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Published: December 9th 2006
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In search of Cerro Torre
Steph overlooks Glacier Torre in search of Cerro Torre that was unfortunately hidden by the thick clouds. A four hour bus ride North-West of El Calafate brought us to the small town of El Chalten. The wind was relentless, the road dusty, every second house seemed to be under construction or abondonned on sidewalkless streets. After a hot meal of empanadas and stew we were on our merry way to discover Cerro Torre. Things were looking good - the trek was steep but the sky clear. Unfortuntely, the closer we got to Cerro Torre, the cloudier it got. Maybe we'd be luckier the next day...
After a good night's sleep near a rushing river, we attempted to get close to the mountain. Unfortunately our morning hike along the ridge of rocky hills around the lake did not reveal much more than the glacier at its foot. We were not meant to see the mountain during this trip!
We packed up and headed 3 hours north towards Cerro Fitz Roy. The scenery changed constantly, winding past a milky river, rugged terrain and lush "Lord of the Rings" type forests, as we treked along more lakes and dusty windswept trails to eventually reach the campsite with an awe inspiring view of Fitz Roy. Mother Nature granted us a clear
Glacier Torre
Glacier Torre in the background. blue sky for our last evening outdoors in Patagonia. An evening trek along the Rio Blanco and over bolders rewarded us with a close up view of Mont Fitz Roy at sunset and its glacial lake below.
Adam and Francois got up early on Friday morning (5 am) to catch another close-up glimpse of Fitz Roy after an ascent of 450 meters. (Steph and her sore legs preferred the warmth of the tent under two sleeping bags...)
One last dry breakfast meal and a few snow flakes later, we treked out to El Chalten where the wind continued to persist. Determined to not let this stop us from enjoying our evening, we visited a bit of the town. Steph went for a massage (the best ever she claims!) while Frank and Adam enjoyed a few cervezas. Next all three of us visited three different restaurants before calling it a day!
(And for anyone wondering, Adam is not growing a beard. He's just not shaving!)
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tnt mnemz
non-member comment
wow
seriously, did we mention that we were jealous