El Chalten is a tough place to leave. It is an easy to settle into, close knit, climber community, in a spectacular mountain scene; and it is also surrounded by ice sheet to the west and desert to the east. There is always a day bus to a flight out of Calafate, or one of the monotonous long distance sorts that take you through the night up barren Ruta 40, the highway travelers pride themselves in completing for the sake of completing and little other sightseeing reason. I chose to let the views guide me. Continue reading Candelaria Mancilla, Raw Patagonia
Monthly Archives: December 2012
Sailing preparation
Two carts. First time at this, but I think that should handle it for two to make the sail from Caleta Tortel to Puerto Monte. Back online in a few weeks.
Tortel
The guidebook says “Coleta Tortel is one of those places that simply has to be seen to be believed”. And, it certainly is surreal. The town didn’t have a road to it until 2003 and is built on the slopes of a steep fjord. There are no roads within town, only cedar walkways, miles of them. See the Photo Archive.
Carmela Mancilla
These three days are worthy of a full blog post (coming soon): trekking out to Glaciar O’Higgins, staying on a ranch where I was told only twenty a year pass through, in a natural landscape that was right up there with any I’ve seen. Inspiring to experience the traditional subsistence ranching the father and son carry on. The true Patagonia.
Entering Chile
If you are going to cross a border, you might as well make it interesting. Argentina / Chile, no phone or computer, only a paper record of who comes and goes. Carried the way too heavy pack for five hours through forest and pass from Lago Desierto to the two home “town” of Candelaria Mancilla.
Villa O’higgins
Heading out to the end of the road in Chile. Bus, boat, walk for a day, then boat.