Hello everyone! Thank you very much for reading this third post about Patagonia. In the previous publication, “Building my trekking profile – The Patagonia (part two)“, we see two amazing places of The Patagonia. I’m going to continue with two more trekking-built places to go. Let’s discover my experiences in El Chaltén and Torres del Paine.

El Chaltén

Argentina’s youngest city earns the title “national capital of trekking” and lives up to it!. It’s located in the province of Santa Cruz and has the unique characteristic of being inside Los Glaciares National Park. This peculiarity allows for several trekking routes starting from the city, making it an excellent option for this activity. I visited El Chaltén in 2018 for 8 days and I’m planning to return to explore more challenging hiking trails. Additionally, there are many activities available, including day hikes, multi-day treks, mountain biking, kayaking, climbing, and much more.

The name Chaltén in the Tehuelche language means “smoking mountain” a name derived from Mount Fitz Roy located to the west of the city. This mountain typically has clouds on its summit, resembling a smoking chimney.

Mount Fitz Roy at the end of the photo

Before going

El Chaltén has only about 1,500 permanent residents, but it attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. The most common way to reach El Chaltén is by bus from El Calafate, which is facilitated by it’s international airport. El Chaltén offers numerous accommodations, but booking in advance between January and March is advisable due to high demand. Most services are paid in Argentine pesos, and obtaining money in town can be difficult. For this reason, if you’re traveling with dollars, it’s recommended to exchange them before arriving.

There’s no need for meticulous planning in El Chaltén. Most trails are freely accessible and Patagonian weather is unpredictable. So if you planning trails like De los Tres Lagoon or Loma del Pliegue Tumbado on a cloudy day, it’s best to postpone and choose lower-altitude walks.

Eléctrico River trail

Rio Electrico trail to Piedra Fraile refuge

For example, the Eléctrico River trail is a nice day hiking in a cloudy day, you can see the nature, the tree, the crystal water rivers. Appreciating the Patagonian vegetation is fascinating. In this trail, you can see a lot of Lengas Achaparradas a common tree in the Patagonia. Their shape is due to the constant wind in the Electrico River valley, hence the term achaparradas. The branches with open hand-shaped leaves capture snow, which, when melted, gently provides water to the roots and shoots.

Branches and autumn leaves of a lenga tree.

Lenga tree protecting its roots from the cold snow.

At the end of the trail, you’ll find Piedra Fraile refuge, a great spot to relax with a hot chocolate. From here, you have other fantastic options for multi-day hikes, such as Pollone Lagoon, Marconi Pass, and more awesome places to explore.

Torre Lake trail

Hija Lagoon and Madsen Hill with snow and clouds on its peak.

One of the essential day hikes in El Chaltén is the trail leading to Torre Lake. Winding through Patagonian forests, this roughly 10 km one-way trail features moderate elevation gain. Alongside my friends, we decided to take a detour to Hija Lagoon, which rewarded us with a spectacular view of the lake and the majestic neighboring peaks of Fitz Roy.

Torre Lake viewpoint

At the end of this trail, you’ll be treated to an incredible view of Torre Lake, with the Torre Glacier and Fitz Roy in the background. It’s a breathtaking spot to sit, relax, and take in the scenery. Sheltered from the wind by surrounding mountains, it offers a comfortable place to stay, allowing you to leisurely touch the water and unwind.

Loma del Pliegue Tumbado Trail

One random day in El Chaltén, my childhood friend Gonzalo arrives at our house from the bus station and says, “Hey guys, a couple I met told me about a unique trek in El Chaltén. They said the best place they visited is called Loma del Pliegue Tumbado.” The name translates to “Folded Slope Summit” in English, which is truly captivating and mysterious! We decided to go there, and it turned out to be one of the best places I’ve ever been.

The outbound journey was practically all uphill, which posed a physical challenge for us. We are from Uruguay, and our country is known for being a mostly flat country, so tackling that unexpected ascent left us breathless. To make matters worse, we didn’t expect to encounter snow, and it was our first time experiencing it. When we thought we had reached the end of the trail, we encountered the next sign:

To our surprise, we discovered that we hadn’t reached the end of the trail, but something much worse awaited us!. There was a fork in the path, leading to a detour to a nearby lookout point, and then an infernal slope that led to a peak completely covered in snow, with no traces of a trail. At that moment, we wisely decided to sit down and have some cold noodles we had cooked the day before… a terrible choice of trail food.

Just take a look at our faces in the following picture ! as we delight ourselves with such a culinary delight.

