Torres del Paine – Day 5: At the Glacier’s Edge
TORRES DEL PAINE
Day 5: At the Glacier's Edge
April 05, 2023
PART I
As part of a new habit, I started my day studying the map over a lukewarm coffee to see what would be ahead. The official day’s plan was modest – an eleven-kilometre trek to the next refugio and a short walk to a viewpoint nearby. On paper, it looked like a recovery day, but my legs were feeling surprisingly fresh, and my ego was even fresher.
Given how good I seemed to be doing, I started tracing the lines that led further north, past the standard W trek boundaries. I figured I could venture a bit forth to the John Gardner Pass – the legendary, lung-busting trail that overlooks the mountains and the massive Southern Patagonian Ice Field beneath.
I knew what I was asking of myself. This detour would entail an extra ten hours of trekking and some 1,200 metres of elevation gain on top of my already planned route. It was a massive undertaking for a single day, but the payoff was intoxicating: it would mean I’d manage to see one of the absolute highlights of the “O Trek” without actually committing to the full circuit. More importantly, it meant I’d be conquering all three of the highest points in the Torres del Paine massif in one go.
My inner planner was screaming that it was a tight squeeze, but my inner adventurer wouldn’t shut up about the views. With that in mind, I tightened my laces, checked my water supply, and headed off to the next campsite with much determination and fortitude.
Friggin' Icebergs (Again!)
After a couple of kilometres in the open valley next to Refugio Paine Grande – the winds now as strong as ever and the rain starting to pick up – I was at Laguna Los Patos; named after the astounding lack of ducks to be found in its deep blue body of water.
A few more steps and I was once again walking along the banks of yet another huge lake – Lago Grey. The 32.5 square kilometre glacial lake is fed by Glacier Grey and, much like Skottsberg, makes for a truly stunning sight whilst walking next to it. This time round, however, it wasn’t the muddy green colour or the small islands that stole my attention, rather the icebergs. That’s right. Friggin’ icebergs in a friggin’ lagoon – AGAIN!
The second I spotted them, I yelled out to a stranger going the other way, trying to share my ecstasy and exhilaration. She smiled and nodded as I stood there ogling the voluptuous pieces of ice. Guess not everyone feels the same way about icebergs, right?
Nature's Free Blow-Dry
On I went, through woodlands and valleys, the lake always to my left, the icebergs now increasing in frequency, until finally the glorious Grey Glacier was in sight.
It was a familiar view – so, so similar to Perito Moreno. Having said that, it was like I was looking at a glacier for the first time ever – the carpet of light blue ice surrounded by the lenga trees leaving me in complete reverence of nature’s bounty. It felt like all possible shades of colours were there in just one view: the red of the lenga leaves, the orange and yellows of the dry grass, the green of the bushes, and the indigos of the sky and the ice. Simply surreal.
Something else that was hard to believe? The 44-knot gusts of wind blowing right at me. It felt like I was ramming my entire body against a closed door in order to move on – the feat of walking as fast as possible now seemingly impossible. Also, being pelted by rain at such high speeds felt like it was tearing my skin. You’d think I would have been soaking wet by the end, but really and truly, the wind was so strong it was drying me up faster than I could get wet. Talk about a free blow-dry!
PART II
Shattered Dreams and Dominoes
After getting to the best viewpoint of the glacier, the trail started going downhill; a steep, rocky path covered by streams of water. This wouldn’t be fun on the way back, I thought to myself as I sped down, constantly on the brink of slipping on the stones. Then a bridge over a river going straight through a gorge, a few more kilometres on the mountainside and that was that – I was at Refugio Grey.
It had only taken me a couple of hours, leaving me with ample time to go on to the John Gardner Pass. Only that goal was quickly shattered to smithereens when the receptionist at the hostel told me it wouldn’t even be an option – all the trails that weren’t part of the W trek had been closed off for the season given the rough conditions. I had heard about ice covering some trails and blizzards making the trek close to impossible, but honestly, I would’ve still given it a shot if I could. Not to mention, I couldn’t even check in until the afternoon, leaving me with a couple of hours to get to the viewpoints I wanted to see and the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing.
