Laguna Torre trek - Patagonia, Argentina

Time: 5-6 hours (round trip)
Distance: 18km (round trip)
People seen: Many
Difficulty: Easy
Trip photos: Flickr

Laguna Torre
El Chalten is the hiking mecca of Argentinian Patagonia. As the base town for Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, it is the starting point for virtually all treks in the national park and, unlike Chilean Patagonia, many of these walks can be completed in a single day, allowing you to return to a good meal and warm bed after a hard day's exercise.

The Laguna Torre hike runs along the south of the 'triangle' that forms the most popular area of the park for trekkers, and ends at Laguna Torre - a beautiful glacial lake with the cold granite peaks of Cerro Torre (said to be one of the hardest mountains in the world to climb) towering overhead. Right from the start of the trek the views down the valley towards the glaciers are spectacular.

The walk itself is quite long (9 kilometres each way) but relatively easy - and the constant views entice you to keep going to see just a little bit more. Of course, this is Patagonia, so the weather could change at any time and the calm peaceful valley I found could quite easily become a gigantic wind tunnel another day.

After an initial short climb up out of El Chalten the clear path winds through thin forest before reaching the top of a long, wide valley. Here there is a mirador (viewpoint) offering expansive views for miles (weather permitting, of course).

Cerro Torre's iconic spire is visible for almost the entire walk

From this point the path gently descends the side of the valley before hitting the wide bottom. Some of the best views are from this point, as the higher position gives a better vantage point of the glaciers snaking into the distance.

Beautiful views over the glaciers as the path descends

The path snakes across the valley floor - very easy to follow - then heads into a short section of forest. This is a good place to take a rest as it offers shelter from the weather - be it wind or strong sun.

Continuing on, the path runs briefly alongside the raging Torre river - an impressive but somewhat frightening sight. Finally, the forest turns to scree and the final ten minutes involves a short climb to the lake shore. This would be an ideal place for a rest, watching icebergs float along in the lake and taking it easy - but when I arrived the area was incredibly windy, almost threatening to blow people (i.e. me!) over. Judging by the number of rock walls built by previous walkers for shelter, I would suggest this is a fairly common occurrence, with the wind rattling down from the glacier. 

Laguna Torre - well worth the hike

Weather permitting, a path exists to a viewpoint slightly higher up along the north edge of the lake (heading anti-clockwise) - but this is narrow and has a step drop (into the lake!) on one side, so was not advisable in the wind! There are also quite a few birds around this area, including the Mountain Caracara, a member of the falcon family.

Falcon next to the lake shore

With everything completed, the only option is to head back home - returning along the same path. The walk back takes around the same amount of time - 2 to 2.5 hours.

Laguna del Diablo and Glaciar Cagliero - Patagonia, Argentina

Time: 4 hours (round trip)
Distance: 12km (round trip)
People seen: 0
Difficulty: Easy
Trip photos: Flickr

View from the Laguna del Diablo trail

The Fitz Roy area of Los Glaciares national park in Argentinian Patagonia is one of the most popular areas in South America. Visitors come from all over the world to view the granite towers and visit glacial lakes. But just outside the park boundaries are many other hiking and camping opportunities that are just as spectacular - and often much more peaceful. Laguna del Diablo is one such place.

On the northern edge of the park, past the popular El Pilar lodge along the road to Laguna del Desierto, is a small private nature reserve with trails suitable for day walks. For a minimal entrance fee visitors can trek to Laguna Azul (less than an hour), Loma del Diablo (full day, but closed when I visited) or Laguna del Diablo.

The Laguna del Diablo trek is very easy - almost entirely flat, following the noisy Rio del Diablo to Laguna del Diablo and the Cagliero glacier that feeds it. The first hour and a half pass through peaceful lenga and ñires forest that offers protection from the wind and sun (if you are lucky enough to have sun!). Across the river, Cerro 30 Aniversario peeks through the trees and you might even get a view of the north side of Fitz Roy if the sky is clear.

Views of Fitz Roy through the clouds

Following the Rio del Diablo, with the glacier in the distance

The final 30 minutes of the trail leaves the protection of the forest, crosses a branch of the river over a small wooden bridge, and continues on flat ground between the two rivers. Here you are much more exposed to the strong winds coming off the mountains and can expect any sort of weather - I had to stop to put sun screen on while it was snowing...

