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Published: February 24th 2011
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Most of this section of our trip has been in one area, albeit in 3 different locations - Torres Del Paine in Chile, then El Calafate & El Chalten in Argentina. These 3 locations are all in Patagonia and effectively in one huge national park filled with mountains lakes and glaciers. The shorter and last part of this blog covers our time in Bariloche, on the edge of Argentinean Patagonia and our journey back into Chile.
From Ushuaia where we left off on the last blog, a 5.00am start and a 16 hour bus journey took us to Puerto Natales in Chile. An interesting journey including having a long wait at the Chilean border and being forced to dump all our foodstuffs due to strict immigration controls. After Argentina Chile was refreshing in many ways – the people have been softer, friendlier and more down to earth, or at least compared to the refined gregarious Portenos in Buenos Aires.
After a couple of rest, laundry, & planning days in Puerto Natales - known as Gortex City – we spent three
days trekking in Torres del Paine where we had our first sight of the white Patagonian mountains, green lakes and blue glaciers. The first night we stayed in a high up mountain refuge where by complete chance we bumped into three people from our Antarctic trip (see photo to the left).
The next morning we rose out of our dormitory bunks at 3.00am for a 2.5 hour torch-lit hike up to the ‘Torres’ (Towers) in the hope of seeing them turn red at sunrise. The early morning trek up and down the mountain was mystical, not knowing what you were passing (pumas included) and as you got closer to the top seeing the procession of 50 or more torches before and after you. Unfortunately, the summit was cloudy, windy and damp, although you could just see the towers (see picture - The Torres on a Cold Dawn). Above all it was really cold, so not somewhere you wanted to hang around too long!
The highlights of our three day Torres Del Paine adventure were probably during the third day when we saw a puma – only for a minute or so, but quite a rare sight, although we
don’t have a photo to prove it! Also later that day we took a short walk to get a view of the Cuernos - ‘horns’ (see photo above), the other major mountain range in the park. The textured landscape was so picturesque and green, with the mountains and lake in the background – again words were inadequate to describe it.
From Torres Del Paine we headed 300km north-east back into Argentina to El Calafate – the gateway town for the Perito Moreno Glacier, which we visited twice. The 30km long, 5km wide and 60m high glacier, creeps forward two metres a day, with ice from its origin taking over 300 years to reach its snout and fall into the lake.
On our first visit we spent almost five hours simply watching the Aquafresh blue & white peaky glacier from the balconies on the opposite side of its main face. (see picture below) Glacier watching is quite a relaxing and multi-sensory pastime. The glacier makes tremendously loud cracking noises as the sun hits it. This is then often followed by an even louder thundering noise as part of it collapses internally, out of sight inside its mass of ice.
Or better still, externally - known as ‘calving’ – sending up a giant cloud of white powdered snow and creating a mini tsunami as well as pushing clear blue icebergs into the lake – and if you’re lucky enough all of this right in front of where you’re standing (see video above).
Our second visit to the glacier was for ‘ice trekking’. First we had to take a boat across the lake right in front of the glacier’s face. Then after a short walk through a forest, we donned crampons and in single file followed a guide across the frozen blue peaks of the glacier. It was amazing to see the variety of colours – white, blue, green – and numerous rivulets of water running across the surface of the glacier. This water frequently disappeared down holes of translucent blue ice with lagoons at their bottom. After trekking for just over an hour we were then served ‘whisky on the rocks’ – with local 300 year old ice of course! (see picture below). Both of us felt that the Perito Moreno Glacier was magical and one of ‘our’ natural wonders of the world.
From El Calafate we took
a short 200km bus journey north to El Chalten for four days of trekking. El Chalten is a new mountain resort; its first houses were built in 1985 when Argentina made a land grab before Chile claimed it. High up from the surrounding mountains it actually looks like a toy town (see picture - Toy Town). We were really lucky with the weather here, having fabulously clear views every day and often 360 degrees, of both the two main peaks (Fitzroy and the ‘toothy’ Cerro Torre) surrounded by lakes & glaciers.
From El Chalten we travelled 800km up the infamous Route 40 to Bariloche - two days of bus riding and window gazing! Actually the time passed quite quickly helped by a short excursion at the end of the first day to La Cueva de Las Manos (The Cave of the Hands). At one point we were worried that the cave visit might not happen as the 40-seater bus full of our fellow passengers (none of whom had joined up for our short excursion) dropped us off at a very small place called Baja Caracoles. Bruce Chatwin in his book ‘In Patagonia’ describes Baja Caracoles as ‘a crossroads of
insignificant importance with roads leading all directions apparently to nowhere’ as our picture aptly demonstrates. There was no-one around except a friendly woman who ran a little shop and could provide lodgings for the night at her ‘flophouse’ - £4 for the privilege! Fortunately we were denied that experience, as the minibus eventually turned up and within the hour we were being enthralled by the paintings - some from 7370 BC and a sunset trek through a canyon.
Our fourth and final stop, still in Patagonia, was Bariloche, the Argentinean capital of chocolate (very fitting for Valentine’s Day when we were there!) The city is located in the heart of the Lake District and is a major ski resort in winter (i.e. June/July). The influence of the Swiss immigrants is quite evident, not only in the style of the wooden ‘chalets’ but also in the cuisine, with restaurant after restaurant offering fondue and other Swiss delicacies.
We rented an apartment for four nights with great views over the lake from both the bedroom and sitting room. Once again we were fortunate in having fabulous weather. One day we cycled the ‘Circuito Chico’ taking in even more views of
glorious clear blue lakes, green islands, lush forest and foothills (see picture below). Another day we trekked around a clear azure lake with Marianne swimming in the icy waters on both days.
In our final Patagonian journey from Argentina to Chile we completed our first real trip across and through the Andes. This took over 10 hours, consisting of three boat rides and four bus trips. We weaved our way through clear green mountain lakes, past glaciers and volcanoes while negotiating rocky roads in forested national parks, strewn with gushing waterfalls and frothy rivers. It was a great experience although mildly spoilt by the weather in the afternoon which turned to mizzly rain and marred our views. However a wonderful lunch including a good bottle of Chilean wine helped make amends to a certain degree.
Eventually we arrived in Puerto Varas at 9pm, a beautiful lakeside town in Chile where we will start our next blog ….
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sian
non-member comment
it looks amazing, but have to say I am enjoying the caribbean weather! I hate to be cold! Keep enjoying your big adventure! Love, S & P xx