Friday 19th October 2018:
So what exactly am I doing on the first leg of 20 hours of flying? Bloody good question, and one I’m still unsure I know the answer to. I’m on my way to Santiago, Chile, planning to meet up with ten others for a two week walking trip down in deepest Patagonia.
I’m on the leg from London to Orlando with my wife Lorna; when we arrive we’ll say our farewells and I’ll navigate to my second flight up to Atlanta, and then the third leg down to Santiago. I’ve been a little apprehensive about this trip, am I fit enough, will I manage the walks, but more than anything I’ve been dreading this day, and it’s three flights; I’ve had enough of long haul flights, but here we go again.
So how did I arrive at this point? I’m not a competitive person, but I’m proud of my achievements, my history of adventures to some fantastic and remote places, places that challenge you in some way, but reward you in equal measure.
It seemed that it had come to an end with the events of late 2016, but I got back on the bike, literally and metaphorically and after a fairly tame week in the Yorkshire Dales, September 2017, Lee asked what I thought about a trip to Patagonia in 2018. No way I said, I’m done with high altitude trekking camping, I want some comforts at the end of the day, and not a cold tent and a sleeping bag.
But the seed was planted, and the research began around the end of the year. Our Bhutan crew at Mountain Kingdoms were advertising Complete Patagonia, two weeks of day walks, boat rides and end of day comfortable accommodation. The peaks of Torres del Paine and Fitzroy, the Perito Moreno glacier, all at sensible altitudes, completed a fabulous itinerary, I was quickly hooked. The itinerary of two weeks was fairly evenly split between Chile and Argentina.
Patagonia:
Patagonia is the vast sparsely populated region at the southern end of South America, shared 90% by Argentina and 10% by Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes mountains and the deserts, pampas and grasslands to the east. Patagonia is one of the few regions with coasts on three oceans, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Southern Ocean to the south.
The name Patagonia comes from the word Patagón, which was used by Magellan in 1520 to describe the native tribes of the region, whom his expedition thought to be giants. It is now believed that the people he called the Patagons were Tehuelches, who tended to be taller than Europeans of the time.
After some discussion with my trekking buddies, only Lee and I were left considering the trip, and ultimately Lee decided it wasn’t “hard core” enough, so after some humming and haa’ing, I decided I would not forgive myself if I didn’t go.
The big plus was the trip left the very same day Lorna left for her 6th visit to Give Kids the World, oh, and we had planned a Caribbean cruise with friends to finish, it all fitted very nicely, two weeks walking, one week volunteering, and an eight day cruise to unwind.
How to organise the flights, well we couldn’t manage it, we could only find some silly expensive single leg flights from Buenos Aires back to Orlando. That’s where April at MK earned her money. For £1,500 the full round trip, three flights down to Santiago, two flights back to Orlando via Panama City, and the final return leg from Orlando to London.
Two large suitcases, one backpack and a heavyweight handbag, and that’s just what Lorna has packed and she has to get to her villa, my backpack and kitbag, will it arrive with me in Santiago? We’ve brought enough luggage for a year it seems.
An excellent initial leg with Virgin, so much so that Lorna gives the stewardess some positive feedback, and receives a bottle of Proseco as a gift. Reasonably swiftly through Immigration in Orlando, but baggage is delayed, and the transfer is quite tight. But as everyone waits for the carousel to grind into life, I spy a red MK kitbag already off the carousel and stood waiting for me, how lucky is that?
And so it’s goodbye for two weeks, as we hug and wish each other well. The transfer is good, and hopefully the bag will arrive in Santiago. A very pleasant chat with Bruce from Minneapolis over the meaning of life and God’s role in it, and we’re boarding for an hour an a half to Atlanta.
It doesn’t matter how many times I travel, I never have all I need together when it’s needed, First Defence, sweets, you name it and it’s still in my bag in the overhead. The transfer in Atlanta is even tighter, but goes very smoothly once I find the train, two stops and my gate is the first rather than the usual last. And so now for another nine hours plus of kidding myself I’m sleeping, but having said that the wonderful Bose headphones cut out 90% of the cabin noise, including the autistic kid in the seat behind me; just a shame it doesn’t cancel seat kicking.
Saturday 20th October:
Well, I have now been travelling for 29 hours and we’re an hour and a half out from Santiago. Breakfast has been served, a dry rice cake and a tub of axle grease trying to disguise itself as “creamy sunflower spread”. The meal is saved by a very tasty banana, but the vegan choice is fully vegan, and not just dairy free, so no meat, I’ll need some nourishment before the walking starts.
At last Santiago, and a huge number queuing for immigration, but eventually we’re through and I meet my first Red MK bag, Nick Amor who it turns out will be my room mate for the duration. We meet Laurie the other single traveller. All very efficient as we’re met by Roberto, our guide for the next couple of days, not the best ever, not the worst.
A transfer downtown to the Hotel Torremayor, comfortable but nothing more. Nick decides to sleep until our 4pm city tour, I go for a stroll, and only get as far as Starbucks, and a seat outside in the afternoon sunshine. Gordon and Jo and then Laurie join me and we get to know one another a little.
