Dum dum dum de de dum dum.....ice ice baby

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Not a great start to the day. I'd forgotten to set the alarm and awoke 10 mins before we were due to be picked up. Fair to say I wasn't popular, but the benefits of a low maintenance hair style was clear. Got ready in approximately 9.3916282 mins just in time for the bus. The bus however, wasn't made by the Swiss and turned up over 2 hours later. By this time we'd at least grabbed some breakfast and had read all the leaflets in reception as well as instruction guide for the TV.

The bus drive to the glacier felt more like Scotland. Dense forest and torrential rain. The sun cream seemed optimistic, it looked like we were going to get properly soaked. However, as quickly as the rain rolled in, it rolled out again.

The first viewpoint of the glacier was from the balconies. Basically a series of walkways and viewpoints which start from an enormous car park. Great it may be but certainly not the great outdoors as you get barged by aggressive tourists, forcing themselves into the perfect photo opportunity. Nevertheless this does not dimish from what is an absolutely incredible bit of scenery. The memory card was getting walloped.

It's hard to describe the glacier, the surrounding peaks add to the majesty but the overwhelming sight is the sheer cliffs of ice that drop vertically into the water. The rumblings of moving ice add what the french would call a certain 'I don't know what' to an already impressive atmosphere.

Back on the bus and down to the docks to get the boat across to the mini-trekking. Boat ride was a great opportunity to see the glacier close by and away from the marauding hoardes of tourist groups, I'm not sure why we needed 47 photos of the ice close up, but it is nice to have a selection to choose from. Having been grouped into language specific groups and a brief talk on the geographical aspects of the glacier it was crampons on and onto the ice.

Admittedly the mini-trekking wouldn't have raised the heartbeat of Bear Grhylls much above resting but it was good fun. It was nice to have a bit of an explore around and take some photos feeling like an explorer despite being only a few metres into the glacier. Some of the crevices (a dirty word if ever there was one) radiated a spectacular blue / turquoise which was in stark contrast to the rapidly blackening sky.

The trek ends with some whiskey and chocolate. I'd recommend travelling with as many people as possible who don't like whiskey as possible as it will allow you to leave the glacier with a big smile on your face, much as i did. It also eased me into a pleasant sleep on the bus ride back.

Shattered by the time we got back to the hotel, and had to get our gear sorted for the 'W-trek'. Tomorrow would see us cross the boarder into Chile and the onset of Fernando Torres.... Del Paine national park. I was revved up.

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