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Published: December 19th 2008
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Yes, I really call it touring the mountains .... Two nights and three days. Some of the pictures from this trip really are postcards! I can assure you I have had trouble to select pictures for this chapter!
I left home very early and enjoyed my breakfast on the bus. Tomatoes, crackers, two sousages and some juice. I only bring a 750 cl bottle of water when I know Im able to find water along the track. After leaving the bus the track started climbing immediately. But from 800 metres you can walk for a long time before the forest disappears (maybe bushes and small trees disappear at 1300 metres, depending on local conditions). After some hours I was up in the mountains at around 1600 metres. I crossed a plateau, went over a mountain, and came down to
Refugio Italia.
REFUGIO ITALIA
Refugio Italia is build for winter and weather, and are closed most of the year. Some months the whole refugio is covered of snow and ice. It has 100 beds in one room on the roof and serve dinner (mostly spaghetti and soup), vine, beer and some snacks.
First I met
Natalia - la refugiera. She was working 7 days in the mountains and had a couple of days off down in the city .. then another period of 9 days again .. and again during the whole summer. She loved working in the mountains. She carried 20 kilos of food and stuff on her back while climbing to the refugio, the track was too steep for horses or any motorized vehicle. Think about carrying 20 kilos of beer from 800 to 1600 metres ...
Unfortunately, there was not many people to speak to at the refugio that night. A lot from Israel, but they usually stick together maybe because the language often seems to be hard for them. One of them spoke proper english and we had a chat. There was also some argentinians, but I didnt understand the dialect.
After a good nights sleep, I had two alternative routes - one difficult and one easy. I asked the refugio keeper
Martin, and he said I would probably manage the difficult one, but it would take 7-9 hours or more. The route was crossing two mountains. I took a quick decision. I chose the difficult one.
CLOSE TO AN ACCIDCENT
The first part was ok. I did not see any problems, and I followed my time plan (I had seen some of the route on fotos the night before). Up to the top of the first mountain, about 1850 metres altitude, after a couple of hours. Most small stones combined with sand. From there I could see his Majesty Monte Tronador (3554). A beautiful sight in clear, sunny weather!
Down on the other side. Small stones combined with sand, sometimes easy to fall, but I managed. I was down in the valley in an hour from the top. According to plan. Down in the valley there was a place where people use to camp. Nobody there. I had a short rest and ate some crackers and a banana. I had to cut off some skin from two toes. And use some plaster.
Then 400 metres up again. Straight up. To me the wall seemed steeper and steeper as nearer I came. The wall (mountainside) consisted of bricks .. stones in different size laying over each other. When I started walking, I quickly found that the stones easily could rush down while climbing. A small rush here, and
there would be no more yayaboy. Maybe I got that point a bit too late.
And I had 250 metres more to climb. Or would it be easier to climb down again and return? I took a decision. I decided to continue. I climbed another 50 metres. Had a short break. Climbed another 50 metres. I could not see the top now. The wall got steeper and steeper. And suddenly a stone rushed.
I must have been lucky. It stopped against another, bigger stone after 6-7 cm, but my left foot was in between the two stones. And it hurt on the left side.
I was standing still for a while thinking. I said to myself: "Dont look backwards or upwards! Just look at your foot an find a solution to the problem." I reckoned that the problem was about 10 kg heavy. Not unmanageable.
First I found a safe place for my right foot. Then for the backpack. Then I found two spots I decided to hold hands if I got problems. The whole mountain wall couldnt fall down? Then I started working with my foot. Slowly. Carefully. And after some time I had my foot
free. I continued climbing. After half an hour I saw the top, and after another half an hour I was at the top! From the top I could see more than 1200 metres straight down! I was about 2050 metres up in the air!
REFUGIO LOPEZ
The way down from the top could also result in no yayaboy. I came outside marked track, and suddenly there was no way up nor down. But here I had hard rock. I chose the way to the left ... I have better grip in my right hand. And succeeded again. After climbing 10-20metres up again, I was saved. Now I saw there was snow to the left of the rock. 250 metres of hard snow. So I was skiing 250 metres straight down on my boots! The latest 250 metres was just climbing in the rocks. I did that part extremely carefully, and used my time. Sometimes the accidents occur when you are near the goal.
Just argentinians on the refugio. But this time there was somebody who wanted to understand me and to help me a bit with the spanish. Among them three guys from BA working in companies
connected with Aerolineas Argentinas. There was full moon that night, and there was a tradition to stand outside to watch the moonrise.
Refugio Lopez was not exactly like the other cabins in the area. Not that cozy. At the time I was there the refugio needed some repairs and maintenance. But the guests were much more gentle. Drinking cola and pernod while playing cards long into the night. Unfortunately, I did not understand the play. Cards were symbolcards, and I could not join. So I went to bed at about two in the night. The next day I went down from the mountains thinking about I was happy being alive.
I met Martin from refugio Italia on the bus on my way home. He was wandering how the trip was. Not many hikers take that trip, he said. I said it was allright. He said that the latest time he took the trip he used 4 hours. Well, I could easily see he was a mountain man. Musculous and strong. But if I come back to Patagonia once, I will never walk that hike again.
I have been a bit unlucky while being down here. First, there
was a burglary in my apartment. Knut had to call for the police and they had technicans investigating. Three weeks ago I started getting problems with a tooth. It became worse and worse, and on a friday I had to go to an emergency odontology clinic in Bariloche. I had to operate. I was in a bad condition for a week in between the visits at the dentist. After a week I was ok again. It costed a lot but I think the tooth has become fine.
So with that tour in the mountains I hope my bad luck has changed.
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