Another long post. Lots has happened! Friday morning, February 3rd, we packed up and headed out from Pol’s place to the bus station. The bus took us from El Calafate to El Chalten, the small town that is the trekking capital of Argentina. Along the way, the bus stopped at the Calafate airport to pick up more passengers and it was funny to see the entire airport complex with parking lots no larger than a Walmart. The ride itself was about 3 hours through Arizona-like terrain with random crystal-blue lakes and river crossings. We saw so many people with adventure bikes packed to the brim. Giving me some ideas of how I want to see this place next time around.
When we got into town, it was clear that it was mainly tourist-centered as the vast majority of buildings were either hostels, outdoor gear shops, or restaurants. We met our airbnb host, Juan. His place is a two-story set-up and we rented out the entire upper floor for ourselves. He lives right below us. Another indication of a mountain-town, there is a hangboard in the condo for us to use. The place is right on the outer edge of town literally 100ft from the main trailheads which is super convenient. Walking from the bus station to the airbnb is walking across the entire town.
We used the rest of Friday to walk more of the town, look at the shops, and check the weather forecasts to plan when we were going to do the bigger hikes. We packed our stuff and called it an earlier night.
Saturday morning, the 4th, we started the Laguna Torre hike. In total, we did the 11 miles of the normal route, plus the walk to the trailhead and back, and additional miles at the lake walking along the ridgeline. The total total was about 15 miles. It was relatively flatter so we weren’t too beat up after this one. Unfortunately, the clouds never cleared over Cerro Torre, the main peak we were supposed to see along this route. At the lake, we breaked for lunch. The water had massive ice chunks floating in it, so getting in was out of the question. People had also built wind shelters out of rocks and logs to sit in. We walked further along the ridgeline till we nearly reached the other end of the lake, giving us a better view of the glacier.
Once we were down, we stopped at a market for more lunch and snack supplies for the next day’s hike. It was lightly raining out and the wind was strong, but regardless, I made my way down to the river next to town for some cryotherapy. No one else was around and I got some cool photos. The wind kept getting worse and eating cup noodles in our little wooden condo felt like a scene out of the three little pigs, about to get blown away. Once there was a break in the storm, we got some carb-filled dinner in us. We packed and prepped for the Laguna de los Tres hike for the next morning. The weather forecast said we only had a clear window from 7-11am to see the Fitz Roy, the most famous peak. It was going to be an early morning.
The early start on the 5th gave us the chance to see the sunrise from the trail, which was beautiful. It wasn’t windy and surprisingly, no one was on the trail. Regardless, I don’t think I said anything till about 8am. Definitely not a morning person. The hike itself was super cool. We walked through forest, plains, water crossings, all with the Fitz Roy coming into view. The last couple of kilometers were the steepest. Alas, finally, we turned the final corner and saw the iconic Patagonia view, which was spectacular. You feel pretty small when you are standing in a place lake that. I remember thinking about how blue the lake was and how crazy people are to actually climb to the top of Fitz Roy.
We ate lunch (eaten so many ham and cheeses the last few days), explored around the lake, and took some cool photos. Hunter hiked a little extra up towards Cerro Madsen while Jaeson and I chilled for a bit longer before heading down. Without a weather window to meet, we took our time on the descent. Total roundtrip for this hike was about 12.5 miles. Took another dip in the freezing river, a hot shower, and found a restaurant with happy hour. It was a well-deserved meal and certainly tasted amazing. At night, a little one-armed cat came through our window and cuddled up on my bed. He kept me company almost the whole night.
The morning of the 6th, we took it slow getting up, made tea and breakfast, and played a few rounds of chess. Midday, we did a short hike (4 mile round trip) to the Chorillo de Salto Waterfall. It was very busy but worth the view. We got back and Jaeson and I headed to our nighttime dinner tour at a nearby Ranch called Bonanza. We didn’t sign up for the horse riding tour they offered, so we just chilled on the ranch until dinner was ready. It was like a small mountain resort with cabins, tent spots, bathrooms, dining halls, and much more.
The restaurant itself was in a massive barn-looking building that had a great view of the Fitz Roy. Since we were there early, Jaeson and I got to talk to the cooks about the traditional process of smoking an entire lamb. Julian was in charge of the lamb and he told us about all the best cuts and how it was prepared. We also met Rochelle, a woman from Oregon who was doing a season-long work away program on the ranch where she worked 6 days a week in exchange for meals and housing. Looking back, I think I actually remember seeing Bonanza’s website when I was researching volunteer opportunities in Argentina. Definitely worth coming back at some point for a longer stay, maybe to be a horse guide or bartender.
We got to watch Julian cut up the cooked lamb which was oozing juices left and right. It smelled amazing. He even gave us little samples of each cut to taste as he was working. When we were served, Julian made sure to give us some of the best, most tender cut. Overall, the setting, people, and experience made this tour worth it. Would do it again for sure.
Today, February 7th, Hunter and I say goodbye to Jaeson as he embarks back home to Denver. We are both feeling a little sick which is to be expected after all the activities we have done. Will use this day to relax, recharge, and hopefully recover before this 4-day W-trek coming up on the Chilean side of Patagonia. Tomorrow, the 8th, we are taking a bus from El Chalten to Puerto Natales where the trek will begin on the 10th.
I miss you guys!! The scenery is so beautiful. Catching up on all the posts during my study breaks <3
SO COOL SIDDD!!
Okay wow I’m speechless, the scenery looks absolutely incredible! Juans place is so cute! Rest up and get better, you have a long trek ahead, don’t let Hunter kick your ass 😉 Can’t wait to see more pics
Ummm….adventure bikes?? Didnt we say no moto license till 35 or something?? ha! Loving the gorgeous scenery and esp that waterfall! And so love your smile and the arms wide open poses — hmmm — where have we seen those before??