In the south of Patagonia its all about nature and so I head roughly 160km north west of El Calafate to the climbers haven of El Chalten, where supposedly exists Argentinas most scenic hiking. Its Lonely Planet giving the recommendations this time so Im a little sceptical. The town of El Chalten itself is tiny and is nestled in the valley but has a view of Cerro Fitz Roy, which is the Grand Daddy of mountains in this area and looks like a giant stalagmite.

We stop at park HQ on arrival where they brief us on park regulations. Apparently the water from all streams and rivers is drinkable and hence there are tight requirements for bathroom activities. I think Ill stick to bottled water non the less. I start the hike to Laguna Torre at 1pm and reach the lagoon in two hours. It is pretty scenic here but after months of mountains Im kinda geting blazei about them now and have to remind myself that this is a special place....I then appreciate it.

The hike is really nice and weaves through forests, wind blown valleys and rocky escarpments. The lagoon itself is not that scenic, although keep in mind my previous comments. However, the wind here is so darn strong that it blows you over when you dont expect it. Projecxtiles of sand and small stone hit you horizontally in the face and if your hat blows of you can forget about it. The lagoon is only 200m long yet there are waves in it big enough to surf (just). Get the drift?

I sleep like a log that night before getting up the next day to hike 4 hours each way to Cerro Fitz Roy. Again the hike is really scenic and glaciers are in view everywhere. The last hour is really difficult with a steep climb up unstable rocks, but it was worth it. The vista at the lagoon is amazing, sorry i use that word alot. Three glaciers arrive in separate locations in the valley and the lagoon is a nice vivid blue. The clouds clear for a few seconds and I see Fitz Roy standing tall before me until he is covered in fluff once more. If it weren´t for the wind again I would have stayed longer but if you sit down you start to freeze.

That night I feast on Asado bbq lamb (cordero), which is pretty darn good. Another Argenine delicacy is dulce de leche, which i think translates to ´bloody delicious caramel and chocolate biscuit´. Empanadas are another favourite of mine and resemeble the pastie back home, but so much better. They come in different types including beef, chicken, corn, spinach and more. They (and I) love their food over here......