Gonzalo and I “enjoying” our cold trail noodles

Reflection on the trail

While we were eating those terrible noodles, my dear friend Diego (a.k.a. Salva), completely exhausted and hungry, uttered a phrase that still resonates in my mind and heart to this day: “I really crave a nice hot coffee in a warm place… but you know what? This trekking experience is making me appreciate those little bourgeois pleasures I enjoy every day at home”.

Salva reflected on the “bourgeois pleasures” of enjoying a hot coffee.

This reflection from my friend has stayed with me since that day. While in the mountains, I’ve come to value many simple comforts that I often take for granted. When you have to walk kilometers to get water in the mountains, you appreciate simply turning on the tap at home to obtain it. To the convenience of boarding a bus when you are tired. Having dry clothes is a luxury when unexpected rain soaks you during the hike. The pleasure of a hot shower becomes even more cherished when it’s not easily available in mountain settings. It’s not that these things seem “negative” about trekking, but rather, they are things I enjoy dealing with in the mountains, and that in turn makes me appreciate more the small bourgeois comforts I have every day in my daily life.

Generally, I don’t appreciate them, and I don’t know why I don’t, nor do I know why I feel I need them. Simply put, in the mountains I feel simpler, more alive, more connected with my humanity, and with the nature that surrounds me. Thanks for that Salva 🙂 @diegsalb

Summit time

Gonzalo, Salva and Marcos saying goodbye

After that lunch break, the group split up, with some of us heading towards the summit and others returning to the city. It was an intense climb, full of snow, with no traces of a trail but with the objective in sight at all times.

I ascended to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado.

In one hour, we reached the goal: we were at the summit of Loma del Pliegue Tumbado, ecstatic about what we had accomplished. The sense of satisfaction and joy upon reaching a summit is very difficult to explain. It’s the reward for having spent a long time fighting the urge to stop; for a moment, you forget about the pains in your body.

I, Emiliano and Gonza on Loma del Pliegue Tumbado summit

The views are breathtaking; you realize how small we are, how lost we become in the vastness of nature.

Torre Lake from Loma del Pliegue Tumbado summit

In the picture above, we see Torre Lake. It’s truly incredible to think that we were in that place just two days ago, starting from the same point in the city. Seen from there, it’s clear to see the moraine deposits, which are the stones accumulated at the edge of the lagoon as a result of glacial movement. The lake seems really far away; if we hadn’t been there, we would think the lake is really small. That day was a little cloudy, so we couldn’t see Mount Fitz Roy from that spot. The legendary Fitz Roy was hidden in the clouds.

Fitz Roy Trail

To conclude my post about the experiences gained in El Chaltén, let’s take a look at the Fitz Roy trail, the most popular trail in this location. The trail starts from the town and leads to De los Tres Lagoon, a lagoon formed at the base of Mount Fitz Roy.

Las Vueltas River from Fitz Roy trail

The first stunning view you encounter on this trail is of the De las Vueltas River. This river runs through the town and can be seen from various points, but I believe the best view is from this trail. Its name comes from the constant zigzagging it does along its course.

Mount Fitz Roy hidden in the clouds and below the Sucia Lagoon

We don’t choose a nice day to go at De Los Tres Lagoon, is for that I recommend not much planification in your El Chalten trip. A better approach might be to stay flexible and tackle the high treks on sunny days. Therefore, the landscape is incredible and the clouds give you the mistery of a gorgeous giant like Mount Fitz Roy.

Sucia Lagoon, Mount Fitz Roy, and De los Tres Lagoon

Definitely, I will return to El Chaltén to explore more remote and challenging trails. What we experienced this week in the town was very intense, mystical, and mountainous. So, I am eagerly looking forward to going back to do the Huemul Circuit. This trail must be incredible, consisting of 4 days of trekking, camping, and carrying all your gear to survive. This trail has the added bonus that when crossing the Del Viento pass, you have a view of the Viedma Glacier, the second-largest glacier in the southern hemisphere, being almost 4 times larger than Perito Moreno.

My First Experience in Torres del Paine

Getting There:

During my 2018 trip, I had the pleasure of visiting Torres del Paine, an incredible destination we reached by bus from El Calafate to Puerto Natales, Chile. This journey, crossing the Cordillera de lo Andes takes approximately 5 and a half hours. In Puerto Natales, we found everything we needed to gear up and stock up before heading to Torres del Paine National Park.

Planning:

Unlike El Chaltén, access to Torres del Paine is strictly regulated. It’s necessary to present a detailed itinerary and make reservations prior to entering the park. While understandable for visitor control reasons, this can be somewhat restrictive for some hikers, as it involves predefining the route and booking accommodation in advance. Additionally, the unpredictable Patagonian weather can affect the visibility of points of interest.

