Hosteria El Pilar El Chalten

... pm AT the Hansel &amp; Gretel campsite there was free beer too- "Quilmes".SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO REASON FOR THE GROUP of 16 NOT to get along!!! (all included in the price-) <br><br>Toilets<br>These have ranged from 4star- to holes in the ground' (HANG on to a bar and put your feet on the footprinted soles either side of the hole.) (even they are fragranced though (sometimes)- so please don,t think we have it too too bad)<br><br>Porterage<br ...

... up the hill and during a few gusts I actually had to lean back down the hill to stop myself being blown up it. And this was quite a steep hill, BTW! Going down the other side was crazy and I was forced to run down, despite trying very hard to resist it!<br><br>The photos will never be able to show how crazy this place was, but I just couldn't believe it how a two hundred metres from the lagoon I was comfortable in a t-shirt and just down the track I was practically ...

... back to Chalten...but they wanted 400 pesos for this service - the same as the full excursion! F*ck that.<br><br>We began our walk to the main road (just off our map - the alternative short cut was fence-ridden, hilly and boggy). It was miles, and in the wrong direction. Thankfully a passing pickup stopped and drove us to the main road. Nice people, it probably saved us 3-4 km, but we had already walked most of the way. Here, we began walking back, whilst trying to thumb a ...

... which is disgusting.<br><br>Next day woke up early to go for a long 5 hour trek up and down mountains. Not raining but still alot of clouds and fog around so couldnt see the high mountains. After 2 and a half hours of walking and jogging so we dont miss our bus at night. Arrived at a massive frozen lake with a glacier at the back of it. Was an awesome sight and worth the sore legs that I still have now 4 days later.

... into El calafate, Santa Cruz, and took a 3 hour bus ride to El chalten which I booked through my hostel. The bus service was called Chalten travel, and the run buses daily to and from el Chalten at 8am, 1pm, and 6pm. Of course Chalten travel is not the only service that goes to el Chalten from Calafate. The round trip ticket to chalten to and from calafate cost 30 peso. This service is a little more expensive then other bus services in ...

... Not even half way down... Stephen has commented that a snail just passed me out... hhmmm a few curses and the nearly breaking up part.... 5:00pm: Crying with pain... this is cruel... 6 ...

... hostel said I had been blessed with a magnificent day to hike to the Fitzroy Mountain. My legs on the other hand were a bit stiff and sore and not so optmisitc about the hike ahead. I gently pottered about the town getting some breakfast and a packed lunch for the day. Now this hike is supposed to be in the region of 25 or 26 km, about 16 miles or so, but is generally flat or climbing all the way there ...

... a Japanese girl, and later her boy friend, and then an Israeli about my age going in the opposite direction. The weather had now turned Patagonian meaning high winds and rain. At times I had to lean into the wind just to stay upright. But there were always others on the trail so had no problem. At the Campo Italiano I left my back pack with the Japanese who were going to camp at the bottom of the French Valley and climbed the valley to the Mirador ...

... some bread rolls for lunch BEFORE getting the laundry sorted. <br><br>Ok, I can't resist it, saga time! Sorry... <br><br>The first laundry place told us that we would be charged "by bag". "How big are the bags?", we asked, reasonably. A shrug was our answer. Very helpful, thanks very much.<br><br>The second place bizarrely charged "per item ...

... much time looking out of the windows much because there was literally nothing to see! <br><br>The landscape was monotonous and nondescript, the roads unsealed and indirect, so we were very glad to be at our destination. <br><br>Now we couldn't wait to get out there and use our hiking boots again!<br><br><br>Lots of love, <br><br><br>Al &amp; Katie xx