22 W walk 3 -Miradors, Valle de Frances

Early start ! It’s raining! After camping above ground and in relative comfort and warm .From here at the French station we are going to the Italian station - where we can leave our backpacks !
It’s a sunny day but the forecast is rain and lots of it from about 2 or 3pm.
It’s a relatively easy flat hike to the station point to see the glacier ! Throughout the morning we hear huge thunderous roars as pieces of the glacier fall hundreds of feet to screw slope below.
We eventually get to the top but the view is partly obscured by clouds and mist !
An easy hike back to Italy for lunch at 1230 and the sun shines .
We set off for our camping spot at Paine Grande !
A funny thing happens on our walk of 8km to camp ! It rains and there is wind and torrential rain lots of it .It’s like King Lear and the blasted heath and I’m the fool - cagoule plus plastic poncho to keep me relatively dry .
Wet wet wet !
Andrew discovers all his clothes are not weatherproof- he’s cold , damp and not good ! He hugs the tea urn for heat ! I take comfort in beer and he is heading for showers !
Tonight looks like a drinking night - the tent is there but everyone is damp ! And then at 4pm everything is sunny but still windy!
Supper - a meal at 7 - then beer ! And the pisco of course !
Tomorrow it’s the final leg And weather looks bad ! Got to do it ! Early start? 5am ?Read more