4pm arrives and the whole group meets for the first time, eleven in total, four couples and three single travellers. Instantly I notice that there are some old friends travelling with me, there’s Colin Ashpole, from Pedigree, well it’s John really, and there’s Andy Smith, well that’s Nick, then there’s Gordon, who believe it or not looks like a cross between Gordon Rolland and David Lovering, then there’s Jeremy Siddall, well that’s Chris really. Amazing that the guys all remind me of people I know.
So the group is John & Clare, Chris & Diana, Gordon & Jo, Nick & Chris, Nick, Laurie and myself, a pleasant group, all incredibly well travelled, and no nobs.
Our city tour is OK, but Roberto is not a great guide, and is difficult to understand, mainly because of his unstructured explanations. We take the funicular for a greater city view the cable car down to our restaurant meal.
Now remaining dairy free for this trip is going to be a challenge, it’s not going to be a culinary delight. Dinner is chicken soup, followed by fruit, but a pisco sour makes up.
Chile:
Chile is probably the most stable and successful country in South America, but it was not always so. In 1970 Salvador Allende was elected President and introduced a strong socialist agenda that quickly brought the country to its knees. Just three years later, in 1973, he was overthrown by a military coup led by General Augustin Pinochet, aided and abetted by the US. Allende is believed to have committed suicide in the Presidential palace.
The country swung from a far left government to a far right one, with all the associated problems of torture, suppression of freedom of speech and capital flight. After the economic collapse in the early 80s, Chile gradually introduced the necessary reforms that saw an increase in both internal and international investment in the country, gradually becoming the stable country it is today. Their current President, Sebastion Pinera, is the only two-term President in Chile’s history.
In 2010 Chile suffered one of the biggest ever recorded earthquakes, at 8.8 magnitude on the Richter scale, with over 500 people being killed and over one million people losing their homes due to the quake and the ensuing tsunami.
From north to south Chile stretches over 2,600 miles, but averages just 180 miles east to west. The arid Atacama Desert in northern Chile contains great mineral wealth, principally copper and gold. A relatively small central area dominates in terms of population and agricultural resources, and is the cultural and political centre from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century when it incorporated its northern and southern regions. Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands, and features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands.
Chile gained international recognition across the world in 2010, when all 33 miners trapped more than 2,000 feet underground following a copper mine collapse, were rescued having been incarcerated for two months. The story was naturally made into a successful film, Los 33.
Santiago:
Santiago, Chile’s capital and largest city, has a metropolitan population of over seven million, and sits in a valley surrounded by the snow-capped Andes and the Chilean Coastal Range. Plaza de Armas, the grand heart of the city’s old colonial core, is home to two neoclassical landmarks, the 1808 Palacio de la Real Audiencia, housing the National History Museum, and the 18th-century Metropolitan Cathedral. La Chascona is the home-turned-museum of poet Pablo Neruda.
The Andes Mountains can be seen from most points in the city and contribute to a considerable smog problem, particularly during winter. The city outskirts are surrounded by vineyards and Santiago is within an hour of both the mountains, notably the Maipo Valley, as well as the Pacific Ocean.
The statue of Pedro de Valdivia is the centerpiece of Plaza de Armas, Santiago’s historic main square. The Spanish conquistador was a ruthless military leader, and success led him to become the First Royal Governor of Chile in the mid-16th century. Considered to be the founder of Santiago in 1541, he was captured and brutally executed by the Mapuche Indians in 1553.
Sunday 21st October:
A day to remember, this was always going to be a tough ask, our highest elevation and a five hour walk up to the El Morada glacier at the end of the Maipo Valley. The advertised 8,000 feet turns out to be over 10,000 feet, or does it, but nevertheless I’m somewhat pissed off when Roberto turns up with ski goggles, as it turns out we will walking on snow for most of the day, more snow than I’ve ever walked in fact. It’s a brilliant sunny day, and to make matters worse I omit to pack my sunglasses, but am saved by the excellent reactive and anti-glare properties of my normal glasses; it would have been impossible otherwise, the amphitheatre of spectacular mountains mostly still covered in the winter snow, blindingly white all around.
So not impressed with Roberto, no communication the previous evening on what to expect, and MK’s description of the walk is a little wide of the mark.
Having been apprehensive about this first walk, I am heartened that I manage it without too much problem, and I don’t think I will lag behind the group. On the other hand roommate Nick finds the going very tough and has no sunglasses, and drops out not long after the start with a banging headache, and has to spend the day sleeping and waiting, a full six hours for us to return.
The Maipo Valley is one of Chile's most important wine-producing regions. Located just south of the capital, Santiago, Maipo Valley is home to some of the country's most prestigious wines. It is often described as the 'Bordeaux of South America', and rich, fruit-driven Cabernet Sauvignon is undoubtedly its most celebrated wine style.
El Morada is a hanging glacier, and not overly impressive, and we stop for tuck on a rocky outcrop, taking the obligatory group photograph before returning the same way. The return journey is quite difficult, with deep snow making for regular drops into knee and thigh deep holes. The gaiters are worn for the first time in some while and protect the legs, but the boots are no longer waterproof I find. On top of this I cop a headache, probably the altitude but two slugs of paracetamol eventually clear it. So a successful if not completely enjoyable day.
The day is completed with a reasonable barbecue dinner and back to pack ready for our 2.30am departure.
Monday 22nd October:
Amazingly we get a good three hours sleep, the iPhones doing their job of waking us at the allotted 2pm, and on the transfer by 2.30am.