The trail also gets a bit boggy in places (especially after the wet season) but should be easily be passable. One thing I learnt here is not to necessarily trust the advice given at the office - I was told the trail was impassable because it was too water logged, but in reality there were just a few big puddles that could easily be walked through or around.

Glaciar Cagliero and Laguna del Diablo

Finally, the trail reaches Laguna del Diablo after about two hours of walking. Glaciar Cagliero sits ominously on the opposite side of the lake, though unfortunately it is not possible to cross the river to get a better view. Around you, snow capped mountains provide a stunning backdrop. On the river you might see groups of ducks that apparently live only in fast-flowing water such as the Rio del Diablo. 

The walk back to the trail head is just as easy as the walk out, along the same trail. You can view a 360 degree panorama of the lake and the glacier here:

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Izalco and Santa Ana Volcanoes - El Salvador

Parque Nacional Los Volcanoes, just 90 minutes from San Salvador houses three of El Salvador's most famous volcanoes: Volcan de Izalco, Cerro Verde, and Volcan de Santa Ana (Ilamatepec). At 2381 metres (7,812 feet) Santa Ana is also the highest volcano in the country.

View of the volcanoes from the roadside. From left to right: Izalco, Cerro Verde, Santa Ana

The whole area used to be considered very dangerous (hiking alone is still not advised), but there is now a lot more infrastructure, with a car park and basic facilities on Cerro Verde. The road up to the car park also offers fantastic views over the nearby crater lake Lago de Coatepeque. Guides and guards leave the car park to climb Izalco at 11am every day and cost a dollar per person. It is still kind of strange climbing a volcano with an armed policeman though!

Very famous view of Izalco from the viewpoint at the Cerro Verde car park

Although it is open to anybody, the Izalco climb is pretty tough - at least 4 hours. The initial quarter - an easy descent down 1300 steps through shaded forest - doesn't prepare you for the long climb up Izalco's steep scree slopes (and comes back to haunt you in the final stages when you must climb back up all those steps to return to the car park). Izalco - previously known as the Lighthouse of the Pacific for its constant lava flows - last erupted in 1966. The lava from that flow can still be seen from the summit, flowing down towards the Pacific Ocean on the south side. On the summit steam vents are still active and seem to attract strange brightly coloured insects.

It used to be possible to slide down Izalco's scree, bringing you to the bottom in just a few minutes, but the practice has now been banned and you must walk back down the same path.

Steep slopes to Izalco's summit

Volcan de Santa Ana is El Salvador's highest volcano and is accessible on foot from Cerro Verde, or via a road just before the car park. There are several campsites in the area making it possible to climb both volcanoes in a weekend. Casa Crystal and Campo Bello - both of which also have basic cabins - are popular.

Campo Bello camp site

Like Izalco, guards leave the Santa Ana park gate at 11am each day. Unlike Izalco, the climb is relatively easy, with no really steep sections. The first half of the half climbs gently through forest, following numbered signs to a mirador (viewpoint) (being refurbished as of October 2012). A short while later the forest ends and you emerge onto the volcano side, surrounded by long grass and the strange looking agave plants (apparently they flower once and then die).

Flowering agave plant

After another 45 minutes the bare upper slopes of the volcano are crossed and - weather permitting - there are magnificent views over Lago Coatepeque and the down into the volcano crater lake. Santa Ana is still active and most of the time vents can be spotted on the inner walls, with bubbles and steam rising from the lake. The scale is incredible - you really need somebody to walk part way round the crater to get a true appreciation of just how deep it is.

After taking lunch on the summit you return down the same path, taking around an hour.

Santa Ana crater lake

Santa Ana crater lake

Santa Ana summit panorama

View more photos from Izalco and Santa Ana.

More posts about El Salvador:

• Perquin - El Salvador 
• Traversing El Imposible

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Santa Cruz trek - Cordillera Blanca

Day 1: Vaqueria to Paria
The Santa Cruz trek is one of the most popular in the Cordillera Blanca, renowned as a way to see beautiful mountain scenery with relative ease. Most tour companies in Huaraz offer this trek as a three or four night trip from Vaqueria to Cashapampa, or vice versa. Unfortunately the trek also has the reputation of having some quite unpleasant camp sites due to overcrowding and unmaintained facilities.

