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The wind was a phantom, raking across the Central Tower and curling into the grooves of the heavily textured orange granite, haunting every move and chilling us to the bone. It ripped back on itself, building speed through the gap between the North and Central towers.
As the sun began to rise, rays etched an outline of the Central Tower on the enormous east face of Cerro Escudo far across the valley. I could imagine my position way down on the edge of the shadow. Little hairs on my neck stood on end as I contemplated the vertical distance to the summit. I belayed André Labarca up the third pitch of the Central Tower’s über-classic Bonington-Whillans (V 5.10 A1; 800m), wondering if we could climb 15 more pitches in this wind and survive the trip back to the ground again. I mean, we’re just everyday climbers.
***
Tucked into a corner of Chilean Patagonia, sandwiched between the border with Argentina and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, Torres del Paine National Park is the definition of isolation. Paine [pie-nay] is on the 51° south parallel, making it the world’s southernmost climbing area outside of Antarctica. The massif is a quiver of granite spires, hemmed in by milky turquoise lakes fed by rivers so clean you can drink right from them.
The trio of Paine towers was “discovered” about 150 years ago, but word spread slowly. Alps-trained Europeans started putting up lines in the late 1950s, and the towers have had climbers licking their chops ever since. The 3,000- to 4,000-foot walls are so big and steep that most of the routes were climbed with siege tactics and aid climbing over weeks or months during short spurts of climbable weather. First ascent parties tagged their routes with names like Alfombra Majica (Magic Carpet Ride, VI 5.10 A3+; 800m), La Ballena de los Vientos (The Whale of the Winds, VI 5.10b A3; 900m), and Riders on the Storm (VI 5.12d A3; 1,100m) to help us understand what they went through.
When you hear about Paine, chances are you’ll hear how hard-as-nails Belgium climbers freed 30-pitch 5.12 routes or masochists climbed A4+ big walls for a month in winter-like conditions. What most people don’t know is that you don’t have to be a world-class alpinist to put Paine on your bucket list. You don’t even have to be a high-altitude climber because the summits top out at 10,000 feet. Beta trickles out slowly, and it seems like no one talks about the host of shorter and easier routes that can be done by moderately strong climbers (with appropriate mountain sense).
I was just such a climber when I arrived in Puerto Natales, the jumping-off point for Paine, with nothing but a backpack and a dream to live abroad. I scored a job pretty quickly when Baguales Brewpub hired me to manage their restaurant—the best beer and burger joint in town (if I do say so myself). I made a bunch of friends through my buddy Chino Parada and moved into a house with some other dudes in town. Local climber André Labarca and I became regular partners, and soon I was helping him with his project to develop routes on the nearby smaller conglomerate crags.
Read: From Patagonia’s Best Rock To Its Worst, And Back Again. Two New Routes
Of course, I dreamed of climbing in Paine but always doubted I could. I had climbed big walls in Yosemite and Zion but had never done long alpine-style free climbs. André had been making ascents in Paine for more than a decade, and he thought I’d make a great partner for some big routes. By the beginning of the next climbing season he had me convinced, and we came up with a plan. At the end of one winter, we made a frigid approach to the base of towers high in Valle Silencio where we cached a haulbag worth of gear: rope, rack, sleeping bags, stove, fuel, etc. We lived right in town, so we could go about our lives while we waited for the cherry weather to come. The plan was to wait for an opening in the forecast, drive up to the park, do the eight-hour approach, bivy at the base, blast up the next morning, and then return home on day three to be back at work after a “three-day weekend” and an enormous climb. In early January 2010 we spotted a 72-hour period of dry but windy weather coming in on the forecast. Our moment had arrived.
We drove in from across the windswept pampas, and the sight of the towers was terrifying. The sheer walls, the singular granite summits, the wind, the last month of partying instead of training… I kept my mouth shut, but my stomach dropped. The next day at sunrise, partway up the Central Tower, I was struggling to believe our plan was going to work. I was still tired from the approach, and the haunting wind hissed threats about the enormity of pitches left to climb and descend.
Looking back, I don’t remember the details of the first few pitches aside from a funky traverse, bad rope drag, and a lost cam. The wind and I squatted together on the ledge for half an hour, giving slack and fighting the urge to pull down and yell to André that he should lower and we should bail. Nothing made sense in my mind, and I struggled to pull away from the sticky gloom in my head. A sickly feeling swelled in my throat. The wind was right: I was wrong to be here. I felt weak. The rope came tight; I cleaned up the belay and started moving.
