The halcyon sunrise begins to peak as eight trekkers share their first steps into the brisk morning of Terra Mayor Valley.

I felt something unique with this group. On this day, we were going to be the only ones in the world to be at the summit of Glaciar Ojo del Albino (The Eye of the Albino Glacier). Nobody could replace this one-of-a-kind experience unless they were there with us on that given day. The next twelve hours were about to be challenged with heaps of mud, steep inclines through crumbling rocks, hiking alongside rivers, and massive amounts of ice. I am thrilled.

After a brief orientation at a private lodge between Sorondo’s Mountain and Alvear Mountain, in the middle of The Andes, we traverse through the Autumn-colored peatlands in our 12″ high rainboots beginning at 250 meters above sea level. Each of us is carefully watching our step learning by the mistakes of others who misstep into a sloping mudhole. There were a couple of lost boots along the way but nothing that couldn’t be fished out after a good laugh.

After about one kilometer, we finally reach a more stable ground and change into our hiking shoes leaving our rain boots behind. There’s no stopping us now as we move into a new terrain filled with dirt trails and a pearly-blue beaver dam. Now I understood why I saw so many fallen trees. I initially just assumed they were rotted or struck by lightening, but, no, they gnawed to an apple core by the beavers. Resourceful little fuckers.

As we go deeper into the enchanted forest (and all while secretly hoping I’d fulfill some whimsical fantasy by discovering a little gnome), we begin trailing along Esmeralda River and muddier paths. I strategically hopscotch around the mud holes and successfully avoid falling flat on my ass.

After about two hours into the hike, we finally make our first stop to Laguna Esmeralda, a homonymous blue-green lagoon coupled the glassy translucent mountains that reflected from it. That moment was nothing less than a cynosure elixir. I take a deep breath, sigh, and become intoxicated by the beauty. How could I be so lucky? This lagoon was mine and only shared with twelve others. Nature’s magic trick.

I wanted to stay longer, but we still had a very long trek ahead of us. As we gain elevation, the environment changes around us. It’s getting cooler, and the Coppertone boulders, mineral gravel, and pockets of snow replace the mushy alpine trails.

We get one last glimpse of Laguna Esmeralda, and then it disappears.

The trail ahead continues up to a 30-45 degree incline. I’m feeling the burn in my thighs and focusing on my breathing exercise. In through my nose, out through my mouth. Again, I repeat the words in my head and continue to preserve my oxygen until we get passed this stretch.

We take a break by a small stream of water caused by a melting glacier and snow and notice a little hole near a rock. My brother goes to check it out, and we discover a cave hidden underneath the snow. We grab our flashlights and take a peak. I’m a little nervous hoping there aren’t any weird creatures like I saw in the movie, The Descent, but quickly let the nervousness settle. I even make peace with this cool discovery and fill up my water bottle with the glacier water.

We’re finally at the last stretch. All we need to do is climb this twenty-foot cliff, use whatever energy we have on reserve to get over the last 1/4 mile 60-degree incline, and we’re there.

We are greeted by the Albino’s Eye; a milky virgin body of water with continental icebergs. The glacier is flat with many dark indigo caverns.

The glacier can be extremely slick to walk on with our shoes, so we quickly put on our ice clamps exploring sharp peaks of the subterranean caverns that seemed so small in the distance but so wide where you’re paired next to them.

My ebullience compares to a child’s first time riding a bike; fearless, victorious, and I’m elated.

Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve reached my very first summit.

After a 31-hour bus ride, a ferry, and a passport stamp from Chile, my brother and I finally arrive at Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world.

We finally get a cab to take us to Cruz del Sur Hostel just after 8 pm. At the door entrance, we see a long roster of guests who obeyed the “no shoes allowed policy” with a bookshelf of boots all lined up in military style. We’re immediately asked by the receptionist to take off our shoes as well, which I didn’t mind because it kept the hostel clean from dirty mountain trekkers like me.

As we’re waiting in line for a few other backpackers to be checked in, I hear the chatter a few meters ahead where we see a small group of travelers drinking beer and socializing, all representing their country as if it were the Model U.N. It wasn’t long before we checked in and paid our $210 ARS ($21) each per night, we hear list of more rules before getting situated in our 6 room dorm and falling asleep so that we could prepare for a light warm up hike in the morning.

We did a little research about outdoor activities in the area and read about Glaciar Martial (Martial Glacier). It didn’t cost any money to hike the mountain and it was only a 2-3 hour hike to get to the glacier. We used the opportunity to sleep in a little, find the visitor center to get our passport stamped with the Ushuaia logo (in hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have wasted a portion of my passport but it seemed novelty at the time). We make one final stop at a tour company’s office to book a full-day excursion the following day to Glaciar del Albino (Albino Glacier) before they helped us get a taxi cab to the base of the mountain.

