Building my trekking profile – The Patagonia (part two)

Hello everyone! Thank you very much for reading this second post about Patagonia. In the previous publication, “Building my trekking profile – The Patagonia (part one)“, I talked about incredible places, easily accessible for all kinds of people. Now, in this post, I will discuss destinations with more hiking opportunities in this outstanding region of the Southern Cone of South America. In the following map, I will show you the places we will explore in this publication.

Ushuaia

Ushuaia is a city in Argentina, located in the Province of Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur, and is known as the southernmost city in the world. According to the UN, an urban area is defined as a city when it has more than 50,000 inhabitants. There are localities belonging to Chile that are even further south than Ushuaia but do not reach that population threshold.

The name Ushuaia comes from the native inhabitants of these lands, particularly the Yagán people. It’s name means “deep bay” in Yagán, a term related to the good navigability of the Beagle Channel. The landscape in Ushuaia is spectacular, to the north, the city is surrounded by a mountain range that marks the southern end of the Andes, and to the south, from east to west, it’s surrounded by the Beagle Channel. Ushuaia is a reserved, remote, and very difficult to access area by land. So much so that in the early 20th century, a maximum-security prison was built there, where dangerous criminals were incarcerated. One famous criminal imprisoned in this penitentiary was Cayetano Santos Godino, also known as “El Petiso Orejudo,” the perpetrator of several child murders, among other atrocities, and who is still considered one of the most terrible psychopaths Argentina has ever had.

Today, this prison, known as the End of the World Prison, is a museum where the original characteristics of the penitentiary are preserved, and the stories of some of the inmates who were imprisoned there are recounted, such as the case of the Petiso Orejudo.

Ushuaia offers a wide variety of activities to enjoy, such as trekking, snow sports, historical tours, boat trips, and more. It is a destination with attractions for all types of tourism and all ages. In my case, I focused on trekking in non-extreme weather conditions, as there are trails of great difficulty and snowy areas that would be practically impossible for me to navigate with my current level of knowledge. Therefore, I decided to go in the summer.

To the east of the city lies Tierra del Fuego National Park, an incredible park featuring well-maintained trails that allow you to experience the diverse environments found at these latitudes. Beautiful lakes, coastal shores, stunning forests with native trees, and pristine air await visitors. In the image above, you can see the coastal trail in the park, which is exceptionally beautiful and offers views of the network of crystal-clear archipelagos characteristic of the area. Longer trails are also available, some with elevation gains exceeding 1000 meters, providing opportunities to witness changes in vegetation at different altitude levels, as well as breathtaking peat bogs and rocky landscapes. The image below depicts one of these trails, the Guanaco Trail, offering an incredible vista of Ushuaia city and the Beagle Channel from above.

The Patagonian forests in Tierra del Fuego are simply incredible. Just imagine the tremendous strength they must possess to withstand the relentless and fierce winds from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, to endure being blanketed in snow for much of the year, and to withstand the violent currents of the glacial watercourses that intensify in spring. It’s truly remarkable, and just contemplating these remarkable details makes us realize how unique the biodiversity is in this inhospitable area of the planet. In the image below, I’m showing you a photo I took on a trail in Ushuaia where you can see a lovely construction made by a friendly animal that lives in these lands, the beaver.

These striking beaver dams alter watercourses, affecting lakes, aquifers, peat bogs, and wetlands, causing extreme damage directly to the foundation of Tierra del Fuego’s biodiversity. Vegetation perishes, and native fauna is forced to relocate or dead, all as a result of an animal that lacks natural predators, introduced by humans in the mid-20th century. This is just a small example of the impact humans can have on the planet’s life; with something as simple as transporting a species from one continent to another, we can initiate a biodiversity extinction process. Biodiversity that took millennia to establish can be affected in a matter of decades. In this case, the mere introduction of an animal species is revealing. Imagine what must be happening in the world with pollution, wars, and the over-exploitation of wildlife and land. In my case, this was my first wake-up call about the delicate balance of nature and our enormous capacity to disrupt it. We have an obligation to care for the beautiful planet we inhabit and all the life it harbors.

To conclude this part of the post about my travels in Ushuaia.I’m going to share two of the low-difficulty trekkings I did that I found incredible: the Vicinguerra Glacier and the Laguna Esmeralda (Emerald Lagoon).

The trek to Vinciguerra Glacier is stunning. It’s a full-day hike with a significant accumulated elevation gain, but always on a well-defined trail through the forest. As you ascend, you reach the tree line, and the trail culminates with access through a beautiful valley offering spectacular views, eventually reaching the lagoon and Vinciguerra Glacier. The image shows the endpoint of this trek, where the variety of colors invites you to sit quietly and observe every detail of the natural scenery unfolding before your eyes.

