10/2 Hiking around Mt Fitz Roy

Friday 10^th Feb – Happy birthday Martin

Dan set his alarm for dawn only to discover that it was rainy and overcast so we all went back to sleep until the cleaning lady knocked on the door at 10am.  Off to the bakery for breakfast at 11.  Fully fed we set off in different directions for our days walks.

J went towards the visitors centre and the shorter Condores walk.  The skies cleared giving a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and valleys.  Several condors hovering around close to the hillsides.  From there it was 40 minutes to the Mirador Lagua (Lake view?) – quite an easy walk.  Exhausted and foot sore by the time I got back to the hostel.

Mt Fitz Roy towering above El Chalten

A glacier high up on mountainside

C took the same trail as yesterday and extended it 90 minutes each way to a further vantage point. He spent the afternoon at the foot of the glaciers coming off Mt Fitz Roy. Not having a camera (cleverly hidden from the cleaning lady) he got an American to take his picture in front of the mountain and is now in hope of getting it via email.  

Have to enjoy our ensuite room with double bed as the next 11 days are camping.  Yippee! We shared a steak and chips between ourselves and the (very large amount of) fat with a huge St Bernard who lives here. He tends to sleep sprawled across the landing on the stairs so people have to step over him. He was extremely gentle taking the fat from C’s fingertips.

One of the altars for 'Pashamama' similar to Mother Earth.  See these often on the side of the road they always have bottles of alcohol and this one even has cigarettes.