When I arrived at the next anchor, André mentioned that I had followed the pitch muy rapido. I had no sense of time and hadn’t noticed. I looked up and for the first time could see the route sweeping up the wall above us. A big slab led to a roof that was topped by a sexy red-orange corner. The wind was demonic, but the chill had been cut by the morning sunlight. André’s comment about climbing fast was like an enormous eraser, wiping clean the chalkboard of my mind where I had been scrawling self-defamations in overdramatic scribbles. Maybe I could do this.
I took the rack and ran out the delicate slab above (images of a tiny cam and a rusty pin still stick with me). Before I knew it, I was clipping fixed pins in the roof and then pulling into the red-orange corner above. The rope came tight, and I had climbed 60 meters out of mental darkness and self-doubt.
The first ascent of Central Tower had been more than 50 years ago in January 1963. Chris Bonington, British mountaineering superstar, was in his early 20s when he and Don Whillans, who would go on to design the first modern sit harness, tagged the summit after months of battling wind and snow. It was a time when climbers wore woolen knickers and hobnailed boots, an era when twisted nylon ropes were state of the art. In the Red Dihedral pitches above the roof, I placed perfect gold Camalots next to Bonington’s two-inch wooden “pitons” that still adorn the line.
One pitch higher, we stopped to refuel on a sunny ledge with a view of vertical miles of orange granite and miles of glimmering glaciers. We checked the topo, noting the difficulty of each coming pitch. There were many remaining, but we kept telling each other, “Facil, es todo facil.” (It’s all easy from here.) Recharged, we swung leads from the ledge to reach the shoulder of the tower by early afternoon.
In 1973, the same year Yosemite Valley rats were putting up sunny lines like Mescalito and Tangerine Trip, a team of South Africans attacked the 4,000-foot virgin east face of Central Tower. At the time, it was the largest pure rock route ever climbed. It took them months of effort and thousands of feet of fixed rope to arrive at the shoulder of the tower. Whillans had advised them, “Don’t be deceived; when you think you have gotten to the summit, you still have a few more hours to go.”
From the shoulder, we simul-climbed through icy sections and long runout slabs. We climbed up to the first summit and were destroyed to see another higher point to the west. The wind hissed Whillans’ words in our ears. Simul-climbing with the wind wringing tears from our eyes, we followed historic footprints past a second false summit and then to the true top. Somehow this average climber had managed to top out one of the greatest rock climbing objectives in the world. I’d been digging deep to shed layers of looming self-doubt, and the wind was filling its place with something soul-nourishing.
For André it was a special moment. He had completed the trifecta. Fifteen years earlier, at 20, he’d climbed both the North and South towers in a single season. On top of Central Tower, he had become one of the few to climb all three spires.
André often told me his favorite quote: “Don’t go to the mountain with intentions to conquer her; allow her to conquer you.” Conquer but not destroy you, I say. The wind was picking up, and we could see low-pressure clouds moving in from the west. We needed to go down.
An hour into the descent, we got the ropes stuck before we reached the shoulder. I climbed back up twice to free them while André collected a liter of water from melting snow—huge bonus. Two raps later, we pulled a rock down and badly damaged the tag line. Stars twinkled overhead. The ropes flapped like sails in a gale as we fought our way down.
While on the slab pitch, still hundreds of feet from the ground, the wind dragged the climbing rope off into the night when we pulled it. Forced to make short rappels with shreds of the tag line, we fixed many intermediate anchors to the base. We reached our bivy after 26 hours in the wind with the gray pall of a fresh storm obscuring the starry sunrise, tired but content.
Climbing the Bonington-Whillans taught me a lot about reading the forecast. We had nailed the window perfectly. After crashing at our bivy for a few hours, we woke to light snow and a very low cloud ceiling. Our opportunity had been very precise. We had approached in fine warm weather after a short period of bad weather. If we had climbed a day earlier, it’s likely that the snow from the previous storm would have been melting and sloughing off loose rocks and ice on us. If we had been any later we would have gotten shut down completely.
The wind was fierce on the climb, but we knew it would be from the forecast. What I didn’t know was how deeply the wind would erode my psyche with its constant nagging buffets and nay-saying whispers in my ears. I should have visualized that before the climb to have a better experience. We also should have known to make shorter rappels in the wind. When we lost the rope, we not only lost the use of it, but we also left a piece of trash high on an alpine wall—it still bothers me.