Emerald Lagoon is the most beautiful glacier-fed lake I’ve had the pleasure of visiting. It’s incredibly vast, with a stunning green color that stretches across its entirety. Additionally, being able to see the Ojo del Albino Glacier in the background makes it a landscape that remains etched in my memory to this day. A suggestion for hiking this trail is to rent your own vehicle, keep in mind that you’ll need a minimum of 6 hours at the site to fully appreciate the beauty of the place.

El Bolsón

It’s time to explore a lesser-known town in Patagonia, unlike the well-trodden paths of Ushuaia, El Calafate, or even its neighboring city Bariloche. I invite you to discover the enchantment of El Bolsón. El Bolsón is an Argentine town located in the province of Río Negro, 100 km away from San Carlos de Bariloche, nestled in a vast valley of glacial origin formed thousands of years ago. This unique setting means that the town is surrounded by mountain ranges to the east and west.

El Bolsón, in its origins, was a town dedicated to commerce, with a flow of merchants from different nationalities who traveled through the valley and exchanged goods here. This led to the establishment of an artisanal fair, which continues to this day in the central square of the town, Plaza Pagano, named in honor of a governor of the area during the 20th century. Strolling through this square when the fair is open, observing the handicrafts, and enjoying homemade products is definitely a must do activity when visiting this beautiful town.

Nowadays, agricultural production is one of the main economic activities in the area, with hop plantations, aromatic plants, and fine fruits, as well as sawmills. Additionally, the region boasts a delightful variety of craft beers, highly characteristic of this region of Patagonia. So, if you’re a beer enthusiast, don’t miss out on trying the Patagonian varieties.

El Bolsón has a network of mountain refuges that were established at different times and for different purposes. Some of them were set up to delineate Argentina’s territorial boundaries, while others were homes owned by local farmers who later decided to venture into the tourism industry. Each shelter has beds, food, and campsites.

You can make your own plan to travel to each one via well-marked trails. Furthermore, each shelter offers its own excursions to stunning locations. I dare say that one can stay at each shelter for more than a day without getting bored.

With my friends, we decided to plan the route shown in the figure above and brought along everything we would need to spend 10 days in the mountains. Below, I’ll tell you about some of the places we visited.

Cerro Lindo views

I gonna try to put only one picture of each place, but honestly it’s a really difficult task. The first place we go was Cerro Lindo shelter, we stay two days here and was really amazing place. This is the refuge with the most genuine mountain spirit that we visited. It’s simple: you share the facilities with the same refuge-goers who live and use the same things as you, which makes you feel like part of the community. Carrying things to the refuge involves a five hour uphill hike, which is very tiring! So, imagine the effort these people put in to bring resources to the refuge. There, we heard many mountain stories, and there’s a great respect for nature and simplicity, with a shared desire to exchange conversations and experiences with every traveler.

Cerro Lindo peak viewpoint – El Bolsón

From the shelter, you can hike to Cerro Lindo Peak and take in the immensity of the Andes Mountain Range at that point in Patagonia.

Hielo Azul – The Paradise Land

Unlike Cerro Lindo shelter, the other refuges in El Bolsón are highly visited. This is the case of Hielo Azul refuge, named after the Hielo Azul glacier, which can be accessed by walking from the refuge. This refuge offers a vast camping area, as well as all possible services, including various menus for meals, beverages, etc.

Although we reached the glacier with our hike, the image that captivated me the most about this place was a countryside extending beside the refuge. Honestly, it seemed like a paradise laid out before us: the turquoise water, the lush green of the grass, the majestic trees swaying in the breeze, the birds singing, and the snowy peaks feeding the waters flowing at our feet. At that moment, we truly believed we had arrived in paradise on earth.

The Azul river

On the western edge of the city of El Bolsón flows a river of crystalline waters called the Azul (Blue) River. Its glacial origin and journey through rocky terrain give this river a turquoise and remarkably clear color throughout its course. During the summer months, it’s a pleasure to swim in it, although its water is very cold; with the warmth of the sun and after an intense hike, it’s almost a mandatory temptation to take a dip in its beaches.

In our hike, we walk along the Azul river from Natacion shelter until La Horqueta shelter. In the Natacion refuge, you find yourself much higher up in the Azul River valley. During this hike, you encounter a steep descent where you delve into increasingly dense and tall vegetation. It’s a beautiful stretch, where you begin to leave behind the glacial terrain and venture into the heart of the Patagonian Andean forest.

