On my Tour de Mont Blanc trip with Active Adventures this summer, several of the co-hikers mentioned the Patagonia trip with the same company. On my return, my thoughts immediately turned to Patagonia. I felt energized, six months was ample time to prepare, and I would have good hiking weather in Virginia through late fall.
The weather in Patagonia in summer is about the same as Mont Blanc, so I did not need any additional warm gear. Patagonia has very strong winds, my main concern, for which I had a rain jacket. Otherwise, all I did to prepare for the trip was to hike every weekend in the nearby Appalachians.
Active Adventures trips are well designed – a relaxed first day, then 5 days of hiking during which we completed the famed W trail, then 2 relaxed days followed by 4 days of hiking. Even the hiking alternated between longer and easier days.
Most of the hiking was in the foothills of the Andes. Some days we hiked to a high lookout point (mirador) affording magnificent, close-up views of the snow-clad peaks and hanging glaciers, and others we backpacked from one refugio to the next, crossing over ‘Patagonia flat’ terrain with wide open vistas and views of lakes.
Southern Patagonia is mostly steppes to the east, laced with water ways and lakes. Towards the west, it is the snow-capped Andes, the glaciers and large lakes.
In contrast, most of the TMB circuit was along balcony trails and through passes, with beautiful views of the Mont Blanc massif and surrounding Alps along most of the route.
Each day, we prepared for all types of weather – bright sunshine, cloudy, rain showers, strong winds. The weather cycled very rapidly on short or no notice.
Punta Arenas
I arrived in Punta Arenas in Chile after a long flight with 2 layovers. Punta Arenas is the gateway (by air) into Chilean Patagonia.
It is a sprawling, dreary town on the Magellan (Magallanes) straits.
Wind gusts of 60 mph are common in Patagonia. During high winds, the city strings up rope along the streets for pedestrians.
Punta Arenas started as a settlement in the 16th century and boomed with sheep raising and gold, which brought settlers from all over Europe, notably Croatia. It did pretty well until the Panama Canal opened. Today, its main economy is oil, sheep, and tourism. It is one of the supply points for Antarctic bases, and a launching point for Antarctic expeditions and cruises. I even saw a Boeing 787 at the airport!
At our hotel we met a bunch of people who were participating in a marathon in Antarctica! They were waiting for a clear day to fly there. This event is held at a British base on a prepared circuit. Participants sleep in tents! Their official photographer showed us some videos of past events – strong winds, sub-zero temperatures, runners wearing large ski goggles and balaclavas. Apparently, they serve you tea and biscuits every 10 kms.
Having arrived a day early, I spent the time walking around town and along the waterfront. It would seem that the town has a parking problem. Cars are issued parking permits by an attendant stationed almost on every block!
The next day, we, the early arrivals in our group visited a couple of the local museums. The Borgatello museum exhibits the history of Punta Arenas, Tierra del Fuego, and the Patagonia. For me, its highlights were the stuffed Condors and local fauna, history of the aborigines, artifacts from the Shackleton expedition, and an enormous clavicle of a sperm whale. Also unique were some ingenious chairs made with a whale vertebra for the seat.
The Nao Victoria museum is open-air and has full-size replicas of the Victoria, the HMS Beagle, the Ancud, and several in-progress craft. The Victoria was about 300 years older than the Beagle, and you could tell from the size and sophistication of the ships’ construction, rigging and their quarters. It must take a special type of person spend months on such a small ship. Next to the replicas were extensive write-ups about Magellan’s and Darwin’s expedition. I seem to get most of my knowledge from museum placards nowadays.The group
We met our trip guide and the rest of the group that evening. I was pleasantly surprised that our group was only 4 members! The civil unrest in Chile probably depressed sign-up. There was a couple in their sixties from Atlanta in the US, they being some of the most outgoing and sociable peopleI have ever seen.
The other was a ki.. er, young man in his 30s, a Malaysian living in Aachen, Germany. He spoke German, and a smattering of Spanish, in addition to English. He is an avid photographer, and lugged two DSLR on the hikes. He took a lot of photos and all the good ones in these albums are his.
The other was a ki.. er, young man in his 30s, a Malaysian living in Aachen, Germany. He spoke German, and a smattering of Spanish, in addition to English. He is an avid photographer, and lugged two DSLR on the hikes. He took a lot of photos and all the good ones in these albums are his.
