Patagonia: The land of Glaciers, Mountains, Ice Trekking/Climbing and a Shitload of Walking

30km, are you serious? Was my reaction last night when I got off the bus (the one I had been on for 2 days) at 11:30 at night, in the pouring rain, with no food or beer in the belly when I checked in to the hostel in El Chalten (the first of many stops in Patagonia), confirmed my booking for the glacier hike today and found out that there was no bus to the glacier, no, your in Patagonia now boy!

The trip today was absolutely unbelievable though! (I promise photos are on their way) Even if I did it on no dinner but a liter of beer (kitchen was closed), 4 1/2 hours of sleep and cramped legs from the long bus ride. We trekked through the forest, bush and over mountains and rivers to get to the glacier (Glacier Grande), where we chucked on our Crampons (I think that that´s waht they were called), jumped onto this massive million year old hunk of ice and trekked around. It was fantastic!

We also went for an ice climb using ice axes and stuff and it was amazing, a real rush. The walk back was defintely the killer, once we had gotten off the ice we had 5 hours of walking to get back to El Chalten.

I´m steaked and showered up now and ready to head out on another 20 or so km trip tomorrow to go check out the majestic mountain of Fitzroy. That´s if my legs haven´t turned to jelly by the morning. Just all in a days work of the wandering traveller.

The real test will be Torres del Paine in Chile when I have 6 days straight of this sort of crazy exercise, whilst lugging my own bedding throughout the ranges and staying in local refugios. I think I will make it?