Day 46 - Celebrating New Years from the Mountains in Argentina
December 31 - Refugio Rocca, Argentina
After an almost sleepless night due to cold temps, we woke at 5 AM to try and catch sunrise. Our tent was perched on a flat spot among giant boulders towards the top of the volcano, proving a view in almost every direction. The frigid air blew right through our many layers and we snapped a few pictures before our hands went numb, huddling alongside a rock with the sleeping back to warm ourselves between shots. There were a few other crazies up at this hour. The colors of sunrise began to fade into light and we went back to sleep. I finally slept hard until 8 AM, as the sun started coming in, warming our tent.
We woke again, made breakfast, packed up our tent and gear, then somewhat reluctantly started our hike back down at about 10:30 AM. We decided to go to another refugio, to chase a new view, recognizing where we were was pretty awesome, and really, what could be better?? We had a long day ahead of us, maybe 18 km. It took us approximately 2.5 hours to get down to the turnaround point, then another four hours to get up to Refugio Rocca. We were leapfrogging with a Swiss couple we had met previously, as they were on a similar itinerary.
The trail to Rocca Refugio was rough. It was relatively flat alongside the river, but we were tired from the journey, and the trail was extremely muddy, making it difficult to get in a groove. We took our time, pausing along the way to enjoy the chime of the water rushing down the river and the sweeping view of the valley. I found a trusty hiking stick of bamboo, strong and light, and used it religiously to try to keep my shoes from getting too sopping wet, recognizing if I got them wet, they wouldn’t dry before the hike tomorrow. According to our driver, two days earlier, the route to Rocca was flooded, so we were a bit nervous at what we would find. To our relief, because the water level had lowered since heavy rains from a few days ago, everything was passable. There were, however, a few tricky river crossings that would be definitely impassable with any more water. We paused along the trail for a lunch of salami, cheese, and crackers.
We arrived at the top, somewhat exhausted from jumping over mud and puddles the whole way. I am sorry to report that my shoes were full of mud, despite my efforts. We considered sleeping in a bed for the night, however after seeing the setup (packed like sardines, no belongings allowed in the sleeping space) and the price per bed, we chose the comfort of our tent, vowing to spend the money on a meal and wine in celebration of New Years Eve.
After an almost sleepless night due to cold temps, we woke at 5 AM to try and catch sunrise. Our tent was perched on a flat spot among giant boulders towards the top of the volcano, proving a view in almost every direction. The frigid air blew right through our many layers and we snapped a few pictures before our hands went numb, huddling alongside a rock with the sleeping back to warm ourselves between shots. There were a few other crazies up at this hour. The colors of sunrise began to fade into light and we went back to sleep. I finally slept hard until 8 AM, as the sun started coming in, warming our tent.
We woke again, made breakfast, packed up our tent and gear, then somewhat reluctantly started our hike back down at about 10:30 AM. We decided to go to another refugio, to chase a new view, recognizing where we were was pretty awesome, and really, what could be better?? We had a long day ahead of us, maybe 18 km. It took us approximately 2.5 hours to get down to the turnaround point, then another four hours to get up to Refugio Rocca. We were leapfrogging with a Swiss couple we had met previously, as they were on a similar itinerary.
The trail to Rocca Refugio was rough. It was relatively flat alongside the river, but we were tired from the journey, and the trail was extremely muddy, making it difficult to get in a groove. We took our time, pausing along the way to enjoy the chime of the water rushing down the river and the sweeping view of the valley. I found a trusty hiking stick of bamboo, strong and light, and used it religiously to try to keep my shoes from getting too sopping wet, recognizing if I got them wet, they wouldn’t dry before the hike tomorrow. According to our driver, two days earlier, the route to Rocca was flooded, so we were a bit nervous at what we would find. To our relief, because the water level had lowered since heavy rains from a few days ago, everything was passable. There were, however, a few tricky river crossings that would be definitely impassable with any more water. We paused along the trail for a lunch of salami, cheese, and crackers.
We arrived at the top, somewhat exhausted from jumping over mud and puddles the whole way. I am sorry to report that my shoes were full of mud, despite my efforts. We considered sleeping in a bed for the night, however after seeing the setup (packed like sardines, no belongings allowed in the sleeping space) and the price per bed, we chose the comfort of our tent, vowing to spend the money on a meal and wine in celebration of New Years Eve.
As a midday snack, we whipped up some instant mashed potatoes (how do they do it? It's a mystery I hope I never solve), with chives and spices; dinner wouldn't be served until 9 PM. The Swiss couple had plans to camp as well and were our tent neighbors. We began chatting on the wraparound patio, enjoying what was left of the warmth of the day, then ventured inside to hide from the evening freeze. They taught us a Swiss card game, Yassen, or Yass, which was difficult at first, then addicting as you caught on. We played until meals were served, sharing a few bottles of wine to ring in the new year.
Once we finished eating, we were asked to give up our seat for the next round of dinner, and we continued our game on the floor. We kept our eyes open until midnight, then were given a second wind. A few minutes before midnight, a table was converted into a dessert/champagne buffet, and the table was covered with plates of sweet bread, M&Ms, and open bottles of champagne. We shared in the champagne with the Argentinians and cheers-ed to the new year. The music quickly changed to Reggaeton, and was bopping into the night. We danced along for a bit, but after many hours of walking, we were exhausted and retired to our tents. The night was much warmer, as we were much lower in elevation, and we slept soundly outside, despite the dull repetition of music inside until well past 3 AM.
Once we finished eating, we were asked to give up our seat for the next round of dinner, and we continued our game on the floor. We kept our eyes open until midnight, then were given a second wind. A few minutes before midnight, a table was converted into a dessert/champagne buffet, and the table was covered with plates of sweet bread, M&Ms, and open bottles of champagne. We shared in the champagne with the Argentinians and cheers-ed to the new year. The music quickly changed to Reggaeton, and was bopping into the night. We danced along for a bit, but after many hours of walking, we were exhausted and retired to our tents. The night was much warmer, as we were much lower in elevation, and we slept soundly outside, despite the dull repetition of music inside until well past 3 AM.
Comments
Post a Comment