Argentina Photo Gallery

Fauna and flora of the Malvinas Islands

2026-08-31T16:59:00.000-05:00

The Malvinas Islands (Falklands) host a unique ecosystem shaped by their cold, windy climate and isolation. The fauna is dominated by marine mammals and seabirds, while the flora consists mainly of grasses, shrubs, and peat bog vegetation, with no native trees.

Flora of the Malvinas Islands

Grasslands and Shrubs: The islands are largely covered by tussac grass (Festuca flabellata), which can grow up to 2 meters tall and provides shelter for birds and sea lions.
Peat Bogs: Extensive peatlands support mosses and small herbaceous plants.
Heathlands: Areas with dwarf shrubs and hardy plants adapted to poor soils and strong winds.
Endemic Plants: Species such as Malvinas Daisy (Perezia recurvata) and Malvinas Violet (Viola maculata) are unique to the islands.
Absence of Native Trees: No native arboreal vegetation exists today, though fossil records show ancient cypress and araucaria forests.

Fauna of the Malvinas Islands

Marine Mammals

Seals and Sea Lions: Southern sea lions, elephant seals, and fur seals are common along the coasts.
Cetaceans: Orcas, dolphins, and several whale species migrate through surrounding waters.

Birds

Penguins: Five species breed here: King, Gentoo, Rockhopper, Macaroni, and Magellanic penguins.
Seabirds: Albatrosses, petrels, cormorants, and skuas thrive in the nutrient-rich waters.
Land Birds: The Falkland steamer duck (flightless), upland goose, and the endemic Cobb’s wren are notable.

Invertebrates

Endemic Beetles: Several species of ground beetles and weevils are unique to the islands, such as Malvinius compressiventris.

Conservation Notes

Fragile Ecosystem: The harsh climate limits biodiversity, making species highly specialized and vulnerable.
Threats: Introduced species (rats, cats) have impacted native bird populations.
Protection Efforts: Conservation programs focus on seabird colonies and restoring tussac grass habitats.

Quick Comparison Table

Category
Key Species/Features
Notes

Flora
Tussac grass, peat bog mosses, endemic daisies
No native trees; vegetation adapted to wind/cold

Marine Mammals
Sea lions, elephant seals, dolphins, whales
Coastal and migratory presence

Birds
Penguins (5 species), albatrosses, Cobb’s wren
Major global seabird colonies

Invertebrates
Endemic beetles, weevils
High endemism despite low diversity

In short: the Malvinas Islands are a haven for seabirds and marine mammals, with vegetation dominated by tussac grass and peat bogs. Their isolation has fostered unique endemic species, but conservation is crucial to protect this fragile ecosystem.

Summer forest fires on Cerro Pirque threaten local biodiversity

2026-08-24T15:05:00.000-05:00

Cerro Pirque in Chubut, Patagonia, has been burning for several days due to summer forest fires, destroying one of the last virgin Andean-Patagonian forests and threatening endangered species like the huemul deer. Experts warn the damage could be irreversible, with biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse highly likely.

Key Facts About the Fire

Location: Cerro Pirque, near Puerto Patriada and Lago Epuyén, Chubut, Argentina.
Duration: The fire has been active for at least four consecutive days.
Cause: Authorities suspect intentional ignition, worsened by drought, high temperatures, and strong winds.
Scale: More than 60 hectares have already been affected in past incidents, and current damage is spreading rapidly.
History: Cerro Pirque has suffered four major fires since 1987, showing a recurring vulnerability.

Biodiversity at Risk

Huemul deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus): Critically endangered, with Cerro Pirque serving as a rare refuge.
Virgin Andean-Patagonian forests: These ecosystems are unique, hosting native species of flora and fauna found nowhere else.
Irreversible damage: Specialists warn that the loss of primary forest cover could permanently alter the ecological balance.

Environmental Impact

Habitat destruction: Loss of nesting and feeding grounds for birds, mammals, and insects.
Soil degradation: Fires strip protective vegetation, increasing erosion and reducing regeneration capacity.
Carbon emissions: Large-scale release of stored carbon worsens climate change.
Water systems: The fire threatens watersheds feeding Lago Epuyén, impacting local communities and tourism.

Challenges in Containment

Topography: Steep slopes make firefighting difficult.
Weather: Strong winds accelerate fire spread.
Resources: Local brigades face limited equipment and manpower.
Negligence: Past fires have been linked to poor handling of ashes and human activity.

Broader Context

Climate change: Rising temperatures and prolonged droughts increase fire frequency and intensity.
Human factor: Intentional or negligent ignition remains a major driver of forest fires in Patagonia.
Conservation urgency: Protecting Cerro Pirque is critical for maintaining biodiversity corridors in the southern Andes.

Takeaway

The summer forest fires on Cerro Pirque represent an ecological tragedy, threatening endangered species and unique ecosystems. Immediate containment is essential, but experts caution that long-term recovery may be impossible if virgin forests are lost. Strengthening fire prevention, monitoring, and conservation policies in Patagonia is now more urgent than ever.

Native fauna species of Argentine Patagonia

2026-08-17T17:53:00.000-05:00

Argentine Patagonia hosts a remarkable variety of native fauna, ranging from marine mammals and seabirds to land-dwelling species like guanacos and condors. These animals are uniquely adapted to the region’s harsh climate and diverse ecosystems.

Key Native Fauna of Argentine Patagonia

Terrestrial Species

Guanaco: A wild relative of the llama, iconic of Patagonian steppes.
Patagonian Mara (Dolichotis patagonum): A large rodent resembling a hare, endemic to Argentina.
Puma (Mountain Lion): Apex predator of the region, preying on guanacos and smaller mammals.
Huemul (South Andean Deer): Endangered species, symbol of Argentina’s national heritage.
Armadillo (Piche and Peludo): Adapted to dry steppe environments.

Marine Species

Southern Right Whale: Seen along the Valdés Peninsula during breeding season.
Orcas (Killer Whales): Famous for their unique hunting technique of beaching to catch sea lions.
South American Sea Lion: Common along the coasts.
Southern Elephant Seal: The largest seal species, found in coastal colonies.
Dusky Dolphin: Agile and playful, inhabiting coastal waters.

Birds

Andean Condor: One of the world’s largest flying birds, soaring over mountains.
Magellanic Penguin: Colonies found in coastal areas like Punta Tombo.
Rhea (Ñandú): Large flightless bird of the Patagonian plains.
Cormorants, Seagulls, Antarctic Doves: Abundant along coasts and islands.
Black-necked Swan: Found in Patagonian wetlands.

Ecosystem Adaptations

Cold Climate Survival: Thick fur (guanacos, pumas) and fat layers (whales, seals) help withstand freezing winters.
Migratory Patterns: Whales and penguins migrate seasonally for breeding.
Steppes & Mountains: Species like the huemul and condor thrive in rugged terrains, while maras and rheas dominate open plains.

Summary Table

Habitat
Representative Species
Notes on Adaptation

Steppes
Guanaco, Patagonian Mara, Rhea
Endurance in arid, windy plains

Mountains
Puma, Huemul, Andean Condor
Adapted to rugged terrain and altitude

Coasts
Sea Lions, Elephant Seals, Magellanic Penguins
Colonies on beaches and cliffs

Oceans
Southern Right Whale, Orca, Dolphins
Seasonal migrations, specialized hunting

⚠️ Conservation Notes

Huemul: Critically endangered due to habitat loss and hunting.
Southern Right Whale: Protected, but vulnerable to ship strikes and pollution.
Magellanic Penguin: Threatened by oil spills and climate change.

Patagonia’s fauna is not only diverse but also emblematic of Argentina’s natural heritage. Many species are conservation priorities, making the region a hotspot for eco-tourism and wildlife research

Native flora species of Argentine Patagonia

2026-08-10T17:52:00.000-05:00

Argentine Patagonia hosts a remarkable diversity of native flora adapted to extreme cold, strong winds, and poor soils. Key species include coihue, ñire, lenga, ciprés de la cordillera, calafate, jarilla, and cushion plants like viola auricolo, each thriving in different ecological zones from Andean forests to Patagonian steppe.

Major Native Flora of Argentine Patagonia

Native Trees

Coihue (Nothofagus dombeyi): Tall evergreen tree found in humid Andean forests.
Ñire (Nothofagus antarctica): Deciduous tree adapted to colder, drier areas.
Lenga (Nothofagus pumilio): Dominant in high-altitude forests, tolerates snow and frost.
Ciprés de la Cordillera (Austrocedrus chilensis): Conifer native to the Andes, resistant to poor soils.

Native Shrubs

Calafate (Berberis microphylla): Thorny shrub with edible blue berries, iconic in Patagonian culture.
Jarilla (Larrea spp.): Hardy shrub typical of the Patagonian steppe.
Mata negra (Verbena tridens): Common in arid zones, adapted to wind and drought.
Mata guanaco (Anarthrophyllum rigidum): Cushion-like shrub with bright red flowers.

Herbaceous & Cushion Plants

Viola auricolo: Endemic cushion plant of Santa Cruz, adapted to rocky soils.
Coirón (Festuca spp.): Grasses forming extensive steppe pastures.
Mosses & lichens: Thrive in extreme conditions, especially in high-altitude and arid zones.

