We departed around 8:30 stopping briefly a few times to shoot different angles of Torres del Paine and the surrounding ranges. Our guides went in to get our tickets for our first boat ride of the day and apparently they didn't have our reservation for the boat. This got sorted out, we got on our way to the boat, and then we saw this tiny thing we'd be on plus a small motorized raft to get us to the boat. Once we got on the boat, we rode for almost an hour to get to a huge, beautiful iceberg known as Glacier Grey.
After viewing, we landed on a shore nearby to begin a "4-5 hour" hike. After taking off layers and getting my trekking poles ready, I turned around to find no one but Muti, our guide, waiting for me. Fortunately 5 others were within sight so we caught up quickly. I eventually worked past everyone as they stopped to shed layers that I had already taken off straight off the boat.
I eventually caught the next group, not by my speed but because they (including Jill) stopped to wait for at least some of us. Jill and I continued out on the hike, on of the best and most beautiful of this entire trip. We finished in about 3 hrs and 20 min. We then waited in the Paine Grande Lodge while the group trickled in.
After the group arrived, we stood in line for the hydrofoil ride across Lago Pehoe to a spot we could get back to our hotel. This boat was PACKED with people basically standing for the entire ride for 30+ minutes. It felt really good to land and get off that beast.
Our bus took us about 40 minutes to the NICE hotel with a great view of Paine Massif and the Paine Horns. It is the best hotel in the Patagonia region so far. It had been a long day -- 12 hours from one hotel to the next. No time for a shower before dinner at 8:30pm. Food was good and I plan to take tomorrow off from the hiking tour and just rest and drink lots of water at the hotel with a book and write some postcards.
I eventually caught the next group, not by my speed but because they (including Jill) stopped to wait for at least some of us. Jill and I continued out on the hike, on of the best and most beautiful of this entire trip. We finished in about 3 hrs and 20 min. We then waited in the Paine Grande Lodge while the group trickled in.
