Big moves of late. I left Villa O’Higgins on Monday and today is Saturday. I’ve been off the grid for most of the past five days, high up in the mountains between Chile and Argentina and then back into Chile, where I am now in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine. Pretty darned spectacular scenery and some kind of crazy experiences…

My view last night after arriving in Torres del Paine:

Camila, at Explora Lodge in the Park, who was incredibly nice and helpful during my stay:

Backing up, I left Parque Nacional de Patagonia for the Argentine frontier with what I thought, after careful research, were all the departure and entry documents (personal and for my vehicle – they’re very particular down here about crossing borders with vehicles) I’d need, only to find out, after driving 60 miles and arriving at the border, that I needed an electronic Chilean Police form to depart the country. I’ve never had to produce a document to leave a country, and this was likely a remnant of Covid, when the country was closed for almost three years. The problem was that the form had to be downloaded and completed online, and there was no service where I was – in the middle of nowhere. I asked if they had WiFi or internet for me to take care of that little hurdle, and they nodded slyly in the negative. Total BS – they had internet, of course, but wouldn’t let me jump on. I told them I wasn’t driving another 120 miles RT to get the form and would just camp out there until they relented. No bueno – they smoked me out after sitting at a table stone faced for twenty minutes, and I had to make the drive and get the form, after which they were muy simpatico on my return.

Meanderings photos en route to Argentina:

Grande y pequeno campers:

There was no petrol for hundreds of miles after entering Parque Nacional Patagonia from Cochrane, where I departed La Carretera Austral, so I was pretty darned happy I had two full auxilliary 5 gallon tanks strapped to my roof rack. Had I been without them, I’d have been stopped cold in my tracks, crying “Mamma”…. I had to use the first one after my RT return to the Explora Lodge to download, complete and receive that completed Police form before hitting the border then, after successfully entering Argentina, where the border crossing dude was super cool, I drove incredibly forboding dirt / washboard roads for almost 200 more miles, stopping to sleep, then refueling myself again next morning with the last of my back up petrol, before arriving in Gobernador Gregores, a rat hole of a town with one gas station that had no gas. Not to worry – a refueling tank had just arrived, and I was told all would be bueno in forty minutes (or so), so I showered (many gas stations here have clean bathroms and showers), had breakfast and refueled my camper’s tank and both 5 gallon back up containers.

Feeling flush, I headed off to the magical mountain town of El Chalten, home of Monte FitzRoy. located within Parque Nacional los Glacieres, with their incredible climbing and hiking. The Park was created in 1988 to showcase Argentina’s magnificent landscape down here after El Chalten sprang up in 1985 based on countless dirtbag climbers frequenting its magical peaks and rivers..

A couple of notes on Argentina –

Argentina’s infrastructure- its road system and cell network – are national disgraces and true embarrassments. They’re far worse than many third world countries I’ve visited. Most people in the know say that the country has been so mismanaged for so long that the chance of its ship of state being righted – and its presidential election is this week – is slim to none.

Argentina had the world’s seventh largest economy between World War I and World War II, but it has completely frittered away huge natural wealth and an educated population over the decades since.

Wow – the scenery spoke for itself:

The weather didn’t cooperate, however, and snow and rain moved in that night. I made it out to the Tres Lagos trail, though, which was unreal despite limited viz. Weather, despite the calendar showing late spring, has really felt like winter the past week. Good thing I brought plenty of layers, proper gear and a very warm sleeping bag…

After El Chalten, I set my sights on El Calafate and the Perito Moreno Glacier, also in Parque de los Glacieres. Here’s the approach:

Up close with Perito Moreno Glacier, one of only three major glaciers in the world that are actually increasing in size (due to latitude, snowfall and other non climate-change reasons). It’s 4 km wide at its end and 22 km long. Amazingly, it’s also 220 feet high at its end, bisecting two high alpine lakes:

The blue colors in the ice are super cool:

You’re supposed to leave the Park by 8 pm, but I didn’t want to…. I found an abandoned hotel off the road, pulled in and chilled. Major score. My view that evening, where I had dinner and cocktails:

Map room session:

Next morning I had to wait until the Park officially opened before driving on its road. Thought I had at 8:20 am, after seeing a couple of cars pass below, but after about a mile on the way to coffee at the Glacier cafeteria (which ended up being closed until 10:30 am), I was escorted by flashing lights and a ranger in hot pursuit. I explained, after pulling, over that my battery had died last night (yeah, right) and I couldn’t leave the Park. Surprisingly, he was totally cool after rapping en Espanol for a couple of minutes. He kind of winked and nodded – great guy.

I left Perito Moreno Glacier and headed back to El Calafate, its jumping off point, refueled and trucked on to the mystical Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, four hours south but only 45 miles as the crow files – a vey large U turn. The terrain in this part of Argentina could well be Nevada, Utah or southwest Colorado. Very similar and equally desolate.

Torres del Paine has lured me for decades, and for good reason. El Fin del Mundo – the end of the world – how appropriate:

Approaching the Park:

Arrival:

Pretty mystical. Saturday morning now, and I’m off to get up close and personal on its hiking trails.

The trip has been amazing so far. Coming up on three weeks – the halfway point – in two days – with Puerto Natales, Ushuaia – the bottom of the world – and much more in store. Will check back in soon. Cheers for now…