El Chaltén trekking and El Calafate’s glacier Perito Moreno

We had some changes in the plans since there was not much in Tres Lagos and since Matti was still up for some more driving. So Chaltén it was, a day earlier than planned. After the small desert towns and the whole day of pretty much the same small bushes and sand fields, the Lago Viedma and the snowy mountains behind it awe-amazed us all.

Lago Viedma

Rheas

Crazy clouds

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On the road to Chaltén

We drove into the small cute town of Chaltén and pretty much immediately out too to a campsite called Bonanza. With nice facilities, inside kitchen area, a llama and some pet sheep walking around the site (and reasonable prices), we stayed there. Also, the whole day of driving might have had its influence.

It was already quite late so after putting up the tents we escaped the cold evening into the kitchen to cook some delicious pasta. In the campsite café we still had some hot chocolate to warm us up before hitting the tents.

The night indeed was very cold.

Llama

View from the campsite



Campsite's pet sheep

Our plan was to do a two day easy hike to Laguna Torre to see the peaks of Cerro Torre and the small glacier next to it. Unfortunately Laura’s heels had not healed and the open wounds made it impossible for her to walk. They decided to stay in the city with Matti, to try to find a hostel for two nights (also for us for the second night) while we continued with the trekking plan.

After all kinds of trouble with lost gloves we finally started our hike from the edge of the village. This time the pack was considerably lighter and the trek a lot easier: only 9,5 km one way and not so much ascending and descending. We were in a good mood, the views were superb and soon the mountains revealed themselves too. Despite the wind, it was pretty warm and sunny, and after the cold night and morning the warmth was pretty welcomed too. From a mirador (viewpoint) we could see all the mountains ahead beautifully but all the tops of the peaks were covered with a very persistent mist.

After hiking for about 2h 15 min we came to a campsite without many facilities, only a toilet but no running water or anything else. In the National Park (de los glaciares) making fire was forbidden and as usual one would have to take back all the trash that one produced. The lack of water taps was not a problem since all the water in the nature was potable and the river from the glacier was running next to the campsite. The signs would advise one not to wash anything near the water so it stays clean. A funny detail we noticed was that ALL the signs were in English and in Hebrew, not English and Spanish. The crazy herds of Israelis were noticeable everywhere, you couldn't really escape them. Always travelling in massive groups, they can be highly annoying, especially when they’re listening to music from big speakers in the middle of a hike in a National Park….idiots. Not all of them are bad, we’ve met some really nice Israelis too but way too often they are rude and arrogant. Not to mention their political views, but I won’t go too much into that.

Since the hike was not long and they day wasn't nearly finished, we only stopped to put up our tent, made some coffee and ate some snacks before heading to the glacier lake. Laguna Torre wasn't exactly beautiful after the crystal clear lakes before: it was milky grey BUT it had some big blocks of ice drifting in it and the view was quite amazing. Behind the glacier, many peaks rose high into the sky, like sharp teeth. The clouds around the peaks were still there but we wanted to see the glacier more up close, so after one wrong turn, we found our way to a path along the rocky ridge of the lake to a mirador Maestrí, about 5 km away. After some 50 minutes of hiking in the windy afternoon, we got quite close to the glacier and witnessed it calving a big block of ice into the lake. The sun was shining through a thick wall of clouds and it seemed that a storm was developing between the mountains. We started walking back towards the campsite, since no more calving seemed to be happening on the glacier when suddenly it started snowing! Well, technically not really: the storm winds on the mountains were blowing snow to the lake but it did look like it was snowing.

It got pretty damn cold. Everyone was shivering around their gas cookers and eating dinner quickly before it would get cold. We made the most delicious tasting pasta with some dry sauces, either I was incredibly hungry or someone has developed the most tasty ready-made salsas ever! Washing the dishes wasn't so much fun (like it usually is?), since the freezing cold water from the river made the fingers numb and I kept dropping the already washed plates on the ground, the cold made me all clumsy. At nine in the evening everyone was already inside their tents.

Trek to Laguna Torre

Cerro Solo

Misty mountains



Pretty flora

Silver forest



Lingonberry lookalikes

Laguna Torre

Chris on the way to mirador Maestrí



Snowstorming

Excited mountaineer

Before sunset

Chris might have saved my life. It took some convincing but I’m glad I insisted because truly, I might have had hypothermia in the morning. I have this big warm sleeping bag that still doesn't quite keep me warm enough (it might just be too big?) and Chris is using our summer sleeping bags, one on top of another. The summer ones can be combined into one big sleeping bag for two people so we did that and put mine on top as a blanket. Gladly Chris is so warm blooded that he kept me warm too. It had been close to zero during the night.