Over the next year living in Puerto Natales, I became close friends with another local, Tomás Marucic. Tomás’ dad Pepe was a local horseman who had worked closely with two decades of climbing expeditions in Paine. Tomás literally grew up in Torres del Paine National Park in the shadow of the towers—Pepe homeschooled him in a tent at basecamp. Tomás met most of the world-class climbers of the 1980s and ’90s, and his training reflects their style. The barn behind his house has a wickedly steep wooden bouldering cave with large granite blocks for free weights, and old tapes of Russian heavy metal blare from an ancient stereo.
A year after climbing Central Tower, André and I teamed up with Tomás to climb the Aste Route (VI 5.10 A1) on South Tower. We bivied in a tight little nook known as the Bonington Cave about three hours from the base of the route. The week before the climb, Tomás had left his gear in his garage, and a tomcat had pissed all over his sleeping bag. The cramped cave was suffocating with the stench, but we laughed and joked and fell asleep with burning eyes. At 2 a.m. we woke up and set out, picking our way through the moraine by the light of the moon.
We were on the route just as the first orange rays began to light the summits around us. As a team of three, we shared the loads and passed the time at belays chatting and joking. The air moved around us gently, like a kind hand giving us right-of-way to the top. We reached the shoulder before noon and stripped down to base layers under a blazing sun, laughing and gagging as little whiffs of cat piss came off Tomás’ clothes. The upper pitches were beautifully clean orange cracks and steep, super-textured slabs. Exposure, teamwork, weather—all perfect.
At the top, Tomás led us up the yellow-orange summit block. The view was amazing. The late afternoon sunlight glistened off the icefields to the west, and Fitz Roy was clearly visible 100 miles to the north. Tomás had climbed his first tower—a powerful moment after growing up in the shadow of the mountain. André relived the summit he’d visited 15 years earlier, and I’d just climbed all three towers in two years—not too shabby for a guy who grew up in New Jersey doing 5.10s for most of his climbing career. It was a long moment of pure happiness for all of us.
We rappelled in the dark, dozing for 20-second spells with a hand on the rappel line, waiting for a partner to unweight the rope. At dawn, four pitches from the ground, we snagged a rope in a chossy chimney and were left with just one. For the next rappel I made a garbage intermediate anchor in blown-out flakes that somehow held all three of us long enough to re-thread the rope and get to a ledge below. We touched down at the base in full daylight, happy to change out of damp climbing shoes. Finally at 8 a.m., we rolled back into the cave, greeted by the lingering stench of Tomás’ sleeping bag.
A week later, Tomás held an asado at his house. We drank white wine from a honeydew melon and feasted on lamb roasted on a spit over an open fire. A real Patagonian celebration. At the party, André showed us the original report by Italian Armando Aste, who in 1963 had made the first ascent of South Tower by the route that bears his name. The story mentions a hanging bivy at the top of pitch five where he and his partners shared a can of beer. All three of us recalled having seen the rusted beer can stuffed into the back of a crack. On the descent, I had plucked a soft iron piton from a crack and snagged a steel carabiner from another pin. Photos of the expedition show Aste wearing a bandolier of the same pins and carabiners. I was in awe. Having those old pieces of iron in my home in Puerto Natales kindled an interest to learn about those that had passed before me.
There is a rich history of climbing in Paine, but I found it scattered across the world in thousands of pages in journals and magazines. Over the years I began to assemble a catalog of the routes. Turns out that the majority of routes have never seen a second or third ascent. Topos are scribbled in the margins of the climbers’ log at Torres del Paine National Park headquarters. There are topos without descriptions and descriptions without a topo. Threads of stories dead-end. I started to track down the leads, digitize the topos, and assemble the timeline to paint a full picture of the place I love so much.
When I started collecting beta, I found the well-documented routes were mostly enormous aid climbs. Very little was documented on routes that could be done free in a day. Maps were printed for hikers. They didn’t show the climbers’ trails, bivies, or route locations. Details on permits, where to stay, how to get around, and what gear is best weren’t easy to find. So, here are a few favorite routes with moderate technical difficulty—but promise a full-value adventure.
Patagonia Tick List
The best moderates in Torres del Paine National Park
West Face, Aleta de Tiburon/Shark’s Fin
(III 5.8), 1,000’, standard rack
La Aleta is a gem. From the very center of Valle Frances it offers quality rock and choose-your-own-adventure climbing that never gets harder than 5.8. It is the easiest and most straightforward pure rock climb in Paine. Combine that with the serene seclusion high in the French Valley and you will find a truly classic alpine climb.
Approach from the trail to Campamento Brittanico and cross several rivers to gain an elevated, wooded plateau. Set up basecamp on flat ground under a canopy of lenga trees. Hike toward the west face and rope up at the highest point of moraine against the wall. The face has various routes—pick your line and start climbing.
