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Family Adventure in Patagonia

December 2021 - January 2022
A 25-day adventure by Diane Read more
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  • Diane and DarrylFamily Adventure in Patagonia
    Day 19

    Iguazú Day 2; End of Patagonia Adventure

    January 16, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 95 °F

    Another option for viewing the falls is to take a boat on the river where they give you some dunkings in the “smaller” waterfalls. With temperatures in the high 90s, the water didn’t even feel cold. Later, we explored the rest of the pathways with still more viewing options of the falls.

    Unfortunately, our planned continuation on to Chilean Patagonia isn’t going to happen. Darryl tested positive for COVID on the tests we needed before entering the country. He’d had mild cold symptoms. So after 5-6 days of isolation in a very comfortable Marriott hotel in Buenos Aires, we were able to come home.

    We cherish the fun adventures we had with Erin, Nick, Mark and Terri in Argentina and look forward to picking up the rest of our trip another time.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylFamily Adventure in Patagonia
    Day 18

    Iguazu Falls!

    January 15, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 93 °F

    Our hotel is inside the Iguazu Falls National Park, so we were able to easily walk over and check out the different viewpoints for the falls. It is very hot here (high 90s), so the section where the spray covers everything around like rain was particularly refreshing.

    Iguazu Falls is said to be the largest waterfall system in the world. Stretching approximately 1-1/2 miles along the border of Argentina and Brazil, the falls are made up of roughly 275 different vertical drops, with heights varying from 200-250 feet. This makes the Iguazu Falls taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide. Niagara Falls emerges as the winner in flow rate, though. According to one source, about 2,400 cubic meters of water flows every second at Niagara Falls as compared to around 1,700 cubic meters of water every second at Iguazu Falls.

    It is pretty crowded here, but the many different pathways and modes of viewing (walking, boating and by helicopter) kept it manageable.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylFamily Adventure in Patagonia
    Day 17

    Hasta Luego to Patagonia and Family

    January 14, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 90 °F

    Today, we said goodbye to Erin and the rest of the Ziters as we headed out on a day-long flight sojourn to the border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Aerolineas Argentina airline has been changing flight times frequently, so what was to be a 5-hour flight for us turned into 5 hours plus a 4-hour layover. Meanwhile, the Ziters had the rest of the day to explore El Calafate before heading to Buenos Aires and home.

    We’re headed to Iguazu Falls, which rivals Niagara in size. With no real activities today, here’s a photo from the plane of the irregular farming plots in Paraguay.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylFamily Adventure in Patagonia
    Day 16

    Perito Moreno Glacier Kayaking & Walking

    January 13, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ 🌧 50 °F

    Both El Chalten (where we left yesterday) and El Califate, where we are today, are within Los Glaciars National Park. El Chalten is known for the dramatic spires of the Fitz Roys and its colorful glacial lakes and rivers (as we’ve seen!). El Califate, while it does have some other interests, is most visited for its proximity to the Perito Moreno glacier.

    The Perito Moreno glacier is part of the Patagonian ice field, which is fourth in the world in size behind the ice fields of Alaska, Greenland and Antarctica of course.

    When we arrived at the National Park, we got suited up in special thermal “onesies,” dry suits and booties to go out on a kayak paddle in front of the glacier. We discovered that “in front of the glacier” is a subjective description. Although the photos of the activity showed kayakers paddling among floating ice near the glacier’s terminus, we were quite a ways back from the glacier. With the slightly windy and increasingly choppy water, it was the prudent thing to do, we suppose. It was still exhilarating (and slightly exhausting) to be out there on the blue-green water in front of that massive ice shelf. Every now and then a chunk would calve off into the lake.

    We did have a front row seat for one unexpected experience as we returned to shore—a large piece of an iceberg almost next to us calved off and the iceberg began to tilt. So impressive!

    After squirming out of all of our layers, we had lots of time to walk along the catwalks (called balconies here), to see the glacier from multiple perspectives and to read the informative signs.

