Day of rest and a dude who looks like Moby

Shaggy drank too much coffee Moby.

It is always smart to have one rest day after a spell in the mountains. I said goodbye to the German girls and hooped a bus to park Llao Llao. The idea was to have leisurely walk through some of the trails and maybe swim in the lake. I showed up expecting a park station where I could get a map, but there was nothing. I ended up tagging along with an Argentinian kid from BA and we went up to Cerro Llao Llao. It was at that point I started to contemplate spending a full year living in South America. My thoughts went back to Heather´s last words to me. ¨Sell your house and travel!¨ she said as I left Puerto Natales. In many ways, moving to South America is much easier than moving to Europe. The cost of living is cheaper, and I can actually work as a snowboard instructor here at Catedral as well. Of course my Spanish needs to be a bit better, but it is not that far fetched. Just move here a month or two early, take some classes, and I´m good to go. However, the pull of going back to corporate life is as strong as the forces which keep the moon in orbit. Could I pull myself away from the big screen TV, Eames Lounge Chair, 100 cable channels, and high speed internet? Is it possible? Sure! Anything is possible, but only real life experience would tell the truth. Coming from a family of doctors, I would be going against every respectful Chinese value. Would I turn into that crazy irresponsible uncle your parents kept you away from because he is a ¨bad influence.¨ Or could they embrace the changes in my lifestyle to put freedom and happiness in front of money and security. These thoughts ran through my head all day.

I met a nice English couple from London at Pudu. We would be travelling together to Pucon on the same bus. I ended up hanging out with them for the remainder of my trip in Patagonia.

Nahuel Huapi Circuito Chico

Aw.... Do you have an owie on your little piggy?

After two treks in Patagonia under my belt, I felt I had everything dialed in. I was going to attempt the small circuit in Nahuel Huapi. The first stop was Laguna Toncek which is a climber´s paradise. I arrived at Catedral and hopped on the gondola to take me up to the ridge. After that, I had a two hour traverse scrambling over boulders over looking cliffs into the adjacent valley. The route was not for beginners. After the traverse, the path dropped into the valley containing the lake. The descent was sketchy at best. My only though was that I would have to climb out of this valley the next day with 15 kilos on my back. My effort was well rewarded with great views surrounding the lake. I found myself a nice protected campsite away from the wind. Just like at Torres del Paine, I found a nice rock on which to bake myself. It was so tranquil watching the clouds shoot past the spiny peaks in the distance. The evening was cold and still. However, I was glad there was no rain to speak of.

The next day to Refugio San Martin would be the most challenging day. I woke up to a sunny day with no wind. The lake was like a mirror and I was able to take some great photos before packing up. I walked towards the ascent that I nearly killed myself on the day before. On the way, I teamed up with an Israeli kid hiking by himself. Up and down we went. Into, across, and over two ridges and three valleys before arriving. The descents (each over 300 meters in scree) just killed my feet. Never the less, we arrived at a reasonable hour and I was able to do a little day hike around the area. The facilities at Refugio San Martin are top notch. The camp sites are well maintained too. The next morning I hiked up to a small lake which had these great polished limestone rocks next to it. The rocks were worn down from years of glacial activity. The result were these smooth contours which happended to conform nicely to your body if you wanted to lay back in the sun. It also provided a good backdrop for some photos I would take later on in the morning.

The descent out of the mountains was 18K. Add to that the extra 6K down the road to the bus stop and you have a very long day. I bombed the switchbacks Heather Poyhonen style, running the curves and tap dancing off rocks. My knees and toes were aching, but I pressed on wanting to get back to buy my bus ticket to Pucon. It was really hot that day and I ran out of water at 18K. By 24K my body was so fatigued and dehydrated that I jumped out int he middle of the road to flag down the next car. Lucky for me, there was room in the car for one more person and a giant backpack. The family drove me back to Bariloche (much better than waiting for the bus). My feet felt like two fire balls when I arrived back a Pudu. There were blisters on top of old blisters. I smiled with a small sense of achievement. I would have liked to do the entire traverse, but it would have been much safer to do it with a partner (well maybe next time).

