Perito Moreno & El Chalten - dest 6
With the W complete I really felt invigorated. I wanted to continue. A lot of things felt achievable after this. Despite the nerve issue on my foot and my old knee injury, I was pleased with how my body managed and pushed through. I had a day off so to speak while visiting the Perito Moreno Glacier and then I’d be back in hiking ground in El Chalten.
The 6th of March was a wet day. It looks like I got super lucky during the W but not so lucky doing the glacier. There was essentially non stop torrential rain all day. But despite that I was lucky enough to actually see the glacier and I even managed to get a brief moment of sunshine to see a lovely rainbow across this massive glacier.
Some details, I wasn’t sure about paying was the $600 pesos bus transfer and $500 pesos to enter the park as it felt expensive to see a glacier since I’ve seen a few recently been to Iceland. But I do have to say it was a great experience. It’s a glacier you get to see very up close and quite different to the ones I’d seen in Iceland and New Zealand. The melting of it, the formations and colours formed through the ice compression. I You also have the option of a mini or full day trekking on the glacier which a lot of people I know did but that was a bit too expensive for me $3,500 to $6,000 pesos.
Soaking wet, cold and having lost my pair of gloves and $150 pesos I was quite ready to call it a day. It was one of those travel days when you really just want your own room and comfort but I was in a small 4 bed dorm room at Patagonia Traveller Hostel when I finally reached El Chalten and was not looking forward to it. It sure was a taxing day, one where I just had to learn to live with what was dealt and move on. There was no way I would spend $10,000 pesos on one night compared with just $1,500 for 4 nights. A straining eventful backpacking travel day.
Exhausted and a bit annoyed with myself I went off to bed. And like everyone says, tomorrow is another day, the sun does come out and of course in Patagonia so does the wind!
I should have faced the wind and done one of the bigger treks because it was meant to be one of the better days but the wind sounded like an airplane and a thunder storm. So I chose to take it easy and do the small Mirador walks which did have lovely views and was a pleasant, less taxing hike to get me back into the full day 20km hikes.
I then spent some time walking around the town which is super cute and small. Really created for the hiking world and tourism is its primary income. Not much else goes on here in the winter. The hostel’s location was good despite the small dorm room cause the street has everything you need a stones throw away. The Beers & Burger place across the street, the Bourbon Smokehouse and my fav breakfast spot La Nana further down San Martin.
The afternoon was meant to be spent with Amy for a drink and meal as we were crossing over for that day. It’s so amazing on your travels to actually meet someone you’ve met before and get along with. The small talk is out of the way and you feel comfortable enough to talk about other things, things that matter, deeper things, fun things beyond the constant small talk.
An early night in day 2 in El Chalten was for the Cerro Torres hike unfortunately the weather was completely overcast but it was still a pleasant mostly flat hike to the top and I did manage a partial view of the glaciers.
Day 3 though was great, the sun was shining and the wind was lesser too, it was perfect for Fitzroy. Bright and early, with my roommate, we began our way to Fitzroy. Everyone I met had psyched me into believing this was a lot harder than Torres del Paine but for me the first 3 hours are mostly flat and lovely, the last 1 hour yes is super challenging as it’s literally accessing 400m so it’s super steep but my gosh when you get to that top, it is simply amazing.
On your way you have the option of going via the lake or the mirador and we chose the lake to start with as it was a clear sky and the hope was for a good view which we did get. I could already see why many people call this the alternative to Torres del Paine. With some gorgeous views along the way we finally reached the steep part and I did have to mentally prepare myself for this. It sure is long and steep and after you cross the first mountain there is a bit of flat but to see the glacier and the lake there is yet another mini mountain to cross, that was the hardest cause you just want to be there. But as always the moment you cross that summit and if you’re lucky with the weather you are rewarded with a view only few in this world can claim to have seen.
the mini mountain after the big steep climb
This flatness is Patagonia and then suddenly there are mountains and where there are mountains there will be a glacier lake. And no matter how many you see, the moment you make that turn and see a hint of blue green turquoise it’s breathtaking. Every single time.
Once again I got so super lucky with the weather, the moment we decided to leave, after spending a good 45 mins at top, it started to snow! The whole way down we had small flakes and literally within 10 mins of descending the clouds were everywhere and the peaks were completely hidden. I feel extremely lucky and so so happy to have had such amazing weather to see these gorgeous Patagonia peaks and glacier lakes.
the overcast sky on the way down
