DAY 13 PUERTO NATALES
I had booked a passage on the NAVIMAG Cargo ship leaving from Puerto Natales and I was to be on board that evening. Waking up at the Refugio Grey meant the ship was still a distance away. Taking the12:30 Catamaran back to my car, was what I was hoping for. My sore muscles from the ride were pretty much healed but I didn’t want to take any chances missing my boat. I was out of the lodge by 6:10am. More than six hours was surely going to be enough time even if I had to take it slowly. People were talking about the fierce winds and rain that were scheduled for that day. Coming through that path the day before, I knew I had some hands-on scrambling up boulders and a steep path, that was more like a small waterfall, to maneuver.

I headed out in rain gear with my trusty walking stick towards the Catamaran dock,11kms away. This time I too was focused on a destination and was grateful for the time I had spent the day before admiring all the beauty. With rain, wind, the path and time to consider, my focus was on taking care across the rough patches of terrain.

The wind was strong, and at my back but a fierce gust was enough to knock someone off their feet. Fortunately my footing was more assured, as if the last two days were trial runs for the hike today. My primary concern was the gale winds up at the overlooks when their forces were not buffeted by rocks or trees.

It’s fairly instinctual to hunker down, if one gets caught in a gust, but the instructions from the park employees solidified the technique in my mind.

And then there I was on the overlook hunkering down as low as I could go as the fierce winds almost kept me at bay. My stick helped me considerably in being able to move forward, but it’s not as if I had a choice.

Getting across that overlook was one of my most challenging moments and if I had been with someone I would have been certain that I couldn’t managed it alone.

The winds behind my back continued to nudge me along and much to my surprise I arrived back at the lodge at 9:20, in time to catch a 10am Catamaran. I offered a ride out of the park to three pals traveling together from the USA. My early arrival gave me time in Puerto Natales to organize my affairs, do some writing and have a nice dinner with a woman I had met the day before.

At 9pm I was boarding the cargo ship Navimag where I will spend the next 4 days.