️ Regional Distribution

Region
Dominant Flora
Adaptations

Andean Forests
Coihue, Lenga, Ciprés
Cold tolerance, snow resistance

Steppe
Jarilla, Mata negra, Coirón
Drought resistance, wind protection

Shrublands
Calafate, Mata guanaco
Thorny defenses, edible fruits

High Andes
Cushion plants (Viola auricolo)
Compact growth, frost resistance

⚠️ Challenges & Conservation

Overgrazing by sheep and goats has degraded native shrublands, especially jarilla and coirón pastures.
Deforestation threatens lenga and ciprés forests.
Climate change alters snow and rainfall patterns, impacting species distribution.
Conservation efforts in national parks (e.g., Los Glaciares, Nahuel Huapi) protect endemic species and restore degraded ecosystems.

Patagonia’s flora is not only ecologically vital but also culturally symbolic—calafate berries are tied to local legends, and lenga forests form the backbone of Andean landscapes.

How many glaciers are there in Patagonia?

2026-08-03T13:57:00.000-05:00

There are about 17,300 glaciers in Patagonia, spread across the Northern and Southern Patagonian Ice Fields.

Breakdown of Patagonia’s Glaciers

Total count: Approximately 17,300 glaciers across the region.
Major ice fields:
- Northern Patagonian Ice Field – smaller but still significant.
- Southern Patagonian Ice Field – the largest in the Southern Hemisphere outside Antarctica.
Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park: Contains over 300 glaciers alone, including famous ones like Perito Moreno, Upsala, and Viedma.
Chile’s side of Patagonia: Hosts many of the massive glaciers flowing from the Patagonian Ice Fields into fjords and lakes.

Why This Matters

Scientific importance: Patagonia’s glaciers are crucial for studying climate change, as they are retreating at alarming rates.
Tourism: Iconic glaciers like Perito Moreno (one of the few still advancing) attract thousands of visitors each year.
Water resources: These glaciers feed rivers and lakes, supporting ecosystems and communities.

⚠️ Challenges

Climate change: Many glaciers are shrinking rapidly, with some losing kilometers of ice in just decades.
Accessibility: While some glaciers (like Perito Moreno) are easy to visit, others are remote and require expeditions.

In short: Patagonia is home to 17,300 glaciers, making it one of the most glacier-rich regions on Earth, second only to Antarctica and Greenland.

Is the Perito Moreno Glacier the largest in the world?

2026-07-27T13:55:00.000-05:00

No, the Perito Moreno Glacier is not the largest in the world, though it is one of the most famous and accessible.

While it is a massive and impressive sight, it is actually quite small when compared to the giants found in Antarctica or even other glaciers within South America.

How It Compares

World’s Largest: The Lambert Glacier in Antarctica is the undisputed champion.¹ It is about 400 km (250 miles) long and up to 100 km (60 miles) wide.²

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South America’s Largest: Even within its own continent, Perito Moreno is not the largest. That title belongs to the Pío XI Glacier (also known as Brüggen Glacier) in Chile, which covers more than five times the area of Perito Moreno.³
Argentina's Largest: In Argentina, the Viedma Glacier is larger than Perito Moreno in terms of surface area.

Quick Stats Comparison

Glacier
Location
Approx. Surface Area

Lambert Glacier
Antarctica
~1,000,000 km² (Ice Stream drainage area)

Pío XI Glacier
Chile
~1,265 km²

Viedma Glacier
Argentina
~978 km²

Perito Moreno
Argentina
~254 km²

Why is Perito Moreno so famous?

If it isn't the biggest, why is it the one everyone talks about? There are three main reasons:

Accessibility: Unlike most glaciers that require days of trekking or expensive boat rides, you can drive right up to Perito Moreno and walk along wooden boardwalks to see it from just a few hundred meters away.⁴
Stability: While most of the world's glaciers are retreating due to climate change, Perito Moreno is considered stable (it is neither significantly growing nor shrinking), which is a rare glaciological phenomenon.
The "Rupture": It periodically forms an ice dam across Lake Argentino.⁵ When the water pressure becomes too great, the ice bridge spectacularly collapses in an event known as "The Rupture," which draws tourists from all over the world.

Would you like me to find out when the last major rupture occurred, or perhaps compare it to other famous glaciers like those in Alaska?

Visiting the lake shore in Los Glaciares National Park: what do you think of these icebergs?

2026-07-20T13:45:00.000-05:00

After planning and planning for months, the day we had been waiting for had finally arrived. You could say that everything else we did was filler to justify the stay, because our main objective was to get to this place. Luckily the weather was with us on a cloudy day but without rain, perfect for us to spend the whole day outdoors. After the long trip from home to El Calafate in the province of Santa Cruz, it was time to meet the ice giants we had hoped to see ❤️.

The city of El Calafate has the necessary tourist development so that visitors can easily reach the area where the Perito Moreno glacier is located, the most famous here and in the world, I would say. If you want to get to this place, of course you can go by private vehicle, private excursion or public transport. My cousin and I chose the public transportation option: it was a bus that for 12,000 ARS in January 2023 (approx. 35 USD) would take you to the park, wait for you for 3 hours, and then return you to the city center. This time was enough to tour the area and take a good postcard of the place .

The journey from the center to the area of the glaciers was approximately 45 minutes. For much of it we were able to skirt the Argentino lake, then plain and plain with mountains, until finally we could make out some ice at the bottom. When we got to the park entrance, we had to sign in and pay an entrance fee. The cost was 1500 ARS (4 USD approx) for Argentine residents and 5500 ARS for foreigners (15 USD approx), retirees and children could enter for free. There is also a 50% discount promotion if you go the next day: many people take advantage of this because the place is so beautiful that it makes you want to continue enjoying it .

When we arrived, the bus driver gave us instructions on where to wait for him on the way back and then we had free time to do whatever we wanted. This park is made up of different trails, most of them with metal walkways that surround the entire area of the glacier and the lake. In the three hours that we had free time we could cover all of them perfectly, and according to the recommendations, we should start with the so-called Sendero de Los Témpanos ❤️.

This trail was the only one that did not have metal walkways: at first it was a small section of wood but then it was just the natural shoreline of the lake. We got closer to there and I can't explain the frozen wind that hit you in the face. Of course, the temperature had to be accordingly to keep all giants in the water. I could not believe the large masses of ice that we were seeing floating on the lake, they had such an artificial turquoise color that they even seemed fake. They were beautiful .

After going along the shoreline of the lake and playing a bit with the smaller ice that came to the shore, the ideal would have been to go back towards the beginning of the trail to take the second trail to the left, but since this is Argentina, what What we did was get caught by the stones, jump over the railings and we reached the second trail faster. I'm not proud of this outrage but I had to tell it because that's what we did. These walkways were already part of the Central Trail and from it we could see more icebergs up close ❤️.

All this distribution along trails reminded me a lot of Iguazú National Park, touring the beautiful falls. All these structures are prepared for people to walk and enjoy the scenery without having to worry about the route. After having done so much trekking in El Chaltén, going through many unstable trails, walking on firm platforms was a real pleasure .

If the weather had taken pity on us the day we walked to Laguna Torre in El Chaltén we would surely have seen icebergs like these there, but that day there was so much rain and cloudiness that we could see very little. Luckily this day was clear and dry and we were able to see these giants in all their splendor. If you are wondering how these giant ice sheets got here, well, they are the product of the detachment of the Perito Moreno Glacier that is at the end of this route .

Finally, I share with you the photo of my traveling "mate" conquering a new destination. Unfortunately, during all my tours in El Chaltén I forgot to take it with me so it doesn't have any photos there, but the day I went to the glacier it was the first thing I put in my backpack. This mate has been with me since March 2021 and so far we have traveled everywhere. We Argentines can lack anything, except drinking some good "mates" in a beautiful landscape .

Los Glaciares National Park covers an extremely large area, but this is the most touristy and crowded part by visitors from all over the world. Being there was an incomparable feeling, I felt so happy to have achieved what I wanted, which was to see these landscapes with my own eyes. Nature is surprising, exciting, each incredible landscape fills you with satisfaction and always leaves you wanting more. I'm very grateful for the life that brought me there, and for all the favorable conditions that allowed me to get to know this great place .

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Sailing in front of the glacier: beautiful and freezing experience.

2026-07-13T11:23:00.000-05:00

When my cousin and I set out to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier in the province of Santa Cruz, we already expected that everything would be quite expensive because this was no mystery. We had said that we were going to do everything in our power to enjoy this stay, although these landscapes are so beautiful that looking at them from afar will already fill you with satisfaction. However, our surprise was that when we arrived at the national park there was a navigation in front of the glacier and quite accessible in terms of price, so we didn't hesitate to do it ❤️.

The fee that must be paid when entering this area of Los Glaciares National Park includes the possibility of walking the walkways that surround the entire glacier, including the Sendero de los Témpanos along the shore of the Argentine Lake. This is what most people do, but there are a wide variety of sailing excursions to see this and the other glaciers in the area, including walks on top of the great mass of ice. You can imagine that none of this is cheap for us Argentines: being an international destination, all the prices for these tours are also in international currency .

Even so, I think that someone will have taken pity on humble people, adding a relatively cheap navigation service. It was a 45-minute ride in a small boat that took you along one side of the great glacier. This can be seen from the shore and the walkways, but who would deny the possibility of getting a little closer to this frozen mass? Of course we don't .

While the large sailing excursions around all the glaciers in the area were around 150 USD and increased in price, this small tour only cost us approximately 17 USD (6000 ARS in January 2023). It's still a lot of money here in Argentina, but because it's a unique experience and who knows when it was going to be repeated, I didn't think too much about it. Also, I always like to take some navigation souvenirs with me from the places I go: it's a good way to get a special perspective of the landscape ❤️.