    The glacier’s leading edge is 3 miles wide, with a height of around 230 feet above the surface of Lago Argentino. On average, the glacier advances 6 feet per day. What’s interesting is that the glacier is in a steady state. The loss of ice we watched from the viewing areas is compensated by the ice building up from behind.

    The popping and cracking preceding a rupture is as eerily exciting as the thundering fall of one-ton sized ice blocks. There were many calvings during our visit, which was an amazing experience!    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylFamily Adventure in Patagonia
    Day 15

    Hiking toward Loma Del Pliegue Tumbado

    January 12, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    We were all pretty worn out from rattling along on our bike ride yesterday (and probably the accumulation of activities!), so we opted for a shorter hike for our last day with Sebastian.

    The overcast weather had returned, so we weren’t going to get clear views of the mountain spires even if we did hike higher up. Instead , we had a pleasant, though steadily uphill, hike through rolling grasslands, low scrub brush and some forest. The varied shades of green and yellows contrasted nicely with the rocky mountainsides above us.

    After about 3-1/2 miles of hiking (in the wind, of course!), we found a protected spot in the forest for our packed lunches. Sebastian brought his mate and showed us way to prepare and drink this beverage. The mate is the infusion that is prepared with Yerba mate leaves, as well as the name of the vessel for drinking from. Most mate “cups” are made with wood or a pumpkin gourd.

    In non-COVID times we might all have shared the beverage as all Argentinians do, but we were mere observers this time.

    After lunch, we returned the way we came, looking down to El Chalten in the valley. After an afternoon snack at Sebastian’s bakery (which only opened 3 weeks ago), a driver came to take us back to El Califate.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylFamily Adventure in Patagonia
    Day 14

    Huemul Glacier lake, Bike to El Chalten

    January 11, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F

    We woke up to a cloudless sky and nearly windless conditions—perfect for a bike ride facing Fitz Roy and its sister peaks. This was an activity we arranged on our own, so Sebastian wasn’t with us. The ride organizers drove us about an hour and a half on a gravel road and pointed out landmarks we would see on our way back down by bike.

    Upon arrival at Lago Desierto we were given our bikes, a map and instructions to return from the 23-mile ride by 7pm. The first highlight of the trip was a hike to Huemul glacier and it’s turquoise lake—stunning! The trail to get there was pretty, too, following a rushing stream from the glacier.

    Once we returned to our bikes we rode on the gravel road we drove up on, which meant we had some very occasional traffic. The views of FitzRoy and the surrounding peaks were spectacular. Eventually, the rigors of the rugged road made the trip less fun and something to be ‘gotten through’ — not fine gravel, but softball-sized rocks and smaller, plus MANY potholes and washboards. We all were thoroughly shaken by the end. But there was a nice waterfall near the end to walk to and get a break from the road.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylFamily Adventure in Patagonia
    Day 13

    Hike to (near) Laguna de los Tres

    January 10, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Our small hotel (Hosteria Senderos) offers a simple but filling buffet breakfast of fresh croissants and other baked goods, fruit, cereals, and ham & cheese. A good start for a day of hiking.

    Our guide, Sebastian, met us at our hotel and we drove in a small bus shared with other hikers to the trailhead — about a half an hour out of town. Rain was expected today and the peaks were not so clear, but the day started off promising with a full rainbow as we started our hike.

    The plan was to do a 13-mile trek up to a high lake honoring three early explorers in the area (hence, “Laguna de los Tres”), one of which was Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince. Because of the iffy weather and tricky trail conditions, we cut out the last 2 miles and 1,500 feet of elevation gain (no one was too disappointed!).

    The rain mostly held off, and we had natural blow-drying for the light rain we got. We had fantastic views of Piedras Blancas glacier, we had lunch at Laguna Capri, and our trail followed the Rio Blanco on the way up through the forest, and on the way back to town we followed the braided Rio Viedma.

