El Chalten and the northern half of Argentina's Los Glaciers National Park

We left El Calafate early the next day for about a 5 hour bus ride back east, and then around Lago Argentina and Lago Viedma.  We then headed back west to El Chalten for two nights in a lovely, new, little hotel.  We had a half way stop at a historic roadhouse en route.   La Leona Road House is over 125 years old .  It supposedly hosted the Butch Caddy and SunDance Kid party for about a month, while they were on the run many years ago.   El Chalten is the most popular backpacking, hiking and climbing mecca in South America.   It is a rough and tumble little town with almost a wild west feel.  We arrived early enough on the 1st day to attempt a hike of about 9 km to a view point to see the Mt Fitzroy massif .  The first part of the trail was moderately steep, thus progress was slow.  We managed to get up to a bench running up a ridge and overlooking the river valley.  Then the wind came up and also brought clouds and rain, so we turned around and headed back.    We would not have been able to see the mountain, even if we made it to the lookout at the lake below Mt. Fitzroy.   The next day we chose another much easier 9 km hike along another river valley to a lake below Cerro Torres,  the Matterhorn like mountain near Mt Fitzroy.   We managed the long hike fairly well, and were able to reach to reach the lake.   However, once again rain and clouds rolled in, and we only could see the bottom half of the spectacular peak.   On our final day we  did have better weather, and from town and along the road out of town, we were able to take several wonderful photos of both Mt Fitzroy and Cerro Torres.   The mountains in the area are incredible, and it was great to see the amazing area.  Then we had the same 5 hour bus ride back to El Calafate, where we overnighted in the same hotel where we stayed two earlier nights.  The next morning we headed for Chile and its famous Torres del Paine National Park.

El Chalten on the north and El Calafate on the south, anchoring the ends of Argentina's  spectacular   Los Glaciers National Park

 The interesting history of about 125 years for the La Leona Roadhouse.

The mileposts outside the historic old La Leona Roadhouse.

View from the dry, Patagonian steppes on the east side of El Chalten as we approach the Andes

View out over the river at about the 2 km mark on the 9 km 1st day hike to see Mt Fitzroy.  We only made it to about 3+ km before the wind and rain obscured any views, so we turned back.

The El Chalten welcome sign at the edge of town.

A view of El Chalten from the edge of town.   The town is a mecca for hikers and climbers.

The start of the 9 km hike into Laguna Torre and the view of Cerro Torre across the lake. We did this on our 2nd day in El Chalten.   Note the big red headed woodpecker model on the sign, common here

 A typical view along the trail as it climbs up and down along the river side for 9 km to the lake.

The sign and 1st view of Cerro Torre with the top half obscured in clouds.

Another view along the trail with part of Cerro Torre visable

A typical along the trail view at about the 5 km marker

View from the end of the 9 km trail at the edge of Laguna Torre, unfortunately with Cerro Torre obscured by clouds and rain by now.

A morning view of Cerro Torre from town the last morning.  The top of the "Argentine Matterhorn"
is still partially hidden in the clouds.

A partial view of Mt Fitzroy about noon the last day as we left to return to El Calafate

Finally a better view of the incredible spires and pillars of the Mt Fitzroy massif

Leaving town, a good view of most of Cerro Torre, with the summit still somewhat shrouded in clouds

View as we left town, looking back to Mt Fitzroy towering above El Chalten

View as we head east back into the Patagonian Steppes to return to El Calafate to overnight,  with Cerro Torre on the left and Mt. Fitzroy on the right in the distance above El Chalten.

Argentina's Los Glaciers National Park & Patagonia

My Europe travel companion and I flew from Buenos Aires for 3 and a half hours south to El Calafate and the entrance to Argentina's spectacular Los Glaciers National Park.   The town has been growing rapidly as the fame of the Park has steadily spread.  We overnighted two nights there and were picked up the first morning to have a guided tour into the south end of the great park with its unforgettable, vast Perito Moreno Glacier and the Lago Argentina.  The bus ride west into the Park took about an hour.  We went from El Calafate on the edge of the wind swept Patagonian steppes, into the trees and mountains on the Andes east side.  The P. Moreno glacier drains from the immense Patagonian Ice Fields and grounds on a low hill that is now laced with wonderful walkway trails.   You go from the hill top down the steep face of the hill to  many viewing points directly across the from the center of the glaciers 200 to 300 foot face.   One feels like you are so close that you could throw a baseball and hit the towering ice walls.   Then we walked along the lake on one side to the lower lodge and viewing center to catch our bus again.  Our bus took us a short distance to the lake edge and boat dock for an hours long boat ride out and along very close to the towering ice walls of the glacier.  The almost ever present cold wind swept down off the vast glacier.  It was an experience to never forget.

 Our little El Calafate hotel, the  Cauquenes De Nimez

 Looking east across Lago Argentina toward the dry, windswept Patagonian Steppes

Looking west from the edge of El Calafate towards the Andes and the vast Patagonian Ice Fields

The Calafate bushes and popular berries

Looking down from the top of the park viewing trails and walkways towards Perito Moreno Glacier

part way down the walkways, with the vast Moreno Glacier in front

Sign showing the 200 to 300 vertical faces of the huge glacier, grounded directly in front, with the glacier in the lakes on both sides

 Half way down on the walkway system with its many viewing platforms

 Yours truly enjoying the incredible view on a lovely, sunny day

 The view we had from the lakeside trail back around to the lower lodge and our bus

 Close up view of the stunning face of the glacier from our boat

 A slightly more distant view of the glacier and how it is grounded directly in front of the park trails and walkways on the right.  Note the rough windswept water.

Another view of the glacier face near the middle of this lake

And a much closer view from the boat of the towering ice walls

 A photo of the view from the road as we started back to El Calafate

Me on a viewing platform about half way down the walkway trails

A photo of me on the boat as we started back from the glacier to the boat dock.

Buenos Aires & Iguazu Falls Argentina Jan 2020

The street scene in front of our little hotel in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires

The tree lined streets of much of Buenos Aires, making it so welcoming as here in the Palermo district.  I have never seen a large city with so many lovely trees everywhere in the city, even downtown.  There were parks and open spaces everywhere also.

A view up the famous Plaza de Mayo in central downtown Buenos Aires

The historic presidential palace or Casa Rosado at the end of the Plaza de  Mayo

The central market in downtown BA , the San Telmo district

 Puerto Madero at downtowns edge, with its stunning high rises and attractive apartments

A typical lovely open space near the Plaza de Mayo downtown

Map of Iguazu Falls and National Park with trails and mini train to "Devils Caldron" and upper River

Elevated walkway out to river center and the "Devils Caldron" stunning view

Walkway, as one approaches the view, literally right down into the center of the 300 foot vertical falls

Top of the "Devils Caldron"

Viewing the Devils Caldron on a sunny day with little mist

Looking down the main canyon below the Devils Caldron main falls towards the Brazil side.

Some of the many Coati's that were all over the jungle and park

Looking back up the canyon to the Devils Caldron with Brazil on the left.

Another similar view of this incredible falls and National Park

Yours truly enjoying the middle falls from the lower walkway

Half way up one of the countless smaller middle falls on  the wonderful walkway/trail system

   

A view of the center falls , the 2nd largest of the falls

one of the many black capuchin monkeys that populated the jungle in the falls area