The Wonders of Mount Torre

Though it was a rainy morning, we were hopeful that it would clear up later on during the day. We got ready to trek to the Torre Glacier. We headed for the Casa de Guía office, where the circuit started.

We left the town through the Gendarmería venue. That is the start of the Lake Torre circuit. After getting past the sign showing the path, we started our way up along the trail. Vicente, our guide, showed us the way steadfast and true, without leaving anyone behind.


Along the River

After a while, we spotted the Fitz Roy River in the distance. In spite of the drizzle that almost prevented us from seeing Mount Pliegue del Tumbado and the other peaks, the Torre vantage point gave us an impressive panoramic view.

As we went by a ñire grove that caught fire years ago, the sky cleared up a little and the sun beams filtered through the clouds and lighted the twisted reddish trunks. Two well-defined rainbows appeared in the sky to make the scene even more beautiful.

At last we reached D’Agostini base camp, where we stopped to have a snack and put on the harnesses. After a well-deserved and restorative rest, we got ready to go on. We still had a long way to go and the best was yet to come.

We got to the river after walking along a steep trail. Vicente prepared the carabiners and the ropes to cover a Tyrolean crossing. Once on the other side, we were amazed at the beauty of the scene and the majestic Torre Glacier.

We kept moving even though the winds were getting stronger and stronger. We arrived on the moraine and, while we had lunch on the glacier, we put on the crampons. It was time to walk on the ice.


Fantastic White

We went around that fabulous soil very carefully, taking practice in the slopes up and down. Vicente had taught us how to use the crampons and given us the necessary safety instructions to avoid accidents on the ice. Astonished at the scene, we stood there, watching for the mount to appear on the horizon.

The vibrating white and turquoise shades on the ground created an ideal scene: the secret cracks, the deep wells carved by the iced water and the small grottos made us feel we had found paradise.

Though we were not lucky to see the mountain, we felt more than satisfied to have taken that tour and discovered the mysterious and marvelous landscapes all around. Vicente announced that it was time to go and so we started our way back.

Once at the base camp, we returned the gear and traveled light back to town. Once the adventure was over, we took some rest. We were exhausted by happy to have reached the foot of the Torre. And we would certainly go back there.