El Chaltén

Today we woke up very sore and slightly hungover. After close to 40 miles of hiking in three days it’s amazing we aren’t feeling worse. As I waddled to the coffee maker – saying ouch, ooh, ouch, ugh with every step – I noticed it’s not raining yet like the weather forecasted for today, but it is still extremely windy. We’ve been so lucky with our timing and the weather on this trip. El Chaltén was the name given by the indigenous people to the mountain range here and means ‘smoking mountain’ because the mountains are usually covered in a thick blanket of clouds. While we were in El Calafate it rained, which meant snow on the peaks of El Chaltén. Friends that had done the same hikes just a couple weeks prior said the trails had been totally dry while we dealt with snow fields and icy slopes. Still, when we were on the trail, the skies were mostly clear and the weather not too cold. We were lucky enough to clearly see the mountain range every day on our three hikes. Hence why we did three hikes in three days and took the (supposedly) rainy day today to rest and do laundry.

Monday, March 28

We got a bus from El Calafate to El Chaltén. El Chaltén is a tiny town that sits at the base of Mount Fitz Roy, one of Patagonia’s most distinguished peaks. El Chaltén was born from tourism brought by the many epic hikes and climbs in the area. Some tourists just do day trips from El Calafate but it is recommended to come to El Chaltén and stay a few days to be able to time the weather and get in some long hikes.

Our bus left on time at 12:30pm. About an hour before we arrived in El Chaltén we got a flat tire. While the bus driver frantically tried to figure out a way to raise the bus without a jack, all the passengers got out and took photos, playing in the strong winds that seemed able to knock a person over. Finally a maintenance truck showed up (presumably with a jack) and after only a two hour delay we were back on the road.

Just outside the town we saw signs for the national park entrance. The bus slowed down and we thought we’d have to pay to enter the park but instead a couple of officers boarded and asked to see everyone’s identification. When they looked at our passports they asked to see our entry stamp to verify how much time we had left in the country. Despite the hassle, they were very polite and efficient. They waived us on and finally the bus rolled into town. Everyone was taking pictures out of the bug-smeared window of the amazing peaks looming in the distance and of the mint-blue, milky glacial water in the rivers running alongside the road.

Carl and I were delighted to find our Airbnb had self check in and when we went into the little apartment it was cozy and warm and smelled very fresh. Turns out the heating system is heated floors – just like in Korea! And so nice to put all our hiking clothes on the ground to warm up for early morning departures.

We then went to the town’s main grocery store. It was a stereotypical mountain store with lots of pasta options but questionable looking produce. The place was packed with people – all scrambling to get lunch supplies for the following day. There were few price tags for some reason so we chose items that seemed the cheapest (and yes, we got bebible yogurt again). Perhaps as the only grocery store in town they know you can’t look for the cheapest price anyways!We got a mountain of meat and cheese from the deli and some fresh looking French rolls to make sandwiches for the next few days.

We went to one of the backpackery looking pubs for dinner, hoping to get something cheap and easy. We ended up going to Nomade and getting the panchetta pizza and it was SO good. If you eat meat and you visit El Chalten this pizza would be our #2 recommended ‘must do’ after the Fitz Roy hike.

Our friends in Ushuaia had warned us of terribly slow internet speeds in El Chalten so we were very happy to find that our airbnb had a smart tv that worked well enough to watch Netflix, even if it took a minute or two to load episodes.

Thursday, March 29

Over the next three days we did three different hikes that all started in El Chalten town and went west, toward the mountain range and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.

For our first hike we did the most famous one, the Sendero al Fitz Roy, to Laguna de los Tres which brings you to a lake at the base of Mount Fitz Roy. We had heard that it’s best to get on the trail early to avoid crowds. At this southern latitude at this time of year the sun doesn’t rise until after 8am, with first light at about 730am. So we woke up at 7 and did our best to get out the door early, arriving at the start of the trail just at 8. No one was around us when we started but as we ascended we passed several groups and I later overheard people saying they had started at 630 – in the total dark!

As we hiked the sun rose and revealed a perfectly clear day. The sun hit the peaks of the mountains and as we got nearer, more of the forest was illuminated revealing the dramatic reds and yellows of the changing leaves. We did not plan to visit Patagonia in fall, it had just worked out that way, and we were grateful for the pretty leaves without the bad weather just yet.

The first 9km of the hike had been a gradual ascent through forest and brush lands. The last 1km was very steep and on a rocky slope. The path had been designed with large rocks as steps but the snow had melted and created an icy layer over the main trail, making it like treacherous ice steps for most of it. There were many signs warning us to stay on trail and not go into areas that are being recuperated. For the most part, we followed these signs but there were times that it was my life or the plants’ and we had to deviate to avoid walking up icy luges.

Near the very top the snow was less melted which made it easier to gain traction with each step. We rounded a final hill to all of a sudden see the glacial lake below and Mount Fitz Roy looming above us like ‘hey guys, what took you so long?’ We walked down to the lake to take a million photos and find a nice rock to lunch on. Our homemade sandwiches were fire with a key ingredient being a chimicurri sauce we had bought at the grocery store. With tasty sandos, a marvelous view, and good company – what more could you ask for?

