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Süd Amerika 2024-2025
  • Billie Martinson
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  • Billie Martinson
  • messer

Süd Amerika 2024-2025

4 Monate - 5 Länder
🇵🇪 solo
🇧🇴 solo
🇨🇱 together with Andreas
🇦🇷 together with Andreas
🇧🇷 for the end Read more
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  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025
    12

    Parque provincial Aconcagua

    Nov 27–29, 2024 ⋅ ☀️ 0 °C

    After intense research on the internet and several mails exchanged with the „park authorities“ in Mendoza we felt pretty confident that we could squeeze a three days trekking in the provincial park of Aconcagua. The only requirement would be to get and pay our permit in Mendoza, hence the overnight stop in this nice, leafy city (it was very nice to see so many lush trees after many desert landscapes).
    As soon as we arrived we headed to the permit office, where we got told in confusing terms that the trekking would not be possible without buying “services” from an agency. We spent more than a hour trying to find a company that could help us before going out for a steak and wine.
    Due to the complicated permit process, the short amount of time at our disposal and the high prices we decided to head to the park and do day hikes instead of the 3 days trekking.
    We had had contact via WhatsApp with the owner of a camping close to the park and went there in the hopes to spend the night there. The camping site seemed in fact a dump field and we found nobody there so we moved on and found a nice spot close to the Puenta del Inca.
    Hikes:
    Day 1: Los Horcones to Confluencia which leads to the first camp on the way to the Aconcagua summit. The view of the highest peak in South America (6992 m) is stunning and not a cloud in view. We met many nice people on the way, especially a French couple, Hervé and Valerie, just retired, with whom we spent our lunch break. We drive them back after the hike and go for beers together after. Unfortunately our tire is flat again, and we need to change it on the campsite.
    Day 2: Laguna Potrero Escondito. This hike was recommended to us from a nice lady we never met but helped us after we asked information on a random WhatsApp group (we were lucky to experience the kindness of strangers several times after we asked our questions on social media, which we found very inspiring as they sometimes got to great lengths to help us find information). Long but beautiful hike to a frozen lake, we only met 2 other persons in the whole day.
    After the hike it was time to get ready to cross the border back to Chile through the famous Paso de los Libertadores. The border crossing to Chile is strict but went smoothly and within about an hour we went in Chile! The road down the pass goes through the famous ski resort of Portillo and the very steep and curvy road is full of trucks even on the weekend.
    We arrived in Santiago de Chile around 21:00 and went rapidly to bed.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025

    Santiago de Chile

    Nov 29–Dec 1, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Santiago de Chile greeted us with flawless skies and perfect temperatures.
    The city counts 7.2 millions inhabitants and sits surrounded by the Andes, while still being pretty close to the Pacific coast.
    Day 1: after a relaxing morning at the AirBnB we set off for a long walk across the city with the end goal being the Cerro de San Cristobal. We stopped on the way to the Central Market for a lunch of fresh fish. The Cerro San Cristobal is situated in the Parque Metropolitano de Santiago and locals as tourists go there to admire the view of the city and the Andes as well as the 22 m high statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We spent a solid 45 minutes at the top watching (ahem making fun of 🙈) the crowd arriving at the top (many legends among them, a couple of selfie sticks).
    We hiked down in the sunset and went for dinner (and gin tonics) in the bohemian, colourful and vibrant Barrio Bellavista.
    Day 2: we spent several hours in a cute cafe planning our trip to Ushuaia and then went for a walk through the city. We end up going through the biggest, most crowded, chaotic, kitsch and stuffy Christmas Market we had ever seen (it was 26 degrees then) but also nice markets and relaxing parks (until a group of surexcited women started screaming and dancing next to us, celebrating the birthday of an approximately 3 years old girl with the same intensity of a royal wedding).
    We then had to head to the airport for a sleepless night waiting for the flight to Punta Arenas (music volume around one million).    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025
    1

    Magdalena and Marta Islands

    December 3, 2024 in Chile ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    Early in the morning, we set off by bus and boat to Isla Magdalena. The boat ride was exciting, with wind and waves adding to the adventure. On the island, we were greeted by an incredible sight: hundreds of penguins waddling around. We eagerly took photos and enjoyed the unique atmosphere.

