Villa O'Higgins

As mentioned, we walked into Villa O’Higgins from the boat dock. It is a tiny town at the end of a long road- Ruta 7. Many people traveling what is known as the Carretera Austral bike route either begin or end their journey in Villa O’Higgins. It was the kind of town we needed to take a break in- removed from technology, walkable, and full of friendly people. We had also shipped a trunk there,to a friend of a friend (of course) named Marcela who we had been keeping in contact with since before the start of our journey.

A view from the porch where we stayed

We found a hostel/campground at the end of town and promptly showered and cooked up some dinner. The hostel owner, Fili, knew Marcela, and gave her a call. We were eating dinner when Marcela stopped by, her kindness was even more palpable in person and we talked for a bit and then agreed to stop by her house the next day.

Marcela paints in her shop

After a solid night's sleep and some more food, we walked the few blocks across town to Marcela’s house and found her working in her shop/studio. Talking with her, even though I couldn’t completely understand her words (because of the spanish), was a breath of fresh air to me. I couldn’t place why, but I felt at home in her presence. Marcela and her partner Rodrigo are two of the most genuine people I have met, having found their place in life while continuing to strive for what they believe in. Marcela’s a beautiful artist in her paintings, and she has a small studio/shop in Villa O'Higgins for tourists. Rodrigo’s art is in his music, which he also teaches. Hearing their stories about finding their passions refueled my creative side, and I look forward to working on some of my own art pieces when our season is over down here. I am forever grateful for their kindness and hospitality.

Time for Once's!

Over the next few days, we ate, slept, relaxed, and socialized. Villa O’Higgins became a home away from home as we rested and planned the next section of our trek. Everyone in town was connected, so all we had to do was ask Marcela or Fili where how to get something done, and they’d send us to the address with a name and objective. When one is on foot, small towns are the best.

Some evening music

The days passed quickly and before we knew it, we had been in Villa for nearly a week! As we prepared to leave, we stopped by Marcela and Rodrigo’s for one last goodbye….and ended up staying another day. It’s amazing how quickly certain people can finagle their way into your lives so deeply. We shared many a tea around their small table, and talked into the night with them and other new friends. 

Another meal, in the park this time

  A day later Marcela, Rodrigo, and their son joined us on our walk through town, and opened the gate for us to leave on the trail. We all hugged tightly before dispersing, Fidgit and I towards Cochrane, the other three returning to their house. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks, a deep feeling of loss creating a pit in my being. Villa O’Higgins and many of the people there have a stronghold on my heart, and I know I’ll return someday. For now, ever northward.

Between two Countries: Chaltèn to Villa O'Higgins

Fidgit in Chalten. Notice the other tourists

Chaltèn is a small, overrun-with-tourists town, though when you realize the town is nestled at the base of Cerro Torres, which is home to Mount Fitz Roy, it makes more sense why so many people visit. Fitz Roy is a world-famous climbing and mountaineering icon, with athletes and adventurers from across the globe visiting the area each year. I overheard one guy in town say, (with an American accent, mind you) “Chaltèn is the Chamonix of South America.” I’m not sure exactly what he meant, though it did make him sound like he’d been to at least two places other than his local crag. Maybe I’m wary of the tourism down here because I’ve seen what it does to areas of the U.S., maybe my dry sense of humor is coming out again, either way that is a direct quote.

Everyone was again very kind and helpful, but we were ready to move on quickly and didn’t waste any time in getting our town chores done, including getting cash(!) and stuffing our faces. There is a delicious gelato shop with a brewery across the street in Chaltèn, and I recommend everyone visit both, yum!

Fitz Roy spires in the morning

We spent one night tenting in the backyard of a friend of a friend, then walked up the street and back into Los Glaciares National Park the next afternoon- it is a very long national park, covering a large amount of the southern icefield in Argentina. Around Chaltèn, it is also a busy park, so we passed many day-hikers, then when they thinned there were tons of people with giant packs trudging along the trail. Seeing these large groups of people on trail, I was reminded of seeing freshman at my university, because they similarly wander around in a big clump looking lost. I was also distracted by more beautiful scenery as we got up close to the Fitz Roy spires and camped at the head of the cirque they’re along. With the sun setting behind the spires and a guitar being strummed across the campsite, I made some dinner then drifted off to sleep.

Love it! The turnstile in the middle of nowhere!