Pudu and Bariloche

The wind totally shook the plane like a souvenir glass snowball as we descended towards Bariloche. The poor Dutch girl in the aisle seat almost vomited before we landed. Bariloche was a familiar place and I immediately felt comfortable as I stepped off the plane. The walk uphill to the hostel from the bus stop was familiar as well. Emma (one of the owners) met me at the door with a big hug. It had been 6 months since I was last here. The place was a little different than before. There was more random art and the place felt broken in. I showed up just in time for curry night. John and Emma made Tandori chicken for the guests in the hostel. It was nice change from four straight days of spaghetti dinners. Thing were rocking at the hostel this time. I guess it´s high season after all.

I was excited at the prospects for the upcoming trek. The weather looked promising and folks I met told me the trails were in good shape. I tagged along with a couple guys who went to Cerro Campanario. The skies were overcast, but the views were still good. I would later find other places around the lake with even better views of the surrounding area. After provisioning for my trek, I came back to find two German girls who I had met in Torres del Paine. I have seen Sarah and Jenny every week since my travels began. It´s a common occurrence since it´s high season and most people have a similar route through Patagonia. There was a nice crowd in the hostel bar that night. I ended up going out with a few British and Canadian kids to a reggae bar until 4:30 AM. It would be a slow start to my trek the next day.

Patagonian Mountain Gods are Unhappy With Me

I must have made the mountains gods angry for some reason. I was booted out of Fitz Roy faster than Morrissey at a Metallica concert. It was as if I had cheated on my girlfriend and she was now getting back at me, but in the most cruelest of fashion.

Mountain God: So...You came to Patagonia for a girl eh? So...um what about me. Am I not reason enough for you to return to South America?

Sam: No. You have it all wrong. I really wanted to come back to see you. I´ve been thinking about you for the last two years. You are so beautiful. I really wanted to spend time with you.

Mountain God: Shut up! I see right through you. You little piece of shit. I know you came back to see that girl. One day when you least expect it, I´m going to make you pay for your cheating ways.

Sam: I´m sorry baby! I really am. I´ll take you some place nice to eat. How does Red Lobster sound?

And so the story continues.
One day in El Calafate was enough for me. My next trekking adventure would be three hours away in the small town on El Chalten. I would be heading into the Fitz Roy sector of the park. The Swiss couple in my hostel decided to join me since I had the cooking supplies (stove, pots, gas, etc). As we closed in on El Chalten, the weather became worse and it was raining fairly hard when we finally arrived. We decided to get a room at a hospedaje for the first night to wait and see how the weather shaped up for the remaining two days. At noon, we thought about heading up to the first mirador on the way to Laguna Torre. The rain stopped as soon as we left the room. There was a ton of water and mud on the path, but we managed to make it all the way to the lake that afternoon. The skies cleared as the afternoon progressed. However, the peaks were like a magnet for the clouds and we were unable to see Cerro Torre and the surrounding peaks. I saw just enough of the mountains to want to come back again. This daily weather sequence would be the norm for the next day as well. The next day we went to the campsite Poincenot. The skies cleared again in the afternoon and you could see the routes to Laguna Sucia and Laguna de los Tres. The Swiss couple were leaving the next day, so I decided that tomorrow I camp here and see Monte Fitz Roy. The mountain god had set her trap. She gave me enough to see to make me want to come back for more.

