As I already went up to the Torres del Paine viewpoint yesterday, today's hike was very relaxing: just about 5 km mostly downhill. There was another part back to the bus stop, 7 km along a dirt road, that I intended on walking. About 15 minutes into that part, a chilean family in a big van stopped and offered me a lift - very nice!
So I guess it's time for a recap.
First, how did the food work out? I ate almost all of it, just one packet of peanuts remaining (about 1200 kcal). I was very happy about the salted peanuts. At the rate I was sweating I really needed the extra salt. Of the three bags of canned vegetables I took, I was very happy about the olives; the pickles were ok; but the bag labeled chucrut was disgusting. I bought it because it looked like sauerkraut, and I think it was made from the same plant, but the taste was different - very sour - and I had to throw it away. Another item that I loved was the hot sauce. It made everything from eggs to chorizo to crackers taste better. Eggs, dried fruit and sweets were also excellent. For the future, there are some items that I saw other hikers eat that would've been good: canned tuna, canned meat or sausage, toast. Next time I think I'd also take cooking gear - hot coffee or soup or noodles or powdered potatoes just seem too delicious at times ;-)
Second, the shoes. I love my shoes, and I'd like to thank everybody who coaxed me into taking real hiking boots on my trip. After five days of hiking, I have no blisters at all. Sure, my feet hurt in the evenings, but not due to bad shoes.
Third, experience. It was very interesting to see how my hiking skills improved over these five days. I guess I was pretty much a newbie before, and I fussed a long time over stream crossings or downhill slopes in the beginning. Starting on the third day, I felt much more confident. I started to know which terrain I could trust my boots with, and I suddenly had no problems at all anymore with crossing streams (after realizing that my boots are waterproof up to about ankle level). In RPG terms, I'm certain I have gained one or two levels in hiking ;-)
And finally, my overall impression. I guess I mentioned once or twice in my previous posts how amazing the nature and the views were. I totally loved seeing all of that. Of course, it was also very physically demanding - which, in a way, I also loved - although sometimes it would've been hard to go on without my motivational song in my head :-) What I found a bit strange was that I didn't have any sore muscles at all, although some parts of the hike seemed like an excellent workout (those 30-minutes-straight-uphill parts carrying a 12 kg backpack come to mind...)
Anyway, here are two more pictures - just two of the many flowers that were blooming in the park.
So I guess it's time for a recap.
First, how did the food work out? I ate almost all of it, just one packet of peanuts remaining (about 1200 kcal). I was very happy about the salted peanuts. At the rate I was sweating I really needed the extra salt. Of the three bags of canned vegetables I took, I was very happy about the olives; the pickles were ok; but the bag labeled chucrut was disgusting. I bought it because it looked like sauerkraut, and I think it was made from the same plant, but the taste was different - very sour - and I had to throw it away. Another item that I loved was the hot sauce. It made everything from eggs to chorizo to crackers taste better. Eggs, dried fruit and sweets were also excellent. For the future, there are some items that I saw other hikers eat that would've been good: canned tuna, canned meat or sausage, toast. Next time I think I'd also take cooking gear - hot coffee or soup or noodles or powdered potatoes just seem too delicious at times ;-)
Second, the shoes. I love my shoes, and I'd like to thank everybody who coaxed me into taking real hiking boots on my trip. After five days of hiking, I have no blisters at all. Sure, my feet hurt in the evenings, but not due to bad shoes.
Third, experience. It was very interesting to see how my hiking skills improved over these five days. I guess I was pretty much a newbie before, and I fussed a long time over stream crossings or downhill slopes in the beginning. Starting on the third day, I felt much more confident. I started to know which terrain I could trust my boots with, and I suddenly had no problems at all anymore with crossing streams (after realizing that my boots are waterproof up to about ankle level). In RPG terms, I'm certain I have gained one or two levels in hiking ;-)
And finally, my overall impression. I guess I mentioned once or twice in my previous posts how amazing the nature and the views were. I totally loved seeing all of that. Of course, it was also very physically demanding - which, in a way, I also loved - although sometimes it would've been hard to go on without my motivational song in my head :-) What I found a bit strange was that I didn't have any sore muscles at all, although some parts of the hike seemed like an excellent workout (those 30-minutes-straight-uphill parts carrying a 12 kg backpack come to mind...)
Anyway, here are two more pictures - just two of the many flowers that were blooming in the park.
