We moved inside Torres del Paine National Park for the second part of our stay. The Hosteria Pehoe, situated right on Lake Pehoe, gave us a unique perspective on the Horns and also saved us some driving distance going to the other parts of the park. Access to the Hosteria is only via a pedestrian bridge and we had to haul our luggage from the parking lot on the lakeside to our lodgings on the island. But there is a vista point at the top of the island which makes sunrise shots handy.
One of our first stops in the park was at the Salto Chico Waterfall. This is right beside the high-end Explora Hotel which has a terrific view of the towers. The path down to the waterfall consists of treacherous wooden steps but there are viewing areas that provided views of the mountains and the waterfall. And it got better - views of the mountains with the two lakes in front, complete with reflections.
We had to drive an hour in the dark on gravel roads to Laguna Armaga for sunrise. We were worried there won't be one when we got there but after we set up our tripods, the light started to change and you will see below how magical it was. There were a couple of flamingos that flew by at the lake but I didn't have my long lens with me.
We were hoping to see two more waterfalls, the Rio Paine Waterfall which we did see and the Salto Grande which we didn't. Unbeknownst to us, the Salto Grande parking lot closes at 6pm just as we were arriving. No waterfall. No sunset either. You win some you lose some.
There are always people with good eyesight who could see pumas from their cars. We counted on these scouts to stop by the roadside so we know when to stop too. The puma was stage centre for at least 30 minutes until a ranger showed up and everyone kind of got back into their illegally parked cars. The guanacos kept a close watch on the puma - tension was indeed in the air! It was fun while it lasted - a spirit of community even out there in the wilderness.
We were lucky to catch another sunrise before we left the park for the border. We managed to get to the gas station with just enough gas!
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| Salto Chico waterfall |
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Explora Hotel in front of the horns
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| The whole massif with the two lakes from a viewpoint behind the hotel |
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| The pedestrian bridge to the Hosteria Pehoe |
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| On my first visit I was able to capture a perfect reflection of the mountains at this point. This time around we arrived too late and the waters have started to move. |
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| View from the Hosteria |
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| We were close enough from the island to zoom in and see more of what it's like behind Los Cuernos. |
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An Austral thrush (easily mistaken for a robin) - another lifer
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| We headed out early morning to Laguna Armaga for sunrise. There were hardly any colours when we arrived but within 20 minutes, everything changed! |
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It was dazzling! |
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| The three towers continued to change colour as the light changed. When we first arrived, they were covered by clouds but these gradually moved off as the sun hit. |
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| Finally a flaming red |
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| Paine River Waterfall |
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| A young gray fox appeared to have just woken up |
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| Cars stopped on both sides of the road - a puma sighting! |
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| These guanacos were also watching the puma to see which direction it was heading |
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Our last morning at the lake, we waited for sunrise at the viewpoint at the top of the island.
It was a short hike up to the top - the moon was still around when we got there.
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Still mesmerising in the dark, before the sun came out
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