    On the way back, we made a short stop at a rocky island, where we could observe sea lions up close. Afterward, we enjoyed the fresh sea breeze on deck and had a great time in the wind.

    Back in Punta Arenas, we had a hearty lunch and explored the city. We ended the day with a cozy dinner at the hostel.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025

    Ushuaia- Senda costera

    December 5, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    On our first day in Ushuaia, we hiked the Sendero Costera along the coast. The entrance fee to Tierra del Fuego National Park took us by surprise – a hefty 40,000 Chilenos, about 35 CHF per person. But by the end of the day, we had to admit it was worth.

    The trail led us through stunning coastal landscapes with dense forests, quiet bays, and rugged cliffs. After hours of hiking, we reached the endpoint at Lapataia and planned to take the bus back to the entrance – only to find out there was no not possible to pay without reservation or 10,000 Chilenos.

    With no other option for us, we started walking back and tried hitchhiking along the way. After several attempts, a friendly young man stopped after we walked more than 27 kilometres and offered us a ride back to Ushuaia. He was working in Usuhaia for a few days and also had the opportunity to visit the park in the afternoon.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025
    11

    Vinciguerra- Laguna de los Tempanos

    December 6, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    As on the first day, we took an Uber driver to the start of our hike. The trail wasn’t very long, but it was swampy and muddy, making it difficult to move forward. The view and the panorama at the top were breathtaking.

    From the lagoon, we continued toward the glacier, taking a detour off the main path. We had a lot of fun climbing through snowfields and steep rocky walls before starting the descent. There, falling was not an option — otherwise, we would have been completely covered in mud.

    Just as we arrived at the endpoint, we got lucky: a taxi driver picked us up. We started chatting about ideas for the next day, and he gave us some great tips while showing us beautiful photos.

    Inspired by his recommendations, we decided to do the hike he suggested. We even arranged a pickup time with him for the next morning to take us to the starting point.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025

    Laguna Esmeralda - Ojo Albino

    December 7, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    As mentioned before, we followed the recommendation of our taxi driver from the night before and set off with him for a new hike. It turned out to be a hidden gem. The beautiful lagoon and the glacier, which we reached via snow-covered paths, revealed their most stunning side.

    We spent quite some time both on the ascent and descent, as well as at the various spots along the way, simply enjoying the moment. We kept stopping to take in the views, the mountains, and just savor the nature around us.

    During the descent, we met a French-speaking Swiss, and we exchanged some travel experiences.

    Back at the starting point, we hitchhiked with two lovely women and a dog in the backseat :) on our way back to Ushuaia.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025

    Laguna Amaraga to Séron

    Dec 10–11, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    First step of the O trek, the one we have been dreaming about and planed months ago! About 145 km and 6800 meters of elevation are ahead of us and we can not wait.
    We first had to take the bus to Laguna Amarga and although the bus ticket we booked was supposed to bring us to Torres Central (welcome center), we were asked to pay once more for the shuttle there. So we decided to hike there (7 km). About 2 km before the gates 2 nice Columbian workers stopped and asked us spontaneously if we wanted a ride, which we gratefully took.
    After a quick coffee at the centre we looked for the way to start; it happens that one needs to actually walk through the souvenir shop to start the trek :)
    The first hike day is about 13 km on a pretty flat terrain and the highlights were the beautiful weather, a nice South African family and the wide, slow, turquoise and curvy river.
    We arrive at camp Séron, which is not crowded at all and spend a nice evening in the sun, cooking, getting to know the fellow hikers and looking out for pumas.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025

    Séron to Dickson

    Dec 11–12, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Day 2
    18.5 km, Séron to Dickson.
    We start the day with a beautiful sunshine and light breeze through fields and fields of marguerites. We climb a small pass and are rewarded by a stunning view of the Lago Paine and an impressive mountain range. The wind got stronger but the weather holds. On the way we keep pass and be passed by the same couples and make jokes about it. We have also started giving nicknames to the different groups we met:
    - the Efficients: minimalist backpacks, fast walkers
    - the South Africans: for the nice family
    - the Screamers: an American group who speaks for the whole campsite (one will wash her underwear tomorrow)
    - The Poles: who are in fact from Chile
    - The Terrex couple: both head to toes clad in Adidas Terrex gear
    - The granola girl: spent about 3 hours doing yoga after the hike and was gone by the time we woke up (although no kale in her soup, I checked).
    - The egg friers: a nice group of Venezuelian who packed a box of at least 48 raw eggs, a whole butter box, full bottles of wine and scotch they had to carry in groceries bags on the way. They were happily cooking scrambled eggs with onions when we left in the morning.
    - The nod couple: we passed them so many times on the trail that we agreed we did not need to greet each others while passing another
    - The exercise group: started doing sit ups upon arriving at the campsite.
    - The middle life crisis: started ultra trail running, wants everybody to know about it. Runs the O trek in minimal equipment and hires 2 porters to carry his luggage.
    We need to register at the Guarderia Coiròn and reach out he Dickson campsite beautifully situated next to the Lago Bianco. The peaks and glaciers are all immense and the water is turquoise. The campsite is more crowded in Dickson, but the weather helds.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025

    Dickson to Los Perros

    Dec 12–13, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Day 3: easy day from Dikson to Los Perros (12 km).
    Easy, beautiful hike. Close to the campsite we could see a glacier coming into a green lake. We came upon a duck family with ducklings training to swim in the current. At dinner we met another couple, “the Surfers” from Australia. Early night (people were checking in when we went to bed) because tomorrow is an early start.Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025
    1

    The John Gardner Pass

    Dec 13–14, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Day 4: Los Perros to Grey Camp.
    Presented to us as “the worst day” because we will climb the John Garner Pass (1200m) it was the most interesting and beautiful day so far.
    We woke up at 4:00 to start walking at 5:30, no, we are not the fastest packers. The mood in the cooking area at breakfast was hectic, everybody was either aiming to survive the day or beat everybody else at the implicit speed contest.
    The sun rises at 5:30 so we could start the day in the beautiful sunrise light and the way up reminded us of the Alps with bigger walls and glaciers.
    The climb to the pass was pleasant with some snow fields and when we reached the top we could admire the Grey Glacier from above. This ice mass is longer and higher than any glacier we had seen so far and we were blessed with good (fair?) weather with almost no wind.
    The hike down was steep and we reached the control spot at 10:10 (we had until 14:00 to get there, otherwise we would be stopped by the rangers). After lunch at 10:30 we continued the beautiful hike going above and along the glacier. It was not a common sight for us from Switzerland to be walking in trees and flowers above such a huge glacier (the altitude of the glacier is around 500 meters).
    Arriving in Grey Camp was a bit of a shock after the quiet previous days as the camp is also part of the W trek and therefore much more crowded. The line for check-in goes for ages, at least I can use it to write the missing reports for Findpenguin. Meanwhile Andreas had the brilliant idea to set up the tent while I was waiting, otherwise we might have ended up with a very windy camp spot.
    The evening was spent drinking a Patagonia Beer for apero and eating dinner at the Refugio. We met a German couple and British guy doing the W and spent some time after dinner exchanging recommendations for El Calafate, el Chalten, Bariloche and San Pedro de Atacama.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025

    Grey to Paine Grande

    December 14, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Day 5: 11.5 km from Grey Camp to Paine Grande.
    Slow morning (we slept very well although most people could not because of the wind), we woke up to the sweet sound of the Screamers starting their day.
    Breakfast was a busy affair with an eclectic music choices (mini market playing Greenday just next to the Terrasse.
    After getting ready we decided to let the backpacks at camp and go to the Mirador close by. The view of the Glacier was so nice, the weather so perfect that we spent around the 1:30 hour just watching the sun light moving across the glacier. It was an emotional moment, as we were so grateful and happy to be here, but at the same time sad that this view is meant to disappear in the coming years.
    We started walking around noon after a quick coffee watching W trekkers arriving at do some acro yoga.
    We “finally” got a taste of the Patagonian winds on the way, as some gusts almost knocked us down but overall it was not bad. We passed the youngest human being on the entire trek, sleeping happily against his father’s chest.
    We arrived around 15:00 to the stunning Paine Grande Camp with a beautiful view of the bicolored mountains: probably because of an ancient glacier there is a very distinct line between the bottom (light brown and the black top). The campsite is windy, fortunately Sky gives us an indication where to set camp and we find a slightly “illegal” (just across the fence delimiting the companies tents to the private tents) but VERY wind sheltered. We asked our neighbour for his consent, which he gave us when we assure him that we don’t snore (he, on the other hand will play his music until late at night). But we prefer than to have our tent broken like some of the Screamers and another person who set up their tent on the spots we were considering before finding our beloved spot.
    We have dinner at the Refugio again and play Monopoly afterwards with Sky and James (aka the Surfers) and Sarah and Dan (aka the Efficients, off course they are preparing for the Pacific Crest Tail!).    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025
    1

