The place I will go
Posted By Missy on November 13, 2009
In one month I will be in Chile, starting a trek through Torres Del Paine in the Patagonia region. It’s not so far south as Tierra Del Fuego, but it’s close enough to render their “June” weather comparable to New York right now, with daylight stretching to eighteen hours.
This is a plan that’s been hatching for almost two years. I had been prioritizing domestic travel — we have some pretty spectacular national parks in the U.S., after all — partly because it’s easier and cheaper, partly because we never did the family-tour-to-the-Grand-Canyon and the like when I was a kid. Still, Patagonia! It seemed so exotic and beautiful, with some of the best hiking in the world, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Meanwhile, the economy fell into the toilet and I was worried whether I’d continue to have a steady stream of income. Come summer, things looked to be stable so I decided it was now or never, I hooked up with a reputable tour outfit (The World Outdoors who, so far, have been nothing but awesome) and within a couple of hours I had dropped several grand. (Cue wave of nausea.)
Oh boy, I can’t wait. At the same time, I’m mildly panicking. I don’t speak a word of Spanish and I’ve a night in Santiago on my own pre- and post-trip. I’m panicking about being able to fit all my necessary crap in my (carry-on) frame pack and what I’m going to do with my trekking poles (which can’t be carried on the plane). I’m panicking about flight delays in December. I’m even panicking about currency, even though I have easy access to a travel office right here. Because I’m an idiot, because I’m traveling alone (until I meet up with the tour guides), and because travel logistics stress me out.
On the other hand, I can’t even yet imagine the sites I’ll see and the photos I’ll get.
Added to my anxiety is whether my knees, the source of several previous incidents of drama and pain, can hold up for the five days of the ‘W’ trek. Right now, I’m in physical training. In addition to bike commuting, the horrifically dull stairmaster workout at the gym, and a resumption of physical therapy exercises for my knees, I have been loading up my pack and walking to & from work–approximately six miles total, which I will need to increase both in frequency and distance very soon. It’s fun! I love to walk and I realize how much iPod-listening I’m missing out on by riding my bicycle so regularly. (Cyclists who ride in the city with earphones: you stupid.)
Naturally, there’s ample opportunity for point & shoot moments:
Hiking to work, rosacea and nostrils flaring
Empire State after dark.
Sounds like a great trip! Watch out for that hole in the ozone layer down there…
-KcM
Are you trying to carry-on everything? I went to Alaska last summer and put my trekking poles in a dufflebag that I checked. They were great too, I had a bad ankle before the trip and they really helped. If you don’t want to travel with them, can the tour folks line up a pair for you there, or can you send yours by ups or such?
I’m planning to check them but then the question becomes, what do I do with my checked bag? I think I can leave my bag at the hotel in Puerto Natales, where we start & end our trip.
This will be the first time I use poles. I’m sure my hands and wrists will be tired of them by trip’s end, but I’m certain the pressure they take off of my knees will be worth it.
Well it sounds wonderful. I’ve read about climbing the Towers of Paine and I think you’ll have much more fun hiking. Summer will be starting there too - magic!
hard core.