It was 6.30 am, and we were lying flat on the ground, hiding among the Patagonian steppe that surrounds the lakeshore. We were waiting for the sun to rise and the birds to arrive for their morning feed at Lago Sarmiento in Torres del Paine National Park, one of the main nature tourism destinations in Chile.
My dad and I were there updating information for the Guide to Chile’s National Parks that we co-authored (1999 and 2004, in Spanish). He’d been there several times before, but this was my first visit. And I was excited!
Although the national park is famous for its ‘W’ and ‘O’ multi-day circuits on its northern half, not everybody can afford to spend so many days there (and sadly, as recent tragedy has shown on the latter, they can have their challenges and the perils that go with them).
So, we set out to explore several shorter and easier trails in the southern half of Torres del Paine that will also take you to beautiful places. Some of them are included in the traditional full-day excursion to this national park, while others are off the beaten path.
Most people enter Torres del Paine through Laguna Amarga or Lago Sarmiento, on its eastern side. Hence, we began by exploring Lago Sarmiento.
I was holding on to a flask full of coffee to stay awake. It was hard, though, because the Magellan Region, where the park is located, is the only one in Chile that does not apply daylight saving time. So, the nights only last about seven hours.
This means that we still had some daylight by midnight. If you add to that the rounds of mate – a typical energising Patagonian herbal tea – that we drank with the park rangers earlier, I barely shut my eyes for a few hours. Still, I regretted nothing. So, I quietly sipped some coffee and waited.
Our patience is soon rewarded. All at once, we saw dozens of birds fly into the lake! They included species like the Black-necked Swan, Magellan Goose, Buff-necked Ibis, Imperial Cormorant, Cocoi Heron, Coscoroba Swan, Upland Goose, and Spectacled Duck.
Satisfied with our birdlife photos, we trekked along the shore on our way to a lookout by the lake that provides amazing views of the Paine mountain range. Lago Sarmiento is the only lake in the park that originates from the rain instead of a glacier. It covers an area of approximately 90 sq km (34 sq mi) and its average depth is 315 m (1,033 ft).
The shores are dotted by a characteristic white line that’s made from thrombolites, living calcium carbonate fossils that started forming with the last ice age and grow one millimetre per year.
After a while, we got in the car and continued southeast towards the Salto Grande, a 213-foot-high waterfall that connects lakes Nordenskjöld and Pehoé.
This place is a tourism hub because it houses one of the few cafés in the area and is next to one of Torres del Paine’s main attractions. The Salto Grande lookout is a great place to see this impressive waterfall up close. It’s also next to the Pudeto pier, where you can board the ferry to cross Lago Pehoé towards the Paine Grande sector.
We continued exploring by driving along the eastern shore of Lago Pehoé, which sometimes reflects the Cuernos del Paine mountains. We also saw a herd of Guanacos running around the grasslands known as pampas. These are one of the most iconic species in the park and quite easy to spot.
After crossing Puente Weber, we headed northwest towards Hotel Lago Grey to enjoy a hot lunch and steel ourselves for the final leg of the day’s journey. Measuring 6 km (4 mi) wide, 19 km (12 mi) long, and over 30 m (100 ft) high, Glaciar Grey stems from the Southern Ice Field and is the largest glacier within Torres del Paine.
Our goal was to reach the Playa Glaciar Grey lookout on foot and get up-close views of the floating icebergs breaking down. This is also where people gather to board Hotel Lago Grey’s catamarans to sail on the lake and approach the glacier wall.
You can also get there on a kayak, but – as the park’s official brochure explains – this is only allowed if you hire excursions with authorised tour operators, so you can’t just go on your own.
Anyway, we resumed our journey, which was supposed to be a low-difficulty trail that takes close to one hour to complete one way. Starting at the Pingo Ranger Station, it takes you through lush lenga forests, a hanging bridge over the Pingo River, and the southern shore of Lago Grey. Easy, peasy! Or maybe not?
I swear that more than 30 minutes had passed. My dad and I had made it to the shore of Lago Grey, but were seriously struggling against the strong, cold Patagonian winds that prevented our progress. Two steps forward, three steps back. I was hugging my parka and my camera. We needed to make it… just a little bit more… until we finally reached our destination: Playa Glaciar Grey lookout and boarding area.
We could at last sit down and admire the stunning blue walls of Grey Glacier. The view was mesmerising! The effort was totally worth it! I just sat on top of a block of ice in silence and enjoyed the quiet solitude of this magnificent landscape.
The entire adventure was breathtaking, the connection with nature and realising that it has the power to make or break even the toughest of stones and ice is humbling. This is one of the best memories I have from my travels.
Not only did we get to make a dream come true with my father, but it also gave me a new perspective on this environmental gem. I hope to contribute to preserving the majestic beauty of Torres del Paine for generations to come.
