El Bolson and Back Again - Sarah

Bonus Section!


Perito Moreno: The Last Advancing Glacier in the World
Before our trek to the Fitz Roy, we spent a day exploring around El Calafate, which is home to one of the world´s great natural wonders: an advancing glacial ice field. We rented a car, and got to the glacier just after sunrise. The ice field sits between two peaks, and pours over the mountain range to divide what would be one lake into two. Later in the season, an icebridge forms as the water wears away the underside and causes incredible collapses. When we saw it, we were lucky to see a large chunk of blue ice creak and groan and shudder and eventually fall into the lake to create a huge wave and a brand new BLUE iceberg. As stunning as the view was though, what impressed me most was the sound of the glacier. I´ve never heard such deep, loud, violent sounds, and it was incredible to hear them coming from within something that seems so still. Truly one of my top sights on this trip.

We spent the rest of the day exploring an estancia (working ranch) and around some lovely local lakes. We took the back roads back to El Calafate and were rewarded with a sighting of two Condors riding air currents above the cliffs on the roadside. A good day.







El Bolson... Again.

We´ve grown quite fond of El Bolson, known as the hippie-haven of South America. The locals voted to create a ¨nuclear free zone¨ a few years ago, it´s surrounded by organic farms and has a hippie market with everything for sale from artisan beer to hairy, carved trolls. We spent five days there in a campground with some of the hottest showers I´ve seen in months. There were views of the mountains, clean, cold drinking water from the local glaciers, and a beer shop just down the road. We spent those days recovering from trekking, building massive campfires, drinking good beer and making friends. I happened to meet the only other person on the face of the planet (maybe) who travels with a hula hoop, so we danced alot too. Also there were a LOT of birds--pretty birds with long beaks and red legs that make a sound like a childs toy horn, brown hawks that steal any unattended food, and annoying seagull-like birds that were loud and pestering. That was it, really, for five days. We woke up, ate, debated for an hour or two about the merits of walking into town, ate again, drank a beer, then a few more, then started cooking. Repeat for five days. It was fantastically lazy, and really a lot of fun. We made a couple of half-hearted attempts to do something with water, and thought about going on a trek, but had a couple of reccomendations to move on to Bariloche, which is much more touristy and has more organized adventure-sport opportunities.

When we arrived in Bariloche, we were asking about whitewater kayaking, and the agency put us in touch with a guide in... El Bolson. I was not a particular fan of the touristy Bariloche, so we spent a day there before getting back on the bus to El Bolson.

The guide (Shea) had been guiding for a few years, but was opening up his own adventure-sports business in connection with his parents Eco-Sustainability-Estancia-Lodge thing. Basically, they are about 90% self sufficient, as in they raise their own sheep and cows and fresh produce with which they produce all of their own food except cheese, beer and flour, and have methane collection for heat, wind and solar power and all kinds of other crazy things. In an absolutely beautiful setting, of course. The lodge is geared for high-end guests, but they let us camp and use the facilities for free as part of the Kayaking tour. Pretty sweet.


The adventure really begins with the kayaking. The day started on the lake, where Shea took us out and taught us the Eskimo rescue, which involves flipping the kayak upside down, then grabbing on to another person or kayak or something to flip back upright. Then he taught us to do it with a paddle. I managed it once, all the way right, but Hobbit got through it a couple times. It´s hard. And the water is cold.
In the afternoon, we took to the river, where the disaster began in ernest. These tiny little river kayaks are super unstable, and very flippable. So of course, I flipped. Hit a little eddy, and flipped again. No big deal, we were learning to read the river, navagating some easy little rapids, and having a great time. I was actually doing really well in the rapids sections, and suprising the guide that I didn´t cry or quit after getting dumped in the river. But then, just as we entered the second series of real-deal rapids, it all went seriously wrong. I went flying over a submerged boulder, ¨punching¨ through the hole on the other side, and headed for the second boulder, smiling, paddling, a little terrified and super happy about it until Hobbit came from behind, hit me and flipped me. I don´t know what happened to him, but I can tell you the story from the perspective of upside down, underwater.

I was aware that I had been heading towards the second boulder when something crazy happened, and I was suddenly submerged, knowing that that boulder was headed my way, fast. Sure enough, a chest first collision with the boulder rocked me pretty hard, and knocked all the air out of my chest. But this was a long set of rapids, so I proceded to bounce off of the next three or four big huge rocks while the current held me twisted away from the grab line that releases the skirt (and me) from the kayak. When I was able to twist around and grab the release, I was about halfway through the rapids, and though able to breathe, was still very much concerned about the rocks that seemed intent on doing me harm. The addition of air was a huge improvement in lifestyle, but while the upper part of my body had been largely protected by safety equipment, my legs were open for the business of bruises. I´m recovering nicely, but in the span of about 1 minute received enough bruises to make you think that I´d been beaten by loansharks with baseball bats. My legs are mighty colorful (the picture here is fresh out of the water, before full development, and represents the front of both shins, my other thigh and unfortunately, my butt). Anyway, I got back in the kayak, and attempted a few more smooth moves before my back injury put an end to the fun.

This was maybe the best thing I´ve done yet.

So the next day, we took it easy, did a horseback tour of the mountains, ate some of the best pizza in South America, and enjoyed the peaceful and beautiful setting before heading to San Rafael. And in case you were wondering, yes, that is a sheep following Hobbit through a river crossing. This ram attached itself to us when we stopped at a refugio near a locally famous canyon. The canyon was spectacular, narrow enough to stand with one leg on either side, with a blue river gushing about 30 meters below. This was the Rio Azul, upstream of where we had kayaked the day before, and is one of the most beautifully blue rivers I´ve ever seen. But the ram... Just started following Hobbit as he rode away from the fence, snuck quickly through the gate when we tried to lock him behind it, then nearly drowned trying to cross the river which was chest deep for the horses! He followed us to another refugio, where we eventually locked him in a cabin, and sent word to his owner about his whereabouts.

That´s all for now folks! Have a happy Christmas; we´ll make sure to blog about ours here as well.

Peace,
Sarah