Hitchhiking and hiking to Glacier Martial
My last day in the end of the world town Ushuaia, after a great day at Laguna Esmeralda the day before, I decided to do hiking to Glacier Martial. The glacier is visible from the town but looking at it, I thought I would never make it up there to it. But I love challenges!
After another short night, we were a bit lazy in the morning with my friend so were a bit late. There was no more 40 minutes for walking left as we had to meet another friend at 10 am at Plazoleta Lucenda and it was in 10 minutes. So we did hitchhiking and the 4th car stopped. Woo hoo, that’s the way to do it!
After a couple of minutes we met our friend at the square and started hitchhiking closer to the glacier. We stopped an older Argentinian couple who brought us all the way through the town. Then just a long way up finally heading directly off to the glacier. We walked a little bit along a river, and then managed to stop another car going up to the glacier parking. Lucky to save energy at the steep road!
Then we could start hiking to Glacier Martial.
the beginning of the trek
The glacier was now right in front of us. Everything around was nicely green, and then up the rocky mountains with the glacier. I wanted to be up there already!
We enjoyed looking at the people screaming at zip-line for a bit and then started our hiking. It was tough but the feeling of getting closer every minute was so worth it! After a while, we got to the end of the chairlift where the hike was just up along the river. It was beautiful. I am glad we chose hiking instead of the chairlift which ends at approx. one third of the distance to the glacier but it doesn’t have any view from between the trees.
the view of Glacier Martial behind me
Now it was the easiest part, not steep at all along the river. Behind us we could see all Ushuaia town and in front of us the glacier coming closer each time. We got to a point where we had to follow a steep stony path, it was slippery even tho not wet. The weather was in our favour. The wind stayed somewhere in Laguna Esmeralda the day before and the Sun was out all the time. Each couple of minutes we were having a small break, I just had to equalize the pressure in my ears that hurt as usual and make me loose my breath all the time. I realize I need more exercise and hiking so I get fit again and not being able to breathe won’t bother me any more.
After 2 hours we climbed up the last hill and got to the bottom of the glacier – viewpoint. It meant a picnic time :D
We found empty stones, sat down and started eating (not the stones, the food we brought with us).
having a break with my friends
after the picnic at the viewpoint og Glacier Martial
as usual a jumping photo at the glacier viewpoint
I was so happy that I couldn’t even describe the feeling.
All the nature around, many small rivers coming from the glacier, the view of Ushuaia town, the airport and the Chilean islands of Tierra del Fuego. While my friends had a siesta, I let the Sun to warm me up and enjoyed the time to take some more photos of this beautiful landscape.
at the viewpoint of Glacier Martial
Two German guys finally arrived. We saw them walking when we did hitchhiking. We talked for a little bit. They went back down and we decided to continue a bit more to walk on the glacier.
at the bottom of Glacier Martial overviewing Ushuaia
It looked really steep and difficult to get there. But stronger after the lunch, we climbed up the rocks as nothing. It was surprisingly the easiest part of all the day. First we reached a sort of viewpoint on top of the rocks. More photos of Ushuaia town and the whole valley. Then, crossing small rivers, it was finally there. The bottom of the glacier itself.
It was my second time I got so close to a glacier, after one in Iceland, but it didn’t change my orgasmic feelings! All of a sudden, my body was just full of happiness. Our nature is a gift and we don’t realize it very often.
one of the rivers coming out of the Glacier
Glacier Martial
climbing the Glacier Martial woo hoo
I guess more people felt the same way – just full of love! There where 2 hearts drawn in the glacier, so cute! Now I couldn’t catch the breath but this time it was because of all the beauty! I was breathing it in with every centimeter of my body. It’s a day after it when I write it and I can still feel the same way I felt when walking on the Glacier Martial. (Walking on the glacier is not recommended without a guide. I walked on my own responsibility just the first 3 metres of it.)
a heart drawn in the Glacier Martial
The funniest thing is that the glacier starts on a mountain that is of the same height like the mountains around my home town – around 1000 m above sea level and then it goes up to 1200 m. The highest mountains of Slovakia are more than double high and we don’t have any glaciers there. I spent a lot of time that day thinking of this … How different the nature is depending on the place.
I wanted to stay there for ever. We had to start going back down though. Unfortunately, we chose the shortest, the most difficult way. I had to be very careful with the camera but using my hands and almost seated in 20 minutes we were down at the viewpoint where we had picnic. There was no one at that moment.
view of Ushuaia town from Glacier Martial
Going down was more slippery but much faster. We were all hungry again and there is a Tea House at the bottom of the parking place so I remembered how I enjoyed Ty Gwyn tea house in Gaiman during my ride around Chubut Province. Very quickly we reached the parking lot. And after I told the girls about my orgasmic tea house experience with all the cakes I had there, we just had to ask in the Refugio restaurant if they had something sweet to eat. They did. My friend chose a chocolate cake with a hot chocolate, and me a vegetable salad. I was so craving for the same she ordered, but not always I can enjoy fresh big healthy salad when I travel. And the prices were much better than back in town, I was surprised. It was 30 pesos for a huge bowl of salad. When the girls saw it, we switched the conversation to a healthy lifestyle so I gave them some tips. I just wish I could follow them all on the road, it’s so difficult! It finally felt like summer, the Sun was heating me up everywhere. Just the perfect end to the perfect day.
With a full stomach, and Sun on my face, I looked back to the glacier one more time. I could hear a scream of someone on the zip-line (the longer one costs 140 pesos, the shorter one 100 pesos). It was the time to start walking down to the town. There were almost no cars, so were a bit swearing with the girls. Then, a car going up passed with 3 guys who were showing us through the window why we were going down instead of going up. I showed them they should come down. After 2 minutes of walking, a car stopped us. It was the same guys, they just turned back to give us the lift to the town. It was six of us in the car, but who cared, it was a lot of fun and saved us more than 1 hour of walking. We got of in the town outside of my friend’s hostel. The guys left without a word.
With the second friend, we were looking for a supermarket. The same guys passed us again and I just waved at them when they were shouting something. After 5 minutes, the friend came back from the hostel with a card of one of the guys. Hahaha all three of us were laughing. Typical, were they scared of giving it to us in the car, so then just stopped on the road and gave it to the only one of us who doesn’t speak Spanish?! She only got the invitation for dinner and answered them ”Alex, phone, Alex, phone”. So I texted them. Never got any reply though. We headed back ”home”. The same second my friend put the thumb up to stop a car, a hot guy stopped us. He was just coming from the gym and going to the same barrio like us. It was the best end to the day. Looking at a sexy tan guy with muscles.
Hitchhiked altogether 5 times that day and did hiking of around 5 hours. Orgasmic Glacier Martial.
crazy sexy fun traveler
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Comment@ mytravellicious:
Would you hike the glacier if you could? :)
mytravellicious
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wowwwww… niceeee!
crazy sexy fun traveler
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Comment@ World Nomad:
Oh yes, I love the views! But still prefer beach a little bit, tho!
World Nomad
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Mountains is like a drug, right? =)