Torres del Paine: Cifelli & Team Check in from Refugio Grey
Posted by: Dominic Cifelli
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Torres del Paine
We have arrived at Refugio Grey!!
Today is one of the hardest days of the trek, certainly the hardest of the “O” portion of the trek. That meant that getting up before the sun, scarfing down our warm breakfast that was mostly coffee, and heading out and up up up. We ascend right out of the gate up a muddy and thin trail as we navigate the last bits of the forest before the tree line. The bitter Patagonian wind woke up before the sun too and was there to greet us as soon as the trees left us.
Wind, cold, rain, snow, but never too much of any. We persevered up the John Gardner pass and over to the other side of the circuit. And my goodness was a view. People are often asking if the glaciers they are looking at are part of the Patagonian Icefield but one good look at the Grey glacier from the pass and it’s clear to all. As dark as the eye can see right and left is rugged, broken, beautiful glacier.
7 more hours of a big descent plus the traverse along the glacier brought us to the Refugio we’re at tonight and although there were no games tonight, there will be plenty of good sleeps.
Tomorrow we continue to Paine Grande, the biggest Refugio in the park and the perfect spot to maybe catch a Super Bowl moment or two!
RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli
