I had breakfast almost at 8am. The day was still ugly, with some dark clouds. I organized my stuff to leave my suitcase at the reception - I would take only my knapsack, with everything I needed for one night in the refuge. I was a bit scared, as Los Cuernos trail seemed to be one of the less travelled ones, that is, I would have to be twice as careful.

By the way, one important remark: the trails I hiked at Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares parks are very well marked and I didn't have problems hiking them. However, solo hiking isn't a safe practice and it requires much attention, especially on slippery places. Always carry a good map and get information about the conditions of the trail.

I arrived at the shelter slightly past 2pm. It's new - I think that less than two years old - and very pleasant. The boots have to stay outside so bring a pair of slippers, especially because the bathroom floor can be very wet. A flashlamp - a mandatory item in a hiker's knapsack - is also useful, as there are no lights in the bedrooms and bathrooms. Bedrooms are mixed and in the one I stayed there were three bunkbeds, one of them with three berths. Lucky me to have gotten one in the bottom! They rent sleeping bags. I was nicely surprised, I had no idea that the shelters we so good!

Dinner at the shelter was delicious. We had soup, gnocchi with meat cubes, pineapple in syrup and a delicious bread baked right there. On the table there were two couples from New Zealand who live in England (one of them have already been to Brazil) and a couple from Switzerland, all travelling for months in South America. They were at a campsite by the shelter. The bathroom floor was soaked when I went there to brush my teeth.

I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and it was dry - a sign that the staff do some clean-up before going to bed. Breakfast is served from 7:30am. While they were preparing it, I chatted with the kitchen staff. They work 12 days in a row and take 3 days off. A boat transports them, as well as the supplies, which may also come on horseback. There are two breakfasst options, continental and american, the latter including cereals and eggs. I traded the eggs for an extra portion of cereals.

When I left, people in my bedroom were still asleep. I am in fact an early bird. The weather was fine and it was less windy than the day before. I started hiking towards Valle Frances (French Valley) almost at 9am. After around 30min, I found a lot of stones, what slowed down my pace, and after one hour I arrived at a sort of beach on the lakeshore. Then came many ascents and descents until the entrance to the valley. There are some rivers also on this trail. It took me more than the 2h indicated on the map to reach Italiano campsite.

I chatted outside with a German couple and a Canadian. The German lady told me about the hard night she had spent at the campsite, as despite some wind deflectors it seemed like the wind would blow everything away. The catamaran arrived at 6:30pm and until everyone had gotten off and on, we left only at 6:45. The price include hot beverages - a cup of hot chocolate was very welcome! The crossing of the lake takes half hour and allows us to see Salto Grande from its front. The buses wait for the boat before continuing to Laguna Amarga (about 45min ride) and then to Puerto Natales. I returned to Hosteria Las Torres.

A courtesy from the driver: he asked us if we wanted to stop at one of the lookouts on the way, as there was a fox there. It didn't even got scared with the tourists' agitation and even posed for pictures. After the photos, we resumed our trip, arriving at Pudeto almost at 11am. There is a shelter also there, but it didn't look too good. I met one of the Germans whom I had talked to the day before at Pehoé shelter, she was going back to Puerto Natales.

The boat left at noon and I started walking as soon as I got to the other side. First, 15min on flat, the only difficulty being the hot sun. Then began some up and down trail, but still easy. Or maybe I had already gotten used to steep slopes... After some 50min, I arrived at Lake Roca, quite above Lake Grey and surrounded by trees of yellow and red leaves - it looked like a fall landscape. Then began a very beautiful part, with many flowers and some forest, but with a heavier up and down. I saw many rangers and militaries who had come to help fight the fire, which by then was over. I passed by an area that had been quite damaged and still smelt of burnt wood. There is a natural lookout over Lake Grey and we can see icebergs below, on their way to the "beach" on the lake where I had been days before.

After around 90min walking I could see the glacier afar and the trail split in two. The trail that goes up is very subtle and maybe I wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't for some soldiers resting above. The trails that descends is more used for those going to the glacier, but I decided to check the upper one for a better view and I discovered the trail, that further ahead leave the rocks into some bushes, until it reaches some rocks that look like inclined blades sprouting from the soil. I liked the view from this lookout and decided to stay there. I knew that going to the glacier and returning in time to catch the boat would be difficult for me, maybe impossible, and besides that I would still see glaciers from up close in Argentina, so I prefered to relax and enjoy the landscape and quietness of the place.