    Paine Grande to Los Cuernos

    Dec 15–16, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Day 6:
    Paine Grande to Los Cuernos via the Mirador Britanicos (26 km, 860 meters of elevation).
    Long day ahead of us so we start bright and early around 5:45. The campsite is blissfully quiet, the trails are deliciously empty and the morning light puts a show above the Lake Skottberg (which reminds me to check why the Lake’s name sounds Swedish). After about 8 km we arrive at Campo Italiano, which now serves as a Guarderia where we can let our heavy backpacks to hike up to the Mirador. Walking without 15 to 20 kg on our bags feels veeeery nice and as we are early we only meet a few people.
    Confession time: we found a selfie stick, lost or forgotten at a Mirador in Grey and kept it (oups).
    Confession time 2: we enjoy doing selfies with a selfie stick. SHAME ON US!!! Karma will bite later, you will see.
    So, we do a lot of selfies with a stick. The view on the top is 360° and we enjoy being practically alone there in the sun. Shortly after us we met 2 nice American girls who offer to take some photos of us.
    On the way down we meet many people, also from our group and we have to answer the question « is it worth it? » about 20 times. Which makes us wonder: what would people do, if we would answer « no, give up and go down ». The weather looks menacing, probably slightly blocking the view on the top but sunny, warm and windy back at the Campo Italiano.
    After an expedition to dig out our bags from the sea of backpacks arrived after us we enjoy a windy lunch with view of the Glacier Frances (which reminds me to read about the history of this valley, as every Camp, Mirador or spot is called with a nation’s name).
    Karma punishes us for taking the lost selfie stick with Andreas forgetting his Gor-Tex jacket on the lunch spot.
    We continue the hike towards Los Cuernos, a superb campsite on the shore of the Lake Nordenskjöld. We had to book a tent there because no campsite is available so we get a nice, elevated tent in the trees for the modest sum of USD 300 (with Hachis Parmentier for dinner). At dinner we meet a couple of funny Swiss and the evening is spent laughing in French and playing babyfoot (« Place Merde » is the name of our goalkeeper, we win anyway). Because the weather is perfect tomorrow, we will merge the 2 last days in one to have the view of Las Torres. Which means early start again.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025
    111

    Las Torres

    December 17, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Day 7
    Today is the big day! We will walk from Los Cuernos to Los Chilenos Camp at the foot of the arguably most famous natural towers of the world: las Torres, which inspired the Patagonia logo. And then down to the Torres Central camp (32 km and about 900 m elevation gain).
    We start around 06:00 after a quiet breakfast with a view of the Nordenskjöld Lake. I love these 2 first hours of the hiking day, where we are alone on the trail in the morning light. We only start meeting people when we join the path coming from the valley (from where a day hike is possible). We reach Los Chilenos where we try our luck and ask if we could spend the night there instead in Torres Central. No, impossible, they only have 4 campsites for private tents. As you can imagine, these are booked long in advance (even though our American friends told us they could find a spot on short notice).
    After a solid second breakfast at the crowded Refugio we start hiking up.
    The hike is pleasant, without backpacks we feel like flying and in about 1 hour we are on the top!
    The weather is perfect, not a cloud and warm and when we arrive there are not many people at the top. We find a spot slightly above the path and enjoy a solid 2 .5 hours of incredible views. Upon leaving we wanted to get closer to the lake to touch the water. This is when we realised that MANY people had come up and we were sheltered on our little spot of paradise. The first thought that came to my mind is « what a circus »; influencers shaking their heads, tourist groups cheering and many men without their top on refreshing in the lake (next to the « no nadar » sign). We quickly touch the water, get some money shots and leave. The best way to make me walk faster, I realised, is giving me people to pass (ups!), so we basically run down.
    Late lunch at Los Chilenos and then we start the last descent of the O trek. We have a wonderful view of snowy Cerro Paine Grande; for the first time completely cloud free. Close to the camp we spot a huemul trying to cross the river from an island and almost being swept from strong currents. To our relieve it made it to the shore and we have to wait for it to cross the path safely.
    At camp we find a nice, shadowy spot and go to the welcome center (where it all started) to change our bus ticket to Puerto Natales at 15:00 instead of 20:00 and enjoy a beer with the Venezuelan father-daughter duo who also finished the trek. He gives us the recommendation to hike the easy path to Mirador Los Cuernos the day after.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025

