After a leisurely start, a short stroll took us to
our second campsite. Again, the day turned
out to be enjoyable and relaxed – it was a
good thing, too, as it started raining, a drizzle
which continued for the rest of the day. On
reaching Refugio Dickson, we were wet and
cold, my ankles throbbed, and walking became
challenging. Dickson was, however, one of the
best camping areas on the trek. It had a lovely
refugio with a fireplace and a communal sitting
area, where coffee, tea, and a few basic meals
were for sale. Inside, the refugio was social,
with many wet and cold bodies (and boots)
huddled around a small fireplace. When it
came to wet boots and cold feet, hiking was
the same worldwide.
Outside the weather was bitterly cold and
nowhere inside seemed warm enough, even
though I was dressed in all I had. Soon, it
started snowing and the entire landscape
turned a brilliant white. The falling snow was
quite a novelty initially but wasn’t as romantic
as imagined. Fearing the poor tent would
collapse under all the weight, I scraped off as
much as possible.