Southeast Ridge, El Gemelo Este/The East Twin
(III 5.10-), 1,300’, standard rack
One of the last formations to be climbed in Paine, the twin peaks sit at the very back of Valle Frances and are only seen by climbers who venture high into the valley. El Gemelo Este is the higher of the two peaks, and the Southeast Ridge offers great climbing with short cruxes. Gain the ridge by three pitches of low-angle climbing on the right side of the face, and then scramble for three pitches to the business of four vertical pitches to the summit. Rap to the west into the col between the twins; you should find anchors every 30 meters.
Approach as for Aleta de Tiburon but stay in the valley floor, working over dry glaciers and moraine for another hour to the base of the route.
Regular Route, Cuerno Principal/Main Horn
(III 5.8), 1,500’, standard rack
You will see Cuerno Principal in almost every photo of the park; the iconic black horn towers over azure lakes across the valley from the glaciated east face of Paine Grande. Though the climbing is easy, the circuitous route took decades to be unlocked and repelled some of the best climbing suitors to visit Paine in the early years.
Approach to Campamento Italiano and hike directly uphill. At treeline find a low-angle couloir on the right side of the southwest flank. Ascend this to where the granite meets the dark shale band and traverse left on fourth class terrain to the north/northeast aspect. Here, find your way up somewhat loose mid– to low–fifth class terrain for 800 feet to the summit. Rappel or downclimb the route.
Monzino Route, Torre Norte/North Tower
(IV 5.10-), 1,200’, standard rack
The Monzino was the first ascent line on the North Tower. Climbed in 1958, it is perhaps the most traveled route in all of Paine. Three pitches of technical climbing are separated by lots of fourth class terrain. The granite is impeccable.
Approach to Campamento Japonese and set up basecamp. Hike into Valle Silencio via the climbers’ trail. When directly below Col Bich (the saddle between the North and Central towers), scramble up the talus to the left of the snowy couloir, steering clear of the smooth slabs. Continue uphill to the base of the North Tower and traverse right 200 yards to an abrupt ridge. Climb to the top of this ridge and continue along its crest until you are forced into the couloir, then continue uphill to the col between the North and Central towers. Here, follow fixed pins for two short pitches (5.8 and 5.10-) to the loose shoulder. Work uphill, staying to the left of the main ridge and ascending a few short 5.6 corners. At the summit block, climb runout 5.8 for 40 feet to old pins and then to the top. Rap the route, glissade the snow couloir (also a debris funnel), or reverse the talus approach.
Taller del Sol, North Tower
(IV 5.10c), 1,200’, doubles to #4, one #5, two 60m ropes
A direct, sustained crack and chimney system splits the north face and deposits you at the base of the summit block. It’s the best free climb I’ve ever done. Bring a few large cams and kiss your guns for good luck at the base. Excellent protection throughout and bolted anchors make for a straightforward rappel.
Approach as for Monzino until you reach the base of the North Tower. Locate the wide crack on pitch four and begin at the base of this system. Beware that Ultima Esperanza (5.10+ A2) follows a line just to the left, and it’s easy to get off route into this harder terrain.
Regular Route, Almirante Nieto
(III 5.7), 2,500’, nuts, small cams, 60m rope
This was the first technical climb done in Paine way back in 1937. It is a mountain route with lots of scrambling and a 100-foot pitch of 5.7 midway. You only need a light mountain rack, and the reward is the best view of the massif you can get. Fun, fun, fun!
Approach to Campamento Torres and hike up the trail toward the Mirador Base de Las Torres for 20 to 30 minutes. Find a climbers’ trail on the left where the path crosses a faint stream. Follow vague but discernible paths through low bushes for five or so minutes to a sandy gully. Hike up the slope to the left and aim toward the wide couloir on the northeast aspect of the mountain. Ascend this couloir to a ridge and move right uphill. Rope up at the base of a low-angle wall and follow the path of least resistance to an anchor just above a short right-facing corner (sometimes there is a fixed rope here). Hike farther to a short scramble in a narrow couloir and continue to the top, finding your way over short rock steps and open snowfields.
Descend the route the same way you came up.
Beta
Getting to Torres del Paine
Fly to Punta Arenas, Chile. Make a reservation online for a transfer from the airport to Puerto Natales. Failing that, you’ll need to pay for a taxi ride to downtown Punta Arenas and catch a bus from there. Spend a night in Puerto Natales, and then catch a bus to Torres del Paine National Park. Tip: Hire a van for the flexibility to go to headquarters for your permit and back to the trailhead; this could save you a day. Contact Hernan Jofre at Antares Patagonia to arrange ($280).
Torres del Paine Climbing Season
The U.S. winter is Chile’s summer. December through February are the best times to climb. The days are long, with as many as 18 hours of daylight. March through May are wet but slightly less windy.
Torres del Paine Climbing Regulations
You need a permit to climb in Paine. Before you travel, request permission from the Chilean Foreign Ministry. You’ll get a response in two weeks via email. Once you enter the park, go to headquarters, or administración, for a permit. You need a copy of your DIFROL permission, passports, and proof of rescue insurance for each climber. Become a member of the American Alpine Club (AAC) and get automatic insurance; your AAC card is proof enough. Beware that if you do need a rescue, the AAC insurance will only cover you if you call them first. Consider bringing a sat phone for this reason.
Where to Stay Near Torres del Paine
While you’re in the park, you’ll be camping at your basecamp. Some paid campsites, however, offer hot showers, warm meals, staple foods, and beer. In Puerto Natales there are more than 100 hostels. Prices range from as low as $7 per night and up. Reserve a night at Erratic Rock, the sister hostel Base Camp, the Tin House Patagonia, Lili Patagonicosor Spacio Kau. Spacio Kau is a Climbing mag favorite; it’s above a coffee shop/gear shop/restaurant/tour service. Each place can help arrange your transport to the park and will hold a bag while you’re off climbing.
Where to Eat in Torres del Paine
Stock up in Puerto Natales before you head to the national park. You’ll find supermarkets, pharmacies, fruit stands, and butchers. Many stores sell gas canisters and white gas (bencina blanca). For replacement gear and freeze-dried meals, go to Alfgal. On the main plaza (Plaza de Armas), get a microbrew beer and a burger at Baguales Brewpub, a killer pizza at Mesita Grande, or delicious sandwiches at Masay. Base Camp has great slow-cooked food every evening. Visit Spacio Kau for real coffee (not Nescafe).
Torres del Paine Gear List
On the route you could be in short sleeves at 1 p.m. then rappel in a blizzard at 1 a.m.—plan your layers accordingly. Opt for layers that block the wind as much as possible. Don’t leave the ground without a pair of Windstopper gloves. Wear socks under your climbing shoes or shoes with integrated gaiters. For approaches, bring shorts or zip-off pants, a hat, and sunblock.
For climbs listed here, bring a single set of cams from #0 to #3, nuts, multiple slings, a 60-meter rope, and webbing or cordage to replace older rappel anchors. If you’re climbing routes not listed here, consider cams from #00 to #6 with doubles in the #0.3 to #3 range, a double set of nuts—expect to lose a few to beef up rappel stations—and extra slings, webbing, or cordage for anchors. For ropes, include at least two 60-meter ropes, 9.8mm or fatter, with a burly sheath. Don’t pack a worn rope, the granite will tear it to pieces. Trekking poles are clutch for crossing snow-dusted moraine.
Forecasting
How to nail the fickle weather windows
The most powerful tool is NOAA’s Global Forecast System. Go to Meteorological Tools on NOAA’s Real-Time Environmental Applications and Display System. Enter latitude and longitude coordinates -51° and -73.5°, respectively, and then click ‘Continue.’ On the next page in the row for ‘Meteorogram,’ select ‘GFS Model (0-192h, 3hrly, Global, pressure)’ and then click ‘Go.’ On the following page, just click ‘Next.’ On the next page click ‘Default with winds’ and ‘Speed and direction,’ leaving everything else as-is. At the bottom of the page, type in the access code and click ‘Get Meteorogram.’ Reading the forecast: Along the bottom of the page is a time scale for the hours from present time and days of the week. First look at the bottom graph for pressure; you are generally looking for pressure of 1010 hPa or higher for more than 24 hours consecutively. Have a look at the top graph to see if precipitation is possible. Then look at wind speed and direction. The best wind scenario is single-digit wind speed coming from the southwest or south.
Combined with forecast graphs, forecast maps are also useful in understanding the weather that is on its way. You can get maps here. Click on any of the green dots, then on the next page click ‘Loop’ next to ‘Precip/SLP’ to see the forecast played out. This map gives you pressure and precipitation as it is forecast to come your way.
Regardless of the best forecasting tool, you will experience wind and weather in Paine. Augment any forecasts with common sense. After a storm you might have to burn a day of nice weather waiting for ice and snow to slough off the walls before starting up. In 1992’s American Alpine Journal, Mikel Piola wrote, “To succeed in Patagonia, whether one uses fixed ropes or not, one needs moral strength and the will to climb in bad weather.”
This story originally appeared in the November 2014 issue of our print edition.
FAQs
How would you describe Torres del Paine? ›
The Torres del Paine mountain range is full of dramatic spires that contrast with the vastness of the surrounding landscapes – including the southern Patagonian ice fields and the plains of the Magallanes region. Its complex geology made it the ultimate challenge for climbers and a miracle of nature for scientists.
Has anyone climbed Torres del Paine? ›Climbing Chile's Mt. Balmaceda (2035m/6,677ft) and Paine Grande (3050m/10006ft), Torres del Paine National Park's highest peak which has been climbed only… three times. Congratulations and good luck to our climbers!
What does Paine mean in Torres del Paine? ›Torres del Paine is the bearer of the famous Grey Glacier, the W-Trek, the O-Trek and also one of its most well known attraction and postcards, the three distinctive granite peaks called Torres del Paine (Paine means “blue” in the native Tehuelche/Aonikenk language).
Can you climb the Torres del Paine? ›Torres del Paine Climbing Season
December through February are the best times to climb. The days are long, with as many as 18 hours of daylight. March through May are wet but slightly less windy.
The mountains are frequently referred to as Torres del Paine. The tallest summit is locally known as Cerro Paine Grande with a height of 9,461.9 feet (2,884 m).
How do you say Torres del Paine? ›...
| Torres del Paine National Park | |
|---|---|
| Location | Magallanes Region, Chile |
| Nearest city | Puerto Natales |
| Coordinates | 51°0′0″S 73°0′0″W |
| Area | 181,414 ha (448,280 acres) |
The hardest climbing route to be free soloed is "Panem et Circenses", a 5.14b climb near Arco, Italy. The 15-m route was climbed without ropes by 52-year-old Alfredo Webber (Italy) in March 2021.
What is the hardest climb in America? ›- #5 Le Rêve (5.14d/5.15a; Arrow Canyon, Nevada)
- #4 Flex Luthor (5.15a; Fortress of Solitude, Colorado) ...
- #3 Jaws II (5.15a; Rumney, New Hampshire)
- #2 Southern Smoke Direct (5.15a; Red River Gorge, Kentucky) ...
- #1 Jumbo Love (5.15b; Clark Mountain, California)
I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
What was the main idea of Paine's Common Sense pamphlet? ›
He argued for two main points: (1) independence from England and (2) the creation of a democratic republic.
What does the word Patagonia mean? ›Patagonia in American English
(ˌpætəˈgoʊniə ; ˌpætəˈgoʊnjə ) dry, grassy region in S South America, east of the Andes, including the S parts of Argentina and Chile: often restricted to the portion, c.
The water in Torres del Paine National Park is safe to drink, with caution, of course. It is not recommended to drink water from streams and rivers located near the refugios due to human presence, but there will be marked areas on the trail showing a good place to fill up your water bottle.
Are there pumas in Torres del Paine? ›Torres del Paine is definitely the best place in Patagonia to spot pumas, as they live in open areas with plenty of food and a protected habitat. They live about everywhere, including the nothofagus forests, but it is easier to see them in the steppe (for instance, around Laguna Amarga and Laguna Azul).
How hard is Torres del Paine? ›From here, the Torres del Paine towers hike is just shy of 21 km/13 mi round trip and takes 8- 10 hours to complete. The hike to Mirador de las Torres is rated difficult/strenuous and has an elevation gain of 901 m/2956 ft.
How much does it cost to enter Torres del Paine? ›The entrance fee for up to 3 days inside Torres del Paine is US$35 per person; the entrance fee for more than 3 days in the park is US$49. If you're planning to do one of the multi-day routes the O Circuit or the W trek you'll be spending more in the park more than 3 days.
Who owns Torres del Paine? ›Years later, in 1959, the park was established and in 1970 it was named Torres del Paine National Park. Five years after, Chile's National Forestry Service (CONAF) took over management and continue to run the park today.
Is Patagonia its own country? ›Located at the southern end of South America, Patagonia is a territory shared by the countries of Chile and Argentina.
What is the hardest American word to pronounce? ›'Isthmus' consider as a most difficult word to pronounce in English. When read aloud, the word isthmus poses a pronunciation issue since most English speakers prefer to sound the 'TH' in the word.
How do you say C#? ›C# (pronounced "See Sharp") is a modern, object-oriented, and type-safe programming language.
