The Dirtbag Diaries

The past few weeks we've spent in the company of glorious mountains, cheerful outdoor folk from all walks of life, frigid glacial lakes and autumn trees that are timidly starting to transform into an explosion of colors. We've covered a lot of ground recently and every day holds its own adventure- even if it consists solely of sitting in the tent and listening to the pattering rain overhead. 

We trekked to the various climbing Refugios near Bariloche where we saw the sunset on incredible granite spires, climbed up (and down, and back up again) ridge after ridge, "hill" after hill and down loose rock fields. We ate countless servings of oatmeal and tried our hand at bringing eggs into the backcountry. We discovered the magic of a homemade Argentinian alfajor after a brutal day of hiking and played cards in the candlelight of the rustic climbing refuge cabins. 

To give our legs a rest we took a 23 hour bus to the south and did some more trekking. Go figure. I woke up to the glorious view of the Fitz Roy skyline as we pulled into El Chalten. The sun was just coming up and the peaks and glaciers were glowing rosy pink. The full moon was just about to set, hanging over the face of Mount Fitz Roy. 

We quickly discovered that the town itself was very limited and settled on the word "skimpy" as the best adjective to describe it.

After we managed to scrounge up a map and seemingly enough food for the coming days, we were off and back into the mountains. We hiked to beautiful glacial lakes and sat atop glacial moraines, staring at the glowing blue masses. For a good bulk of our trip we had some weather and learned  our lesson about rain in Patagonia. The last morning I stepped out of the tent and let out a small shriek as I realized the mountain was showing. Finally! We had been waiting to see it the past two days and the feeling of elation when we finally did was almost overwhelming. 

Every twist and turn in the trail revealed a new view of something incredible and beautiful in its own way. Joe's always waiting for me because a) I'm slower but b) I'm practically spinning in circles with my head in the clouds, just enjoying the show. 

We get back to town and head for the bakery- the lady recognizes us by now because we've become somewhat addicted to her dulce de leche pastries. 

Mountain life is good to us. Undeniably we really enjoy all the delicious foods we cook when we get back to civilization, like the Philly cheese steaks we made last night for dinner, but canned tuna and "listo arroz" (ready rice) will definitely suffice in the meantime. Back on the bus now and headed south.