Day 6 - The W Trek begins - Tuesday, 2/28/23

Our W Trek hiking crew for the week - Kristi, Tom, Sandy, Garrett, Victoria #1, Victoria #2, Jeffrey, Judy, Joey, Mariana (Daniel took the photo)

We awoke for our first big hike to no rain. Still dark with our early start, we all took our turns in the communal bathrooms for teeth brushing and bladder emptying. With no waiting for the showers or applying makeup, we gathered quickly for our breakfast pre-hike meet-up. The EcoCamp had a breakfast spread as impressive as our dinner the night before. With all kinds of meats, cheeses, egg dishes, bread, and pastries, there was little lacking in their buffet-style set-up.

Mariana’s first instructions were straightforward:

Pack your lunch for the hike and put it in your backpack (she points to the supply of sandwich paper and bags by the luncheon feast table).
Wear rain gear to start. It will start raining again soon.
Pack several layers of clothes as the weather will often change during our hike.
Pack up your other belongings and bring them to the front desk. Nothing should be left in your dome. They will be locked up while we are gone as others will stay in your domes.

Like good scouts, we left to fulfill our final pre-hike assignments. Walking back to our domes, we were greeted with a beautiful double rainbow. A good sign!!

After I packed my lunch and stuffed it into my backpack and got geared up, I noticed it was taking Garrett a while to get back from dropping off our luggage at the front desk. Hiking ready, I went to find Garrett. Rather than delivering the luggage, he had it opened and was rummaging through our previously packed bags. The issue was his wallet went missing (or misplaced). Backtracking, we knew it was used the previous night in camp so it had to be somewhere on the premises. Letting the front desk know to be on the lookout, we went to join our group, less Garrett’s wallet. A bad sign, but my cool-as-a-cucumber husband would not have any anxiety over it. Just an issue to be dealt with when we got back.

As the rainbows faded, the drizzle of the rain began. During the final pre-hike inspection by Mariana, she noted that Jeffrey did not have poles and he was not wearing a raincoat.

“Jeffrey, where are your poles? You cannot have your puffer jacket as the outside layer. It will get wet.”

Mariana promptly sent him to the front desk. With borrowed poles and a makeshift rain poncho, Jeffrey rejoined our group and we passed her final inspection. Walking off the back deck of EcoCamp, we began our first leg of the W Trek.

With one guide leading (typically Mariana) and one guide trailing (typically Daniel), we spent the next five hours traversing across the lower bow of the second W (see highlight on the map below). Mariana explained that we would be like an accordion, sometimes spreading out and then coming back together, but always with guides on either end. Tom and I were taking quite a few pictures and were pretty comfortable being on the back side of the accordion so as to not hold others back.

I enjoyed the back as I got to know kindhearted Daniel. Although his English wasn’t great, he was very expressive and outgoing. We would always figure out any of our many communication drops.

We crossed suspension bridges, sighted hovering condors, and weathered everchanging temps, wind, and light rain. Stops were not only for water and food but a constant take-on and take-off of clothing layers. The terrain was beautiful with many spectacular views peeking out of the rain clouds. Our hiking order would change after our stops with the guides switching spots on occasion as well. We were ready to be done by mile eight, but we were feeling pretty good.

Entering our first overnight tent stay at a Refugio, we spotted little white A-frame cabins as we rounded the corner.

“Oh my gosh, oh cute! Of course, we aren’t staying in tents. We are EcoCamp guests! These are surely your accommodations.” (we ALL thought but were ALL wrong)

The rain started as we arrived. The Refugio was bustling as other groups arrived at the same time. Mariana instructed us to leave our backpacks outside and sit in the lodge while she waited to check us in. The lodge looked just like a mountain ski lodge, not the ones at the bottom but the ones up high in the mountains. There was a small eating area and a larger bar area. Communal restrooms and showers were in the lodge as well. Tom, Kristi, Garrett, and I found an open table in the bar.