Çem, our Active Adventures Trip leader, was a Turk who had moved to Chile long ago. He had travelled and guided in Turkey, and over most of South America, trekked in the Andes, and canoed up to the Angel falls. He was competent, experienced, and very knowledgeable. He also loved food , loved to cook. He took us to a different restaurant every day to sample the local fare. He had a great sense of humour to boot
In addition to the trip leader, there was usually a local guide. In Chile we had Karina who is an expert skier and had travelled to Europe. In Argentina, Christian was our local guide. He had travelled to Australia, New Zealand, India, and several countries in South East Asia. In New Zealand, he had worked on a sheep farm, in a winery, and at several other interesting jobs. In India, he had volunteered in the Mother Teresa Ashram. At this time, he was looking into setting up a real estate business and settling down.
In Patagonia, the tourist season lasts four months, so most of the guides have a second occupation up north. All are young – 30s or 40s, have partners in the same line of work, but not married.
The people
Most of our social interaction was limited to our guides, and the trekkers we met on the way. The locals being mostly of latin descent are inherently social. People always exchanged hola! and buen día with us everywhere.
It came as somewhat of a culture shock, that they happily share a cup of drink or dish with you.
And then there is the mate. Argentinians drink it all day long, and share the sipping straw with others.
Apart from the local people, we encountered all kinds of trekkers and tourists. Most were from the US and Europe. Most were backpacking. There were couples celebrating their honeymoon on the refugio circuit. There were people who appeared woefully unprepared - hiking in loafers, carrying umbrellas, sitting out the rain in the hotels. On the tour boat ride on Lago Grey, we saw a family from Pune, India - they spent the entire ride playing cards. They didnt even pause to take in the view of the glacier face.
.. onward to Puerto Natales
The next day, we were to cross the Magellan straits to the Magdalena island to see Magellanic penguins. Unfortunately, the trip was cancelled due to heavy swells. Instead we visited the Cueva del Milodón, a large cave near Puerto Natales. In this cave, explorers Hermann Eberhard and Otto Nordenskjöld discovered the remains of a Giant Sloth, which went extinct 5000 years ago.
Puerto Natales, founded at Christmas, is a nice little town located at the mouth of the Última Esperanza sound. It is the jumping off point to the Torres del Paine national park. It has several outfitters, and many good restaurants. I even saw a small cruise ship docked at the port. We would leave our extra luggage here in Puerto Natales and spend the next 5 days backpacking in the park.
Torres del Paine
The park is home to the famed W-Trek and its longer version, the O circuit. ‘Paine’ is the native word for blue. Its iconic centerpiece is the trio of granite towers, or Torres. The park lies at the south end of the world’s 3rd largest ice-field, the Patagonian Icefield. It contains several glaciers and glacial lakes. The W-Trek extends along the southern edge of the Paine massif with legs extending into the Frances and Ascencio valleys. The O circuit circumambulates the massif, cutting through just one high-altitude pass above Grey Glacier.
There are many ways to experience the W-trek. You can take a bus or boat to specific points and do day-hikes, or you can backpack the whole route carrying everything including food and tents, or you can backpack and sleep in refugios or tents, and eat at the refugios. Or you can run the trail. You can only camp in designated campsites. You can backpack the entire trail over 4 days at a moderate pace, or you can run it – the record is about 6 hours.
We slept each night at refugios, ate dinner and breakfast, both full-course meals, complete with drinks and desserts. Every night we had hot showers, and slept in 6-bed dorms. I carried 4 days’ worth of clothes and a sleeping bag in my backpack – about 10 Kg. Every day, after breakfast, we walked to the next refugio with a packed lunch.
The Torres
On our first day, we drove into the park, dropped off our backpacks at the Refugio Las Torres, and set off with a light daypack. The first day hike took us along the easternmost leg of the ‘W’ to the Base las Torres, at the base of the 3 granite towers. After a steep ascent we entered the Ascencio valley, then hiked gradually down to the valley floor to the Chileno campsite. Shortly after crossing the river a couple of times, we hiked up very steep moraine to the rim of a hanging lake at the base of the Torres. The sky was clear when we were at the top. Even the towers were clear of clouds for a short while. It was an awe-inspiring view –300 meters of sheer granite – probably the most amazing I have ever seen.
The hike back to the refugio was uneventful, except that I missed a puma sighting because some of us charged off ahead of the rest of the group – a mistake that the rest of the group did not let us forget. Apparently, the puma had strolled past them within 40 yards. I spent the rest of the trip wistfully scanning the countryside for a sighting. Pumas live off sheep and guanacos, and these were abundant along the roads.
To Refugio Los Cuernos
The next day we walked to the Refugio Los Cuernos. The walk was on gently sloped open terrain, with a couple of steep sections. In the last section we descended steeply to cross Rio Bader just before the refugio. Along most of the trail we had a magnificent view of the Lago Nordenskjöld down on our left, and occasional glimpses of the Los Cuernos (Horns) peaks up ahead to the right. The day was bright and shiny and the lake shone a bright glacial turquoise.
Towards afternoon the wind picked up. We were sheltered by the hills, but on the lakes, we could see the waves and spray lift up and start spuming, occasionally raising vapour twisters. By late afternoon, the wind and rain picked up even more, and we could see the wind throw spray uphill from the streams cascading down the hillside. Leaning against the restaurant window, I could feel the whole building shake as it was buffeted by the wind. Our local guide who had planned to sleep outside in a tent, changed her mind and joined us in our dorm.
To the French valley and the next refugio
The next day we set out towards the next refugio. The trail took us to the shore of Lago Nordenskjöld at one point. At the Italiano camp at the mouth of the Valle del Frances, we were to drop off our backpacks at the ranger station and hike up the valley to the French lookout for a view of Los Cuernos, and time permitting, the British lookout, for an even closer view. However, it was raining steadily and most of us were somewhat soaked, so we skipped the side trip.
The only reason to go up the valley would have been for the satisfaction of doing it, as there was absolutely nothing we could have seen – the whole valley was engulfed in thick rain clouds. Trekkers told us later that they encountered frozen rain. The decision to skip was an easy one. Though, except for cold wet hands, and a dripping moustache, I was fully dry and could have comfortably done the hike up the valley.
Again, most of the trail from refugio to refugio was gentle slopes, with one steeper uphill, and an especially rocky very steep downhill, made slippery by the rain. There are some types of rock which afford traction, but others which are very slippery even when bare of algae, and often there was only one way to find out – by watching for the person ahead of you to take a spill.
Refugio Paine Grande is situated on the shore of Lago Pehoé. It is supplied by boat, and hence had better amenities than Los Cuernos which is supplied by horse. Talking of horse, on the trail we saw several porters carrying huge towering 25 Kgs backpacks. It was quite a sight watching one cross a ‘1-person only’ suspension bridge in heavy rain. With some trekking companies, you can walk from camp to camp, and pay a porter to carry part of your gear. These porters zip ahead of you, and set up camp and kitchen by the time you arrive – just like on Kilimanjaro.
The refugio afforded a great view of Cerro Paine Grande, though as with most peaks, its top was perennially shrouded in cloud. At all refugios, the meals are fixed menu, and here I got to try Mote con Huesillo, a traditional Chilean dessert of marinated peach with barley. It is also the only place where we were able to watch the sun-rise over the hills across the lake. I also remember this refugio as the one strewn with wet clothes and boots spread out to dry.
The last leg of the W
Next morning dawned clear and sunny. ‘Aaargh! What’s that strange bright thing in the sky…’, etc.
It was gusting as we started out, and our guides had to instruct us on how to walk in the wind – ‘…secure all loose straps, …walk confidently! (hah!), don’t wobble! …If it gusts too hard, stop and brace yourself! …If it blows harder, drop down to your knee…’. It was especially gusty as we made our way up a gulley, and some open areas, but we made it without being bowled over, or losing hats, glasses, eyes, etc.
By mid-morning, Lago Grey was below on our left and we started seeing the occasional iceberg.
After settling in, we took a short walk to the glacier lookout, a cove where the icebergs had collected.
Kayaking at the glacier
Late afternoon, we walked down to the lake to go kayaking. It was raining lightly, but no strong winds, otherwise the kayaking would have been cancelled. We donned thermal jackets, pants, skirt, life-jackets, and helmet. The skirt seals the kayak hole. We received some casual kayaking instructions and more insistent instructions on what to do if we capsize – ‘… stay with your kayak, …don’t try to grab for somebody else’s kayak…’ - sure!
