I arrived to El Chalten after going non-stop for the last week. Hiking the W then seeing the glacier was fairly exhausting so I was looking forward to chilling in Chalten and resting up. For that reason I hoped for a few days of bad weather so I wouldn´t feel like I was wasting time. I got what I asked for but unfortunatly the weather didn´t let up when I was ready for it. I spent two days catching up on emails, my blog and photos, watching American movies in Spanish (a great way to practice) and eating lots of great food. My last full day there I decided I was going to hike up to Lagunas de los Tres which is the closest you can get to the Fitz Roy whether the weather permitted or not. The forecast called for a nice day so I prepared for the hike....
Today was all about the journey. So, I have been in El Chalten for the last few days relaxing and waiting for the weather to clear so I could hike up to the Fitz Roy. The forecast said today was going to be the best
option for me and it was my only day as I am heading back to Calafate tomorow so I siezed the moment, rented a rain jacket and bought some supplies last night in preparation for today. The hike is supposed to
be about 4 hours each way staring at 430 meters and ending at 1150 meters so I wanted to get an early start. I set the alarm fo 6AM only to wake up and realize the sun wasn´t up yet. Oh yeah, there is a girl in my dorm room that sleeps like a bulldog...she snorts, snores, wheezes, coughs, moans and sighs like no other human so sleeping has been a trick..I am buying earplugs for tonight. Anyway, I get up and have a little breakfast while waiting for the sun. At pre-dawn around 7, I head out. The wind and rain where ripping but I figured it would just add to the adventure. With no watch, I had no idea about my pace but just trekked into the wilderness. So the rain stopped but then the snow started...hahahah...What was I getting myself into?! I figured this would be more about the journey than the destination and just kept forging on. When I reached the base of the mountain leading to Lagunas de los Tres (the closest one can get to Fitz Roy), I
stopped for a snack (olives, very good) then began the climb. At that point the snow was sticking. It was funny actually because when it started to snow at the beginning I took a pic of a few flakes on my jacket...that was nothing! The ascent up the mountain was trecherous and the snow was accumulating around ankle high in most places. Also, I had not seen another soul since I started. It was nice as the last
hike I did was with a group and I was chatting the entire time with Nathan. This hike was all me and my thoughts. Some people hike with music but I like to just be..zen like ya know! The climb was crazy
and the blizzard was intense. Once I reached the summit of the mountain I was looking for the 3 lakes and the Fitz Roy but could see nothing. It was at that point that I lost the trail too. I had pushed on a lot farther than I expected and realized that there was no use as there would be no view so I started my descent. It was crazy windy up there and super blizzardy!! It wasn´t until I was about a third of the way back that I ran into my first group and asked the time. Only 11 AM..WHOA!! The weather was clearing a bit but the
snow clouds still covered the Fitz Roy. I made it back to the starting point at 12:30....25km in 5 and a half hours...not bad for a morning walk in the park!? Nathan said he loved the hike and had great weather but I was not that fortunate. Oh well, you can´t have it all!?
That night the bulldog snorer was accompanied by a dude that could not stop coughing. Between the two of them I did not get much sleep but I had planned to get up early on my last day anyway. I saw an advert for a ´donation only´ yoga/self-relaxation class that I wanted to attend...and wrote this-
Today I experienced many emotions. Today I experienced happiness, relaxation, rejuvination as well as anger, frustration, sadness and energy loss. First thing was the tsunami and earthquake in Japan. I watched the news in amazement as it showed the devasation going on over there. It was surreal but didn't really affect me much. Then I went to a free yoga, relaxation class. I was the only one to attend so it was just the teacher and I. What a great way to start the morning. We did some thai-chi, some yoga, some stretching and some self-massage. It was all in Spanish and very fun and informative. I left feeling fresh and ready for the day. In the early afternoon I boarded a bus and headed to Calafate. On the way I was thinking about calling a friend back home to discuss my frustration with him. I had asked him to help me with a few things back home and also looked to him for support recently and had not been helped ( in either way). I was frustrated because there were a few time sensitive issues that did not get handled and could have easily been sorted. Oh well, I put that behind me and started looking forward to being in Calafate as it was Friday night and I was ready to dance! I arrived to the hostel and checked in then called a friend who requested me to give her a ring. It was through sobs and tears that I learned a good friend had just passed away from cancer. Maggie was one of the most beautiful people I knew and I had just sent her a postcard two days before telling her that I was thinking about her and to keep up the fight. If anyone could beat cancer, she could! It was surreal to find out that she passed. Here I am, all alone, with no shoulder to cry on or person to cry with. The tears wouldn´t come out and I had a very wierd feeling. I wanted to be home with my friends grieving but instead I am here. I bought a new book and tried to read it over coffee but was too distracted to concentrate. It totally took the wind out of my sails. Dinner at the hostel revived me a little as conversation was nice and I made some new friends. We all headed out for a drink but most were tired and there wasn´t much going on in the small town. On the way home I stopped in the casino. Why not!? That turned into a riot as I was the shot caller for the blackjack table and friends with everyone playing. The guy next to me was buying us beers and we were all making money. Everyone loses at gambling and most win from time to time but the hardest part is to actually walk away once you are up. I did and it felt great. Needless to say the day was a rollercoaster of emotions. I feel better getting it out but wish I could have a close friend here to talk to about it. Time will work it out as it always does.
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