ice just sink into the water when they break off, this glacier produces a small avalanche every time. The avalanches make a sound just like thunder, and the first few times I was afraid there was a storm coming (though it didn't look like that).
The viewpoint at the top was magnificent. It offered a 360° view of the surrounding mountaintops and the valley.
Descending the valley, I was overtaken by a group who were running and jumping down in a very light-footed manner. I was immediately jealous: why do I have to feel fat and heavy and move at a glacial pace? So a bit later I gave jogging a try. Surprisingly, jogging makes everything easier: you go faster, but the pace is a lot easier to maintain. I guess the key is not jogging in itself, but rather applying the same principles to your steps that also apply in running: short, quick steps, and making the front foot touch down very close to your center of gravity. I applied these principles during the last part of the hike (when I was already so exhausted that I felt like sleeping on the spot), and it was really amazing how refreshing it felt, and how quickly I arrived after.
The refugio is named after these mountains. They are called Cuernos - horns - and views like this can be seen from the refugio and nearby:
