After two days of incomparable winds and questionable road condition, I was finally arriving to El Chaltén and the impressive Fitz Roy. In retrospect, I wish I had spent more time here. This well hidden treasure is a paradise for outdoor fanatics with lots of mountains to climb, stellar hikes to do, not to mention the outstanding scenery!
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| Fitz Roy |
When I look back at my trip toward Chaltén, I realize I might have been a little bit more fortunate, not to have been "unfortunately unlucky", than I had first imagined. A lot of the road was under construction with lengths of dirt roads with ripples, loose gravel, and at times and ocean of fist-sized rocks that made it an ever challenging ride. The news reached my ears just half an hour after the accident, where another motorbiker fortunately only suffered a broken shoulder and was flown away in an helicopter with his comrade.
But as I drove nearer to El Chaltèn, the plain extensions of La Patagonia came to a curb where the imposing mountain range of The Andes, with sharp, snow covered peaks decorated the horizon. Even though the wind kept pounding at my bike and myself I felt strangely at ease, marvelling at the bright blue mountains, and the goldenly yellow fields which will forever remind me of Patagonia.
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| The last stretch toward El Chaltèn |
I decided to do the most important thing, hike to the glaciar lake of Fits Roy. Thus, upon the next day, I took the bike around to where one route starts. The hike was initially very comfortable as it ran through a forest covered area up to the foot of the mountains, where a base camp is available for campers. There I ran into a German couple I had seen previously, and informed me that the challenging part is yet to come.
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| The first glimpse of Fitz Roy from the trail |
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| ...getting closer |
It is a challenging ending to reach the glacier lake and the impressive view of the Fitz Roy, but the reward was worth every step of the steep ascent. Fortunately, I arrived just min before clouds glided in and ended the show for yet many tourists making their way up.
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