There are two main routes to explore the park. The most popular is the W circuit, which typically takes between 4 and 5 days. It features the park’s most popular attractions: Grey Glacier, Británico viewpoint, and the Torres del Paine. The second option is the O circuit or Paine Massif, a longer journey that circumnavigates the park in approximately 10 days, offering a more comprehensive experience but with fewer available services. It’s worth noting that the O circuit includes the W circuit within it.

Our Route:

In 2018, with our limited trekking experience, we opted for the W circuit, with the next planning route:

• Day 0: Bus to Pudeto and Catamaran to Paine Grande.
• Day 1: Paine Grande to Grey.
• Day 2: Grey to Cuernos.
• Day 3: Britanico viewpoint.
• Day 4: Cuernos to Chileno.
• Day 5: Torres del Paine and return to Puerto Natales

This method of exploring the W circuit proved effective for us, but it has the drawback of not providing us with the option to have two potential days for visiting the most significant points of the W circuit, as we experienced in El Chaltén. Patagonian weather can be unpredictable and may hinder the enjoyment of these stunning landscapes.

Paine Grande

We arrived at Torres del Paine National Park by bus from Puerto Natales and disembarked at Pudeto port. From Pudeto, we boarded a catamaran that took us to Paine Grande refuge, where we would spend our first night. The catamaran journeyed across Pehoe Lake, leaving us in awe with its electric sky-blue color. Gazing up and seeing the towering peaks of Paine Grande and Los Cuernos in the background was a breathtaking sight. The Patagonian weather blessed us with a spectacular day to enter the park.

Paine Grande Mount and Los Cuernos Mount from Pehoe Lake

To complete the W Circuit, we decided to rent the pre-installed tents available at the various refuges. So, we simply went to the refuge and asked them to show us where our tents were located. The sunset in the mountains with those colors made us dream, with a landscape straight out of fairy tales.

A windy Grey glacier

But friends… I’m Patagonia; I won’t always gift you with clear skies and dreamy colors. I am untamed, I am ever-changing, I am what I am, and I will show you.

The next day, Patagonia revealed its cloudy and windy side. It was madness trying to walk those little more than 10 km to reach Grey refuge. Just look at the expression on my friend Emiliano’s face, enjoying the headwind we faced that day on the trail.

Emiliano enjoying in the wind

After a significant effort, we reached our destination, where we would admire one of Torres del Paine’s three most important sites, Grey Glacier.

Grey Glacier viewpoint

This is the best photo we could take of the glacier… the wind made it impossible to continue along that rocky ridge without the risk of falling. The clouds obscured the view of the mountains where the glacier originates; we had heard that view was incredible, where your eyes would lose themselves in the depth of the ice. Unfortunately, we couldn’t have that experience. The Patagonian clouds refused to reveal to us the immensity of that ice mass. That point wasn’t meant for us; we weren’t worthy of appreciating the magic of Grey Glacier.

Long day to Cuernos

We slept at the campsite of Grey refuge, and the next day, we had a long day of hiking ahead to reach Cuernos refuge. That morning was splendid – no wind, few clouds. Once again, Patagonia showed us its ever-changing nature. While reviewing my photo records, I found two pictures taken from the same spot with a day’s difference. There, you can see how different one day was from the other! Incredible!

That morning, we should have gone to the viewpoint to see Grey Glacier… something we clearly didn’t do.

During this hike, you pass by several lakes and beaches in the lower area of the park. In 2011, a tourist burned toilet paper on the shores of Grey Lake. The strong Patagonian winds carried these embers to the Lenga, Ñire, and Coihue forests, causing a fire that spread over more than 17,000 hectares of the park. To this day, this immense forest with skeletal trees is what you pass through, serving as a reminder of the impact that one person’s imprudence can have.

The area burned by the fire at Nordenskjöld Lake

The long day of hiking concludes at Cuernos refuge, which is located at the foot of a mountain group known as Los Cuernos. That is a formation of several mountain peaks that, due to their characteristics such as pointed shape, base of gray rocks that then turn black at the summit, and colossal size, became a spectacle unlike anything I had ever seen before in my life.

Los Cuernos mountains

Walking in the rain to the Frances

Big day! Today was the day to visit one of the most incredible places in Torres del Paine, the Frances and Británico viewpoints. As expected, Patagonia greeted us with a rainy and heavily overcast day when we left the campsite. The previous day had been long and tiring, and with such discouraging weather, half of our group decided to stay at the campsite.

