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Okay, I´m back. I just had the most wonderful bath! Traveling can make such small luxuaries so enjoyable. =) Anyway, my second day I had signed up for a Glacier trek/ice climbing excursion to Laguna Torre and Graciar Grande. I knew it was going to be a big day...but in the end I really had no clue what I was getting myself into. We started out at 6:45 am and it was about a 6 hour hike up to the start of the glacier, and at a fairly fast pace..we did after all have to go back the same way and there is only so much light in a day. The hike was very scenic and the fresh air and water was invigorating. One really amazing aspect of the Parque National de los Glaciares is that all of the water is potable. So we could stop anytime we wanted to fill up our water bottles in the rivers or streams that flow from the glaciers throughout the park. And this is some good stuff! Much better that all the fancy bottled water back home. =) We stopped at a base camp along the way to get our crampons, the spikes you attach to your shoes towalk on ice, and then spent a few hours stomping around on the glacier and learning how to ice climb. Glacier trekking is the best excuse I know of to stomp around like a temper tantrum-prone child...great fun =P And ice climbing! Its pretty challenging and lots of fun, so naturally I´m hooked. The sun never broke out of the clouds, but the view was still stunning. I really love being on a glacier. It is always impressive. One of the best lunch spots I know of. =) Our guides were lots of fun too and kept singing ¨California girls¨ after they found out I was from Cali. Towards the end of our trek on the ice it started to snow! So we had lots of fun playing in the snow. After we got back to base camp, it was late. We were behind schedule, by a lot. So most of us decided not to wait for the guide and head down the mountain ourselves. I´m not sure whether it was the desire for a hot shower, a beer, warm meal, or just an end to the day, but I´m sure that a group of guys and I broke some kind of record for making it down that mountain. We practically ran. The guys were great fun and very proud of me for being the only girl to be able to keep up with them. It ended up being over a 13 hour day and I have to say we definitely earned our Quilmes (the local beer here)! Quite the adventure. I was really exhausted at the end of the day, but I always feel so great after an excursion like that. Like I really accomplished something. Silly, but that´s me. Anyway, the next day was spent relaxing. Marie (a friend that I made on the glacier trek from Montreal) and I were thinking of catching a ride with two German friends we also made to El Pilar, a good starting point for the hike to Laguna de los Tres (one of the most famous treks in the area, the closest view of Cerro Fitz Roy and its surrounding peaks)...but we decided to take a lazy day (two short hikes, one to a view point and the other to a water fall) and ¨wait¨ for better weather. The weather here is so fickle! One minute I´m in a tank top, the sun is shinning, and the next I have every jacket I own on, with gloves, hat, etc, while I´m being practically blown off the mountain. The best example would be when we did hike up to Laguna de los Tres the next day and were snowed on, while the sun was still out! Definitely a first for me. Great fun though. Anyways, we were right! Well, really, just super lucky. The next day was almost perfect. The hike to the base camp was very beautiful, the weather was as warm as it gets down here, with only little burst of wind now and then. We came across the poor guys (Adrian and Marcus) just getting up at the base camp...they had a really rough night camping out there (lots of cold wind and rain). I´m very glad I decided to try camping later, when I know more about what I´m getting myself into. Anyway from the base camp is a very steep hour hike up to the the glacier lakes and view of the the peaks. There was fresh snow all over and the view was spectacular. Really it was. We stayed up at Laguna de los Tres for almost an hour having lunch and taking in the magic of it all. Fitz Roy was almost completely uncovered (it is notorious for always being shrouded by clouds), which is very rare. On our way back our great weather finally started to give out...so I would have to say we had perfect timing and ended our time in El Chalten wonderfully. After another full day of hiking, we were beat, and I headed to bed without even thinking of making time for dinner. The next morning (so early it was still dark) I caught my bus back to Calafate and hung out until I was supposed to catch my flight...well, you know the rest. I´m definitely coming back some day though, to really explore Patagonia the way it should be.
Well, the next time you hear from me I´ll be in Santiago starting my volunteer work!
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