At the foot of Mt. Fitzroy

The day started quite sunny and cold (around 45 degrees), but you could tell from the ice around some water spots that it had frozen overnight.

Horses roaming about freely

The further south you travel, the lonelier the road becomes. Luckily we found a diner/hotel that, like many other places around these parts, looked as though it hadn’t been touched since 1933. We were the only patrons there for lunch.

In the afternoon, just as we were driving along a hazardous road for several kilometers, the weather took a sudden, dramatic change for the worse. The wind picked up with such force (I don’t think I’m exaggerating if I say 100 miles per hour), that it was hard to keep control of the vehicle. When I looked in the rearview mirror I saw that the rubber covering over the bed of the truck had snapped and was about to fly away. We stopped the truck, but the wind was so strong you could not open the door. At last, we succeeded, and unsnapped the rest of the covering trying to save it, but the strong gale was pulling it away from us, and it did escape Diane’s hands, which left me alone trying to deal with it. I had to do all that I could to hang on to it and not fly away myself.

I’ve often read that sailors despise going around Cape Horn, because of the violent seas and storms. If this is what the wind is like (and I suppose it’s worse on the open sea), I can just imagine what they have to go through. Little lakes around this area have waves rivaling those of oceans.

This sign was an omen

This tree knows well the brunt of the Patagonian wind

Sand blowing about in a circular motion

Trust me, it was a lot stronger than it seems

In the end, we managed to get our suitcases, each weighing 50 lbs., onto the bed of the truck, sitting on the covering, and succeeded in reaching El Chalten, where we will be staying for 2 days. El Chalten lies in an incredible valley, surrounded by the most spectacular mountains of the Andes and adorned by glacial lakes of incredible azure varieties.

Storm brewing

Sand storm covering the view of Mt. Fitzroy

Lake Viedma

Alas, upon reaching town, a rainstorm approached, which made photography all but impossible. Additionally, the strong winds brought in sand from the desert, in the form of sandstorms, which made viewing the scenery nearly impossible. I’m hoping tomorrow things will change.

Most people won’t brave the road like we did, hence the long periods between vehicles on the road, but many will come to El Chalten by air, flying into El Calafate and taking buses here. The town is abuzz with backpackers and hikers, and every room is booked months in advance. Since none of the pictures today will reveal the beauty of the place, I recommend you google “El Chalten images” to get an idea of what surrounds us. The lady at the front desk of our “Posada” recommended a dining spot for dinner. Wow, wow, wow. Best food of the entire trip. I had pork shoulder cooked in a beer sauce that was out of this world, I dare say, possibly the best pork I have ever eaten. Diane was super contented with her rich salad.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for good weather tomorrow. We intend to do some hiking and we’d be disappointed if we are unable to. Ciao.