    Mirador Los Cuernos

    December 18, 2024 in Chile ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    Day 8: Mirador Los Cuernos
    We take the 08:00 shuttle to Laguna Amarga and then find seats in another bus to Pudeto.
    The wind warning system at the start of the hike (a wooden arrow indicating a colour: green < 50 km, yellow 50-80 km, red, trail closed above >80 km) indicates yellow. The hike is easy with a beautiful waterfall and view of the famous two coloured Los Cuernos. An young Asian man seems to believe that because he « has a bus to catch » he can take our spot for a better view or demand to read the explanation signs we are just reading before us (because, you know, the bus or actual entitlement). Of course, you saw it coming, his bus was an hour later than ours and we had 2 hours wait after the hike.
    On the way back, the winds get stronger but we find a sheltered spot for lunch close to the catamaran harbour. While enjoying the sun we met the Swiss couple again, who had to stop their W trek because of strong winds and Zelie’s knee hurting. They get seats in the same bus of us and we exchange numbers to go to dinner together. They end up being a little too late so we reschedule for the following night and we just relax for this first night in Puerto Natales.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025

    1.5 days in Puerto Natales

    Dec 18–20, 2024 in Chile ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

    1.5 days in Puerto Natales to do laundry, relax and plan our next steps. We bump into the German couple again (remember I first met them in Peru!). We decide to go back to Punta Arenas to try kayak with whales.
    In the evening we have dinner with Laurel and Zelie in the Asador Patagonico and go for specialty gin in the famous Gin Distillery End of the World.
    The day after we could bouldering in an artificial boulder area in a yard (we are not in climbing shape!) and then we take the bus to Punta Arenas.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025

    San Isidro Lighthouse

    December 20, 2024 in Chile ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    We decide to hitch hike and then hike to the famous lighthouse of San Isidro.
    The morning is somewhat slower than anticipated but we meet a nice, interesting German scientist who is preparing her expedition to Antarctica to investigate the impact of tourism there.
    Fabian, our (and everyone’s) favourite host of Patagonia drives us to the outskirts of Punta Arenas where we start the journey.
    The first driver is Marcello, who simply decided to use his work break to drive us about 40 minutes for free to the park entrance. This incredible gesture touches us and makes us reflect on our own behaviour in Switzerland. We are all so caught up in “efficiency” and our own avenues that we would never think about doing something like this.
    It takes us two more car rides (one with an educator driving to a lunch with his colleagues and one with a German couple in a huge, mint coloured van to get to the start of the trail.
    A sign indicates the 4 km trail to the lighthouse but we quickly realise that there is no real trail but we need to walk along the pebble’s/ sandy beach which makes it definitely harder. We are both a little bit tired but enjoy being so close to the sea. The view from the lighthouse is beautiful but no luck with spotting marine wildlife. An American grandma is walking the same hike and we meet several time. She is alone, valiantly plodding her way with no food or water with her. She let her son and grandson who could not follow her behind and is a total badass.
    We find our way back in 0.5 seconds on the parking lot at the end of the trail and are (speedily) driven back by 4 Chilean teenagers who just came there to take a dip in the ocean. They play traditional Chilean music remixes for Gen Z and are adorable.
    Tomorrow is a rest, planning day with family calls and a run for me. The guides for the whale tour will come to our hostel to give us the last instructions.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025
    1
    1