We went out in 2-man sea kayaks for about an hour, roaming around some interesting icebergs, keeping well clear of them. It is possible for an overhanging piece to break off, or a piece to break off underwater and surge up, either of which can cause waves strong enough to capsize you. Neither did we venture anywhere near the glacier face. Still, this is the closest I have ever been to an iceberg.
Towards the end, all the kayaks got together in a cove and they handed out piping hot ginger tea and chocolate – very welcome in the cold rain. My kayaking skills need improvement – I managed to stray away from the leaders all the time, and also managed to hit every other kayak in the lake. Eventually, we worked out a system where she called out steering orders -‘left.. left!!... leeeeft!!!...’ and I tried to follow them blindly, and between the 2 of us, we tamed the beast somewhat. The problem is that you push on the right rudder pedal to turn right – does that look intuitive to you?
After an uneventful beaching, we were back at the Refugio for dinner. People come up here for a quick out and back hike, or take the boat up to the refugio. It was also full of hikers who have just completed the most difficult section of the O circuit – the snow-bound John Gardner pass. The lounge and restaurant of this refugio was a lot busier and livelier.
Hiking on the glacier
I had signed up for the optional Ice Hike. Frankly, I was a bit scared because the hike up to the glacier was billed as ‘difficult’ in reviews and descriptions. Still, I had signed up, and there I was.
We started very early in the morning. It had rained all night, and was still raining lightly, so they warned us that we may have to turn around if the trail was impassable because of streams. A short ride in a zodiac brought us to Nunatuk island, a large rock outcrop that splits the Grey glacier at its face. We hopped off the boat onto a tiny floating jetty and scrambled up the rocks – this was probably the most exposed section of the hike.
The island is pure rock, scoured by the glacier before it receded. We walked uphill, scrambling occasionally. At a couple of places, we had to go up tied-down ladders, and a few places, they had tied ropes to provide safety. The trail is marked by cairns, and is maintained by Bigfoot Expeditions, the (only) company that operates this hike. A couple of stretchers were positioned strategically along the trail. About an hour of hard hiking brought us to the edge of the ice near the ‘prow’ of the rock. Here we put on ice crampons and helmets, rather, they secured the crampons on our boots. We also put on body harnesses ‘… to haul you out in case…’. They instructed us on proper ice-walking, and use of the ice-axe. ‘…Put your foot down firm and square, …use the ice-axe for support on the up-hill side of the slope, …keep your center of gravity between your feet, …to take photos, stop and put down your axe, … step only where I step, don’t wander off – there are crevasses hidden under the ice, …’
With a giant step up, we were on the ice. The ice slope seemed to, ulp!, slope up 30+ degrees! Would I come sliding down, desperately trying to arrest my slide with the axe? But the glacier ice is very hard and I had very steady and solid traction.
We spent about an hour wandering around on the glacier. We peered into deep crevasses that glowed a bright blue, we studied ice puddles where the air constantly bubbles up – air that has been trapped in the ice for millennia.
Again, they offered us hot ginger tea. With all the wind blowing from the ice-fields, down the valley over the glacier, the hot tea was very refreshing.
We hiked back down - without slipping, mind you - to the waiting boat. Scrambling down, I managed to get water flow down the back of my boot – the only time on the entire trip that I got water in my boots, and the only time that gaiters would have helped.
The Grey Glacier is probably the most exciting place to hike on a glacier. The remote location and difficulty of access – zodiac boat and rock scramble - make it a special experience. There are lots of easier means to walk on a glacier. I have walked on the Tsanfleuron ‘glacier’ in the Bernese Alps – access is by ski lift, and I walked on compacted snow and slush on flat terrain. One can fly onto a glacier by helicopter, and on some glaciers, even walk without crampons. The Perito Moreno glacier is also accessed easily - I saw a large number of people walking up well-established trails on the edge of the glacier.
… and back to Puerto Natales
Back from the ice hike, we boarded a catamaran and rode up close to the face of the glacier, puttering around waiting for the glacier to calve. Having seen the glacier up close, the boat ride was not too exciting, and I didn’t really expect the glacier to calve – we’d been sniffing around this one for the past 2 days. I stayed in the enclosed cabin enjoying a drink, and made occasional forays out into the wind and rain to take photos.
