Chalten - Fitz Roy

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!

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.

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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. 

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.

The first glimpse of Fitz Roy from the trail

...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.

Ruta 40

The Argentinian side is completely different from the Chilean mountainous, ... , and ... side. The horizon extends toward the end of what you are able to perceive with your own eyes, and the roads go straight toward it. It is immense!

My friend from Sweden asked me to take a picture of a road that goes straight as far as the eye can see. There was no doubt that this was the picture he referred to. "So putting my bike horizontal against the strong head wind, should give me a good shot." - Great picture!!

Wait... Ohh shit!! 

I know you should not use bad words, but in this case there are really no other words that describe just that feeling of looking through your camera and see... that! :S

End of La Carretera and the beginning of the Argentinian Patagonia

After my visit to Tortel I was almost at the very end of La Carretera Austral (the Chilean road that goes through Patagonia), and forced to backtrack some 100 km to cross the Andes mountain range and continue my journey southward on the Argentinian side. I crossed a little south of Chile Chico, Paso Roballo which left me two days to arrive to El Chaltén, and the world famous Fitz Roy.

In a way, I was happy that I had chosen the less frequently travelled route across the Andes, because I found myself alone in the middle of an amazingly beautiful park. In these moments, you notice a smile form on your face, and you suddenly take a deep breath of absolute contentment, wishing it would never end. Anyways, I was compelled to stop and take some pictures for you all (otherwise you would never believe me). - Enjoy!

There was really no doubt in my mind that I would spend the night anywhere else but in the park, thus I kept my eyes open for a well-sheltered spot along the stream that ran along side the road. Although not optimal, I was left with little choice and the exposed spot proved challenging as anything took flight that were not tied down. Still, I was richly awarded with an out-of-a-story-like surrounding and a thrilling night sky.

Moreover, since it had been some days, my military training set in and I mustered up enough courage to walk down to the icy stream to have a bath! - "One of the most important aspects of being in the wild for a long time, is hygiene". haha, easier said than done, but done it was! And how delicious with a warm cup of coffee as the darkness settled around the valley, just before creeping into a thick, warm sleeping bag.

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Just as I was getting back up on the road, some park rangers stopped to inform me that you are encouraged to stay on the road. "Of course officer!"

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I crossed the boarder at one of the lonely outpost in the middle of nowhere. On the Argentinian side, I stumbled upon a tricky situation. A French guy had bought two horses off an Argentinian farmer. The simple mean of travelling by horse seems to be overwhelmingly complicated these days, ...where is the world heading?!! :S

...and back on the Argentinian, vast fields of Patagonia

After I had made some progress toward the famous "Ruta 40" (that goes through all of Argentina, North - South). At one point I stopped to have a closer look at the map, just that as soon as I took it out, the wind caught it in a mere second and away it flew! Lucky enough, at the gas station a while later, I met some Canadians heading north, we cut their map in half, and I got the "southern" part! ;)

I had been very surprised about the impressive winds that had me drive close to a 45 degree angle, in a constant battle to maintain equilibrium and stay in my lane. At the gas station, I consulted the Canadians driving their mini-van about the conditions they had encountered so far. I was concerned as I was told: "at some points we were involuntarily pushed over to the opposite lane". hmm... :S

The next two days were challenging beyond my expectations and any other hardship on my trip so far. I had to be patient and learn how to do things in an entirely new set of circumstances, and how to do them correctly. I must admit that the extreme winds had me concerned that my quest to reach the end of the world would turn out to be a fools errand. But as moods go up and down, challenges come and go, and with a little patience and fortune I persisted and arrived to El Chaltén two days later.

The yellow grass, the clear blue mountains, and the wide open fields will always remind me of the immense Patagonia

Tortel - A place not far away from the End of the World

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After an unforgettable time by the lake, we were off to Tortel. I took off just before my comrades, and because the bike better handles the sometimes tough dirt roads I was sure to arrive ahead of them. So I thought at least. But we all know who wins the race...the turtle! 

Because of really cold and chilly winds I was often forced to stop, do some push-ups and warm up my frozen bones, and then keep going. At one point, I also had to re-tie my luggage as it had become loose, and maybe not surprisingly a yellow van appeared from around the corner. I obediently followed the turtle the last bit to El Tortel and enjoyed the dream-like landscape around us.  

When we started to approach Tortel, we drove through landscapes with impressive mountain ranges, lots of rivers and streams, and a very humid climate. Tortel lies by the calm water of a fjord-like basin, on the side of steep and green mountain sides. It is entirely navigated on boardwalks built around the village, thus inaccessible to vehicles. The town is very quiet, and renders an unmistakable end-of-the-world atmosphere.

I have looked at this place on a map many times, and wondered what it would be like to see it  with my very own eyes. This mythical vision sort of came true as I walked along the boardwalk, passing the old tree buildings, boats in questionable condition, and wooden objects simply left to decay. Furthermore, the climate was super humid with rain always in the air.

wonder when the boat was last used!

After we were satisfied and began to discuss the various accommodation options, we realized that a lot of people in Tortel were not very enthused about tourism, hence little regard of a hospital welcome and charged quite high prices. 

At the end, we actually settled for some soup and bread, underneath a roof (with two walled corners) by the main parking area, where we eventually laid out our sleeping bags and slept quite comfortably until the morning pedestrians started to disrupt the peace.

Although I think it was worth visiting this remote and mysterious town, I think it would have been a less of an enjoyable trip to come here alone. It is truly a unique an spectacular environment, but I really appreciated the company I was with. Maybe it was just due to the melancholy weather and the emptiness...