Around six in the morning I went out and quickly ran to the hill to see if the clouds around the peaks had vanished but there was even a thicker fog surrounding them. We slept a bit more and I hoped that the morning sun would eventually give some heat...that was too much to ask though. Breakfast was quickly consumed and we were quite ready to escape the cold back to the city. While I was brushing my teeth I walked to the spot where one can see the mountains and I could see that the weather was clearing up! The peak of Cerro Torre was almost visible! I called Chris and together we watched how the winds blew away the clouds and stirred the snow on the peaks into the air. The sky was insanely blue behind the toothy peaks, quite impressive indeed!

We packed our gear, walked once more to the Laguna to admire the view for a bit longer and then started the hike back to El Chaltén the same way we came. It was somewhat boring to walk the same path, especially now that the views were behind us but we took our time, took pictures and at least we got warm with all the walking. Almost in the end of the route we stopped, chose a nice spot with a pretty view to a river down below and cooked risotto for lunch.

In the morning Cerro Torre finally revealed itself

The wind was blowing the snow from the nearby tops

Happy Cerro Torre fans

Morning view from the lake

Tourist pose

Such a happy camper (in the sun after the freezing night)

More tourist posing

Little birdie

Now the peaks were completely clear

Lunch on the way back

Laura and Matti had left us a note in a hotel reception next to the start/finish of the trail about the hostel they were staying at. It was really close so we walked there and found out that we had a reservation on a dorm room with hot showers (most importantly). I was exhausted and fell asleep for a little nap. Along with the nap came fever and I felt horrible when waking up. Matti and Laura were out somewhere so we headed out too for some hot beverages but since the town is small, we found the other two quickly and had coffee and croissants together. Laura and Matti had been all around the city and visited a small glacier where one could hike even with flipflops (Laura couldn't wear any shoes so flipflops it was). We had an excellent dinner together cooking at the hostel and afterwards even more excellent ice cream dessert in a heladeria artesanal, yam! Unfortunately the night was again infested with feverish dreams and the sleep was interrupted by the constant mobile phone noises of our dear Israeli dorm mates. Idiots.

Next day we packed our things again, hopped in the car and drove to El Calafate. We found a cheapy hostel with a four people dormitory just for us and then Chris and I headed for the bus station to buy tickets out of the city. Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, was waiting for us on the 26th!

Armadillo!!

The armadilles here are monsterous

In the afternoon, after some organizing, we started driving to the famous glacier of Perito Moreno! It was located about 80 km away from the city so the drive took some time but my oh my, it was definitely worth it. It's hard to put in words but increíble, that's what it was. Impressive 60 meter high and 5 km wide wall of ice was rising proudly from this milky turquoise lake, where massive junks of ice were floating smoothly towards the shores. Behind rose the snowy mountains and the sun was shining brightly, only after some while a couple of clouds would dim the sky a little bit. We stood there watching this amazing sight and waiting for the big blocks of ice to fall to the water. The sound of the calving was also impossibly impressive, echoing from the walls. We could've stayed for hours and hours just staring at this but the wind got pretty cold and it started to be late already. Wow. Glaciers are truly cool.

Perito Moreno calving

Happy glacier fans



Getting a bit cold

We made excellent BBQ again at the hostel. The hostel was solely occupied by Israelis, whom were such little piggies that we had to clean up the kitchen BEFORE cooking. Impossible people, just throwing thrash on the yard, leaving big pieces of bread and other food on the kitchen floor and blocking the sink with their dirty dishes. I asked nicely if they could empty the sink so I could wash our dishes but nothing happened. The last drop that cracked the camels back - as we say in Finland - was the disco they were having RIGHT outside our window at two o'clock in the morning. Laura used some pretty good lines to tell them off ("Take the your techno s*it the f*ck out of my face!" among other classics) and they gladly did. Still, idiots.

On Saturday around noon we went to Laguna Nimez, a conservation area to watch some birdies (Flamingoes! Geese! Falcons!) before returning our lovely Renault Kangoo to a guy named Hector who was only 1,5 hours late. No biggie.

Laguna Nimez and a flamingo!

A goose!

A falcon!

More flamingoes!

And an Inka!

Next night Chris and I will head towards Rio Gallegos and Ushuaia, while Laura and Matti will stay in El Calafate and then return to Chaltén. Surely we will see each other soon though, if not already around Torres del Paine, then in Santiago at least!