Last glimpses of Patagonia

By Monday evening Trisha and I were the last to leave Ushuaia. It was with some relief for me because even although we had been to Antarctica in between, we had been using it as a base for over 2 months. With a small adventure in mind we headed to Calafate, a short flight and 5-hour bus trip from Rio Gallegos.

Calafate serves as the base for tourism activity around the ‘Los Glaciers’ National Park. This park incorporates the Patagonian Ice Cap and the glaciers that run off it down into the lakes on the “pampa”. It’s a special part of the world with some stunning scenery.

The main attraction is the Glaciar Perito Moreno some 80km away from Calafate. It streams down 14 km from the Andean summits to Lago Argentina and ends in a 60m-high/5km-wide ice wall. Personally I believe it to be one of the most spectacular things to see in S America. As it is relatively warm where the face meets the water, the ice is pure and not covered with snow, which results in showing off shades of blue and textures, which are just fantastic. The forces of nature that shape this living beast are incredible. Always in motion by the pressure of the ice at the head of the glacier, it cracks and rumbles its way forward and when it all gets too much to handle, huge chunks clave off at its face. These form icebergs which then float off down the lakes driven by the incessant Patagonian wind the “Pampiero”, creating a bizarre contrast against the parched enviroment through which they move.

We managed a newly introduced boat trip, which got us within 50m of the face and enjoyed sticky buns on the way back in the mini bus.

Next was a short trekking trip to the mountains around El Chalten. Chalten houses maybe hundred people during the winter when it is snowed in and serves as a base for climbers and other outdoor enthusiasts in the summer. Within easy access from the town, climbers can pit their skills against famous mountains like Cerro Torre an awesome granite spire reaching some 3100m up into the blue or Cerro Fitzroy at 3405m - actually it’s a climber’s paradise. These mountains provide majestic views that tower above their glaciers and lakes at their feet. In the valleys around them other lakes of varying shades of blue and green add to an overall scene like something from a Disney movie. It’s very beautiful and of course again characterized and constantly shaped by the incessant wind – not a vertical tree in sight!

We spent two nights out in the mountains camping and thoroughly enjoyed it. We enjoyed and endured snow, rain and wind, which kept our outside activities short and focused. Spending 16 hours in our tent on our first sleep did have its advantages !!! Fitzroy did not oblige with any daytime views but during the night we saw the awesome silhouettes against a clear sky and moon. Cerro Torre on the other hand was perfectly clear and bathed in the light of a warm sunrise.

Back in Brazil we arrived in time to celebrate Trisha’s birthday at her brothers home on the beach. When we arrived the entire family was wearing project shirts. Many ‘Caipirinhas’ and slices of delicious ‘Picanha’ were enjoyed by all. I even got wet and had a surf! And so ended a marvelous trip to the south.

back to LOGBOOKS