El Calafate : Ice Ice Baby

The final stop on out tour down Route 40 in Argentina was the town of El Calafate.  It is a much bigger and touristy town than El Chalten and the main point for visiting the Perito Merino Glacier.
After a short (only 3 hour) drive from El Chalten we arrived and check into our Hostel : Ikeu Ken.  It was another really good hostel with great staff and a pet sheep and a very friendly dog.

Hostel Ikeu Ken and the Pet Sheep.

Gillians new friend.

The next day we took a bus out to the Perito Merino Glacier for the day.  The unique feature of this glacier is that it is a Stable Glacier.  This means that unlike most Glaciers in the world this one is not receding. It is actually still advancing but due to climate change issues is hasn't advanced or retreated for a number of years.  The Glacier is very active, its always cracking, snapping and big chunks falling off as it pushes forward.  Some of the sounds are like a bomb going off !!!!.  There are lots and lots of walk ways around the glaciers so there was plenty to see.

Perito Merino Glacier.

A bit of an avalanche.

Back of the hostel we got a great Asado (BBQ), to celebrate our last night in Argentina.

The local Gauchos set up the Asado.

Thats a proper BBQ !! (Our portable BBQs at home will never be the same again).

"Bloody" Magic !!!!

Thats it the end of our trip South from Salta on the Bolivian Border down to El Calafate, Patagonia on Route 40.  Next up Chile !!!!!!

Goodbye Argentina (Don't cry for me ;-) )

El Chalten, Patagonia.

After a great time in Bariloche we thought things couldn't get much better, but we hadn't been to El Chalten yet !!!!

First of all we had to endure a 24 hour bus trip down Route 40.  After an evening of Jason Stratham films we arrived in El Chalten.  Its Argentina's newest town, founnded in 1985 built to claim the land before Chile nabbed it.  Its Argentina's trekking and mountaineering capital and its not hard to see why with the Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitzroy towering over the town.  We immediately knew we were going to have a great time.

Welcome to El Chalten (Cerro Fitzroy in the background).

We had another brilliant Hostel called Aylen Ayke and the owner Sebastian is big heavy metal fan, my eyes lit up of the library of Iron Maiden and rock DVD he had !!!!

When we woke up on our first day the sun was shining bright and clear, so we decided to do a day hike up to the base of Cerro Torre and the glacier at its foot.

Heading off to Cerro Torre.

It was a fantastic hike through beautiful Alpine Meadows and forest up to the Glacian lake at the foot of the mountain.  There was quite a few people on the trail and we met our first Scotsman of the trip proudly wearing his Glengarry as he hiked.

Through the apline meadows.

Cerro Torre and Glacier.

Cerro Torre and Glacier again !!!

The next day we decided to join an Ice Climbing and trekking trip on the nearby Viedma Glacier.  We had never tried ice climbing before so it was great to have a go at a new sport.  We had to get a boat over to the glacier and we sailed past some huge icebergs on the way.  We passed the snout (front wall) of the glacier and was lucky enough to see some big chunks calve off.

Viedma Glacier

Iceberg.

Desn Ice Climbing.

Gillian was a natural !!!

After a mornings climbing we went on a trek round a part of the glacier.  We saw some spectacular crevasses, Moulins, Caves and at the end we we had a special treat !!!

Trekking over the ice

On the glacier.

Looking cool ;-) !!!

Enjoying a Baileys and million year old ice !!!

It was a memorable day out and we hope to do some more Ice climbing in the future.

Next up we decided to do a hike up to the base of Cerro Fitzroy.  This was a longer trek so we would have to take the tent and camp out for a night.

Ready for Fitzroy.

Fitzroy hiding in the clouds.

Starting to get a bit cold.

Base Camp in the woods.

Supper Time.

A bit nippy the next morning. 

Fresh snow on the walk to Fitzroy.

Gillian with Fitzroy (somewhere) in the background.

Looking back down the valley toward El Chalten.

Trudging back into El Chalten after an enjoyable weekend in the mountains.

El Chalten was a real highlight for us, so much trekking we would love to go back one day.  Our next destination would be our last in Argentina, El Calafate and the spectacular Perito Mareno glacier.

Bariloche : Mountains, Lakes and Ash !!!!!

We were really looking forward to getting down to the Argentinean lake district to take in the beautiful lakes and mountains.  However when we arrived it looked more like something from a post apocalyptic scene.  The visibility was almost  nil and people were walking around wearing dust masks.  What the hell had happened ?.   We learned that a volcano had been erupting over the border in Chile, and Bariloche had been getting much of the fall out.  The volcano had been erupting since May and had caused the airport to be closed and affected the ski season quite badly.  There was quite a few piles of ash scattered around the town.

We were very disappointed and it looked like we would have leave due to the conditions, but luckily for us the wind was to change and the beauty of the place was to be revealed :-)

The hostel we were staying at was fantastic, a very chilled out snowboarded chalet and the host Santiago was a cool guy and arranged and Argentine BBQ (Asado) for us on the sunday night.  Meal and Beer lovely !!!!!

The next morning we decided to do a cycle tour of the lakes, called the Circuito Chico which is about 25K.  It was a great way to see the lakes and mountains and get a feel for the area.

Fine weather on the Circuito Chico.

Gillian over looking Lake Nahuel Huapi.

On the route we passed through the village of Colonia Suiza, which is a small Swiss colonial village so we were able to stop for an Apple Strudel and a Schnapps !!!

Strudel Stop.

Colonia Suiza.

Looking over the Lakes.

On the road.

Stopping for a rest.

Hotel Lloa Lloa - Argentina's top Hotel.

 Finished and Gillian rewarded with Welsh Tea and scones !!!!

Deans reward Berlina Cerveza !!!!!

Next day we put our Hiking boots on and went for a day hike from the Catederal Ski Center up to the mountain refugio at Frey.  It was a cracking day for it !!!!!!

On the start of the Trail.

Crossing the rickety bridge.

Looking up the valley.

Made it to the Refugio.

Climbers (Not Us !!!).

Gillian in the Mountains.

Only 1 person at a time !!!!

Our Hostel : The Green House (nothing to do with Hibs might I add !!!!).

Did I mention Bariloche is famous for Chocolate .....

.... and Ice Cream.

Looking over Bariloche and the lakes.

Enjoying a Mate with Santiago in the Hostel.

So the weather turned out to be great and we absolutely loved Bariloche.  I would definitely love to come back on the winter for a spot of snowboarding.

Next up (after a 24 hour bus ride), was down to Patagonia and the Frontier town of El Chalten.