El Chaltén

January 14, 2019 to January 18, 2019

The last section of the hiking trip was in El Chaltén, an Argentine town that lies at the edge of the Andes along the Rio de Las Vueltas. We headed north from El Calafate on Ruta 40, then west along Lago Viedma, stopping at La Leona a little rest area/way station where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid out for a month in 1905. I spotted a touring bike and asked the rider how it was going. “Tough headwinds heading to El Chaltén.” He was one of the handful or so touring cyclists I had seen over the last week or so. Although the roads appeared to be lightly traveled (mostly tour buses/vehicles), the area is desolate with long distances between towns/services. And then there is the famed Patagonian wind to contend with. I expect things will be more touring friendly up in the Lakes District. o appre

Loaded bike outside La Leona rest area. The flag, trees and bushes might give you some appreciation of the wind strength

El Chaltén was built up from a sheep station in mid-1990s as more and more climbers flocked to the area. It is paradise for hikers, climbers, kayakers, an offbeat little town teeming with serious outdoor folks, many more than I encountered previously in El Calafate, or even Puerto Natales. After arriving in El Chaltén, there was the option for a short afternoon hike, I decided to forgo the hike in order to buy a new pair of sneakers. I had immediate success in finding a pair a half size bigger than my normal, with ample room for my sore and swollen toes. Things were looking up! The next day, we hiked up to Mt. Fitz Roy - an iconic peak of the Patagonian Andes that is also the basis for the clothing and gear store Patagonia. The founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, was in the 3rd group to scale Fitz Roy, establishing the French Route to the top. We started the day with a drive up the valley on a dirt road paralleling the Rio de Las Vueltas. From there we accessed a trail to the west following Rio Blanco. The trail sloped gently upwards through woods, offering occasional glimpses of Fitz Roy and the Fitz Roy Glacier. The last climb up to the mirador, or viewing point, was a one hour climb up a 45° rock-strewn slope. As much as I wanted to go up, I feared the trip down would shred my toes. Reluctantly, I headed back down past Lake Capri on a route that took us directly to El Chaltén. The way back afforded spectacular views of Fitz Roy, and I had no regrets about my decision to forgo climbing up the last bit. Besides, I had kissed the toe of the Patagonian Indian and had eaten calafate berries, so I may be destined to return one day and hike all the way up.

All adventure seekers can use a good spa now and then - I did!

Everyone is excited to be on their Patagonia adventure

Glimpse of Fitz Roy from the trail along the Rio Blanco

The next day brought a song to my heart – we were biking!!! After breakfast, we headed back up the dirt road until it ended at a lake that would take you to Chile. We were each outfitted with Trek mountain bikes and a nice hi-vis orange thingy-vest. We cycled 12 miles back down the road, with Rio de Las Vueltas on our left and Fitz Roy almost a constant presence ahead. The road was mostly flat, heading downhill with occasional ups and downs. In addition to the joy of being back on two wheels, I was most excited that my toes did not hurt – which bode well for my upcoming cycling trip. After the ride, we were treated to an empanadas picnic lunch in a sun-dappled opening in woods. We took a short hike up to the aptly named Lago Azure – blue lake - before heading back to town. A most stellar day.

The last day in El Chaltén was a ~14 mile hike up to Cerro Torre, a 3,100 meter peak that resembles a tower. We took off at 7 am, heading for the trailhead at the southern edge of town. The route was a sustained, not too steep climb through scrub and then woods. This first section ran through private property and were joined by cattle - but not too many other hikers in the early morning. Eventually, the woods opened onto field from where we could see both Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy. As we hiked up to ridge, a 360° gobsmacking vista opened up Cerro Torre towering ahead and Lago Viedma to our rear. Fossils and lady slippers could be found along the rock-strewn route to the view point. By the time we arrived at the mirador, the clouds had cleared and Cerro Torre and her neighbors, Mt Egger and Mt Standhardt, rose up from Lago Torre in all their magnificence. We had lunch at the mirador, then I headed down alone as I might need more time. Cem caught up with me at the woods edge, and we made quick time down to the trailhead, stopping only for an armadillo. We celebrated our trip with a traditional Argentinian barbecue, exchanging laughter and recollections of an amazing two weeks in Southern Patagonia. It had truly been an extraordinary two weeks with a fantastic group of people. Next, I was off to my two-wheeled adventure.

Heading for Cerro Torre - the tower on the left

Cerro Torre over my right shoulder, Fitz Roy behind me - what's not to smile about

Final climb over the rocky trail to the mirador

The guides found a number of fossils in the area

Cerro Torre, Mt Egger and Mt. Standhardt

Today's ride: 12 miles (19 km)
Total: 12 miles (19 km)

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Betsy WestBreathtaking photos! And, as always great descriptions. Shared some of your pics at bookclub. Everyone is most impressed at your resilience! So glad the toes are better. Really looking forward to reports from the biking adventure. FYI below 0 here today; windchill 17 below. Great time to have a dog in a condo :-)
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