We’re flying LATAM airline down south to Punta Arenas, now a very long way from home. A full but uneventful flight and we’re met by the lovely Kendra, our guide for the duration. A transfer into Puerto Natales, a pretty laid back place, with some stunning views across the Seno Ultima Esperanza sound.
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| A Very Long Way from Home |
An afternoon stroll around and then dinner at the nearby pizza restaurant. I decide mozzarella comes from buffalo, and go for a pizza which turns out to be great. John, Clare, Laurie and Nick are my dinner companions and we enjoy good banter. Back at the IF hotel I manage a Whatsapp call through to Lorna in Florida.
Punta Arenas:
Historically called Sandy Point in English, Punta Arenas is the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antartica Chilena. The city was officially renamed as Magallanes in 1927, but in 1938 it was changed back to "Punta Arenas". It is the most populous southernmost city in Chile and the Americas and is one of the most populous sites so far south anywhere in the world.
As of 1977 Punta Arenas has been one of only two free ports in Chile, the other one being Iquique, in the country's far north. Located on the Brunswick Peninsula north of the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas was originally established by the Chilean government in 1848 as a tiny penal colony to assert sovereignty over the Strait. During the remainder of the 1800s, Punta Arenas grew in size and importance due to the increasing maritime traffic and trade traveling to the west coasts of South and North America.
This period of growth also resulted from the waves of European immigrants, mainly from Croatia and Russia attracted to the gold rush and sheep farming boom in the 1880s and early 1900s. The largest sheep company, controlling 10,000 square kilometres in Chile and Argentina, was based in Punta Arenas, and its owners lived there.
Since its founding Chile has used Punta Arenas as a base to defend its sovereignty claims in the southernmost part of South America. This led, among other things, to the Strait of Magellan being recognised as Chilean territory in the Boundary treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina. The geopolitical importance of Punta Arenas has remained high in the 20th and 21st centuries because of its logistic importance in accessing the Antarctic Peninsula.
Puerto Natales:
Peurto Natales is the capital of both the commune of Natales and the province of Última Esperanza, one of the four provinces that make up the Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region in southernmost Chile; it is the only city in the province. It is located 153 miles northwest of Punta Arenas and is the final passenger port of call for the Navimag ferry sailing from Puerto Montt into the Señoret Channel as well as the primary transit point for travellers to Torres del Paine National Park, Chile.
Puerto Natales is located at the opening of Última Esperanza Sound and was originally inhabited by the Kawésqar or Alacaluf people and the Aoniken or Tehuelche people. The first European to discover the area where the city is located was Juan Ladrillero, a Spanish explorer who was looking for the Strait of Magellan's western passage in 1557.
The city was later settled by European immigrants, primarily Germans, British, including English, Welsh and Scots, Croats, Greeks, Italians and Spaniards. It was then settled by Chilean people, with a substantial number coming from the island of Chiloé, all attracted by the sheep breeding industry. The city was formally founded under the government of Ramón Barros Luco on May 31, 1911. Nowadays, one of its most important industries is tourism although the cattle and aquaculture industries are also significant.
Tuesday 23rd October:
After a beautiful dawn and setting moon, this is a fabulous day, the weather already treating us kindly. My room mate Nick maintains that whenever he travels the weather is great, so no worries here.
Today a boat ride through Esperanza Sound to visit the Serrano glacier. Wonderfully scenic, and plenty of time to photograph along the way, ensuring of course we are wearing our life jackets when we venture on deck. At the end of the Sound we get off for a short walk up to the glacier, which is fronted by a lake full of the glacier calvings. A condor soars above us keeping an eye on all the couples taking multiple selfies.
Lunch is served at Estancia Perales which is nearby, and we watch the fire roasted lamb being cut up by the host gaucho, deftly using a large meat cleaver and not losing a single finger in the process. The location is beautiful, alongside the Sound.
The drive after lunch then takes us around four hours to reach Torres del Paine National Park, and the Patagonia Eco-Camp where we will spend the next four nights. There has been much discussion about whether to upgrade from the standard dome, to a superior dome in order to get an en-suite facility. Well at £800 per couple for the four nights it’s a non starter. In fact I am pleasantly surprised when we eventually meet our dome, very comfortable bed and plenty of space for Nick and I.
With a grunt he acknowledges the information and moves on, without so much as a by your leave to me. We are later amused to find that reception had sent him to share with Laurie, assuming Laurie was a fella, but no Laurie is a single lady, and not about to share with a miserable Aussie trekker, certainly in his 70s, maybe 80s.
An introduction to the amazing Sustainability at the Eco Camp and then dinner. Super service, but the food is average; my Conger is chewy, and mostly cold by the time I eat a little of it.
Torres del Paine National Park:
The national park encompasses mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers in southern Chilean Patagonia. The Cordillera del Paine are the centre piece of the park which lies in a transition area between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes. It is located 70 miles north of Puerto Natales and 194 miles north of Punta Arenas bordering Bernardo O'Higgins National Park to the west, and the Los Glaciares National Park to the north, in Argentine territory. Paine means "blue" in the native Tehuelche language and is pronounced pie-nay.
Torres del Paine National Park is part of the National System of Protected Forested Areas of Chile. In 2013, it measured approximately 700 square miles, and is one of the largest and most visited parks in Chile, averaging around 250,000 visitors a year, of which over 50% are foreign tourists who come from many countries all over the world.
