Ever wanted to visit one of the worlds most beautiful places? Well, the rugged landscape of Patagonia is your place to do so! Patagonia is the land of dreams and should be on the top of every hikers bucket list. Back home in Ireland, hiking was something I occasionally dabbled in to feel less guilty about having a fatty weekend but I found myself just absolutely loving it in Patagonia. How could you not with the trekking routes that take you from lush meadows to snowy-rugged peaks and to the most monumental sight I have ever seen, the Puerto Moreno Glacier of El Calafate, Argentina. Just the mere thought of some of the natural wonders we had the pleasure of laying eyes in Patagonia puts a massive smile on my face. There are literally endless kilometres of hikes to choose from throughout this fascinating landscape so choosing just a few when everything looks like it's worthy of being on postcard was a very difficult thing to do. We knew we wanted adventure and we knew we wanted views. We definitely got both! A lot of camping, baby wipe showers, peeing behind bushes, hours spent hitchhiking, days spent waiting for the weather to clear and an unexpected afternoon spent white water rafting. It was rough and ready, we were both stinky for days at a time and we absolutely loved it!
The beauty shared between Chile and Argentina is sensational in this region but I figure as I write this post that no amount of adjectives will do the beauty of this place any justice so I feel this post needs to be picture heavy which is great for me as my writing skills could do with a bit of work and my time is limited with our busy travel schedule!
Carretera Austral - Chile
Carretera Austral is a hikers dream and is the name given to Chiles Route 7 stretching a distance of about 1,240 kilometers. As tourism in this region is not yet overly pronounced you will probably find yourself, like we did, resorting to plenty of hours standing at the side of roads hitchhiking and renting overly priced run down bedrooms but you will be sure to have a great adventure. Along this not so trodden road which requires the odd boat trip through the fjords that separate these towns, we first stopped first in the little commune of Chaiten which was completely destroyed by the eruption of the nearby Chaiten volcano in 2008. The stark reminder of this tragedy is still very much evident in the town today with the remains of trees and debris strewn across the land where the river once flowed. The river has now excavated a new course through Chaiten which during the process again destroyed significant parts fo the town. Standing tall in the distance, you can see the Chaiten volcano with sulfur still continuing to billow from its depths, a stark reminder of its ultimate power over the people deciding to live in this region.
From Chaiten we decided to try our hand at some hitchhiking as buses here are incredibly infrequent, if not non-existant. We wanted to head further down the Austral road to the town of Puyuhapi. After bagging some cardboard from a local supermarket we took our stance at the side of the road just out of town prepared to wait a couple of hours and trying our best to look as little like serial killers as possible! To our amazement as not many cars seemed to be passing, one man pulled up and told us he was going to a town about 50km over. We were a bit hesitant at first to take him up on the kind offer as it wasn't where we wanted to get to but figured it would at least get us a bit of the way there. He dropped us off at his intended place so we hopped out, grateful for his lift and feeling confident that another car would soon pass to whisk us away. Well, unfortunately that second car never came for us. There was plenty of cars passing alright but they were all full with camping gear and passengers or had already picked up hitchhikers before us. That or we actually did look like serial killers? We waited and waited and sat and stood in the wind and rain at the side of this remote road waving our Irish flag at each car that past by in the hope that just one of them would stop...everybody loves the Irish right? Well, apparently not! We didn't carry camping gear with us so couldn't even set up a wild camping spot for the night and we were running low on food as we had munching on our nibbles throughout the day to ease the boredom. It was time for us to make a decision as it was just two hours until nightfall. It was either going to be wait it out even longer or head back to the town of Chaiten where we had started our day all those hours ago. Waiting it out it in the cold was just not fun anymore so we decided to move to the opposite side of the road to get back to Chaiten where we would try and get some sort of non-existant public transport the next day. Just as I had frustratingly crossed to the other side of the road to stick out my thumb at the next unsuspecting car that would pass, a car whizzed up and actually pulled over for us! YAAAY!!! But, the one downside was that we were headed back in the direction we had just come from earlier that morning. His name was Sebastian and he was a manager at a lakeside lodge called Yelcho. He was on his way back into town to get something or other for his car. We told him our story and he must have sensed our desperation and frustration as he then offered to let us camp at his lake but the only catch was that we didn't have any camping gear or cooking equipment with us. Luckily Sebastian had a tent and a mattress we could use but no sleeping bag or camping equipment so for the next two nights, we set up camp beside all those around us who were clearly a lot more equipped than us. We even had to take some hot water from the German couple in their fancy camper van beside us for our pot noodle dinners! They kindly offered us a nice glass of white wine later in the evening which was a delicious treat at our cold unprepared camp space! Sleeping without a sleeping bag is also pretty bleak in Patagonia and I would certainly not recommend it. All we had at hand was all of our clothes, dirty towels and plenty of spooning to keep each warm but luckily it wasn't peak winter season in Patagonia so the nights weren't as cold as they can be down in these parts but they were still pretty cold!
