Patagonia 2017: Morning
Hike to Los Cóndores
and Las Águilas Viewpoints - Día Quatro – 2/11/17 – 6 km
After yesterday’s chaos everyone slept very hard (I was
reminded more than once that my friends had hiked more miles than I). This
morning, after eating odds and ends for breakfast, we packed up for our return
drive to El Calafate. It didn’t feel
like a good ending to our time in Los Glaciares. There was one more short trail
from the visitor center that we decided to check out.
At the VC, Carol introduced me to the ranger who had assisted
in looking for me yesterday and I was able to apologize and thank him. Carol complimented the park staff on their
helpfulness and inquired how to make a donation, but the concept wasn’t clear
to them – why would tourists give money for the park?
Today’s hike was a simple path to two viewpoints, Los Cóndores looking
at the Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre ranges as a backdrop to El Chaltén, and Las Águilas
overlooking Lago Viedma. The walk is
easy and worthwhile for the casual visitor, to whet the appetite upon arrival
or to bid a farewell.
El Chaltén nestled
in the Fitz Roy Valley
Almost guaranteed are bend-over-backwards-to-look-straight-up
encounters with the largest bird in the Americas, the Andean condor. Endangered and protected in some parts of
South America, they are abundant in Patagonia.
Wing spans can measure up to 3 meters wide tip to tip. Condors are an everyday sight riding the
thermal winds above El Chaltén.
Fitz Roy was still hidden behind a gray shroud; we were resigned to our
bad luck. At least the morning
was calmer and warmer than the previous days as we started on the trail to Los Cóndores.
What’s this? It looks
like a rainbow…starting faintly, barely discernible, and growing in intensity
as we followed the trail, curving left and rising up the mountainside behind
the visitor center. The trail split and we took the left track to the overlook.
At Los Cóndores, the condors were forgotten as we took in this amazing full
rainbow, a consolation gift in place of the mountain ranges.
It may sound strange, but we were so energized that we couldn’t
sit still here to contemplate the rainbow – what’s at the second overlook? We backtracked to the split and took the right
fork, climbing still higher to a massive boulder balcony called Las Águilas (the
Eagles). Turning our backs to the
town, we absorbed the colors of Lago Viedma.
On my next visit to Las Glaciares National Park (and there
will be a next time) I want to take the ferry to Glaciar Viedma where it flows
from the Patagonian ice field into the lake.
And maybe I’ll have better luck with Fitz Roy!
At this point we lingered to eat and enjoy our little
pinpoint on the planet, Lago Viedma over one shoulder and a rainbow over the
other. These photos conjure the feelings
of awe and appreciation as we sat and reflected upon our good fortune . Not everyone has the physical ability to go
where we go, but many who do are too fearful of….something…and don’t try. Please, don’t wait – just make it happen and
GO! Glaciers and condors are not forever
and neither are you!
Cathy leading
the way back, Cerro Torre teasing from behind the curtain one last time
We retraced the path back to the visitor center and stood in
the rock garden to watch as condors casually wheeled and soared overhead in the
brilliant blue sky with puffy white clouds.
We left El Chaltén in the rearview mirror on a good note. On
the drive back to El Calafate:
Río La Leona, milky blue water from glacier silt, flows from Lago Viedma
to Lago Argentino. (Also on that “next
time” itinerary is staying at one of the estancias along this river.)
Lago Argentino
Guanaco carcass on a barbed wire fence
In El Calafate we stopped at a town park to eat our remaining
bread and cheese, then enjoyed an hour of souvenir/gift shopping, sightseeing, locating
a working cash machine and sampling sweet pastries from a bakery. Cathy discovered a local artisan who made
pendants from guanaco bone, images carved through like a silhouette. We each
chose different ones:
Cathy = hiker with a hiking stick
Carol = penguin
me = open
hand
Rick = condor.
[Full disclosure,
Carol and I also bought hiker pendants, they were so cool.] Skillful
workmanship and unique souvenirs!
After retreating to our place at Cabanas El Amanecer for showers and
fresh clothes, we had dinner at La Tablita, located on the edge of town. It’s a fancy restaurant, and we walked in
without reservations, but with the luck of naiveté we were quickly
seated and staring at an intimidating menu.
Their signature dish is roasting enormous racks of Patagonian lamb on
spits tilted around a mound of glowing coals, located in full view of the dining
room. The food was expensive and the service
was slow, and I wouldn’t recommend La Tablita unless you have lots of money,
time and a desire for bragging rights.
However, my roasted vegetables and gnocchi bolognese was really, really superb.
Our evening toast with an Argentinian Malbec – another day on
God’s beautiful earth!
“Don’t
wait until everything is just right. It
will never be perfect. There will always
be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what.
Get started now. With each step
you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and
more self-confident and more and more successful.” ~Mark Victor Hansen
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