Day 1: Puerto Natales to Grey Glacier to Paine Grande Refugio
Weather: overcast, chilly, and little spits of rain every now and again. But not enough rain to bring out the Blue Beast (poncho).
I chose to start the W trek at Grey because I received a tip that it's best to hike West to East so the wind is at your back. I'm happy to say I didn't experience any windy days except for one afternoon, so this little factor didn't end up mattering but I was happy I chose this path.
After the boat dropped me off, I hiked two hours in the opposite direction to see Grey Glacier in all its glory. It's massive. The sky was overcast and it was spitting a little rain so the photos don't do it justice.
The hike to get there consisted of mostly uphill walking, passing many icebergs, crossing two suspension bridges, and several small rickety bridges. It's huge but sadly, the glacier is melting at a fairly rapid rate so I'm glad I got to see it.
On the way, I met many hikers including a sweet couple from Colorado, a family of three from Canada, and two gentlemen from California. I had a quick chat with all of them and continued on my way.
When I met the two guys from Cali, Paul & William, I asked how much further to the viewpoint and William said, “Oh, it's only about 10 more minutes.” Forty minutes later I finally reached the lookout, snapped some photos, and headed back.
On my return, I ran into the guys again. William, being cheeky said, “How was the 10-minute walk?” I was not amused. He laughed and said, “If I had told you the truth you wouldn't have gone.” He was probably right.
Meet William (L) and Paul (R).
I continued on towards Paine Grande where I'd be sleeping for the night. Along the way, I stopped at Grey Refugio and took a quick bathroom break before trekking the remaining four hours. I have no idea what my mileage was or the altitude because none of the figures I've found seem to be accurate.
Grey Refugio was nice. It had a lively bar full of hikers that I would have loved to stay at and enjoy a beer but I didn't have the time. It had a nice campground and dorms as well.
I was a little surprised by the terrain. I didn't do a ton of research (not that it would have mattered) but sections of the “trail” are rugged. Climbing up steep rocks with waterfalls running over them and such. I felt like a mountain goat. The views were worth it at the top but it was a tough climb for me. Unfortunately, I was so focused on trying not to twist an ankle that I didn't take too many photos. Safety first.
The two girls in the photo below were from Canada and were 18(!!!) years old. The are studying abroad in Chile and came to hike the O. I wish I had that much courage and bravery when I was their age. I was impressed.
They had a speaker hooked on one of their backpacks and were playing music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. This instantly made them cool in my book.
At one point I stopped to take the below photo and this is the exact moment when I met my hiking partner for remainder of the W. Whether I wanted one or not.
This is how it happened.
Him: “Hello, are you hiking to Paine Grande on the W?”
Me: “Yep.”
Him: “Did you just start?”
Me: “Yep. A boat dropped me off at Grey.”
Him: “Where is your bag?”
Me in a sassy tone: “You’re looking at it, babe.”
Him with his British accent: “Right. So, this is my first multiday hike and I'm looking for a hiking partner. You appear to be knowledgeable. Would you like to hike together?”
Me: “Yeah, sure. Just don't annoy me.”
And that was that. We've been bickering at each other ever since. And he’s only “accidentally” stabbed me once with a trekking pole.
Meet James (44) from London.
He might actually be giving me the bird in this photo. He can be snarky that way. Ha! I had to remind him from time to time that he chose me, not the other way around.
James and I walked and talked for hours sharing our life stories. This was another reason I didn't take many photos. This guy can talk. In his previous life, he was a Director of Sales. Apparently, he was very good at his job.
At one point, his sales brain asked about my blog and “Why on Earth would people want to pay you money for your travel tales when they can read the content for free?”
“Have you ever donated to a charity or someone trying to accomplish a goal?”
“Touche.”
After about three hours of hiking together, we made it to our destination at 6:15 pm for the evening, Paine Grande.
We each ate our dinners, James had ordered a hot meal in advance and I had the pizza and beer combo. Lacking all the nutrients needed for a multiday hiking and camping adventure, I'm sure.
After dinner, it was off to take lukewarm showers from a push button tap that lasted about 30 seconds at a time and then relax.
In one of the lounge rooms we met the next two members of our “Trail of Mixed Nuts Hiking Team.” I knew I'd like them when I found them playing a game of Bananagrams.
Meet Mike and Allison. The couple from Colorado that I met near the glacier earlier in the day.
At 10:30 pm I walked by the reception desk on my way back to my room and discovered that William and Paul had just arrived. Better late than never. They had a much longer day of walking than the rest of us since they are hiking the O. Plus, they have already been hiking for many days and we all have fresh legs on our first day or two.
Paul and William may be on the seasoned side of the life spectrum but they are tough. They are carrying 40 lbs bags with all the essentials plus food, tents, and sleeping bags. Much respect. They looked spent but I was happy and thankful to see they made it.
Much love & gratitude from Chile! 🇨🇱Namaste 🙏
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Great blog today Emily!! You did and saw so much and met lots of people and packed all of that into one day, one blog. I love your writing style, you move right along literally and figuratively! 😊😊😊