This crampon hiking trip on Viedma Glacier was a real highlight for me. First we got soaked, then we got blow dried, then the sun came out. We enjoyed toasting with something special that the wonderful guide, Gisella (as beautiful as her name), sneaked onto this glacial outcropping. As one of our travel companions loved to say, “Awesome, outstanding, cool!”
Hey, if you go all the way to Patagonia, isn’t a horseback ride a requirement? My son passed on it, while I loved it. The horses were well behaved, even if the riders weren’t! This shot was taken as we left Hostería Helsingfors, a windswept-but-beautiful locale on Lago Viedma. I also enjoyed the fresh lamb served off the barbecue pit!
This shot of our group is fantastic—you can see the joy in our faces with clear shots of the Cuernos del Paine behind us! This day’s hike was epic but mostly easy, with lots of bird sightings in the lakes and trees (including a grebe fighting the winds on a small lake). We trekked from the Hostería Mirador towards Lago Pehoe and Nordenskjold. We had everything in one day’s trek: high winds at the right time (on top of the summit—Patagonian wind fun!), a great lunch rest stop, and an exciting, good-sized descent hiking to the road by the lakes.
–Text and photos by Jeff Chase, two-time Wilderness Travel adventurer, In Patagonia