Our little hitchhiking life saver Sebastian told us he was going to the nearby town of Futaleufu in two days time and strictly demanded that we must make it our business to go there and do the rafting on offer. He explained with such great enthusiasm that it was one of the most thrilling activities to do in the area and that we must go with him to the town and do it. Our plan was never to go to this place in the middle of nowhere as it just seemed like such an effort to try and get there with the lack of public transport and we were kind of over the whole trying to hitch hike the Austral road thing but with the prospect of a free ride to the town and the fact that it actual sounded really awesome we had no choice but to add it to our itinerary and take him up on the offer.
This little off the beaten track town called Futaleufu was never on our 'to do' list but there we were, signing our life away for a rafting trip the following day. The Futaleufu river is one of the worlds premier whitewater rivers in the world so we were expecting big things from this side adventure.
Eh....the rafting trip was amazing!! We've both done some rafting before but this was on a whole other level and can't even be compared. Crashing through grade 5 level rapids which are some of the strongest and dangerous rapids in the world was completely exhilarating yet terrifying at the same time. We were literally hanging on for dear life all the while roaring for more. If it wasn't for Sebastian who raved about this place and offered to bring us there, we never would have had these memories, so we thank him for it wherever he is now, which is probably in his beautiful lodge by Yelcho lake!
Cerro Castillo - Chile
The best trek in Patagonia you've probably never heard of! This four day trek to Cerro Castillo was definitely one of my favourites from our entire time spent in Patagonia. It was wild, remote and very few people along side us on the trails which is something I am growing to appreciate a lot lately. We could really immerse ourselves in nature and take it all in and that's exactly what we did.
The first day of the hike was easy, a relaxing walk through the farmlands towards the mountains and a close encounter with some cute cows. There was also a few river crossings which meant wet feet for Niamh as my boots have significantly lost their water proofing with all the abuse I have given them over the past 7 months! Our first camp site was perfectly situated by the river which provided easy access to pure glacial water which was delicious to drink. Also handy was the hole in the ground toilet here albeit a bit like something out of a horror movie! We set up camp, much more familiar with how the whole camping thing worked this time around after our time in Cochamo valley and enjoyed our slap up rice dinner while listening to the sounds of the running river in the background.
The second day was tough with a steep ascent through the forest but it gave us our first glimpse of the snowy mountain views that were to come. After the forest section the trail opened up to a steep rocky section up towards the mountain pass. I found this section much easier to climb than through the forest as I could hop from rock to rock without noticing the strain on my legs too much and also the views back down into the valley were great which kept us distracted from the ascent. Once near the top of the pass we were greeted with some snow and ice cover which was quite slippery to walk across and it didn't help that by that stage the wind and cold had picked up significantly but thankfully I made it across the pass in once piece without managing to fall flat on my ass. We were rewarded with breathtaking views of the rugged walls of the mountains as hundreds of waterfalls cascaded down from the glaciers perched on top. After eating lunch and catching our breaths while enjoying the beautiful surroundings we made our way down the other side of the pass which was another slippery affair on lots of loose gravel, my most hated terrain to hike on! The trail then led back into a forest which zig zagged across the river which after a while again opened up to another amazing hanging glacier and views of more imposing mountains. Our second night of camping was my favourite as we were lucky enough to bag a spot over looking the beautiful mountain pass we had just come from. After dinner we got cosy in our tiny tent and enjoyed the views from the comfort of our sleeping bags. It was perfect!
