Sunday 2 January 2011

El Chalten Spectacular Trek 1 - Laguna de Los Tres



Laguna de los Tres.  The destination for the first of several wonderful treks we did around the El Chalten area of Los Glaciares National Park.  Put the Wagner on again.


The two star peaks behind Laguna de los Tres are the highest and third highest of the massif, Monte Fitz Roy on the right and Cerro Poincenot, left.  At 9 am in the morning they seem to radiate their own light.


This view is from about half way up the valley of the Rio Blanco.   We approached the Laguna de Los Tres from towards the bottom of this valley, starting at Hosteria El Pilar.  This is a bus ride from El Chalten village.  Highly recommended to do the walk to this way.


You walk through gorgeous forests of lengas, a species of Nothofagus southern beech.


Common sight in these forests.  A Thorn-tailed Rayadito.  The size and demeanour of a Long-tailed Tit on speed.


Rear view shows you where the Thorn-tailed comes from. 


Behind MJC on the far side of the valley is Glaciar Piedras Blancas, one of several glaciers chugging from the interior of the massif.




The view point for Laguna de los Tres lies at the top of that forest-covered ridge.  See that curve on the slope that gets steeper and steeper.  Another 90 minutes and several millimetres of knee cartilege to go.....


Keep going MJC.  Look back along the valley of the Rio Blanco and see how far you have come already.


No slacking now.  You should be trudging upwards in the other direction.


OMG.  We finally get there and our fine new chums, Andrea and Thomas from Dusseldorf, arrive minutes later.  We met them first in Torres Del Paine National Park.


I think the ´Tres´ refers to the dominant peaks you can see behind the laguna.  From right to left, Fitz Roy (3405 m) - Poincenot (3002m) - Aguja Saint Exupery (about 2500 m).



The Glaciar de los Tres which drops bit by bit into the laguna.

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