Ahhh falling asleep to the sound of ice cracking interspersed by snowflakes on my tent, wind blowing the leafless branches above and twigs snapping my first night in one of the most southern parks in the world and first ever sleeping next to a glacier.

Yes within 100 feet of our camp site was the first glacier I have ever laid my eyes on.

But getting to this point was no easy task.

Last I left you, I was bleary eyed and grabbing my poorly packed backpack with enough food (hopefully) for five days, my tent, sleeping bag and whatever else I could carry. I was hoping I was prepared just enough for a hike through some of the most pristine wilderness in the world.

The Torres Del Paine National Park has been a UNESCO designated site since 1978 and maintains its beauty by forbidding camp fires and instilling in anyone who hikes there a sense of personal pride after they overcome the treacherous terrain for the stunning views.

There are several hikes to complete in this 598.593,02 acre site, but I decided on the middle ground and what is called the W (because of the shape the paths take in the park). This course requires a bit of backtracking, but allows one to see the best views in about five days. It is also one of the most traversed so if I had to do it alone (which I didn't want to, but travelling solo you never know) I would be in company for the most part. Along the way there are also refugios or pricey hostels (they don't offer more than a broken bed, melting showers and a warm place to eat for a good $50 to $60 a night!). These also require campers to pay for a piece of dirt for the night, but luckily there are free camp sites along the way.

Luckily I didn't have to go solo as a Colombian guy I met in a hostel in Puerto Natales (closest civilisation to the park) was doing the W too. Lucky? He was even less prepared than me (and I thought taking lentils on a camping trip was a good idea).

This boy showed up in jeans that were ripped on one side, sneakers with no treads and a leather jacket to keep him both warm and dry. Our saving grace a Belgian couple we met as we sheltered from freezing rain while waiting for the catamaran to deliver us to Torres Del Paine. They provided him a poncho and us with anything we might need as we all buddied up to navigate a park that more than lives up to its name.

So how did we get to the glacier? Oh simple. A 7 a.m. bus ride, an hour wait in freezing rain, a catamaran ride to a refugio (picture very expensive hostel with an detached shack/shelter for poor campers), a five-hour hike with near-hurricane winds, snow and sleet included for no extra cost, lakes with icebergs and the end result? A camp site 100 feet from Glacier Grey with half an hour of light to put up our tents, cook dinner and then clean utensils.

Me and my travel buddy managed our tents. The Belgian couple? Let's just say they were packing up their cooking apparatus while me and my travel buddy started our rice. It was a long night!

The next morning after unzipping the tent flap, the snow-clad, leaf-strewn earth was enticing enough to draw me out of my sleeping bag (that's saying a lot when it was near-zero degrees and I had just come from Bali). It was quiet, snowy and with the echoes of the glacier every now and then I was happy I had made it this far.

I didn't have long to savour it. I had to get to the iceberg littered (or at least it felt like it was) stream to wash our dinner dishes (our only cooking utensils). After discovering we had set-off for five days with coffee that must be filtered (yes near tears from me) we salvaged what we could for breakfast and dashed back down the trail we took the day before.

Retreating to where the ferry had dropped us off the day before, we had enough time to stock up on some chocolate (small consolation for no coffee for four days) before heading for the middle of the W. After almost seven hours of hiking with wind, rain and snow, we arrived at a camp site that required crossing a bridge two people at a time, with raging water underneath.

Too tired to be afraid, we bulldozed over and set up camp. Yet again. As we start making dinner the Belgians had already made their 'just-add-water' chilli con carne and 'poof' they were eating before we can take a mouthful of rice, tuna and some red sauce we had previously thought sounded good.

Starving at this point I could have eaten anything. Future career goals? Colombian-Bermudian Camping Cookbooks 'What not to try and cook when camping' Luckily it was nothing a little boxed wine couldn't fix.

Unfortunately that didn't help the next day when we had to rise at 6 a.m. to eat and hike up the middle of the W. Because it was an intense hike (seriously crawling up at some points) we left the tents and bags down at camp and took only what we needed for a picnic and valuables.

Well three of us brought our valuables. My ever-with-it Colombian travel buddy realised 20 minutes into the trek that he forgot his wallet at camp.

His forgetfulness, however, bought the three of us some time to catch our breath (seriously steep) and survey the landscape. I don't know if they just make the sky bluer down here in Patagonia, but it was intense; a colour I have never seen before. That coupled with the lakes that just glistened, it was some of the starkest and contradictory landscape I've ever been in.

While spring appeared on one side of our hike, as we continued up the hill (ha ha mountain) once my travel buddy returned of course, we marched in tune with the avalanches launching themselves down the other side while at the top a rock desert greeted us.

It was the best part of the entire hike and with a view of the infamous towers to top it off.

unch was huddled briefly on a old tree stump before quickly returning to camp.

We had to break everything [JUMP]down before heading to the next site still five kilometres away. After resting on a lake beach and trying to slow down because the Belgian girl twisted her ankle, we arrived with, again, about half an hour before dark. Luckily this camp site was at a refugio that would allow us to cook outside (such nice guys), but then eat inside for the small fee of ten dollars. Ridiculous but we didn't have a choice. It was getting late.

By night three I was finally getting the hang of sleeping in freezing conditions (hint: sleeping bags keep heat inside so minimal pyjamas needed). Day four and we were all exhausted, dirty and ready for a helicopter to swoop in and offer us a ticket out. Unfortunately I had given my pilot the week off! (ha) So we had to pack up again and continue with one foot in front of the other to the last night of our trek.

The four of us had visions of camping right next to the Tower view point, but after another seven hours of trekking, me and the Colombian running out of food for lunch and feeling like I had five layers of dirt on my skin, we caved and decided the refugio camp site (for $12) at the bottom of the towers was just as good.

I was so excited for a shower! I was first in and first out! After days of freezing perhaps I should have been happy with scalding water, but my weak skin was having none of it. When we notified the people working at the refugio they told me if I wanted cold water I could go down to the stream. Such service. Clearly they don't like our cheap camping selves.

It was all we could do to extricate ourselves from the warmth of the refugio and return to our less-than-warm tents, but we wanted to wake at 6 a.m. for sunrise at the towers. Ha! I woke up at 7 a.m. and found all my travel buddies still fast asleep. They were all thrilled to hear me trying to wake them and as per the norm my Colombian travel buddy was the last to roll out of his tent.

Sunrise is overrated.

Well at least we had to keep telling ourselves that as we began our hike up. It was one of the hardest and most disappointing. Two hours up to the tower view point and ten minutes from our destination a snow storm rolled in. Ahhhhhh!!! Defeated we returned to our welcoming refugio to pack one last time.

I couldn't walk fast enough out of the park. The first thing I did? Drink a five-dollar cafe latte at the four-star resort situated like an oasis at the exit to the park.

Here we picked up a bus which promptly threw us out. We had to walk across a bridge while the vehicle plus driver rolled slowly across.

How much does he get paid? Finally in Puerto Natales we all required showers, a lot of food and wine. Luckily within an hour we found all of these and as the next day dawned I said goodbye to my intrepid travel buddies to head further into the Patagonian wilderness.

Next Stop: El Calafate, Argentina