I don't know jack but I stay sincere: Going Patagonian

Once again I have taken forever to update this blog. I apologize and wont offer any excuses because they are for cowards, lets just say that May was an extremely busy month, and probably one of the fastest ones of my life. We had two hellish weeks of mid-terms that really ruined the solidly upbeat vibe that had been my life for the previous 3 months. To get our groove back we decided to travel to the southern wilderness of Patagonia where we would encounter fresh cut air, imposing mountains and views, and clean streams of glacier water. The day after my final midterm I boarded a flight and headed south to one of the last places left where nature still utterly dominates anything civilization has to offer.

As the plane began to descend I put my book down and looked out the window to catch a glimpse of the land where I would be spending the next 10 days. It was barren and rugged and beautiful in the gray glow of dusk. We were getting awfully close to the ground, and there was still not a single light in sight, only a massive lake backed by snow capped mountains. Then I saw it, a single runway all by its lonesome on the shore of the lake. There was no other sign of society as the airport that serves most of Patagonia is one landing strip and one building surrounded by nothing else but nature. We landed at the peaceful and desolate Calafate airport and took a winding 20 minute cab ride along the lake to the actual town of Calafate. I wondered why they didn't just build the airport next to the town, but then I realized it was to instill a sense of wonder in the traveler as he lands amid nothing but mountains, or so the 80 peso flat rate from airport to town can keep the cab companies afloat.

After a quiet night we rose early for our trip to the glacier Perito Moreno. When I first caught a glimpse of the massive entity of ice I lost my breath. It has to be the single largest thing I have ever seen as it completely takes up the valley between two mountain ranges and generates the lago argentino with its ice melt. The bus took us down to a boat that would transport us across the lake to the foot of the glacier. While the glacier looks big from afar when you can see most of it, you can't understand its full size until you are slowly chugging towards it and the ice looms higher and higher. At places the glacier is 150 feet above the water, and its deepest point is 300 feet below. We disembarked and ate our packed lunches, which for me was two granola bars. After that we had a mini info session in which I learned we would be walking on ice that was 400 years old, and that there were little bugs that lived their whole lives in the glacier and ate, well the guide didn't really know what they ate, but they got by somehow. Then we went to the crampon place to put on our crampons so we could walk on the ice without slipping and falling on our butts. The rusty metal spikes strapped to my boots made me feel like a real mountaineer, a feeling that was amplified as we crunched over the field of ice and drank glacier water that was directly from the source. The water was cold, crisp, pure, and a lot better than Dasani. Our walk over the field of ice was beautiful and entertaining, albeit a little short. The guides made it up to us by giving us free whiskey mixed with glacier ice. After our celebratory toasts and drinks we left the surface of the glacier and descended underneath it. The ice cave emanated blue light over everything, and the drip drip of melting ice augmented the eerie atmosphere. We only spent a couple minutes inside, but they were well worth it because, I was inside a glacier.

The dawn view from our hostel in Calafate.

Perito Moreno nestled in the valley.

It's getting closer.

And closer.

And we're on it.

Enjoying some Famous Grouse with it's ice.

Now we're in it.

And it goes on and on and on.

View from the forest.

Some cool cats chilling at a glacier.

One last panoramic of Perito Moreno, click to truly take it in.

The next day was another early morning as we were taking a bus several hours north to the small town of El Chalten, the youngest town in Argentina. El Chalten was established 30 years ago by the Argentinian government to claim the land around it from Chile. The area contains some of the most breathtaking sights in South America, and Chalten acts as a base camp for travelers from all over the world who want to hike into the mountains. The town is now known as the the trekking capital of Argentina as it is completely situated in a National Park, and has various trails that lead the hiker into the wilderness. You don't need a guide to hike these trails, only a bottle of water, some lunch, and a persevering spirit. We arrived in Chalten around noon, and decided to do the easier six hour hike to the lago torre (tower lake) that day before the sun set. So we set off on some vague trail in search of the lake. We hiked over hills, sloshed in swamps, and forged through forests. The whole expedition reminded us all of the Lord of the Rings movies, and since we were nine we had lively debates about who was who in the Fellowship. Since I was our fearless leader and trailblazer it was unanimously decided that I was Gandalf, a role I wholeheartedly assumed as I strode ahead and let the lesser beings bicker over who got to be Aragorn. After 2.5 hours of hiking we reached our destination, a mountain lake backed by towering spires of rock. It was a beautiful sight to absorb as we lunched on sandwiches and washed them down with cold mountain water. The walk back was enjoyable and we returned to Chalten in time to see the sun setting over it.

Just a waterfall.

The wasteland we passed through to reach our destination.

The destination.

El Chalten in the waning sun.

We rose before the sun again the next day in order to accomplish the grueling 8 hour hike to the Laguna de los tres. The sun was rising as we began our expedition up and through the Andes mountains and the dawn light strengthened my resolve while the uphill climb weakened my legs. This trail ended up being a lot harder than the previous day's one as it was mostly uphill. For the first 3 hours we climbed 800 meters and walked about 10 kilometers, but for the last hour we had to climb another 800 meters in the space of 3 kilometers. We were essentially climbing a steep mountain that was high enough for there still to be snow in late summer. The trail became a jumbled mess of rocks that went straight up and never seemed to end. This last hour of hiking was one of the hardest things I have done in recent memory; by the end each step was a supreme effort and every rise mocked my attempt to scale the never-ending ascent. Finally, I made it. My legs felt like jelly, my heart was about to burst, and I was drenched in sweat, yet I felt amazing. It was a real accomplishment, one that had taken a lot out of me but, at end, had placed me on top of the world. I rewarded myself by dunking my head into the highest lake in Argentina, a cold and refreshing experience. We then had the most delicious and replenishing lunch I have ever had. After hanging out up top for an hour enjoying the rest and views we started the long descent to society. We finally reached Chalten after dark, and collapsed in the hostel. Over the past two days we had hiked almost 50 kilometers, and we were fairly exhausted from it.

Fitz Roy Mountain in the distance.

Andes at dawn.

The mountain we climbed.

Didn't quite climb it, but we got pretty close.

The hidden lake.

The view away from Fitz Roy on the mountain we did climb.

That night we boarded a bus that would take us to Bariloche, an Argentinian ski town several hundred miles North. Because the route that spans the Andes closes once summer ends, we had to take a roundabout journey that lasted 35 hours. At one point I looked out the window to see the Atlantic Ocean, a surprising sight since I thought we were deep in the interior. Eventually, we made it to Bariloche, which unfortunately had no skiing yet. We ended up staying for four days relaxing in the laid back atmosphere and beautiful scenery of the mountain town. Some hours were spent lounging and reading in the sunny hostel lounge, and others were fulfilled wandering around Bariloche exploring chocolate factories and restaurants. The guys went go karting which was fast paced and competitive while the girls got massages and pedicures which was relaxing, I guess. Also, we all went paragliding which is very cool. You stand on a mountain and your guide tells you to run as hard as you can down it. After a couple steps your legs are kicking at air and you are gliding through the sky. When I went we circled up and up and up until we reached the clouds and I could see over the mountain I took off from. It was mighty cold up there, and thankfully the man dropped down after a couple minutes because he didn't want to get lost in the clouds. The whole experience was soothing and introspective as I simply sat and watched the world go by beneath my feet. For our final day in Patagonia we rented bikes and rode the seven lakes circuits which gave us some epic views of blue lakes surrounded by green mountains. It was a wondrous day and a perfect end to an unforgettable vacation. Patagonia is an immense and beautiful place, and I hope to return someday to see it all and more.