The park is one of the eleven protected areas of the Magallanes Region and Chilean Antarctica, along with four national parks, three national reserves, and three national monuments. Together, the protected forested areas comprise about 50% of the land of the region measuring nearly 26,000 square miles.
The Torres del Paine are the distinctive three granite peaks of the Paine mountain range or Paine Massif. From left to right they are known as Torres d'Agostini, Torres Central and Torres Monzino. They reach around 8,200 feet above sea level, and are joined by the Cuernos del Paine. The area also boasts valleys, rivers such as the Paine, lakes, and glaciers. The well-known lakes include Grey, Pehoé, Nordenskiöld, and Sarmiento; the glaciers, including Grey, Pingo and Tyndall, belong to the Southern Patagonia Ice Field.
In February 2005, an accidental fire started by a Czech backpacker, which lasted for about ten days, destroyed 60 square miles of the park, including about 2km² of native forest. The Czech government offered aid after the fire and donated one million USD to reforestation efforts.
In late December 2011 through January 2012, an Israeli backpacker was found by guilty to have started a fire after being caught by a park ranger when lighting up some paper roll in a forbidden area. This burned about 68 square miles of the reserve, destroying about 36 km² of native forest and affecting most of the areas around Lake Pehoé and the western areas around Lake Sarmiento, but moving away from the Cordillera del Paine, the park's centre piece. The Israeli government sent reforestation experts to the zone, and has committed to donate trees to replant the affected areas. Nevertheless, recent paleo-environmental studies performed within the Park indicate that fires have been frequent phenomena at least during the last 12,800 years.
Wednesday 24th October:
After a good night sleep in the comfortable standard dome, we’re up at 6am ready for a 6.30 breakfast. Granola, fruit with lactose free milk followed by excellent scrambled egg and a muffin. We also make up our lunch bag at the same time. Unfortunately I don’t take the butter, and it does mean some dry cobs, but I’m sure they’ll get eaten.
The trek today starts at 8am and will be a full day up the the Torres Del Paine mirador, or look out point. The iconic Torres or towers almost define Patagonia, and the best time to view them is at sunrise, which I do and see them lit up bright orange through pink. They are shear peaks of granite, and are a truly unique sight.
Torres del Paine:
The highest summit of the range is Cerro Paine Grande and for a long time its elevation was claimed to be over 10,000 feet, but in August 2011 it was ascended for the third time, measured using GPS and found to be just 8,800 feet.
The three Towers of Paine form the centrepiece of Parque Nacional Torres del Paine. The South Tower of Paine at 7,600 feet in elevation is now thought to be the highest of the three, although this has not been definitely established, and was first climbed by Armando Aste.
The Central Tower at 7,500 feet was first climbed in 1963 by Chris Bonington and Don Whillans and in 2017, three Belgian climbers, made the first free ascent up the rock face. The North Tower at 6,900 feet in elevation was first climbed by Guido Monzino.
The weather is fine, and we are led by our excellent guide Kendra, and ably assisted by Pablo bringing up the rear. Today is noted as a demanding hike, 3,000 feet of climbing and 14 kilometres distance.
The pace is sensible and we all make it up to the mirador, where we sit and view the towers at the back of a mostly frozen glacial lake. I say view the towers, but on arrival they are mostly hidden by light cloud. Tantalisingly the clouds depart a little although not completely, but enough to see each tower, albeit not all three together.
There are many other hikers enjoying the view and mostly taking selfies, it’s certainly a very popular hike. Dr. Luuuurv, or Nick to his friends, also made it quite happily to the top, no issues like the first snow walk. Important really as his daughter had arranged sponsorship for a sick friend based on her Dad, aka Nick, aka Dr. Luuuurv, reaching the mirador.
We found a spot to sit and munch lunch, and then the obligatory group photo. All the time the towers toyed with us, will they, won’t they fully expose themselves, in the end they didn’t, but some spectacular glimpses, and some great photos to take home.
The return journey down seemed longer than the climb up, but then it always does. Arrived back at the Eco-Camp around 5pm for a lovely cup of tea, my drink of this trip, black tea with a little sugar.
All in all a successful day for me, and mostly enjoyable, good chat along the way, including Kendra who turns out to be one of 50 cousins in her family, her mother having been one of 10 siblings. They are a community in their own right and live in the Maipo Valley outside Santiago.
This was the longest hike since Bhutan, and although not quite so challenging as Bhutan, not far off, let’s hope I’m fine in the morning.
Thursday 25th October:
Another fabulous day’s walking, the Lazo Weber trail in the most beautiful spring weather, and n’ere a breath of wind.
The walking day at Eco Camp starts in the Community domes, where a packed lunch is prepared, a range of bread rolls or wraps, accompanied by a range of fillings, today wraps with ham and tomatoes. Add in a couple of trail bars and we’re ready for action.
An hour and a half drive in the mini bus gets us to Lazo’s estancia. The aim is to walk the trail alongside the most wonderful views of the Paine Massive across Laguna Verde.
Kendra stops the group from time to time and describes what is happening at plant and insect level, and what symbiotic relationships are at work. She introduces us to the concept of “micro-ricils”, the underground networking of plants, albeit at the research stage, it might account for the phenomena of groups of new trees planted in the forest surviving, when an individual tree will not.
We come across the remains of a guanaco, hunted and killed by the elusive Puma, definitely around as we later see footprints.