The boat ride ended at the southern end of Lago Grey, where it pushed up onto the beach. We hefted our backpacks and hiked about a mile up the beach to the waiting bus. Back in Puerto Natales, it was a great relief to get rid of the backpack, reunite with my luggage, and move back into a normal hotel room where I could spread out my gear over the entire room.
Argentina
That night we bid farewell to Karina over dinner, and the next day rode the bus for 5 hours to El Calafate in Argentina.
Crossing the border was painless though we had to wait until the office opened. First, we surrendered our immigration receipts (PDI) on the Chilean side, then had our passports stamped on the Argentinian side. There are some obvious differences between the two countries. In Argentina, the flag is seen quite often on houses and buildings. There are several memorials to Las Malvinas (aka the Falkland Islands), which, not just the government, but even your typical Argentino refuses to recognize by any other name.
On the other hand, in Chile, they kept a copy of my passport and PDI at every hotel and refugio. I don’t think Chile has an illegal immigration problem.
Argentinian cuisine is much more interesting, especially the world-famous grilled meats.
Argentina also has a strong Italian influence. One time I had an excellent pasta dish - lamb ravioli in rich almond sauce.
Patagonia steppe
Talking of bus rides, most of the drive on this trip was through Patagonian steppe. Most of the time the land was flat enough that we could see the Andes in the distance. The road was always surrounded by large estancias (ranches) that stretched for miles on both sides of the road. They raise sheep, beef cattle, and horses on the estancias. From the bus we saw plenty of guanacos (a type of llama), rheas, a few foxes and armadillos. I never saw a puma or a Patagonian skunk, though we did smell one.
We saw caracaras (type of raptor) and eagles perched on fences waiting for road-kill. Apparently, this species of eagle is not a scavenger, but has no problem feasting on fresh road-kill.
Talking of road-kill, barbed wire fencing ran along both sides of the road. We saw adult guanacos spring over it effortlessly, but the babies cannot, as evidenced by the many carcasses strung out on the wire. On a 5-hour ride, one entertains oneself spotting them.
A few times, we saw gauchos herding sheep and horses. The gauchos of Patagonia wear a distinctive beret-like hat called a boino, which apparently came from Basque country. For obvious reasons, the usual wide-brimmed sombrero would not last too long here. Each gaucho is aided by 5 dogs, and down here this is still the primary way of herding livestock.
El Calafate
El Calafate is served by domestic airlines, and is the main gateway to the Parque Nacional los Glaciares. The park lies to the northern end of the Patagonian icefield. It is a nice little modern town, catering exclusively to the tourist trade, with a big variety of restaurants, a few brew-houses, and lots of handicraft shops.
The town is located on Lago Argentino, one of the two big lakes in the area, and the biggest in the country. We had time enough to visit the Laguna Nimez bird sanctuary of the shore of the lake. We got to see many types of water birds, notably the flamingo, and some raptors (I will provide a more complete list with photos). This is my 3rd sighting of flamingoes, after the Galapagos and Tanzania.
One evening we walked down to the marshy edge of the lake, hoping to get closer to some flamingo. The ground was thickly littered with goose droppings. These pellets were for the most part harmless, but a few stuck to the soles, and I learnt the hard way that goose droppings are extremely, extremely sticky. No amount of prancing and twisting on the grass and gravel will get rid of it.
Perito Moreno glacier
We spent a full day visiting the Perito Moreno glacier. Francisco Moreno was an explorer and a leading expert on Patagonia. The country honoured him with the title ‘Perito’ (Spanish for SME). He is so highly regarded that he got to name several important mountains and lakes in the area.
Los Glaciares national park
The next day we drove to the town of El Chaltén, where we stayed for the next 4 days. The town is located within the Los Glaciares national park, and most trails start right from the town. The town was founded in 1985 to attract trekkers. It has some nice restaurants, a couple of micro-breweries, and lots of lodging and hostels for hikers.
Arriving in town, after a quick lunch, we did a short hike up to the Mirador Torre. The trail winds through forest to a vantage point at the mouth of the Rio Fitz Roy valley. The day was nice and sunny, but at the lookout point, we could only see Cerro Solo, and the bottom of Mt Fitz Roy. Cerro Torre was completely obscured by clouds, and we never got to see it over the rest of our stay. The hike was quite pleasant, though pretty busy. The trails around Chaltén are better maintained and better graded than the W-Trek. On the W-trek, the trail itself is the experience; in Chaltén, the trails get you to the miradors.
Laguna Los Tres
The next day we hiked to Laguna Los Tres from the north end. A bus dropped us off at the trail-head near the Rio Blanco. It started raining in earnest almost as soon as we started hiking, and it kept up steadily all day long.
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| Piedras Blancas glacier |
The trail climbed constantly but gently uphill along the side of the Rio Blanco valley until it levelled out and flattened at Camp Poincenot. By now, we could feel the winds, and it was raining a bit harder. At this point, we had the choice of going up a steep rocky trail to the lookout – an hour’s hike - or continuing south to return to town.
Our guide recommended against going up the trail because of the rain and the wind. Plus, we would see nothing at the top. Not wanting to saddle him with the extra risk and responsibility, I agreed with our guide, but the rest wanted to carry on.
So, we continued. As we came out of the shelter of the trees, the wind hit me with full force as I tried to walk ‘confidently’ over the bridge across the river. Across the river, we stopped in a shelter for lunch. The guide explained that the wind would be much stronger as we went up, and decreed that it was too risky.
This time nobody protested. Perhaps the cold needle-like rain hitting one’s face horizontally might have had something to do with this attitude adjustment. This was the second and last time we chickened out of a full hike. Myself, I could have carried on, and I am sure the guide would have taken good care of us. But by now, after 10 days of hiking and carrying a backpack, my knees had started reminding me of my limits, so I was glad to skip the steep section.
The rest of the hike was all downhill. By afternoon, the rain let up a little, and we started seeing hikers coming up the main trail. We stopped briefly at Laguna Capri which seems like a very nice scenic picnic spot – when it is nice and sunny, and you are not wet. Soon we were descending steep muddy tracks, churned up by the flood of hikers going uphill. I consider it a minor feat that I made it into town without slipping even once – usually, I am among the first to set an example.
The Laguna Los Tres was a long rainy hike, mostly through forest. It was steep in parts, but mostly gentle slopes.
Deer sanctuary
The long day was followed by an easy day. In the morning, the rest of the group rode bikes down the valley. I sat this one out. After the bike ride, we had a picnic lunch inside the bus because of the rain.
After lunch we went for a short hike in the Reserva Los Huemules – a private reserve for Huemul deer. It was a circuit hike around Laguna Azul and Laguna Verde. 
Mount Fitz Roy
The next day (the last day) was the longest hike (and longest name) of our trip. We hiked out to the Mirador de la Loma del Pliegue Tumbado. The hike started out very early in the morning. Luckily, we had clear sunny weather throughout the day, with almost no rain. The trail climbed gently most of the way on open grassland, then made its way up through a thick forest up to the treeline. Above the treeline, the trail turned rocky. The area was strewn with fossil washed down by the streams. These fossils were formed when the area was under water, and we were 1000m above sea level! By now, the wind was gusting strongly in our face. The last section was a steep uphill, made easy by switchbacks, and then we were over the crest and the full force of the wind hit us. The lookout point was completely exposed to winds coming down the glacial valley funneled between the peaks. We stumbled forward slowly, one step at a time into the strong gusting wind.
Before us lay one of the most majestic sights I have seen. Cerro Solo to the left and the Fitz Roy massif to the right. Between them, down below, we could see the Grande glacier ending at the Laguna Torre.
The Fitz Roy is an impressive massif, with several tall granite peaks rising high above steep snow-clad slopes.
Lionel Terray was the first to scale Mt Fitz Roy. He describes the expedition in his autobiography. When he came here, the region was not easy to access, and the greatest problem was the strong winds and extreme weather. They solved the problem by setting up their camps in snow caves. Terray was an expert rock wall climber, and he used a break in the weather to scale the granite peak. Even so, he ranked Fitz Roy among his most difficult climbs. After Mont Blanc, this was my second encounter with Terray. And, our hotel in Chaltén was located on a road named after him.
One of the peaks in the massif is named in honour of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. When he was not busy writing The Little Prince, Antoine was pioneering aero-postal service in Patagonia.
After withstanding the wind at the lookout for about 15 minutes, we beat a hasty retreat down the hill. At one point, a particularly strong gust made me stop and brace myself. Looking down the hill, I saw that everybody else had also stopped. Once out of the wind, we stopped for lunch in a nice sunny spot. The rest of the hike was a pleasant downhill walk back the way we had come. Luckily for me, my knees did not hurt on the entire hike. Along with the Base los Torres hike in Chile, this was one of the most memorable hikes of the trip.
