Patagonia: Chapter two
Buses, boats, and boots to a glacial lagoon.
Pablo meets me in the hotel lobby at 08:00 and leads me to a minivan. It’s already full of passengers; I’m the last to be picked up.
There are 11 of us. A couple from Austin celebrating their wedding anniversary. A Venezuelan couple from Miami: he with his own business, she who works in textile art. He tells me they need designers for their platform and we promise to exchange contact info by the end of the trip. A local couple from Patagonia: he’s a guide exploring and learning about southern Patagonia; he’s from the north. Their friend from Calafate that they’ve met at a bar.
We drive west along the southern edge of Lago Argentino, the largest lake in the country. We’re headed towards an estancia that rests near Beazo Sur, a branch of the main lake. There, we pick up a final couple before making our way to the river, where a small boat awaits us.
We board the boat, which takes us on a cruise of the lake, headed south. Nano takes the helm while Macarena helps us aboard and casts lines. The morning has been overcast, and a light rain falls off and on. The precipitation mixes with the spray. We’re ensconced in a long cabin that runs almost the entire length of the boat, and warm. A small deck in the back allows us to get fresh air and take photos of the surrounding mountains without being inhibited by the glass that keeps us dry.
The lake is calm; the cruise takes an hour. At the the southern most part of the lake, we disembark onto a slab of rock sloping into the water. Pablo helps us gain our footing, pointing out the best path to shore. He tells us to wait until we’ve all alighted so we can hike together as a group. The captain and first mate walk ahead to ready the next boat for our departure.
We head off across a grassy field. In the distance there’s a cow, meat stripped from its flesh, fast becoming skeleton. Wild cows are an issue in the parks and rangers will kill them, leaving their bodies where they lay to be picked over by scavengers and other animals. But there’s no time to linger. Pablo is pushing a steady pace forward.
We walk through a forest and climb a hill from whence we get our first glimpse of Lake Frías. From the shores we’ll be taking a small zodiac to the southern tip of the lake, and from there we’ll do a final hike to Laguna de los Témpanos, a glacial lake full of ice.
I ask Pablo how they managed to get a boat to the lake. He tells me a small crew carried it over the land, not on the path we took, but one that stayed mostly on the flat lands and skirted the mountain. I asked him if he ever saw the film Fitzcarraldo, a film that follows a protagonist as he endeavors to haul a riverboat across the mountains in an effort to make his fortune. Pablo laughs. Klaus Kinski, he confirms. Guess the name of the boat we’re going to take? he says. It’s the Fitzcarraldo.
We board the zodiac for the 20 min ride across the lake. Mountains surround us and we catch glimpses of waterfalls between the peaks. At the other side we bounce off the sides and onto the rocky shore. Shouldering our packs, we set off through the valley, crossing streams and hiking through a forest before we find ourselves on a rocky river bed.
Pablo is happy with our pace and our progress. He wants us to be able to spend as much time at the lagoon as possible. It’s important that we don’t leave our return too late in the afternoon as that’s when the winds pick up.
As we near the lagoon we can see the upper reaches of the glacier that feeds it. We climb a small rocky rise and there it is, spread out before us. The lagoon filled with icebergs big and small, the glacier and mountain peaks behind.
Pablo is happy with our pace and our progress. He wants us to be able to spend as much time at the lagoon as possible. It’s important that we don’t leave our return too late in the afternoon as that’s when the winds pick up.
As we near the lagoon we can see the upper reaches of the glacier that feeds it. We climb a small rocky rise and there it is, spread out before us. The lagoon filled with icebergs big and small, the glacier and mountain peaks behind.
Pablo tells us we’ll have plenty of time to explore and take pictures; we’ll be having lunch here. He asks us to wait for a briefing, but I’ve already stepped a bit to the side to take advantage of the light. The day has been overcast and rainy, and there’s a slight break in the clouds. He points to me to make an example. He’s speaking in Spanish but I know what he’s saying.
We spread out to eat our lunches in front of the lagoon before spreading out further to take photos. After lunch, Pablo asks if I want to get closer and he takes a few of us down to the edge of the lagoon, where he checks the water level and bags a piece of ice. He first grabs a large piece, but it’s too big for his bag and he hands it to us. It’s almost impossibly clear, in the shape of a crystal decanter. It’s heavy and solid, but there’s water and air bubbles within the ice that move as we turn it. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve held.
On the return hike I chat with Pablo about his job and his family. His kids will be arriving soon for the summer and he’s excited to spend time with them, have them join him on his hikes and trips. This is the first time he’s done this trip this season; it’s just entering the high season and soon all of his days will be filled.
At the zodiac Nano and Macarena have coffee prepared. We rest our legs and savour our coffee before boarding the boat. At the north end of the lake, we help the crew beach the boat. There’s only one trip per day and so everything we’ve used needs to be put away.
We retread the path back to the main boat. Nano and Macarena have once again set off ahead of us, and we soon lose them in the forest. Our hike is more leisurely, and Pablo seems more relaxed. We’ve walked well and have kept to his schedule.
As we near the boat, I see one of our group has peeled off to take a photo of the dead cow we had seen. I veer off with him to get a closer look of my own.
When we board the main boat for the final stretch of our trip, I choose to sit outside in the back. Pablo breaks out the ice he had collected from the lagoon and the first mate takes a pick to it. Whiskey and glasses have appeared on the sideboards and Pablo hands everyone a drink. We cheers Pablo and the captain and first mate and enjoy our drinks cooled with glacial ice.
The wind has picked up since the morning and the lake is choppy. The boat rams through the waves, sending water up over the canopy and onto the outdoor deck. I don my waterproof jacket and pull the hood up. People ask if I want to come back into the boat, but I’m happy outside, feeling the wind and the water on my face, watching the snow-capped mountains fade in our wake. 🇦🇷
