El Chalten was the location from which we planned to access the amazing trekking available at the Parque National los Glaciares. The Parque is named for its enormous ice cap which covers 30% of its area, the largest ice cap outside of Antarctica and Greenland. In order to get there we decided to drive long stretches on desolate roads, and camp overnight in order to truly experience all of Patagonia as well as to save some money. From El Bolson we drove three full days, and the first night we stopped at Parque National Los Alerces. There we found an amazing camp site on a lake, and enjoyed a restful night in front of the campfire under the full moon and awoke to breakfast and coffee the next day.
Unfortunately we were not as lucky with the quality of camping available at our next planned destination, Los Antiguos, and so decided to push further south while there was still sunlight. We ended up in a tiny town called Baja Caracoles, with a tiny gas station to match. One key to road tripping in Patagonia is filling up on gas wherever you find it as there is a persistant shortage of fuel and serious lineups at the pumps when available.
Given the size of Baja, the local landscape and the tearing wind outside, we were dubious about finding the camping that others along the road promised did exist. We followed a sign that said camping and found ourselves in the dusty backyard of the local hotel. This made for the most colourful camping site of our trip, with the tent tied down to cut logs we found nearby. We even resisted the warmth of the restaurant and made our own dinner, huddling in the shack corner to avoid the wind that is a constant presence in the Argentinian steppe. We had bought the most economical (cheap!) tent and sleeping bags we could find in Mendoza and were happy to discover that although they weren´t the best quality, they were able to withstand the extreme conditions given some creative work.
The next day we drove towards El Chalten, and saw some of the typical wildlife that survives on the arid planes of Patagonia including the Rhea (flightless bird that looks like an ostridge) and the Guanaco (wild cousin of the alpaca).
Along the majority of the last stretch of road, the hills were low and rolling. Suddenly we passed a bend in the road and before us we saw the jagged peaks of Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitz Roy, and were literally stunned.
It was the kind of sight and dramatic introduction that stays with you for a long time. We continued the drive towards these towers and glaciers in awe. The excitement was palpable, sometimes words were not possible and instead only funny sounds were emitted from our mouths, as we realized that in the next few days we would be hiking and camping in those very mountains!
Our first stop was the Park Rangers to gather information about the options available. After careful consideration, we customized a route that would take five days and four nights so as to explore most of the available areas and to get some much needed exercise after long stretches seated in the car. The following map shows the path we took and where we camped. All in all, we probably covered about 50kms on foot with all of our supplies on our backs. Supplies which were not sparse as usual. But more on that later.
El Chalten is a gem of a town with people to match. On our first night we were in a local camping store getting final supplies when the staff gave us a quizzical look and said: ¨Have you ever seen a Patagonian sunset?¨ Without waiting for our reply she headed out the door and motioned for us to follow. The result was dramatic.
We spent the night collecting our supplies and packing, treated ourselves to a nice dinner of Argentian stew called Locro along with wine, and had an early night at the Hostel. The following morning we awoke with anticipation and after a hearty breakfast we headed off to the trailhead.
The national park is very well maintained with excellent trails and signage. Our first stop was to view the Glacier Grande at the base of Cerro Torre, which we reached after 3.5 hours of hiking. Unfortunately the view of Cerro Torre and much of the glacier was obscured by cloud and rain. The wind was so strong that it hurt so we hid behind a pile of rocks at the mouth of the glacier, but Ben braved the conditions for a photo opportunity. There must be a way to measure windspeed by the amount of body lean...
We survived strong wind and rain overnight, true Patagonia style, and awoke to beautiful sunshine with still air the next day. Those who have been in this region for long enough all tell similar stories of eager mountain climbers with hopes of bagging prized peaks who wait weeks for weather openings that never arrive. Perfect conditions are an incredibly fortunate combination in this area so we made sure to enjoy the views and access some of the higher areas. We felt unbelievably lucky indeed.
We set up camp at the Poincenot site, which we reached after a slow paced 2hr hike, and then made the push towards the Lago de los Tres at the base of the glacier of the same name. This was reached with a one and a half hour hike straight uphill, and it was with a feeling of great accomplishment that we reached the beautiful setting. The colour of the glacier is a blue so vivid that it seems impossible to exist in nature, and the jagged ridges of Cerro Fitz Roy provided a stunning backdrop to the light blue waters of the lake.
After the climb down we cooked our evening meal and enjoyed some boxed wine which Ben had kindly carried in his backpack as we enjoyed back country camping in style! Patricia proved herself as an amazing one pot dinner chef with a different meal every night - something to really look forward to after long days of hiking. It´s interesting to look back on the incredible list of items brought along to tantilize the taste buds at each mealtime. Definitely not a light undertaking. (See bottom of post)
The next day we planned on hiking out of National Parque los Glacieres and into a neighbouring stretch of mountains that contain a private camping site and backcountry refuge. Before setting off we took a two hour walk along the river to the Piedras Blancas, which we scrambled over to reach the Laguna where we got to see a glacier shedding large chunks of ice into the lake below.
We returned to the campsite, took down our tent and set off to reach the refuge which had hot showers to look forward to. Nice motivation! We found the site nestled at the base of tree covered hill and greatly protected from the wind which had picked up again that day to a low consistent rumble through the surrounding canyon. The next day we awoke to sunshine and enjoyed a relaxing morning with coffee and a friendly cat.
The wind had now reached new heights of speed we didn´t think possible. After setting out into the valley with a plan to visit one of the nearby glaciers, Patricia returned to the campsite to enjoy some more shelter while Ben decided to press on. He was rewarded for his hard work with beautiful landscapes that look like paintings even to the naked eye. On the way back, the stength of the wind was such that at times Ben had to crouch into a ball and press with nearly full strength into the oncoming gusts. Once back around the cooking stove we swapped stories with other trekkers who relayed similar tales of attempting certain passes and being litererally blown back and down the mountain. Patagonia has a very blunt way of reminding you that while beautiful it can be deadly.
The next day we struck camp and headed back into civilization. We treated ourselves to our last meal in El Chalten at a wonderful local restaurant with typical dishes, replenished our coffee and struck out to our next stop: El Calafate.
El Calafate is a town south of El Chalten that is known for the nearby glacier of Perito Moreno. We were told of the enormous size of the glacier, but we were not prepared for the gigantic proportions that awaited. It was truly a wonder of nature, and we were even able to witness a large section falling off into the waters below. The steady sound of the cracking and moving ice is something like a train rumbling past along the tracks.
On our way out we spotted falcons perched on a tree by the side of the road and were reminded of how amazing nature is in all of it´s different forms. Our experience in Patagonia was truly mystical and definitely unforgettable.
Ingredients for backcountry dining in STYLE!
4L of boxed wine, 4 Salamis´s, 2 cans of tuna, 2 packs of sliced ham, 4 cans of pate, crackers, big block of cheese, coffee, sweetner, two types of cereal, powdered milk, dozen hard boiled eggs, pasta, pasta sauce, rice, olives, corn, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, fresh baked bread, honey mustard, granola bars, dried fruit (pears, raisins, plums, apricots), almonds, peanuts.
