...nothing much happens except that the hike to Plaza de Mulas is noticeably harder than last year and the weather is much worse (cold, snow) and it is 9 hours of hard going.....we are all exhausted and we find out that the radios Seba bought are mere walkie-talkies and can't contact park rangers with them....we check in and because of a clerical error on our Lanko voucher we get another night in the big tent for free, for which we are eternally grateful (we ...

...we drive to the park trailhead, handle the formalities and set off....halfway into the first camp I realize I'd left my camera in Seba's car so I hike back thus wasting 2h....I arrive in Confluencia (3400m asl), take my bed in a big tent (our camping gear goes on the mule back directly to the base camp), have some lunch and sleep some; in the afternoon we head towards Plaza Francia (4100m asl) for acclimatization. We only make to 3800 because it's ...

...we get up, have some nice buffet breakfast at the hotel and start on the formalities;...we exchange € and $ cash into Argentine pesos and once again feel the thrill of changing money with shady guys on street corners (even though after last year's government change here the parallel market all but disappeared)...we get the permits, arrange the mule transport (we go with Lanko, the same guys I went with last year), print a little Polish flag for that ...

...we get up early, check that everything is packed and set off for Argentina again....we spent charming 45 minutes at a gas station out of Santiago just for buying sandwiches and topping up my mobile card - turns out Chileans are still every bit as phlegmatic as I remembered them....after some usual waiting we cross the border without problems and 3 more hours down the road we arrive in Mendoza, admiring beautiful views on the way....we find out Mendoza in the s...

...I fly to Punta Arenas and even though Camilo, Micha, Ingrid and I are supposed to be on the same plane, they go on a big one and I fly 1 hour later and get a small 14-seater with an open cockpit and excellent photo opportunities (glaciers!!!)...I hang around the town enjoying the sun, fast internet and ample dining choices...all the people I meet think I'm from Argentina on account of my looks and accent (which is involuntary but supposedly Argentine)...I ...