4th December

The bus journey to El Chaltén was full of interest and I happily soaked up the scenery with Steven Fry reading me Harry Potter. We watched as the landscape changed from dust and harshness to stone crags and greenery. Glacier blue rivers and lakes guided us throughout the journey, leading us in to the famous Lake District of Argentina, El Chaltén.

Surrounded by mountains on all fronts except for one small road leading in and out, this small mountain town is full of character. The houses and infrastructure represents a fusion of an alpine ski village merged with western style saloons. If buildings are not made from wood then they are painted bright colours with A line roofs. Dust appears to plague each corner of town, constantly being churned into the air by the onslaught of wind.

After dumping our bags at the hostel we ate our sandwiches in the common area before heading out to hike Chorrillo del Salto, a waterfall to the north of town. The hike started with views of the Rio de las Vueltas and it’s basin. The basin, wide set with winding glacier blue rivers and a backdrop of dark snow capped mountains, had a herd of wild horses roaming on it, trotting through the streams before grazing at the grass on the river banks.

Our love for El Chaltén was instant and we went to bed excited to explore that national park tomorrow.