This 6 hour trek begins with a
brisk jaunt through the valley alongside Rio Paine, and then abruptly climbs up
a hillside which requires a steep ascent of around 35 minutes. Upon reaching
the top, landscapes open wide and far before you with mountains on the horizon,
lakes and rivers beneath you, and the trail winding into the fertile valley
below. From here until the river valley floor the path snakes downhill and
allows for plenty of fantastic vistas and photos.
On a bright clear day this
stretch can be quite humid and the sun relentless, forgetting sunscreen will be a costly mistake. You wander in and around woods, brush corridors, swamplands, and
meadows until you reach the steady but subtle rise in land that offers a view of
the Dickson Refugio. From here you see Rio Paine in the foreground with
mountains and Dickson Glacier on the horizon. This is one of the most
picturesque refugio locations in the park, however during summer months you may
have to pay the price with hordes of mosquitoes being the norm.
A mosquito mask wouldn't be a terrible idea here, and the swarms seem to abate down on the lake shore if you’re looking for a refuge outside of your tent. Refugio Dickson has basic
accommodations and is an incredibly beautiful site; the main thing here is
managing to avoid being eaten alive by mosquitoes.
No comments:
Post a Comment