Marcos, Gonzalo, and I are going to the Britanico viewpoint

Walking in the rain isn’t easy. Being wet, feeling cold, and not having the visual incentive to fully enjoy the views along the trail is demotivating. After a few hours of constant uphill walking, we reached the first objective of the day, the Frances viewpoint. Obviously, we couldn’t appreciate the full magnitude of the viewpoint. Instead, we sought shelter under some lenga trees as the rain had turned into sleet.

Gonzalo arriving at the Frances glacier viewpoint.

Lonely Britain Wild Walks

I remember the three of us being completely soaked, and now with the snow and wind, the cold was biting. We ate a sandwich under those lenga trees, and at that moment, Gonzalo and Marcos decided they didn’t want to continue to the next viewpoint. Looking at their faces, I realized they weren’t having a good time at that moment, and to be honest, neither was I. But my determination to keep going won the battle, and I decided to continue alone to the Británico viewpoint.

Path to Británico viewpoint

The trail to the Británico viewpoint winds through the forest, ascending through the Fránces Valley, which you cross several times during the journey. While I was sheltered by the trees, I could walk relatively comfortably, dealing only with the cold from being thoroughly soaked. However, when crossing the valley, the story was quite different. The valley acted like a wind tunnel, and the force of the wind was so strong that I had to crouch close to the ground to avoid being knocked over. I thought about returning to the camp with my companions several times, but just as I was about to give up, I saw a group of people coming back from the viewpoint. I asked them about the trail conditions, and they kindly told me that I was close to reaching it and had already passed the most exposed parts to the wind.

Me at the Británico viewpoint

Reflection about this experience

Finally, I did it! let see my view from the viewpoint. I remember this place very well. As you can see, the view isn’t very striking or clear… but to me, it’s so much more than that. Considering the effort it took me to climb, the cold I endured, the solitude of not being with my trail companions, it made me appreciate the titanic task life has there. Observing the lenga leaves covered in ice, with their autumn red color approaching, I can’t even imagine how dreadful it would be to be in that place in winter. The clouds allowed me to see the silhouette of the mountains surrounding me in that vast valley, making me feel small, alone, at the mercy of nature.

Britanico lookout

To this day, people ask me, “Do you think it was worth continuing on, to see nothing but those clouds and ice?” My answer is: “Yes, it was worth it.” I believe trekking, like life, isn’t just about reaching that coveted final point, that photo of a place where your eyes get lost in the vastness. There are rewards everywhere, and it’s up to us to find and embrace those achievements. In this case, I was enchanted by everything I experienced on that path to the viewpoint, by the nature surrounding me, and by the mountains peeking through the clouds at these little Uruguayan feet that kept moving forward to reach their essence.

Tower of clouds

On our last day in the park, we saved the best for last: going to see the Torres del Paine. The Torres are colossal, vertical rock formations that can be accessed on foot from Chileno refuge. In our case, we camped at Chileno refuge and started our ascent very early in the morning to avoid the large number of tourists who visit this impressive attraction during the day.

Although the Torres del Paine can be accessed by day hiking tourist, this doesn’t mean that the trail is easy to traverse. The trail is mostly a moderate uphill climb. In the month of March, as we ascended and surpassed the tree line, snow started to appear, making our ascent more challenging.

Torres del Paine viewpoint

Our journey through Patagonia concluded with this image, with this sense of disappointment at not having been able to appreciate the most emblematic point of the place, despite having planned our schedules well. This whole experience showed us how untamed the Patagonian weather can end up being and how it affects the final experience that one ends up having of a particular place.

Without Torres but with Lake

The End

A lingering memory I have is the silence of the group as we descended towards the bus that would take us back to Puerto Natales. It was a silence tinged with sadness for not having fully embraced the experience in Torres del Paine, but at the same time, there was a sense of relief and tranquility for having completed our marathon of hikes.

At the end I remember looking at the faces of my friends. Faces of exhaustion, faces of having been to a beautiful place but where the effort invested had not borne fruit. I felt like I had enjoyed this experience and that it could be even a bit more rugged than we had planned.

We learned an important lesson in planning: in Patagonia, you have to be flexible, perhaps allowing for two possible days or moments to visit the most important spots for you.

I remember crossing that bridge and searching for the same feeling in my friends without success. Only one person had it, and that was my partner at the time. I remember looking at her and saying together, “We have to come back and do the O circuit.” My friends laughed, but we were serious.

Incoming…

This was the final chapter of the “Building my Trekking Profile” series, where I showed you how my love for trekking began. In the following posts, you will have a more personal turn, which gradually leads me to the PCT.

In my next post, I will tell you about a place that I have already written about… but this time with a different lifetime story at the same park. The O Circuit of Torres del Paine is coming, and with it, the birth of a new me.