Hey, wanna trek through the Patagonian Andes?

After our first shower in three days, we limped over to one of El Bolson's parillas- our first Argentine restaurant. We felt we deserved it after our longest trek of the trip, 3 days and 48 km in the Patagonian Andes.

We had left El Bolson a few days before in the early afternoon (although it's still morning in 'Argentina time' until 2 pm). After a 4 km stroll along the sparkling Rio Azul, we began a 14 km ascent into the mountains. The first hour of a trek is always the hardest for us... Are we prepared for this? Fit enough?

Luckily, we were soon enveloped by the magic of the mountains. There is a unique energy up there that is impossible to capture in words. We breathed the smells of the forest, layers of life surrounding us. Patagonia is far enough south that its environment is reminiscent of Canada, but with unique flora and fauna. We picked blackberries and refreshed our water supply from streams filled by glacier snowmelt. Before sunset we arrived at the Hielo Azul refuge, emerging from the forest to see a few cabins nestled below a forboding, glacier-topped peak.

The mountain refuges are maintained by families, members of an alternative lifestyle movement that flocked to El Bolson in the 1970's to create an ideal community. They provide places to sleep for trekkers along with home baked bread and home brewed beer- basic necessities.

Early the next morning we set off in an attempt to reach the glacier, energized by our surroundings. Unfortunately, after an hour of scrambling over the rocky mountainside, we were turned back by rain and ominous clouds. We'd been told that part of the climb involved scrambling along a sheer cliff, impossible in bad weather. We returned and warmed up at the refuge with fresh coffee to prepare for the day.

(We had to turn back once that mist up there started to descend on us.)

A steep trip uphill brought us to Lago Natación, the highest point in our expedition. We absorbed the view before beginning our descent to the Rio Azul. We know better, yet we always assume climbing down will be easier than heading uphill... After three hours of steep descent, our legs burned more than they had anytime the previous day.

We had another night of playing cards in a refuge and braving the cold to stare at the stars. The next morning we made our way out of the park, sad to leave that mystical world behind.

Luckily, El Bolson is an easy transition from the mountains. We recovered with Argentine essentials, steak and wine; then we spent the next day enjoying the vibes and music from the artisan fair. What could be better than a hippie town in Patagonia?