    Sebastian is a trained mountain guide (3 years of school), and had lots to share about glaciers, trees and animals—all in a very conversational way, not like a lecture. We learned things about him, too, like how he has just opened a bakery in town, which we visited as we returned from our hike.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylFamily Adventure in Patagonia
    Day 12

    Moving on to El Chalten

    January 9, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F

    Today we had to leave our warm and sunny lake paradise for wilder, windier and cooler terrain. Our afternoon flight from Bariloche was less than two hours, but we spent about five hours on the road today, between the 2-hour mostly gravel road transit from Hotel Tronador to the airport, and the 3-hour paved route from El Calafate airport to El Chalten.

    Our driver from the El Calafate airport to El Chalten, Jorge, pointed out features along the way — guanacos (llama relative), Mt Fitz Roy and another mountain spire, Cerro Torre. The peaks were uncharacteristically clear of clouds, according to Jorge. He stopped at his favorite spots to let us take photos, and even he was snapping away.

    El Chalten is a very small town, dedicated to backpackers, climbers and day explorers like us. We were told the town has only been in existence since 1985. I guess before that it was only camping? There are many good restaurants, bakeries, and lodging options — from hostels to
    cozy guesthouses to pricey hotels. It is very windy here, which is characteristic of Patagonia.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylFamily Adventure in Patagonia
    Day 11

    Exploring around Tronador

    January 8, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    This morning we were ferried across the lake in a small motorboat, first with a stop to drop off a cooler of food and beach chairs(!) for our picnic lunch later. Then we continued on down the lake to be dropped off at a trailhead. This trail was originally built by the pioneering grandfather of our hotel hosts, for the purpose of driving his cattle to market in Bariloche.

    We walked a lupine-lined trail through the forest, following the lakeshore for about 2 hours, with frequent glimpses of Tronador through the trees. When we arrived at our lunch spot, the chilly lake water was beckoning us on this warm and sunny day. Adventure levels ranged from full plunges to toe-dipping.

    We enjoyed our steak sandwiches and potato quiche (made with French fries—it felt like we should have been in Pittsburgh!), fresh fruit and lemon bars in the shade.

    After our respite, the four Ziters headed to some pools and a walk around the lake back to the hotel, and we hiked up to Castillo (castle) Rojo, an outcropping of red rock with a view over the valley that was spectacular. At the far end of the valley was our old friend Tronador, which means ‘thunder,’ named for the sound of falling glacier. No thunder while we were visiting.

    With the radio provided to us, we called for our boat shuttle when we arrived back down from the climb.    Read more

  • Diane and DarrylFamily Adventure in Patagonia
    Day 10

    Mt. Tronador Paradise - Kayak, Swim…

    January 7, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    This is a very special place here at Hotel Tronador, nestled at the end of Lake Mascardi among mountains and small rivers.

    The hotel has been continuously operated since 1931 by the descendants of a Belgian doctor who came in 1907 as the first doctor in Bariloche. Not long after, his son became the first settler in this valley of Mount Tronador, while in search of grazing pastures. The family began welcoming visitors so often, they eventually opened a hotel. Once the National Park was established in 1934, the Vereertbrugghen family was allowed to keep their land and lodgings.

    This is a family-friendly destination, and there are several families here with young children (as it is still the holiday time). All seem to be Spanish-speaking. Visitors can enjoy kayaking and other lake activities, hiking, rafting, horseback riding, fishing and “rural tourism” (ranch life); not to mention just sitting on your balcony relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet and breathtaking scenery.

    After a full breakfast served on the porch by the lake, we borrowed kayaks and explored the lake and river running into it — milky green/blue glacial water coming from Tronador.

    We forgot to mention that on this trip we’ve seen several Andean condors—one particularly close to us up at Cerro Cathedral (the tough ridge hike 2 days ago). While out on the lake today we saw a few condors soaring high above us.

    We take all our meals here at the hotel because there is nothing else around. That’s fine with us, as we are on our own, having left the excellent care of AndesTrack. Plus, the food is excellent.

    After lunch and a siesta, some of us walked to a nearby waterfall viewpoint looking out over the valley to the snowy mountains.

    After dinner (which is quite late here), we went out to check out the stars (with sundown at nearly 9:30, stargazing is a late-night activity), and Erin spotted first a chain of satellites known as the Starlink Train. It is eerie to see and moves really fast.    Read more

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