The opposite hillside with southern beech (Nothophagus).
As we walked the view of the mountains shifted and the trail was lined with “Kodak moments”. After a while, you give up on capturing every angle of its splendor, relying instead on one’s own memory to save and savor the moment.
The path led through open meadows, forest, and crossed streams and through underbrush. We saw guanacos on the hillside at a distance. The trail peaked at a pass that overlooked the park entrance about 1500 feet above the floor of the valley. We then descended a narrow trail down the steep side of the ridge. In several places there had been slides of gravel. On one of those stretches, Jonathan asked me to take his picture. I was experiencing some anxiety through these segments and was keeping my eyes glued to the path. I told him “no…and keep moving.” Once the path returned to more solid ground, I felt better despite the drop.
The opposite hillside with southern beech (Nothophagus).
The trail took us along hillsides.
A close up of the misodendrum.
Single file up the hill.
These are chaura (Pernettya maconata).
Out of the woods, and into the meadow.
Walking through the pass.
Walking through the pass.
Walking through the pass.
Elisabeth, Lavon, and Sandy.
The view through the pass into the valley.
Time for another rest.
Views into the valley.
The buildings at lakeside are the park headquarters.
Trying to catch birds soaring along the cliff.
Elisabeth, Lavon, and Dennis. (Johan upper right, Bill lower left).
Starting down the slope…
…and down…
…and down…
…and down…
…and down…
…and down…
…and down…
I did get a photo of Jonathan on the trail, just not on that gravel slide.
Making our way down the mountainside. Photo by Olivier.
Bill navigating his way down.
Sandy and Russ.
This was the hillside we came down.
If you look closely, the three dots in the center are folks in our group on their way down.
Now looking the other way.
The end is near!
Done!
Sandy and Russ taking in the views over Lago Pehoe.
Len, Sue, Elisabeth, and Maria rest before lunch.
More lunch and scenery.
Jonathan.
Cuernos del Paine.
Cuernos del Paine.
More guanaco.
Stopping at a marker - I think this was overlooking Lago Nordenskjöld.
Taking in the view.
Taking in the view.
Janice and Olga with Sue in the background.
First sight of the 'Torres' (the towers).
Waiting for the vans from the Hosteria Las Torres.
The Paine massif from the front of the hosteria.
The view to the west along the valley.
The buildings where we lodged.
Halfway down my legs were quivering from the exertion of the descent. Once we reached the bottom, the hotel had sent out a picnic lunch for us. Most folks flopped out on the ground facing the Cuernos de Paine across one of the green lakes of the park (Lago Pehoe).
The ride to the hotel took another couple of hours. Unlike the drive into Hosteria Lazo where we stopped for sheep in the morning, the afternoon ride was interrupted for a herd of guanaco. Once they got the idea that the bus wasn’t moving, they kept coming across the road. Some would dash across, while others would leisurely stroll the distance examining the bus (and all the photographers) as they made their way. Halfway down the rise to the left of the bus, where the herd was coming from, there was a dust wallow that individual animals would roll on their back – legs in the air – then get up and proceed across the road. A succession of guanacos did this one after the other as the came over that rise.
I didn’t get off the bus – I was too tired, and my left knee was bothering me.
The bus had to stop 7 km short of the hotel because the bridge of the river, Rio Paine, was too narrow for it to navigate. So we waited for the vans from the hotel to come pick us up. Olivier took off running(!) down the road and made it to the hotel before we did. Cecilia and Janice started walking also. When the vans arrived and drove us up the road, they picked up Janice, but Cecilia completed the walk.
The weather has been remarkably good with sunny skies. Last night Jonathan went out to stargaze and was able to see the Magellanic Clouds. I was zonked out in bed sleeping although I did wake up briefly when he returned.