Before we got on they told us to wrap up warm because as we got closer to the glacier it was going to get colder and colder (logical). The good thing about the cold in southern Argentina is that it is very different from the cold we have in Buenos Aires: the climate here is dry so the cold is not so terrible and you don't suffer too much. When we are at home the humidity in the winter makes you ache to the bones, literally. Just in case, I went with all the thermal clothing I had available. I knew that even if it was summer the temperatures remained low, so it was better to prevent .

The ship came up to a considerable distance and then slowly passed in front of the almost 5 km wide glacier. Of course we all expected to see some ice calving and we did, but at least I wasn't cool enough to catch it on my camera. Something the guide told us is that icefalls are great but very dangerous, because when the ice falls into the water thousands of ice fragments fly out like projectiles. This scared me a bit, but I trusted that we were far enough away that the ice wouldn't reach us .

Another thing I learned about glaciers during this trip is that the calving is not only due to global warming, but also due to the regeneration of the ice mass itself. As new ice forms from freezing temperatures, this pushes out old ice and if the surface is unstable, cracks form and pieces break off. This great glacier has an area of 250 km2 and is about 60 meters high, which is regenerated year after year, with incredible landslides that can be seen daily. If you are interested in learning more about the Perito Moreno Glacier, you can read more about it here .

A funny anecdote that I have from when I was on this navigation is when I asked someone to take a photo of me with the landscape and he took this one where you can't even see the glacier .

When I saw him and told him, he tried a little harder and took this one. It's not a great photo either, but much more couldn't be done because the boat was quite full, something to be expected since it was the high summer season .

My cousin couldn't stand the cold it was when we got close to the glacier and she went to look at it from inside the boat, but I endured until the end of everything. This kind of scenery is hypnotic, and all the colors that made up this place were amazing. The glacier stood out with its light blue color among all those dark mountains and the cloudiness also adorned the surface. Nothing could have been more perfect, I couldn't help but get excited ❤️.

Seeing the glacier with my own eyes was one of the things I wanted to do since I started this whole travel thing and after a lot of saving and planning I was able to achieve it and it was as beautiful as I imagined. My country is so beautiful and has so many wonders that I am glad that people from all over the world choose it for their vacations. Getting there was something incredible, a place that I would return to a thousand times because even if you have it in front of you, it is hard for you to believe that it is real. But it is and there it was for us to enjoy ❤️.

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The most incredible road of all to get to Iruya in Salta, a small village in the mountains at 2780 masl.

2026-07-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

One of the places I wanted to visit without fail during my nomadic trip to the north of Argentina was Iruya, in the province of Salta. This destination is highly touted on social media as the must-see of this province and of course I wanted to go and see what it was all about. What I like most about my country is that no matter how many times you visit the same area, there will always be a new and beautiful place to visit. In this case, Iruya fulfilled that place, exceeding my expectations and fulfilling one of my wishes on this route ❤️.

After deciding to travel north together, the Dutch guest's and my solo trip became ‘our trip’, where we could both propose places to go. As my route was not planned beyond Huamuahaca in Jujuy, which is where I was supposed to be doing my cancelled volunteering, I did not have many options of places to visit other than the ones we had already seen so far. I only had one on my wish list and that was Iruya, one I had wanted to visit for a long time .

From the town of Huamahuaca in Jujuy you can reach the town of Iruya in Salta by public bus. Currently, this service takes three hours and costs $8. The road to Iruya is 73 km of gravel, so it is close, but it still takes a long time to get there due to the state of the road and the many sharp bends. Besides, getting to Iruya means moving at more than 2700 masl, so you can't go very fast either. This is the way I had planned to go if I continued travelling alone, but luckily my plans had changed for the better and now I was travelling in a small Suzuki 4x4 .

All the way from Humahuaca to Iruya was truly incredible. We went through beautiful mountains with incredible colours, up and down, and around a lot of curves that seemed endless. Also, nature had gifted us with splendid weather, so we could see all the colours more than brilliantly. Sometimes I couldn't believe what a vast and beautiful place we were in ❤️.

So that the car wouldn't shake so much on those roads, as usual, we had to deflate the tyres a bit. We couldn't drive with the windows open either, because too much dust got in due to the dryness of the road, but we still stopped many times to get out and take some pictures. This road is not very busy at all, so we passed very few vehicles during those 70 km until we reached the entrance of the village after more than 4 hours of driving .

When we were finally there, I think I must have said ‘amazing’ a few dozen times. I was fascinated to be in this town that I had seen so many times on social media, and in reality it was so much nicer. Its location was really amazing, as if nestled in high clayey and colourful mountains. My amazement didn't stop, I was really excited and we even had a special welcome from some very curious locals .

Our plan in Iruya was to camp for one night, taking advantage of the cooler temperatures. Although we arrived in the afternoon, as this town is so immersed in the mountains, the sun sets early, so we wanted to take the opportunity to walk around a bit first and then we would look for a place to sleep. Anyway, this town is not that big, but we wanted to see as much of it as we could ❣️.

As far as can be seen, the town of Iruya has expanded quite a bit over time, but what belongs to the ‘centre’ of town is only a few blocks. Here you can see most of the tourist accommodations, restaurants, a church and even a square. The streets of Iruya are small and uphill, one way because hardly any vehicles can enter, so you have to drive carefully. Guest M made a good choice leaving the car under the bridge while we walked through the town, because it would have been a mess to get around without knowing exactly where to go .

One option for a short walk inside Iruya, after having wandered around the town and seen all there was to see, was to go to a small viewpoint. Of course, this is a viewpoint with a cross, which is reached after a half hour walk. The truth is that it wasn't difficult to get there even though it was a bit steep, but I think that being at more than 2700 masl makes everything worse and you get tired faster. However, despite the heat and everything, the views from there are incredible and you can see the whole town. Once again I felt fulfilled for being where I wanted to be, seeing what I wanted to see and doing what I wanted to do, which is to continue discovering beautiful places in Argentina ❤️.

The town of Iruya in the province of Salta was one of the towns I most enjoyed visiting on this leg of the trip. I knew that even if I was alone on my walk I would be able to get there, but doing it with company was also a lot of fun. This is what I enjoy about the spontaneity of going on a nomadic walk, and that is that the routes can be modified according to what you feel at the time. Continuing to see beautiful places in my country keeps convincing me to want to travel it even more, because we have so much to see that it is almost impossible to get bored in it. I hope it stays that way ❣️.

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24 km test after a month of inactivity: the path to the Arrayanes Forest was generous to me.

2026-06-29T14:07:00.000-05:00

Returning home after six months on the road, walking almost every day in the mountains, was something I needed. The distance made me miss my family and I also wanted to spend my 30th birthday together. I enjoyed our reunion, where we caught up with everyone until it was time to start a new walk. That stop of more than a month at home did me a lot of good on an emotional level, but on a physical level not so much because I had some very sedentary days. This was a habit that I had to put aside little by little if I wanted to take myself to walk around all those beautiful places .

Our 21-day trip in the motorhome had scheduled several treks in the different cities where we would stop. The most difficult and awaited by all was the one we would do in the city of Bariloche, walking 15 km up the mountain through the snow until we reached the Frey Refuge. That is a hike that I had done in the summer without problems, but at that time my hiking pace in the mountains was very good. After the month still at home I felt very heavy, so I had to do small progressive hikes until I regained my good condition .

While we were in the city of Villa La Angostura in Neuquén, one of the scheduled hikes was to the Arrayanes Forest. This is a 12 km trail on a terrain that has some inclines, but almost 75% of the trail is flat. You can get to the forest by boat, or some people combine going by boat and coming back by trekking or vice versa, but our plan was to walk there and back. This long hike was just what I needed to test my endurance again .

We started our hike around 9 AM, because we knew it would take us about three hours to get to the forest. That morning it looked like good weather was not going to be with us because it was freezing and foggy, but we went anyway because that's winter. I had done this hike coming back from the forest a year ago in the fall, but it was great to see the trail again adorned with some snow ❤️.

I must say that at the beginning it took me a while to get back into the rhythm, especially on the long climbs. I felt a bit out of breath, and at that point I regretted everything I ate and drank while I was back home, I was laughing inside. It was also quite an adventure to do a long hike in winter because I overdressed and couldn't maintain a constant body temperature without sweating or freezing. But despite all those inconveniences, I arrived safe and sound to the Bosque de Arrayanes .

Why is this place so interesting for tourists? Well, because it is the forest that contains the largest number of Arrayanes trees in the region. This part of the park is a walk through wooden paths where you can stroll among the cold orange trees. This area also has a small grocery store and restrooms, enough to spend the day. In my visit in 2023 I already wrote in detail about this place, so I invite you to read this post. This time I didn't take many pictures of the forest, I just used my time to sit for a while to catch my breath and eat my humble lunch .

My final conclusion on this whole situation is that fitness takes months, but can be lost in just a few weeks of inactivity. Luckily, as we had also planned the hike back that day, I had time to move my legs a bit and warm up, getting ready for the day we would go up to the refuge in Bariloche. I enjoyed going to the forest again, it's always a picturesque place to visit, and if I can get the benefit of physical activity along the way, all the better ❣️.

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A small frozen waterfall at the side of the snowy road: a good postcard of a winter trip.

