Homage to Patagonia

There is some (pointless) debate in Patagonia regarding which is the more impressive massif - Torres del Paine or Mont Fitzroy. Having not had a chance to see the Torres up close (see last blog) we were never going to be in a position to judge, however we set off for Fitzroy with high expectations for to take in a peak that rises to a whopping 3441m above sea level.

Travelling to Fitzroy meant leaving Puerta Natales and Chile and heading for Calafate, just across the border in Argentina. From all accounts we´d love Argentina. People couldn´t help raving about the country, especially the steaks and all you could eat barbeques. It was painted as a place where the locals gorged on meat 24/7 with nary a vegetarian to be seen.

We found Calafate to be a town growing fat on the twin delights of Argentine beef and the gringo dollars of tourists lured to the town by the Moreno glacier : probably the most eaily accessible large glacier in the world.

We made the obligitary trip to the glacier and although we couldn´t deny that it was longer and taller than Glacier Grey the tourist hordes and the fact that you didn´t have to work for your view definitely detracted from the experience. Jane did get some amazing shots of the glacier being formed by large chunks of ice leaping out of the terminal lake and attaching to the face (see below).

Our jump off town for the Fitzroy hike was El Chalten, a town at the end of a road to nowhere, whose sole purpose is servicing the tourists exploring the Park National Los Glaciers. The park that includes Mont Fitzroy. It was a four hour bus trip from Calafate which included obligtory stops for photos of Mont Fitzroy, Cerro Torre and the southern Andes.

The weather was perfect so we hopped straight off the bus and into the wilderness, heading for Campamento Agostini nestled behind the terminal morraine of Glaciar Torre. Unfortunately, before we arrived, the weather had closed in so our views of Cerro Torre itself had largely disappeared. We had to satisfy ourselves with Glacier Torre itself, which is of the scale and mode of a New Zealand glacier - creeping down the valley rather than clinging to the walls.

The next day we hiked to Campamento Poincenot along a very pleasant trail that took us above two typical patagonian lakes, picturesque and freezing. From Poincenot the view of Mont Fitzroy is awe inspiring to the point of drool. This is where the organised day hikes from El Chalten stop but we wanted to go one further and hiked up to the mirador situated at Laguna Los Tres (at about 1200 metres ) where unobstructed views of the peak can be enjoyed. Monte Fitzroy is the first order of granite massifs, the sheer sides soar up into the heavens destroying any conception of scale that you get from further back down the trail. It´s a peak that looks totally unclimbable and it´s a mystery to us where you´d start. In fact the views were so good we decided to spend a second day at the campsite, even though we had awoken that morning with snow on the tents - that´s a measure of how good it was.

As the weather was still holding out on day four we backtracked to the Cerro Torre viewpoint that we´d passed on day one and were rewarded for our perserverance with a clear view of Cerro Torres, perhaps not as dramatic as Fitzroy and not quite as high but a sight well worth seeing. The peak thins and curves like the horn of a bull. As the sunlight waned it was back to El Chalten for showers and fondue (like any hardened mountaineer) and to prepare for the 6.30am bus back to civilisation the next day. Be warned - gratuitous mountain shots follow.


Cerro Torre













What we woke up to at camp on day 3













The sunrise postcard shot












Monte Fitzroy from Laguna Los Tres











Jane on ridge between alpine lakes at Mirador Fiztroy











More Laguna Los Tres













Big ups to the Fitzroy Massif











Glacier creation in action ... 30m chunk of ice mysteriously leaps out of water and attaches itself to the front of Glacier Moreno









Glaciar Perito Morreno - go the wide angle.

El Sendero Grande - Torres del Paine

Even in patriotic South America it seems that the days of the national carrier are numbered. We shunned the Lan Chile flight south from Coihaique and instead plucked for the new budget airline "Sky Airline" at almost half the price. Bizarrely the motif on the tails is a palm tree under a blazing sun, not the sort of weather that we´ve been encountering in Patagonia, more likely courtesy of the failed airline from where the plane was sourced.

