TrekBytes

Feeling the dry cold and windy temperature of El Calafate upon arrival was a stark contrast from the hot jungle humidity of Iguazu Falls. The surrounding landscape looked unreal and picturesque as we landed on a very clear day (we soon realized this was pretty rare for the time of year). We immediately noticed the crystal blue waters of Lago Argentina, an iconic feature of all lakes of Patagonia with snow-capped jagged peaks in the distance. This was my kind of paradise. El Calafate is known as a central hub to southern Patagonia, a small but charming city that sits between El Chaltén and Puerto Natales. The main attraction of Calafate is the Perito Moreno Glacier, a spectacular glacier that pictures could never do any justice. There are many walking paths around this area that provide different angles of its natural beauty. Even more, this glacier is very alive, sounding like thunder in the distance from the natural cracking and creaking of the ice. Every so often, large chunks of ice would fall into the water creating an earthquake-like rumble with a large splash and massive ripples. The glacier itself is a stunning light blue color; moreover, it sits on the blue waters of Lago Argentina and is surrounded by the iconic Patagonian peaks. It was a treat to look at. At Perito Moreno was where I got my first dose of wild birds of Patagonia which arguably could be the best part about Patagonia in my eyes. Notably, the eagles and condors were some of the largest birds I'd ever seen. One of the great perks about the Patagonia region is that everything seemed to be connected via a network of bus routes, making it pretty seamless to travel from El Calafate to El Chaltén. The buses themselves were extremely comfortable, even for me! El Chaltén sits about three hours bus ride north of El Calafate with many buses leaving daily to and from. Arriving in El Chaltén was spectacular in itself, with views of the iconic Mt. Fitz Roy where the brand Patagonia got its logo from. El Chaltén is a small town that is known for its gateway to numerous hiking trails, mountain biking trails, and excursions through the heart of Argentinian Patagonia. It is famously known for the Mt. Fitz Roy hike, probably the most recognizable hike of all of Patagonia. But we learned that there are many hiking trails and activities surrounding El Chaltén. For us, the Fitz Roy hike was number one of the list. Completing the hike itself was hard to put into words; the river streams and mountain landscape were immaculate. The hike itself is extremely tough, over 14 miles and about 4000 feet of elevation gain. Unfortunately, we got our first dose (of many) of the true Patagonian weather as it rained the entire time. When we got to the top of the mirador, the visibility was ultimately very poor with Mt Fitz Roy sitting behind clouds. To make matters worse, we were basically hiking through snow on the last quarter-mile which happened to be a rock scramble, so it was dangerous. I give props to my girlfriend for sticking it out because it was miserable. Both of us were soaked despite our waterproof jackets, pants, and shoes by the end. In hindsight, we should have booked more days in Chaltén because this was very normal for the time of year. It was still worth it in the end, though.

After leaving Chaltén, we embarked on a long travel day to Puerto Natales in Chile, which sits about two hours south of Torres Del Paine National Park. We originally thought of Puerto Natales as a pit stop before making our way up to TDP, but was surprised at how lovely our two-night stay ended up being there. The food was fantastic although it was expensive due to the proximity of Patagonia and the tourists coming through. As a port city, wild Patagonian geese, Chilean flamingos, eagles, and condors were abundant. In the northern distance, you could see some of the volcanoes of Torres Del Paine National Park. The people were friendly and happy to help us when needed. Torres Del Paine is much bigger than El Chaltén and is known for two of the most iconic treks in the world, the O trek or W trek. People come from all over the world to do the multi-day backpack adventure through the park. While the treks have garnered famous attention (rightfully so), we opted to do most of the W trek as day hikes, which many people did not know is possible. Planning for Torres Del Paine can be a headache because of the numerous options, the availability, and the expensive prices. Additionally, food in the park is extremely overpriced and limited, and it is recommended to pack your own food in and out. We opted to stay just outside of the park in Rio Serrano, a quaint river valley offering spectacular views of Cerro Paine Grande and the jagged peaks of Cuernos. Renting a car turned out to be one of the best move we made all trip as it provided endless freedom within the park. The dirt roads provide lookout points and access to trailheads that surround the park. The weather was hostile with rain almost daily and winds up to 100 mph, the strongest winds I have ever experienced. Both Thalia and I braved these conditions and were able to squeeze in a few days of trekking when the weather cleared up. We also enjoyed sitting in our hosteria taking a few days off from extended trekking, drinking coffee or tea and listening to the power of mother nature as it rained, snowed sideways. When the weather did clear up for a few days, we were able to complete two out of the three W trek hikes, the Paine Grande to Grey Glacier and the Base Las Torres trek. The 13-mile Grey Glacier Trek was not too tough as you were mostly walking around Lago Grey with the enormous Cerro Paine Grande on the right. This trek led to many different viewpoints of lakes, rivers, and mountains in the distance leading to the penultimate viewpoint of the famous Grey Glacier. This was a fun and moderately challenging hike to do and was nice to be able to experience it without rain or wind or visibility issues. The second epic trek we completed was the Bases Las Torres hike. We were pretty fortunate to be able to complete this, as it had rained and snowed pretty heavily towards the top just a few days prior. The weather also changed on us, previously showing that it was going to rain and snow, but the gods granted us one more clear day before we left. We rented trekking poles and crampons and successfully completed the hike. This was super gratifying as this hike was very similar to the Fitz Roy hike and extremely challenging. It included hiking through an incredibly windy valley along a river that you could drink directly out of. Similar to the Chalén trek, This hike has an extremely tough last mile as it is a rock scramble ascent of about 1000 ft. But we were rewarded by seeing the iconic towers of Torres Del Paine and a natural lake beneath it with clouds just at the tips of the towers. This viewpoint absolutely took our breath away and was certainly memorable. It served as the perfect cap to an epic ten days experiencing the natural wonders of Patagonia. Despite having severe weather for more than half of the time, Patagonia did not disappoint and I cannot wait to hopefully come back someday!