PATAGONIA: Torres Del Paine Natl Park (strenuous)

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e223/difabu/reresizedTorres.jpg LABC member Aleesa Adams invites you to join her trek in Patagonia through the Torres Del Paine Natl Park where there are 15 peaks above 2,000 meters and stunning, massive vertical granite walls carved by the glaciers. Declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1978, and on the list to be declared a World Heritage site, Torres del Paine is recognized as one of the most breathtaking, unspoiled places on earth. She would prefer to do the 7-8 day "El Circuito" route usually done counterclockwise from Laguna Amarga past lakes, wooded valleys, glaciers and over the Paso John Gardner (1,241 m), camping along the way and staying in a refugio (hostel) when possible. The alternative is a 5 day "W" route where there are refugios (hostels) along the way, which allows you to still see most the same places as the circuit camping route. If you want to join, book NOW as flights are expensive and will only go up: this is high travel time to South America as not only is it the holidays, but it is summer there, too (their December = our June). For using miles you absolutely must book now! It is already hard to find dates available (you can always cancel the trip and get them back if you change your mind). Aleesa used 60,000 AA miles for this itinerary. Plan to meet at the Torres Del Paine park on Dec 21 (exact location TBD). This is about 2 hours North driving from Puerto Natales, which is a longer drive from Punta Arenas. Punta Arenas, south of the park, is the nearest airport. If coming straight from the States, arrive in Puntas Arenas the 19th or 20th to give yourself time to recover and get up there before starting the trek. (I will be up in Santiago area for the week before.) Aleesa is flying out of Punta Arenas around 3p on Dec 29 via Santiago and Miami (and then Boston) to get back to L.A. Routes via Houston and/or Dallas are also available if Miami is booked. **No Visa Required if you are an American Citizen** Because the park is located at such an extreme southern latitude there is plenty of daylight (up to 18 hours during the high season of January. December - March is warmest, but the weather can also be wetter and less predictable at this time. The wind is always prevalent, even in the high summer season and can exceed 50 miles/hour (80 kms/hour). Rain, sleet and snow are always a possibility, especially in the early and late shoulder seasons. The average temperature in the high summer season averages around 12ºC (50ºF). December: Avg rainfall 61.2 mm. Avg temp: 11.2 C (about 34 F) to 21.2 c (70.1 F). http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e223/difabu/resizedDSC.jpg Contact her directly and she can send you much more info. Just click on the little envelope next to her photo. If interested, please RSVP "No" and put "Interested" in the comment field. Then email Aleesa to work out the final details of the trip itinerary. ALSO USE THE MESSAGE BOARD THREAD TO DISCUSS PREPARATIONS FOR THIS TREK. I will move members to the "Yes" section once they are confirmed (have made reservations).