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Published: October 18th 2011
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Patagonia and Mountain Men
“Pata” in Spanish means foot. Named so after the Tehuelche people, because of the gear they wore for the snow which made their feet appear huge.
What a place…..it’s the Andes, it’s snow, it’s barren veld (for lack of a better word), it’s hiking trail upon hiking trail and it’s cold….very very cold.
One night in Buenos Aires where the only thing to report is the guy manning the front desk at the place where I stayed, whom after asking him where the closest supermarket is told me; “There is a Chinese supermarket across the road, but if you don’t like Chinese people, there is one for other people to your right”.
Snow-capped mountains and where there isn’t snow lower down, the trees are standing like 3 day old stubble on a chin. Stretching and stretching for kilometres far. It was probably just what I needed, because since I’ve landed all I could think about was going home! Missing the whole lot and my t-shits smell like Zoe, made me pretty emotional. (at time of writing: I’m happy to report, this has all passed and I’m sure it will come and go, I’m now
much more positive)
Out to town I went for some food, but alas, all is closed? I couldn’t figure this out, eventually finding a place, asking if the shops only open during open season, nah huh! It’s siesta baby! And they take it super seriously. In all fairness, most shops are open until 9 even 10pm.
Glazie Perito Moreno, what can I say? Incredible, awesome? All lame!… 60m above water and anything between 70-100m it not visible. 35km long and 5km wide, what makes it unique is that glazier is in equilibrium. What is loses in summer it gains back in winter.
It sounds like a gunshot when pieces fall off, the waves created goes on and on until it eventually fades against the banks on the opposite side.
Taking the glazier on in crampons these snow walking sharp edged steal thingies, was incredible. Never in my life imagined that I will see “under ice” caves, lakes and in some places you actually hear the water moving underneath. The different shades of blue caused by the reflection of the sun, is too many to count. I however was freezing, not freezing, dead… Eventually the guide asked
me if I was all right and all I could do was sort of nod! I wore 3 layers, a proper jacket and still, I could barely function. I had two shots of whiskey at the ice bar (only because they don’t serve you brandy!) and made it off there while carrying my dead feet in hand.
The cold aside, probably one of those experience that I am already doubting really happened to and I’ll tell you one thing, I never got the appeal of the ‘mountain man’ type, but man, down here they are hot, hot, hot! The whole lot!
That night I met two really nice English girls, living in Cardiff and on a whim decided to join them on a trip to El Chalten, called the trekking capital of Argentina and I’m so happy I did! The whole outing and meeting really nice people, has helped me so work on the huge fear of “meeting new people” I have, it also made me settle into the vibe of living out of a bag, packing on a whim and changing your plans in a split second. They are on a year-long trip around the world!
We trekked in what surely must be some of biggest variety of landscape on earth. Lakes, mountains, snow-capped mountains, valleys and you get it all! Gemma commented that the trees you walk through could’ve been the set of “Lord of the Rings”, not a fantasy watcher, I can’t comment, but it was surreal and dreamy.
The “Fitz Roy range” named after Robert Fitz Roy, an explore,r, one of the most technically challenging mountain ranges in the world, naturally we couldn’t get that high up, but I’m so getting into this hiking thing, never thought I would, but starting to get it! Just don’t know if I could top that scenery much else places in the world.
The town, however, is weird. Super weird, beat-up trucks, stray dogs ande general freak-flags flying are plentiful. The houses are mostly wooden, half-built and not in a way that is appealing, like in Uganda, in a weird “I had to run from the police” kind of way! The small town reminded me of a serial killer movie set. Oh and the local supermarket charges you R28 for a small tub of tuna. Massively overpriced on everything but the scenery and wine.
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Taryn
non-member comment
Looks incredible tart!