www.RussellBevanPhotography.com: July 2013

I visited Torres del Paine in January this year and stayed for 5 days of trekking and, of course, photography. Patagonia is famed for its very unpredictable weather fronts and gale force winds that only add to the eery atmosphere of this unforgiving, yet magnificent, ancient landscape.

On the way into the park our driver stopped for a few photo opportunities. The weather was gorgeous and we had great views of the mountain ranges. Unfortunately, due to the classic Patagonia weather, I didn't see the mountain peaks again until the afternoon of the third day as it was either raining heavily or clouds were obscuring the spectacular views.

On the day I trekked up to the Towers I experienced four seasons in one day, starting the 9 hour round trek in bright sunshine and 20°c heat only to be sat in freezing blizzard conditions 4.5 hours later at the final viewpoint. I sat huddled under a boulder in freezing conditions for almost an hour, willing the storm to pass, so I could get my shot! The weather didn't improve so I headed back to the refuge for a nice glass of Chilean carménère.

Torres del Paine is one of the most spectacular places I've ever visited and is truly a wild place. One day I hope to return and maybe get a chance to catch a sunrise or sunset and my illusive shot of the towers.

Below are some of my images accompanied by text taken from the Torres del Paine National Park wikipedia page:

Torres del Paine and Lago Sarmiento Vista

Torres del Paine National Park is part of the National System of Protected Forested Areas of Chile and encompasses mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers in southern Chilean Patagonia.

Lake Pehoé

In 2006, it measured approximately 242,242 hectares and is one of the largest and most visited parks in Chile.
The national park was declared a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO in 1978 and is a popular hiking and rock climbing destination. There are clearly marked and well maintained paths and many refugios which provide shelter and basic services for around 150,000 visitors a year, of which 60% are foreign tourists, who come from all over the world.

Cordillera del Paine Panorama

The Cordillera del Paine is the centrepiece of the park and lies in a transition area between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes.

The Towers of Paine

The Torres del Paine are the peaks of the mountain range, Cerro Paine. They extend 3,050 meters above sea level, and are joined by the Cuernos del Paine.

The Cerro Paine Grande and the Cuernos del Paine

The landscape of the park is dominated by the Paine massif, which is an eastern spur of the Andes located on the east side of the Grey Glacier, rising dramatically above the Patagonian steppe. Small valleys separate the spectacular granite spires and mountains of the massif. Glacial erosion is mainly responsible for the sculpturing of the massif in the last tens of thousands of years.

Hiking to Mirador Cuernos

A good example of the latter is the Cuernos del Paine, whose central bands of exposed granite contrast strongly with the dark aspect of their tops, which are remnants of a heavily eroded sedimentary stratum.

In 1985 a Japanese tourist started a fire that burned about 150 km² (58 sq mi) of the park. The blaze affected the areas east and south around Lake Pehoé.

Fire damage in Torres Del Paine

In February 2005, an accidental fire started by Czech backpacker, which lasted for about ten days, destroyed 155 km² (60 sq mi) of the park, including about 2 km² of native forest. The fire consumed an area located on the east side of the park and away from the most popular attractions. The Czech government issued a letter of apology and donated US$1 million to reforestation efforts.

The Cuernos del Paine Through Dead Trees

In late December 2011 through January 2012, another fire burned about 176 km² (68 sq mi) of the reserve, destroying about 36 km² of native forest and affecting most of the areas around Lake Pehoé and the western areas around Lake Sarmiento, but moving away from the Cordillera del Paine, the park's centrepiece. An Israeli camper was detained on suspicion of causing the fire. He and his family claimed his innocence and there was no evidence directly linking him to the fire. The Israeli government sent reforestation experts to the zone and has committed to donate trees to replant the affected areas.

Patagonian Guanaco

Guanacos are one of the most common mammals found in the park. Other mammals include foxes and pumas.[28] It is also home to the endangered Chilean Huemul. The puma's predation on guanacos in the park has been studied.