Torres del Paine Trek - Day 3 - Campamento Torres

Fortified with our meal, we decided to head to the campground close to the towers. Finding a campsite that late in the day was a big challenge. All the prime and even the less prime spots were taken. The only sites left were on an angle, so we slid quite a bit during the night. Given how tired we were, we really didn’t notice much.

Mountains of Fire

We got up quickly at 4:00 AM the next day and hit the trail in total darkness. Considering the distance we walked the previous day, my legs didn’t feel too bad. Kirk felt strong as well. At first we made good progress meandering around in the dark, but then we lost the trail, we totally lost it. About the same time my legs just died. Uphill, out of shape, with my tripod, camera and lenses, battling boulders and scree was just too much. Kirk marched on blazing an insane path. I followed, but slowly, having to take breaks. As the sun began to rise, so were my frustrations. I was not used to worrying about “making it.” While I pushed, I tried not to push too hard as it was dangerous in the dark on the treacherous terrain.

Finally I arrived with the majestic towers in front of me and just in time. The sun rose over the horizon and lit up the massifs with the vibrant, fiery reds seen in the postcards. Looking back toward the sun gave an equally beautiful silhouette of the other mountains.

If you didn't make it in time for sunrise, the towers were no where as dramatic.

Given the amount of hiking in the past 24 hours, we decided to take a recovery day and revisit the towers again the following
morning.

The story continues...