So here’s the problem. We want to take the trail to the base of the Torres del Paine, but after our earlier torres trek in El Chalten, I know my limit and after 9.5 hours walking, I definitely reached it there. My guidebook classed that trek as moderate to difficult. This one is classed plain difficult. I’m worried. Will my knee hold out? Will my spirits hold up? I know that I could do this trek, but I want to enjoy it, so when we are offered the chance to go part of the way on horses it seems the perfect solution. It’s easy to persuade Robin that this is the best course of action, I just have to pay for both horses!
Our hotel has a coral full of sure-footed horses just waiting to ferry us up the first section of the mountain. At this point I should mention that neither Robin nor I can ride a horse. But with basic instructions – hold the reins in one hand, keep the other free, preferably resting on your leg (no idea why), pull left to go left, right to go right, back to stop – we are off. My horse is called Gato and obeys my every command – particularly when our guide makes encouraging noises to him.. Robin’s is called Forsilla and is very greedy, so ignores most of his commands and stops to eat whenever she can. But they have obviously done this trek before and cross fast flowing rivers, climb steep hills, cross narrow passes with sheer edges falling straight down to the rushing river below (I can’t look down at this stage), without putting a foot wrong. Bueno, Gato, bueno!
After an hour and a half, at the top of the first hill, we have to leave the horses and carry on by foot. After our very hot walk in El Chalten, we are relieved to have some cloud cover today. The first section of our walk takes us through lenga forests, keeping us cool despite the uphill climb. The forest is quite beautiful and very old. Lenga trees are very slow growing -only a centimetre a year – and many are covered in a long hairy lichen that grows at just a millimetre a year, and only in unpolluted air. After a week walking in the mountains, my lungs feel soooo clean in this clean air, I swear their capacity has doubled. Coming out of the forest, we cross the stony scree – but this walk is nowhere near as hard as the one at El Chalten. Either I am immensely fitter or the horses have done their job, and I’m still in good shape for the toughest section of the trail.
We are also blessed that the day isn’t too windy – we are told that some days you have to crouch on the ground if the wind gets too much. The downside is that the summit of the torres is obscured by cloud. But it still makes for a beautiful and dramatic sight and we enjoy our picnic here before heading back down, knowing it’s just 2 hours walking to get backto our horses and enjoy wonderful views over rivers, gorges and lakes. I am at one with my horse. I feel like John Wayne. We may be walking down the mountain, but I know I could swish the reins from side to side and Gato would gallop into the sunset.
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