Daniel Ernst48 | 100 "The W"
Photographer Daniel Ernst went hiking for 8 days and walked along the "W". Find out what it's all about and what exciting things he experienced in this article!
Daniel Ernst8 days of rugged nature
"The W": a 140 km long hike (which is shaped like a W) leads around the south side of the TorresDel Paine mountain range. We had 8 days to hike before the winter season begins and the trail is closed until spring. The region captivates with an unreal landscape that looks simply magical, especially in the fall. hiking for 8 days with 15 - 20 km each day, lugging around a backpack weighing around 24+ kg means that every item of equipment had to be carefully considered. Much more difficult to estimate and keep up with, however, was the totally changeable and unpredictable weather. On some days we had all 4 seasons within a few hours: plus sometimes terrible winds that pushed us through the landscape with our heavy rucksacks. One moment that remains etched in our memory from this hike was our sunrise at the "Base of the Towers" in the "Torres del Paine" (a mountain lake where the peaks are reflected in the water in good conditions). It was the last ascent and the weather had been rather disappointing until then. We spent the last evening in the tent in constant rain, our hopes for a beautiful sunrise were nil. During the night it got so cold that it started to snow and when we met up for our first weather check at 3am, it was actually clear. So we quickly packed everything and started to climb the last few metres up to the lake. At the top we were rewarded with the most beautiful sunrise, red-hot clouds and mountain peaks, plus a calm lake with a reflection and a layer of fresh snow - it was perfect.
You can find out more about the photographer on his website or on his Instagram channel.
Daniel Ernst
Daniel Ernst
