Lago Grey

9th Jan.

Someone's alarm goes off at 6:30. Realise my water bottle has leaked slightly so have a slight wet patch by the pillow. Could have been embarrasing if it had been elsewhere on the bunk. We all head down for breakfast in the canteen. Have to form a queue, what do they think this is, Britain. It is not as though breakfast is worth waiting for! Cereal, a couple of slices of toast, more orange squash and processed cheese, oh and there is the excitement of scrambled eggs. We grab our packed lunches and hit the trail at 8:15. It has rained overnight but now it is just cloudy, including some dark clouds. However, the temperature is quite cool and could even be described as ideal for hiking. We have a 4 hour walk ahead of us, heading for Grey Glacier. This walk is steep in parts as we climb up away from the lodge. We are climbing up through mainly tree covered hillsides, with lots of Birch trees. There are not as many burn't tree trunks as we saw over the last few days.

It is a long climb for the first 90 mins which stretches the group out. However, we all come together at a hill top view which gives us our 1st view of Grey Glacier, which is a much more interesting and breathtaking view than of French Glacier yesterday. Well this is named after an English guy who used to own the area. He handed the area over to the Chilean govt, after being threatened with the army moving in to take it forceably. We then spend the rest of the time walking along the hill sides of Lake Grey which had some small icebergs floting in it. The Lake is called Lake Grey because of the colour, due to the sedimentary particles floating in it, which means there is no life in the lake due to the lack of photosynthesis, so there is also very little wildlife, although we did see a family of steamer ducks who were passing through. We had a long break at a lookout that looked over the glacier and lake. I finaly get a good group shot as well as having my first attempts at using the panoramic facility on my new camera, which works well thanks to my monopod. The monopod was also working well as a walking stick. We continue on to the camp at the lakeside where we are due to meet the boat.

We have lunch at the campsite where some ice walkers are taking a break and trying to due a littl tightrope walking, but not to much success. We have our packed lunch, I am really getting sick of processed cheese slices, especially when it is served in thick bookend sized slices of bread. Then there is a bit of a battle to get onto the boat. A Dutch group get a bit irritated by Shanda, the Canadian in our group, who appears to jump the queue, but is actually just joining the rest of us after finishing her lunch. As has been the case for the last two days, she is the slow walker,and is always a good 20-30 mins behind us. We have to get a zodiac from the shore to the main boat as there is actually no jetty. We have to done life jackets, which is understandable as the water is just a couple of degrees above freezing. You would be dead in 7 mins in this water!

I am one of the 1st off the zodiac and follow our guides instructions and head up stairs to get a good position. Am confused when everyone else heads into the main cabin. Eventually they all come up after dumping bags on seats. This all sounds like a beat the Germans on the deckchairs exercise, but in this case it is beat the Dutch and the French groups... Bring back 'Jeux Sans Frontiers' :)

We have a 2 hour boat ride that takes us past 2 spurs of the Grey Glacier. I have to say that this glacier beats the pants off the one we saw yesterday. It has some towering spikes and strands of blue running through it. It shimmers when the sun hits it, which is happening as the clouds that have been there for most of the day are breaking slightly. We have been so blessed by good weather. I roll off a stack of shots, not that it is easy to view them on a small screen, especially in a crowded environment.


After the 1st hour, I join many of the group downstairs and get myself a Pisco Sour. The thought of Chilean Whisky didn't appeal. A few of us sit chatting until we get to our drop off point, where we are again transferred via the zodiac to shore. It is then a 10 min walk to where the coaches/minibuses/cars are parked.


We then have a dusty 2 hour ride back to the eco-camp. Seat belts are on as it is a bouncy journey. I snooze for much of the journey, although having to get out to walk over the limited weigh bridge from Westminster. The novelty of crossing the bridge has wained, although thanks to a slight breeze, the mossies are not around. It feels like we are back in civilisation when we arrive back at the eco-camp. We have 90 mins before dinner at 7:30 so I go and have ab much needed and welcome shower and shave before heading down to the main pod to download my images off today as well as those of Mandy. Am sitting listening to some relaxing panpipe music. Yes, some of it can be relaxing, especially when it is not 'el condor passo'..... Whilst I sit there, a could of small crested birds fly in and fly around the dining room pod, even being a little inquisitive of me. I am a little frustrated that I don't get a good photo. A few of the group and the guides come in to look at my photos, all are impressed with my panoramic shots, which is a good ego boost, especially as it is something I have never done before.

At 7:30, I join the others in another pod for pisco sour and a discussion about what will be happening tomorrow, which is the big trekking day. All looks a bit imposing. We then head back to the main pod for dinner. This is the most relaxed and together as a group we have been. Lots of laughter and merriment. Jokes flying around, more ns about who would play who in a porn movie set in the Andes. I am confirmed as being played by Ben Kingsley. Colin is Coin Farrell, Tim ends up being Ian Heslop as he looks like him. The red wine is obviously getting to Mandy, who is being given more suggestions about what her article should be about, continoung to build on the theme of gay porno sex activities in the Andes. Our guides are to be played by Bob Geldorf, well Huwaiamani is wearing a hippy thai-dye type shirt. After dinner everyone heads back to their pods around 10pm. It is still light outdoors, but the rain that had been spitting a few times earlier on is now a persistent light drizzle. Climb into bed and spend some time writing more of my blog, which is a long way out of date. I then edit a few photos before crashing out before midning, in prep for another early start... This is so not what I am used to of late!!!!