2026-06-22T15:50:00.000-05:00

The last time I had travelled to the south of Argentina in winter was 13 years ago on my high school graduation trip. From this trip I have more memories of partying with friends than of the landscapes I saw, so returning after such a long time seemed interesting. I think I'm now more aware of my surroundings on every walk I take, and I'm glad I am: renewing my memories of these beautiful landscapes was something I didn't know I needed. On our motorhome trip last month we made many interesting stops, and one of them was the one that allowed us to see this small frozen waterfall ❤️.

Six days into our three-week motorhome trip we were already in a landscape surrounded by snow, something we all look forward to. I already knew it, but many of my fellow travellers did not, so it was great to accompany them on their first experience. As the second city we would visit would be Villa La Angostura and we had been to San Martin de Los Andes, it was necessary to cross the Seven Lakes Route, but not without spending a night by one of them .

The route was beautiful, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and also quite a lot of snow accumulated on the sides. Seeing the landscape painted white was something we all wanted to see, so we took advantage of the day to go for a walk. Our motorhome was parked on the shores of Lake Villarino, in a free camping area, and from there we took advantage of our afternoon to go for a short hike. The Ruta de Los Siete Lagos is 110 km in total and several of the interesting things to see are quite far from each other, so we were lucky that there was ‘something else’ to see .

According to the map, about two kilometres from where we were, there was a viewpoint of a waterfall called Vuliñanco. We had all had lunch and had enough time to go for a walk, so we walked there. The Seven Lakes Route has a few viewpoints like this one, where you can park your car and just sit and watch the scenery. They also have informative signs about what you are seeing, as if to better interpret the landscape ❤️.

To our surprise, once we reached the viewpoint of the waterfall we noticed that it was 75% frozen. There was still some water running down the side of the waterfall, but a large mass of sharp ice remained fixed in the landscape. In addition, the whole area of the viewpoint had a thick layer of snow that raised the ground level, so you could stand on the railing to see the waterfall from higher up. It may not have had the magnitude of even the smallest waterfall in the Iguazu Falls, but at least it was an interesting waterfall for an express walk .

I liked this winter trip very much, because snow and cold always have the ability to make landscapes even more beautiful. My fellow travellers and I lingered in front of the waterfall drinking mates, but not before starting the occasional snow war. I was glad to have spent my afternoon with a short walk there, because although I had already visited this route, I did not know this corner. And that is why it is sometimes worthwhile to revisit these beautiful places ❤️.

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Two different landscapes within 100 metres walking distance: Bahía Mansa and Bahía Brava in Villa La Angostura.

2026-06-15T15:49:00.000-05:00

We were barely a week into our road trip through southern Argentina but it felt like we had been together a lot longer. When we started it, we were 14 strangers but after a few days, we were all friends. The good mood you get from being on the road is contagious, so it was impossible to have a bad time in that context. Every time we had to move from place to place, it was all a commotion, because of the fact that we were going to discover what we could do in the new city. Our third stop was scheduled in Villa La Angostura, one of the most beautiful cities in the province of Neuquén, and as expected, we also had some beautiful days getting to know the surroundings ❤️.

That time, our motorhome had to park in front of a square, only two blocks away from the main avenue. This location was very convenient because we were close to the center and to a gas station, which was what we were always looking for to use the public showers and restrooms. The city of Villa La Angostura has a very beautiful aesthetic of wooden buildings and everything decorated with roses that in its peak season, fill the landscape with colors. If I would have to highlight something negative is that most things are expensive in this area because of how touristy it is, but even so it does not stop being crowded all the time

After a week of travel, we needed to get a laundry room to get our clothes back in condition. We took advantage of the morning to go in search of one, and on our way back we used our free time to go for a short walk. In Villa La Angostura there are many things to do and several of them are close by, so if you like to be on foot you can visit a few of them. There are also different trekkings available, as well as public transportation to move around, so it's impossible to get bored here .

On our morning walk we decided to go to the area of the bays, 2 km away from where our motorhome was parked. This is one of the most touristy and beautiful areas close to the center, so there are always a lot of people coming and going. This place has the particularity of being a small strait between two beautiful bays, so there are two different beaches to spend the day, separated only by about 100 meters. In the area you can also find the entrance to Los Arrayanes National Park, as well as restaurants, public restrooms, kayak rentals and nautical tour services ❣️.

Regarding the bays, the traditional tour is to visit both bays and if it is within your means, to sail in one of them. In July 2024 the nautical tours cost 40,000 ARS ($30 approx), so we decided to visit them on foot. These two bays are called Bahia Mansa and Bahia Brava, very peculiar names as they are two opposite adjectives (Mansa refers to calm and Brava to rowdy). The first one we visited is Bahia Mansa, which offers a long pier to go for a walk and sit and contemplate the scenery ❤️.

That bay is my favorite, so we spent more time there. Then, we took a look at Brava Bay: just by crossing the street, you could already be on the neighboring beach. There are also boat trips from here, although the pier is not open to the public like the one at Bahía Mansa. However, sitting on the shore to spend the day in this beautiful landscape is also a good plan. What I like about this beach is that the water is crystal clear along much of the shore and gradually turns into a deep blue color ✨.

By the time we finished our walk at the end of the day, it was time to pick up our clean clothes. Visiting the area of the bays in Villa La Angostura is a good option for a close walk to get a glimpse of all the beautiful things the village has to offer. This is just a little bit of the incredible scenery that southern Argentina has to offer, so whenever I have the opportunity to return, I fly. You could never get tired of seeing landscapes as perfect as these ❤️.

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Rant, Complain, Talk - 500-year time capsule in Ushuaia: what do you think society will be like when it's ready to open up?

2026-06-08T14:19:00.000-05:00

Something I have seen very few times in my life are time capsules. Have you ever seen one? I think they are not very common, because this is the second time that I found myself in front of one of them and I have been everywhere, at least here in Argentina. The first capsule I saw was in some town in the interior of Buenos Aires, I don't even know which one it was or how long it was scheduled for, but I remember it seemed very curious at the time, and the second one was this one in Ushuaia just a few months ago. I had already passed by this place many times, but I had never stopped to read that there is a message for those who will inhabit these lands some years after us.

I love the city of Ushuaia because it has a particular location on the map, at the end of the world or at the beginning of everything, as the slogan says. But not only that makes it beautiful, but all its aesthetics and the curious things that surround it. I spent a total of six months living there, and even though I have taken a lot of walks around this area, I know that I surely missed a few things.

To try to take in as many streets as possible, on each walk through the city center I tried to take a different route. This led me one afternoon to pass in front of an artisans' fair and what from a distance looked like a simple fountain or monument. But in the end it was not so simple: it was a time capsule buried right there, 32 years ago.

According to what the sign says, this capsule was buried on October 2, 1992 and should not be opened until October 2, 2492, exactly 500 years later. Inside it are some CDs with audiovisual material and their players to view the contents, which consist of television programs of the time and messages from the citizens of Ushuaia at that time to the successors of 5 centuries later. It ends by saying that ‘when the twentieth century is just a rumor, this capsule will be present as a time traveler’ .

Thinking 500 years ahead gave me the same feeling of suffocation that I get from the immensity of the sea or the vastness of space. In 500 years, or 468 years from now, there will be no trace of what we are being at this very moment. Billions of people will have died and been born in all that time until this capsule is opened. Of course I am very curious to know what those videos show, but I will never know. And to know how society will have evolved by then, or perhaps devolved, I don't know. For the moment, from 1992 until now, at least we have made progress in making the CDs that are stored there almost obsolete, and at the rate technology is going, we are not so far away that everything we know today will no longer exist in just a few years. If we are lucky enough or willing to leave offspring, by the time the capsule is opened, we will be the great-great-great-grandparents of someone who won't even remember our name. Or maybe they will, if our data is still stored on the Internet and never deleted. What do you think?

As for societies, I am intrigued to know how those who come after us will relate to each other. If we look back 500 years, we have come a long way and have become quite ‘civilized’, although we need to keep improving. Coming across this capsule left me thinking all day and once again, I was made aware of how tiny our presence is in the timeline of the universe. It's these things that make you feel so small and insignificant, and none of

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Stay and lunch for two for just $10 in Argentina: a day in the most affordable travel destination so far.

2026-06-01T05:01:00.000-05:00

If you are planning a trip to Argentina, you should know that it is necessary to adjust your budget depending on where you want to go. The economy of our country has been suffering for several years, punishing us with high inflation and varied prices, sometimes more expensive than in European countries. But despite everything, if you are organized enough, it is still possible to travel at a low cost, carefully choosing your destination and looking for the cheapest options possible. I always knew that traveling in the north of my country is cheaper than in other areas, mainly the south part, but I was still surprised when I was able to see it with my own eyes .

During the month of July 2024, I had been traveling through the south of Argentina on a shared tour in a motorhome. On that occasion, we reached Bariloche, where we had the option of sleeping in a hostel if we wanted to be more comfortable. At that time, the cost of the cheapest hostel in the area was $18. Some of my travel companions chose to do so, but I preferred to stay and sleep in the motorhome as usual, since by that date I had spent more than $500 in just two weeks of travel .

After that, my nomadic travel path started to head north of my country. First, I made a stop on a trip at a hostel in Córdoba where I paid $15 a night, and then I went to do my volunteer work further north in Catamarca, where guests were charged $13 for the cheapest room. My third stop of the trip had been in Cafayate, where a night in a hostel cost $10. All these prices always referred to shared rooms with 6 or 8 beds, with a clear pattern of "further north on the map, cheaper."