Punta Arenas, a colourful if chilly town at the extreme south of Chile, situated on the Straits of Magellan was where we had arranged to meet Jane. After a couple of nights in a shambolic hostel we headed north to Puerta Natales which would be our base for trekking Torres del Paine, the longest hike we intend undertaking on the trip. Eight days circling the three mighty granite massifs collectively known as the Torres del Paine.

Following a great view of the Torres from the bus the view was immediately obscured by foothills on day one as we started our anti-clockwise hike. The countryside was very similar to New Zealand farmland so a little disappointing but the promised views gleaned from the ubiquitous Torres postcards drove us on. Refugio Lago Dickson was our second night´s stop, the only refugio that we would pass that is not on the shorter W circuit. Although we were camping the rugby loving manager was only too happy to have a few antipodeans come in and chat for the night. The refugio was very casual, much more so than the four on the south side of the Torres and was the regular hang out for the local gauchos who could bring in their horses, whittle new pieces of wooden tack and drink mate (tea) by the litre.

From Lago Dickson the track ascended to camp Perros, from where we would make our way over Paso John Garner. Although only 1180 metres high it was spoken of in hushed tones on the trail and we were expecting to be challenged. By now the scenery was hotting up, the track to Perros offered great views back down the valley to Lago Dickson and later our first close view of a decent glacier on the trip. Glacier Perros, situated just before the camp was what we´d come to expect from the classic northern patagonian glacier. Sitting on a saddle between two 2000m high peaks ice creeps down to the terminal lake, occasionlly a chunk shears off that is large enough to form an iceberg. The camp itself was disappointing, the few decent piches required major irrigation before being habitable and as the running water was broken we didn´t even bother looking at the state of the toilets.

Day four was always going to be long and hard with a 700 metre climb to the pass followed by what the guide book described as a very steep 700 metre descent. We managed to set off at 8.00am, our best ever start as the weather had generally been better in the morning and headed for the snow covered pass. The ascent was technically very straight forward and (unusually) we didn´t have the howling patagonian wind to contend with so found the going pretty easy. The falling snow contributed a dose of serenity to the experience. Before we knew it we were on our way down and somewhat (though not ungratefully) underwhelmed by the difficulty of the task.

As we descended the pass proper the snow eased off and we were presented with the jaw droppingly spectacular view of glacier Grey, 17km in length from where it leaves the southern ice cap and several kilometres across it was on a totally different scale from any glacier we had seen before and looked truly other-worldly. Much time was spent gazing in total appreciation of such a wonderful natural monument and we were thankful for our luck in reaching the viewpoint in such fine weather. To give some sense of the scale of the glacier we would spend, in total, about a whole day hiking beside it. The descent to campamento paso was steep but with the aid of fixed ropes and the sturdy local undergrowth we managed to make the camp with no major mishaps. Unfortunately the camp was the least appealing we had come across so far and we decided to push on to the next campsite, Las Guardas a few kms and dodgy wooden ladders further down the glacial valley.

Campamento Las Guardas marked the point where the circuit trail met the W trail, the shorter version of the hike that seems to be a must do for every SA backpacker regardless of their equipment or physical ability (or interest in hiking?) and the empty trails to which we had been accustomed were a thing of the past. As we´d been warned "Once you hit the W, it´s mochilas, mochilas, mochilas !! " (backpacks - or in one case, a suitcase on wheels, no joke, check the last photo). Still we still had half a day hiking beside the vast expanse of Glacier Grey. Although none of them were as spectacular as the view from the pass the closer views allowed you to get a better sense of the scale of the crevasses and the icebergs that break off the face and float out in to Lago Grey. What´s more we passed our first refugio since Lago Dickson called Pehoe and availed ourselves of the free showers and the snack shop where we loaded up with more food supplies of chocolate, wine and canned goods. Comfort camping. We pushed on to Campamento Italiano to allow us a good crack at the French Valley the next day.

