The return boat trip was smoother because the wind had died down and the sun was shining brightly, but surprisingly the views had been better on the blustery, rainy day before. Now, clouds obscured the surrounding peaks and the Valle Frances. What that truly meant was that we'd won out in not doing the full W, as that would have been our day hiking in the valley. One point for the Bookends! Having lost our bus tickets, (Craig and the wind's fault), we negociated our way onto a bus to get us to the trailhead at the other end of the W.
Under the hottest sun we had experienced in our limited time in Chile, we started our second hike of the day to make it to Campimento Chileno, 2+ hours away. The trail rose and rose and rose before starting its steep descent to the camp, which was on the banks of the winding river. Our first look at Chileno showed a camp overflowing with tents and a large sign reading "Campsite Full." The nearby campsite was closed for maintenance, so anyone wanting to hike up to the Torres now had to stay here. After our experience arriving at Lago Grey, we nervously approached reception. Thankfully, a reservation at Chileno actually means something, and we were shown to a spacious platform with views of the surrounding mountains. The atmosphere was a little lighter at Chileno, with many hikers finishing their trek (some 10 days long) with the Torres. Everyone chatted excitedly about waking up at 4 the next morning for sunrise. We went to bed when there was still light in the Patagonian sky, hopeful that by putting our packs in the tent's vestibule, we'd have a bit more sleeping space.
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