When I met my guest M in Cafayate and after some "unfortunate" (or not) events, we started traveling together, we had to start looking for double rooms whenever possible. At our stop in a hostel in Salta capital we paid $24 for a room for the two of us, in Tilcara $20 for the same type of room and in Humahuaca $15 for a complete apartment. These prices really surprised me, because I didn't think it could be so cheap. I was happy to be able to save on accommodation and be able to spend it on other things like excursions or new trips .

By the time we got to Iruya in the province of Salta, I thought prices would go up a bit due to the remoteness and touristiness of the place. But luckily for us, this wasn't the case. Here we found double rooms for $14, which I couldn't believe. However, since the weather was spectacular, we decided it would be a good idea to camp and experience it. We had first thought of camping in the wild, but then we asked at a campsite and they only charged $4 per person. $4! And we could use wifi, a grill, bathrooms and showers with hot water, much better than being in the middle of nowhere .

Another very cheap thing to find in the north of Argentina, besides accommodation, is food. Unlike in the south, food in the north is very cheap and you can find a lot of variety, from full meals to fast food. The day after our camp we got up early to go to our next destination and decided to buy something for lunch. We didn't want to spend too much time on this, so we opted for the classic tortillas filled with ham and cheese in the north. One was enough for a light lunch for both of us and we only paid $2 for it. It couldn't be more convenient :)

Finding these prices in the north of my country was very good for my travel budget, since I had recently stopped paying for my stays with work exchanges and now had to do it with money, I couldn't afford great luxuries. Even in this, the timing of this trip was perfect, because this improvised trip took place on the way to Bolivia, where everything is much cheaper. I think that this place combines two ideal things for low-cost trips: beautiful landscapes and many cheap options suitable for your pocket. At the end of the day, with little investment you will have obtained a great benefit .

❤️ Hope you liked this post! Thanks for reading. ❤️

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In the northernmost city of my country: La Quiaca, more than 5000 km from Ushuaia, the southernmost one.

2026-05-25T04:59:00.000-05:00

As we headed further and further north on the map, my excitement grew. The whole area was already starting to be uncharted territory for me, so I was very curious to see what things were like in that part of my country. We were already very close to achieving our improvised goal of reaching Bolivia, but along the way we were also seeing some very curious places. One obligatory stop was La Quiaca, the northernmost city in Argentina in the province of Jujuy, where we took two nights to rest and also to sort out our paperwork before crossing the border .

After driving more than 180 km in the small Suzuki 4x4, we left Iruya in the province of Salta to head to La Quiaca, in the province of Jujuy. That would be our last stop in Argentina before heading to the neighboring country. It was impossible to go any further, because we were literally about to cross to the other side. However, despite being so close, we needed some time to be able to go to the ATM to withdraw cash so we could get a good exchange rate in Bolivia, try to get the yellow fever vaccine and be able to fill up with gas before crossing. For this we stayed two nights in a small hostel for which we paid $25 per night for two people

As for money, we were able to get a good amount from ATMs and this was the most convenient thing, since due to the high taxes Argentina imposes on using debit and credit cards abroad, the best option was to pay for everything with cash. Regarding the yellow fever vaccine, we had read that it was necessary but I went to the hospital and couldn't get it because it wasn't the day they were doing the vaccination campaign. I risked going to Bolivia anyway, hoping not to get sick from anything (spoiler: I didn't get sick from anything). Third, we were able to fill a jerry can with extra gasoline, which was what we wanted, since we were afraid of not getting it easily in Bolivia, since there was a rumor that they didn't sell it to foreigners .

All of these things took up the time we decided to stay in La Quiaca. As for the city, like any border city, it is not as touristy or elegant, but it is still full of signs that highlight what distinguishes it: being the northernmost city in Argentina. There are signs everywhere for photos, and many stickers of people who wanted to leave their mark on this place. In addition, everything was quite cheap here, just like what we saw in our previous days in other northern cities .

The city of La Quiaca in Jujuy represents the northern end of the famous journey that crosses my country from end to end along Route 40, parallel to the Andes Mountains and ending in the city of Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego province. This route covers 5,194 km and visits 11 of the 23 provinces we have in Argentina. This trip is one of the most desired by nomadic travelers, who choose to do it in different vehicles, from cars, trucks, motorcycles and motorhomes to bicycles. Being at either end of this route, whether in La Quiaca or Ushuaia, is exciting, and that is how I felt after finally getting to know this city, because I already knew Ushuaia .

I think that throughout this whole traveling phase of my life, which began almost a year and a half ago, I did a lot of great things and being in the northernmost and southernmost extremes of my country was one of them. When I decided that I wanted to travel a bit around the north of Argentina, I didn't think that I would literally get to La Quiaca, the furthest north we have. I really enjoyed getting to know this place, which despite being simple has a very special value for travelers and for all of us who love Argentina and love Route 40. Once again, I was able to get to know a new corner of the many we have here .

❤️ Hope you liked this post! Thanks for reading. ❤️

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Argentina - My #travelgoal 19 of 23: Catamarca.

2026-05-18T14:56:00.000-05:00

Whenever I have to write a new post for my #travelgoal section I get very excited to see how close I am to finally finish it. My country is very, very large but I think that now that I'm close to the end, visiting all the provinces of Argentina seems to be not so difficult (if you have the time and money to do it, of course). This goal started for me when I was 17 years old since I made my first trip, and since I started writing on this Hive blog, I was able to move much faster on my bucket list goals. This time, I was able to visit province #19 for me, one that I really wanted to visit because people said it was beautiful, and luckily I was able to go and see for myself that this is indeed the case: it is the province of Catamarca, in the northwest region of Argentina .

Visiting the province of Catamarca can be quite a challenge if you don't have your own vehicle. Although this province is said to be beautiful, its tourism is not as well developed as in other places, so there are many beautiful places that cannot be reached by public transport. As my travel goals are rather humble, I was content with just visiting the provincial capital, which I could reach by long-distance bus without any problems. Although I had read that all the beautiful landscapes were in the interior of the province, visiting the capital city didn't seem so bad either ._{Location of San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, 1100 km from the city of Buenos Aires.
Ubicación de San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, a 1100 km de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires.}

As I had enough time to do so, I arranged a work-for-housing exchange here. There are not many hostels in this place that work in this way, but I just got one that did and had room for me on the dates I wanted. Getting to know this new province had already excited me from the day I knew I was going, but I didn't plan my itinerary so much because I wanted to see what I would find. When I finally arrived, the first thing that surprised me was to see mountains near the city, something I thought would not be possible, so that put me in a good mood .

In total, I stayed for three weeks exchanging work for accommodation in that hostel and in that time I was able to travel a lot, even more than I wanted to. The location was very good for me who travels without a car, because it was in the city centre, very close to all the shops and the main square, so several times I went for a walk in those surroundings. The capital of this province is called San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca and for being not very popular for tourists, it is very beautiful. Its main attraction is the Cathedral Basilica of the Virgin of the Valley, one that steals all eyes with its colour .

This is a typical cathedral full of architectural details and beautiful details. You can enter freely and walk through its corridors, always with the respect due to a place of worship. The whole history of this city revolves around the appearance of a wooden virgin 400 years ago in the valley area of this province, which later led to the construction of this beautiful basilica. This province is quite religious and there are many churches around it, so its tourism revolves around that, at least in this area. It is also possible to find many museums of the virgin, merchandising, holy water and everything related to the catholic religion .

I am not a great devotee of religion, but I love to see how beautiful these cathedrals are. A lot of people were going to visit this place and the main square. In the surroundings of the church it is possible to find other squares, a shopping promenade, restaurants, bars, markets and everything you need for life in the city. For my convenience, there was also some public transport that took you to various beautiful places near the city, so I could do a bit more than just stand around admiring the cathedral .

I fondly remember my trip to San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca. This trip lasted a total of three weeks and I made it in August of this year. This is the 10th province I have visited thanks to my Hive blog and I couldn't be happier to have made it. I loved visiting this place, meeting its people, visiting its landscapes and wandering through its streets. Fortunately, once again I was able to take another step in my travel goal, which is slowly coming to an end. We will see how long it will be until the next province, but in the meantime, I am grateful for my trip to the last new one I visited .

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Walking in the Ushuaia sunset can take a long time because we have natural light at 10 PM.

2026-05-11T15:25:00.000-05:00

One thing that struck me about Ushuaia the first time I came here, and continued to do so this time when I stayed much longer, was how late it gets dark. This phenomenon is ideal to enjoy nature, because there is so much light that you can do very long treks that if you have enough energy you can do them in the same day. But for more relaxed walks in the city you can also take advantage of this, as visiting the waterfront with the Beagle Channel reflecting is always magical and you don't need to go that far to appreciate it .

When I had just arrived back in Ushuaia to do my job exchange for hostel accommodation in October, I was assigned to cover a receptionist shift from 1 to 5 PM. I found this timetable a bit controversial at first because I was in the way all day to go to the mountain, but as the days went by I made the most of it. As there are no guests in the hostel at that time, everything was very quiet and I could use that time for my Hive work. That way, when I finished at 5 PM I had all my homework done and I still had enough day ahead of me to go for even a short walk .

Our hostel is about 10 blocks from the city center, which makes it a bit out of the way but close enough to quickly reach the waterfront. Everywhere you look, Ushuaia is beautiful, thanks to its aesthetics and its location between the water and the mountains. As the afternoon progresses, the sky changes colors and the landscape seems to transform. No matter how many times you go downtown, it always seems like a different place .

