For anybody that ventures to Patagonia, one of the images that looms high in their minds is that of the the impressive Torres del Paine. For many, the 2,400km² national park is the sole reason to venture this far south.
To take on this world famous hike in winter however takes a special kind of resilience, and for those that choose to camp rather than retreat to the relative warmth of one of the several hostels on the route, perhaps a little masochism.
We have done our fair share of hiking on this trip, but a night spent atop Central America's highest peak reinforced that we are not cut out for camping in sub-zero temperatures.
Thankfully, there's an alternative.
We're not usually the sort to eschew independent travel for a tour, but in the case of Torres del Paine, it was the right decision - not least because of the weather.
You see, the photos that lure many to this exceptional park are not taken on days like ours. No, in those photos the mountains are bathed in bright light and the only shadows seen are those formed by solitary clouds passing slowly through the perfect blue sky.
But, on this bleak October day, as the hours passed and the dark clouds still loomed low over our heads, it became clear that we would not be afforded the sight for which this park is so famous. For our visit, the Torres del Paine would remain hidden, obscured by a thick grey mist no prayer could move.
Yet, we didn't seem to mind. As it turns out, sometimes the best photos aren't the hundreds you have seen captured before. Sometimes a different view can be the better view. Sometimes the clouds can be the silver lining.
