10th December 2024

We woke to the sound of pouring rain. Despite our best efforts to organise our packs the night before we found that much of our time was spent unpacking and repacking our bags meaning we had a sum total of 10 minutes to scoff down coffee and a slice of toast. We left the hostel feeling hungry, sleep deprived and in pouring rain.

Arriving wet to the bus terminal we boarded the 07:15am with a bus load of other hikers all keen to get their nature fix. The bus powered through the rain. Quietly Dan and myself began to doubt the appeal of hiking and camping for the next 8 days. The bus dropped us off at Laguna Amarga entrance where they checked our park permits and signposted us to the shuttle buses to the visitor centre. 

As advised by the guy in the rental shop yesterday we decided to walk up the road bypassing the shuttle buses in the hope that we could veer off in a kilometre onto a trail that cuts across the Patagonian landscape to our campsite. We quickly discovered, however, that the trail was closed meaning we had to follow the winding dirt road for 6km to the visitor centre. Luckily the rain had stopped!

Once at the visitor centre, the sun was beginning to poke its head from behind the clouds which gave us a sense of hope. We unloaded the packs to the floor and crashed on seats by a small heater. The majority of the crowds from the 7am buses had already started their walks meaning we could enjoy the quiet hum of the visitor centre.

We had a coffee and an orange as the reality of being in the heart of Patagonia surfaced. I began to take in the 3D models of the landscape, the maps on the wall, the other hikers keen and nervous with an array of hiking gear and felt overcome with excitement.

We set off along the general trail and after 200m saw a sign for Serón Camp splitting us from the day and W trekkers. The path had been described as flat to us by locals, but in the days to come we would soon learn that Patagonian flat was the equivalent to the undulating terrain of Northumberland! We hiked up and down for a couple of hours admiring the rocky terrain which gave way to alpine meadows punctuated with glacier fed streams. Swooping sparrows littered the pathway, taking short flight when we disturbed them, only to swan back once we passed.

We followed the path keeping Rio Paine on our right. It led us straight to the camp site. A field by the edge of the river dotted with large daisies and daffodils would be home for the night.

After pitching our tent, setting up our sleep system and showering we chatted with fellow campers and enjoyed dinner. We would be seeing the same people for the next 7 days and unknown to us at the time would become close with this little herd moving along together.

We were soon in bed, settled and squished into sleeping bags. With ear plugs in and and an eye mask to block out the light for a much needed sleep.