As the walk comes to the end we are treated to some final fabulous views at Toro Mirador, and then back on the bus and the day’s welcome drink in the bar. Dinner tonight is scallop cerviche, lentil stew, which was surprisingly tasty, and a lactose free dessert all washed down with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and a bottle of Austral beer, the best meal of the stay at eco-camp.
Friday 26th October:
A relaxed start to the day with an 8.30am breakfast and then a ride over to Pudeto Dock for a cruise up Lago Pehoe, followed by a hike up French Valley.
Main topic today is the fire ecology, and the story of the Israeli guy, ex-military who set fire to a vast tract of the NP, when he burnt his toilet paper. He had been taught to do this when on his military service; unfortunately as he burnt the paper it flew off, alight in the wind. The resultant fire burnt 70 hectares of forest and lasted 40 days. The Israelis are no longer very popular around these parts.
It’s an out and back route, and we needed to be back for the boat leaving at 6,30pm, which we were. A good walk, but not the best.
Major news of the day was Towelgate. Whilst shaving, or at least whilst having foamed my face , someone miscreant took my towel. Nick and Gordon are persons of interest.
Saturday 27th October:
We say our farewells to the wonderful Eco Camp, and board the bus for El Calafate, a ride that will take us most of the day. Manuel is at breakfast helping us all in his Basil Fawlty manner, and everyone cracks up. Christine asks for a photograph with him and I jump on the bandwagon and get one too. I wonder if he knows who is the spitting image of in both looks and mannerisms, not sure.
Today we are leaving Chile and entering the Republic of Argentina, and the remote border and customs posts are pretty laid back. This is clearly where the most action takes place in these parts as a herd of guanacos meander around the place, either showing off or hoping for a food hand out, I'm not sure which.
Eventually we drive slowly down the main drag in Calafate and find the Lar Aike Hotel, which overlooks the Lago Argentina, complete with a few flamingoes. Nick and I find ourselves in a room with a double bed initially and I have to tell Kendra that our relationship hasn’t progressed that far yet. They move us to a room with a double and a single, and like the gentleman he is, Nick lets me have the double for a very comfortable night.
We stroll down to the town centre for a beer and a coffee, and then back, passing a steakhouse, Mako, which most of us return to for our evening meal, it's cheap and average, should have chosen the tenderloin and not the Argentine steak, $40, thank you very much.
I find I am not the oldest on the trip today, as the diminutive Laurie is 72, but clearly still able to hold her own out on the trail, OK so I’m the oldest bloke!
El Calafate:
Situated on the southern border of Lake Argentino, in the southwest part of the Santa Cruz Province, El Calafate is about 200 miles northwest of Río Gallegos. The name of the city is derived from a little bush with yellow flowers and dark blue berries that is very common in Patagonia. El Calafate is an important tourist destination as the hub for visiting different parts of the Los Glaciares National Park, including the Perito Moreno Glacier, Mount Fitzroy and Cerro Torre.
Los Glaciares National Park:
The park is a federal protected area in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina and covers an area of 2,800 square miles, making it the largest national park in the country. Established on 11 May 1937, it hosts a representative sample of Magellanic subpolar forest and west Patagonian steppe biodiversity in a good state of conservation. In 1981, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The park's name refers to the giant ice cap in the Andes, the largest outside of Antarctica, Greenland and Iceland, feeding 47 large glaciers, of which 13 flow towards the Atlantic Ocean. In other parts of the world, glaciers start at a height of at least 8,200 feet above mean sea level, but due to the size of the ice cap, these glaciers begin at only 5,000 feet, sliding down to 650 feet. Los Glaciares borders Torres del Paine National Park to the south in Chilean territory.
Los Glaciares, of which 30% is covered by ice, can be divided in two parts, each corresponding with one of the two elongated big lakes partially contained by the park.
Lake Argentino, 566 square miles and the largest in Argentina, is in the south, while Lake Viedma, 420 square miles, is in the north. Both lakes feed the Santa Cruz River that flows down to lower part of Puerto Santa Cruz on the Atlantic. Between the two halves is a non-touristic zone without lakes called Zona Centro.
The northern half consists of part of Viedma Lake, the Viedma Glacier and a few minor glaciers, and a number of mountains very popular among fans of climbing and trekking, including Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre.
The southern part has, as well as a number of smaller ones, the major glaciers which flow into Lake Argentino: Perito Moreno Glacier, Upsala Glacier, and Spegazzini Glacier. Typical excursion boats travel between icebergs to visit Bahía Onelli, and the otherwise inaccessible Spegazzini and Upsala; Perito Moreno is reachable by land.
The mountains hold most of the humidity from the Pacific Ocean, letting through only the ice coldness and creating the arid Patagonian steppe on the Argentine side of the range. This area is habitat for guanaco, cougar, and South American grey fox, the latter of which has suffered from the invasion of the cattle industry and are endangered. The guanaco, while not endangered, has had a dramatic decline in historic population due to large scale grazing of livestock throughout much of Patagonia. There are over 100 species of birds in the area, condors, eagles, and others. Between the ice and the Patagonian steppe there is a fertile area of Magellanic subpolar forests composed mainly of lengas and guindos; within these more hospitable areas also live huemul deer and torrent duck.