The drive from Ushuaia city to town is only a few kilometers, but I’d recommend taking a cab instead walking it – unless you’re on a super budget – which I did see a solo female backpacker doing. It’s a paved and windy road so the walk is doable if the weather is nice.

Once you reach the base of the mountain and where the trail begins, there’s a cute little ski lodge, Refugio de Montana, where you can either dine or take away. We hadn’t eaten any food all morning and ended up doing both having a light breakfast and then a sandwich for the hike.

The trail itself has a fairly easy ascent, but there were parts of the trail where you found yourself hiking on spongy-like and sometimes muddy terrains.

There are several great viewpoints where you can see a panoramic view of the Beagle Channel and islands. With an average of 146 days of precipitation a year including 206 cloudy days, I’d say we lucked out with the March weather. A rainstorm just passed a couple of days prior leaving us with nothing but beautiful crisp skies.

If you’re looking to take it to next level and are an experienced rock climber, you could free climb above the glacier like my brother did.

It’ll be an interesting ride back down, but you’ll somehow make it down if you aren’t afraid of a few scratches. It’s not something I would try first initially, but for daredevils and those who like to explore the mountains in an extreme way I’d say go for it!

If you’re a go-getter, and you have a reputation for going big or going home, then this trip is perfect for you for you. Here’s how you can hike four mountains in the Southern Patagonia region in five days starting in Ushuaia and ending in El Chaltén. This is not for the faint heart. You’ll be on long bus rides, juggling flights, followed by long hikes and unpredictable weather. But if you’re an adventure warrior, you can totally pull it off like I did. The best time to complete this is during Argentina’s Summer or early Fall (December through early March) when the weather is far less inclement and treacherous.

DAY ONE: 1/2 day hike followed by one overnight stay.

Hike #1: Glacier Martial
Highlights: a spectacular view of Andorra Valley, Vinciguerra Glacier and Mount as well as postcard pictures of the Beagle Channel, Navarino and Hoste Islands.
Mountain Range: The Andes
Region: Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Elevation: 1,050 MASL
Distance: TBD
Approximate time to complete:
Level of Difficulty: Easy. The first slope is the steepest.
How to Get There: the best way is by taxi, but I’ve seen trekkers walking 2 km uphill from Ushuaia city.
Fun Fact: it is the most important source of fresh water in Ushuaia. It has been named after explorer Luis Fernando Martial, chief of the French expedition that reached the area by scientific purposes in 1883. Amazing Race was filmed here (airdate: March 18, 2007).

Sleep, and get rested for next hike.

DAY TWO: Full-day hike

Hike #2: Laguna Esmeralda / Ojo del Albino Summit
Region: Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Highlights: Panoramic views of the mountains, flora and fauna, emerald lagoon, white lagoon, and hanging glacier
Mountain Range: The Andes
Region: Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Elevation: 350 MASL / 980 MASL
Distance: 14 km round trip
Approximate time to complete: 10 hours
Level of Difficulty: Moderate difficulty in good weather
How to Get There: Start at Nunatak Shelter by shuttle bus or car.

DAY THREE: (Transporation Day / Rest Day)
Fly to El Calafaté: Fly. Check out prices on Skyscanner.
Bus from El Calafaté to El Chaltén: 3-4 hours (weather permitting)

DAY FOUR: You’ll have traveled many hours getting you into El Chaltén at an early hour. Check into your accommodation and eat (time permitting) and then head out on the trail.

Hike #3: Cerro Torre
Highlights: flora and fauna, a waterfall, Fitz Roy River, wide valleys, and views of Cerro Torre mountain and the quiet glacier lagoon
Mountain Range: The Andes
Elevation: about 250m (820ft)
Distance: 21 km round trip
Approximate time to complete: 7-8 hours round trip
Level of Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
How to Get There: Walk from El Chaltén village

Get some rest and prepare for the next day.

DAY FIVE:

Hike #4: Mount Fitz Roy
Highlights: the most sought trek in Argentina, Fitz Roy massif, an emerald lagoon, flora and fauna, and vast landscapes. This viewpoint is the closest you can get to the Peak’s walls in a non-technical hike.
Mountain Range: The Andes
Elevation: 800 meters (2,624 feet)
Distance: 20.4 km round trip
Approximate time to complete: 9-10 hours
Level of Difficulty: Moderate difficulty in good weather
How to Get There: Walkable from El Chaltén village

Sleep or take a bus to El Calafaté where you can continue your adventure.

Is Puerto Madryn Patagonia’s steppe-child? The answer is yes. Read more about what makes it a steppe-child and four reasons we should show this little town some love.