Day six and after a lazy start we set off up the French Valley to the sound of booming avalanches coming off the faces of the peaks surrounding glacier del Frances. Easily the largest avalanches we had ever seen, we were glad to be separated by a steep valley from where the action was taking place. The top of the valley opened up into an enormous bowl topped by 2000 metre high peaks, the curvature of the panorama giving the impression that you were looking through a wide angle lens (Jane often was). It was our second breath taking view of the hike and we were beginning to understand why it was so highly recommended and popular. Also, by camping at the foot of the valley we´d managed to pretty much have the view to ourselves. Clever us. As we´d hiked the valley without our packs it was no drama to move camp a little further round the valley to Los Cuernos for the night.

From Cuernos we followed the shores of Lago Nordenskjold to the valley of the Torres. The weather had deteriorated and it was a bit of a slog so cheered ourselves up with our first bought meal - 3 Barros Luco (a Chilean take on the cheeseburger) at refugio Chileno where we waited for the rain to stop and the Torres to come out from under the clouds. Eventually the rain stopped though the clouds pretty much stayed where they were and we set off up the valley for our last campsite Campamento Torres, another site where surface water retention was a problem. Solution - pitching tents on a 15 degree slope to avoid flooding, although you wake up crumpled at the foot of your tent. Before dusk we scooted up to the Torres lookout where about half the Torres could be seen, the top half disappearing into the clouds and leaving us guessing as to the true scale of the towers. Just as we arrived back at camp the clouds lifted and we caught a glimpse of the tops of the towers before night fell. We felt it was a good omen for our dawn expdition for the classic view of the first rays of sun turning the towers a vibrant orange.

Alas, it was not to be, 30mins before dusk the next morning the rain started up again and the clouds came in. Big styles. As the clouds settled around us we decided to break camp and head back down off the trail without really having had the close up view of the Torres that is the third "must see" of the hike. We´d have to do with our half views and make the rest up from postcard shots.

The walk out was a fairly uninspiring three hour slog in the rain. Brightened somehwhat by the views of the start of the trail where we´d been eight days earlier (oh yeah, and the dude with the suitcase) and the realisation of our achievement in completing the circuit in the full brunt of Patagonias weather arsenal, when other groups that had set out had pulled out early or cut out the side trips.

Then it was back to Puerto Natales for two days of high living and drying out, to prepare for our next adventure. Puerto Natales was by then a ghost town. 6 days left of the official season and the cold had settled in big style. Mind you I guess we were at a latitude well south of Stewart Island (or for the Aussies a bloody loooooooong way south of Tasmania). Oooh here´s some pickies ...



Cabin Fever on day 2. Brett tries to topple Nick off the track.












A break in the rain at Glaciar los Perros











Up to John Garner Pass ...













... and over the pass.












Looking down from the pass through falling snow over the vast blue expanse of Glacier Grey










Blue ice of Grey (?)












Jane at GG. Yes it was cold.













Checking out the circular vista in the Valle Frances











Avalanche in Valle Frances. About a 1km vertical drop ... well who knows it was a bloody long way. Sounded choice.










What are you thinking bro? By all accounts they turned back soon after this pic was taken

