Any chance this trail goes AROUND the mountain?

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This point marks 3 hours on the computers here in El Calafate, and I´m still writing about what I did a week ago! Here is the end of my trip in El Bolson!

I woke up and took a look at the map, deciding to head to Refugio Hielo Azul. I heard from many people that it was a very difficult hike and fairly long, but possible to complete nevertheless. I woke up about 10:30 (This time seems to be my natural wake up time throughout my journey) and waited for my friends to wake up at about 11. I wanted to get on the road, but I wasn´t in too much of a hurry. My friends were taking their time and we were all enjoying mate and bread with honey. The key word to an Argentine breakfast is SWEET. Pastries, dulce de leche, honey, sugar cookies. It was a pretty nice day outside, so Leandro, Lucas and Santiago came with me to the river and we all jumped off a rock that was about 6 meters up. The landing was clear of any and all rocks, very deep, and I couldn´t wait. I jumped, and splash...it was colder than I thought it would be...and I swam faster than I thought I would to the side to climb out.

After mustering up the courage and seeing the sun poke out from behind the clouds, all three of the Argentines jumped in as well. They invited me to stay with them at their campsite when I got back from my trip, and we said our goodbyes, not sure if we would see eachother again. At about 2 PM, I went on my way to the other refugio.

The trail started as a gradual uphill, and got increasingly steep. As I felt a blister begin to swell on my left heel, I wondered if this trail was headed around this cliff-like mountain or straight up it. I took a break to put on my second pair of hiking socks. Much better. I tried my best not to stop walking as I methodically climbed up the mountain. A group of nice argentines on their way down gave me the rest of their water for my climb. Everyone I passed could not believe that I was going up this trail. After about an hour, I realized that I was the only one.

The views across the valley were incredible and as I climbed higher, I noticed how much closer to the snow and clouds I was getting. I finally reached the top. All I knew about the hike is that there was a lake in between my beginning and ending points. I assumed the lake would be just over that ridge. But, in fact, I had to walk over several other ridges before the lake was truly ´just over that ridge´. I walked through three different types of forests on this day, ending in a forest almost exclusively one type of tree with tons of spanish moss hanging everywhere. The forest floor was covered with random wildflowers and big patches of bamboo. It took me until my next day of hiking to realize that bamboo would be my best bet for a walking stick.

I arrived at about 5 PM at Refugio Natacion which had been built within the last week. It was incredible how everything they needed was built with materials found nearby. There were gauchos riding horses pulling tree trunks from different areas and the owner of the refugio made me a cup of tea. I rested for a bit, checked out the area around Lake Natacion, which although the name suggests, is not very swimmable, and continued on my way. It was about an hour to Refugio Hielo Azul, all down hill. This was my first encounter with truly free roaming cattle in this lush valley. From high above I thought they were horses, but as I neared, I realized there were three cows just chillin. Eating all the plants that these valleys have to offer. I later learned that they belong to gauchos who take them into town to sell once they have gotten big enough.

Refugio Hielo Azul rests in a beautiful valley next to the river Teno. I arrived and sat down at a table with a couple who had just ordered the refugio dinner. Nobody could believe that I had arrived from Cajon del Azul in only 4 hours, or that I had arrived at all. Apparently almost everyone does my trip in the opposite direction. The couple gave me two of their 6 slices of pizza and it was absolutely perfect after my long day. I had been planning on cooking up some soup that a girl had given me at the other refugio. After I ate and talked for a while, I headed outside to write in my journal. A man was starting the fire and I realized soon that a local El Bolson reunion was ocurring. A few families from town had come to spend time with the family that runs the refugio and about 40 chorizo sausages were soon placed onto the parilla. I was still fairly full from the pizza, but wasn´t about to turn down free, authentic chorizo!

While the meat was cooking, the families began to gather around the fire and talk...most of them were very intrigued in my story of ´flying solo´for a couple weeks in Argentina, and I was glad to indulge. It was great to practice my Spanish all night long!

Every time I am writing in my journal and am approached by a live conversation, I put down my journal and talk. This can be good and bad because it gives me so much more to write about! (mostly good).

Only one of the families had lived in El Bolson their whole lives, but the rest had been there for long enough to notice the incredible transformation it has undergone within the last 10-15 years. One of the older kids told me that there was no electricity in the town when he was born. One of the families runs a ranch outside of town that makes milk products that are sold almost exclusively in El Bolson. Whatever their story, they looked at the tourism boom as mostly negative, creating countless new opportunities for forest fires and other catastrophic accidents. They mentioned two big fires that had happened within the last few years. This is apparently atypical for the region.

So, as the chorizo cooked, the man tending the parilla poked each one to release the liquid, and they were soon ready to eat. A ´Choripan´is the incredibly popular chorizo sandwich which is a chorizo cut in half in between a bread roll with a cabbage/onion salad to add flavor and texture. I was given one at the beginning...my first of Argentina...and then another....and another. After everyone was done eating, there was still a lot of chorizo left uneaten, but I was too full to even think about it.

I cheek-kissed those people that I had talked with the most and went to sleep. One more day in the mountains...

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Comments

[andrew baskin]

one word...
one word comes to mind, brother: admiration! my thoughts are with you amigo. keep on trailblazin'!