El Chalten Hiking

Today we decided to head to the mountains. First stop is to rent gear 2 sleeping bags and mats and 1 2 man tent. The tent is much heavier and larger than expected this is not going to be fun. We head off around 11 after stopping for a coffee hit.

The start of the trek is at the end of the town, the up we go. The first 4ks is to Lake Capri, this took about 2 hours. Absolutely stunning scenery, the sun is shining it is a glorious day. I am pleased with me effort so far as I am not as fit as a I should be and have not hiked all year. Mel carried the tent this far now it is my turn. I manage to attach it to my day back, but now I stick out both sides and are severely lop sided.

The next 4K to Poincinot is relatively flat but quite exposed. The wind is howling around us and more than once it pushed me sideways. There are many small bridges to cross and I'm sure the wind is waiting for me to cross these as several times I need to stop and hang on fearing I would be blown into the small streams.

We make the camp site in about an hour. The tent was relatively easy to put up under the shelter of the trees. We were both quite tired so a lay down was in order. I was absolutely frozen the cold was coming up through the ground it froze me solid. I should have got up but was so scared of getting cold again I did not move until the next morning. Mel got up to take both sunset and sunrise pictures.

The wind was howling around ist sounded like a thunderstorm but the camp was situated in such a way that it was protected form the wind. I only slept for a couple of hours and remember waking in the dead of the night. It was is dark starring at my hand trying to make it focus was impossible - all I saw was blackness.Read more