One of the highlights of my adventures in Patagonia was an ever-so-brief jaunt to Argentina. While the majority of my time in South America was spent in Chile, I couldn’t help but take a bit of a detour into Argentina, inspired by photos of epic, jagged peaks and turquoise lakes. Now I could have hopped a bus from Puerto Natales, Chile, to take me across the border, which certainly would’ve been logistically simpler, not to mention monetarily preferable, but I’m a sucker for a good road trip.

Until last year, I had never been much of a hiker, unless you count traipsing across urban landscapes. After tackling a few modest day hikes, including the Cares Trail in Spain and Schiehallion in Scotland, I wanted to challenge myself to a multi-day hike and also witness a few spectacular vistas along the way. Enter: Torres del Paine.