Torres del Paine - 1

We had signed up for two walks today.  The morning outing was to walk along an escarpment where condors nest - the intent being to see the condors soaring over the valley.  The walk was gently uphill to start with good views over the landscape.  We saw the native vegetation and a variety of animals and birds - hares, grey foxes, guanacos, rheas, geese and cara-cara.  The morning was fairly still and sunny - not good for condors who need the breeze to soar on the thermals.  As a result, we saw them from a distance only and then only a few.  The end of the walk was a little more testing - down a sharp slope with some patches of scree and loose rock.  Not a bad introductory walk and certainly a pipe opener!

Back to the hotel, we went for a wallow in the pool before lunch and had it to ourselves to enjoy the view and the outdoor spa pool.

The afternoon walk was called the Hunters' Trail - for two reasons, the native aboriginals used to hunt guanaco here; now the hunters are the puma, whose leftovers are visited by the condors then the cara-cara then the foxes and then the armadillo!  There was plenty of evidence of this; bones aplenty.  As we moved along the route we could see condors in the air - and closer than in the morning.  At one point, a young condor lifted off near us, having been feeding on a young guanaco.  The older condors were hanging back which could have suggested that a puma was not too far away.  The guanaco appeared to be fairly fresh, which could have pointed to the same conclusion.  No sign of a big cat for the walkers though.

Next stop en route was having climbed a slope to the side of a valley where there are some cave paintings of indeterminate age (seems to be a dispute amongst the carbon 14 daters).  Then, over the top of a ridge and a steady descent to the road.  About 6.5km this afternoon, but all very gentle.

The clouds were gathering this afternoon, but have been clearing this evening allowing us good views over Lake Samiento and the mountains.  We are hopeful that the weather will continue to be kind to us.