Alarms went off at 5:30 AM and we packed up our belongings without leaving the tent as the rain from the previous night continued though not as strong. After breakfast in the cooking house under the light of headlamps we packed up the wet tents and started out on a soggy journey through the forest for the initial hour of the day. By the time we left the forest the day was starting to brighten but the wind continued to blow. As we climbed above the tree line the winds grew and the snow began. The trek continued its climb upward and the wind picked up often forcing us to repeat steps we had just taken. Further along we came across a scared and defeated looking hiker. Tori went ahead with Jared, Kieran and Scott helped her make it the rest of the way over the pass, carrying her bag in turns for the final 1500 or so feet of the climb. After crossing the top of the pass we passed off responsibility of the hiker to a ranger and she eventually made it to camp.
The wind and sideways snow continued during the exposed portions at the top of the pass and took away any chance of enjoying the view of Grey Glacier from the top. As quickly as we could we made it back to the shelter of the forest where we spent the next two hours descending down what felt like an endless number of large steps, root ladders, and muddy slopes. After what felt like forever we eventually arrived at El Paso camp. This free camp provided by CONAF (the national park governing body) was as bare minimum as it gets. The only toilet was a concrete hole in the ground with a rope to help you balance over top of it. The only shelter was a couple picnic tables surrounded by three walls and a leaking roof. The wet and cold would stay with us for one more night, a night that saw us retreat to our tents in the very early evening, staying warm in our sleeping bags hoping for better weather on the morrow.
The wind and sideways snow continued during the exposed portions at the top of the pass and took away any chance of enjoying the view of Grey Glacier from the top. As quickly as we could we made it back to the shelter of the forest where we spent the next two hours descending down what felt like an endless number of large steps, root ladders, and muddy slopes. After what felt like forever we eventually arrived at El Paso camp. This free camp provided by CONAF (the national park governing body) was as bare minimum as it gets. The only toilet was a concrete hole in the ground with a rope to help you balance over top of it. The only shelter was a couple picnic tables surrounded by three walls and a leaking roof. The wet and cold would stay with us for one more night, a night that saw us retreat to our tents in the very early evening, staying warm in our sleeping bags hoping for better weather on the morrow.
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