Without knowing I arrived at the Torres del Paine

By: Alejandro Misael Robles Obregon

How about travelers?

I come to tell you my story about when I went up to the Torres del Paine viewpoint in Chile.

Like any good adventurer, browsing and hunting for low prices, I got a super cheap flight from Monterrey, Nuevo León, where yours truly is from, to Santiago Chile.

First time in this country and the truth is I was very excited to get to know Santiago and other places around it; It is worth mentioning that I bought the flight almost a year in advance.

When the date arrived (November), Chile was already having protests about salaries, pensions and workers’ rights, there were large demonstrations in Santiago and with this I thought about canceling my trip, I started looking for acquaintances or contacts in Chile and they told me that it was The situation was difficult but the airports were working and what they recommended was to go to the towns in the south of the same country.

I did not hesitate to search and found Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales on the map, places that looked very interesting from the internet and without thinking I bought the connection from Santiago to Punta Arenas.

Upon arriving in Punta Arenas I quickly connected by bus to Puerto Natales where I had already reserved my room. Going about 2 to 3 hours by bus to Puerto Natales I had to share a seat with Mónica, an excellent person who also arrived as a backpacker but she came from Germany, luckily for me she was a Spanish teacher so I had no trouble talking to her at all. all the way.

Surprise awaited me in that talk with Monica, what are you going to do here Alejandro? (Monica asks), will you visit Torres del Paine? Will you go to Perito Moreno? Will you visit any glacier in Chile?

I swear that I had only seen those places mentioned in photos on my office calendars and I couldn’t believe that I was nowhere near reaching them, because then it’s too late as we say here; Arriving in Puerto Natales I went straight to the information booth at the bus station where they gave me all the information; where I had to buy my tickets, entrance and lodging to get to these places; I didn’t think twice and bought my ticket to go to Torres del Paine.

I only spent one day getting to know Puerto Natales (excellent place, excellent people), since on the second day at 7am I would board my bus to go to the Las Torres camp.

Another few hours by bus, surprising landscapes that I will never forget and never imagined seeing; When we arrived at the Base of the Towers, people greeted us and reviewed tickets and permits (everything is paid for and requested before arriving), at that moment at 10 am they tell you, will it go up today or first thing tomorrow morning? and I repeated again, later, it’s too late.

I left my things at my campsite that I reserved (there is a camping area, shared rooms and hotels) and I prepared to climb that route that changed my life completely.

I was climbing at a good pace, with little experience since I had only climbed Cerro de la Silla and Chipinque in Monterrey, which does not compare to the challenge generated by the Towers; I had read reviews about what it is like to climb the Torres del Paine, it was nothing like doing it, it was too big a challenge physically and mentally, around kilometer 8 one of my legs caused me great pain, muscle fatigue, since I was not ready or Accustomed to climbing mountains with such demands (as a newbie), I had to sit for about 20 minutes and watch people pass by me, all telling me to give it a try, it was about to arrive.

Sitting on a rock on the way to the Towers with thoughts that I was not going to make it, I paused my mind and looked ahead, a waterfall could be seen in the distance, I follow the current and where does such a waterfall come from and can be seen in the distance. far away a huge ice sculpture on the mountain (a great and inexplicable thing), I thought I’m already here and I don’t know if I will ever return in my life, YES I CAN DO IT, I stopped, hydrated myself and continued at a slow but sure pace but I didn’t know what What was waiting for me, a 2 kilometer path of pure stone that washes away, but in my mind I was already saying yes I can and yes I will get there, I did not stop my slow pace and I repeat, but surely hahaha.

When I get to the top I see people congratulating me (people who saw me sitting) and they tell me that’s it! Already you arrived!

I turn around a large stone and in front of me Las Torres del Paine, three large peaks, a beautiful lake and many people admiring that beautiful view, I sat down, drank my water, took out my lunch, admired the view, the strong winds and that peculiar lake water color background.

My trip was surprising, wonderful, demanding, a personal challenge and obviously there is a whole story about the descent but that will be for another time, I can only tell you that I arrived at Torres del Paine without knowing.