I have a
big hike ahead today. We have breakfast together and spot the
Portuguese group setting out for the Grey Glacier trip. Then I go
and meet the others in the lobby. There are only eight today:
another British couple, Karim and Paula, the gay couple, Nigel, and
me. The guides are Rodrigo (the guy Nigel gave such a hard time on
the first evening about the number of places for the Grey Glacier
walk) and Pablo, from Monday’s walk. It’s a long drive, about one
hour, to the start of the walk. The weather looks promising, still
cloudy but warmer and no rain. I must have slept for the best part
of the drive. We turn left at the guarderia, then cross a very
narrow bridge, the van only just fits, with the mirrors folded in,
and then drive on to the Hosteria Las Torres, where there is a group
of buildings; a hosteria, a few shops, cabañas, stables, and plenty
of parking.
The first part of the walk is flat, and then starts to climb,
gradually at first, but then getting steeper and steeper. It’s warm
and we have to take off layers. The walk is at a fast pace and
before long I start to feel it. I’m getting puffed; my heart is
beating loudly, and I am sweating a lot. Pablo hangs back with me.
There is also another Chilean young guy, also called Pablo, who it
turns out they have brought along as “chef”, I think. The climb
doesn’t get easier, in fact only harder and steeper as we go up. I’m
finding it difficult to find a walking pace at which I can keep
going, and miss not having Ness here and find myself thinking a lot
about her. I begin to realise how much strength is in the mind and
not a physical attribute. Together we can take on much more than
individually. I’m convinced that if we were both here we, and I,
could make it and keep going. Ness would find it tougher physically
than me but we would be able to support each other. Now I’m on my
own and have to be honest with myself as to whether I can keep this
up for a whole day. We’re not even up the first steep section yet. I
can see where it ends but it looks far away. Beyond it the terrain
descends and climbs in short but steep sections, and the final part
will be a tough steep climb on moraine. The clouds have not lifted
and there is no guarantee that they will later. I continue for a bit
longer, thinking things over. I try to focus on just walking but
can’t make the mental switch. Finally I make up my mind and decide
to bail out. Pablo is good; he doesn’t talk me either into or out of
it and helps me to think it through. He offers to walk back with me
but I convince him that I’ll be fine and that he should carry on up.
One of the two gay Americans also looks puffed and I can see him
thinking it through too. Pablo will radio the van driver to let him
know I’m on my way back.
Then I take a last look at the hill, now relieved and then turn
around. It amazes me how steep the climb actually was. We have
climbed much higher and walked much further than I had imagined. The
path is quite clear and I can see other hikers making their way up.
Orange markers here and there help to guide me. Even so there are
points at which I have to decide whether to go left or right without
the visual aids, no markers, no other walkers in sight, and I can’t
see where I’m supposed to head for.
As the steep bit starts to flatten out I can start to walk more
quickly, walking with good long strides, enjoying this bit very
much. Even the “flat” bit is a long distance. Eventually I can see
the footbridge we crossed earlier. I have taken a wrong turn
somewhere but it doesn’t matter now since this path will also take
me to the bridge. Even here there are short very steep bits but now
I find it easy to focus on something else while climbing and get to
the “summit” of the steep bits before I know it, walking at a fast
pace without any trouble. Which tells me that I could have done it
after all – I’ll never know now.
Back at the van the driver offers me a very welcome cold Imperial
beer, aah! I buy a few postcards at the kiosk. While drinking the
beer a group of horses laden with provisions is led out of the
stables by genuine-looking huasos. Hopefully the pictures will come
out. The driver takes me back to the guarderia, where two other
Explora vans are waiting to meet walkers from another walk. Another
Explora van stops by and goes past. Not sure whether Ness is in this
one – we’ll meet at the quincho. Later another van comes by and Ness
is in this one, from the photo safari. I join the van and we drive
on to the quincho, stopping here and there for pictures.
Two-sticks and the lesbian couple are also on the bus. I keep
looking towards the Torres, feeling disappointed with myself but not
overly so and looking forward to the barbecue now. The barbecue is
in a large purpose-built wooden octagonal building, with the “asado”
in the middle and huaso-types preparing the meat, whole lambs (?) on
vertical skewers arranged around a metal contraption in the middle.
Empanadas are on a grid on one side. We can help ourselves to salad
and there is a small bar where drinks are served. We’re at a table
with Mhairie, the Portuguese doctor and his wife, and one of the
Americans (Fred?) Lamb is very tasty but I can’t eat much. Oh, I
stepped in pooh outside while having a smoke – Ed (NL) was trying to
warn me (“p-p-p-pas op, ‘t is al te laat”) I ask Francesca about the
possibility of joining the afternoon horse ride but decide against
it later, my heart is not in it.
The vans take us back to the hotel in the afternoon. We relax a bit
in our room and then go for a walk around the hotel, on the wooden
walkways. I only realise that Ness has packed our swimsuits as we’re
walking to the building with the pool. [Comment from Ness in the
margin: “Liar, you gave me your trunks!”] We spend some time sat in jacuzzi pool by the lake with a bottle of bubbly, perfect! The water
is very hot and gives me a headache but the air is warm enough to
simply sit on the edge of the pool with feet in the water. Lots of
midges and mosquitoes though. To cool down we go for a swim in the
pool. A great end to the day, relaxing and unwinding. I even get to
make my mark in the lake on the way back to the hotel.
It would be good to have our last dinner here to ourselves, with a
romantic table for two overlooking the Torres as the sun is setting.
We go downstairs early, have a drink in the smoking room and I try
to book a table for 8.30pm. The waitress tells me to simply leave my
fleece over one of the chairs. We go to the restaurant a bit too
early, 8.15pm. Apparently they don’t start dinner until 8.30 but it
doesn’t seem to be a problem. Lacking a bit in atmosphere without
other diners around. I guess I was a bit too keen. Partway through
dinner the restaurant livens up though and I’m glad we did get our
table early.
Afterwards we go downstairs, smoke for me, and Ness heads up to our
room. As I’m sat downstairs Curly comes in and starts preparing for
a slideshow. I call Ness to let her know and she comes down a few
minutes later. It works out quite nicely because now we also have
“front row” seats for the slide show. The room soon fills up, with
the Dutch contingent near us. Ed makes me laugh when he says “let’s
see how many we can smoke out of here!” Curly’s slides are stunning
although his commentary is a bit limited. Ed keeps saying “schitturund”,
not being totally sincere I suspect but it’s hard to tell. “Die
kerel is gewoon begaafd joh”. He makes me laugh again when he says
“die gaan we eens mooi een veer in z’n kont steken” and I have to
translate for Ness. [Literal translation: “we’re going to stick a
nice feather in his arse”, meaning “we’re going congratulate him”]
That reminds me, after I asked Maria whether they had seen any pumas
she answered that they had found some “mooie pumadrollen” (puma
pooh). Ness must now be convinced that pooh is a Dutch national
obsession. We stay on, having more drinks after the slide show. Ed
and Maria play jenga. A group of arrogant Brits (city traders) are
sent packing with tails between their legs, and we have a rather
late and boozy evening all in all. Ness went up a bit before me and
by the time I make it to bed everything is already packed for
tomorrow.
