Puerto Natales, Chile

After completing daily hostel chores, repairing our Basecamp movie projector, grinding fresh "mantequilla de mani" (peanut butter), and taking to world class climbers,  I´ve found a secretive little closet to hide in and reflect on the past couple weeks that I've spent in Puerto Natales, Chile (a town located in one of the most southern-most latitudes of the Earth). 

Preparing some freshly squeezed peanut butter for breakfast!

We arrived to this quaint little port town and our indefinite home/hostel on my sister's birthday (Dec. 5th), and since have transitioned comfortably into the Erratic Rock lifestyle. Bill, the hostel's owner greeted us with open arms and couldn't have given his interns a more laid back orientation. Erratic Rock is a hostel/basecamp/climber & volunteer boarding house/information center/guiding and rental service all in one. It is Puerto Natales' most reputable hostel and because of its convenient location, is the only place where Gringo tourists can come to collect accurate information about trekking in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. In addition to his amazing customer service, Bill started a recognized recycling program in town and receives grants from 1% for the Planet and support from Mountain Safety Research for recycling fuel canisters. His hostel is well known and many others use Erratic Rock as a sustainable example for their own hostels to follow. In return for our help, Erratic Rock has supported my sister and I in trekking the Q-Circuit of Torres del Paine and continues to provide everything that the hostel has to offer including food, family, Spanish practice, and integration into the adventure loving community that is Erratic Rock.

ER crew on the once-every-2-month recycle container... trying to salvage some waste

After a few days of learning-the-ropes and meeting key people, Trisha and I headed off to Torres del Paine, along with a friend that we'd met at ER named Michael (who's from the french side of Switzerland). The bus ride to the park introduced us to varying Patagonian landscapes and its infamously strong winds (the day before, two buses carrying park going tourists tipped on their sides). We passed by caves where the ancient Milodon used to roam, watched huge condors surfing thermals, and saw hundreds of Guanacos (llama-type animal) foraging in the hills. After paying a park entry fee of about 36 USD, we continued busing through breathtaking landscapes on the park's gravel roads, through thousands of burned acres (last year a tourists destroyed a large section of the park when breaking the park rules and starting a fire off trail), and to our final bus stop called Administracion. From there the three of us began our 6 night, 7 day Q-Circuit; a demanding 100 mile backpacking trip around the Torres Del Paine land mass. Over the next 7 days, we hiked the "tail", the crowded "W", the park's less-populated backside, and finished with an incredible pass overlooking one of Patagonia's most impressive glaciers. We endured 100+ km/hr winds, freezing rain, under-maintained, muddy, and steep trail, and scores of international tourists who knew little to nothing about backpacking. Trisha suffered more blisters than she had toes, but we were rewarded with incredible views of hanging glaciers, Patagonian forests, endless snow-capped peaks, wildlife, and a backpacking experience that can not be found anywhere else. Even though the three of us hiked monster miles, we made the best of every moment and even befriended many of the local "trabajadores" who maintain the parks refugios/campgrounds and who would eventually came to visit us at Erratic Rock during their time off. If anything, it was great to be back on the trail again and breath fresh alpine air.

But we were also eager to begin work at Erratic Rock, and as if our trek were just a dream, we found ourselves back in Puerto Natales with dirty clothes and tired bodies. Since our return, we've said farewell to our friend Michael (who I wish to climb with in Switzerland some day), and have grown accustomed to the hello-goodbey interactions that are the result of hostel life. My bedroom (called the Climber's Cave) is a pit-stop for like minded climbers and volunteers who all have a wanderlust for Patagonian adventure. Among other things we've taken on slack-lining, a new hobby that becomes addicting when the weather cooperates. Our co-worker Ruth (from Holland, and who just bought the slack-line) has been great company and has helped us tremendously in learning about how this hostel functions. I've also been knocking out old projects needing much attention including helping the town recycle a container full of cardboard, plastic, glass, and tins. The days are long (it doesn't get dark until about 11 pm) which makes for a lot of free time to study Spanish and read books. The nights give opportunity to meet people and befriend the local population population (including incredible guides who are eager to share information about the area and are patient enough to comprehend my broken Spanish).

Overall, Puerto Natales feels like a great place to spend an extended amount of time, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be here. As I'm writing this, the Earth is entering its 21st day of December, year 2012 but hopefully only good things will come of this special time, and I will be able to return to the mountains very soon!

1st day of trek in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

The team posing in front of Glacier Grey... magnificent

Clouds opened up 5 minutes before we got pissed on in the French Valley

Drying our gear after being pissed on with Torres in the background 

Sur, Centro, and Norte Torres in some mystic fog

Mate 

The amazing Glacier Grey