Kilometres this section : 265
Kilometres completed : 375
I enjoy a day off in Punta Arenas, this involves shopping of course, plus sightseeing - there are many monuments and statues, including Mahatma Ghandi, and Luis Pardo, who captained the Chilean ship that rescued Ernest Shackleton's stranded crew.
And, back to the trail, north into wooded hills, without difficulty this time except the weather, can't be good every day I guess, there is a cold wind and persistent light rain. Still a fine walk, then down on gravel tracks to a windswept plain, it is impressively bleak. I make good progress, but camp a little early in a somewhat sheltered spot by a stream - I have a lengthy section of shoreline coming up, doesn't look like there'll be shelter there.
Sure enough it is bleak and windy by the water, which I think is a substantial inlet. Fine walking though, as is the whole day, grassy heathland, then up on to a moor, sometimes on gravel tracks, sometimes just turf. Rather glorious, although the constant wind is biting cold - at least, mostly sunny today. And many animals to see, sheep of course, also wild horses and alpacas, and at one point I think a pygmy armadillo! So a good day, and a long one, over 45km.
A cold night, thanks to the wind seemingly straight from the Antarctic I guess. It is still blowing as I walk, briefly on a road with actual cars, then a gravel track heading north. It is flat, straight and easy, good walking but for the constant wind. To my left I pass Laguna Blanca, it is pretty big but I keep on, as does the wind, cold enough that I have all my layers on. One point of interest is La Cueva de la Leona, a rocky gorge that apparently has centuries old indigenous art.. I continue around the Laguna, finally climbing a bit to pass the substantial Estancia Laguna Blanca, and on to a magical grassy plateau. Still too windy to camp, I finally spot a grove of stunted trees, shelter enough. A little over 50km today, and another interesting animal sighting - this time a rhea - South America's answer to the ostrich.
Another day, and the wind still blows, as I follow more gravel tracks over the bleak landscape. Not that I need them, an off piste section later is easy going on springy turf. After that I join the highway between Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales, the only substantial settlements in this isolated bit of Chile. It's still only a single carriageway with not much traffic, easy going except for the wind. One benefit to being on a road, I pass a roadside restaurant! Not exactly haute cuisine but I get soup, stewed beef and mash, protein and carbs for the win, and even a couple of beers to wash it down. So what if it is nearly 8pm when I get the tent up among some scrubby trees near the road...
I am very glad to have some sunshine, and even better, rather less wind, the next day. All on road too, easy then, I march along, a range of snowy mountains getting closer, that will be the Patagonian Andes. I'm not going there, pretty sure they're on various islands for one thing. I stop at another cafe for a late lunch, the meat and cheese sandwich turns out to be a vast thing, disk shaped, it contains melted cheese, and huge quantities of steak in gravy. Good though, I eat the lot, then struggle a bit with walking a further 20km.
Another 20km or so of road, and then some relief from it, I take a gravel track to the left, of course climbing a gate to do so and swiftly reaching a substantial estancia. Here there are friendly dogs, and indeed a local, he doesn't object to me being here, but is a bit confused by my plan to walk to Puerto Natales. What, it is only another 20km! Well, to begin there's a lovely grassy track, this is more like it. Sadly the next bit is 4km or so off piste, and rather than the grassy pastures I've been walking past, I get bog, then dense forest I can barely squeeze through. I am glad to find quite substantial paths made by cows, they get me through this, then an easy last section into town, and a proper bed, yay.
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