By Taylor McFarland • NJ Sierra Club Chapter Conservation Program Manager
Editor’s note: In October, Taylor McFarland, our Chapter’s conservation program manager, traveled to Patagonia with her husband, Andrew Keller.
Our journey began in El Calafate, a charming town nestled on the shores of Lago Argentino. The lake’s waters shone with an incredible turquoise hue. The town strikes a perfect balance between a necessary logistics hub for Patagonian adventures and a genuinely charming, cozy place to unwind. El Calafate is truly special for its wonderful community of dogs that the town itself lovingly cares for. These gentle, friendly dogs are a familiar and cherished part of the town’s charm, often seen wandering happily around.
The main event in El Calafate was, of course, the Perito Moreno Glacier. During our drive, our guide—a photographer with degrees in both geology and geography—shared some fascinating insights with us about the glacier, its formation, and the changes it is undergoing.
We took a boat to the glacier’s base to view the impressive ice formations. It was a colossal, shimmering wall of blue and white, stretching to the sides of my field of vision. The ice face was over three miles wide and soared seventy meters above the milky-turquoise water.
Leaving the glacier behind, we drove north to El Chaltén, the trekking capital of Argentina. The journey there was a highlight, a drive across the vast Patagonian grassland, with the iconic, jagged silhouettes of Mount Fitz Roy. This mountain, with its dramatic, saw-toothed peaks, seems less like a part of our world and more like a landscape from The Lord of the Rings.
El Chaltén was a small, vibrant town of hikers. We stayed at Explora, which focuses on connecting guests with nature and local culture while promoting conservation and sustainable tourism. Our days there were spent on the trails. We had to get used to the unpredictable weather. One moment it would be snowing, then we’d have light rain, and then the sun would come out—all within about 10 minutes.
We hiked the path to Laguna de los Tres, a challenging trek that rewarded us with a postcard view of Fitz Roy’s granite peaks rising vertically from a glacial lake. The next day, we took it easy and hiked along the Río Cañadón de los Toros near El Chaltén. It offers a quieter, less-traveled alternative to the main trails, providing unique panoramic views of the town and the Fitz Roy Massif.
Our trip in October—springtime in Patagonia—was wonderfully timed. We skipped the busy summer crowds and still enjoyed beautiful, clear days perfect for hiking. We experienced the raw, untouched beauty of a place that feels like the edge of the world.
Fitz Roy massive peaks are obscured.