Back in town, we picked up our luggage, and headed back to El Calafate. The next day, we boarded flights from El Calafate, and 2 layovers later, I was back home – tanned and sunburnt in wintry Virginia.
In conclusion
In summary, this trip was well worth it. I got to see the Andes in all their majesty, and got as close to Antarctica as I will ever get. I got to hike on a glacier and kayak close to it. The weather was not as scary as I had expected. I enjoyed the company of my group, and learnt a lot from our guides. It was as great an experience as any of my other travels.
Birds of Patagonia
On this trip, we saw several birds, especially at the Laguna Nimez bird reserve in El Calafate. With help from our guides and Wikipedia, I have identified and labelled most of them.
We regularly saw Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) high in the sky, and occasionally descending for snacks. except a stuffed one in a museum though, we never saw one up close.
Austral Thrushes (Turdus falcklandii) and rufus-collared sparrows (Zonotichia capensis) were pretty common. We spotted many birds on the hikes, and while driving through the country-side.
Some of the rarer sightings were:
- Fire-eyed diúcon (Xolmis pyrope)
- Ashy-headed goose (Chloephaga poliocephala)
- Austral pygmy owl (Glaucidium nana)
- Magellanic woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus)
- Patagonian negrito (Lessonia rufa)
- Chilean flicker (Colaptes pitius)
- Grass wren (Cistothorus platensis)
- Spectacled tyrant (Hymenops perspicillatus)
- Cinereous harrier (Circus cinereus)
- Black-chested buzzard eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus)
- Southern crested caracara (Caracara plancus)
- Chimango caracara (Milvago chimango)
- Austral parakeet (Enicognathus ferrugineus)
- Patagonian sierra finch (Phrygilus patagonicus)
- Patagonian mockingbird (Mimus patagonicus)
- Long-tailed meadowlark (Leistes loyca)
- Blue-and-white swallow (Notiochelidon cyanoleuca)
- Darwin's rhea (Rhea pennata)
- Black-faced ibis (Theristicus melanopis)
- Magellan goose (Chloephaga picta)
We saw several water birds in the Magellan straits:
- Coscoroba swan (Coscoroba coscoroba)
- Black-necked swan (Cygnus melancoryphus)
- Cormorant
And in Lago Argentina and the adjoining Laguna Nimez Reserve:
- Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis)
- Chiloé wigeon (Mareca sibilatrix)
- Magellanic plover (Pluvianellus socialis)
- Red-gartered coot (Fulica armillata)
- Southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis)
- Andean duck (Oxyura ferruginea)
- Kelp gull (Larus dominicanus)
- Brown-hooded gull (Chroicocephalus maculipennis)
- Speckled Teal (Anas flavirostris)
References and links
Photo albums
Hike to the Torres del Paine mirador
Along the W-trek
Hiking on Grey glacier
Around Grey glacier
Hike to Mt Fitz Roy mirador
Around El Chaltén in Los Glaciares national park
Perito Moreno glacier
The countryside
Birds of Patagonia
Town of Punta Arenas
The Towns
GPX Tracks of my hikes
A few times, I forgot to turn on the tracker at the trail-head.
Hike to Base Las Torres Hike (incomplete)
Backpack to Refugio Los Cuernos
Backpack to Refugio Paine Grande
Backpack to Refugio Grey
Kayaking at Grey glacier
Hiking on Grey Glacier
Hike to Mirador Torre
Hike to Laguna de los Tres (incomplete)
Hike in Reserva Los Huemules
Hike to Loma Pliegue Tumbado (incomplete)
Hike to Base Las Torres Hike (incomplete)
Backpack to Refugio Los Cuernos
Backpack to Refugio Paine Grande
Backpack to Refugio Grey
Kayaking at Grey glacier
Hiking on Grey Glacier
Hike to Mirador Torre
Hike to Laguna de los Tres (incomplete)
Hike in Reserva Los Huemules
Hike to Loma Pliegue Tumbado (incomplete)
This was informative and interesting, and I enjoyed hearing your personal humor and style in the writing. Quite an adventure... But are you sure you'll never go to Antarctica itself?
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