The following morning, after a short but steep hike over yet more rocks we reached the famous Cerro Castillo Laguna which is even more turquoise in real life than it appears in photos....unbelievable right? We were so lucky with the weather here that we could really appreciate the glacial mountain and laguna in all their glorious splendour. The views were so enormous that we felt so small against it all. After enjoying the laguna we then had to carry ourselves up over another steep and rocky pass but despite the pain the views out over the Cerro Castillo mountain range and back down towards the valley to the town of Coyhaique were splendid and vast. We were tiny in comparison. After a long and arduous climb down this pass where again I was lucky enough to have fallen only once on my ass, we set up our third and final camp. This camp was a bit crap as were surrounded by a loud and quite obnoxious group of trekkers who decided they would take over the entire picnic bench for themselves leaving the rest of us to sit on the logs outside our tent. Hence why I have grown to find large groups of hikers annoying while trying to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. Thankfully however we didn't have to stick them for too long as early the next day we left camp to make our last descent out of the park.
On the way down we somehow got lost, having to slide down a mucky hill side on our bums but it wouldn't be an adventure if things like that didn't happen once in a while! From the exit it was a loooong walk on a gravel road towards the main road to Coyhaique. Luckily for us however, probably one of the only cars on that road that day pulled up, obviously feeling sorry for us having to walk all that way so we happily piled our weary bodies in and let them drop us off at the main road where the fun really started! In Patagonia, public transport is notoriously bad so most of the time the only option is to try your hand at a bit of hitchhiking but that can be hard when the competition is high! We waited patiently at the side of the road for a lift back to the town of Coyhaique along with other trekkers who had also finished their trek, all wishing and hoping for that ride but unfortunately after 2 hours of sitting under a bus shelter that ride still hadn't come. We decided to join forces when all of our patience was growing thin and rang around a few taxi companies to see if they would be willing to offer us a helping hand to get back to some sort of civilization. Thankfully after a few phone calls, one man obliged and we eventually got back to our hostel by late afternoon, absolutely shattered but most definitely fulfilled!
Torres Del Paine - Chile
To immerse ourselves further in the beauty of Patagonia, the next hiking trip (As if we haven't done enough of that already!) on our hit list was to the beautiful Torres Del Paine National Park where like most places here, the waters turquoise, the glaciers mighty and the rock formations jaw dropping. The area also boasts stunning lakes and rivers where along the shores you are bound to spot some furry guanacos.
However, we quickly realised that the big down side of hiking the famous ‘W Trek’ here is the fact it’s expensive and we REALLY hate having to pay so much money to enjoy all that nature has to offer. Not only is it costly to camp and hike in the park but most of the camping spots are booked up months in advance (the down side of leaving everything until the last minute!). We arrived in Puerto Natales with a limited budget and no camping reservations for the Trek. BUUT…thankfully all was not lost! As we scurried from each tourist agency to tourist agency in the hope that some camping space had become available we met a Dutch girl Anna who was also in the same, slightly desperate situation as us. We had read online that there is the possibility to camp outside the park and do day hikes to the Torres Del Paine park if you find yourself without any reservations but only really possible if you had a car. We put our heads together and decided that this renting a car thing, camping outside the park in a camp ground called 'Pehoe' and doing day hikes of the ‘W trek’ would be the best and least costly option for all of us. The campground even had functioning toilets and showers...spoiled we were! Even better, our new Dutch friend Anna picked up another Chilean girl Eva from her hostel that was happy to come along for the adventure! After renting all of our camping equipment, shopping for the staple camping diet of pasta and porridge and bagging the best deal we could for a car for 2 nights, the four of us were on our way for our next camping and hiking few days of fun and of course lots of hours of tough and sweaty hiking!
