The PaddlerUK magazine July 2015 issue 3 | Page 53

The next morning we headed west, retracing our
steps through the narrow ice choked channels. Once
out of the high mountains there would be a
possibility of dryer weather, but an increase in wind.
The wider channels offered less protection, but the
breeze was dry enough to air our damp kit. The low
level islands didn't build rain clouds as much, and we
enjoyed warm evenings by drift wood fires. The
luxury of washing cloths was now on the cards, and I
took full advantage of one dry breezy evening.

It amazes me how much you appreciate the tiny
things in life when on expedition. Clean dry socks or
finding that long lost mars bar, does wonders for
moral. I strangely enjoy the simplicity of the daily
expedition routine and the things to stress over, such
as the route we to navigate and the weather
forecast. We floated past colonies of loud smelly sea
lions basking on the rocky islands and started to
spot previously rare sights of local fishing boats, an
early sign we were getting closer to Puerto Natales.

ThePaddler 53

steep jagged rivers of ice, cracking and booming
ricocheted around the natural amphitheatre

certainly enough, it was hard to sleep with the noise
of the ever moving ice, and the cold and wet was
now becoming intolerable.