Do we pronounce the r in comfortable? ›
The second syllable sounds like a shift from a T sound to an R sound. In between there's a short schwa sound. Note that even though in the spelling the letter R comes before the T, it's actually pronounced the other way around: first the T, then the R.
How many v17s are there? ›Burden of Dreams V17 – Nalle Hukkataival
The climb took him four years and while it exists as one of only two proposed V17, it is likely that these are the most challenging series of moves on any established boulder problem in the world.
At 28,251 feet, K2, which straddles the Pakistan-China border, is about two and a half football fields shorter than Everest, but it's widely considered the planet's toughest and most dangerous mountain to climb, earning the nickname “Savage Mountain.” Unlike Everest, it is not possible to “walk” to the top; all sides ...
What is the easiest mountain to climb in the US? ›| Mountain | Location | Season to Climb |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Whitney | California, USA | July-September |
| Snowdon | Wales, United Kingdom | June-September |
| Mauna Kea | Hawaii, USA | May-November |
| Mount Fuji | Japan | July-September |
Other 9c / 5.15d Routes
“Silence” is a route put up by Adam Ondra in the Hanshelleren Cave in Norway.
Climbing Routes, Difficulty and Grades On El Capitan
This 31 pitch climb is rated at 5.14a (8b+) when free climbed and 5.9 C2 when aid is used.
3, 2017, Adam Ondra made history when he made the first ascent of Silence 5.15d in Norway's Hanshelleren Cave.
What were Thomas Paine's last words? ›Manley, who attended him in his last sickness, and to whom Paine spoke his last words. Dr. Manley asked him if he did not wish to believe in Jesus Christ, and he replied, “I have no wish to believe on that subject.”
What is the most famous line of all time? ›- “ May the Force be with you.” - Star Wars, 1977.
- “ There's no place like home.” - The Wizard of Oz, 1939.
- “ I'm the king of the world!” - ...
- “ Carpe diem. ...
- “ Elementary, my dear Watson.” - ...
- “ It's alive! ...
- “ My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. ...
- “ I'll be back.” -
What did Thomas Paine say about human rights? ›
Paine argues that human rights depend on nature, and that charters, with an implication that they are granted and can therefore be withdrawn, can have no basis in law.
What are the 3 main ideas of Common Sense? ›- Of the Origin and Design of Government.
- Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession.
- Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs.
- Of the Present Ability of America.
Paine even proposes the form of government that the independent colonies should adopt. His recommendation is for a representative democracy that gives roughly equal weight to each of the colonies.
What was the main purpose of Thomas Paine Common Sense? ›Originally published anonymously, “Common Sense” advocated independence for the American colonies from Britain and is considered one of the most influential pamphlets in American history.
Were there giants in Patagonia? ›Later writers consider the Patagonian giants to have been a hoax, or at least an exaggeration and misreporting of earlier European accounts of the region. These accounts may also refer to the Selk'nam people. A photo of a seven-foot tall Selk'nam ("Ona") man can be found in the Library of Congress.
Why is Patagonia so famous? ›But the main reason why Patagonia is famous around the world is because of its landscapes, vast forest, natural reserves, national parks, glaciers and native wildlife. Patagonia is called a region that combines many provinces and all of them have different attractions.
What language does Patagonia speak? ›The main language of Chile and Argentina including in Patagonia is Spanish. See our Chile and Argentina sections for more information. You may be surprised to learn that Welsh is spoken in some parts of Argentine Patagonia.
Is there WIFI in Patagonia? ›Most hotels in Patagonia provide internet access (sometimes at a cost) and international telephones – although for calling home, you will likely receive better rates using an internet-based phone service such as Skype or WhatsApp.
Can you live in Patagonia? ›However, people really do live in Patagonia, and quite the hearty stock they are. The largest city in Argentine Patagonia—and all of Patagonia—in Neuquen, home to roughly 345,000 people. Patagonia as a whole has a total population of 2 million people, with the majority living in Argentina.
Is there cell phone service in Torres del Paine? ›You Won't Miss Your Laptop or Mobile Phone
Hiking in Torres del Paine means complete disconnection from your electronic existence. You're unlikely to take your laptop hiking with you and there are many places within the park where there's no cell phone signal at all.
What big cats live in Patagonia? ›
The Patagonian puma provokes a lot of interest among tourists who visit Torres del Paine. They're not easy to spot, even though they're the largest cat species in Chile, due to its exceptional camoflauge skills and, true to their solitary character, they prefer to stay away from curious humans.