Our first day was an easy one, taking the time to observe the wonderful surroundings of the park and making stops along the way to marvel at the beauty that surrounded us.
As we only had two full days of hiking in the park we decided to undertake two legs of the 'W trek', Valle Del Frances and of course Mirador Base De Las Torres
Valle Frances is a deep valley dominated by a magnificent hanging glacier, beech forests and the French River. It took roughly 2 hours to trek from our boat stop into the valley before we got our first glimpse of the glacier and by then we could hear the rumble of small avalanches in the distance. From here it took another hour to make the steep and sweaty climb to a viewpoint overlooking the French glacier which immediately stole our eyes. Here we sat for some time watching ice calving from the glacier face and listening to the thundering sound resound throughout the valley. It was awesome!
The next morning was a hike to arguably the most beautiful sight of the ‘W trek’…those three distinctive granite peaks of the Paine mountain range. We awoke early, scoffed down some porridge, jam packed the car with our camping gear and left at sunrise in order to have the car back in the town of Puerto Natales by 7pm. There was so fear of any of us falling asleep in the car that morning as during our drive we were greeted with the most beautiful and unique morning sky all of us had ever seen. The clouds swirled high in the sky hovering over the huge granite massifs all the while glowing the most stunning orange and red colour. Waking up at stupid o'clock was already worth the effort!
The hike to the base of the Torres was relatively easy with a gradual uphill climb where we could already start to see the lakes and the entire landscape in Torres Del Paine. The final climb up to the Torres was the hardest with a long and steep uphill path to the viewpoint. We started off on a path full of large rocks which then turned into loose gravel with no cover from the sun or wind. Just when we felt like we couldn't climb any more, we turned the final corner where we were greeted with the most beautiful sight. Even if you see photos of this place, seeing it in person is a whole other story. When at the top, all we needed to do was sit in silence and tilt our heads up to admire the staggering view that lay before us. It's no wonder that this part of the world is synonymous with world class hiking!
El Chalten - Argentina
Patagonia not only stretches parts of Chile but it's also home to many beautiful places in the neighbouring country of Argentina, one of them being the town of El Chalten which is the gateway to trails surrounding the dazzling peaks of Cerro Torre and Mount Fitzroy. For us the best part of hiking in El Chalten was the fact that all the trail heads were easily accessible from the town which meant no messing around with tents or carrying heavy equipment for days at a time. The chance to have a hot shower and a cold beer at the end of a long and sweaty day of hiking was also a BIG bonus. (It's amazing the things you come to appreciate when traveling for long periods of time and for me, a hot shower is one of them!) Not only are the trails easy to reach here but they are truly remarkable. This place really is a hikers dream...like all places in Patagonia really, but for us the day hikes here were some of our favourite.
Unfortunately when we arrived in El Chalten the weather was pretty crappy which meant we didn't actually get to see the granite horns of Mount Fitzroy for a number days. I even started to wonder did they actually exist! That's one thing I will say about hiking in Patagonia... patience is key. The weather in this part of the world is incredibly changeable so you need to be prepared to stay a few extra days if you want to get those insta worthy photos!
Despite the fact that the skies were grey, we didn't want to waste too much time feeling sorry for ourselves so decided to brace the elements and under take the day hike to 'Senero Loma del Pliegue Tumbado'. It was cold, rainy and pretty cloudy but despite the bad start we did manage to get a few minutes of fleeting sunshine along the way. The last push to the summit was tough and steep but at the end we were rewarded with 360 degree views from the mountains of Cerro Torre and Mt Fitzroy to the town of El Chalten below to the far reaching lakes. It actually turned out to be a wonderful hike and a great way to get our legs warmed up for the one we would hopefully undertake in the coming days to the base of Fitzroy. The trail was also a lot less crowded than the one to Mt Fitzroy presumably so I tried to really appreciate the silence and peace that surrounded us.
