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“... after some macho banter and gesticulating i refilled my water with virgin snow and retreated slowly back to the ... ” |
It was a long bus journey up to Esquel through vast stretches of Patagonian emptiness. In fact it was 3 buses with 2 changes and the emptiness in the surroundings mirrored my fatigued brain.
Esquel is a medium sized town, not much visited by foreigners but very popular with Argentinian. It was a nice place to relax with a steam railway and a couple of walks in the surrounding hills.
After doing not very much for a couple of days i set off to the national park a couple of hours from the town, Parque Nacioanl Los Alceres. Alceres are ancient trees, some over 2000 years old and big. Being in need of a challenge i took on the most difficult day hike in the park and i was richly rewarded for it. The lower slopes from the lake were forested and full of exotic birdlife. As i climbed the forest became predominantly bamboo with different coloured stalks and horseflies replaced the birds. I cleared the tree line and was in amongst the snow. At this point the path skirted the peaks and dissappeared from sight toward the pass. Believing i had time to spare i decided to try and bag another summit (i had no idea what the mountain was called) and so veered off the path and climbed up. It was steep and i was soon bouldering with a little climbing. I reached 1 or 2 false horizons before i saw the actual peak loom straight up. I met an Argentino who´d also failed to realize the scale of the task and after some macho banter and gesticulating i refilled my water with virgin snow and retreated slowly back to the path.
The path wound through the mountains next to a stream, it´s source no more than 10 metres above, and over a very steep pass. I ambled down the assent, not realizing the time and reached the bottom after the bus had left. Luckily i found the park ranger and they put me up for the night on a mattress and some blankets and even made me tea in the morning.
Not many foreigners visit the park which was good for me and is no doubt good for the Argnentinians who camp in it´s tranquil surroundings. It´s a bit off the beaten track, as i literally was!
previous travel blog entryComments or Questions for the Author
Uncle Bollo says:
...what you were missing was a MTB sir, then you wouldn’t of needed no stinking bus! The park ranger bit made me chuckle, when you came across said park ranger was he getting w*nked off on a park bench by a hairy Russian female wrestler type? Keep up the wondering...
Mrbump says:
!joder! I´m seriously jealous now. Only one solution tomorrow I´m going to drive to the prynese or Sierra nevada and spend some time skiing or climbing to make my self feel better. Keep up the adventuring!!