A guidewire introducable into a bodily lumen having an obstruction therein is provided. An introducer needle is advanced through tissue and into the bodily lumen. A guidewire is advanced through the introducer and into the lumen. The guidewire is advanced further through the lumen until an atraumatic distal tip of the guidewire encounters an obstruction the distal tip cannot pass in a straight forward manner. The distal tip is pressed against the obstruction such that a flexible segment proximal of the distal tip forms a loop distal of the distal tip. The guidewire is advanced further through the lumen such that the loop of the flexible segment is pushed past the obstruction and the distal tip is pulled distally past the obstruction. A greater diameter guidewire extension can be coupled to the back end of the guidewire, providing function as a larger diameter guidewire.
