Backpacking in South America

I was suppost to get up and start hiking early to make sure I would be able to take the bus at 14 instead of 19. When I woke it was raining heavily, and I only had 3-4 hours of sleep. I ended up starting at 07.

The weather cleared up, and I watched the sunrise from the a hill. My legs was still hurting from yesterday. Two bad knees, inflamation in the calves and four blisters - but some painkillers and blister bandate helped. I was able to keep a high tempo (I think you could call it powerwalk) the whole trip, and used 6 hours including 20 min at the top, and 20-30 minutes of getting lost.

The last part there about getting lost was not very fun. Some of the rocky parts of the trip was not so good marked, and I ended up walking on the wrong rocky trail that was super steep. In the end there was no longer a trail, and I had to just walk through bushes to try to find the real trail. There was so much bushes with spikes and tornes, and my legs are red and scraped from it. After a while I could see the trail - far away. I had to go down a steep (I would guess 80 degree) hill with sand and stones. It was hard, and I had to focus a lot to not fall and roll down the whole thing. It was really exhausting, and I was pretty pissed when I finally reached the trail - that btw was flat and nice, and I was using all my energy of climbing uphill 😂

I think the anger was good for my tempo, making me hike fast - and I was able to do the trek and get a shower before the bus at 14.00.

I was told the hike was dificult and very steep, and I partly agree with it. I didn’t find it dificult, but there was a lot of steep parts, especially the last one. Luckily I have been on Pagagonian bootcamp for a while now, and my shape is much better than when I arrived this country. When I was 15 minutes from the top it started raining heavily and it got foggy and a lot of mist around the towers. I wish I left 30 minutes earlier (or just didn’t get lost!!). I got to see the whole thing anyways, just not in a nice and sunny weather.

The view of the lake and the towes is nice, probably nicer when the sun is shining on the lake. But even though if the weather would have been perfect - I think I would not have thought of this is the most beautiful hike in the park. For me that was mirador britanico. The towers is the most famous one, and a lot of people go to the park just to do a dayhike of it. After four days hiking in El Chalten and seeing the Fitz Roy, I do not think a dayhike to TDP and the base of the towers would have been worth it for me. I am super happy I decided to go three days and got to see more of the park. Because the nature in the park is super beautiful!

I got lucky with the weather the first two days, even though the winds was very strong there was no rain and clear views. Today it rained almost the whole way from the towers and back, but it was okay since I was leaving the park. The weather in Patagonia is very unstable and changing a lot, so you never know how it will be.

My legs are dying and I am exhausted - but I‘ve had three beautiful days in the national park! I am super happy with my journey there. The nature was amazing, and I met some really nice people from Israel. I also met four norwegian girls, the first ones I’ve met here. It was strange speaking norwegian to them, and I actually started in english multiple times and had to switch back to norwegian. I am just so used to speaking english here (and some spanish of course). I was a bit suprised by my own reaction to it, how I could find it strange after only two months away from Norway. It’s not like I have forgotten the language - it was just strange to hear myself using it down here. I will have to blame it on being super tired after 26 km of hiking today.

Tomorrow morning I will take the bus to my last stop in Patagonia - Ushuaia.Read more