February 10, 2018

The Bader Valley. (Photo by Tye Chapman)

IMG Senior Guide Dustin Balderach called in with another stellar report from Torres del Paine National Park in Chile today. He and his team had a spectacular day up in the Bader Valley!

The day starts out with about 30 minutes on the main trail before heading up an off the beaten path trail (special permit required) up into the Bader Valley. The next couple hours on the trail are broken up by great views of Lago Nordenskjold behind, and the opening Bader Valley ahead. The team had a nice break at the big boulder then powered on up for a couple more hours.

They were the only trekkers up in the valley, happily sharing it with the countless condors flying high above. Eventually they turned around and made their way back to Refugio Los Cuernos for showers and a couple beers. On the menu tonight: salmon. Not a bad day at all.

Tomorrow they’ll make their way over to the French Valley on their way to Refugio Paine Grande.

Another great day in Patagonia!

Tye Chapman

February 9, 2018

From: Dustin Balderach
Sent: Friday, February 9, 2018 11:50 AM
To: Tye Chapman
Subject: All good at Los Cuernos

Hey Tye,

I’m in the company of some very happy trekkers right now. We enjoyed a great hike today over to Refugio Los Cuernos. We stayed dry all day and most of the major peaks were out of the clouds. First we passed Monte Almirante Nieto, then Los Cuernos del Paine, and finally got our eyes on Cerro Paine Grande. All the while keeping great views of Lago Nordenskod on the other side of the trail. Just a gorgeous day. We walked from one amazing view to another. Very big smiles the whole day, especially since the goretex stayed in the packs!

Now we are sitting around the table at the refugio swapping stories and photos. The local beer and wine is already at work curing sore feet as we watch condors and  clouds swirl around the Cuernos. Another amazing day in Patagonia.

Dustin

February 8, 2018

Hiking along the Ascencio River. (Tye Chapman)

“Another great day in Patagonia”, is what IMG Senior Guide reported when he called in this afternoon. The team got an early start from Refugio Chileno this morning and made their way into the Silence Valley. Once past the ranger station / permit checkpoint the trail takes them through a boulder field and then into a dense Lenga tree forest and along the Ascencio River.  The weather wasn’t cooperating (rain & snow) so the team opted to call Japanese Camp, a climber’s camp along the river, their turn around point.

Once back down to Refugio Chileno, they dried out a bit and had some lunch. The clouds eventually broke putting smiles on everybody’s faces. After lunch they made their way down to Refugio Torres Central for the night.  A couple years ago a puma was sighted just outside this refugio. Seriously.

Tomorrow they’ll make their way along Lago Nordenskjold over to Refugio Los Cuernos, one of my favorite areas of the park.

Despite the less than ideal weather todya, Dustin said this crew is all smiles.

All is well in Torres del Paine National Park!

Tye Chapman

February 6, 2018

From: Dustin Balderach
Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2018 11:55 AM
To: Tye Chapman
Subject: Ready to hike tomorrow

Hey Tye.

Great day down here in Puerto Natales. After breakfast, half the group rented bikes and road along the waterfront out to the old slaughterhouse turned museum/swanky hotel for a light lunch and local beer. Everyone really enjoyed walking around the well preserved grounds, nice place! And the food is pretty darn good too!  After the ride back to town, we dropped off the bikes and strolled down to the supermarket to stock up on a few snack items for the trip. All in all, we had a great day exploring this cool little town.

Soon we’ll head down to meet up with our local guide and further discuss tomorrow. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy a nice ‘send-off’ dinner at Don Jorge. The group is super excited to hit the trail tomorrow. With some luck, the skies will be clear and we’ll enjoy some views of the famous Torres del Paine – the national park’s namesake – tomorrow afternoon. We are off!

Dustin