    Kayaking with whales

    December 22, 2024, South Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    The day starts at 3:10 as the van is picking us up at 03:30, direction “the Base” to put the special gear on and eat breakfast.
    The outfits consist of our own clothes: Odlo base layer, fleece and down jackets under a dry suit plus our GorTex over and one more water repellent jacket over. We are preparing for about 10 hours navigation on the sea (mostly on a little motor boat) in the Patagonian fjords so we need to be dressed accordingly.
    On the way to the Marine park San Fransisco Clochane we already spot dolphins. We pass the San Isidoro lighthouse, the southernmost point of the American continent and we stop on a shore for a very complicated pee (all these layers are hard to take off, especially the dry suit). We cross the channel and spot the Humpback whale for the first time. It usually breathes out 4-5 times before diving and doing so we have the chance to see its tail.
    We get down to the kayaks and after some confusion when I “loose” the pedals in the middle of a current we get into it and we make our way towards the whale. Spotting it from the kayak is an incredible feeling and I cannot stop saying “oh my god!” every time we see it.
    After kayaking we go back on the boat to go to the Island Santa Ines where we navigate through little icebergs to get close to the glaciers Hellados
    The atmosphere is magical, going through these little ice blocks on the smooth turquoise ocean. We can disembark for a quick pictures, another complicated pee and for our guides to retrieve some material a Chilean explorator let after an unsuccessful attempt at staying alone for a month on this deserted island.
    We go back to the “bottleneck” where 3 currents meet bringing a lot of food for the whales and find our whale again. Unfortunately the current is too strong for us to go back on the kayak but we can go close to the whale again.
    The return is rougher as the wind picked up and we get properly shaken up.
    Back to the Base we are welcomed by a traditional dinner (seefood, potatoes and a kind of dough in plastic film) traditionally cooked in a hole in the ground. We drink pisco sour with ice cubes made from a chunk of ice taken from the fjord.
    It is then time to take the bus to Punta Arenas and then directly to Puerto Natales. A long (more than 21 hours) but exceptional day.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025
    11

    Perito Moreno

    December 23, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Let’s call it the efficient day.
    We take the bus from Puerto Natales at 07:00 to El Calafate and arrive there around 13:15. We get into our accomodation, have some oat for breakfast and lunch and decide to try to hitchhike to the Perito Moreno glacier.
    We need to walk about 4 km to get to the Ruta 11, where we are picked up by a charming elderly couple picking up others at Perito Moreno.
    There the park built many platforms that allow getting close to the glacier and enjoy spectacular views. We are almost alone, the sun is coming out and we spend about two magical hours observing this immense glacier. It is the 6th biggest of South America, is about 33 km long and 4 km wide. A measurement in 2005 found a 700 m ice depth. Its size stayed very consistent from 1917 to 2020 but it is receding quickly since then (13 meters thickness per year). The height of the ice walls facing us varies from 40 to 70 meters.
    We are driven back by a nice Argentinian family. Tomorrow we are already heading to El Chalten as the weather forecast looks good and we want to use this window for a longer trek.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025
    21

    Laguna de los Tres

    December 25, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    First day of our (hopefully) 6 days long adventure in the beautiful National Park of Los Glaciares.
    We start our hike at 07:00 from El Chaltén, partially because we like early starts and partially because it allows to avoid paying a 45000 pesos fee if we start later.
    The weather is already hot and after a few minutes we can hike in T-shirts.
    The way to the Laguna Los Tres is full of Miradors and, to the contrary to Las Torres in Torres del Paine we can admire the main attraction (aka the Mount Fitzroy) for a large part of the way there.
    We are looking to camp at Campo Rio Blanco (indicated on the map) but once we arrive there we see a sign forbidding camping, as the area is regenerating. We decide to hike back the short distance to the official camp Poincenot and set up our tent there. We take over a nice spot from Americans leaving and they give us some tips/ warnings for the Huemul trek (navigation is hard, the descent on day 3!!!).
    After a lunch with a view of the Mount Fitzroy in perfect weather) we go up to the Laguna de Los Tres and again, need to « dépasser franchement » (T.,Martinson, 2010) some “walking poles” tourists. We are one more time extremely lucky with the weather and spend almost 3 hours there enjoying the view from several viewpoints, my personal favourite being the place from where we could see the Laguna Sucia and Los Tres at the same time, the whole capped with the Fitzroy. On the way back I learn somewhat agressively that, according to the « rules of the mountain » the person going up as priority in ANY circumstance.
    We wash in a cristal clear creek and eat dinner with view of the Fitzroy at camp Poincenot. The day was a 20.4 km long track with 1124 meters of elevation gain.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025
    1

    Lagunas Sucia and Torre

    Dec 26–27, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Camp Poincenot- Laguna Sucia- Camp D’Agostini - Laguna Torre - Camp D’Agostini (19.4 km, 675 Meters elevation gain).

