The Trail to El Chalten

The trail back to El Chalten passes through lovely southern beech (Nothofagus) woodland.

The Group at Laguna Torre

Our group on the moraine of Laguna Torre. The Cordon Adela and Cerro Torre rise in the background.

Torre, Egger and Standhardt

A close-up of Cerro Torre (left), Torre Egger (center), and Cerro Standhardt (right). Taken from Laguna Torre.

Laguna Torre

On the shores of Laguna Torre. The Glaciar Grande ("Big Glacier") descends to the lake from the Cordon Adela (left). Cerro Torre rises in the center of the picture.

Reflections

The Cordon Adela and Cerro Torre reflected in a small pond en route to Laguna Torre.

The Trail to Laguna Torre

The trail to Laguna Torre proceeds up the valley of the Rio Fitzroy. The mountains, from left to right, are: Cerro Solo, the Cordon Adela, and the Cerro Torre.

Welcome to Patagonia!!

First view of the peaks from the trail along the Rio Fitzroy. From the left: the Cordon Adela, Cerro Torre, Poincenot, Fitzroy.

Cecilia reviews the day's hike

On the way to Laguna Torre via the trail along the Rio Fitzroy.

Raviolis de cordero at La Tapera

El Chalten is full of little restaurants that serve good food. La Tapera is one of our favorites. Here is their raviolis de cordero (lamb raviolis). Buen provecho!

Cerro Torre Revealed

Clouds drift around the peaks of Cerro Torre, Torre Egger and Cerro Standhardt on approach to El Chalten. A fairy tale castle in the sky...

Rio La Leona

The Rio La Leona drains the sixty-mile-long Lago Viedma. Took this photo from the banks of the river near the old La Leona Hotel. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid once stopped here after having robbed a bank in Rio Gallegos. El Chalten, our destination for today, is still over 100 kilometers away.

Perito Moreno Glacier

The Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina. We were blessed with abundant sunshine and hardly a breath of wind.

Descending from the Hielo Sur

The Perito Moreno Glacier (foreground) descends from the the Hielo Sur, the Southern Icecap.

Our first dinner as a group at La Cocina in El Calafate. Steak with cream sauce, onions and ham plus Patagonian malbec. Buen provecho!

The Patagonian Andes

A portion of the remarkable view from the hill behind the Hotel Edenia. Lago Argentino (the largest lake in Argentina) is in the middleground. It's sunny, warm and virtually windless today...that's the kind of Patagonian weather I like!

Morning in El Calafate. View of distant peaks to the north as seen from El Calafate town.

Crescent Moon over El Calafate

Taken from El Calafate looking north over Lago Argentino. Dinner at Casimiro Bigua Asador--flank steak with grilled vegetables. I am in Argentina!

Arrival at El Calafate

It's a 3.5 hour flight from Buenos Aires to El Calafate. Arrived about 19:10. Beautiful light! Welcome to Patagonia.

Buenos dias from Buenos Aires

Sunny day in Buenos Aires! Arrived after a 10.5 hour flight from Washington Dulles. Now at the Aeroparque Jorge Newbery awating my flight to El Calafate.