We left Ushuaia for the Laguna del Caminante trek on Friday 10th, and I’m now getting a chance to capture some of our experiences two days later.
What an extraordinary journey.
The first section of the journey in from Valle de Andorra starts in fields of buttercups – sunny yellow stretching in either direction. Soon after, for the next few hours, it become a forest trek. While the landscape is beautiful, the path itself is not so much. What felt like every few metres, we were stopped by muddy, boggy areas which required us to slowly and delicately squelch a path through.
On either side of us were mammoth (well, it seemed so from the base – they’re probably only 1000m high or so) snow-topped mountains, peaking through the forest trees. After peachgate about an hour in (peaches juicing all through my bag), it was fairly smooth sailing. We passed very few people – maybe eight or so – so it largely felt like we had the place to ourselves.
The final section was trying – a steep assent through the trees to finally emerge into the meadow layer of the mountain. While stunning, it was also a difficult section following a narrow sloping gravel track with steep meadows on either side leading down to a rushing river. The scenery was idyllic – not just immediately around us but we were gifted a view of the range.
The pictures that capture this trip best are those that show us as tiny specks amongst a much larger landscape. We really did feel like we were in the presence of giants.
Passing the ridge, we then descended towards Laguna del Caminante – a stunning aqua lake around 550m above sea level. (Maybe it’s ‘teal’ instead of aqua – you decide. To me it’s a shade that almost seems self-illuminating – not just reflecting the light but seeming to create its own.)
We camped in the trees near the shore of the lake, listening to the thunderous waterfall leading into it and the rain which persisted from the time we got there until the next morning. It was strange going to sleep while it was still light. You don’t rise and retire with the sun here.
On the second day, we woke to thick clouds obscuring our view of the lake, which was only metres from our tent. Over the next few hours, the clouds lifted and the sun started playing peek-a-boo (and didn’t stop for the rest of the day). We both braved a refreshing dip in the lake and set off for the Paso de la Oveja.
This day took us above the meadow layer into the slate layer of the mountains, above us only the rock layer with some snow and ice. Slate made for much easier walking than the mushy mud puddles of the forest and the rakish slopes of the meadows. We traipsed upwards, stopping at an icy section for Dan to have an accidental dip in the frigid waters of the stream, until the view of the next valley emerged – such an enormous, sweeping landscape.
We followed the slate layer into the valley, staying fairly high up, with an amazing view of where we were going and where we’d been. The final section – winding down the slate layer and through the forest – was just exhausting. We finally emerged at a gravel quarry, and eventually to the highway. We were spent.
We made our way to the Parque Nacional Tierra de Fuego – the national park to the west of Argentina, on its border with Chile. Camping was free (though entry to the park wasn’t) and we set up in a beautiful spot to the west of the park where large grassy fields were surrounded by a gentle river, with mottled rock walls on the other banks.
This morning, we set off on a number of different trails in the national park, with the standout sight being the Bahía Lapataia – a sparkling bay surrounded by beaches, forests and mountains.
The mountains are more sparse in the national park than the trek. I don’t think I can overstate just how much we recommend the trek – it’s an extraordinary journey to some extremely special places. Prepare to be challenged – especially if carrying the extra weight of camping gear. But it’s worth it – weather permitting, it’s absolutely unmissable. (We’ve later found out there’s also an amazing cave in the Paso de la Oveja so if you ever do the trek, seek it out!)
With all our various aches, we will have a very gentle arvo and will set out for a few nights out near Laguna Esmeralda tomorrow. It may be a few days before I write again.
VRPS
[Ushuaia]
The Two Swords 