As I sat down calculating my next steps, Carlos and Martin caught up. We decided we’d take a short break, fuel up and relax a bit before continuing with the day’s adventures. In the warmth of the lodge, we spent a couple of hours playing dominoes and card games – killing a bit of time before we’d go on.
Patagonian Wildlife (Or Lack Thereof)
When that got a bit too stale, we proceeded to the last part of the W trek. We’d still have an extra day left but technically, this would be the very last part of the trek – apart from having to walk some of the way back to return to the previous refuge, that is.
The way to the viewpoints was classic Patagonia, which by now felt a bit like the same old, same old – though invariably new and exciting at every point. We were also promised an hour and a half flat walk which, of course, turned out to be a mostly uphill climb. As we raced up, we encountered Roman and Jimena on their way down as they rushed back to Paine Grande in order to catch the ferry back, given that it was their last day. Meanwhile, we went on and on, accompanied by the sounds of Magellanic woodpeckers and Patagonian sparrows.
I think that’s when it first struck me how little I had managed to see of Patagonia’s wildlife. While it was predominantly a matter of luck, it was also the fact that throughout most of my adventures here, my sole goal was to trek as fast as possible whilst soaking in the views. No pumas, no deer, no armadillos. Lots of birds, sure, but none of the creatures I had read so much about!
Of Swinging Bridges and Baby Blue Glaciers
The first checkpoint was the first hanging bridge, a narrow span of cables and wooden slats suspended high over a deep ravine. It was a place of sensory overload: on one side, a roaring waterfall crashed down the rock face, and on the other, the massive expanse of the lake stretched out toward the glacier. I can’t say I wasn’t the slightest bit scared – actually, terrified might be a better word. The 44-knot winds were catching the bridge like a sail, having it sway and pitch from one side to another while I tried my best to keep my balance.
The killer drop beneath seemed to be mocking me, the river below reduced to a tiny silver thread. Every time a gust hit, the metal cables would groan, and I’d find myself white-knuckling the handrails. The one good thing about the prospect of me slipping through the cables would be the fact that it’d probably be a one-hit KO – at least I wouldn’t have time to regret the fall.
One by one we crossed, our boots echoing hollowly on the wood, until we reached the second hanging bridge a few minutes away. This one was far less frightening, mostly because our ongoing adrenaline rush had numbed our survival instincts and turned the fear into a strange, giddy sort of excitement.
Then, we were finally at the viewpoint. It was a sight that made the vertigo worth it: a panoramic stage overlooking Glacier Grey in all its glory. The glacier wasn’t just a block of ice – it was a frozen sea of giant, jagged waves in every imaginable shade of baby blue, burrowed deep in between the bare, grey mountains that hemmed it in. Huge fractures and crevasses zig-zagged across the surface like scars on an ancient skin, with the icy summits of the cordillera serving as a jagged backdrop.
We stood there, leaning into the wind just to stay upright, admiring the view briefly before the cold began to seep through our layers. We started on our way back, cast in the shadow of the ice, wishing we could have spent just a little more time staring into that blue abyss.
Trekkers Reunite
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, save for Carlos treating me to a couple of very expensive beers and meeting up with Enzo once again.
Being the cocky influencer type, he made it seem like it was all a breeze – trying to one-up me or tell me it was simply impossible when I told him about the time it took Carlos and me to finish our hikes. As pompous and arrogant as he seemed to be at first, by the end of the day I felt as if we had become good pals and I even convinced him to join us for the following day’s special activity – one he wasn’t quite keen on doing. And by not keen I mean too chicken.
Day five:
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- Weather:
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- Overcast and sunny
- Wind: E 15kts
- Temperature: 11°C
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- Weather:
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- Position:
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- 51°00’30.7″S
- 73°10’34.4″W
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- Position:
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- Trek Profile:
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- Distance: 16km
- Elevation gain: 500m
- Time: 3.5hrs (average 5.5hrs)
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- Trek Profile:
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