Lost in Rio Correntoso

Well things don´t always go according to plan. After a day warming up again in Coyhaique (did we mention the salmon is good? Oooh the salmon ...), we headed for a trail along the Rio Correntoso to Cerro Catedral in La Reserva Rio Simpson. Advertised as a fairly remote track which ´had been enthusiastically re-cut by a group of Raleigh International volunteers in 1998´we thought we´d better check with CONAF (Chile´s DoC) whether the track condition was ok, given it was 8 years later. I don´t know the last time the guy had actually been up there but our understanding of "El sendero es bueno" seems to be at odds with his. The main push up the river to the first good camp spot was a bit of a bush bash but when we tried to head further in land it became obvious that the outbreak of bamboo they had had up the valley had pretty much made the rest of the trail impenetrable. So we dropped back to the last campsite and took a mental health day camped out by the river for 2 nights in some pearler weather. Unfortunately the weather turned on day 3 and we had to hike out through some pretty boggy patches. A wrong turn at an abandoned farm gate made the journey a bit longer than expected (doh) but we eventually made it out to the road and hitched a wet ride back to Coyhaique. The one thing the rain did do was create a Milford Track effect with ad-lib waterfalls appearing all along the valley walls. Very nice. Two days to dry out (and eat salmon, mmm) and we´ll fly further south to Punta Arenas to meet up with Jane tomorrow. The weather looks a bit rotten for the next week or so which is a pain because we´re heading to Parque Torres del Paine. At least they don´t have any bamboo down there...

Water and wind in the Rio Correntoso. Lots of it.

Cerro Castillo

From the volcanoes we travelled south by ferry from Puerto Montt to Coyhaique (well you have to catch a bus the last little bit). It was advertised as a 26 hour ferry ride but as we were delayed 14 hours it took considerably longer. No one seemed the least bit anxious or surprised about the late departure so (as the only two gringoes on the boat) we tried out best to play it cool.

Coyhaique has been our base for a couple of weeks for checking out hikes in Central Patogonia starting with the jewel in the crown, 5 days around Cerro Castillo. A group of massive granite rock outcrops dotted with cascading glaciers that somehow cling to the sheer rock faces. It´s hard to get a feel for scale when you´re standing at the bottom but looking at the map some of them go straight up for a kilometre. The hike was more demanding than Volcano Villarica but also more rewarding. A bloody site colder too. We were hit by a particularly early patch of southerly weather. It kept the rain away though as the campsites were quite high so the views were perfect. The two high passes gave great views of the glaciers and the alpine lakes and glaciers near the appropriately named "Camp NeoZealandes" were particularly spectacular, the glacial silt making a green to blue colour gradient in the water. Hopefully the photos do it justice. The wildlife count also improved on this hike with several soaring condors spotted around the castillo and then a group of woodpeckers put on a show in the forest during our descent. Other hikers were limited to one cheerful German chap for the first 3 days, and a few Israelis who looked like they hadn´t eaten in days. In two words ... bruddy marverrous.

View of the Andes at sunset onboard the ferry from Puerto Montt to Coyhaique












Abandoned Blair Witch cottage on the track to Cerro Castillo












A rugged up Brett makes his way tentatively down from a chilly pass under a precariously perched glacier



















Brett takes in Laguna Cerro Castillo











Where´s Nick? Trying to give some sense of scale to the granite peaks near Camp NeoZealandes.

Around Volcan Villarica

Well ... after a bit of downtime in Santiago to get over the flights we jumped on an overnight bus south to Pucon, apparently the playground of Chile´s beautiful people. It wasn´t until we were about to leave that we found out why, they were all crammed onto a beach on the lake side catching rays while seeing and being seen. Meanwhile, we´d headed off on a trek round Volcan Villarica, a pretty active volcano within view of the town. No beautiful Chileanos here, for three days it was just Brett and Nick. A great trek to start the trip off. At the beginning it seemed a bit like we were heading round the ´naki, but once we hit the southside of the volcano there were stunning views out over the Andes. The days were hot, around 35 degrees, and water was pretty scarce. We got quite the taste for gritty glacial melt water for the 3 days. The volcano itself had some pretty funky glacier action all the way down the south side. Quite the contrast walking over lavafields in the stinking heat with so much ice just up the mountain a bit. The nights were clear and a red glow from the volcano could be seen reflecting off the steam coming from the crater. All in all good stuff and nice to get right away from anyone else first up. A quick rest and we were off further south to Coyhaique in Central Patagonia.

Glaciers on Volcan Villarica at Sunset











Sweet campsite on night 2