Day 11 - Torres del Paine National Park

After a very peaceful night and plenty of sleep, today was our last day or the last hike on the agenda. Well nourished, we set off again at sunrise after breakfast.

The destination for today was the Grey Glacier, part of the "Campo de Hielo Patagónico Sur" (Southern Patagonian Ice Field). Besides Antarctica, this is the largest ice field in the Southern Hemisphere, with the glacier at the end reaching a width of approximately 6km and a height of 30 meters - quite large.

We managed the first 5km through a valley and along Lago Grey relatively quickly, also due to slight inclines. At the first viewpoint, we already got a first impression of the immense size of the glacier, which we could see from a distance. From there, it was mainly downhill to the glacier, and after about three and a half hours, we stood at the glacier's shore, where plenty of icebergs were visible in the water. Since the weather was once again very favorable to us on this day, we were able to marvel at the impressive glacier in all its glory with its endless shades of blue.

However, it was time to start the return journey to be back at the accommodation at the port in time for the boat departure. The past few days had taken a toll on us, and after conquering the final climb, we took time for a small snack with a great view of the lake and glacier.

We wanted to cover the last kilometers quickly, so Ines led the way at a fast pace, and after a total of seven hours, we had completed the 22km.

As a reward, we had a shower and a few cold beers in the sun before the boat and then the bus took us back to civilization. We checked back into the hostel in Puerto Natales, packed our backpacks, and were relieved to have survived the approximately 80 kilometers of the W-Trek in the best weather conditions.