The weather had showed enough promise over the last two days that I though it would clear any day. However, this is Patagonia and nothing (especially the weather) is a guarantee. I said my goodbyes to Beatrice and Michael the next morning. As I headed for the trail head, the rain started to trickle just slightly. I made the ascent towards Laguna Capri loaded down with all my gear. I was only wearing a long sleeved dryfit shirt with a windstopper vest. This was enought to keep me warm ,but it was not water proof. By the time I reached the first mirador (1 hours) the rain and wind picked up their intensity. I was starting to get cold, but was in cruise control all the way to the campsite. At some point, I saw little pieces of ice falling down on me. With the high winds, it felt as if my face was getting bead blasted. I played out the scenario of what to do once I reached the camp. Don´t waste any time and get that friggin´ tent set up I thought to myself. Once I reached Poincenot, I was soaked. My pack was waterlogged and my boots soggy. I immediately started setting up the tent. My fingers were numb and not functioning properly due to my gloves being soaked through. After fumbling about for a few minutes, I finally managed to get everything set up. I was really cold at that point and stripped off my clothes to put on something dry. The extra clothes I brought were buried deep in the pack inside a plastic garbage bag, so I was able change into dry clothes. Even with my down sleeping bag wrapped around me, it took about an hour for my body to feel warm. The rain didn´t let up this afternoon as it had the previous two days. More campers started to arrive with the same thoughts of seeing Fitz Roy. We would all be dissapointed. To my horror, I soon discovered that my rainfly was starting to leak slightly. I had strung the rain cover as tight as a trampoline to keep the wind out, but it was not keeping all the water out. My only hope would be that it stop raining overnight and maybe my gear and I would stay dry. The mountain god made sure she would get the best of me. It rained even harder and the wind was even stronger during the evening. I slept well considering my circumstances. The next morning, I woke up to see dirt all over the things I had kept in the vestibule and all over the sides of the tent. Apparently, it rained so hard that the droplets kicked up dirt under the rain fly and all over the tent. The leaking rain cover created a small puddle in one corner of the tent. Nearly everything was wet. The temperature never rose above 7 deg C all day and all night. It was decision time. Sit to wait it out, or pack your shit and head back to town. I opted for the later and dreamed of a hot shower and meal back at the hostel. I quickly pack all of my soggy gear, slid my feet into the cold wet boots and started home. My pack was significantly heavier due to everything being saturated. The rain continued to pelt me as I slowly trudged back to El Chalten. On occasion, I would turn to look back towards Fitz Roy to see if the skies cleared. Nope. It still looks like shit up there. I arrived in El Chalten looking like a drowned rat. As soon as I stepped into the Hostel, the rain stopped and the sun came out! It had rained for 26 straight hours and it decided to stop as soon as I reutrned to the city! I could picture the mountain god laughing at me saying Ï told you I´d get you.¨ One good thing about the rain stopping was that I could set out all of my crap on the front porch to dry out. The area in the direction of Fitz Roy still looked like crap so I made the correct decision. Tomorrow I leave for Bariloche for promises of better weather. I hope mother mountain god was satified with her revenge and would let me go on my way without further issue. I would leave Fitz Roy for another day and hopefully the next time the gods will smile upon me.

El Calafate and The Glacier

I was sad leaving Puerto Natales. The people I met really made me feel welcomed. The light rain was still falling as I left Erratic Rock en route to the bus. As we pulled away, I fondly remembered laying on the rock under the towers with the sun in my face. This would end up being the highlight of my entire Patagonian adventure. All of the windows fogged up in the bus during the five hour trip to El Calafate. There is not much to look at during this stretch of road anyways, so nothing missed.

El Calafate is much different than Puerto Natales. Although both cater towards tourists, El Calafate seems more polished. Everything here is somewhat fancy and well maintained. However, it all comes at a price. I remember some of the prices from the last time I was in Argentina, but dude! Things here are expensive! Everything from accomodation to food to camping supplies cost so much more than I remember. I began to wonder if everything in Argentina became more expensive, or was it just here.

The main draw for tourists here is the Perito Morena Glacier. You all have seen pictures of it in postcards, travel magazines, and TV. However, seeing the glacier live is quite impressive. I booked a half day tour which is more than enought time to see the glacier. The thing is massive. It stands about 55 meters tall in some places. I opted to skip the boat tour since it doesn´t bring you any closer than the viewing balconies. From the miradors, the boat looks like a toy in a white porcelain bath tub with the walls towering overhead. As you stand there, you can hear pops and cracks as the ice moves slowly towards the lake. People stand for hours waiting for sheets of ice to fall into the water. I was not that lucky, but a Swiss couple I met filmed a giant piece fall which left a huge ripple in the water. No matter how many glaciers you have seen in the past, you should not miss the Moreno Glacier if you have a chance.

The W at Torres Del Paine

Readers. I warn you ahead of time that this will be a long entry.

Most backpackers going to Torres Del Paine are attempting one of two options. The circuit is a ten day trek around the entire park. Many people opt for what is known as the ¨W¨ which is a 4-5 day trek covering most of the main sites. I decided to do the W due to the limited time in Patagonia.

Heather came over to the hostel the day before to plan out the route and the meals with me. We planned for ten meals to cover the entire four days. When we were finally finished with the planning, and the ¨to buy¨ list was so huge that I though our packs would weigh 30 kg each. However, I was excited with the prospects of eating well for this trip. Our trip would start from right to left (looking down on the map). Starting off with the towers and ending with glacier Grey.

