This past weekend, I had been assigned to help assist a group that went out on a camping trip called the “Chaltén Total”. Isabel and I carried the tents and all the food to the camp and then we prepared all the food. We portered/managed camp for the last 3 days and 2 nights of their 6 day adventure. It was a completely new experience for me because I had never carried a pack over 20 kilos and certainly not for over 20 kilometers. I was a little worried at first but I knew that this would be a good experience to see the different roles people participate in here in El Chaltén.
The trek starts from town, near the National Park center, and trails all the way to Laguna Toro to see the Río Túnel Interior Glacier and the surrounding mountains.
We started off at 7 in the morning, just in time to see the last of the sunrise. It was a bit chilly when we walked to the trailhead, and I had a sturdy amount of layers piled on. The hike started easy; it was leveled and there was a small bridge to cross over. However, the trail suddenly started to ascend and before I knew it, I was peeling the layers off like an onion. The sun was beating down on us hard and so we slathered on sunscreen, knowing that we are in a part of the world where the sun is the most dangerous (There’s a hole in the ozone right above us!).
We were ascending and ascending until we finally reached the top of the hill and then right in front of us in the distance, was the aquamarine water of Viedma Lake.
We stood in awe for a few minutes before trekking onwards. The view was amazing and the lake was so colorful. We entered into the newly awakened forest- all the leaves and sprouts from the ground were starting to appear. There, I felt the most at home. It reminded me of the lush forests of the Appalachian mountains, where I live back in North Carolina.
Shortly after, we bursted out into the open fields where you had the view of the valley, Laguna Toro, and the surrounding mountains. The closer we got, the more we noticed the contents of the valley. Half of a rainbow appeared at one of the sides of the lagoon and you could see it’s vibrant colors from a distance. It seemed to light up the entire valley with a kind of mystical presence.
The trail from here was all downwards towards the campsite, which we were relieved to walk after having to walk through the tough terrain of snow and swamp. The field surrounding us was full of burnt tree trunks because many had died in a forest fire a few years back. Some of them were standing, some were decaying on the ground, and some were burnt to a crisp- with only ashes remaining in their place.
We reached the camp at the foot of Laguna Toro and ate a quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich (the typical American go-to sandwich) before setting up the tents for the campers. We started to warm up some hot chocolate for the campers just in time for them to roll into camp. They were thrilled to find a hot drink waiting for them after a long days hike from their starting location.
After, we turned the corner and took a quick walk to go stand on the shore of Laguna Toro and see the Túnel Interior Glacier. The wind was strong and there were a few times where it about knocked me over. After we were winded out, we headed back on the trail.
We made a dinner of ratatouille with noodles and sat around the campsite talking until our bellies were full and our eyes were starting to drop low. As soon as we cleaned the plates and made sure everything was put away, we headed to the tent to get a good nights sleep before the big hike to Paso del Viento in the morning.
DAY 2
We started off early in the morning in order to reach the top at Paso del Viento before the stormy weather rolled in. It was about 300 meters of walking until we reached our first challenge: river crossing. Luckily, the water was not too high and we simply had to take our boots off and walk across the freezing glacier water.
Soon enough, we were heading towards the Río Túnel Interior Glacier. The path was rocky but pretty easy to find. Once we reached the edge of the glacier, Gastón the guide, helped each of us onto it and then we could enjoy a little glacier trekking. I had never been on a glacier before, and after looking at them around the National Park for so long you can imagine my excitement when I first stepped foot on it!
The terrain was unlike anything I had ever walked on. You could see right through the ice, all the layers and rocks underneath it. It felt as if I was going to break the ice and fall many meters all the way down. We walked slowly on the glacier until we reached the path on the rocks and then we starting ascending all the way up to Paso del Viento. There were many miradors along the way, with amazing views of the south-east face of Fitz Roy. You could see both glaciers, Túnel Interior and Túnel Exterior as well as the Toro valley that went all the way to Viedma Lake. The view was truly incredible, it felt as if I was on top of the world. I was really excited to get to Paso del Viento and see the continental ice field and all its glory.
The Patagonia Ice Field is one of the most fascinating things to me. It is a complete no-man’s land; full with the harshest weather conditions, no suitable way to live on it. It is the third largest ice mass in the entire world right behind Iceland and Antarctica. I just could not believe that I was finally going to see this wonder of the world that many people have died trying to navigate on.
Once we got to the point where there was only a straight and short walk to the edge of the viewpoint, Gastón stopped and gave us a few words before we saw the view. “This moment is yours” he remarked and soon afterwards we started to run across the snowy field to witness the famous Continental Ice Field. As soon as I looked across the huge field of ice, my jaw literally dropped. It was so immense and I felt so small. You could see snow flying across the glacier Viedma and the ice seemed to stretch on forever.
After staring in awe at the ice field for a while, we decided to have lunch at the top of the view point. The winds were super strong and we could only sit for about 10 minutes before we decided to head back towards camp. There was a storm coming on and to avoid getting rained on, we moved a bit more quickly on our descent.
Once we arrived at camp, we stretched our bodies after having walked the whole day and then proceeded to start making dinner. The dinner was rice with a rich mushroom sauce accompanied with some really nice Malbec wine. We shared stories and recapped on the hike today. It was the perfect end to a challenging hike, and a great last night of the trip for the campers. As soon as it turned dark, we all headed to our tents for a good nights rest.
In the morning, everyone rose up early so that one of the campers could return to town to catch a flight. The hike back to town was about 3 hours and so it was best for them to move early and quickly. Isabel and I would be staying at the camp and packing up instead of hiking with them. We said our goodbyes and wished each other good luck on our journeys. I was glad to have met these people, if only for a short time.
Packing up camp was difficult because the wind was extremely strong and every time we took one part of the tent down, it would go flying across the campsite. Finally after disassembling our camp and assembling our backpacks, we headed back to town on the same trail we arrived on.
This experience was one to share and to be remembered forever. I have always been fond of camping and think that it’s an experience that every one should give a try. It is the perfect example of simplicity- It clears the mind and soul and allows you to take time for yourself. While you’re out camping you only have to worry about the upcoming short-term goals like what is for dinner or where you are going to read your book for the rest of the night. Whenever I feel like my mind is cluttered, I take to the woods for a night or two in order to be refreshed. In this way, you are able to understand the importance of nature and appreciate what it has to offer us.
