El Chaltén[4], Argentina

After crossing somewhat treacherous part of the trek, I thought I had walked into a giant freezer. Blue iced glaciers hung precariously from every nook , cranny and slope on the jagged and serrated mountain sides. As with Cerro Torre, the namesake of this mountain range, the 3400m Cerro Fitz Roy was completely blanketed with thick puffy clouds. However, the massive vista before me was stupendous. Through the clouds, I could make out the foot of some mountains. At the base of the rocky and colourful granite rock terrain, I could see the wide valley  filled with white smoke like a witches cauldron brewing some kind of potent portion,  bubbling with a mixture of steam and rising smoke which instantly condensed after mingling with the cold air above.  I could also see towards my left, trekkers  walking  in a line formation, leading uphill towards the top of a mountain with gigantic blue  glacier in the background. I walked down towards the cauldron on loose rocks strewn on these mountain slopes. This was Laguna de Los Tres. Now completely covered with ice and dense heavy clouds. The cold air seemed to swirl and in constant motion. I dared not venture to close to the edge, not knowing where exactly  the edge was. The snow and ice-covered mountains rose up beyond sight. In the heavens, the sun was still hidden but glowed. It was an eerie sight as if I was wrapped up in a giant silk cocoon.  I picked up a stone and threw it into the massive bowl of white powder. I saw the black stone disappear and heard nothing. Was the lake frozen or just covered in dense icy clouds, I wondered? Although it looked intimidating,  the sight was extremely beautiful and at times frighteningly inviting. I looked around the 360° view and I felt really small in the momentous scale that surrounded  me. Faint silloutes of vertical mountains appeared and vanished within seconds. A few minutes later, reality set in. I felt bitterly cold and my hands were already numb. Although my mind wanted to stay longer by this magical lake, my body had other plans. I snucked my hands into my pockets and walked uphill to the  trek which I had seen earlier. It  looked steeper than I had expected. The punishing icy glacial winds picked up and started to whip everything on its path.

From the perilous top of the dark brown and orange hued hill, I could see the  emerald  coloured  Laguna Sucia nearly vertically deep below with a  magnificent view of the glacier just above the black rock face of Techado  Negro, at eye level. I was surprised to see this lake water, unfrozen and not covered in clouds, just about a couple of hundred meters away from Laguna de Los Tres. Perhaps the steep mountains surrounding  prevented this phenomena.  My body, in particular my hands, wanted to leave immediately as the cold became unbearable. I recalled a similar experience on my day two kora around Kailas in  Tibet when I reached the high point at Drolma  La, surround by rocky snow and ice covered mountains in Summer!  I hurriedly walked down the steep hill and was back at the base of these giant partially hidden mountains. I once again looked at the swirling lake. It seemed to have a magnetic effect on me. I was hopeful that the clouds would relent and expose these precious mountains, but to no avail. I was not disappointed at all as the journey to get here had been a rewarding one. Views of the cloud hugging mountains under the circumstances would be a bonus.

I retraced my trek back out of the mountains until I reached a signpost leading the trek towards El Chaltén via Laguna Capri. The other trails would combine with Sendo Lago Torres. I headed south. The trail continued through windswept forest areas. As I walked, I periodically turned back just to look at the mountains and valleys perhaps to get a different perspective. One time, I was totally taken aback when I saw the vertical summit of the its Fitz Roy Mountain Range against a partially blue sky. I did not know where to start. I walked around trying to get the best views. The sun had penetrated through and illuminated part of the  massive hanging glacier. It was simply amazing with views of Poincenot, Techado Negro and Saint Exupery. Now I wished that I was by Laguna de Los Tres admits these granite giants to enjoy its magnificence. Not only had the mountains opened up, my immediate vista  me seemed to be exploding in colours. The nearby ground was covered with a short scrubby yellow and reddish grasses, the thin and stunted scrub bush lit up like christmas lights exposing their network of branches with reddish barks. A blanket of lime green forest stretched up the steep slopes of the mountains giving a feeling of freshness. Black boulders added form to the landscape. Beyond the narrow rocky valley, the barren snow-covered mountains stretched even higher with the summits piercing through the thickly clouded sky. I absorbed this magical and awe-inspiring views. As I continued walking further away from the mountain range, the views continued to improve and the scale became grander. At one point, I saw a lone Andean Condor fly between the over 3000m rock mountains above the glaciers. What in heavens was it doing there?   After another half an hours’ walk, more jagged outcrops shaped like crocodile’s tooth began to emerge. The clouds were in constant motion.      On a  dried up sandy river bed with trees, some with roots exposed and some in a state of collapse, I could see the spectacular western range including the elusive Cerro Fitz Roy with its peak tucked into the clouds. The clouds had taken on a bluish tinge reflecting the sky. As with the previous day, and true to its Indian name – El Chaltén, plumes  of clouds like smoke rose skyward from this mountain as the dense cold clouds dissipated as the sun warmed up the land below.  I could just sit and watch this  display of lights as the mountains appeared and disappeared. Well at least, I had the opportunity to catch the views of Cero Fitz Roy. I was quite ecstatic about that.

After about an hours walk, after passing the blue and wind swept Laguna Capri and a nearby campsite, the trek emerged out of the mountains and entered into a relatively flat valley abound with mixed types of beech trees and bird life. As I walked with the image of the rocky mountains still fresh in my mind and wondering about the Condor, I noticed that a small number of trekkers had stopped and watched with intent.  I too slowly walked up and much to delight, a pair of woodpeckers. I watched their every move. They were unafraid and at times I managed to get quite close. I looked back to the mountains and the clouds had cast a curtain over the mountains for the moment. I reached El Chaltén around 6pm with some daylight still left. This walk that started at El Pillar gave a much wider perspective than  just the straight forward trek from El Chaltén and backtracking on the same trek. I was not exhausted as the walk had been gradual and gentle in most places particularly at the start and finish. I walked up to the upstairs hallway at the hostel. With my boots loosened and feet up on the chair, I thought about this journey today. It was a significant one as this would be my last “frolicking”  in the Andes. I crumbled into the sofa with a sense of contentment and fulfillment.   A huge poster hung on the opposite wall that I had not noticed before. It was a picture of what I should have seen today, Cerro Fitz Roy  with  its glacial Laguna de Los Tres below. I just smiled and took a picture of it, like before and after a makeover shot. This beautifully sited windswept town seemed like the ideal place to conclude my journey through the Andes. In a way, El Chaltén seemed to personify me. Surrounded and appreciated for its natural beauty, ice covered mountains;  simple but enchanted life; a little isolated yet staying in touch; and importantly being itself with no makeovers needed yet touching  those who ventured here.  Dinner tonight was trout con arroz in the friendly Restaurant La Casita. Next morning, I headed  back to El Calafate and hopefully catch a long distance bus away from the Andes to Puerto Madryn on the Atlantic Coast.  

19.11.09 

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