Summer Lovin'... in Torres Del Paine, Chile

Being soaked alone is cold. Being soaked with your best friend is an adventure. - Emily Wing Smith

“Please fasten your seatbelts!” These were the familar words we heard as we got on a tour bus in the chic town of San Pedro de la Atacama, our first stop in Chile. Instructions we hadn’t had the pleasure of hearing since Australia; it seemed we were finally back in the first world. Once we had adapted to the welcome culture shock of boutique coffee shops and service with a smile we travelled 1,700km south on two very long bus journeys until we were greeted by summer in Santiago, the capital city of the ironically named Chile. Large, leafy boulevards and terrazas on the street bursting with people drinking wine in the sun made us feel at home, but the time came to move on to Punta Arenas - the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antartica, where wild, wintery winds warned of a very different kind of summer. The city of Punta Arenas, en route to Chile’s largest and most visited National Park: Torres Del Paine, is where Ismael would convince me to do one last trek. This is where we would plan a demanding four-day circuit. This is where we would become aware of the extortionate accommodation costs and where I would rather reluctantly agree to the only viable alternative: camping.

Having already experienced the joys of sleeping in a tent in Machu Picchu, I knew I could cope with the discomfort that comes with the great outdoors. However, walking 70km in four days, carrying 8kg, with no relief from gale force winds and below zero temperatures but a second-rate sleeping bag were all factors that were going to make the Inca Trail look like glamping.

Unlike most treks, the “W circuit” of Torres del Paine begins with the main attraction - three colossal granite towers or torres that give the park its name - so, after pitching our tent on the first night, we awoke in the early hours to hike up the rocky hill leading to the famous lookout.

We started the ascent slowly, trying to ignore the high-pitched howl of the wind dissuading us from continuing to our destination, eventually quickening our pace as the light of dawn gradually began to reveal the gloomy day ahead of us. Battling with the sheer force of the relentless wind, we made it to the top, where we finally saw a wonder as out of this world as the weather:

Torres Del Paine, Chile

Now, I’ve never liked the cold. It puts me in a bad mood and I’m convinced that being of Indian origin has something to do with my inability to adapt to low temperatures (there’s a reason Mowgli lived in the jungle). So while I am happy to hike through the heat of a tropical rainforest, trekking through winds that boasted speeds of 95km/hr, with nothing but the dead weight on my back to stop me blowing away like a kite, launched my hatred of the cold to sky-high levels. Every time the straps of my rucksack flapped in the wind, slapping me across the face with every violent wave, I cursed myself for agreeing to participate in four days of pain! I am fairly sure I was the only person at the lookout feeling sorry for myself, instead of devoting my thoughts to admiring the amazing view, in that moment in time.

But the following three days took us on an unforgettable adventure through thick, woodland and pristine, crystalline turquoise lakes that lay at the feet of majestic mountains.

Every kilometre we walked brought with it a change of scenery, each day unveiling a natural wonder trying to surpass the beauty of the last.

And although I will never forget the feeling of pure awe as the sun began to set on the tremendous Grey Lake, or seeing the blue of the icebergs, sitting unperturbed on windswept waters, I will always remember, no matter how old I am, how cold I was during those four 'summer' days when I did something I truly hate for someone I truly love.

Guess what I found out in Torres Del Paine?

1. The Torres del Paine National Park averages around 150,000 visitors a year, of which 60% are foreign tourists.

2. Around 43 fires caused by negligent tourists over the years have resulted in huge parts of the forest being destroyed. Perhaps that explains the 2 million USD fine and 5 years of imprisonment for anyone even thinking about lighting a fire in an undesignated area.

3. Although you would have to be very lucky to see one, the 'mountain lion' or puma is one of many mammals that live in Torres Del Paine. This 80kg bundle of muscles, claws and teeth, although officially protected by Chilean law since 1980, is still hunted by farmers as a means of protecting their livestock.