forrest_m Posted November 21, 2002 Share Posted November 21, 2002 sayjay - the classic "paine" circuit will give you a good overview of most of the climbing areas, esp. if you leave the crowds behind an hike up into the valle de silencio. prepare to be amazed. be aware that from p. arenas, you will have a couple of travel days unless you can get the bus schedules dialed in... in theory, you could get from PA to the trailhead all in one day - it's about 4 hours (by bus)to puerto natales, another 4 to the park entrance, then like an hour in a smaller bus to the trailhead, and it's hard to get it all coordinated w/o spending the night in natales. so you might want more than 7 days round trip from PA if you can swing it. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryland_moore Posted November 21, 2002 Share Posted November 21, 2002 Fucker!!! I say go before and after the business. You could take a ferry over the Strait of Magellan to Tierra del Fuego and climb some smaller less-technical glaciated peaks. Or go to Los Glaciares National Park and spend a few days hiking to basecamps of Cerro Fitzroy and Torre. Then spend a week in Torres del Paine National Park. You have to do the Circuit. If you do the zig-zag route, you miss out on the most spectacular valleys in the park. We did this hike counter-clockwise (highly rec. b/c of the ease of going over the pass from this side). E-mail me or PM me if you want more details. Definately take some time to really enjoy it. You can make it from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas in a day by bus. Most hostels (people's homes in Natales) will set up bus pick up for Torres del Paine National Park. You can be hiking and to the first camp by the afternoon. Once done with the circuit, you can get transportation to Los Glaciares National Park (El Chalten). Bussing is very easy to do down there, especially during the peak of the their summer! If you go to Torres Del Paine and do not take the day hikes up Valle Frances and Valle Ascencio to the very top Miradors, then you are missing out on some of the most spectacluar and beautiful sceney in the World! Have a blast......Fucker!!!! [ 11-21-2002, 02:08 PM: Message edited by: ryland moore ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryland_moore Posted November 21, 2002 Share Posted November 21, 2002 Oh yeah, a bunch of hard-core Chilean climbers started a youth hostel in Puerto Natales called Concepto Indigo . They are big-wall mad men who climb all the time and even have a climbing wall. I met Steve Schneider there in 1999 after his solo ascent of the Central Tower and new route, Golazo 5.10+ A4+. Pretty chill place. Plus there are some nice multipitch climbs in the area that the guys could tell you about. Sit around, listen to stories of fierce Patagonian battles in the mountains and get drunk off of Gato Negro box wine. Good times! The fishing ain't too bad down there either. Sea run browns avg. 10-15 lbs. Fun on a 7 weight! [ 11-21-2002, 02:09 PM: Message edited by: ryland moore ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyleg66 Posted November 21, 2002 Share Posted November 21, 2002 There's a penguin colony about 1/2hr outside of town. There's an entrance fee but it goes to supporting the reserve. Its very touristy but if you have never seen penguins before its great. It totally blew my mind seeing those little guys waddle around. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mneagle Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 My wife and I did the Torres del Paine Circuit last April. It was incredible. A group of us went in on a minibus to get from Puerto Natales to the park and managed to get all the way to the camp just below the Torres lookout in one day (arriving after dark). After witnessing a magnificent sunrise on the Torres the next morning, we did the circuit in the clockwise direction, spending a total of 9 days. We took every side trip and didn't rush things. I found going up the pass from that direction to be strenuous but I'd rather go up something like that than sustain the knee trauma it would take to get down it. Although you'll be there during the "climbing season" I wouldn't bet on getting up anything unless you have a long time to spend waiting out wind and rain. I agree with RM that just doing the "W" on the front side cheats you out of the less crowded and equally awesome parts of the trail. Don't miss the hike up Vale de Frances to the lookout. We also hiked to the Rio Pingo area and spent 2 days day-hiking out from the Refugio Zapata. It was much more secluded than the circuit. The best view of the entire area is from the Mirador Zapata in the late afternoon. Be very cautious with your foodbag. The mice showed amazing ingenuity in getting into ours. In Puerto Natales you can get some of the best seafood imaginable. Indulge fervently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winter Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 quote: Originally posted by ryland moore: Sea run browns avg. 10-15 lbs. Fun on a 7 weight! Is that a shithead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayjay Posted November 22, 2002 Author Share Posted November 22, 2002 Believe it or not (I can't!) I just found out that my job is sending me to Punta Arena for a week-long meeting, Jan 20-25, with flexibility to travel and play in the area on the front or back end I'm thinking I'll stick around en extra week or so. I know there's probably 5 kajillion things to do in the area, including climbing all kinds of stuff in Patagonia that i've been dreaming about climbing but am not yet good enough to do, especially partnerless! So what I'm looking for is advice on hikes, whatever, to do. Can I reasonably hike into some of the climbing areas in Torres del Paines even just to scout them out? Anyone done specific hikes that they'd recommend? This has all happened so fast I haven't had time to do any research so any info would be great... (no one out there is actually going to be down there at this time, are they???) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelle Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 You lucky duck! Check your pm's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayjay Posted November 22, 2002 Author Share Posted November 22, 2002 Hey, thanks everyone! (except Winter ....) This is really helpful. Went out and bought a couple of books yesterday and am now trying to sort out how long to stay 'n all that. Sounds like just an incredible place- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryland_moore Posted November 22, 2002 Share Posted November 22, 2002 I second mneagle and jimmy leg. The penguin colony is cool and the mice are bad! Chewed a hole in my new Gregory Denali! It is best to just put you food in a plastic grovery bag and hang those from the small beech trees (sons of beeches hahahah!). The mice are very skilled at sliding down the rope you hang your food bag with. Who cares if they chew through a plastic bag or not, but it sucks when your stuff sacks or packs or even tents get chewed on. Safe travels. Oh yeah, the salmon at La Burbuha (restaurant) in Puerto Natales is excellent!Save it for after your circuit hike. If you really have time. I would definately reccommend taking the NAVIMAG boat through the fiors of S. Chile back to Puerto Mont. Amazing scenery and wildlife and you get to see a part of the world that very few ever have a chance to see. Plus it is cheap. Three days going north two going south. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrueger Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 I just finished reading Enduring Patagonia by Gregory Crouch. That place just sounds magical and amazing -- made me want to go there sooooo bad! Hopefully you will be doing more enjoying than enduring. Have a great time (lucky dog)!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayjay Posted February 25, 2003 Author Share Posted February 25, 2003 hey y'all! thanks for all the beta. we had a *great* trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 is that washington pass?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialed Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 Sick!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayjay Posted February 25, 2003 Author Share Posted February 25, 2003 by the way, there's all kinds of first ascents to be had there. ...IF you can get yourself more than 3 hrs of blue sky at a time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryland_moore Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 Ironically, when I was there in April (Fall) we had two weeks of bluebird days and only a few clouds periodically! Too bad all the climbers had left for the season. Same season (Sumer 1999 when Crouch was down there and wrote Enduring Patagonia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 erik said: is that washington pass?? looks like mt si to me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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