Once in the valley, the path continues to ascend along the banks of the Blue River. As you start to climb, you gradually move away from the river, as it begins to flow through a canyon about 50 meters high. In many parts, you can’t see it, you only hear its sound while you get lost in the green landscape of surrounding trees. In this area, it’s said that the river becomes encajona (encased), a term describing how the river flows surrounded by towering stone walls, and this phenomenon gives the area its name, El Cajón del Azul (The Blue Drawer).”

Following upstream, the Valley of the Blue rises abruptly, forming a waterfall where the Blue River cascades and becomes enclosed. This place steals your breath and time with a lot of views in every detail, making it inevitable to sit and appreciate what is known as the Nacimiento del Cajón del Azul (Birth of the Blue Drawer).

Los Laguitos – the final prize

I could spend many more hours writing about the magic of El Bolsón; I feel like there are countless things I haven’t even begun to recount. However, it’s time to wrap up this post. Let’s delve into the last refuge of this journey: the one deeply nestled in the mountains and for most people, it takes more than a day of hiking to reach it. This refuge is called Los Laguitos.

The path to Los Laguitos shelter involves a steady ascent, not overly steep, with some interesting inclines that leave you breathless.

Along this trail, you enter a living natural history museum, where towering and robust trees appear more frequently, as if they were a community of ancient forest dwellers. These noble forest inhabitants have borne witness to countless anecdotes, phenomena, and who knows how many more things. In places like Ushuaia, the harsh climate makes it impossible for trees to grow as tall and thick, which is why I was so surprised by the diversity of forests in Patagonia. Some of these ancient larches have lived in the forests of El Bolsón for over a thousand years.

When you arrive at the refuge, you feel immense joy, a release after days of walking. The relaxed atmosphere, the lake, and the forest provide a sense of well-being and tranquility that make you want to never leave this wonderful place. Simply it’s time to enjoy.

From the refuge, you have two big hikes to take that practically take up the whole day: going to Lake Soberanía and reaching the summit of Cerro Año Nuevo. In our case, being a bit crazy, we did both in one day, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you enjoy physical exhaustion.

Going to Lake Soberanía is a journey of connection with nature, practically untouched by human hands, tranquil, silent, and imposing. Lying there, watching the sun, swimming in its mirrored waters, or simply relaxing, is an experience of connection with the environment and with oneself.

This is my second time at Refugio Los Laguitos. During my first visit, I had only gone to Lake Soberanía and had wanted to climb Cerro Año Nuevo. This time, I found myself in a similar situation. My group and I were already a bit tired after so many days in the mountains, and the idea of resting was very tempting and alluring. Here lies the essence of traveling with a group of people who not only care about individual well-being but also prioritize collective well-being. Since we began this trip to El Bolsón, Carolina knew that I had the pending task of climbing Cerro Año Nuevo. Despite the physical tiredness increasing over the days and weighing on her mental fatigue, she unconditionally supported me in achieving my goal of reaching the summit. Simply saying “go ahead, climb the mountain” may sound easy, but it means she ended up with less help for the tedious daily tasks of camping, such as cooking, washing, and organizing. Thus, my six friends and I left the comfort of Lake Soberanía and walked the 7 kilometers back to the refuge.

Upon arriving at the refuge, we went to speak with the refuge keeper to inquire about the conditions of the trail to ascend the mountain, and the truth was not very encouraging. It had snowed heavily that season, and although it was summer, not enough time had passed for the snow to melt. This is where the group split up: some stayed to enjoy the beautiful facilities of Los Laguitos, while my friend Pablo and I decided to attempt the climb, knowing that our chances of reaching the summit were limited.

it was a difficult climb, very steep and technical. We had only a few hours of daylight left, and an intense thunderstorm was moving through the Andes mountain range. We proceeded step by step, evaluating the convenience of continuing the path at each moment, and against all odds… we did it! We reached the summit of Cerro Año Nuevo! And the view made all the effort worthwhile.”

Trekking and mountains have this magic, where one feels connected to the environment and oneself, appreciating the opportunity to be there.

In my next post, I will conclude this chapter of “Building my trekking profile.” I want to share with all of you two amazing spots for hiking in Patagonia: El Chaltén and Torres del Paine. I hope you all are enjoying this publication as much as I am enjoying creating it. Any suggestions or comments are welcome to improve it.

I want to say thank you to Carolina (@carottati) for sharing most of the photos shown in this post.

See you later!! Thanks for your time