Day 15: A Challenging Ascent - The Hike to Las Torres

Today was another beautiful day, perfect for the challenging hike to Las Torres.

The adventure began right from the hotel, where we set off on horseback. It was a stunning day, and the setting made for a beautiful start to our ride. Each person received a horse, even those without prior riding experience. We would ride almost halfway to our destination.

This hike, Las Torres, is also known as "el sendero de Ascencio," named after the Chilean explorer Alberto de Agostini, who explored the area in the early 20th century. The word "ascenso" means "ascent" in Spanish, which reflects the trail's challenging climb to reach the magnificent towers.

Yesterday, we met a man who would be hiking with us today. He seemed quite fit and mentioned that we must be very sporty and fit to tackle such a tough climb. We were a bit taken aback, as we didn’t consider ourselves sporty at all.

With the horses, we crossed a rushing river, where the flow was quite strong, and at times, the horses had to fight against the current. We also navigated narrow mountain paths, where only one horse could walk at a time. One side was the mountain, while the other dropped into a cliff. The thought of falling was quite scary!

Once we reached the halfway point, we tied our horses to trees. As bad weather was approaching, we had to hurry to continue our hike.

The guide moved quickly, and we found ourselves almost running to keep up. It was already quite challenging.

After a short break to drink and snack, we faced a critical moment: whether to continue or turn back, as the weather was worsening. It was a difficult decision as we had been looking forward to this hike, but physically we were on the edge of exhaustion. We expressed that we couldn't continue at the current pace. The guide reassured us that the hard part was almost over and that the rest of the climb would be less steep. So, we decided to press on.

Despite the effort, we felt like the hike would never end. But finally, we arrived at the base of Las Torres, the three majestic towers.

We were thrilled, utterly exhausted, but grateful to have made it. This was an unforgettable experience.