Transport to and from the park is well choreographed. Each bus or shuttle waits for the next at each connection. We arrived at the trail at 10 AM, applied the sunscreeen and headed to our first campsite at refugio Chileano. The trail took us up the valley for a couple hours. During our walk, the weather was constantly changing. It was warm, but there were clouds in the direction we were going. I hoped that the towers would not be fogged in later on in the afternoon. Once at Chileano, we stopped for lunch. Heather had made some hummus the night before, so we dug into it with some fresh tomatoes. The clouds descended on us during lunch and it didn´t look promising up the valley. Well I didn´t come all this way not to see the towers, so we loaded up our day packs and started up the valley to the mirador. You never know the capability of your trekking partner when you are hiking together for the first time. Heather proved to be much stronger than me. Maybe it was because of her marathon training, or maybe it was the new running shoes. In any case, she absolutely crushed me scrambling up the last boulder field to the lookout. I mean she was a rockstar on those boulders leaping from one to another overtaking everyone in her path! When I finally caught up to her at the top of the hill. My near heart attack experience was rewarded with blue skies and a clear view of all three towers. Heather suggested that we head down to the lake to get away from the crowd and I agreed although my knees didn´t. The views from the bottom were even better and there was no chatter from other people. After the obligatory pictures, we parked ourselves on a giant rock layed back in the sun and watched the clouds pass through the towers. This would be the highlight of my entire trip in the park.

The second day was just as sunny and warm as the first. We were now on our way to Cuernos for the second night. This was going to be the longest day of the trip. It took as few hours to hit the refugio, but the views along the way were very nice. Heather stopped to pick a few Calafate berries growing along the trail. She planned on making a special treat for later. Once we arrived, we met up with Heather´s boyfriend Serkan and another friend who was working at the refugio. They decided to take me to Valle Bader which is not a marked trail on the map although there is a climber´s camp there. The route to the camp was a long ascent up the the valley. The three threw down a pace that I just couldn´t stay with. At some point the trail was non existent, so we scrambled up a steep scree field, then the some scrub grabbing on to branches to keep from sliding down the mountain. Over one last bolder field and we had arrived at the climber camp. My body was nearly wiped out. The views from the camp were very nice and you could easily see why the climbers set up camp here. The valley was surrounded by vertical towers flanking both sides of the glacial stream. Heather broke out the Calafate berries and made a sort of honey, berry, dark chocolate tart for all of us. My body was able to recover slightly and we backtracked down the mountain to the refugio. The way back was even faster than before. All four of us were running down the trail, sometimes out of control. On the way back I could see some clouds on the horizon. The breeze had picked up tremendously in the past four hours. It was not a good sign for things to come. We were treated to a colorful sunset before bed. I needed all the rest I could get because tomorrow would be the longest day according to the schedule.

Well, it was bound to happen. The crap weather finally moved in over night. At some point I woke up thinking that my tent would be picked up and tossed into the lake. We made an attempt at Valle Frances that morning, but the views from the first mirador were just terrible. I could see the glaciers on the far side of the valley just fine, but the peaks were hiding from us that morning. Cooler temperatures came along with the winds. We were freezing our butts off after stopping at the mirador. Heather wasted no time and cranked it down the trail back to our backpacks. We got the heck out of there and set off for Refugio Pehoe which would be our last night. It took a while for us to warm back up from the walk in. The wind was pushing the rain sideways so strong that when I arrived at the refugio, the right half of my body was wet and the left half bone dry.

Last day. We hiked up to glacier Grey in the morning. The wind was howling directly in our faces on the way up. The going was quite fast due to the bistering pace Heather threw down. We arrived at Refugio Grey in about two hours. You could see huge ice bergs floating in the lake beside the camp site. We sat in the refugio for an hour to warm up. After lunch, we walked the last ten minutes to the mirador. The weather had cleared upon our arrival, and we were able to see glacier grey in the sun. After about an hour, we ran back to Refugio Pehoe for a celebratory beer. I had finished the W and experienced nearly all of the conditions Patagonia had to offer (except snow). With this trek under my belt, I felt even more prepared for Fitz Roy and the other treks I would take on the way back to Santiago. It was nice to share the experience with someone. I don´t get the chance to do this sort of thing too often at home, so it was nice to have a partner with local knowledge and superior capability.

