Monday, April 25, 2016

Try to swirl it the other way..



Having too much fun in Mendoza touring wineries and trying lots of Malbec!
What a way to wrap up the trip. Can we stay?

Thursday, April 21, 2016

This is why we travel





Today was an exceptional day. We headed out of Bariloche and rented bikes to complete the circuito chico. All the way around we had stunning views and it felt great to be back on bikes again, I think we caught a biking bug this past summer.  After the bike, we hiked to the top of the lookout called cerro campanario which revealed a huge panaoramic view of the entire area. Chad learned how to take photosphere photos and is now obsessed, this lookout provided a perfect backdrop for these shots.
We should also mention, yesterday we rented a car with some friends me met and travelled out of Bariloche on La Ruta de los Siete Lagos. The weather was not totally cooperative but we enjoyed the day long-drive including exploring two little lakeside towns called San Martin de los Andes and Villa la Angostura.
We are currently planning our next move but we are pretty sure we are going to fit in another multi-day trek before heading to Mendoza.


Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Liberally translates into "Chimney"




El Chalten overlooks Fitz Roy mountain which was named because it is almost always covered in a moving cloud making it like a chimney. We spent four days in the area and on the final day had a clearing to make it to the viewpoint and see the peak of the mountain. This was perhaps one of our favourite day hikes ever, surpassed perhaps only by Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand.
The unique part of El Chalten is that is is literally in the national park meaning that everday you can head out into the park and do a day hike and then return to a hot shower and evening relaxing in town. There are microbreweries and vinerias (wine lounges) and lots of little cafes in town making it a great place to unwind.
On our last day we tried "mate" a local tea that is drank through a metal straw and shared between the table.
We set off from El Chalten on a long bus ride to take us up to the lake region of Bariloche. A 25 hour and 7 minute bus ride proved "not too bad" but we are glad to be here. We are looking forward to exploring the seven lakes region, doing a day bike ride, potentially a multi-day hike and sampling the renowed chocolate in the area.


Thursday, April 14, 2016

Circuit Completed

We did it! The circuit is completed. What an incredible part of the world. Here is how it transpired.
Day 1 - Los Torres to Seron campsite
Day 2 - Seron to Los Perros via Dickson
Day 3 - Los Perros over the pass to Grey
Day 4 - Grey to Italiano
Day 5 - Covered the French Valley then onto Los Cuernos
Day 6 - Los Cuernos to Torres
Day 7 - Sunrise at Torres before hiking out
The entire circuit was beautiful however our favourite part was coming over the pass and seeing the Grey glacier. Hiking alongside it for the entire day was such a unique experience. So vast and sprawling, a true natural wonder.
Along the way, we meet such great people including but not limited to: Jeff and Jay (USA), Marco (Germany), Guillermo (Ecuador), Johnnie (Germany), Steve (Wales), Ted and Kate (USA), and Declin (England).
Another successful trek experience. After we finished we headed back into Argentina and up to El Chalten, where we currently are doing day hikes from town.



Monday, April 4, 2016

Patagonia

We have arrived in Chile. As we pack our bags in Puertas Natales, we await to head out on a multi-day trek through Torres Del Paine National Park. As we landed in El Calafate and made out journey across the border we knew that our decision to come to Patagonia would be rewarded. It is so incredibly breathtaking. From the vast steppes to the Andes rising, we are giddy with excitement and awe. Over the years, we have realized that one of our favourite things to do while travelling is trek, tomorrow we get back at it. 

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Buenos Aires introduction

Day 1 - Spent the day logging many kilometers in Buenos Aires on foot. We saw most of the sites and sampled some of the great cuisine, including a great steak dinner, hard to be vegetarian here.
Our favorite was the cementerio de la recolota, much to Chad's surprise. It was very impressive and a unique visit.
After a long day, we crashed, will at least I did, quickly, to get up early to get back to the airport, where we currently are, to await our flight to El Calafate. We cannot wait to get into Patagonia!

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Argentina started

Arrived safely, exploring the city before flying down to Patagonia tomorrow to start trekking. Life is good.

The Lost Years

 The lost years cover from 2020 until current day. I feel like we did really well during the pandemic to keep up our travels. I stopped post...