The 'Big W' - day 3

Wow - what a way to start the day...our wonderfully sheltered tent pitch had fantastic views of the seemingly endless rolling valleys and faraway snowcapped peaks in front and the massive, imposing Cuernos behind us.
Back on the trail again, this time in search of Campamento Italiano, we made our way along winding paths through dense, boggy areas interspersed with the skeletal trees and scrubs. We eventually made it into the campsite, set up and quickly got back on the trail to complete the central north-south line of the W to the Mirador. This is a really different landscape to the previous we have been through on the W, with its noisy river outdone in volume only by the winds whistling between the craggy rocks, and by the thundering of the occasional glacial avalanche high above us in the distance. Jumping from rock to rock, following the trail's orange painted spots, we soon made our way through the treeline and past the only recently re-opened avalanche scarred forest. After passing the desolate Campamento Britannico the trek became boulders wrapped again in freezing winds, surrounded in awe-inspiring 360-degree views of rugged, jagged and unique peaks. The mirador itself was unforgettable in its rewards for the effort of getting there.
Campamento Italiano was windy and noisy throughout the night and we laid in our sleeping bags listening to the gusts gaining in momentum as they approached our tent refuge before covering us in a layer of dust!