The 'Big W' - day 5
Today we were blessed with perfect weather, beautiful sun, clear blue skies and no wind. So off we went minus waterproof coats and fleeces! About 2 hours into the trek, we got to a mirador overlooking Lago Grey and its awesome glacier, which imposes upon its northern shore with quiet domiation. The glacier scatters the lake with house-sized icebergs, which drift gently southwards to melt softly into the murky waters that give Lago Grey its name. As we clambered up and down loose rocky outcrops, over melt-water rivers and streams, through dense forests and across emerald green meadows, we approached the glacier and Refugio Grey. The refugio was the final north-south leg of the W and our target. Set on the edge of Lago Grey with the glacier 300 metres further on and the impressive snowy Andes stretching as far as the eye can see the refugio setting was beautiful. The icy-cold lake had some tiny icebergs washing up on the beach, which quickly numbed the skin and were beautiful to look through.
We headed back to the campsite, tired after a long 8-hour trekking day and very happy with the amazing views that we saw. More rice (and chocolate from the brilliant shop) followed by 11 hours sleep!!
