El Chalten and Cerro Torre

On day 2 of our El Chalten stay we planned to do the 'other' big day hike from El Chalten: to Laguna Torre, where there is a viewpoint for Cerro Torre, another impressive spire. This trek is a bit faster and easier than the Fitz Roy hike, though it's apparently longer at 22km (again, hiking maps here aren't accurate).  My legs were tired and my heels blistered, but I couldn't very well miss out on this hike, especially when we woke to another flawlessly blue sky and almost windless day.

The trail winds its way up alongside a river valley, where you can see waterfalls.

It proceeds through a river valley filled with green grass and dandelions.

You cross a number of streams, from all of which it is safe to drink the water.  It is such a treat to be able to fill your water bottle with tasty glacier fed water on demand.  No Fiji water here!

At the campground below Laguna Torre, they note the actions you should take to help keep that water clean and safe for drinking...

Taking a little break in the moraine before climbing over it to get to the lake.

And here is Laguna Torre, with Cerro Torre in the background.  You know, just another set of wicked peaks towering above a glacial lake filled with blue icebergs.  Cerro Torre, as Chad mentioned previously, is considered one of the five toughest climbs in the world and is not without controversy.

Now you see him...

Now you don't!

Like the day before, Chad hiked on a ways to another viewpoint while I loitered around the mouth of the lake taking photographs and putting my feet up.

My happy place - feet up, mountain views, lots of sunshine, just a little wind, and 45 minutes straight without hearing a sound other than the wind in the trees.

Chad got much closer to the glacier at the other end of the lake, by walking the trail that follows the top of the big moraine surrounding the lake.

Including this wicked blue pool feeding the typically grey lake!

Empanadas for lunch...

And looking back on the trail toward my happy place.

When he was done his side excursion we had a few more empanadas and enjoyed the sunshine and our last glacial lake for a long while.  Another beautiful day in Patagonia.

We hiked back the way we came, and that was it for our time in El Chalten, and for Patagonia!