After our first successful hike in El Chalten, albeit a rainy one, thankfully we had heard rumblings that the weather was set to change. We crossed our fingers and hoped that we would finally get to see the granite rock facade of Fitzroy in all its glory without its peaks being caught up in a web of grey cloud. As much as I hate early mornings, I also reluctantly agreed to a sunrise hike. Rising early from the comfort of our beds at 4am we left with our headlamps in the pitch black night sky to one of the lakes giving us a clear vantage point of the mountain. As we sat in silence on some cold boulders with the black outline of Fitzroy in the distance and low shimmer of the laguna waters the morning sky slowly began to take hold, turning the huge rocks that lay before us bright red and orange, like the place had just been set on fire. It was truly magic and one of the few times that an early morning start was completely worth the effort. It was hard to comprehend when looking at such a sight that mother nature actually had the ability to create a thing of such grandeur, one of the many reasons why I think she is completely amazeballs!
Unfortunately we couldn't linger for too long however as our hands and feet were freezing after sitting for an hour in the cold so we decided to push on towards the base of Fitzroy to Laguna De Los Tres.
The remainder of the hike to the base of Fitzroy was relatively easy, albeit long until the last kilometer which was a steep uphill ascent but our main motivation was to see the mountain up close, so we persevered. With not a cloud gracing the bright blue sky we took the time to enjoy the incredible views that lay before us as it had been somewhat hidden from us for the past number of days. We wanted to savour this moment! It was such a perfect sight and a great spot for lunch, actually probably one of the best you can find here. That afternoon we came back to our hostel completely exhausted but satisfied with our experience. The landscape was so incredible and magic that it was impossible not to feel touched by it. I went to bed very happy but very exhausted that night! It was a fantastic end to our not so fantastic start in El Chalten with the weather being the way it was.
Perito Moreno Glacier - Argentina
Just a short ride from the town of El Calafate in Argentina lies one of the most impressive sights you need to see. Lying in the Southern Patagonian ice field, the Perito Moreno glacier is so impressive that it's hard to find the right words. It's big, noisy, impressive and best of all it's one of the few glaciers in the world that's actually advancing rather than retreating...HURRAH!! We've seen many glaciers throughout our travels this year but this one is by far the most outstanding we have seen. It's impossible to even compare. Did I mention that it's big?? With an area of 250 square km, the capital city of Buenos Aires could fit inside it! We spent some time walking on the balconies that bring you close to the glacier and in that time we saw and heard a handful of icefalls. It started with a series of loud cracks that sounded like gunshots as they echoed through the valley and then before we even had time to witness the ice fall, the water made a roar as the ice caved to its depts.
After seeing the beautiful Perito Moreno glacier from the balconies and witnessing parts of it melting while making thunder-like sounds, we set on our way to a walk on the ice. We took a short boat ride followed by a short uphill trail to get close enough to the glacier where we then put on our crampons and started our walk on the ice. After a short hike we were surrounded by the magnificent white surface of the glacier with intense blue pools, deep crevasses and ice mountains sculpted into peaks and tunnels. Ice can absorb all the colours of the spectrum except blue which is what creates the illusion of blue ice. The drama at being up close and personal to a glacier of this magnitude was outstanding. The views we were offered were superb and came with minimum effort. A nice touch at the end of our mini hike was when our guide broke some ice off from the glacier and gave each of us a drink of ice cold whiskey... YUMMY!
Seeing the Perito Moreno glacier first from a distance and then from on the glacier reminded me of how small and powerless we really are in the face of nature.
After spending six weeks hiking and trekking in Patagonia it was super easy to become blasé about the views we witnessed but it's only as I finish writing this post and look back on all of our pictures that I now fully appreciate the scale and beauty of what we saw. All of it was worth the effort!
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