Log One: El Chaltén
the bus ride
To get from El Calafate to El Chaltén is an easy and beautiful bus ride. For three hours we drove across flat, golden, big sky plains and passed by two huge milky green lakes, fed by glaciers tucked away in the mountains beyond, whose surfaces lapped with white caps revealing winds were high. A few times the strength of the winds shook the bus as we drove. Then, out of the large front window snow covered mountains presented themselves.
In the rear view mirror the bus driver, after seeing me contort myself across the seat bench attempting to catch views of the mountains, invited me to come down and stand at the front window. There I stood for the rest of the ride as the bus wound down the small road, chewing on a honey candy also offered by the bus driver.
Inching ever closer to the mountains was mesmerizing. Then, Crazy by Aerosmith came on the radio. I’m indifferent to Aerosmith but everyone knows the feeling of a quality song unexpectedly drifting from the radio, suddenly and strangely the perfect song for the moment.
“…that kinda lovin’ turns a man to a slave.
That kinda lovin’ sends a man right to his grave.
I go crazy, crazy baby, I go crazy…'“
A bank of clouds concealed the magnificent Fitz Roy and accompanying mountains, the massif, the Sky Line, but clouds or not this approach, into the climbing village of El Chaltén, is a dramatic one.
It is wonderful arriving in a small town because you can exit your mode of transport, very likely a bus, and walk only a few minutes to your hostel. I was staying at the Refugio Chaltén Hostel on the opposite edge of town from the bus station and just ten minutes later I walked through the front door. I booked a room for three nights, with the likelihood of extending, dumped my things in my room and headed out for a walk around town.
I passed by many cool houses, a cool vegetarian / vegan place, a bulk food store with lots of snacks, saw some of the cliffs where people rock climb, and met a very sweet hound. It was pretty clear that this village existed to support the climbing community here, the area is a type of alpine mecca.e
this very sweet pup walked with me around the town
back to the hostel & a cozy bed…
I stayed at the Refugio Chaltén Hostel on the western side of El Chaltén. It was a really sweet and affordable spot with very cozy kitchen and living space under beautiful vaulted, wooden ceilings. The rooms were equally comfortable, clean and simple. I had a whole room to myself one night and then shared with a lovely Swiss mountaineer who had spent the previous days bivouacking up in the mountains. I met many cool people over the next few days, my introduction into the world of alpinism and rock climbing.
Rating: 9/10 would recommend!
Arriving back at the hostel I found the other beds in my room unoccupied. After living in hotel dorm rooms for three months, it was very special to get a room to myself. I made a cup of tea, got cozy in bed, read a few pages before my eyes grew heavy.