Not liking to do things by the book, and wanting to avoid these problems, I packed enough food for five nights and decided to take side trips where possible and camp wherever it was quiet. As it turned out, this wasn't entirely necessary because I saw very few people on the trek anyway (and all going in the opposite direction).

I decided to start from Vaqueria, which is higher than Cashapampa and thus requires much less climbing. This also meant day 1 involved crossing the rather fearsome Portachuelo Llanganuco pass: a gravel switchback road which climbs, without safety barriers, 800 metres (2600 feet) straight up a mountainside, the local minibus sometimes just inches from the edge. If I had to do that again, I think I would walk it.

Safely deposited in Vaqueria mid-afternoon, I was quite late to start the trek, but didn't fancy hanging around the village. Like many of the treks in Peru, the start of the Santa Cruz trail is an odd mix of litter-strewn rural village and protected National Park, and not something I am fond of. But after a hard 30 minute climb under cloudy skies, the path flattened out and the village, including the guinea pig farm and other tourist attractions, were left behind. I was good making progress, catching up with the schedule despite starting so late, and approaching the first camp site at Paria. Wanting some peace, I opted for a quiet spot next to the river about 500 metres before the camp site, not sure whether wild camping was permitted in the park. (The next morning a ranger woke me to check my ticket, but said nothing else, so I assume it is). Like all the water Huascaran National Park, the river water here is potentially contaminated by grazing animals and needs treatment before consumption.

Day 2: Paria to below Punta Union
After a peaceful night, the next day brought no improvement in the weather - it was still dry but very cloudy, with no chance of seeing any peaks. For this reason I gave up on the Quebrada Paria side trip and decided to push on up the valley, up and over Punta Union, and down towards the next camp site. Punta Union is a high pass which provides the only route through the sheer rock walls between the Quebrada Huaripampa valley and the Quebrada Santa Cruz valley. At 4,750 metres (15,583 feet) it is the highest point on the Santa Cruz trek.

However, crossing Punta Union today wasn't to be. The climb up the side of the valley is quite steep and by early afternoon I was considering camping before Punta Union and crossing it the next day. A sudden hail storm helped me make up my mind and I quickly pitched the tent next to a lake at about 4400 metres - not the best place to camp, but I figured pushing on to the pass late in the day in bad weather would be even worse. So, two days down and barely a photograph taken. Above me, I couldn't even see the pass.

Day 3: Over Punta Union to Alpamayo Base Camp
The weather on day 3 remained much the same - dry and bright but still extremely cloudy. Evacuating the camp site quickly due to some unwanted interest from several bulls, I started up the path. Quickly the weather woke up too and was in a playful mood. Visibility dropped significantly, making the route ahead hard to find, then snow and hail started to fall, making it hard to see even the path under my feet. Punta Union sat somewhere above me, but from distance I wasn't really sure which of the notches in the rock was the one I wanted. Still, I figured that with only one path over, in the worst case I could reach the rock wall and walk along it until I found the path up. 

At it turned out, I was right on target, with a nice set of stone stairs right in front of me as I reached the rock face. A quick climb up led to 4750 metres - my second highest altitude on the Peru trip - and a two metre wide groove in an otherwise impregnable rock wall. Around me, a magnificent view of...white and grey. Ahead...white...behind....white. Beneath my feet, fresh snow - one thing was for sure, nobody had been up here this morning. I wonder why?

I snapped the requisite photos, shook the snow off my bag and clothes, and started down. Wow! Slippery! I descended slowly, keeping in mind that "every step down means more oxygen". After a long, slow descent, past several other groups and a few mules with their handlers, I reached the more hospitable altitude of Taullipampa, at a mere 4200 metres, and decided to push on across the flat valley floor to the next camp site. But the adventures weren't over yet!

In March 2012, a combination of heavy rains and an avalanche created a massive landslide in the Santa Cruz valley, starting in the corrie between Nevado Artesonraju and Nevado Paria and sweeping down the valley. The hillsides were ripped away, the Rio Santa was diverted, and the once steep-sided Santa Cruz valley was filled with millions of tons of rock and earth. Amazingly, nobody was killed. 

