We woke up early in the morining on Sunday to get everything togoether for the big hike at the Torres Del Paine. Keep in mind we did not plan on doing a 3 day hike and we are not prepared for it by any means. So over coffee we checked out the map and plotted the route we would try to do. We found a company that had an experienced guide who told us about our options. We did not want to camp, becasue we did not have the equipment and the equpiment to rent was expensive, so we were hoping for availabilty in the refugios which are located at certain points on the trail. They are hostels which fit 6 people to a room, have terrible food and even worse bathrooms.

After planning this trip all day, we were reserved at the Las Torres Refugio, which is kinda the begining for anyone hiking. We rented a backpack and bought food and water at the grocery store and loaded up. The hostel we are currently staying at allowed us to keep our bags there while we were hiking, since we would be coming back there on the last day.

Monday morning arrives and the bus forgets to pick us up! Some poor guy picks us up and drove really realy fast to catch up with the bus. The bus was the worst bus I have ever ridden on. It was terrible. There were only two seats left on the bus, one in the front and one in the back. Annika sat up front and I sat in the back with the Hebrews. Seriosuly, they were all in the back of the bus speaking hebrew and I was crammed in the middle of all of them. It was pretty uncomfortable until I sparked a conversation with one of them who spoke english and found out that he was a drummer, likes Metallica and is coming to Seattle in the fall for 6 months. I got his e-mail. Cool guy.

The bus drops us off at admin and we catch another, much samller and nicer bus to Los Torres. We get to the top (3 hours later after leaving Natales) drop our stuff off at the Refugio and set off on the journey. Keep in mind that I carried the back pack and all the food and water that Annika would enjoy at the top ;)

This is the Refuigo at Torres. No more buses.

Below is the view from the Refugio. The little mountains in the lower right is where we are going to be hiking. It makes me tired just looking at them.

And so begins the hike. The heavy back pack and all. There are plenty of brigdes like this one along the hike. Some are not so stable as others. It reminded us of the time in Romania with the bridge without rails that I am sure Katy Yeager will apprectiate.

Some pics along the trail...

One of the more stable bridges along the way.

45 min from the top....we are almost there....but little did we know the best was yet to come!

Always save the best for last right? (The climb to the lookout)

Good thing it was worth it!!! Las Torres-The Towers!

A little ciesta below the magnificant view...

So we made it back 14 miles later stayed the night in the refugio and decided to come back to Natales the next day instead of wasting more money on the awful accomodations. Well worth it!