Few places on earth have the mythical allure of Middle Earth and the beauty of Narnia, but Patagonia comes close. This region is unlike anywhere else I’ve travelled. From the southern section of the Andes Mountain range to the glaciers of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, to the beautiful hikes in Torres del Paine, Patagonia has a lot to offer.
After a breathtaking taste of Patagonia in Bariloche five years ago, when the South American winter made it impractical to travel further south, I finally made it back earlier this year. You can fly from Buenos Aires down to Calafate and be driven a couple of hours to the remote town of Chaltén. This is effectively the base camp for many of the hikes and climbs in the area and it was from here that I had the chance to stretch my legs in one of the most remote and stunning parts of the world.
Several days of spectacular hiking took my companions and me through the park and face to face with the famous Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitzroy. These two peaks are famous among mountain climbers for the legends of their first mountaineers. They are well known to the rest of us as the logo of the Patagonia company. Both are “must-see” spots for any trip to the region.
We spent our nights with wide open views of more stars than we could count. Our days flew by as we climbed and trekked through the breathtaking terrain. The diverse collection of travellers we encountered heralded from across the world, all drawn to this special place by the unique and magical appeal of Patagonia’s landscape.
With a bit of luck, perhaps some of these photos will inspire one or two of you to experience it as well.
Sincerely,
Abel
