Where We Be
The snowy peaks of Torres del Paine, framed by blazing autumn colors in the Valle Frances
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Torres del Paine National Park was the highlight of
our time in Chile. Like Iguazu Falls in Argentina, it
was absolutely world-class. If you like mountains
and out-of-this-world scenery, it's quite simple: you
must come here.
Our first day was hot enough we ended up hiking in
T-shirts. Here we were in southern Patagonia, near
the end of autumn, but the weather was mild – and
there was no wind. We overheard one guide say it
was the best day in the park in over a month.
But the best of the best was our second day, when
we did a 14-mile hike to Valle Frances and back.
Other people had told us of Valle Frances and said
the views were “precioso,” which is THE Chilean
word to describe gorgeous scenery. At our furthest
point, 7 miles in, we reached an incredible valley
filled with autumn oranges and reds, a roaring river
cutting right through it, and amazing mountains all
around. We could see all of the most famous peaks
in the park, including the Torres (Towers) and
Cuernos (Horns). Over the roaring of the river we
could still hear the booming of the calving glacier
we'd passed earlier. What a place! We’d walk a few
feet, say “Oh!” and out would come the camera
again for another attempt at capturing paradise.
The multi-colored peaks of Torres del Paine as seen from the catamaran during the half-hour journey across Lake Pehoe
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Perfect mix of fall foliage and mountain reflections at Laguna Los Patos
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Starkly impressive view of Glacier Gray from the mirador (lookout point)
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Bright mix of autumn colors
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Gorgeous autumn colors and waterfalls during the Valle Frances hike
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This little owl flew right up to us, showing no fear whatsoever
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Wow! Love this view! This is at the far point of our Valle Frances hike. Imagine the roar of rushing water as you drink it in.
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Autumn colors blanket the hillside in front of the Torres (Towers) -- the three sharp peaks in the foreground
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The trail was incredibly mucky in places, and we only had sneakers to hike in
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Water droplets on Christmas-like red-green leaves
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Guanacos are a common sight in the park
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A mix of weather -- clouds and rain to the left, blue skies to the right
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The variety of scenery during the hike to Valle Frances was stunning
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We'll leave you with this final view of the amazing Torres del Paine
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Even the bus ride into the park was amazing -- we were blessed with a perfectly sunny day with no wind
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Posing at Mirador del Nordenskjold -- what a backdrop!
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Salto Grande is only a half-hour's hike from the catamaran pickup point
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Torres del Paine is notorious for its fickle weather -- but not today!
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Rickety wooden bridge across rushing river
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I removed three layers of clothing during the hike to Salto Grando
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Reflected view of Torres del Paine
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Happy to be hiking in the mountains
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This is the stellar view from the Paine Grande Mountain Lodge, where we stayed for two nights
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We thought we were hearing thunder booming -- until we got closer and realized it was Glacier Frances calving like crazy
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