Writings By Location| Towers of Pain: The Challenge of Torres del Paine | 1 | 2 | 3 |
The walk down the hill was a bit embarassing, at first. For a short time, I felt it was one of the low points of the trip. It was an out-and-back trail, so I didn't look like some lame-ass that couldn't hack it, but it felt that way. Worse, though, I felt as though I'd abandoned Erin. I knew she'd be okay making it up there and back — there were a million people on this trail — but I wanted to do it with her. I hated leaving her alone, and hated being alone just as much.
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| The Dugout |
When I made it to the grassy area, I plopped down against a rock, and just kind of closed my eyes and relaxed for a couple of hours while my mind drifted. I listened closely to the sounds of the mountain: the rushing stream just below me, the whistling of the wind in the dandelions all around my head (I'm counting on a wicked allergy day tomorrow), and the gentle sounds of an acoustic guitar somewhere in the distance. (Actually, I may have imagined that part, but it sure sounded real. Perhaps I was sicker than I thought.) Within half an hour, I felt much better, and began to suspect I could have made it after all. But no point in trying now: I'd meet Erin on her way back at this point, and I didn't think she'd be up for doing the last part (the hardest, too) a second time.
After nearly two hours, I figured my body had gotten all the rest it could manage. I walked back to the refuge, having no problems at all, and waited another 45 minutes for Erin. Sitting on a picnic table, facing the trail, I felt like a puppy waiting for his master, as I scanned every approaching face hundreds of meters in the distance, wondering if it was her. Just as I started wondering how I was going to get out of my promise to hike up after her if she didn't make it back on time, she finally emerged from around a corner, ten minutes before the deadline, waving to me as soon as I was within sight.
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| Woman On Top |
Erin proved herself to be quite the trekker — she made it all the way to the top. Never, I think, have I been so proud of her. Knowing that at least one of us got to see this great awe-inspiring sight practically erased all my fears of our trip here being a very expensive bust. She showed me the pictures she'd taken on her digital camera, and for as much as I applauded her for accomplishing the great feat, I couldn't help but feel even more jealous now that I didn't make it. Alas.
