| Objective: Glacier Ice Hike on Glaciar Grey in Patagonia Location: Glaciar Grey, Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile Distance: 4.3 miles Elevation Gain: 738 feet |
When the backpacking portion of ‘W’ Trek in Patagonia has finished, reward yourself with an ice hike on a glacier. Take a walk on the wild side of Glaciar Grey. With spiky crampons and an ice axe, you are ready for safe glacial travel over steep and icy terrain. After a boat ride, ladder climb, and rope work, you’ll gaze into the mysteries of deep blue caves and crevasses.
| Boat Ride to the Glacier’s Edge | Walking on a Glacier | Glacial Terrain | The Purest Water Sourced from Glacial Springs | Blue Cave | Plan Your Visit |
Boat Ride to the Glacier’s Edge
In the afternoon, a boat zips us across Lago Grey to the far bay. There are large chunks of ice floating in the water and occasionally the boat’s metal hull scrapes the ice. We pass icebergs and learn that only 20% of an iceberg is above water. These icebergs are bluer than the sky. After 30 minutes, we arrive at a nunatak, a mountain peak poking through the glacial ice. The boat turns quickly, forming an arc of icy spray.
Walking on a Glacier
We remove our life jackets and hop past a trickling waterfall. The terrain here contains dark slabs of bedrock with striations left by the flowing glacial ice. We embark on a 30-minute hike up a steep rocky slope next to glacial lakes. We stop to look at a rock that had been carved by a glacier. At a couple spots, we climb up ladders and have to hold onto ropes.
The guides have filled our backpacks with harnesses, crampons, and helmets. After putting those on, the guides hand out ice axes and quickly brief us on how to use them. Hold the axe in your left hand with your fingers on the top and your thumb on the other side. When not holding the axe, stick the pointy end in the ice. We learn how to walk on the ice. With slightly bent knees, stomp the teeth of the crampons into the ice. Then push the shaft of the axe into the ground for balance.
Glacial Terrain
Walking on the Glaciar Gray ice field is surreal and otherworldly. It feels like we are in a science fiction movie. The surface is crunchy like the shaved ice in a snow cone.
Glaciers have many features besides just a flat expanse. There are hills and slopes, fissures and crevasses, streams, rivulets, and pools. There are also colors besides white. Around the edges, you see dark dirt.
We walk to blue pools of water. The pools’ color can range from turquoise to sapphire. They are also extremely deep. There are icy structures hundreds of feet below the surface.
The footing near the icy crusts of the pools is a bit sketchy. Although you can see the water below, the ice still supports your weight. I gently test the crust with my ice axe just to make sure.
The Purest Water Sourced from Glacial Springs
There are many streams of crystal-clear water flowing across the hillside. On this route, you have to jump over some of them. At one of the streams, I fill my water bottle and take a sip of the purest, tastiest glacial water. It’s that moment, when I start working on my pitch for a new brand of bottled water.
Because the glacier is always shifting, the streams bend and become snakelike. They look like water slides with sharp drop-offs. At a couple locations, the guide attaches a rope to my harness. That way I can lean in to get closer to the edge for a better vantage point.
Deep blue cracks also leave stripes across the terrain. While leaping over these bergschrunds, I only have a split second to peer into the unfathomable depths below.
Blue Cave
There are jaw-dropping views of ice, peaks, sky, clouds, and sun – sometimes all at once.
At the end of the ice hike, there’s a cave with a narrow arch. The guide goes into the pit and encourages us to do the same one at a time. I slowly lower myself into the chasm and stand over a stream. I am mesmerized by the glowing blue light and wander deeper into the cave. When it’s time to climb out, I take a mighty swing of the ice axe. All the guides cheer in approval!
Plan Your Visit
| Vendor: Bigfoot Patagonia Adventure Group Size: 2-20 Provided: Helmet, ice axe, backpack, crampons, harness Meet at: Base Bigfoot Grey, Refugio Grey When: 2:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. |
Other Patagonian Adventures
Paddle in the glacial waters and go kayaking by Glaciar Grey. After the ‘W’ Trek in Patagonia, spot icebergs where mountains meet the sea.
Photos from a Glacier Ice Hike on Glaciar Grey
