El Chaltén II

On the next day, we start a second attempt.

We have chosen a hike that promises a magnificent view of Mount 'Fitz Roy'.

The locals originally called the mountain Chaltén (the Smoky) because clouds often hang at its peak.

I was quite skeptical because the clouds hanging low since our arrival promised anything but a 'panoramic view'.

We started at 5:30 a.m. and experienced a magnificent sunrise.

It was quiet, only a few rabbits ran across our path and a few partygoers who were on their way home.

The hike started with a strenuous ascent and turned into a long walk through open meadows and forests.

We reached a viewpoint where we actually had a beautiful view of the mountain panorama.

The highest and most famous mountain there (Fitz Roy) was shrouded in a mandatory cloud, but we could still see the peak before it disappeared again.

To express my corresponding joy, the weather god decided to give us a rainbow.

It rose above the glacier, where the sunlight broke in the water vapor of the melted water.

The last stretch was a long, steep climb that should only be done in calm wind.

I walked the first third in a t-shirt. When we reached the top, I was wrapped in everything I had with me.

The wind whipped tiny hailstones into our faces, but the relief and the good feeling of having accomplished something kept us in good spirits.

We had a view of a turquoise blue lake and theoretically the same mountain panorama, but this time closer, but the peaks were hidden in the clouds.