Instead, we spent a few hours swapping stories with them over seafood soup and wine, and while we could have stayed all afternoon, we had to leave, as we were itching to get out to the nearby Torres.
The sun sets late there, and after arriving in the evening, we were able to set out for our camp (about 3 hours hike away) at 6.30, in light drizzle. It was a lovely evening - the path wound along the moraine, and as it got later and the weather stared to set in, we were glad for the intermittent protection of gullies and forests.
Just on sunset, we came to to our campsite nestled at the base of the Torres, and pitched our tent in a forest beside a small stream.
We woke just early enough to catch the sunrise on the peaks
but not early enough to be there as it happnend, and by the time we had made the hour-scrabble up the steep slope
the Torres were again shrouded in mist.
This did not take away from their magic though, made more so by the fact that we had them to ourselves. After some time there, we made our way slowly back down for brekkie.
Back to our camp for brekkie (cereal and tea)
and a couple of quick photos (little did we know these were the last photos we would take of our lovely tent). 
After a quick snooze (on my part) and a chat with the local rangers (on Andy's), we headed back down the mountain, asking the gauchos we met on the way for a photo.
We arrived back at the bike in the late afternoon, and after a couple of days without it, I was so glad to again have the luxuries it offered! (heh, my sarong for a pillow and my spice box for cooking ...). How things have changed! We made a great camp at the base of the snow-covered mountain 
and bumped into another of our biker mates, Tobias, from Germany, and spent a pleasant evening eating and drinking beer around the fire with him.The next day we made a leisurely tour of the rest of the park
stopping on the side of the lake for lunch and a siesta
and later near a herd of guanacos.
What a beautiful place!
No comments:
Post a Comment