The Circuit is 100 km in length and circumnavigates the entire Torres massif (a section of the earth's crust that is separated by faults or flexures). Assuming all goes as planned, we'll have the opportunity to view the Torres from every angle. The majority of the travel agencies around the area advise visitors to set aside 6 to 9 days to complete The Circuit. Will everything go as planned? Most likely not. But, we're still confident we'll be able to persevere. After all, isn't this what we do for a living?
Our preparation has been broken into three different segments.
Step One: Trail Food
Step Two: Body Food
Step Three: Packing Food
To accomplish step one, last night we left Hostel Natural in an absolute downpour and began the hunt for trail treats. Two stops occurred. The first was at a shop called, "The Dried Fruit Guy." No explanation needed. Stop two was at a local supermarket. Again, no explanation needed. What did we end up with?
Yum-a-dum-dum! Tortillas, Bread, Gorp, Yogurt, Manjar, Crackers, Sprim (Tang), Marshmallows, Sugar Peanuts, Dried Pineapple, Red Wine, Pickles, Pears, Apples, Oranges, Dried Strawberries, Dried Mango, Chocolate, Tuna, Squid, Salami, Mozzarella, Gouda, Cookies, Dried Orange, Soup, Skittles, Jam, Dried Cranberries, Potato Chips, Croutons, and Granola Bars.
If this looks like a mess of junk food... There are two reasons for it. One, we're not bringing a stove. Two, it is. We just finished a 32-day mountaineering course. Our metabolisms are running the rate of an adolescent boy's. We need carbs, we need fats, we need proteins, and we need simple sugars. It should also be noted that this collection of food was done in the same manner my roommate Adam and I used to shop during our undergraduate studies. Go the the grocery store with no plan, walk up and down every aisle from end to end, fill your cart or basket, check out, and finally, relish in whatever you deemed to be a worthy purchase.
After tracking down our "expedition rations" (technical term, we know) we walked onward to Mesita Grande, a local wood-fired pizza place. Here we did one last bodily stocking of food. We each had a wonderful microbrew, split a salad, ate a whole slew of pizza, and finally, savored a delicious dessert with either an espresso or tea. Qué bueno.
Caitlin, via the handle of her mug, enjoying the amazing atmosphere of Mesita Grande.
After a brisk walk back to our hostel, our evening closed with step three, the packing of food. Our bags are light and that's exciting. I'm not afraid to admit it... It's about damn time. We're both quite excited to carry little, move quickly, and smile a lot.
Next stop, Torres del Paine.
Riley
Oh... I nearly forgot. Happy Valentine's Day world!
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