Day 4 on the W Trail: Glacier Gawking: Grey Glacier Gave Me Ice Fever (But No Dragons.)
So, there I was, on the lookout before the Grey Refugio - the Grey Lake lookout, to be precise - at a cool 787 feet (that's 240 meters for you fancy folks). Think killer views of the Grey Glacier, which, by the way, is part of this MASSIVE ice field - the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, no big deal. This icy beast boasts a 30-meter (98-foot) wall at its peak and stretches a whopping 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) wide. Now, that's some serious Game of Thrones Winterfell vibes, minus the whole White Walker situation (thankfully!). Speaking of crazy deep, this Grey Lake is no joke. We're talking over 500 meters (1,640 feet) deep! Don't worry, I did the math for all you non-metric folks. The view? Unreal. Radiant blue ice everywhere, icebergs chilling in the grey water, and the Patagonian wind giving my face a high five. Talk about a unique experience! Oh, and yeah, I saw some condors soaring around like feathered sky gods. Not bad, Patagonia, not bad at all. And let me tell you, the panorama was epic. Cerro Paine Grande, the Paine Massif, forests by the lake, rocky hills, and snow-capped peaks that disappeared into the clouds - it was like something out of a painting. The only thing missing was a dramatic ice chunk calving off the glacier (which, to be honest, would have been a bit too close for comfort). Now, the hike between refuges was intense. So intense, in fact, that most of my pics are from my phone. Blame the crazy strong, freezing wind that threatened to turn my fancy camera lens into a dust bunny magnet. You feel me? Forget Wall climbing, this was a whole other level! Just descended this sheer rock face with nothin' but my 50-liter (13,2-gallon) pack and camera gear to hold me back. Talk about a sketchy scramble! (Especially since that climb down there, lookin' all innocent, is still waitin' for me.) And get this - gotta trek another 6 klicks (that's 3.73 miles, for you fancy folks) to the Grey Refuge, with nary a flat stretch in sight. Anyone got a spare dragon lyin' around? This Khaleesi needs a lift!