The Horse & Ferry to El Chalten

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Villa O'Higgins, Chile to El Chalten, Argentina

Who knew horses could carry bicycles?  Apparently they can carry just about anything.  In fact, since the bicycles are most certainly lighter than we are, I think the pack horse got off easier than the two that had to carry us!  Our journey from Villa O´Higgins, Chile to El Chalten, Argentina was definitely interesting.  Once in Villa O´Higgins, the only ways out are to go back north for 100 kilometers, cross on the ferry and continue another 100 kilometers north to the nearest junction, or to take a combination of ferries and rough hiking trails south, ending up in El Chalten.  Obviously we weren´t interested in backtracking, and we couldn´t bike the rough hiking trails, so horses and ferries it was.

The ferry ride down Lago O´Higgins was beautiful, but when we reached Candelario Mancilla, we found out there were no horses that day to take us the 22 kilometers to the next ferry.  That turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as we ended up spending the night at the home of Ricardo and his mother.  Travelers too often say that staying in this or that guesthouse felt just like being a guest in someone´s home.  In this case, it was so very true.  We basically just stayed in their one extra bedroom, sharing the bathroom with the missus, and had dinner at the family table with our hosts.  Not receiving many guests, they were charmingly friendly and interested in talking with us, and it proved a fantastic stopover.

The next morning we rose and got on the horses, one of which our host had already packed with our bicycles and bags.  We spent SIX HOURS on the horses - a long time, for sure, but Tole and his 18-year old horse provided a lot of comic relief along the way.   First, it turns out, not necessarily surprisingly, that watching Tole bounce haphazardly on a trotting horse is a preposterously incongruous sight.  But the best part was the horse itself.  Tole's horse was one hungry equine - he was constantly munching on any bit of bush or tall grass that might pass near enough for him to eat it as he walked.  I'm not sure how all this eating sat with the horse's tummy, though, because all the while he also emitted outrageously long, loud rippers.  With all of this unintentional entertainment, we passed the hours in an almost perpetual state of hilarity. 

The looks of the trail confirmed we would never have wanted to try biking it.  (We met some poor souls who tried it and had to push their bikes for countless hours through muck.  No thanks!)  We finally made it to the ferry, albeit a bit late.  Luckily, the ferry was running late as well, so that day we successfully reached El Chalten, which by then had become known in our meat-hungry minds as Big Juicy Steak City.

El Chalten has a very frontier feel, understandably so since the town sprang up only in 1985.  Apparently Chile and Argentina disputed who owned the land, and Argentina gained the upper hand by establishing an Argentine town in the area.  El Chalten is now famous as a hiking base for the famous Fitz Roy range.  Though Cerro Fitz Roy is for serious climbers, most tourists come simply for day hikes and multi-day treks through the mountains littered with lakes and glaciers, and less littered with people than Torres del Paine.  We had time only for a 20-kilometer day hike to a glaciar, which was beautiful despite the rain and icy cold wind we encountered.  I'm pretty sure my butt was verging on frostbite, but at least the views were cool!

What stands out in El Chalten as much as the scenery is the shockingly strong and constant wind.  Walking through town against the wind is truly a struggle, doubly so since the wind often blows dirt from the unpaved roads straight into your eyes.  It´s really very trippy to walk through the middle of this "town" hearing nothing but the wind howling in your ears, your eyes mostly closed to keep out the whirling dirt.  In a way it adds to the mystique, though.  We spent a good deal of our time just enjoying the pioneer feel of the town.  Additionally, there are a surprising number of fantastic restaurants and bars considering the remoteness of the region.  Because we were once again relegated to a scheme for surviving on a limited amount of cash (El Chalten has no bank or ATM), we sadly had to go several times to the fancy Hotel Los Cerros for cocktails (they take credit cards).  The place seemed to me ideal for a splurge, so maybe if you go you´ll be luckier than us and manage a stay there.  The views are sublime, and so are the cocktails.  There I discovered the Vaina Chilena, another Chilean masterpiece along with the Pisco Sour.  I can´t wait to try making it at home!  Yum!

Next we hit El Calafate and met up with my friend Paul to visit the Perito Moreno glaciar.  You can watch and listen as giant pieces of the glaciar break off into the lake in a fairly spectacular show.  That said, it was a little lame to spend the money and time just to stand on a platform for awhile and gawk at something.   The glaciars that we saw on hikes were more rewarding, and less expensive.