saggy beds, flour and water water water

---

When conspiring a title I try hard to be imaginative. This time, the features of this remote and wild part of southern Argentina were as much about the scenery as it was about being fed flour and water for 3 days. I cannot overemphasise the water, as with hiking in an unusually dry environment water consumption is vital!

Rude awakenings and poor cimmunication are also a part of this trip, this being 4.45am for a 5am breakfast and 5.30am departure from El Calafate hostel on an Always Glaciers tour, booked 6 months back as assuringly it was to be 'high season'. Now that was overemphasised as I cannot figure that seeing no more than 10 people (including large tour groups that come) in one days of trekking, at some times it was 5 or under. So getting isolated is easy that I hankered for some bright lights of El Calafate after 3 days there. How some thrive on 12 hour daily walks/ climbs and miserly refugio food I dont know - I capped it at 5 hrs max. Included refugio meals for 50-55USD a day (!) consisted of a slab of cheese and bread as vegetarian, the same if carnivorous with 'carnes de vaca' (anything froma pig), one thin slice of tomato and a dank brown lettuce leaf in 2kg of bread bun, and finely prepared flour with water masquerading as gnocchi at dinner, the latter being lime green.

HHhhhm, that lime green vege pasta with veges 'in it' tastes so good but when hungry anything goes, right? A few disappointing words after the 3 days with the manager of Fantasico sur at Las Torres assured me this was wrong, and excusably there were 100kph winds the previous day whipping up a storm on Lago Nordenskjold and stopping the boats from Pudeto in bringing over fresh things, but have they not heard of frozen or canned? In comparison they had wifi at camp sites on most locations - who brings the laptop on holiday (I guess some workaholics do, like me, that stayed behind on this leg for my pack being too 'poco') yet they couldn't whip up any veges or fruit with dinner, breakfast or lunch at one place. I digress..

The first day was getting there, picking up many from their accommodations and starting either a single day (madness) or multi-day 'pick up whenever you want' version. I chose the latter, and as expected customs and quarantine regulations at border crossings added at least 2 hrs to the trip down. Of course hanging out at the gift shop was essential for any tour (tip offs is right at home here I think?) if we decided to pick up an alpaca sweater, Chilean cookbook, horse saddle, or that 750mL bottle of pinot to stash in the already heavy pack. Passing most major sights for 5 minute photo stops, the photo opportunities were to become far far better as entering the park, on foot superior to any day trip offered. Lack of lunch later (mine was forgotten), we finally got across a rickety say-your-prayers bridge (the sign says at Laguna Armaga to get out of taxi, we didn't) and headed of in direction of Chileno refugio with new friend whom we gave Span-glish lessons to eachother. Finding out my reservation was in fact at bottom not top of hill (CHileno) and not one to waste a wasted walk I dragged my sorry and sore legs upwards towards the mirador, but why I don;t know. Could it be new friend spurring me on yet he had no pack to haul? You are stronger than that. With food and sleep perhaps, but I called it quits at 6.15 pm and got back to settle into Las Torres central refugio after a 2 more hours downhill mainly. Thankfully stream water is glacial and safe to drink, I was told. My gut told me too - so far so good on that front (until today - too much flour and water maybe)

The next day took in the 11km to Cuernos refugio where I could dump some of my pack (5L size but jam packed) and headed on to Campamento italian beneath the towering magnificent spires of the western face of Las Torres, Las Cuernos, French valley at my feet and French (amongst other) glaciers in front. But there is more - lake Nordenskjold to the left, Pudeto and Lago Grey out of sight to the far west of the UNESCO listed park, and one helluva party happenning at the very groovy Cuernos hostel. La cocina (kitchen) plus la musica (music) plus la nosa ringa studdeda (pierced) staff and some ability to comminicate in English without giving anyone an allergic response to their aggravted skin condition (too much outdoors does this) meant it was fun. Plus not as sterile at Las Torres, if you like quirky do not stay here. The caballos (Horses) even had their own caminas (paths), nice.

Many lovely people met, many staccato conversations in pigeon Espanol later (new word each day, today at ATM waiting with 30 other people, yes cash is king and takesd time, understatement of trip - it was the word 'claro' with a really nice Argentine who was a lawyer with interest in photograhy of food for a hobbie, and art, even got a memento to take with me and travel safely - people are nice when beneath surface....), then a baptism in Lago Nordenskjold with 100kph winds, and lastly cold showers (not deliberate) topped off the trip.

A' word of advice - when you pay about 95USD for the bed without sheets and food the view has to be good and the beds bad!! Well slept better on a saggy refugio bed than any noisy Calafate single room, I was braced for an easy (and, again HOT) final day hauling my scenically blistered eyes back to Las Torres and the real-way (I chose to walk an extra 7km along a dusty dry desert road to save on the taxi fare as too much time on my hands until 5pm bus back). Forgetting my pole at the toilet stop kin Las Torres not once twice but 3rd time lucky I pegged my 30,000steps or so that day and made well for a 5 hr journey back to Calafate for another night at Hotel California, where you can check out but never leave.

Which brings me to today - contingency day - meaning wait in queue for 45 minutes to extract money if it lets you from an ATM, wait less at Aerolineas for boarding pass and confirmed flights, even less to use the locotoria to print out bus tickets, slightly more at La'Anonima for the crunchiest apple I have ever tasted (labelled 'Patagonia' - see, the refugios are exposed!!), some chicken for a nice cooked stir-fry lunch with real veges which was even photographed, the opportunity to break the microwave with pumpkin seeds roasting (no popping, honest!), washing drying day, or just check emails and blog day. It is about the journey not la destino.

Onwards flight to Trelew tonight (said Tray-loo in kiwi accent, not TRulloo as I have, the lawyer corrected me), on AA, bless their hearts, and westwards thereafter towards Bariloche.

Till then

---

Photos

Wrong hike right view
Half way to Chileno refugio

Refugio Chileno
where i could have stayed

HOla senora
Haulage and tourism