I took these photos on October 23rd at 9 PM, in the middle of spring in Ushuaia. You can see how the sun was just setting, but there was still a bit more to go until the sky turned completely dark. For the summer solstice, on December 21st, the city held a celebration like every year. That day, sunset was scheduled for 11:05 PM, truly incredible. However, on that date and on some of the following days, the night was never completely dark. If you looked at the horizon, you could still see a band of light in the distance. The sun never left this part of the planet, and I loved witnessing that ❤️.

At this time of day, my favorite place to go for a walk is the Tourist Port. While boats are moored along almost the entire coast of the Beagle Channel bordering the city, this is where the catamarans that take boat trips are concentrated. Seeing the reflections of these boats is beautiful, even more so when there's no wind, like on a day like this. If you're wondering about the cold, in October the average temperature was 10°C, but since it's a dry climate, wearing two layers of clothing was fine. I'm a team summer, but I like the cold in Ushuaia .

In addition to the beautiful landscapes to see, I like this city for how peaceful it always is. It still retains its small-town spirit without losing its functionality. Deciding to spend all this time here (so far) was a great decision. I can take advantage of the entire season of long days and do a lot of trekking, of course. Currently, the sun rises at 8 AM and sets at 8 PM, unlike summer when it was only "dark" from 11 PM to 4 AM. The weather is still pleasant, but it doesn't compare to all the fantastic amounts of daylight: luckily, I was able to see both ❤️.

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Integration into local sporting activities: 3 km ‘night’ run in Ushuaia.

2026-05-04T14:25:00.000-05:00

Staying in a hostel makes you meet a lot of people from all over and sometimes they can become great friends who inspire you to do great things. In all this time living in Ushuaia I met a lot of people who helped me to discover things I like to do that I didn't know about. One of them was going for a run, something I did very rarely in the last time. After having my legs quite used to trekking, I decided to go further and sign up for a race in the city. Everything went well that day, but I can't say the same about the next day .

During my stay in El Bolsón, a fellow volunteer and I had signed up overnight for a small 3 km street race. This was totally impulsive and not at all premeditated, but we still went and managed to run without stopping for a bit. But in the following days, the muscle pain in my legs lasted for almost a week and it was horrible. Once in Ushuaia, I met Diana, a guest at the hostel who came with the idea of running a 3 km race similar to that one. I thought it would be a good idea to do it, but this time I took care to train a bit earlier .

This race was ‘easy’ in terms of Diana, who runs up to 12km in the mountains, so that also encouraged me to go. It was a free race organised by the municipality of Ushuaia, with a ‘night race’ theme because it was at 9 PM. However, in the spring at the end of the world at that time it's still daylight, so ‘night’ was just a figure of speech. But it was great that it's so late and everything is so clear in the sky, I loved that .

As for the race, there were two modalities: 3 km participative and 8 km competitive. The one we chose was the lower category and included a 30-block circuit along the main avenues of Ushuaia. Although I had trained a little, this was not enough to sign up for the longer section. I hike and walk up to 30km a day all the time, but I know that running takes a different kind of training, so it's best to take it one step at a time .

My run was smooth and it took me about 18 minutes to cover the 3 km of the race. It was very exciting to run all that way with the race people while the Ushuaia sky was just starting to get completely dark. When the whole event was over, with the 8 km course also finished, there was a prize giving and raffle. I'm not a very lucky person for these things so obviously I didn't win anything, but I stayed until the end to see if I could make it .

As this time my preparation before this race was different from El Bolsón, I thought I would come out of it with no muscle pain, but I was wrong. The muscle pain after this race also lasted a few days until I was able to recover properly. It is obvious that my trekking legs are not the same as my running legs, so I have to be careful. After this, running even a little bit per week became a habit for me: I don't know if I will ever run 12 km in the mountains like Diana, but at least I keep myself in shape in case the opportunity ever arises .

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Trekking to the still frozen Cinco Hermanos Lagoon in Ushuaia: the last stretch was the most difficult.

2026-04-30T14:50:00.000-05:00

If you like the cold, Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego is one of the ideal places to go and enjoy it. In this destination, it's not common to find temperatures above 18°C even in the middle of summer, so during your visit you may see some snow even if it's on the highest peaks. This can be quite picturesque, although when it comes to trekking, sometimes the snow is not as beautiful as when the landscape is thawed. With this in mind, you should plan your outings well to enjoy nature at its best ❤️.

As I had already been to Ushuaia in the year 2023, I had already done many of the most touristy treks, thinking that I might not visit Ushuaia again. But as fate would have it, so on my second trip, I had to look for other treks that were a bit longer and more demanding. Beautiful scenery is what is in abundance in this part of my country, so I just had to choose one, find some companions and go.

Luckily, Couchsurfing helped me a lot with that, so finding trekking partners was no problem. The thing was that those treks I was missing were the ones that took you to beautiful lagoons. According to the pictures on the internet, these landscapes included very blue and beautiful bodies of water, but if they were frozen and covered with snow, they could not be well appreciated. At the time of this walk, it was mid-December and summer was just beginning, so there was a good chance that the ice was still lingering in these areas.

After putting together a small trekking group via CS, I told my occasional friends of my intention to visit the Cinco Hermanos Lagoon, but that it might be frozen and we would not see much. They were very adventurous and decided that we should go anyway, as at worst, we would see beautiful frozen mountains. This trek was a medium difficulty trek, so completing it would be a good challenge and off we went for the adventure.

This hike started 2.5 km from the exit of the city of Ushuaia and after visiting the Bridal Veil Waterfall, which we were passing by, we continued towards the lagoon. This hike was 8 km long and had most of the trail inside the forest, except for the last kilometre when we came out into the clearing and had to climb the steepest slope of all. As I always say, this stretch was quite tiring on the legs, but nothing that couldn't be done with patience and the desire to see the reward.

Three hours after we started, we finally reached the beautiful lagoon. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that it was already 75% thawed, showing the beautiful blue colour we had seen in photos. Its entire shore was covered with snow, so it was necessary to pass carefully, but as there were already footprints of other people, it was not difficult to follow the path.

We stayed for a while at the lagoon, having a quiet lunch until the weather reminded us that we were in the middle of a mountain surrounded by ice and snow. I can't explain the freezing wind that began to blow, so much so that it invited us to retreat if we wanted to keep our body temperature at the right level. On our return hike, which was much easier than the ascent, we took a different path on the last part, which led us to what looked like the premises of an abandoned campsite. It would have been great if it had worked, as we really needed a hot drink at that point.

The trek to the Laguna Cinco Hermanos was one of the treks I had left pending on my first trip and finally being able to do it was a good experience. I was glad to be able to see the lagoon somewhat thawed, because the mixture of melted water and ice parts created a unique landscape. Throughout my stay in Ushuaia I never ceased to be amazed by all that beauty: it always ends up being much more beautiful than what you can see in a photo ❤️.

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Two points to visit on National Route 3 on the way to Ushuaia: Carbajal Viewpoint and Tierra Mayor Valley.

2026-04-20T08:19:00.000-05:00

Besides being a perfect place to enjoy long walks in the mountains or short rides in the city, Ushuaia's surroundings also offer space for good drives. Due to its location on the map, this city is entered and exited by the same route if you arrive by land, so even before entering the city you can enjoy beautiful landscapes. The scenic stretch of National Route 3 offers a lot of photographic corners that are worth seeing. And if you arrived in the city by plane like me, you definitely can't miss a visit to this route.

Ushuaia is a city located inside Tierra del Fuego Island and the fastest way to get there is by plane. However, if once there your intention is to visit the mountains to the north, you must take National Route 3. This route is very popular for the most famous trekking of all, the one to the Esmeralda Lagoon, 18 km away from the city, but on the way you can also see interesting landscapes just by getting out of the car for a while.

During my stay in Ushuaia I had the opportunity to make many new friends through Couchsurfing. Most of them were local people who were eager to walk around a bit with tourists and show them around. In the first few days I met Saul, who told me about how beautiful this route is. He was the one who offered me a personalized tour to get to know these places better. Our first stop was at Mirador del Valle Carbajal, 14 km from the city. In this place there is a space prepared to receive visitors, with informative signs and space to rest, in addition to the view of the mountains.

The next stop on our drive was about 6 km further on. In the middle, we passed the parking lot to go to Laguna Esmeralda and it was full of cars, as usual. But we kept going until we reached another less crowded point on the route, called Valle de Tierra Mayor. This place was a large field with peat and mountains in the background, plus a restaurant and service center.

This valley was completely clear in the spring, but in the winter is when it is covered with snow and functions as a cross-country ski slope. In the meantime, it is just a valley where you can walk freely, as long as the peat allows you to do so. In case you don't know, peat is decomposing organic material that has been produced where there used to be glaciers millions of years ago. These soils are wet and appear spongy, so you should walk carefully on them if you don't want to get your feet wet.

Visiting these valleys is a quiet option if you want to see a little more of Ushuaia's landscapes without having to walk so far. At the time of our afternoon visit, the restaurant was closed but we still took the opportunity to walk around a bit, while my new Couchsurfing friend told me what it was like to live in Ushuaia permanently and I told him all about the journey I had made to get there. I like the experience of meeting people through this traveler's app, because you can always have interesting moments like these.

What I liked about this walk was that we were able to do it on the half afternoon I had free on a Saturday after work. Getting 20 kilometers away from the city doesn't take that long and allows you to see beautiful places like these. Even though it was in the middle of spring, it was still very cold and the weather was quite changeable, but that's all part of visiting Ushuaia. Meeting a new friend and sharing a walk together was a good anecdote during the trip: I was glad to have visited these beautiful places without having to walk for hours and hours.

