Los Glaciares Day 2

Day 2 Camp Torre to Camp Poincenot with side trip to Laguna Tres

No alpine start today, up at maybe 9:00, another bluebird morning, we can't believe our good fortune.  A hearty breakfast of bran buds and a boiled egg, washed down with surprisingly delicious instant coffee....mmm mmm....   We break camp and head for Camp Poincenot, 10 kms away below the east face of Monte Fitzroy. The first 3 kms reverse the last 3 of yesterday, then a short climb to a pass into the Fitzroy basin. The trail passes through more beech forest and past a couple of lovely lakes before descending to the trekkers camp at the base of Fitzroy. 

Monte Fitzroy and Laguna Madre

Climbers are afforded a special campsite of their own about 500 m away, not sure why the segregation and who benefits from it....

Camp Poincenot is bigger and busier than Camp Torre, tents everywhere, some only a few feet apart.... Earplugs a requirement.

We make camp and head for the storied view of Fitzroy from Laguna de Los Tres. This lake lies some 400 vertical metres above the camp and maybe 1.5 km as the crow flies, very steep. We meet many people descending the trail, a kind lady offers when we are about 10 minutes into the walk that , 'you are almost there' we are cheered by this news but skeptical as the gps shows only 50m of some 400m elevation has been done. The trail steepens and a parks sign informs us that this trail is the most damaged in the park system. To preserve the environment the parks department has hacked a new trail into the mountain side, very near the old one. ( the old trail looks in most places to be better than the new one...) We stumble up the new trail though boulders with loose rock, in the zeal to get the construction project finished the design phase was apparently forgotten. No surveyed switchbacks here. Anyway we persevere and about 20 minutes later another kind soul tells us it is.only 10 minutes to the Laguna, this time I hope it to be true, however 30 minutes later another gentleman informs us that is about 20 minutes to the Laguna... This proves to be true.... Interestingly all these prognostications of nearness or time to the objective came unsolicited? Did we look like we needed false encouragement, are some folks just mean spirited.... who knows. Several folks also volunteered that the walk up was well worth the effort, also possibly as encouragement. (yes I know that we are twice the age of most of the folks here, but come on we aren't that old).

Laguna de Los Tres

They were absolutely correct in that it was very worthy of the effort, at the top the Fitroy massif towers above the Azure waters of Lago de Los Tres, glaciers tumble below the smooth granite faces. We wander a few hundred metres over and look down on Laguna Sucia, a Peyto Lake replica about 300 m below our vantage point. A delightful hour or so is spent enjoying the views. The descent is as ugly as going up... we meet an unfortunate young lady who has fallen and injured her leg, its a long way back to camp but she says she has a bandaid, it might cover 10% of the massive contusion on her lower leg.... We return to camp for a delicious dinner of couscous and tuna, less of a surprise tonight.... Even though there is over 50 tents, the night is generally quiet other than the squeal of glee form one young lady....