Hiking Stats
6 hours
14km distance
200m elevation change
Last night the wind was crazy. The trees kept groaning and the tent walls were caving in. As the last day of any camping trip, I was ready to head back to town to relax, sleep in an actual bed, and have a real meal with a good drink. That was the determination for me the entire day.
We arrived at Los Cuernos an hour later, which was a much nice place to stay than Frances despite being run by the same company Fantastico Sur. I was surprised that it really took me 2 hours to hike the mild flat 2km. It probably would have been faster if I wasn’t stopped in my tracks by the best sunrise I’ve been the entire trip.
This would have been a more ideal place to stay, but our plan was to hike in to the Britanico lookout. That meant we had to stay at Frances otherwise we would risk hiking in the dark. There was no reason to hang around at Los Cuernos, so I pressed on. Ingrid and I wanted to make one of the early afternoon buses so we could actually eat a restaurant (it was Sunday again, last week everything closed by 9pm). Once again each company running the same schedule with departures from Laguna Amarga around 11am, 2pm, and 7pm.
I knew I was finally near the welcome center when I spotted the Las Torres Hotel. However it still took me an hour to get there, everything looks so close in desperation. It was around lunchtime, which meant a fresh batch of newcomers just arrived. They walked so cheerfully and some bore huge packs on both their backs and chest. I really wonder long they are going to last like that. This scenario reminds me how the newcomers are Baby New Year, and I am Father Time worn and tired.
But in all honestly it was a great week and have no regrets other than wishing I had more time to stay! Our early start paid off and we were able to catch a nearly empty bus ride home. Seriously how do these bus companies make money?
Back at the same hostel, we unwinded, did some laundry in the shower, and then headed to town. We skipped lunch and now built up hunger and high expectations that dinner better live up to. Not what you may expect in this remote part of the world, but the Pizza is supposedly good in Puerto Natales. We chose the best restaurant (
Mesita Grande) and enjoyed the best damn pizza ever with a cold tall one. Ok that’s the hunger speaking, but it was really good even normal standards. No photos, I was too busy eating but take my word it is fresh, they have the pizza oven right there in the dining room. Our timing was perfect because 15 minutes after we got seated, there was a line out of the door. Any later and we may have settled for something more disappointing.
Hike a day in my boots 