It’s no doubt that when you think of Patagonia you think of the Argentina’s many alluring national parks stapled with towering glaciers against distinctly shaped mountains. But what about the Patagonia steppe that rests along the East Atlantic Ocean in Puerto Madryn, and why is nobody talking about it?

I can best describe Puerto Madryn and the steppe as an ecoregion that (in my opinion) got the short end of the stick. It’s full of grassland planes but no trees and scrubby vegetation. It’s too dry to support a forest and yet too dry to be called a desert and violent windstorms are no stranger to the steppe either.

Why should we visit this tiny town then?

Here are 4 Reasons to Visit Puerto Madryn:

1. The Whales and Orcas: If you ever wanted to know it felt like to step into a National Geographic documentary come visit Puerto’s Madryn. You’ll see mama whales and their calves swim so close to the bay you could swim with them, literally, like 20 feet away from the shore. It’s also free! We love free things. 🙂
2. Other Wildlife: sea elephants, sea lions, penguins, dolphins, exotic birds, guanacos… you name it. There’s no shortage out here to get up close to the sea lions who will literally park themselves on a staircase connected to Puerto Madryn’s only pier, the penguins that swim between beaches so close that you might even have one pop up close next to you when you’re taking a dip at sea. Or just a couple of hours south in Punto Tombo, there’s a large colony of Magellanic penguins you can walk next to; it’s also the largest such colony in South America.
3. Camping: if you’re a backpacker or just love the idea of camping, you can beach camp here for free along an entire coast of protected waters. Many of the beaches feel as though it were privately your own.
4. The People: I spent three weeks volunteering and drinking maté with the Puerto Madryn park rangers and they were some of the nicest, intelligent, and relaxed group I’ve met on my travels. I also spent time learning to make empanadas and make lavender products on a family lavender farm. It was a great way for me to practice my Spanish, exchange cultural differences, and even learn how to party like a local Argentine being invited to a birthday party!

The best time to visit is June through September during Argentina’s summer with the peak season being in October.

The Southern Patagonia region is filled with some of the most extraordinary things your eyes will ever witness. Nearly 800,000 km are covered in lakes, mountains, forests, and glaciers. Los Glaciares National Park is no exception so this makes the attraction naturally a bucket list item for many adventure lovers. It’s filled with some of the most powerfully seductive glaciers that will deeply move you in ways you could not have imagined if it doesn’t first take your breath away.

But if that’s not sublime enough for you and you’re someone who craves for next-level experiences in areas where people aren’t generally stampeding on each other, I’d recommend kayaking through the Upsala channel in Lago Argentino (Argentino Lake). You’ll find yourself traversing through icebergs so close you could taste it. The temperature is so refreshingly invigorating that your entire body feels like a pack of Altoids have absorbed into your veins. You’re also the only one besides about 15 others who are there.

The first part of our journey begins with getting up in the wee hours of the morning just before the butt crack of dawn. My eyelids are partial to opening all the way and I have my hoodie sweatshirt propped over my head as I lean against the cold window for support. We are about halfway to our catamaran as I see the mysterious sunrise making its way into Thursday.

It was brilliant in every way as if it mother nature wanted to gift us with a spectacular show illustrating every rich and romantically warm watercolor it could pull from the paint box. So brilliant, in fact, that I wanted to clap once we reached our destination.

It’s time. We are moments away from making our way through Lago Argentino (Lake Argentino), the largest freshwater lake in this region covering over 1,400 km of surface and average depths of 150 meters. Can I get a hell yes?

Over the next 3 hours, I’m seeing these mystical gigantic masses of ice drift at a glacial pace. If these glaciers could tell stories I wonder what would they be? Maybe the icebergs could at least give me the tip of what it’s like to be one of our eternal witnesses of time.

Our three guides give us instruction and we change into our waterproof dry suits as we slowly approach an isolated beach with not a human in sight but the ones who are on this water vessel.

We carry our own kayaks out and make our way into the waters with two hours of unimaginable bliss. The guides were also pretty entertaining with a few kayaking tricks.

We did experience some light drizzling on our way back to shore, but I welcomed it to gently kiss my face.

After we successfully dragged our kayaks out of subzero temperatures and back onto the sandy cove, our guides all asked us to jump into the water. If body language could speak seeing the reactions of the other 12 kayakers, it would easily say, “Are you insane?”. The guides laughed and told us to get in a second time. Nobody wants to be the salmon so we all convincingly jumped in. No hypothermia. Only one good laugh for a group photo.

While the trip itself was a little pricey at 2.700,00 pesos (over $300 USD), it was an experience of a lifetime. And if my story didn’t convince you that kayaking to glaciers is possibly one of the coolest things (literally) you can do in your life then I’ll just have to go again with you.