Finally we are ready. And finally the day arrived. We set
out towards the park with all our stuff for 16 days of exploration and fun on
and off the trails in the National Park Torres del Paine in Chilean Patagonia. In
the beginning of October the majority of the trails are closed or only
accessible accompanied by a guide. I am a certified guide and have all the
permissions in order before leaving.
We are 3 of us, all with a great love for and fascination of
the nature and the outdoor life, but with the experience and skills not yet
equivalent. They will without a doubt be tested and improved the next couple of
weeks. Our gear is all new, partly sponsored and all tested stuff. Not a single empty
pocket or cavity in the approx. 25 kg backpacks we are carrying.
I have worked very hard on getting ready for this. And I have a lot at stake too. It is a crucial moment. This is the moment where everything I have worked for the last 6 months are to be set in motion. This is DEFY Patagonia finally coming to live. To be completely honest I am not as ready physically as I had relied and always hoped I would be, but I am letting it aside in favor of the grand overall plan of my future. You see the expedition’s most important goal is to be able to write and take impressive photos of Patagonia in order to promote and bomb Scandinavia with this fantastic place throughout winter. This leading to an increased interest in travelling to here and thereby making way for the tour operator DEFY Patagonia I am soon to open. Secondary, but equally important, it is about having a goal during the long and hard hours of training recovering from my knee operation in January.
What a thrill it is for me to be back in the mountains with
my backpack, all liberated at once of the worries and duties of the city-life.
It has been almost a year since the accident and here I am after a long
struggle ready to face once again the curious and mighty mountains. And what
better to share this with my husband and my best friend. I am truly happy and
excited. Anything may come – I am ready!
The first part of the expedition is taking place within the Pingo
valley. A valley rarely visited and therefor very virgin - and to us completely
unexplored. We are aware of the presence
of the rare and shy Andean Dear, the huemul, and are hoping to see one. Also we
will try to get to the Southern Icefield and the Tyndall Glacier where we know
several vertebra fossils of the extinct Ictiosaurius are embedded in the polished
rock. Early October is also early spring
meaning that we have something new, fresh and colorful in store for us. The
smell and color of the new baby leaves and flowers in bloom gives a warning of
the start of something new.
Shortly after setting out, leaving behind civilization,
we are surprised by 3 all-white horses, showing up from nowhere, greeting us
and wishing us good luck. That is at least what was gathered from what I saw as
mirrors of our pure souls ready for new adventures...
Read on soon.....