Tom “I’m not having a beer. I will be sleeping all afternoon.”

“Me neither!” I piped in.

We were all for getting our cushy cabins (or really nice tents if we were mistaken about the cabins). As we waited for Mariana on our next instructions, we talked about taking our hiking boots off and just chilling in the cabin or tent until dinner. I was envisioning quiet time with a book while enjoying the lake views. Who needed a beer? That could wait.

Daniel rounded us up to take us to our designated sleeping arrangements. Following his lead, we did not turn right to the cute cabins, but instead to a commune of pup tents to the left. Yes, pup tents. With the rain coming down harder, Daniel lent me a hand to climb the broken slab of wood (was a step at one time). Climbing into the tent with our backpacks, Garrett and I could barely fit in it together to get our boots off. The rain now pelting the tent with some added wind. Making a gameday decision, we threw our backpacks in the tent and made a run for the bar.

Kristi and Tom were right behind us. With three hours before dinner, Tom took the beer orders and I found a puzzle. As we enjoyed our cold beers under sturdy shelter as we compared notes on our pup tents. Tall Tom did not fit in his, but the sheltered tent entryway gave the extra leg room. The puzzle progressed into a treasure hunt as we noticed notes from past puzzlers and an ongoing list of the number of pieces missing. Some even drew on the cover picture the piece placement of those missing. The last entry showed 18 pieces gone rogue. As we puzzled, a young foreign group started playing the guitar that was by the games. We were soon all singing together to John Denver’s Country Roads.

As we passed the rainy afternoon, we heard laughs followed by sounds of shot glasses hitting the table. Jeffrey and Victoria #2 were passing their time playing some drinking games. The other Victoria was giving us the intel on the British royalty. We all love Harry. It was a room filled with laughs and conversations. Dinner time was upon us before we knew it.

Mariana re-grouped us for dinner. Wonderful comfort food of Shepherd’s pie was the entree of the night. Wine was poured and bread was passed. And Jeffrey was drunk. Slurring his words, Jeffrey was barely eating his food and using a spoon.

Victoria #2 “Jeffrey, don’t eat like a child. Use your fork!”

Mariana “Yes, let him eat any way he wants. Just eat! No more wine, Jeffrey.”

She pushed the plate in front of him with Jeffery hitting his mouth one out of every two tries. Mariana then gathered us around a map in the hall to go through nightly instructions for the next day. She pointed to a map similar to the one I included below, tracing the W and the leg we had just completed with her finger. Laying out our next leg that would take us up the middle of the W, someone asked if the elevation would be similar to today. Mariana looked puzzled.

“There was no elevation today. Today was nothing.”

Ok, we are now clear on that one.

The Victorias inquired about their tent thinking they were erroneously assigned a single tent rather than a double. Nope. No mistake.

Sent to bed with instructions to meet for breakfast in the morning, our party of four walked briskly to our tents in the rain. Tom summed up our thoughts with his final words of the night.

“Well, the EcoCamp seems like Four Seasons now, doesn’t it?”

We all laughed and agreed. Glamping. Be. Gone.

Our tent was equipped with two pads and two snug sleeping bags. After brushing my teeth and taking my rain pants off, I slipped on a stocking cap, ready to rough it with a good attitude. We just needed sleep.

The rain progressed from a drizzle to steady rain to a complete downpour. By midnight it was an all-out storm with gusting winds that were throwing our tent in all directions. Only with reassurance from Garrett that with the bottom of the tent connected, there was no way the top would rip off, I was able to sleep. With the worse case of us being covered in a broken tent, I deemed the situation doable.

The next morning we heard the story of the Victorias getting a case of the giggles as the rain started pouring. Their British laughs were so loud they were heard throughout the campsite. The conversation that led to laughter was an SOS declaration by Victoria #2.

“They will surely come and get us. It isn’t safe out here.”

No one came.

But we did all wake up safe and sound, ready to bid Refugio #1 adios and take on some real elevation.