Back at the end of the world!
After 3 years I am back in Argentinean Patagonia, backtracking a few of the places that I went to last time, and trying to see some new places that I simply didn´t have the time to visit last time.
Last week Nate joined me in Buenos Aires, and after a few days of sightseeing, we took a flight down to El Calafate, Santa Cruz. First on the agenda was the glaciar Perito Moreno - a massive block of ice that moves about a meter and a half each day, so over the course of an afternoon you have the chance to see plenty of huge ice blocks crashing into Lago Argentino. The sound that the ice makes when it breaks and hits the water is so loud, you´d believe you are suddenly in the midst of a thunderstorm. While the weather wasn´t as great this time around, this gallery has a few nice shots of the glaciar and the pieces falling into the water from my last visit.
The next day we took a bus up to El Chaltén, a little town whose main business is the accomodation of hikers and climbers. It sits at the northern entrance to the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and serves as the gateway for all hikes and climbs leading to Cerro Torre and Mount FitzRoy.
Nate and I decided to spend 4 nights out there in our tent, carrying plenty of food and supplies in on a beautiful sunday afternoon, stopping occasionally to enjoy the gorgeous views on Cerro Torre as we approached our first campsite below the terminal moraine of the Glaciar Torre. The night revealed a sky as starry as it can only be seen in the remote corners of the world where no stray light brightens the horizon. It was amazing. And it was the last we´ve seen of the sky for the last 4 days.
Starting the next morning we were suddenly caught in a weather front that brought plenty of rain and wind gusts that approached hurricane strength. We spent the entire day in the tent and - after a long and windy night - decided to move to the second campsite the next day, in the hopes of a betterment in weather that would allow us to take some pictures of FitzRoy. While we broke down camp it had started snowing, and in worsening weather we slowly made our way north towards the second campsite "Poincenot". After setting up camp again we spent most of the day confined to the tent, with gusts blowing outside that made us fear for the well being of our tent. Not a glimpse of FitzRoy was caught.
After a total of 3 nights out in the weather we decided to head back to El Chaltén where we got some warm meals, comfortable beds, and a nice view on the famous Patagonian weather - this time from inside a warm shelter through the windows. Fall has begun to set it.
Tonight we´ll head back to El Calafate and will make our way to Puerto Natales, Chile, and onwards to Torres del Paine PN. As this parque is even further south, we are a bit concerned how the weather will influence our plans there. More rain to come. Possibly more snow. I need better gloves.
Last week Nate joined me in Buenos Aires, and after a few days of sightseeing, we took a flight down to El Calafate, Santa Cruz. First on the agenda was the glaciar Perito Moreno - a massive block of ice that moves about a meter and a half each day, so over the course of an afternoon you have the chance to see plenty of huge ice blocks crashing into Lago Argentino. The sound that the ice makes when it breaks and hits the water is so loud, you´d believe you are suddenly in the midst of a thunderstorm. While the weather wasn´t as great this time around, this gallery has a few nice shots of the glaciar and the pieces falling into the water from my last visit. 
The next day we took a bus up to El Chaltén, a little town whose main business is the accomodation of hikers and climbers. It sits at the northern entrance to the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and serves as the gateway for all hikes and climbs leading to Cerro Torre and Mount FitzRoy. Nate and I decided to spend 4 nights out there in our tent, carrying plenty of food and supplies in on a beautiful sunday afternoon, stopping occasionally to enjoy the gorgeous views on Cerro Torre as we approached our first campsite below the terminal moraine of the Glaciar Torre. The night revealed a sky as starry as it can only be seen in the remote corners of the world where no stray light brightens the horizon. It was amazing. And it was the last we´ve seen of the sky for the last 4 days.
Starting the next morning we were suddenly caught in a weather front that brought plenty of rain and wind gusts that approached hurricane strength. We spent the entire day in the tent and - after a long and windy night - decided to move to the second campsite the next day, in the hopes of a betterment in weather that would allow us to take some pictures of FitzRoy. While we broke down camp it had started snowing, and in worsening weather we slowly made our way north towards the second campsite "Poincenot". After setting up camp again we spent most of the day confined to the tent, with gusts blowing outside that made us fear for the well being of our tent. Not a glimpse of FitzRoy was caught. 
After a total of 3 nights out in the weather we decided to head back to El Chaltén where we got some warm meals, comfortable beds, and a nice view on the famous Patagonian weather - this time from inside a warm shelter through the windows. Fall has begun to set it. Tonight we´ll head back to El Calafate and will make our way to Puerto Natales, Chile, and onwards to Torres del Paine PN. As this parque is even further south, we are a bit concerned how the weather will influence our plans there. More rain to come. Possibly more snow. I need better gloves.
posted by Mark Peters @ 3:37 PM
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