While I was aware of the landslide and the new route the path now took, I was not aware that my planned camp site had also been washed away! Worse, the landslide was so strong that any flat, treeless areas were torn up, meaning finding a wild camping spot was also impossible. The only remaining spots were heavily forested and steeply sloping valley edges, and the new vertical cliffs meant getting to the river for drinking water was impossible. Not good.

The only viable alternative was to climb up the valley sides along the trail to Alpamayo - not to much of an inconvenience since the point of this trek was to see the mountain anyway. So, I regained 400 of the metres I had just lost and headed up the Alpamayo valley to the base camp, and another night at over 4300 metres.


Day 4: Alpamayo Base Camp to Llamacorral

Finally, the weather had improved. The previous night I met a group of climbers who had been waiting three days at the base camp to have a crack at Alpamayo. They had even been up to the high camp once but forced to retreat after the weather closed in. This morning it looked like they would get their chance. More importantly, I would get some good views too!

Shaking the ice off the tent, it was too cold to hang around, so time to nip up to the glacial lake Laguna Arhuaycocha (4420 m / 14,500 ft) to take a spot of breakfast before descending. 

Then I retraced my steps to the start of the valley and set off across the rather eerie new landscape formed by the landslide. A new path has been marked, but the ground is perfectly flat and featureless, so you need to keep your eyes open. Along the way, half-buried trees give an indication of just how much rubble fell into the valley. The two lakes - Laguna Jatuncocha and Laguna Ichicocha - have also changed, with the latter now being quite small. The route is hot, windy, and not very exciting - best to cross it as quickly as possible.

Rather than push forwards the extra 3 hours to Cashapampa, I decided to camp in Llamacorral at the far end of the second lake, since I had five days of food anyway. The mid-afternoon sun also gave me a good chance to dry everything out. At Llamacorral there is also a small shop selling snacks, sodas, and beer at exorbitant prices.


Day 5: Llamacorral to Cashapampa
A straightforward day - the path follows the Santa Cruz river, descending slowly at first and then quite steeply -  I was definitely glad I came down this route rather than starting from Cashapampa. From Cashapampa it is easy to find rides back to Yungay or Huaraz.

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Huandoy Ice Falls - Cordillera Blanca

High in the Cordillera Blanca, less than an hour from the entrance to the Llananguco gorge, past a turquoise Andean lake and the ancient Keushu ruins, lies the quiet Rajururi gorge. Seeing far fewer visitors than the big-name trails like Laguna 69, this easy 5 hour return trip takes you to within touching distance - and striking distance - of Huandoy's massive ice falls.

The start of the trail is not exactly peaceful, with loggers on the hill at the entrance to the gorge, and a noisy drainage channel running down from a huge desanding facility just inside. But beyond this the path threw me back into wilderness, with only the sound of streams, insects, and - in the distance - Huandoy's falling seracs. The path was easy to follow - this is a narrow gorge after all - well trodden and running between two rivers.

Each step gives more expansive views over the Cordillera Negra behind, across the Callejón de Huaylas valley. On either side, the gorge walls rise 1200 metres above the trail, while the 6300 metre peaks of Huandoy stand directly ahead, looming over the ice falls that at the end of the trail.

 

The path climbed gently from 3600 metres through bush and forest, with virtually no protection from the high altitude sun - this trek requires lots of water, or a means of purifying that available from the streams (even at this altitude there are extensive signs of grazing animals, meaning the water needs to be treated first).

As I reached 3870 metres the trees and the trail suddenly stopped, leaving me standing at the edge of a boulder field, and giving me my first view of the ice fall. What I didn't realise at the time was that this small ice face is - literally - the tip of the iceberg.

Climbing further up, I stuck to the grassy hill on the left hand side, using the logic that this area had at least been stable long enough to allow for plant growth. Passing by boulders are big as cars, the noises of falling rock, water, and ice were really loud now, some of them sounding like planes flying directly overhead and reverberating off the gorge walls. Quite a spooky environment.

It wasn't until I reached the top of the hill that - all at once - the true extent of the ice field became apparent. Following the rocky path around, it appeared from nowhere, stretching from the ice face I had seen earlier to the back to the bottom of Huandoy - at least half a kilometre long and 200 metres wide. 500 metres up the Huandoy rock face, the source of it all - large seracs slowly melting in the midday sun. I wondered what one would sound like if it fell, then hoped it wouldn't.