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Solo trekking to the summit of Cerro Cortez: 500 metres of elevation gain for good views of Ushuaia.

2026-04-13T11:37:00.000-05:00

When I first read that the city of Ushuaia is only 6 metres above sea level I was quite surprised. In spite of being a low place, it is possible to find mountains with interesting slopes that test your physical endurance. The highest peak of this city is Mount Olivia at only 1300 metres high, but it is only reserved for professional climbers. Instead, normal people can visit other hills to climb on foot, such as the Cerro Cortez, considered of medium difficulty. It may not be the highest of them all, but it still takes your breath away .

Cerro Cortez is one of the closest mountains to the city centre and, according to what I had read, it would only take me about 5 hours to hike to the top and back. This time was perfect for a morning plan before I had to work at the hostel, so I took an Uber to the trailhead, about 6 km from where I was. The highest point of this mountain is 750 masl, but that drive was mostly uphill, so the final elevation gain I had left to walk was only 500 metres.

One thing I like about Ushuaia is that most of the trails are well signposted. Of all the trails I've done, I've rarely had to resort to an offline map. That's why it gave me peace of mind to go trekking alone, because I knew that the chances of getting lost were low. Also, this particular mountain is very close to the city, so I never lost my internet signal. And in case of any emergency, you could call the rescue number 103, which luckily in all my long stay, I never had to do.

I never knew how to write the name of this mountain properly, as in some places it appears as ‘Cortez’ (surname) and on the trail it says ‘Cortés’ (adjective, polite). I liked it better as a surname, so I wrote it that way. What was certain was that the gradient on this mountain was interesting. Although it was a 3 kilometres one way trail, I think that all the elevation gain was concentrated in 2.5 kilometres. My legs gave it their all, but as always, a big elevation gain means good views faster.

I didn't meet anyone on the way, and that's because this mountain is not one of the most touristy in Ushuaia. I thought that maybe I would meet some locals when I was near the summit, but the only thing that was there was a terrible wind. At times I had to sit down and take shelter because I swear it was pushing me. Keeping a steady pace was difficult and I didn't want any accidents.

Despite the wind, I reached the summit and everything looked beautiful from there. The weather made the clouds circulate very fast, changing the illumination of the landscape every minute. Even this also made the moment magical. From this summit I could get a good 360° view of the whole city of Ushuaia, the Beagle Channel, Mount Olivia and even the mountain ranges inside the National Park. I like the high peaks, but the ones that are not so high also offer landscapes a bit closer to see them in detail.

I found a rock shelter where I could take some shelter and have my mountain lunch (a small, non-nutritious sandwich and an apple). I stayed as long as I could, until the humble freezing breezes of the end of the world forced me to come down before my face froze even more. The good thing is that coming down is always a bit quicker than going up, and once back in the forest, there was no trace of the gusts from up there. And on the way up, I found a good location for my new Worldmappin sticker.

I usually take a little less time than the signs say, but this time, the whole route took me the exact five hours it was estimated to take. I even imagined it would be a bit more difficult, but all that elevation gain was challenging. Anyway, the views from there were beautiful and being able to see the city of Ushuaia from a new point was very rewarding. All this without detracting from how convenient it was to get off the trail and have a signal to call an Uber back: if I could have driven to the summit, I probably would have done it .

❤️ Hope you liked this post! Thanks for reading. ❤️

❤️¡Espero que les haya gustado este post! Gracias por leer. ❤️

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Reactivating Couchsurfing meetings for trekking: this time, Bridal Veil Waterfall.

2026-04-06T14:54:00.000-05:00

Although the trip to Chile had passed more quickly than I wanted it to, its end meant no great sorrow for me either. This was because instead of returning to my home in Buenos Aires, I had planned my return to Ushuaia, in Tierra del Fuego. Summer was approaching, the best time not to feel so cold at the end of the world, so I wanted to return to take advantage of the pleasant weather and enjoy the mountains a little more. When I got back, there still weren't that many guests in the hostel where I was volunteering, so if I wanted to socialise a bit more, I had to resort to my trusty tool Couchsurfing. Once again, it worked perfectly .

Having returned from the neighbouring country after my trip with M brought me back to the reality of what it was like to travel alone. This is no problem for me because I love socialising, but the problem is when there are no people around to do it. But thanks to knowing how Couchsurfing works, I was almost always able to find occasional friends to go out with. And as I like diverse groups, where it is possible to exchange many anecdotes, I made sure that we were at least four people per outing (incidentally, to share the taxi to the trailheads).

For those who are not familiar with Couchsurfing, this is an application for travellers whose main purpose is to obtain temporary accommodation in private homes. In this app, there are people who offer a place in their home and travellers who can request this type of stay for free. The main purpose is to share a good time with the hosts while getting to know the place you are passing through, and also to save on accommodation. But as I never need this, as I have my stay at the hostel where I volunteer, I just use another section of the app called ‘Hangouts’. This function allows you to make your profile available for a walk at that moment: it's like a ‘Tinder’ for travellers, in which if you match with another person or persons, a chat is generated so that you can chat and plan a casual walk.

Throughout my stay in Ushuaia, which lasted almost six months in total, I used Couchsurfing Hangouts dozens of times. This allowed me to meet many people from all over, with whom we shared treks, pub crawls, walks in the city and even meetings in the hostel I was staying in. The first Couchsurfing meeting I did after returning from Chile was with three guys, one from England, one from Turkey and one from Argentina. We decided to trek to the Cinco Hermanos Lagoon, where we first went to the Bridal Veil Waterfall. I knew it but the boys didn't, so we stopped there for a moment to take pictures.

The stretch to the waterfall was short but quite steep, but the four of us were experienced trekkers so it was no problem for us. What was a problem was communicating with the guys from England and Turkey, as my English is very bad. However, I gave it my best shot and I think we exchanged some good ideas in the time we shared together. They were also able to practice their Spanish with me, although their level of the opposite language was much better than mine.

The outings I organised on Couchsurfing were always fun, and in the process saved us a bit of money, as well as having a good time. A taxi to the start of this trail and back to the city cost $20, which is not much for four people. By the way, we all took away a language lesson, as well as having seen a nice place. When I told my friends that I was going to the mountains with people I'd only spoken to for a few minutes in the morning via an app, they were quite worried, but after all the time in Ushuaia doing that, they relaxed. Now I have Couchsurfing contacts all over the world: I just have to get on a plane and go visit them ❤️.

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Summit in Tierra del Fuego National Park: Guanaco Hill and its 981 metres above sea level.

2026-03-23T14:45:00.000-05:00

When I did some research on the heights of the mountains in Ushuaia, I was surprised to find that the highest mountains are barely more than 1000 metres above sea level. Ushuaia is very close to the water, but that doesn't mean that its peaks are easy to reach. If you like trekking that takes you to incredible places, and the route is a challenge in itself, you can't miss the Guanaco Hill in the Tierra del Fuego National Park. At only 981 metres high, you can be sure that all its elevation change will make its presence firmly felt ❤️.

When it comes to touring the nature surrounding the city of Ushuaia, there is only one place you have to pay to enter. This is the Tierra del Fuego National Park, which is home to a large part of the natural resources we have in this part of our country. Currently, the entrance fee for foreigners is $30 and for locals $9, although at the time of my visit it was $40 and $12 respectively, but then they lowered the price (something unthinkable in my country, Argentina).

There are several things to do within the Tierra del Fuego National Park, such as visiting the end of National Route 3 at Lapataia Bay, visiting Lake Acigami, taking the End of the World Train and a variety of trekking and hiking trails. I had already done all these touristy things on my first visit, but I had missed the Guanaco Hill, a trekking that takes you to the top of this mountain and gives you incredible views of the city and the Beagle Channel.

As soon as a guest who wanted to go to Guanaco Hill showed up at the hostel, I didn't hesitate to join him for the hike together. This trekking is considered of medium-high difficulty, so it is necessary to register your entry with the park rangers and it is advisable not to go alone. My companion that day, Bruno, had already been doing a lot of trekking the previous days, and we both felt in good physical condition to do this hike.

This trail is 6 kilometres long one way, with an estimated duration of 4.5 hours. These signs tend to be somewhat overestimated if you decide to do the hike in the snowy season, but as it was summer at the time of our visit, we completed the whole section in only 3 hours. What was not overestimated was the difficulty, as in the last two kilometres, the trail took you along a small trail of loose stones on the edge of the mountain. We were lucky that there was no snow or wind, so we climbed it without technical difficulty, although the legs were quite demanding.

As we climbed higher and higher, the views became more and more incredible. It was only on the last few metres on the way to the summit that we came across some snow, as if to decorate the landscape. What I liked about this mountain was that whichever way you looked, the scenery was amazing. I did a lot of great treks in Ushuaia, and this was one of the best ❤️.

By the time we reached the summit, we could finally see the great view of the city and the Beagle Channel. We were very lucky to have an amazing day that let us see the whole landscape clear. From there we could also see other snow-capped peaks, and the peat bog areas that Ushuaia has. We could also see several beaver trees from there, which appeared as clear patches in the forest areas.

On this mountain I was also delighted to see the design on the bare stone, which showed thousands of splinters perfectly joined together. Unlike other mountains I visited in my country, which were made of earth, in Ushuaia the mountains are made of solid rock, which explains the surface vegetation on the slopes and forests. These sharp stones at the summit were all joined together, but on the last stretch of the road we saw them loose: the moment of creation of this mountain will have been an incredible landslide.