    The day begins before dawn. The night before, we had decided to leave the tent at 4 a.m., to watch the sunrise at Laguna Sucia, a much less crowded path than the Laguna de los Tres. Under the faint glow of our headlamps, we navigate the rugged trail, which winds through scree fields and is marked by small cairns. The climb is steeper , but the promise of the view keeps us moving.

    When we reach the top, the lagoon comes into view, framed by towering peaks draped with glaciers. The scene is breathtaking, even in the muted light of an overcast morning. We brew coffee with our trusty Bialetti, savoring both the warmth and the rare silence that surrounds us. The sun barely breaks through the clouds, but the effort of the climb feels entirely worth it.

    After about an hour, we begin our descent back to Camp Poincenot. The trail is easier in the soft morning light, and once back at camp, we collapse into the tent for a much-needed nap, the wind howling around us as we sleep for two more hours.

    By midday, we pack up and set off for our next destination, Camp D’Agostini. The route follows the Sendero Madre y Hija, leading us through enchanting forests and past the serene waters of Laguna Madre. When we arrive at the campsite, a friendly staff member greets us warmly and explains the layout and rules of the camp, adding a welcoming touch to the remote wilderness.

    Later in the day, we hike to Laguna Torre. The landscape here is stunning, with jagged peaks mirrored in the glacial waters. We spend hours simply taking it all in, both with our binoculars and with our own eyes, feeling deeply connected to the rugged beauty of Patagonia.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025

    Paso de las Agachonas

    December 27, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Camp d’Agostini to Laguna Toro camp, where we will join the official Huemul Trek (17 km, 940 meters elevation gain).
    We wake up after a long night and the weather is absolutely perfect. Unfortunately we notice that our stove does not screw on the gaz canister anymore: breakfast without coffee, but we decide to continue the hike (the weather is too beautiful for not) and hope that we can find nice people at camps agreeing to lend us their stove.
    The first little challenge of the day comes after about 10 minutes walk in the form of a tyrolienne that we need to use to cross the Rio Blanco.
    The hike then continues with a pretty steep gradient (about 700 meters elevation gain over 3.5 km) and slightly technical path to the Paso de las Agachonas. All the way up we can admire the three Adelas (Central, Norte and Sur) mountains with no cloud.
    The way down is a lot of loose stones with no defined path and we are already happy for our GPS tracks.
    Once in the valley it is hot and we stop for a cheeky plunge in a stream. We continue the last 5 km basically trying to name every country of every continent.
    At camp we meet two nice Frenchies working in Columbia and we can use their stove to cook a hot meal (yay, only 2 more to go!).    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025
    1

    Paso del Viento

    Dec 28–29, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Camp Toro to Camp Paso de los Vientos via El Paso del Viento (18.8 km, 980 meters elevation). As the names are indicating, the day could be windy, but we were incredibly lucky and got none.
    The weather could not be more perfect, warm, sunny and no cloud in view. We set off early (05:30) to avoid waiting at the tyrolienne situated about an hour away from camp. This ended up being the perfect decision as we were the first there and could benefit from the pulley, which helped tremendously (yesterday we had none and I, Billie, have sore muscles to prove it).
    I go first and as Andreas is about to start, a stressed couple comes up to him to ask if he could take the end of their rope with him, for them to get the pulley back. Unfortunately, they have many knots in the rope, so Andreas must wait in the middle of the tyrolienne. The man gives suddenly up and throws the rope down with an angry gesture. This would have not been so bad if they had attached the rope correctly to the pulley but they did not. Their rope ends in the river.
    We continue the hard, steep ascension towards the Paso del Viento, between loose rocks, moraine and glacier. The view is astonishing and we can appreciate the hike alone. We are probably of the few lucky who can fully relax at the pass, as there is absolutely no wind on this day and we enjoy lunch with the view of the Viedma Glacier.
    A steep but short descent leads to a pleasant valley and after just 4 km we are at camp. There is only one tent there so we can choose a good spot (one more perk of getting up early).
    We wash, stretch, relax, admire the view and watch people arriving. A nice Swiss couple sets up its tent (exactly the same as ours in green) next to us and recommend us some hikes in Argentina.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025
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    Paso Huemul

