Day 6 on the W Trail: From Glacier to Lake: A Torres del Paine Odyssey.
I spent the first five days living the dream—on the other side of the lake, sandwiched between the Cuernos del Paine, 2,400 m.a.s.l (7,874 ft), on my right and the towering Paine Grande, 3,050 m / 10,006 ft, on my left. It was like being in a giant nature movie!
On day six, I embarked on a 36-mile (58-km) hike around Lago Pehoé, the park’s heart and soul. Pehoé Lake has a surface area of 22 square kilometers (8.5 square miles). Picture this: crystal-clear water, mountains reflected like mirrors, and a total lack of nutrients. It was like drinking nature’s own filtered water! I learned that these lakes are basically glacier meltwater, starting off pure and innocent before picking up color and personality along the way. A fascinating journey, both literally and figuratively.