El Chalten - The way National Parks should be

' Happy Trekers'

You've got to love a place as beautiful as El Chalten that also has free camping, free entry to the National Park and Mt Fitzroy as a back drop.
We stopped here for 3 nights. Getting some exercise with a gentle 3 hour trek on the first day and sleeping and catching up with the diaries on the second day (The wind had picked up and the clouds rolled in so there was no point in a 6 hour trek to see mountains covered in cloud). Plus I was feeling rather lazy.
If you have a choice and want to get some treking in, I'd recommend skipping Torres del Paine and heading to El Chalten. Apparently it is the home of treking but don't let that put any novices off. Yes there were hardcore guys there but then there was also us and 'Brian'.
As we're slowly making our way up to the 'Mirrador' (Viewing spot) for Mt Fitzroy, a group of about 5 people passed us. They had the whole kit and caboodle happening. All the technical clothing, the walking poles and the backpacks with stuff clipped on including snow shoes and crampons. These guys looked serious, obvioulsy heading up to climb the glacier. Then came 'Brian'. He was obvioulsy with the group but unfortunately he looked to be the clumsy one. He stopped to adjust something, just in front of us. We passed him. Then he went running past, trying to to catch his friends. A water bottle fell off. He stopped again, clipped it back on and then carried swiftly on. Then a crampon fell off. I think it was Mike who picked it up, handing it back to 'Brian' and suggested he may need it. I just hope to god the rest of the group hadn't left him in charge of anything important.

' Lovely vistas'