Monte Fitzroy also known as Cerro Chaltén, Cerro Fitzroy, or simply Mount Fitzroy, is a mountain in Patagonia, on the border between Argentina and Chile. It is located in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, near El Chaltén village and Viedma lake. It was first climbed in 1952 by French alpinists Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone.
The first Europeans recorded as seeing Mount Fitzroy were the Spanish explorer Antonio de Viedma and his companions, who in 1783 reached the shores of Viedma lake.
Argentine explorer Francisco Moreno saw the mountain on 2nd March 1877. He named it Fitzroy in honour of Robert Fitzroy who, as captain of HMS Beagle, had travelled up the Santa Cruz River in 1834 and charted large parts of the Patagonian coast.
Cerro is a Spanish word meaning hill, while Chaltén comes from a Tehuelche word meaning "smoking mountain", due to a cloud that usually forms around the mountain's peak. Fitzroy, however, was only one of a number of peaks the Tehuelche called Chaltén.
Sunday 28th October:
A very comfortable night in the bed at the Lar Aike hotel in El Calafate. Sadly however the breakfast was crap, no cereal to speak of and ended up having ham and marmalade on stale brown bread and a cup of lemon tea.
Our guide for today is Fabian, much more used to guiding French groups. He drones on in our bone shaker of a van today, until I, and I suspect others, close their eyes and try to shut him out. Having had Basil Fawlty as our waiter at the Eco-Camp, we now have Freddie Mercury as our guide of the day.
Today is a non-hiking day, just a ride up to catch the boat to ferry us up to the face of the highly impressive glacier, Perito Merino. It is an impressive sight up close, and one of the cleanest glaciers I’ve ever seen, pristine with no dirt or moraine encased in ice. The boat takes us to one side of the glacier, after which we walk up a prepared walk way for some length to see the other, the closest I’ve been to a glacier and gradually getting us up to it’s full height.
Perito Moreno Glacier:
The third largest reserve of fresh water on the planet, the Perito Moreno glacier is surpassed only by the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. Global warming means that most glaciers are retreating. Melting polar ice caps and glacial recession in the Himalayas, the Alps and other parts of the Patagonian Ice Field pose a serious threat to our ecosystem. However, the Perito Moreno glacier is an exception, it’s advancing, moving forward around two meters a day.
Perhaps the most interesting of our Perito Moreno glacier facts is its sheer scale. Covering a total of 100 square miles, the glacier is three miles wide and rises 78 meters above the lake Lago Argentino, with its deepest point stretching to approximately 2,300 feet.
The Argentine van is a boneshaker and it’s a relief when we eventually arrive at the Lunajuim Hotel, and all seem happy to eat in the restaurant rather than venture out.
Unfortunately it takes forever to get served and it’s nearly 10pm before we get to bed. I take the precaution of an Omeprazole in case of indigestion during the night, a tactic which seems to work pretty well.
It’s a comfortable place, but not overwhelming like Eco Camp, and although WiFi is available, it’s only available in the reception area. My post of images from the trip so far on Facebook has received a good reception and it appears Lorna’s blog is going down well with all her followers.
El Chalten:
This small mountain village in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, is located on the riverside of Rio de las Vueltas, within the Los Glaciares National Park, 140 miles north of El Calafate. It is also a popular base for hiking numerous trails, such as those to the base of surrounding peaks and glacial lakes, including Laguna Torre and Laguna de los Tres.
El Chaltén has been named Argentina's trekking capital, and today the sole reason for its existence is tourism. In 1985 Argentina and Chile had a border dispute to gain and claim rights over El Chalten, fortunately there was no war in the end, and the town was awarded to Argentina. Homes, government buildings, and flags of Argentina went up to mark the city settlement.
The town is located at the edge of the 4,800 sq mile Southern Patagonian Ice Field and has about 350 inhabitants living there throughout all the seasons of the year. Snow and ice mostly fence the town, and the homes are low structured with roads mostly made of rocks and dirt.
Monday 29th October:
A reasonable breakfast, some scrambled eggs, toast and jam and a bowl of fruit salad, and then we’re off. Natalie is our local guide and sets a fine pace as we set of for a round trip of 20km. The walk today is a fairly steady climb up to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado for a fabulous view of Cerro Torre and Mount Fitzroy. By the time we get there we are above the snow line and the wind has made itself known. Two extra layers needed, making four, to withstand around 30 minutes here for lunch.
It’s a rock pile we’re on, a bit like Scafell, but we all find a place to sit and munch. I find the going OK, nothing too challenging apart from the cold and wind, which has my fingers and thumbs numb until we return and get lower down. Not really possible to take many photos with numb fingers, but enough taken to provide some striking memories. All in all another good walk.
Some WiFi time and we’re all off to a local restaurant and are pleasantly surprised when we find a table set for 12. It’s not until another group of 12 turn up, who seem to have booked, that we realise the table was meant for others. Still the meat ravioli is fine as is the soup, a good meal for $20. Great value for money as the portion size is enormous.
A little more politics so I don’t say too much, but some of the righteousness and anti-Trump rhetoric is beginning to get tedious. I am quietly amused when one of the righteous is reprimanded, reminding them that not all people whose views differ are thick, quaintly patronising I feel.
Mount Fitzroy:
The first Europeans recorded as seeing Mount Fitzroy were the Spanish explorer Antonio de Viedma and his companions, who in 1783 reached the shores of Viedma lake.
