FEB 13, 2016 – We left at 8:15 for the toughest hiking day. From Perros camp, just above 500m, we ascended to John Gardner Pass (1241m) and then descended again to Grey Camp, at only about 200m. The view from the pass onto the Glaciar Grey was breathtaking, but so was the strong wind, accompanied by some rain at times. We hurried to get to a lower altitude again, where forest provided some shelter against the wind. After passing Guardas, a tiny camp in the middle of a forest, we continued to Grey, the first camp of the popular “W” route, located along Lago Grey. It became evident quickly that there were a lot more people here. There were also more facilities available, such as a cottage with dorms, a restaurant/bar and a somewhat larger shop. The food prices were just as exaggerated as in the more remote camps though. I later learned that some of the camps have extra-high foreigner prices not only for camping, but even for food and beverages.
In the evening it started raining, so we were glad to have some shelter in the crowded cooking shack. We tried out Polenta for dinner, which was a bit difficult to prepare in the small campstove, but turned out good.