November 6th
The 12:45 alarm came way too soon after just a few hours of sleep. Crawling out of bed wasn’t easy, especially with the wind rattling outside, a reminder of the cold we’d be hiking through for the next 12+ hours. But the buzz in the hostel kept me going—people lacing up their boots, sharing nervous glances at the forecast, all making, “Well, no turning back now” kind of comments. By 1:30 am, our group of 13 had gathered at the trailhead, bundled up and ready to go.
We set off at a brisk pace, and layers started peeling off almost immediately as we warmed up, but our leaders were trail runners and the pace didn’t slow. People chatted in bursts, mostly with whoever was right in front or behind them. Most of us kept our eyes down, focused on the few steps ahead lit by our headlamps, because beyond that, everything else was pitch black.
As we gained elevation, light flurries turned into deeper snow. The final kilometer was steep, barely marked with the footprints of the few ahead, and full of fresh drifts. Everyone broke off to climb at their own pace. It was tough and slow going, but reaching the summit just as the sky began to glow red in the distance was worth every step. The clouds blocked the full Fitz Roy view, but the mountains, snow, and faint colors of the sunrise still felt surreal. Some folks from our group stuck around for hours, hoping the clouds would shift for a clearer view, but after soaking it all in for a while, I was too cold to linger much longer.
The descent quickly turned into a slippery mess as the fresh snow melted into mud. We spent most of the steepest part sliding down on our butts, half laughing at the fun of it, half nervously trying not to pick up too much speed and go sailing down the slope. By mid-morning, the sun was out, the skies cleared, and we finally got views of the peaks we’d missed earlier in the dark.
When we made it back to the hostel in the early afternoon, a hot shower, good food, and a nap hit the spot. It was a long, brutal hike—but one I’d do all over again.