Argentine explorer Francisco Moreno saw the mountain on 2nd March 1877 and named it Fitzroy in honour of Robert Fitzroy who, as captain of HMS Beagle, had travelled up the Santa Cruz River in 1834 and charted large parts of the Patagonian coast.
Cerro Torre:
Located in a region disputed between Argentina and Chile, Cerro Torre lies west of Mount Fitzroy. At 10,262 feet, the peak is the highest of a four mountains in the chain, the other peaks are Torre Egger, Punta Herron, and Cerro Standhardt. The top of the mountain often has a mushroom of rime ice, formed by the constant strong winds.
Cerro Torre is also famous for the disputed first ascent. Cesare Maestri claimed in 1959 that he and Toni Egger had reached the summit and that Egger had been swept to his death by an avalanche while they were descending. Maestri declared that Egger had the camera with the pictures of the summit, but this camera was never found.
Inconsistencies in Maestri's account, and the lack of bolts, pitons or fixed ropes on the route, have led most mountaineers to doubt Maestri's claim. In 2005, Ermanno Salvaterra, Rolando Garibotti and Alessandro Beltrami, after many attempts by world-class alpinists, put up a confirmed route on the face that Maestri claimed to have climbed. They did not find any evidence of previous climbing on the route described by Maestri and found the route significantly different from Maestri's description.
In 2015, Rolando Garibotti published evidence that the information provided by Maestri does not agree with respect to the alleged summit ascent. Instead, he and Egger were on the western flank of Perfil de Indio.
Maestri went back to Cerro Torre in 1970 trying a new route on the south east face. With the aid of a gas-powered compressor drill, Maestri equipped 350 metres of rock with bolts and got to the end of the rocky part of the mountain, just below the ice mushroom. Maestri claimed that "the mushroom is not part of the mountain" and did not continue to the summit. The compressor was left, tied to the last bolts, 100 metres below the top. Maestri was heavily criticized for the "unfair" methods he used to climb the mountain.
The route Maestri followed is now known as the Compressor Route which was climbed to the summit in 1979 by Jim Bridwell and Steve Brewer. Most parties consider the ascent complete only if they summit the often-difficult ice-rime mushroom. The first undisputed ascent was made in 1974.
Tuesday 30th October:
Yet another fabulous day’s weather for a walk, today up to Laguna Torre, the glacial lake fed off glaciers on Cerro Torre. An 8am start and the wind makes it pretty cold, and although the sun is shining, it’s three layers and more importantly, gloves and woolly hat.
A beautiful walk of 18kms today and on arrival at the lake we find some modicum of shelter from the bitter wind. The cold and the wind doesn’t bother everyone as one guy strips off for a swim in the glacial lake, now that’s hard......or stupid.
Some wildlife today, a bird, a southern Cara Cara and a fox, neither of whom seems bothered at all by the human attention, looking for scraps left behind, but slim pickings given the edict not to leave any garbage in the national park.
The lunch box has the heaviest salad box in it, so I jettison that and have just one large cob and a surprisingly good apple, plenty along with the daily trail mix.
A few conversations today, one with Nick regrading politics, he comes from a Lib-Dem background and has in the past delivered leaflets for them. Like me he is fearful of a Corbyn government, with McDonnell at the helm of our economy.
A Whatsapp chat with Lorna, even some video, and I say hi to Marilyn and Ted who arrived at the villa today. Also contact with Lee and Hanna.
Dinner at the restaurant of Natalie, our local guide, not bad but not as good as La Tempura, last night. $21 plus a tip for soup and roast lamb, not the best, but not the worst meal on this trip.
Wednesday 31st October:
The final walk, 22km today, and will it be the last mountain walk; if so then what a day to finish, perfect weather and probably the most spectacular mountain scene I have witnessed, including the Himalayas.
Nick wakes and tells me he has a cold and cries off the day, just hope I manage to avoid the lurgie. We drive to the start of the day’s walk, up to the base camp of Mount Fitzroy, apparently named after the captain of HMS Beagle, Darwin’s ship of discovery; I must find out more about this mountain and those that have climbed it.
The first 10km is Patagonian flat, but the last kilometre is decidedly up hill, it takes an hour, and I am delighted to have ascended quite comfortably. The walk today has been one of the best, through beech forests, alongside shimmering lakes with great vistas along the way.
Kendra has as always been the perfect guide, encouraging us to ask questions about the flora and fauna we witness along the way, and always ensuring she brings up the rear, even picking up one of my gloves that I carelessly leave on the ground after a stop.
The one downside today was as usual the French group. I’m relaxing lakeside when they arrive and drop stuff directly in front of me when there was acres of space along the beach. Then the photographs and chat, within feet of me, they really are ignorant when in a group, no sense of personal space. Later at a view point I am barged by one French lady in the group, and words are exchanged. I cannot imagine our group being so insensitive to another group. When it comes to stereotypes the French are only beaten by the Israelis, and as there have been no Israelis seen on our trek, the French win the prize for their lack of respect of fellow travellers.
We walk all the way back into El Chalten accompanied by a new friend, the dog that wouldn’t take no for an answer and ate half my lunch at the top of our walk today. Natalie puts a make-do leash around his neck and he happily accompanies us all the way back, to be handed over to a Park Ranger. He certainly had a good day out as he was known locally, and was notably greeted by many of the town dogs on his return.
