After our time hiking in Torres Del Paine and a long and bumpy bus ride back across the Argentian border, we arrived to the area known as Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. Our first stop was a very touristy town called Calafate. We probably would have skipped over this town if it wasn´t for the access to Glacier Perito Moreno, one of only three Patagonian glaciers that are not retreating, but in fact occassionally advancing.
We 
had met a trio of fellow travelers from the US and Germany in Torres Del Paine (Dylan, Dave and Sandy) who we decided to partner with to rent a car to go and see this natural wonder. Unfortunately, it was Easter weekend so finding an available car was quite the task...but we eventually prevailed and got ourselves and true POS (piece of S!$&*) to make the 100 km trip. While the car (with half a bumper) wasn´t the best deal in town, it did get us from A to B and allowed us more freedom (and a cheaper price) than taking the tourist bus.
had met a trio of fellow travelers from the US and Germany in Torres Del Paine (Dylan, Dave and Sandy) who we decided to partner with to rent a car to go and see this natural wonder. Unfortunately, it was Easter weekend so finding an available car was quite the task...but we eventually prevailed and got ourselves and true POS (piece of S!$&*) to make the 100 km trip. While the car (with half a bumper) wasn´t the best deal in town, it did get us from A to B and allowed us more freedom (and a cheaper price) than taking the tourist bus. When we arrived, we understood why this attraction is
indeed a "must see." The glacier is a mammoth river of ice that pours down from several huge valleys and ends at the base of its glacial lake. The sheer size and awe of the thing is hard to put into words...and it´s constantly cracking and calving off into the water. If you sit there and stare long enough (which we did) you can see chunks breaking off into the water followed by what sounds like deep grumbles of thunder. We spent several hours walking along all the board walks to get a variety of views and to watch the glacial show. It was pretty awesome.
indeed a "must see." The glacier is a mammoth river of ice that pours down from several huge valleys and ends at the base of its glacial lake. The sheer size and awe of the thing is hard to put into words...and it´s constantly cracking and calving off into the water. If you sit there and stare long enough (which we did) you can see chunks breaking off into the water followed by what sounds like deep grumbles of thunder. We spent several hours walking along all the board walks to get a variety of views and to watch the glacial show. It was pretty awesome.After our return from the glacier, we treated ourselves to a 
"tenedor libre" (all you can eat buffet) at a local restaurant which included unlimited access to the BBQ (Eric´s favorite), rows of salads and potatoes, and a mulitude of desserts (my favorite). Since we had no reason to hang around too long, we left the next day to the tiny town of El Chalten, which is at the main entrance to Glaciers National Park and a variety of cool hikes. El Chalten is also a popular destination for Argentians and since it was Easter weekend, there wasn´t a bed in town. But no problem, we have a tent. Once we found a place to store our extra stuff, we set off on a 4-day excursion into the park.
"tenedor libre" (all you can eat buffet) at a local restaurant which included unlimited access to the BBQ (Eric´s favorite), rows of salads and potatoes, and a mulitude of desserts (my favorite). Since we had no reason to hang around too long, we left the next day to the tiny town of El Chalten, which is at the main entrance to Glaciers National Park and a variety of cool hikes. El Chalten is also a popular destination for Argentians and since it was Easter weekend, there wasn´t a bed in town. But no problem, we have a tent. Once we found a place to store our extra stuff, we set off on a 4-day excursion into the park.
The first afternoon of hiking was relatively easy after we climbed our way out of town and into 
the park. We camped by a rushing river near Lago Torre and spent the next morning exploring the area of the glacial lake and enjoying the serenity of the nature. On Easter morning, we had the pleasure of seeing a huge Condor cirlce and dive through the air 
above us on the ridge above the lake - a nice reminder to pause and reflect on life and creation. In the afternoon, we made our way over a small mountain, through a valley of lakes and to our next camp site near the base of the famed Mt. Fitzroy. This rocky peak (popular with experienced mountain climbers) towers above all others and is surrounded on all sides by glaciers. We were lucky to have great weather for most our time in the park that allowed outstanding views and photo ops of Mt. Fitzroy.
We camped for 2 nights at this site and used it as a jumping off point for a couple nice day hikes. One hike was up the rocky river valley boulder hopping to Laguna Sucia at the base of Mt.
Fitzroy and surrounding peaks. We sat at the base of the lake in awe as we watched the waterfalls tumble from the glacier and then looked above to admire the sheer and towering rock mountains. Amazing. Our second day hike was to another nearby glacier called Pideras Blancas and then down the main river valley for a couple hours...again, wonderful views and lovely scenery. On day four, we decided it was time for a bed so we made our way back to town 
and settled in at a very cozy hostel run by an older Argetenian guy who resembled Santa Claus. The fireplace, wooden table, and comfy chairs and hot shower made this place perfect for some R&R.
Fitzroy and surrounding peaks. We sat at the base of the lake in awe as we watched the waterfalls tumble from the glacier and then looked above to admire the sheer and towering rock mountains. Amazing. Our second day hike was to another nearby glacier called Pideras Blancas and then down the main river valley for a couple hours...again, wonderful views and lovely scenery. On day four, we decided it was time for a bed so we made our way back to town and settled in at a very cozy hostel run by an older Argetenian guy who resembled Santa Claus. The fireplace, wooden table, and comfy chairs and hot shower made this place perfect for some R&R. When we were in Ushuaia, a fellow traveler recommended a route from El Chalten to Villa O´Higgins (in Chile) that is off the beaten tourist track. He sparked our interest and after some research we found it would be possible to make the journey and hike over the border (more in the next blog), but that we would have to wait a couple extra days in order to time the trip with the once-a-week boat across the gigantic Lago O´Higgins in Chile. In the end, the delay was quite enjoyable because on our return to El Chalten we were delighted to meet again our couple
friends (Dorit and Yaron) from Israel. We spent our couple extra days here doing a day hike with them, sipping wine, going out to dinner and meeting for dessert. It´s been great to run into this fun couple a few times so far on our travels...we hope we will encounter them again up north.
friends (Dorit and Yaron) from Israel. We spent our couple extra days here doing a day hike with them, sipping wine, going out to dinner and meeting for dessert. It´s been great to run into this fun couple a few times so far on our travels...we hope we will encounter them again up north. On Thursday (March 27), we said our goodbyes and parted ways as they boarded a bus to travel the famous Route 40 in Argentina heading North, and we took a bus to Lago Desierto about 50 kms away where we would begin our next adventure...stay tuned.
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