Chilean Patagonia 2008

4-15-08
Bueno. Hoy es el 5to dia en el parque. Hoy fuimos a la base de las torres. Aunque no alcanzamos llegar pero fue una buena caminata, una de las mas largas que hemos hecho y una de las mas cansadoras en lo personal por tener mucha subidas pero todo esfuerzo tiene su recompenza y las de esta caminata fue ver las Torres mas cerca de lo que las habia visto antes. Ademas de que a la vuelta solo habia bajadas.
Este viaje asido muy bueno, porque econosido mas gente y en algunos casos epodido hacer buenos amigos. Ademas epodido conocer un poco mas las cultura de los estado unidences. Es muy bueno compartir con gente nueva.
Bueno manaña volvemos a Natales y creo que este asido un viaje inolvidable para todos nosotoros.
-Mathias

4-14-08
Well today was on of the better days in the park. We slept in till 7:30 am. Eduardo and I where the leaders of the day. As leaders we were charged with waking everyone up and cleaning up the cabins we stayed in. After a large tasty breakfast we got ready for the hike back to the hostel. On the way we stopped periodically to do some trail maintenance. This entailed throwing big rocks off the trail and make it easier to walk. Also we would rock off sections of trail so they could become refurbished back to their original state. We continued this process for about a mile; the results was absolutely spectacular. After that we started the long hike back, not measured in kilometers, but hours. Personally I have no idea how this is used, but anyways it is a 4 hour hike. We hiked the predicted hike in just under 5 hours. Once we arrived at the hostel we hopped in a van and went to watch guanacos, then as a synopsis to the day we played duck, duck, goose and hung out in the refugio. All in all, it was a hard, long, but fun day.
-Will

4-13-08
Today was the earliest we have had to get up the entire trip. We had to arise at 6:30 well before the rising sun shines it´s radiance on the towers of paine. We had the unique opportunity to ride a zodiac across a section of the lake near our rustic shanty near the base of the towers. The reason for our pre-sun awakening was to utilize the convience of the zodiac before the raging winds render it useless. By the time the second zodiac wave was on it´s way the wind was picking up and the plastic zodiac seats were unforgiving on the hienders of the unsuspecting passengers. We ended up being dropped off at the extent of our hike the previous day. From there we headed down the trail to the next set of cabins that happen to be Christian´s favorite in this particular national park. We arrived after the first group and Matt, Luke, and Frazer took a break. They all sat on different rocks gazing at the view consisting of a beautiful lake, ominous mountain, foreboding rock wall, and Japanese like trees. Frazer considers this place to be the most stunning place he has ever been due to the diversity and scale of the surrounding environments. From there Matt, Frazer, Luke, and Greg ran up a ridge hoping to tread upon the flat platue directly below the immense rock wall. The three didn´t make it because wind gusts rating a 11.7 out of 10 blew them off the trail. After the whole group hiked to the entrance of the French Valley and watched ice-a-lanches tumble down the slopes. After the long trek back the group settled into their wee cabins and slumbered for the night.
-Frazer

4-13-08
Bueno el dia que me toco ser el lider del grupo me toco dispertar al grupo o a mis compañeros a las 6:30 para ir al Refugio los Cuernos. El dia estuvo muy bueno y fue oles de el principio al fin. Y al que al final del dia Frazer nos enseño un juego muy bueno y cuando mi compañero RP y yo nos dirigiamos al nuestra cabaña encontramos un raton al cual intentamos a matar. Duespes me fui a dormir con mis otros compañeros y tubimos una buena conversacion sobre la vida y otras cosas.
A todos mis compañeros tanto chilenos como estado unidenses les digo que fue una bonita experiencia estar este tiempo con ustedes y conocerlos mejor. Les juro que no los voy a olvidar y que espero volver a verlos pronto en espicial a los estados unidences tambien agradecerles por su amistad y otras cosas. Tambien voy a extrañar al Christian, Laura, y GREEK (Greg).

4-12-08
Today, we were unable to travel in a boat due to conditions. So in replacement of traveling we went climbing. This was a new experience for the local Chileans. We demonstrated how to properly climb and assemble your climbing equipment. We spent several hours climbing. After climbing we spent several hours playing hide and go seek. First the American version and then the Chilean version. Tomorrow we will have an even better day because we are traveling in a zodiac, a boat, to a whole different part of the park. We are having so much fun and can´t wait for the next day.
Chao
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Eric, Luke, Marcos

4-11-08
After what seemed like ages of flying, we finally made it to Puerto Natales. Puerto Natales is a town in the far south of Chile. It is freezing at night but still extremely beautiful. All the Chileans I have met so far have been extremely nice and try their hardest to make us not feel out of place. However, no matter how hard they try we cannot deny the fact that Chile is extremely different then the U.S. For example, the first day I met my host-family we had the biggest lunch of my life. It had three courses including a gigantic bowl of soup that I could barely eat. We spent three days with our families and then went into the park with the group. Today was our first day in the park and was probably my favorite day of the trip. The whole day we tried to see and count the huemul, but were not successful, however my group did see scat. Anyway Eric, Matt, Frazer, Will, Luke, Rody, Laura, Greg, Christian, Alonzo, Marcos, Mattius, and Eduardo are having SO much fun on this trip and can´t wait for tomorrow.
-Luke