Caminhada e caminhada no Parque Nacional Los Glacieres

Just three bus hours north of El Calafate, the next highlight in Patagonia awaits us. The small village of El Chalten is one of the top destinations for trekking and climbing here in the Argentine mountains. Upon arrival, all bus passengers are briefly informed about the trails and rules of conduct at the National Park Office, as the whole village is located in the Los Glacieres National Park. It is definitely smaller and more authentic than El Calafate before - we like it immediately. But for the first evening we don't plan any major activities except for appetizers and dinner.

Since the accommodations here in El Chalten are quite limited and it is currently high season between Christmas and New Year, booking was a bit difficult and we once again opted for a 4-bed dorm. Our two Australian roommates are quite pleasant and only snore on the first night.

Now Seraina and our travel buddy Karin were not enthusiastic about a major trek, so Mathias set off alone the next day. The two famous mountains - the Cerro Torre and the Cerro Fitz Roy - unfortunately could not be seen from the village due to the fog. Hoping that this will change on the 11 km ascent towards Cerro Torre, Mathias set off with motivation. Unfortunately, upon arrival at Laguna Torre after a rather leisurely 9 km, he had to realize that the weather conditions didn't really change. It was very windy and the summit was not visible - nevertheless, he fought his way to the viewpoint on the edge of the lagoon for the last two kilometers. This last part was challenging with the strong wind! Several times you had to hide behind big rocks so as not to be blown down the slope. At least the view of the lagoon, the adjacent glacier, and down into the valley was quite nice once you were up there.

On the descent, an initial idea developed into a firm plan. Instead of taking the 11 km back down to the valley, I took the turnoff to the other trail just before halfway. The traverse to the Fitz Roy Trail is 8 km long and initially goes uphill for a short while, then it is basically straight ahead through (again, very windy) bushland and past two more lagoons. However, when I arrived on the other side, my suspicions were confirmed. The Cerro Fitz Roy was also hidden in the fog and only the lower part with the glacier was visible. So I didn't embark on another strenuous ascent there, but descended back to the village via this trail. After over 30 km of walking and 8 hours, I was exhausted but happy when I spotted the two walkers (they were visiting the Capri Lagoon and a beautiful viewpoint on the trail that I took on the way back) on a terrace for appetizers. Of course, I joined them and it turned into a longer and fun evening.

We spent the second day in El Chalten mainly eating and drinking in cafes. Mathias felt his legs quite a bit and the weather was stable again, but the views up on the trails were not much better than the previous day. Only at breakfast could you briefly see the peak of Cerro Fitz Roy poking out of the fog. Shortly thereafter, it disappeared again, which didn't contribute much to the motivation for further hikes. So we took the day easy and then got on the bus at nine o'clock in the evening to travel north for another night (and the following day).

Unfortunately, the bus ride was short - half an hour outside El Chalten we had a breakdown and had to turn back. Back in the village, we were allowed to wait in a hostel in the warmth until shortly after midnight when the bus set off for the second time.

With some delay, we then changed buses the following morning in Perito Moreno (not at the glacier!) and arrived in Bariloche after almost 25 hours of travel. Here we will spend a few days (including New Year's Eve).

We wish all our readers (and of course everyone else who only looks at the photos or videos) a Happy New Year 2019 with lots of great (travel) experiences and joy! With blog post number 50, we now close the year here - take care and see you soon.