Date of Entry: April 8th 2016

Date of Writing:  May 27th 2016, Bee W Hostel, Sao Paulo, Brazil

After a long but fulfilling day trek to Laguna Torre yesterday, I’m looking for something to do with not quite so much walking, saving up energy to try to hike to Laguno De los Tres before too long, and also waiting for a nice day to do the aforementioned trek which is supposedly one of the highlights of Patagonia for lots of people.  I end up deciding to take a transfer bus to Lago Del Desierto, a stop on the way to the border crossing to Chile’s carretera austral which I have always wanted to do, but arrived to late. (The boat stopped running April 5th this year).

Luckily there’s still a shuttle bus/tour running return trips to the tiny little settlement of Lago Del Desierto with Las Lengas for 420 ARS  (40 CAD) roundtrip.  the shuttle leaves at around 12 and returns at around 6 and the other company offers less time there.  The shuttle also stops at a few points of interest along the way, and i my case at least the driver was immensely friendly.

I board the bus at the station (though they offer pick up at your hotel) and after about 30 minutes on the road driving out past El Chorrilo waterfall we make our first stop, for a marvellous view of Fitzroy and several other mountains and glaciers which are not visible from town.  The scenery here is beyond description, and If you’ve not been to Patagonia I hope all these blogs are pushing it towards the top of your list.

After a few minutes we climb back into the minivan, myself, three friendly argentinean guys, and another argentinean who is planning a multi day camping excursion starting at the lake.  Our next stop comes at another waterfall which is always going to make me pretty happy.  These ones are a 5 minute walk in from the road and are quite beautiful, especially with the fall colours in the leaves.  I only wish there was time to go swimming, but no such luck.  At least the nice Argentinean guys offer to take a photo of me and I return the favour.

That’s the last stop before we reach our final destination on the shores of lago del desierto looking out towards Chile.  Here we have between 3 and 4 hours to explore and I already know where I’m going, heading towards the sign for glacier Huemel and stopping in at the charming little home of an old chilean couple to pay the 100 ARS (maybe 150) entrance fee.  The little convenient store/ home is like a portal to simpler times and the thick accents of the elderly couple are almost indecipherable.  Once I’ve paid I start out on the trail which winds up through a thick green forest full of fascinating moss formations on the trees.

The trail is short and should only take a maximum of an hour but it is a decently steep uphill and soon enough my lungs are burning so when a little side trail leads out of the forest to a stunning viewpoint of the other side of Mount Fitzroy I’m eager for the short break photography provides.  The fall colours are coming to life more and more with each passing day rendering the incredible views just a little more spectacular.

As I re-enter the forest I find my three Argentinean friends have caught up to me and they are kind enough to take some more pictures at yet another stunning outlook of the fall forests and towering mountains in the background.

We continue upwards through the steepest part of the trail all struggling to keep our breaths going a little bit and hoping it will be worth the effort, especially that considering today was supposed to be a down day.  But don’t worry, as hiking in patagonia always seems to be, it is more than worth it as we crest a hill and stumble out to a gem like turquoise lake set below a small glacier above, still offering stunning views of Fitzroy off to the left.  We take some photos for each other and the three Argentineans are left baffled by my paint me jack pose, though they all seem to find it amusing.

The reflections in the eerily calm incandescent water are also something to behold.

After a little time marvelling at lake I head to the stream running down from this huge turquoise eye of the mountain and fill my water bottle before deciding to head up a trail leading to some lookouts over the right side of the lake.  There was once a trail leading to the glacier but it has since receded too far and the path is no longer safe, still the views of the lake from above feel miraculous and once again I’m astounded by the absurd beauty of Patagonia.  How so many places like this can exist in one region is just beyond my comprehension, and I’m only scratching the surface of Patagonia.

Eventually the three Argentinean men decide to head down back to the van and I’m dismayed to find my time is running low, but not so low that I’m ready to leave this place yet, instead of going back I continue up towards the end of the trail winding up a narrow rocky outcrop and marvel at the beauty all around me.  I take too many pictures, but can you really blame me.

A part of me wants to just leave you up there, because a huge part of me wanted to stay, wishing I had a tent and the required gear, but oh well.  I realize I’ve spent too long up top and hurry back down the somewhat steep trail almost running.  The forest is beautiful and I’m pleased to find a single white horse grazing under some of the largest trees before making it down to where the minibus is parked.

I’ve made it down faster than I thought was possible and it turns out I’ve got about 12 minutes before the shuttle leaves and there’s no sign of it being ready to go so I decide to use the energy from such a beautiful place and head out along the beginning of the trail to Chile, crossing an old wooden suspension bridge and following a narrow trail along the edge of Laguna Desierto, it’s midnight blue waters shimmering under the light of the sinking sun.

I doze through some of the shuttle back but perk up when our friendly driver starts talking about the best way to do theLaguna de los Tres hike, which is my hope for tomorrow. He suggests (and I definitely agree)  taking a shuttle from town to Hosteria Pilar and beginning the walk there. It is a little easier, avoids any repeated views and also includes some viewpoints of other stunning lakes and glaciers.  Really it’s the only way to go.

We get back to Hostel Viajeros just as the sun is disappearing from the sky, painting the dusk an incredible myriad of purples and pinks with bursts of orange behind the imposing line of mountains looming over the town.

I’m exhausted but can’t resist the fading lights of this magical place and so I ignore my aching legs and hungry stomach heading out past the bus terminal and across the bridge towards the national park office which offers great easy views of the mountains.  I cant express how happy I am to have fought the laziness, the colours in the silence and ever growing darkness captivate me entirely and I can’t think of a more perfect way to complete such an incredible day. Oh and tomorrow is going to be even better, a highlight of my almost two years so far in South America. So get excited!!!  And enjoy these final photos.