Dinner is at La Tempura, our second visit, this time with a table booked. I have the same lamb ravioli as before, quite enjoyable. Having said farewell to Natalie with a healthy tip before our dinner, Chris acts as spokesman and thanks Kendra for he excellent guiding, and hands over our collective tip at $100 per person, so a handy $1,100 for her week’s work, and very well deserved.
Will I have Nick’s cold in the morning, well I take some First Defence and hope for the best.
Thursday 1st November:
Well it’s the start of the long journey back to Orlando, and it starts with a 7am departure from the comfortable Lunajuim Hotel in El Chalten, and a couple of hours in the van to Calafate airport for the connection to Buenos Aires. Over coffee we say farewell to Gordon and Jo who are flying back to Santiago and then onto the Atacama for more walking, four days in the desert, with one other companion, a French woman!!
Another good flight, but d’oh, don’t leave a drink bottle in the pocket of your backpack again, it got squashed by a second bag in the overhead and leaked all over my backpack.
We are met by Agostini, and after handing out the pick up schedule for the flights tomorrow, there is some discontent. The pick up time is set for my 11.30am departure to Orlando, three hours too early for their 2.30pm departure for London. The upshot is that Agostini has her hands tied and cannot change things, so the rest of the group book a separate van to take them at 10.30, and I’ll travel by myself.
We meet up for a stroll to find a beer and a bite, and wander around the centre of Buenos Aires, passing the Pink Palace that I remember from my visit back in 2004. How times have changed, back then there were just three pesos to the dollar, now there are 36. Also the city seems to be overwhelmed by garbage, with people rummaging through, for what reason is a little unclear, but it doesn’t look good. There are people sitting and albeit early, sleeping on the streets, in a couple of cases, a whole family, very sad to see.
We have a beer in a tacky bar, the owner tells us he has recently been in London, where we ask, Canning Town he replies, this feels a little like Canning Town. Then guided by Chris and John we find an Italian restaurant and mostly have pizza, bar Christine who has salad. The separate bills cause the waiter some difficulty, and we have to say how we wish to pay before he lets us know what we owe, it seems payment in dollars earns a discount.
Then it’s a good walk back to the hotel along the 19th July Boulevard, and late into bed. Before this farewells are said to all but Nick, who I will wake and say farewell around 6am. Nick has been as good a room mate as I could have asked, a Lib-Dem, Quaker, lawyer, fervent remainer, rubbing along with an agnostic, Tory, and reluctant remainer. Neither of us could be described as polarised, and perhaps that’s how we should all remain, able to talk about our different views and opinions, rather than taking entrenched positions.
A poor night’s sleep, and I obviously slept awkwardly as I awake around 2.30 with a serious neck pain. On a good note the damage to my calf as I boarded the plane this morning doesn’t seem to have generated too big a bruise.
Friday 2nd November:
A lonely breakfast and then Agostini picks me up and I let her know the rest have decided to hire their own van and come later, they didn’t wish to hang around for an extra three hours.
Checked in very smoothly with Copa Airlines, and a seven hour jaunt back to Panama City. The transfer there to the Orlando flight must have been the shortest transit ever, just a few minutes between gates.
Two vegetarian meals are just about managed, with the exception of the dreadful polenta, and a glass of red wine. The highlight is a conversation with the delightful Maria-Jose, a young lady around 15 years of age I would say, from Bogotá, Colombia. From a well connected family, father a doctor, we talk about the history and current situation; how FARC came about, how the peace came about, and how the system is still corrupt, like most South American countries.
My conversation with Agostini on the way to the airport this morning elicited similar views of the politicians of Argentina. She likened the new President to Emanuel Macron, and having spent time in France, she should have a reasonable view
God how I hate flying, I really must call time on these long haul flights. It’s not just the flight itself, it’s the check in, it’s the security, it’s the hanging about, the mass of humanity at the gate, the sitting as the next people on struggle by to reach their seats, it’s the striving for overhead storage space, it’s the waiting to get off once the plane has landed, then there’s US immigration to look forward to.
The blow is softened a little as I make great inroads into the Rwanda book, a tale of mass insanity, of inhuman killing, 1,000,000 people slaughtered in 100 days, but it’s ultimately an uplifting story of one woman’s incredible faith in God. I constantly had to dry my eyes as her nightmare unfolded, unimaginable suffering, and great joy, a really thought provoking read, if only you can believe when all seems lost??
And just to underline how much I hate flying, Orlando airport exemplifies all I hate about it, the interminable queuing. Flight arrives on time, 3.5 hours from Panama to Orlando, 2.5 hours just to get out of the airport. Over an hour to get through Immigration, just three booths open. Collect baggage, but then have to hand it back for a second journey to the baggage reclaim downstairs. This because a route to the shuttle is out of service, and we all have to go back through a secure area of the terminal, for just 50 yards or so. So if we’re going back into a secure area, we of course need to be screened again. And so another line, and everyone has to have their carry-ons and themselves scanned, via one scanner a a couple of staff, pathetic.
When I eventually get to baggage reclaim II, Peter from Car in the Drive has been waiting for 90 minutes for me, and my bag has still not arrived. All in all an abject solution to a minor issue, and a third world performance.
Lorna is sitting on the porch when we finally turn up around 1.30pm, and it’s time for bed, hooray!
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