Introduction to today's journey
Today's journey takes us out of El Chalten as a severe subantarctic storm hits. The winds blow strong all day as we head away from the mountains once more going over sun baked savannah. After a long day we finally arrive at a dry canyon near the village of Perito Moreno where we descend into and set up camp sheltered from the worst of the strong winds.
Today's Journey
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A fierce wind bringing driving rain greets us in the morning. Somehow we manage to load the truck in the darkness before taking off through bedlam as we depart El Chalten. Attempting yesterday's hike today would be impossible in this weather. |
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Fortunately we are clear of the rain just after leaving the national park entrance and see this ominous red sunrise as very strong winds continue buffeting the truck. |
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The spectacular mountains have given way to brown grass covered hills as we turn north eastward through Argentina. |
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We reach the small town of Tres Lagos where we stop to pick up food supplies to keep us going another two days and two nights before we reach the next supermarket. This is the only civilisation we see all day after leaving El Chalten. |
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Following the Rio Chico at Casa Riera as it slugglishly flows towards the Atlantic Coast at Puerto de Punta Quilla some 270 kilometres downstream. |
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Crossing the grassy plains near Las Horquetas. |
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In the late afternoon the wind is still blowing very strong but we seek relative shelter in the deep dry canyons at Rio Pinturas, an extensive canyon system with caves with hand paintings preserved from thousands of years ago. |
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The wind blasted bluffs rise above a bond dry salt pan where a river once flowed through this near desert. |
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We find an abandoned hire car nearby which was bogged in the salt pan. There is no sign of anyone here, so it would have been abandoned a couple of days ago with its occupants no doubt hitch hiking the rest of their journey through Patagonia. |
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We set up camp in the relative shelter of the bottom of the canyon as the wind starts to die down and the sun sets. We have dinner around a campfire before turning in for the night. |
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