We wandered up another hill for a bit before making the journey back down. We thought it would be an easier descent as the sun and all the hikers would help to melt the ice. Well, the ice luges were melted but the areas that had been packed snow were now slushy slip-and-slides. Plus there were about 100 people coming up at the same time that dozens were trying to get down. It was disorganized chaos in the snow. We saw a group of three (Americans of course) that went way off trail so they didn’t have to wait for a big group to ascend. They loosened the dirt and several plants were dislodged as well as a large rock, about the size of a head, which tumbled down and hit the American girl in the back. She looked embarrassed but we watched them continue to tramp down the hill and I prayed they and others like them stayed down mountain from me.

After the 1km horror zone we were back on the good trail and it took about as much time to descend the rest of the 9km as it had to descend the steep 1km at the top. The red, orange, and yellow leaves were even more vibrant in the afternoon sun. We said goodbye to Fitzy for the day and walked back into town. I liked the idea of a post-hike beer so we stopped at the first cerveceria we saw and got a couple pints and ate the rest of our snacks outside, on the wooden deck, in the sun. The beers were very strange. My IPA tasted nutty and Carl’s hazy IPA was flat and mildly soapy. Given our remote location we were impressed they could bring any beers into this town, but now we tasted the consequences.

We tried to go to a notable restaurant for grilled lamb but were sad to find it closed for the day so we went back to our favorite grocery store and got some pasta and chorizo to make for dinner.

Wednesday, March 30

On our second day of hiking we did the next hike south which follows the Rio Fitz Roy and ends at Laguna Torre which sits right at the base of Torre (tower) peak, just south of the great Fitzy. This is the second most popular hike in El Chalten and much less strenuous. The first kilometer was steep uphill but the rest was very gradual ascent, almost flat, following the river. There were several sign posts warning that if the glacier moved it could cause the glacial lake to spill over and could cause a flash flood. So, of course, I was very attentive to any glacier-moving sounds and keeping an eye on how far away from the hillside we were.

Laguna Torre was impressive but we had been spoiled by the views the day before and so were not as much awe-struck. A fun difference was this lake had floating icebergs in it and a few had landed ashore so we could touch and play with them.

On the way back down we took a slightly different route and admired the changing forest before coming to a viewpoint of the margarita waterfall. The color of the water looked like a frozen lime margarita and made me realize how thirsty I was.

After the hike we tried again to get a post-hike, happy hour cerveza. The beers weren’t cheap and again a bit off. We cheers and zipped up our coats to sit outside in the sunshine but then the wind picked up and so we cut our losses and got out of there. That night we tried the lamb place again but it was still closed. We decided to try a German-looking cervezeria that made their own beers. Somehow we got a table and watched as couples arrived minutes after us to news that there wouldn’t be openings until 9 that evening. If you go out to eat in El Chalten we recommended you make a reservation or get there exactly at 7, when most places open. The beers were German style and were pretty good. We shared lamb meatballs and the house stew which tasted very homemade but was surpassingly flavorful and filling. Perhaps the best part was the bread and the sauce they served with it. They served a pink mayonnaisey sauce and something that was thicker and spicy.

Thursday, March 31

For our third day and third hike we decided to do the Loma del Pliegue Tumbado. This one was about as long as the first day, 18+km, there and back, but we planned to summit the peak for an elevation gain of 1,130 meters. This hike was straight up the whole time and after two days of hiking my legs were yelling at me.

Once we got out of the windy brushlands we were deep in a forest, surrounded by fall colors. Eventually this forest broke open to the higher grasslands where we could see mountain peaks in almost every direction. We went to the lookout point first and ogled, again, over Fitzy and Torre. Then we decided to summit the hill. The hill would’ve been steep and slippery on a good day. Covered in snow it was hard to see where the trail even was and we found ourselves crawling on all fours up the hill.

Alas we made it and enjoyed the 360 views. From this vantage point we could see the mountains behind Fitzy and peak into the Patagonian ice field with all its frosty-blue glaciers. Again, back down was worse. We had to stick to snow fields to keep from slipping in ice or slush and everyone we passed asked if the hike had been worth it (Vale la pena!)

After a long way up we had to go a long way down and my legs were shaking a bit as we walked back into town. We had given up in my post-hike, happy hour beer dream but we compromised. We went to the grocery store and got a large bottle of a session IPA for less than a third of the cost of the beers we had had days prior. We went back to our Airbnb and reminisced over photos before making the journey outside again to get dinner.

The lamb place was STILL closed so we went to an Italian restaurant called Maffia because we figured with a name so bold, the food has to be good. Again we were lucky to get a table when we did (right at 7) and we sat in the front and watched many people get turned away or make reservations for the upcoming days. The wait staff was nicer than average and we liked that the wine menu was a wall of wines on display so you could look at the bottles before deciding. We focused on the price tags and chose the cheapest one we saw, a Malbec from Argentina’s Mendoza region for 1200 pesos (about 7 dollars, not bad for a nice restaurant!) Again this place served bread with great sauces including smoked (!) mayonnaise and pickled eggplant. To start we had Guanaco empanadas. Guanacos are lower elevation wild llamas that are abundant in southern Patagonia. Then we shared lamb raviolis and for desert had a strange, but good, tiramisu. I think they used stale bread instead of lady fingers.

As we ate dessert the wind-swept clouds outside started to turn pink from the sun setting. Even the wait staff took turns to go outside and look at the view. We were happy to be inside, warm, with good food in our bellies and an amazing sky full of color as our backdrop.