The ice field itself is constantly, silently moving, with a continuous stream of new material falling down at the back of the valley, and towers forming and toppling before your eyes. It is possible to climb down to touch the ice face itself - but extremely dangerous. The scale is hard to judge, but even a small ice fall could easily be fatal.

As if it emphasise this, as I turned around to get a better photograph, I nearly fell over a set of wooden crosses on the hillside - a memorial, it turned out, for a group killed in 2001. As they were collecting ice at the face, new ice fell from the seracs above, killing all 8 of them. A sad, and somewhat unnecessary way to die.

Finding the environment beautiful but somewhat unnerving, I quickly ate my lunch before retreating to the relative safety of the forest below, following the same track back down to easily complete the round trip in 5 hours.

A possible extension to the trip is to explore further up the gorge, climbing higher towards the serac themselves. To do this you would need to proceed up the grassy hill on the right side of the ice fall, but it is recommended that this is only done with a local guide. Needless to say, approaching the seracs up close is foolhardy indeed.

View more photos from Peru, or check out Llanganuco Mountain Lodge., an excellent lodge right next to the gorge and at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca.


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Laguna 69 to Pisco base camp - Cordillera Blanca

After camping at Laguna 69, you have two options for the second day: descend down the same trail as the previous day, or climb an extra 400 metres (1300 feet) up the "high route", rounding the mountain and approaching Pisco base camp from above. This second option is clearly more fun, which is why I found myself climbing towards 5000 metres at 8 o'clock in the morning. However, I wasn't about to get out of my sleeping bag until the morning sun cleared the surrounding peaks and hit the tent. Luckily the views out of my tent's vents are pretty good...

Almost there....

The trail to Pisco is relatively new and seems to be known as the "high route". It is marked incorrectly on the Sky Line adventure map, which shows it contouring around the mountain: make no mistake - you are going to earn this 5000 metres the hard way. The start of the trail is somewhat lost under boulder falls, but I used kept the path further along in sight quickly found myself on a clear, smooth, if steep, dirt path.

Note that the sign next to Laguna 69 proclaiming "Refugio Peru 1h 30mins" was clearly erected by a hopeless optimist - not that I want to rush the route (the altitude and views are both so great) - but it was nearer 5 hours before I reached the refuge, going very very slowly and stopping frequently for photos.

For some reason this 400 metres sapped me much more than the 800 metres I have climbed the previous day. Just as I was almost out of energy, really feeling the effects of the thin air, I hit the last climb, crossing a steep scree slope, dropping down some steep rock steps, and appearing on "the other side" of the mountain, with spectacular views across the park, over the Pisco valley, and to Huascaran, Peru's highest peak. With very few clouds, I was blessed with views of the surrounding peaks - almost all above 6000 metres.
 

This was also a nice chance for a rest as the path contoured around the mountain, requiring minimal effort and revealing, literally with each step, more and more mountains until I had crystal clear views of almost a dozen peaks, including:

Pisco (5,752 m / 18,871 ft)
Tocllaraju (6,032 m / 19,790 ft)
Huandoy North (6,395 m / 20,980 ft)
Huandoy South (6,160 m / 20,209 ft) 
Huandoy West (6356 m / 20853 ft)
Huascaran North (6,655 m / 21,833 ft)
Huascaran South (6,768 m / 22,204 ft)
Chopicalqui (6,354m / 20,846 ft)

and several others whose names I don't know. Below, far, far, below, the barely visible coloured dots of tents at Pisco base camp mark the next target.

(Left to right): Huandoy W, S, N, Tocllaraj, Pisco. The base camp is just visible above/right of the lake.

