Blogs from El Chaltén, Santa Cruz, Argentina, South America - page 21

So, leaving Bariloche with NO hard or mixed feelings, or in Henry´s words, "the road out of town, my favourite one"!! (insert Texan accent). But again, parting without pain, as again the road gave some magnificent views on the lakes we passed, and from the eastern Side on the Andes as well. We didn´t drive too far that day (not in mileage, just in hours), and ended up in a bus camp in one of the many National Parks (first pic). As you can see, it was well worth using the shovel for toilet stops that night, a really great place to camp. Maybe a bit windy, and the water wasn´t warm in any way, but that didn´t stop some of us (not me) to jump in for a quick dip. Noice! The road further south ... read more

Hola We are presently back in El Calafate just for the day. The last few days we have been in the town of El Chalten in the northern section of the Los Glaciares National Park. This is the premiere trekking destination in Argentina. The mountains are the main attraction, Monte Fitz Roy is the tallest in the park at 3405 meters and there are several others over 3000 meters. They are spectacular however not so much because of their height but because of their steep sides and glaciers, lakes and streams. The weather in El Chalten is similar to Torres del Paine. Like in TDP the mountains in the park where you trek are only a couple of kilometers from the massive Helio Sur (Southern Patagonian Ice Cap) which is the largest area of permanent ice ... read more

EL CHALTEN -back in Argentina and the last few days of our Patagonian sojourn. El Chalten? Stand aside Chicago, we have a new town stealing the mantel of Windy City. The wind here could take the wrinkles out of one of those dogs whose skin is too big for it´s body. The town itself is straight out of the wild west. At any moment you can picture Pablo and Juan bursting into the dusty street for a good old fashioned shoot out. El Chalten´s raison d´etre is it´s proximity to the National Park and the Fitzroy Mountain perched on it´s doorstep. What sort of weather would you prefer not to have if you intend to spend time in the great outdoors, wind or rain? How about both in volumes on our first day, the clouds blotting ... read more

PART VI: El Chalten: January 8 to January 13, 2007 The isolated village of El Chalten located at the base of Mount Fitz Roy is a true international destination for amateurs and experts in hiking, trekking and climbing. According to the Lonely planet, El Chalten was built in 1985 in order to claim the territory over Chile, and consequently became the youngest Argentinean city. From the village, we can observe , on a clear day, the gigantic mountains and their peaks topped with snow. January 8 After finding a warm and clean hostel called “ Hospedaje La Cima” which was managed by a genuily welcoming lady named Liliana, we went for a late dinner at a restaurant recommended by a Scottish couple. La Fuegia ended up being an exceptional place serving a variety of flavourful meals. ... read more

Saluti mitenand! Hier ist schon die Fortsetzung.. ;O) Wir hoffen, ihr seit alle wieder brav am arbeiten! :o) Wir denken ganz fest an Euch! ;o) Hier eine kleine Abwechslung: Gleich am ersten Tag in El Chalten hat die Sonne geschienen und wir haben zum ersten Mal den Fitz Roy und sogar den Cerro Torre (der sich sonst gerne hinter Wolken versteckt und nur einmal im Monat Hallo sagt..) erblickt und bewundert und natuerlich x-Mal fotografiert! :o) Zum Glueck, denn die folgenden Tage war nicht viel zu sehen ausser Nebelschwaden, Regentroepfchen und Windboen! Aber wir super Bergmaedels sind natuerlich trotz Regen, Wind und Kaelte losgezogen und haben 3 wunderschoene Wanderungen hinter uns gelegt. Esther hatte nicht mal Blatern gekriegt und Antjes Fuss hat sich auch ruhig verhalten (na ja - ziemlich jedenfalls!)! :o) Auf 2 Wanderungen hat ... read more