🇨🇱Torres del Paine National Park - Grey Glacier Hiking Guide
Most tourists who come to Argentina will check in at the Perito Moreno Glacier, but on this trip we chose to hike the Ventisquero Negro Glacier on the Chilean side of the same mountain range 🇨🇱. Because there were only two of us, me and my friend Hang, as tourists that day, the tour guide Salmon joked that this glacier was just for the two of us!
Due to the lack of hiking guides for glaciers in the Chilean Patagonia National Park, we also made mistakes during our trip. Therefore, we have compiled a detailed guide for glacier hiking and hope it will be helpful for those who want to try it in the future~
Location: As shown, located on the north side of Lago Grey in the Torres del Paine National Park, Chile.
❗️Arrival method: It is not possible to drive here by yourself. You need to take a boat from Lago Grey to the hiking campsite, then take a speedboat to the island, and finally walk a section of gravel road to reach the glacier.
🎫Ticket purchasing method:
To come here, you need to purchase 3 tickets:
1. Baike National Park admission ticket (about 200 yuan/person): Don't just come for the glacier after buying the ticket, there are also beautiful landscapes worth exploring!
2. Lago Grey boat ticket (round trip about 500 yuan/person): Buy round trip ticket on the right side of the entrance of Hotel Lago Grey. If you don't want to hike, you can also get a close-up view of the glacier and take a walk around Grey Lake before returning. For friends who want to hike, take the earliest morning trip to the landing point and the latest return trip is around 3:30 pm in the afternoon. There is plenty of time.
❗️3. Hiking ticket (CLP 2,800,000, $1,200/person): It is recommended to purchase in advance before the trip, select the corresponding information, and email the company to confirm if it is possible to hike after arriving on the early morning ferry.
👔Equipment: Essential hat, hand towel, sunglasses, waterproof hiking shoes. In January, when it's coldest, I wear a windbreaker, fleece jacket, and quick-drying clothes, with only one pair of outdoor waterproof pants.
My mistake: I didn't read the ticket instructions carefully, so my husband and I didn't know we could only take a boat to get there... The earliest boat leaves at 10 o'clock and the boat ride takes about 45 minutes, which we couldn't catch up with. Fortunately, we explored the route to the lake the day before, and the kind staff of the boat ticket company helped us coordinate and arranged the hiking time to start at 11 o'clock. Therefore, I suggest that everyone should contact Bigfoot Company for their own schedule before purchasing tickets, so as not to miss such a worthwhile journey.
Finally, what I want to share with everyone is what our guide Salmon told us: this glacier is changing every day, and six months ago it was still several kilometers away, so his hiking route is different every time. Of course, the glacier will also melt one day, "everyday is different", just like life, reminding us to live in the present.