Are pumas friendly to humans? ›Are pumas dangerous? Pumas are rarely dangerous for humans, though attacks are more common in human-dominated landscapes. For that reason, there are more attacks in the United States than in Patagonia, where pumas tend to live in wild, unspoiled places.
What makes Torres del Paine so special? ›Torres del Paine National Park is best known as a hiker's paradise. Its most famous hike involves a demanding 31-mile walk up and down the park's valleys to see its most famous sights. The route takes the shape of a “W”, hence the name W Trek.
Can you travel Patagonia without a guide? ›Can you hike Patagonia without a guide? The simple answer is yes, you can hike Patagonia without a guide, and there are certainly some perks. If you're looking to move at your own pace – stopping to admire views, take photos and be in the moment – then self-guided trekking will award you this privilege.
Are there mosquitoes in Patagonia? ›Prepare for mosquitos.
Patagonia may be a bit cool, dry and windy, but the mosquito population can explode anytime rainy weather happens in the summer. Consider repellant mandatory and consider bringing along a mosquito net for even more protection.
Torres Strait Islander people are the only culture in the world to make turtleshell masks, known as krar (turtleshell) in the Western Islands and le-op (human face) in the Eastern Islands. Prominent among the artforms is wame (alt.
What is unique about Torres Strait Islander culture? ›Torres Strait Islanders have a distinct culture which varies slightly within each island or community. We are a sea-faring people, and engaged in trade with people of Papua New Guinea. The culture is complex, with some Australian elements, Papuan elements and Austronesian elements (also seen in the languages spoken).
How are Torres Strait Islanders defined? ›The section offered the following definition: An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is a person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and is accepted as such by the community in which he (she) lives.
What does Torres Strait Islander represent? ›The Torres Strait Islander flag symbolises the unity and identity of all Torres Strait Islanders. The Torres Strait Islander Flag is attributed to the late Bernard Namok of Thursday Island.
Who is the most famous Torres Strait Islander? ›Undoubtedly the most known and celebrated Torres Strait Islander, nationally and internationally, is Eddie Koiki Mabo, born on Mer, whose life and work have been celebrated in two documentary films (Mabo and Mabo – Life of an Island Man), a written biography and hundreds of other books and articles.
Who started the Stolen Generation? ›
In the 1860s, Victoria became the first state to pass laws authorising Aboriginal children to be removed from their parents. Similar policies were later adopted by other states and territories – and by the federal government when it was established in the 1900s.
What is the difference between Torres Strait Islanders and aboriginals? ›'Aboriginal' and 'Torres Strait Islander' refer to different groups of peoples. Aboriginal refers to the original peoples of mainland Australia. Torres Strait Islander refers to the original peoples of the 274 islands located north of Australia, in the Torres Strait.
What race are Torres Strait Islanders? ›The Torres Strait Islander peoples are of Melanesian descent, as are the people of Papua New Guinea, with whom they share similar cultural traits and customs. The Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived on the islands for thousands of years.
What are some terms considered offensive to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders? ›Assimilationist terms such as 'full-blood,' 'half-caste' and 'quarter-caste' are extremely offensive and should never be used when referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
What are the 3 main languages spoken in the Torres Strait Islands? ›There are two traditional languages of the Torres Strait Islands, Meriam Mir and Kala Lagaw Ya as well as Torres Strait Creole, a recently developed community language. Meriam Mir (also written as Miriam Mer) is the Language of the Eastern Islands of the Torres Strait.
What qualifies you as indigenous? ›Indigenous Peoples are distinct social and cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy or from which they have been displaced.
How do I prove I am indigenous? ›You can provide a letter of Confirmation from a registered Aboriginal community organisation as proof of Aboriginality.
Can I identify as indigenous? ›Aboriginal Self-Identification Question process
Any client may self‑identify as being an Aboriginal person, regardless of legal status under the Indian Act. No proof of ancestry or belonging to a band is necessary.
The flag was created as a symbol of unity and identity for Torres Strait Islander peoples. The cultures and traditions of Torres Strait Islanders are strongly connected to the land, sea and sky — elements which are represented in the flag.
Are Torres Strait Islanders considered indigenous? ›Part of: Australia's welfare 2021
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the Indigenous peoples of Australia. They are not one group, but rather comprise hundreds of groups that have their own distinct set of languages, histories and cultural traditions (AIHW 2015).
What are the five Torres Strait Islander groups? ›
This also includes the five aboriginal and islander communities (Bamaga, Seisia, Injinoo, Umagico and New Mapoon), on the Northern Peninsula Area of Cape York.