This is also where the problems started. The clear path continues starts to descend into the Pisco valley, crossing the mountain's slopes, skirting the edge of the moraine, and then stops. Dead. I searched beyond a few rocks in case they had covered the trail. Nothing. Up onto some high ground to scout: a few sections of clear path were visible, but on investigation these also stopped abruptly. A few cairns have been created, but these too seemed to lead nowhere. Two large lakes - not marked on the map - were nearby, and from higher altitude I had seen that these lay just below the base camp, so I headed for them. This was probably a mistake. I spent the next 90 minutes scrambling through the moraine, over boulders many times larger than me, and very unstable. A few times glimpses down between the boulders revealed quite long drops - not good for a skinny guy. I wish I had some photographs of this section, but I was so annoyed by the whole escapade I left the camera in the bag. Then, just as I was about to curse a bit, a clear path appeared - right in front of me - and abruptly as it had stopped almost 2 hours before. Within ten minutes I was at the Peru Refuge, ready to follow the easy dirt track down to Cebollapampa. I still have no idea what happened to the path - I'm told it is clearly visible and easy to follow, but my experience and that of several other people I met later suggest that is not the case! Either way, I'm not in a hurry to cross a boulder field like that again.

Fortunately the path down from Pisco base camp is easy to follow - a quick 2 hour descent to the (relatively) plentiful air of Cebollapampa.

On the way down, a small shrine holding a statue of the Virgin Mary sits next to the path. Huandoy, Pisco, and the surrounding peaks have claimed their share of lives over the years - some inexperienced, some just unlucky, perishing in accidents, falls, and avalanches.

Reaching Cebollapampa two hours later, I camped at the flat site between the two rivers, mainly because I couldn't be bothered to hitch a lift back along the Llanganuco gorge at that time of day, and because I wanted to hike part of the route the following day anyway.

One of the "features" of Huascaran National Park is that locals are allowed to graze their livestock throughout the park, which duly leaves a large amount of "evidence" almost everywhere. Finding a clear spot to pitch even a small tent can be quite difficult (and means that ALL water needs to be treated before drinking). Still, it is hard to complain when the views are so good.

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Laguna 69 - Cordillera Blanca

Laguna 69 is one of the most popular treks in Peru's Huascarán National Park. It starts from Cebollapampa at the far end of the Llanganuco gorge - about 45 minutes from the park office and 2 hours from Yungay. I stayed at the excellent Llanganuco Mountain Lodge which is a short walk from the start of the gorge.

The Laguna 69 trek can be done in one long day or as an overnight camp. It should not be taken lightly - at 4600 metres (over 15,000 feet) you need to be well acclimatised and prepared for extreme cold (my water was frozen solid when I woke in the morning). If you have the appropriate equipment though, you have the opportunity to camp at one of the most beautiful wild camp sites I have seen - right next to the lake itself, often with nobody else around. During the night you will hear the constant falling of small rocks and ice into the lake from Nevado Chacraraju above. On the second day you have the choice of returning to the trail head the same way you ascended, or ascending further to 5000 metres (16400 feet) to the Pisco base camp in the adjacent valley. Naturally, this was the option I went for....

From the road side at Cebollapamp (3950m / 12960ft) the trail runs alongside a river (stay on the right hand side), climbing very gently for the first 45 minutes or so. The trail then enters a series of switchbacks, but even these are quite gentle - it is the high altitude rather than the steepness of the trail that will cause any problems. All around there are beautiful views - on a clear day - back down the Quebrada Demanda and south towards the twin peaks of Huascaran. The switchbacks end at a small lake - not Laguna 69 - which isn't named on the map (Laguna 68?), altitude 4400m / 14435ft.

Just after Laguna 68 the path flattens out in a wide plateau, which makes a good place for lunch before the final 200 metre climb to Laguna 69. You also have the option of making a side trip down the Yanapaccha valley, past the overhanging snow and ice of Yanapaccha to the glacial lakes at the end of the valley, though if you are going to Pisco the next day you will get views of these lakes from the high path anyway.

After lunch, a final five or six switchbacks climb the remaining 200 metres (600 feet), the views behind getting better with every step you take.


Finally, the path flattens out and Laguna 69 is reached - and it is worth it! The clear glacial waters change colour quickly in the varying light levels, while Chacraraju (6108 m / 20039 ft) looms overhead, constantly dropping small pieces of snow and ice into the lake below. Arrive early or late in the day and you are likely to have the lake to yourself, away from the crowds of trekkers. Camp, and you will be doing so at one of the most beautiful camp sites I have seen.

View more photos from the Cordillera Blanca, or check out Llanganuco Mountain Lodge.

...read Laguna 69 Day 2 - to High route to Pisco base camp

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