Torres del Paine Park

Up and at ’em very very slowly for another day in the national park. At 8:45 (departure 9 am) there were only 5 of the group ready to board. The rest of the group trickled out a within a few minutes either side of departure time. 

We were off … at the what seems like 20kms per hour. Patricio certainly was looking after the gear on the not so badly corrugated road. I guess given his investment in the coach it was definitely in best interest to do so. Jill Elder decided that she stay behind and sample some the resort services and be the single handed welcome home committee. 

So putting along at 20 and rarely touching the mind blowing speed of practically 30kms for and hour or so saw us in the east side of the park. We scrambled off and readied ourselves for today’s 1.5 hour walk to glacier viewing platform. 

A way we go cross the swing bridge 6 at a time. The wind with some help from the stirrers in group had the bridge really swinging at times. Luckily we had bundled Sharpy on with first group and he was halfway across before he realised what going on.  A little concerned if I could get him to make the return journey over the rushing water in windy conditions a couple hours later.

A brisk walk through forest before emerging onto the river bank of deep fine shifty pebbles for what seemed like never ending walk across the pebble bank in middle of the lake. This proved to be a very difficult waking surface.e. My first glimpse of an iceberg that had broken away from the glacier and was probably very very old.

On reaching the far side the group started up the other side to find the viewing platform. Three of us felt that we could see enough from here and decided starting back would help us to get back at same time as the leaders making the return journey.

Simon and Rosalie took the blue ribbon for first back but Kerrie Macdonald certainly earned a special mention for jogging back to be sure that she wasn’t last back today. It was a sight to behold of Kerrie running across the swing bridge with Frank and Henry jogging behind her – that certainly got it swinging and how they kept their feet under themselves I will never know.

Packed lunch boxes at the picnic tables were welcome before we made to long slow ride home. We were welcomed home by a very fresh and relaxed looking Jill. Another good day that ended with drink outside the bar looking at the mountains of course most conversation was around lambing percentages best times to shear how the wool market was this week etc.

You can take these folk away to a foreign land but their hearts are still well and truly at home. Tomorrow caves and boarding Skorpios lll for next 3 nights.

Now these are spurs

 We most likely be offline for the next four days while cruising the glaciers