We woke up the next morning before most of the other hikers and proceeded, paralleling the mountain range all day. We were on-trail until the edge of the park, then back on a dusty road until we walked to the southern edge of Lago del Desierto. The road ended at the southern point of the lake and we hopped back on trail to continue towards our goal: the Argentine border station at the northern end of the lake. Most people who cross the Argentine/Chilean border here take the ferry across the lake, so it was interesting to see the Argentine border guards’ reactions when we told them we had walked. Though not completely uncommon, choosing to walk when you could get a ride is still unusual.

There is camping allowed right next to the guard station, which is awesome - we just set up our tent and made dinner with their horses wandering around us. Though we had only seen a few people walking that day, there were multiple other tents next to the guard station. Some had bikes next to them and others seemed to have been brought by those who came across on the ferry. We walked the next morning on a well-worn path to Chile and followed the road that began down to the Chilean border guard office next to Lago O’Higgins. The border guards on the Chilean side, from what I’ve noticed, are friendly but much more business oriented.

After stopping into their guard station, we wandered down to the small dock to wait for the 3 pm boat across the lake. We had looked into walking around the Lago O’Higgins, but if you Google it, you’ll get an idea of why we chose not to. It’s giant and has at least two glaciers flowing into it.

Crossing Lago O'Higgins

We hopped on the boat, paid the captain, and made it across in about three hours, passing time by watching the waves and talking to a couple other travelers - one Chilean, one Israeli, a couple German cyclists, and a couple wild land firemen from California. We had some good conversations, but were ready to disembark as the boat docked. There is a shuttle that takes people into Villa O’Higgins from the dock, though we (and a few others) decided to road walked the quick 8km into town. And what a town it was.

Life and Learning on a Life-a-versary

I have friends, and I have friends that I’ve been through tough shit with. My friend Elise is one of the latter, and I believe we’ve both grown tremendously from what we've endured in life together, as well as separately, though I wouldn’t wish her journey on anyone. She does and always will hold a special place in my soul.

I met Elise in 2011, shortly after I began working for a wilderness therapy program in southern Utah. We worked on the same shift, though didn’t often interact, so I only knew of her what others mentioned: she’s nice, a quick thinker, an overachiever, next in line for a promotion, etc. Everyone’s got an opinion, right?

In late 2011, I began working nearly every shift with Elise, and it became a time of painful personal growth for me. Elise is a type-A personality, and she had high standards that I constantly felt I was falling short of. I would take the feedback we routinely gave each other and be overwhelmed by the constructive, completely forgetting the positive. I began to feel inadequate and at times victimize myself to the extent of blaming others - dangerous territory for anyone. Interestingly enough, it became Elise who was always there supporting me and offering helpful tidbits of advice. She would (and still does) make a disconcerting amount of eye contact, I felt self-consciously that she was looking into the depths of my soul.

We slowly became friends, sharing in the joy and stress a wilderness therapy guide lifestyle can bring. After working 8-day stints over multiple months together, I learned Elise was also going through a transitional time, including big life decisions like buying a house, applying to be a field director at our company, etc.

Jump forward another month or so to April 2012. I was headed into the field with Elise and two other guides when our truck rolled, and Elise broke her C7 vertebrae. Read my recollection of that here.

Elise’s life was thrown into a tailspin, as she was no longer able to use her body the way she’d been using it her entire life - first as a dancer, then a yoga instructor, most recently as a wilderness therapy guide. Darkness crept in as she struggled not only with pain and decreased mobility, but less personal independence and direction. She was restricted on what she could lift even after her vertebrae healed, making a wilderness field guide position out of the question. I tried to support her as best I could, visiting and helping when I could and we became closer yet after I was laid off. Thankfully she was able to find meaning and healing as she soul-searched. She talks about her recovery and her experience rediscovering her abilities here.

Elise and I are quite different, though over the years I’ve recognized our friendship isn't built on our differences, it’s built on similarities and our ability to truly see each other as people. Not who we want the other to be, not what they want to us to be, but to really see and be seen. I believe when people stop seeing each other for the true beings they are, or start putting on masks because of their shame of who they aren’t, is where the troubling struggles exist. I have pondered on this often along our walk thus-far, and keep coming to that same conclusion ,which I do my best to carry over to my interactions. I try to see people as individuals, not treat them as objects, and cultivate deeper, meaningful relationships.

Looking back on human relationships in my life, I’m slowly realizing that it’s the people who push and encourage me to be my best that stick in my memory as well as stay in my life. I feel like Elise and my relationship is the epitome of that lesson, and for that I am grateful. Not just grateful for the teachings I’ve had from her or others in my life, but also grateful for the future teachings and getting to experience them.