    Dec 29–30, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Today we join the campo de Bahia de los Témpanos from the campo de los Vientos (18.2 km and 626 meters elevation gain).
    We start with the same routine as yesterday (remember we don’t have the possibility to do coffee, so we drink a little bit of tea). We hike about 15 minutes to a view point and eat our breakfast (a protein bar) watching the sun colouring the mountains in pink.
    The way up to the Paso Huemul looks straight out of a mountain magazine and at the top we are rewarded by a view of the Lago Viedma. The descent everybody was warning us about is indeed steep and sometimes exposed but manageable (slightly more difficult than Sierre Zinal 😅).
    We are rewarded at campsite Bahia de los Témpanos by the most beautiful lake with icebergs floating and the glacier in the background right. For a short, one and a half hour we are alone and can enjoy the sunny view and the (cold) swim next to the icebergs. A moment we will remember hopefully for our entire life.
    We spend the afternoon at the beach, watching the icebergs moving, melting and breaking, the glacier or the others coming down. We gather some tips for our next adventures from a guide and just enjoy being there.    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025

    Bahia de los Témpanos-El Chaltén

    Dec 30–31, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Last day of our adventure in the National Park Los Glaciares is an easy one with a bit more distance (27.4 km and 663 meters elevation gain).
    We wake up and could enjoy the sunrise over the icebergs before leaving camp. The hike is pleasant, rolling and we move along the Viedma lake over several viewpoints. When looking back from time to time we can catch a glimpse of the icebergs (some are dark blue) and the impressive glacier coming into the lake.
    We pass the last tyrolienne of the journey and the French couple is just behind us (unfortunately, Marion send the pulley back with the help of the rope but forgets to attach the harness with it, which is a bummer as they also have only one harness for 2 to limit weight 😅. Fortunately, another person with a harness has arrived and can help them). Just after we have passed the tyrolienne it starts raining and it will not stop. The good side of it is that some plants start to smell incredibly nice (I would decribe it as the smell you would get in an eco friendly shop selling soaps and detergents, Andreas is reminded of a relaxing tea.
    We arrive in El Chaltén a little bit soaked and check in to the hotel for a well deserved shower!    Read more

  • Süd Amerika 2024-2025

    Cerro Eléctrico NE (2183 m ü. M.)

    January 2, 2025 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    First summit in 2025

    Today the alarm went off early. More precisely at 3 o'clock, because the plan is to go with a mountain guide to the Cerro Eléctrico. It's 3:30 when the taxi driver picks us up. But where is the mountain guide? Shall we pick him up somewhere on the way to the starting point? We continue the ride in the dark, apparently half asleep because we don’t think to ask further. Once arrived and the taxi has left, we realize that something is wrong, because there is no trace of our guide. Now we have no choice, but to wait. He arrives some 15 minutes later with his own car and asks us visibly confused if we are his guests (we have already met the day before and discussed the ascent). He said he didn't hear his alarm clock and searched for us in all El Chaltén. In the end the confusion clears up and he sets off in a "Züri-Schritt" (maybe he wants to catch up the 15 minutes). We walk the first 45 minutes in the dark and windy forest, until the start of the rocky ascent. As promised, there is only one direction from now on, namely upwards. The path leads through steep "jungle sections". The sun appears and it looks like we are having a magnificent day! Once we reach the glacier we mount our crampons and fixe ourselves on the rope. The next two to three hours are a steep climb across the glacier, with some impressive crevasses and faces up to 45 inclination. The view is great and the view of the Fitz Roy is getting better and better, with a light and gentle fog tail at the top of the mountain. We climb the last meters to the summit and reach our goal, the Cerro Eléctrico around 09:40. What a panorama! Our smiles are accordingly wide and the feeling of having arrived makes us a little proud. "Es isch nit imr ohne gsi", especially the steep final section. After some summit photos, enjoying panorama and lunch break, we go the same way down. It goes surprisingly well through the just-oh-so softened snow, jumping down two or three times above glacier crevasses. Towards the bottom it gets warmer and warmer, we are soon only dressed in shorts and shirt (well, only I, Andreas).
    We enjoy a well-deserved gelato in El Chaltén and an adventurous day with many impressions is slowly coming to an end. Juhui, the first summit in 2025 has been completed and our resolution to do more mountaineering already comes to effect.    Read more

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