The sun was strong, the sky completely blue. Some Italians from the bus passed by there and we chatted a bit before they went ahead. I saw the boat that navigates Lake Grey pass, so small! It goes to the shelter and it's an alternative to the hike. If I'm not wrong, as it leaves the shelter's dock it passes in front of the glacier. Someone told me or I read somewhere that it used to stop at in islet embeded in the ice, but it doesn't anymore. Anyway, there are tours leaving the shelter to walk on the glacier.

 
At 4pm, I set up to begin my way back. The return was much faster, even though I stopped for more photos at Lake Roca. I stopped at the grocery store to buy water and took the opportunity to use the campsite bathroom (clean, though without paper, but I always carry for any emergency in my knapsack). While I waited for the boat, I chatted with a Japanese who was in Chile to learn Spanish. As I took the bus at Pudeto, I found out that the bus ticket to/from Puerto Natales allows transfers within the park.

I had dinner at almost 9pm and the restaurant was full, but I found a Brazilian couple - the hotel places a little country flag the on the table indicating the guest's nationality, so it was easy to discover where they were from - and invited me to sit with them. They had arrived two days before (I had in fact heard someone talking Portuguese on the room next to mine) and would stay one more day, leaving on the next. They went to Paine almost by chance, as it was part of the package they had bought with Viva Terra agency (which I had contacted when I began planning the trip). Dinner was similar to that other night. I was disapointed with a coffee mousse - I had thought it was chocolate!

I woke up around 7am for my last day in Torres del Paine. It was almost 8:30 when I left to walk to guarderia Laguna Amarga, my choice for that morning. If I was very motivated and had very rested feet, maybe I might have had the courage to go again to the Torres. I also thought of hiking a bit of another trail, which is the beginning of the Circuito Grande that circles the Paine massif up to Grey shelter. It is said to be a beautiful trail, taking 5 or 6 days, but with some very extrenuous sections and with no facilities on the way, only campsites.

The day was sunny and it was hot despite being so early. I stopped many times along the way to photograph the vegetation and the mountains - the Torres were visible, so beautiful! I saw a big bird, it looked like a hawk, very handsome. Later I managed to identify it as a caracara or carancho. Its bill has normally an orange part, but it was yellow in this one - a sign of excitement, according to what I read. When I tried to get closer to it, it flew away, maybe in search of its girlfriend...

After over one hour walking the sky was getting clouded and to the west there was a rainbow - a sign that it was already raining - and the Torres were overcast. Well, it would not have been a good idea to hike that trail again. Before even reaching the guarderia, I caught a van going up with tourists that had just arrived from Puerto Natales.

 
Back to the hosteria, I sat on a bench, enjoying the view and the tranquillity of the ranch, recollecting the trip. The sun appeared and vanished, birds sang, horses ran (they rent horses at the hotel, by the way). Later it began to drizzle and I went inside for a shower - I was covered with dust rom the road! Although I had already checked out, they have bathrooms at the guests' disposal, even providing towels, soap and shampoo. Their service is indeed very good. Then I stayed at the main hall, with an ample view to Mount Almirante Nieto, at the foot of which the hotel is located. I wrote my diary, doze off a bit, then had an icecream at the kiosk. I also bought a very good bread roll they sell there, to eat at the bus.

The hotel vans began to descend at 3pm to the guarderia and soon after we got there the buses began to arrive. I found out that my voucher was for Buses Gomez. There was some light drizzle when we left. In less than two hours we were back in Puerto Natales, even after two stops apparently only to refill water in the radiator.

I stayed again at Hostal Drake. As I had some free time, I had some clothes washed and ironed at one the four laudries indicated in my guide. They return it in two hours, so I took a walk. I bought postcards and a Torres del Paine t-shirt that I had been "flirting" with before. I also sent some e-mails (there are many places offering Internet access, the cheapest one I found was at Blanco Ensenada street, between Bulnes and Esmeralda).

I had dinner at La Repizza, that besides pizzas (obviously) serves also sandwiches. But I had pizza and among the many choices I picked the tuna pizza, which was tasteful and was even big for my hunger. I bought some things at the supermarket to eat at the bus and, while I returned to the laundry shop, as I turned a corner I met Massimo again - what a coincidence! He was going to Torres del Paine the next day, after having been to Argentina (Ushuaia and El Calafate). We talked about our travels while we walked along the shore of Seno Ultima Esperanza, in search of a sunset that once again remained only a wish. Massimo loved the penguins colony of Isla Magdalena, leaving me full of envy. He would only have three days at Torres del Paine - what a hurry! - returning afterwards to Italy.

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