Middle Earth...or Torres del Paine as it is more commonly known.

3 days in Torres del Paine, was definately not enough, sadly, and is on my list of things I would like to return to and do properly, at some stage in my life.

Torres resembles Middle Earth, of the famed Lord of the Rings trilogy - steep, dark granite cliff edges, lined with grass lands, forested areas and coupled with the famous Torres themselves on one end and a glaciar on the other.

We took a catamaran across the bluest (and probably coldest) lagoon I have ever seen, landing at the other end of Laguna Amarga. We then set off, at a hell of pace completing 11 km in 3.5 hours (including a stop for lunch on a log!). Feeling like a hobbit, dwarfed by the landscape, and in awe of the snow covered mountains on one side, we came around the headland and came face to face with Lago Grey, and its famous glaciar. The only way I can describe it, is that it looks like a tsunami, frozen in midair.

The following morning, after staying in the cosy Refugio Grey, and enjoying the lovely hot chocolates on offer, we set off at 8.30 am (and for those of you who know me know that this is in fact a weird phenomenon in itself...as usually anything before 9am is almost impossible!) back towards the catamaran and across the lake. We then caught a shuttle bus over to Torres Central - a rather posh hostel in the park, over looked by the Torres del Paine mountains.

The following day was in fact our last day in the park and although we had planned a short trek, returning to camp to get the 2.30pm bus back to Puerto Natales, I had already decided that as I was there I would complete the longer trek and get the late bus back to our hostel. The long trek was a massive 18 km in total, up to the mirador (lookout) bringing me in front of the Torres. Sheryl was brave (or stupid) enough to do this with me. And after an arduous few hours (I lost count somewhere between the boulders we had to climb, and the burnt trees - which I will come back to shortly), we eventually made it to the top...reward with a sign telling us it was the end of the trail. After kissing and cuddling the sign we sat and ate some sandwiches (with Peter the Wingless duck of course), and then practically skipped back to camp very proud of ourselves.

Interestingly, and very sadly, a massive 10 percent of Torres del Paine was burnt down in 2005 (I think) by a careless traveller and a camping stove. This destruction can still be seen as you walk through the park, with massive burnt trees lying on the ground, surrounded by young trees pushing their way through next to them.