Naviamag and The Route Down

A few folks from the hostel in Puerto Varas were also catching the Navimag from Puerto Montt down to Puerto Natales. We caught the bus down to PM which only took twenty minutes. Upon our arrival I realized that Heather´s advice about stayng in Puerto Varas was spot on. Puerto Montt is not that nice and I´m glad I spent the two days elswhere. The Navimag is the ferry which ships passengers, cars, and other goods down throught he fjords to Puerto Natales. The entire trip takes four days. Although you can buy everything on the boat, It was recommended that we buy snacks and alcohol ahead of time since those things were expensive on the boat. I ended up buying a 1.5 liter box of wine. Yes, wine in a box! My intention was to share the wine, but this would prove to be a big mistake later on.

I was located in¨the ¨C¨ berth which had the cheap beds. Our bunks looked like book stacks in the university library. Beds were small but surprisingly comfortable. Even the huge Dutch girls could fit comfortably in the beds. I shared my section with an Irish couple making their way south from Peru. Rosie and Louie had worked one year in New Zealand, so I immediately started bombarding them with question for my next trip. The passenger space on the three decks is actually small. It took 5 minutes to see pretty much everything. For more detail, you can see this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfBQ_OBBzOM

Our route took us out of Puerto Montt into the Gulf of Ancud. The breeze was strong and everyone was at the bow looking forward out towards open waters. As we went further down, the temperature started to get colder and the days longer. The weather was constantly changing. Rain in the morning turned into sun two hours later, then turned back into clouds, then mist, then back to sun. The weather is so unpredictable that people here don´t even pay attention to the reports. On occasion, the boat was escorted by seals and dolphins. We could also see whales in the distance which brought all of the passengers to one side of the boat all at the same time. The boat made a couple stops along the way. The first was Puerto Eden which is a small colorful fishing village. The second was at the glacier Pio XI. After seeing the glacier, I wondered if it was worth going to El Calafate after all. Before I knew it, it was day three and I had not started on the box wine. So I started drinking the box at noon hoping I could finish the entire 1.5 liters by the end of the bingo party that evening. Remember, I said that my intention was to share the wine, but the Irish couple only drank beer (big surprise). I don´t remember too much after the bingo party, but I woke up in my bunk the next morning with purple lips and a stained toungue. During breakfast, I only stirred my eggs around on their plate and went up to the bow to see if the cold air would help cure my hangover. I was like that dog who sticks his head out of a moving car. It did bring some relief, but I would be wrecked for the next 24 hours.

I could see Puerto Natales in the distance. We were finally here. From the looks of the city, I can see how this place would be totally deserted in the winter. However, it is now high season and the streets are filled with people, most of whom are arriving to see Torres del Paine. This would be the closest I´ll ever be to the end of the earth I thought to myself. Of course Ushuia is even further, but due to the time constraint, I had to make a compromise. Looking forward to meet up with Heather again and see the greatness of the park.

Tight Lines

My fishing guide Renaldo picked me up on time at the hostel. We were on our way to the Petrohue river running at the foot of Orsorno volcano. On the way, I realized that I had not asked nearly enough questions about the fishing trip as I needed. He explained that we would be primarily streamer fishing, but could take me to one of the tributaries for some dry fly fishing if I wished. I took a gander at all of the streamer flies he had and some from his dry fly kit. Everything looked similar to the trout kit I would have in Idaho.

We loaded up the boat and took a ride up to the river. It was a picture perfect day. I was the only one on the entire river. The water was clear (about 3 meters vis) and no wind to speak of. We stopped at a place which looked as if I was directly under the volcano. The first few casts from shore produced nothing, so we started our drift down the river. Within 15 seconds, I saw a yellow flash and my rod bowed in a very familiar way. It was a nice fat 16 inch brown trout which put on a great fighting display including a few leaps out of the water. The action was steady for most of the morning. The clear water allowed me to see fish chase the streamer from far away. Each flash of silver or yellow was followed by a nice tug on the rod. Although there were no huge fish, I was happy with one rainbow which nearly touched the 20 inch mark.

Later on in the afternoon, we bushwhacked up to a feeder stream to fish a couple pockets with dry flies. I was absolutely amazed by how many fish I was able to pull out of hole the size of my kitchen table. The trout just murdered the size 10 stimulator. That single fly must have caught 40 fish. By the end of the day, my arms and hands were tired and my face sunburned. However, it was one of the most spectacular fishing days I´ve had in my life. The day lived up to all my expectations and I will never forget it.

I´ll post pics when I have time. But trust me, the pictures look like they came out of a magazine.