Bruno and I had brought our packed lunch, so we stayed on the summit for a while, taking advantage of the fact that there was no wind and it wasn't too cold. It really was a day with incredible and stable weather, something that almost never happens in Ushuaia. Normally during the same day it is cloudy, sunny, raining and even with some snow, but that day the sun was high all afternoon. We couldn't have asked for more perfect conditions to climb Guanaco Hill .

There is no doubt that I like to go to mountains where the views are beautiful, but the fact that the trail is a bit tricky ends up adding an extra thrill to the adventure. Guanaco Hill lived up to that expectation, so reaching its summit felt very satisfying. I recommend this trek to those looking to spend a day among forests, peat bogs, loose rocks and great scenery: the trail has it all, but the reward of the view at the end makes it all worth it ❤️.

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Even further south than Ushuaia: Puerto Almanza, the small fishing port opposite Puerto Williams.

2026-03-16T14:42:00.000-05:00

Although Ushuaia is often referred to as the city at the end of the world, the reality is that there are other towns even further south on the map. If we stay within our Argentinean territory, we can find another town a little further down called Puerto Almanza. And if we cross the border, we also have Puerto Williams in Chile. These disputes of who deserves the title of being further south will always be ongoing, but the good thing is that if you find yourself travelling in the area, you can see at least a little of these three places ❤️.

One of the benefits included in some of the work-to-accommodation exchanges while you travel is the possibility of tours at the hosts' expense. In all this time doing the same in various hostels, I have been lucky enough to come across owners who take this into consideration and offer free rides for volunteers. When I was in Ushuaia, the owner of the hostel took me and my two other fellow volunteers on a walk to Puerto Almanza on a day with incredible weather.

Puerto Almanza is a small fishing village, consisting of a single street facing the coast of the Beagle Channel. In this place, the main tourist attraction is to come and taste the local seafood, so it is a destination to spend the day and return to Ushuaia. However, there are also some tourist accommodations, private campsites and free camping sites in case you want to extend your stay.

To get to Puerto Almanza and enjoy its coastline full of nature, seaweed and shells, it is necessary to come in your own vehicle or on a hired excursion. There is no public transport to this place and getting there by hitchhiking is also complicated. To get to this town, it is necessary to drive about 40 km north of Ushuaia on Route 3, and then take the gravel route J heading south again. There is not much to see along this road, except for some sporadic lodgings or private houses, so there is usually not much traffic.

Just opposite Puerto Almanza, you can see the town of Puerto Williams in Chile. Even there, I had no cellular signal from Argentina but my roaming with the neighbouring country worked. You can visit Puerto Williams leaving from Ushuaia on a ferry that costs about $260 round trip, but even though it is close, you can't go there for the day because there is only one service to and from Puerto Williams. I thought about the idea of visiting this place, but between the boat and having to pay for at least one night's accommodation there, the budget was quite high for so little. In the end I just settled for seeing the harbour from across the street.

Another thing you can do from Puerto Almanza is to visit the penguin colony located on Martillo Island. For this, it is necessary to take a special tour that leaves from Ushuaia, brings you by bus to this place and from here it goes in small boats to where the penguins are. There is only one company that offers this service and it is the only one that has the authorization to go down to the island and walk with these curious animals. The rest of the boats that visit the penguin colony directly by boat from Ushuaia only see the coast of the island from the top of the boat. If you want to walk with the penguins to get a closer look, you will have to pay a $250 tour, as opposed to the regular tour which costs about $140. Will it be worth it?

The fact that the owner of the hostel drove us to Puerto Almanza in his van was a good thing for me because it saved me the $50 that a private transfer to Puerto Almanza cost. The other girls who worked with me, he and I spent the afternoon sitting in front of the canal drinking mates and sharing our experiences of what it was like to be in Ushuaia in the high season. Unfortunately I don't like seafood or any of those sea foods, so we didn't try anything, but at least the biscuits we brought for the afternoon took our appetite away for a while .

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First of two days of 32 km trekking in Ushuaia: beavers, bridges and Caminante Lagoon.

2026-03-09T14:39:00.000-05:00

If there's one thing Ushuaia has plenty of, it's places to go trekking. Most of them can be done in the same day, but there are some others that are worth taking the trouble to bring a tent to spend at least one night. It wasn't in my plans to go camping at the end of the world where it's so cold, but one day everything worked out perfectly and I jumped at the chance. That's how I was able to visit the Caminante Lagoon, one of the best trekkings I've ever done in this place ❤️.

Si hay algo que sobra en Ushuaia, son los lugares para hacer trekking. La mayoría de ellos pueden realizarse en el mismo día, pero hay algunos otros por los cuáles vale la pena tomarse el trabajo de llevar la carpa para ir a pasar al menos una noche. No estaba en mis planes ir a acampar en el fin del mundo en donde hace tanto frío, pero un día todo se dio perfectamente para que así sea y no dudé en tomar la oportunidad. Así fue como pude ir a visitar la Laguna del Caminante, en uno de los mejores trekkings que hice en este lugar ❤️.

The trekking to the Caminante Lagoon is one of the most requested by the tourists that come to the mountains of Ushuaia. There are two ways to get to this place, since it is located within a circular route: you can choose to do half of the way and retrace your steps, or go all the way around. In total, there are 32 kilometres of trekking with a high level of difficulty, and even though there are people who do it all in the same day, the best thing to do is to camp to rest a little and appreciate the place better.

El trekking hasta la Laguna del Caminante es uno de los más solicitados por los turistas que llegan hasta las montañas de Ushuaia. Hay dos formas de llegar hasta este lugar ya que se encuentra dentro de una ruta circular: podés optar por hacer la mitad del camino y volver sobre tus pasos, o dar toda la vuelta completa. En total, son 32 kilómetros de caminata con una exigencia alta, y a pesar de que hay gente que lo hace todo en el mismo día, lo más recomendable es acampar para descansar un poco y apreciar mejor el lugar.

It was an ordinary day and I had already finished my morning reception shift at the hostel, so I had the whole day off and the next day my schedule was in the evening. That's when I heard that a group of guests was organising to go to this lagoon, with camping included, as the idea was to go all the way around. It was the owner of the hostel who suggested me to go with them, taking advantage of the fact that they were a big group, and that I should not worry about the tent as he would lend me his. It didn't take me ten minutes to accept the proposal and I already had all my stuff ready to go to sleep in the mountain.

The issue then was that this ‘big group’ that had proposed the walk was not well organised, because some had to do things earlier or were taking too long to leave. So one of the hostel guests and I decided to go alone, with the idea that we would meet at the lagoon and walk at our own pace. The big spoiler was that this never happened: we never crossed paths with any of the other guests so we did the whole walk just the two of us.

Actually, this is not exactly a circular route, but makes a ‘U’ shape, starting at one end of the city and ending at the other. You can start the walk on either side as the lagoon is almost in the middle, so my companion and I decided to take the easier option. This was to start in the Andorra Valley, where we would go through the forest on the first day and on the second day, when we were rested, we would climb up to a big mountain pass to finish our descent to the city. The walk through the forest was relatively easy because it did not have many climbs, we only had to cross several bridges over the river, built with great ingenuity which made them very picturesque.

The second interesting thing that we saw in the forest was a beaver tree at close quarters. In Ushuaia there is currently a plague of artificially introduced beavers in these ecosystems, which have been responsible for modifying the watercourses and destroying the trees around their burrows. Having no natural predator, these animals have spread freely throughout the island, forming these spaces that are always seen as shady. We did not have the opportunity to see a beaver live that day, but the marks of its presence were clear.

Two hours and 7 kilometres into our hike, we finally emerged from the forest and came across some signs indicating that to the right was the lagoon and to the left was the road to the city. Taking the right path, a big climb awaited us, which we could see from there. It had been almost a year since the last time I had hiked with a heavy backpack, but it was the first time I had also carried a tent, so my physical condition gave everything to successfully complete this climb.

Although the day had started out sunny and beautiful, by the time we reached the Caminante Lagoon there was no longer any trace of that weather. However, the beautiful colour of this lagoon is independent of the sun, as you can see in the pictures. The sky had turned grey, but the emerald green colour of the lagoon was intact, contrasting nicely with its mountainous surroundings. It was indeed a very beautiful place ❤️.

Before starting the hike, we had investigated that just 900 metres further on there was another lagoon. This was the Caminante Superior Lagoon, for which we had to cross a river barefoot to get there. This lagoon was nice too, but not as nice as the first one we had seen. We had considered camping there, but as we had nowhere to shelter from the wind, we went back to our main idea of camping with everyone else back there.

By the time we returned, we were still hoping to see some of the other guests at the hostel, but this was not to be. We stood for a long time at the viewpoint of the lagoon waiting for them, but no one showed up. We didn't complain about this because the view was beautiful, but after a while, the cold and the wind forced us to go down to the shore of the lagoon where we camped. In total, it took us 4 hours to get to this place, and after having walked 16 kilometres with our backpacks on our backs, I was grateful for the decision to spend the night there.

Going to Caminante Lagoon and camping there is completely free, so we only had to pay $8 for a taxi, split between two people. The truth is that enjoying the mountains of Ushuaia is very cheap, which makes up for the fact that getting to this place on the map can be expensive. I was delighted to have seen the lagoon and to have someone to go there with: we may not have been as large a group as I had hoped, but at least we had a good day of trekking .

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