El Chalten is a small but growing town at the base of the Fitzroy Massif (a huge granite mountain) in the Santa Cruz province of Argentina. There are several really good trails to take in the Los Glaciares National Park. We were fortunate with the weather once again. When we arrived on a Monday afternoon it was rainy and miserable, but the next morning we had sunshine and clear skies. We decided to follow the trail to the Laguna Las Torres, a blue lagoon at the base of another set of 'towers'. There were two amazing viewpoints. The first allowed us to see all of the peaks in the mountain range. At the second mirador we had a spectacular view of another glacier creeping down the mountain. We have seen so many glaciers now, but I don't think I will ever tire of them. We were able to walk in shorts and t-shirts until we reached the lagoon and then as we ascended a rocky hill we were blasted by the icy, glacial wind. Stephen and I found a spot behind a windbreak someone had built from the stones on the beach. From there, we were able to appreciate the the view of the 'towers' and the lagoon.
Day 2 - we set off early to climb to the base of the Fitzroy Massif. It was a long uphill trek. The first ascent was gradual. We stopped for lunch at a campsite. The trees provided excellent protection from the cold winds. We made our own sandwiches out of bread, ham, cheese and canned tomato sauce (the small supermarket did not have real tomatoes). After lunch Stephen and I decided to continue the climb to the base of the mountain. From below it did not look like it would take very long to get there. Once we started, though, we realize why they estimated that it would take an hour and a half to get to the mountain base. It was really rocky, incredibly steep and somewhat scary (almost like climbing the volcano in Pucon again, but without the crampons). When we finally made it to the top,after Stephen coaxed me across a few steep ledges along the way, it was 'vale la pena' (worth the trouble). The view was spectacular! Unfortunately the pictures don't quite do it justice. The lagoon below was aquamarine with sheets of ice decorating the surface of the water. We were right at the snowline and the snow-covered peaks were beautiful. Even the views of the valley below took our breath away. I was really impressed with the Fitzroy Massif and highly recommend it to anyone travelling to Argentina.
Chalten itself was quaint albeit windy and dusty. I think it is really an 'up and coming' town because of its close access to this amazing national park.
Day 2 - we set off early to climb to the base of the Fitzroy Massif. It was a long uphill trek. The first ascent was gradual. We stopped for lunch at a campsite. The trees provided excellent protection from the cold winds. We made our own sandwiches out of bread, ham, cheese and canned tomato sauce (the small supermarket did not have real tomatoes). After lunch Stephen and I decided to continue the climb to the base of the mountain. From below it did not look like it would take very long to get there. Once we started, though, we realize why they estimated that it would take an hour and a half to get to the mountain base. It was really rocky, incredibly steep and somewhat scary (almost like climbing the volcano in Pucon again, but without the crampons). When we finally made it to the top,after Stephen coaxed me across a few steep ledges along the way, it was 'vale la pena' (worth the trouble). The view was spectacular! Unfortunately the pictures don't quite do it justice. The lagoon below was aquamarine with sheets of ice decorating the surface of the water. We were right at the snowline and the snow-covered peaks were beautiful. Even the views of the valley below took our breath away. I was really impressed with the Fitzroy Massif and highly recommend it to anyone travelling to Argentina.
Chalten itself was quaint albeit windy and dusty. I think it is really an 'up and coming' town because of its close access to this amazing national park.
2 comments:
wow, all this sounds like you must be getting whipped into really good shape! :)
I sure am getting whipped into shape, but I am about to undo all of the good work in Buenos Aires, land of huge steaks and yummy bakeries. We won't really be able to do any more mountain climbing and shopping does not quite have the same exercise benefits...oh well :-) At least it is much warmer here, feels like California in the summer
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