After breakfast, we headed back up north, and I on my own towards the Argentinian Patagonia to continue en route south!

The Yellow Van & The road to Tortel

The Yellow Van

I was asking myself a few times if a trip to Tortel would be worth the while, since one is not able to cross the Andes range much farther south but has to backtrack some 100 km to the passage Roballo. But since my new found crew in the Yellow Van was going, I could not turn them down. - And Tortel is a truly (remote and..) unique place.

Wait! ...the Yellow Van Crew?? Sorry! Let´s back track! Before I even arrived to Puerto Rio Tranquilo where we all met, I was leaving Cerro Castillo after a coffee in the Bus restaurant. I enjoyed some truly remarkable landscapes I had only been looking at on maps before. I was thrilled to actually see this scenery with my own eyes, places I once thought were too remote and unreachable.

When I arrived to Rio Tranquilo, I encountered some people I had met previously. I hung out with them in that afternoon as they were trying to hitch a ride out south. It was interesting to get a little glimpse of the hitch-hikers life, (not being able to go as you wish, wherever you wish). We played a sesh of hackie-sack, and I really enjoyed a relaxing afternoon!

Now as we were huddling inside the camp owners fire-heated cabin that night, people kept joining our company and we grew to become a joyful group of travellers. As no one had any strict plans of destinations, but a general direction southbound, Will offered some 4 seats in his Yellow Van for people heading south. I myself joined the company, but on my own means of transportation.

The Yellow Van Crew & friends

Although we set out at different times, we easily found each other again in Cochrane farther south. We decided to leave the town behind us and look for a camping spot along the road. After some kms we found the perfect spot just off the road and next to this large, dream-blue lake surrounded by rolling mountains. We were stoked! Without verbal consent, we stopped, had a look around, and enjoyed the late afternoon in an irresistible climbing tree before anything else were to be done.

The Irresistible Climbing Tree

....and of course a mandatory afternoon swim in the beautiful lake

When the sun started to disappear, we quickly built up an impressive pile of wood, started a fire, and sat down to just enjoy this incredible moment in time. Out of sight, our very talented musician was setting up a concert with amp, mic and everything. Unbelievably, we were later enjoying a full-on lake concert in the middle of Patagonia, as the sun was setting across the lake beyond the rolling mountains on the horizon. 

Something I will never forget. 

The Crew

Our Guitar Hero

The festive time lasted long into the early hours of the night, when the impressive pile of wood had gone, the drowsiness finally gripped a firm hold on the joyous spirit, and my awareness of the trip to Tortel made it hard to resist the comfortable sleeping bag. Moreover, a strong wind had found our sheltered spot on the beach, and threatened to blow away anything not tied up properly.

Yes! We had evidently occupied the drinking water for our neighbours across the road, which after an initial attempt to clench their thirst despite our presence, left us alone for the duration of our stay. 

We slept till we woke up, had some individual breakfast, and I even took some time to sit down with some music to write my diary. At one point, it was time to move on, and we broke camp and hit the road. Toward Tortel!!

Cerro Castillo

I came to the conlusion that it was necessary to stay the night in Cerro Castillo and continue to the beautiful lake General Carrera, the largest in Chile the following day. But plans don´t usually turn out as planned, and I have come to realize that more often than not, it actually turns out better than planned.

Dog at our campsite, with was the home
to more dogs, cats, and chickens! :)

I arrived in the late afternoon to the small village, took refuge inside this bus from the strong and chilly winds to relax and let a warm cup of coffee warm up my cold bones. When I was again rejuvenated and the darkness started to settle, I left to set up my tent in one of the two camp sites. The following morning when I was getting ready, I was however convinced to stay and instead join a horseback tour of the area, which just from the road looks very impressive.

So, not according to plans, I was on the back of a horse instead of in the seat of my bike. I don´t necessarily have much experience with horse riding, but I am over my head with confidence and excitement. Hence not surprisingly, I immediately started to get comfortable in the saddle, and get to know my steed Sombra (Shadow in English) better. We were two of a kind in this group, a little impatient and very free spirited, so I tried hard to keep my place behind our guide Leo, whom I talked to a lot throughout the day.

Shadow and I 

After a fair time in the saddle, we all began to feel a bit sore and the need for a rest. At this point, we tied the horses to some tress at the edge of the tree limit, and hiked the last bit up to the crest on foot. The view of the valley below was the cause to much interruption of the hike, for photo shoots and admiration. 

But at last we reached the crest, and were stunned by the majestic rise of Cerro Castillo with its sharp spires, sheer size, and the glacier feeding the tall waterfalls. We rested on the side of the lake, with a warm mate being passed around, and some cookies being shared brotherly between ourselves. The magnificent view never grew old, and the more you awed at this natural wonder, the more details you observed, which enhanced the experience and feeling of spiritual contentment even more. We were all very satisfied with the day so far!

On the way back, I had been promised to be allowed to gallop some with Sombra, and so we were. It was at first a bit tricky when we were still in the woods, but when we reached an open field, we took off with the wind...completely unaware of the havoc that we caused behind us. - The horses are used to follow one another, so when one horse takes off, ... the others follow. Everyone was not as excited for more action I learned. 

Upon our return, the Germans in our group were very eager to see the soccer game between Germany and Chile, which Germany won although the game was tight. I was later invited to have dinner with the Germans, which is always a treat when you travel alone and are accustomed to cook by yourself. The next day, I returned to the bus to drink another coffee and chat with the youngsters I had got to know there before departing. - I will be back! ;)

The Crew with our guide Leo