Torres del Paine - Los Cuernos

The descent from Gardner Pass was quite steep and hard on the knees but I travelled through some more beautiful forest until I emerged adjacent to Grey Glacier with views of the lake in the distance. Southbound, I was now on the western side of the massif. After trekking for 3mi (5km) beside the glacier I crossed the first suspension bridge over a very large ravine. The ever-present wind gave the bridge a nice little wobble.

Barely a mile later I crossed another suspension bridge. By this time the glacier ended, and the lake became my companion until I turned the corner yet again, hitting the southern portion of the massif. Lake Pehoe with its deep turquoise colour was on the downside and on the other was the tallest summit in the park, Cerro Grande Paine, standing at 9,462ft (2,884m). It is a bulky mountain with four peaks and a huge glacier on top that is usually hidden amongst the clouds. This is one of the most challenging mountain climbs in the park because besides the ice, rock and excessive wind there is always the threat of an avalanche.

This next stretch of the hike on a relatively flat trail was a combination of open areas and forest until I reached the third suspension bridge in French Valley with a warning sign saying: "Only one person at a [sic] time on the bridge". The French River was raging in full force beneath the bridge, tumbling over large rocks in an awful hurry to empty into Nordernskjold Lake.

Once on the other side I trekked down to the edge of the milky-blue Nordernskjold Lake which runs pretty much the entire length of the massif's southern part. The trail heads back inland and over a rubble of rock where I was afforded the spectacular views of the Los Cuernos (The Horns) peaks. Besides the incredibly jagged edges of the peaks, what was striking about them were the contrasting colours between the light granite of the central bands and the strong darkness on their tips. Closer to the base, between the two horns, was a narrow waterfall plunging somewhere below that I couldn't see.

Trekking a little further, I stopped at a campsite for a rest before I tackled the remainder of this circuit.

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