over 60 kms, three days, one pair of socks....

.... yes, I know it´s disgusting but such is the life of a backpacker.

I´m back in El Calafate, land of only slightly faster and cheaper internet. But El Chalten was good for the soul. I really did hike over 60 kms (40 miles) in three days, I can´t quite believe it except for the blisters on the bottoms of my feet and the smell of said pair of socks.

The first day weather was so so. We started out in clouds but it quickly progressed to drizzle, by the time we reached our destination (laguna torre) it was sleeting. But we could see the glacier and the end of the lake and the landscape was impressive. About halfway back to the town the sun came out and we dried ourselves out on a nice rock while condors soared overhead. We thought it was a great day and felt tough with 20 kms under our belt. The next day looked sort of cloudy as well, but we had decided barring a major downpour we were hiking because the next day could be worse.

The morning dawned without rain and all of us were at first a bit disappointed, we could have handled a day of R&R. By the time we made it to the first mirador we were catching glimpses of fitz roy and it came out to show us all its glory by the time we were crossing the large glacial valley below it. We were high on views. Our final destination, Lago de los tres was quite possibly one of the most beautiful and dramatic places I´ve ever been on earth. The clouds on fitz roy added to the effect. You felt like you were on top of the world. And you felt like you´d earned it. It was 10 kms each way and 750 meters of elevation gain--most of it in the last 3 kms. We were on the trail 9 hours total and all proclaimed it to be one of the best days of our lives.

So this brings us to day #3. We´d heard of a shorter hike near the ranger station which took you up to an overlook that gave you a full view of fitz roy, cerro torre and the other peaks. It is supposedly where all the postcard shots are taken and you have to see it at sunrise. So again, we applied our wake up and check for rain approach. When I looked out the window, i saw stars and knew again, we were going hiking. Armed with our headlamps we started out. Even in the dark we could see fitz roy without a cloud and the sunrise was fabulous, it was clear there were going to be no clouds that day. We headed back to town for breakfast and I decided, I can´t not hike again. Mary and Trish laid down for a nap but I decided to hike just to the mirador to see the view of cerro torre that I couldn´t see before. Armed with a dulce de leche pastry, a jamon y queso sandwich and a can of fanta cola I set out. By the time I reached the mirador it was clear, there was no way I wasn´t going all the way to the lake. And so this is how I ended up hiking the entire Laguna Torre hike again, and it was fabulous alone. At the end all I could hear was the glacier, the stream and there was not a sole in sight. That time alone is something I will never forget and its pretty amazing that it´s possible. It speaks to the wonder that is this area of the world.

But it wasn´t all hiking, we had a lot of fun in the town of El Chalten as well. El chalten in the newest town in Argentina established in 1985 and is just now laying curbs and sewers. There is a cemetary but noone is buried there yet. The town exists solely as a way to access fitz roy and cerro torre and as a way for Argentina to secure its stronghold on that area of the mountains.** Unlike El Calafate, El chalten has managed to maintain its character although I think that is not long for this world judging from the extent of construction there. But something about the town seemed very authentic, very south american, and it wasn´t just the copious amount of stray dogs, which would practically speak english to you to get a bite of your sandwich.

Anyhow, this a long post and an all too insufficient recap of the past three days which have been nothing but good for the soul. Tomorrow we go on the glacier so I best be off to wash those socks.....



**I didn´t really realize it but it appears the border between argentina and chile is still up for debate. Helicopters were taking off all day yesterday and I finally asked the girl who ran our hostel what they were doing, (certainly there weren´t that many people needing search and rescue). She explained that they were setting markers to mark the argentine border so that chile didn´t invade. Apparently, chile´s side down south is all land and ice and they are desperate for an outlet to the atlantic. If they get a peak in the andes they get a water right or something? I´m not entirely sure I understand but they are taking it very seriously and this girl seemed very upset that Chile was trying to steal the land argentina´s by right. It´s kind of humerous and Trish, Mary and I were wondering how they were marking the border, imagining a line of argentine flags on top of the ice fields.