Return to Patagonia

We are back in one of our very favorite places, Patagonia. Patagonia is immense. Everything here is huge, from the mountains, to the rivers, to the steppes, to the portions of lamb served for dinner. Patagonia is a land of extremes. It is not uncommon to experience four seasons in a day while hiking here in Argentina's Glacier National Park. It is a mythical and magical place which had captured my imagination long before it captured my heart.

More specifically, we are in the town of El Chalten, in Santa Cruz province in the south of Argentina, very near Chile. This is a young town, built in 1984 after a border dispute between Chile and Argentina resulted in this area being in Argentina's possession. To stake their claim, the Argentines quickly established a town here. El Chalten feels like a frontier town. 500 people call it their home during the entire year. The summer (December through March) sees a large influx of tourists from all over the globe. Out on the trails, we hear a lot of German, French and English spoken. The town is a four hour drive through immense nothingness from the airport in the next largest town, El Calafate. Until recently, the highway here was an unpaved "ripio" road. Ripio is a washboard road that will rattle the fillings out of your teeth. But now the highway is paved and an airport is planned. The tourism industry is booming. It also helps that the current and former presidents of Argentina are from this province. Things here will change rapidly.

Patagonia, technically The Patagonia, is a region spanning across the bottom of South America, including both southern Argentina and southern Chile. No one knows exactly why the region is called La Patagonia. My favorite explanation is that Magellan, when he first encountered the very tall Tehuelche indians who lived here, exclaimed "Patagon!", which could mean "Big Foot". This isn't proper Spanish though and I for one am skeptical that this is how it got its name. The idea of Big Foot on the prowl here is easy to imagine though, once you experience the scale of the place.

It is our third day here and we have covered many miles already. On our first day, the clouds fell away from the major peaks and we were treated to fabulous views of Mount Fitz Roy and Mount Torre. Today, our third day, the wind has picked up considerably. Sometimes it gusts so violently that it takes ones breath away. The butterflies, dragonflies and birds are all grounded today. It is too windy even for Condors. I did see one this morning, but it appeared to be flying sideways. I heard someone say that they wished the wind would blow away the clouds hiding Mount Fitz Roy. This is not the thing to wish for if you want good views because mountains make their own weather. As the wind passes over the peaks, it speeds up and gets chilled, creating condensation which results in cloud formation. The indian name for Mount Fitz Roy is Chalten, meaning the mountain that smokes - because of the wisp of cloud usually trailing from it. No worries, if you don't like the weather in Patagonia, just wait, it will change.

p.s. I will upload photos as soon as I am able. The strong winds today seem to have an effect on the internet signal.