Patagonia - An unexpected journey to Lago Torre

On our last full day in El Chalten we headed out onto the trails for one last trek.  This time our destination was Mirador Torre.  We marched uphill for an hour or so before getting to the viewpoint and enjoyed the great views of Cerro Solo and Rio Fitz Roy Valley.

This was the intended destination for the day... but... nobody was really tired and if we just hiked another 4 flat kilometers we'd reach Lago Torre (Lago is Spanish for lake)... so... one thing lead to another and we pressed on...

The valley was easy, maybe some of the flattest hiking we've done, but adding 8 km to make our total for the day 17 kilometers made it an adventure.  Here's the river:

The wind started to increase exponentially and peaked as we turned the corner and hit Lago Torre. What an incredible lake!  With a glacier feeding it directly, there were awesome ice blocks floating around and big rolling waves.

We enjoyed the views and surreal nature of a lake with bergs in it before heading on the long journey home.  Along the way, we took this picture for my flower photo loving Dad.  Here's to you Dad!