The ultimate hike Laguna de Los Tres is a 20km (10km one way) full day hike, and many consider the last 1km as very very very tough. I have a bit of acrophobia, and receive reassurance that the hike is not next to a cliff or any of the dangerous treks, but have little idea how tough the trail is. We are slow hikers so we started early at 7am in the morning, with some bottles of water, raingears, and a pole.
Along the trail, there are signs for each kilometer. In the first few kilometers, we took the time to enjoy nature, admire Mount Fitz Roy from afar, take pictures, let other hikers pass by, while carefully avoiding patches of muddy terrains to keep our shoes dry. Along the way, we ran into Jackie, the solo British traveller we met at the Nibepo Aike Estancia, the second time in two days. After a few hours, we got to the 9km mark feeling pretty good. There is a warning that the next 1km requires top fitness level. The last 1km uphill has taken us over 2 hours over very tough terrains, and hiking down was equally not not tougher. Laguna de Los Tres certainly lives up to its reputation.
It was still Spring time, the main Laguna de los Tres, directly below Mount Fitz Roy, was not yet defrosted. The frozen lake was connected seamlessly with the snow on the mountain. It was super beautiful and the air was refreshing. The frozen lake has not shown its turquoise charm we often find in pictures. We were rewarded with the snow-capped Fitz Roy peaks in a comfortable chilly weather, with a lone fox wandering among us, hikers. We took the views all in at the summit. Fitz Roy towers above us, on the other side, we saw the beautiful larger blue Laguna (Laguna Sucia/Laguna Capri/Lago Argentina).
We could have stayed here for much longer, but it was time to head back. With our slow pace, it was getting dark. The hike started at 7am and we returned by 9pm. This is arguably the longest hike we had done since the Half Dome at Yosemite decades ago. This one feels tougher. At the end, we could feel that we lost some belly fat and some weight. It was such an experience that it felt like if this Laguna De Los Tres became our very last tough hike, it would be all right. Do we still have more in our tank for future hikes of similar challenges? Only time will tell.
The next day, we chilled at a nearby meme cake cafe, enjoyed an excellent chocolate mint tea, served in an iron pot. Thigh and hip muscle fatigue aside, our joints felt good. Thanks to Taichi practice in the last few months. After a day of rest, we felt ready for some easy short hike.
The day after, we started the day with a Cappuccino and Mocha at the Macchiato cafe right across the street. Talked to the barista about their sold out beautifully designed t-shirt that reminds us of the T-shirt displayed in a similar coffee shop in one of our Hawaii trips.
Some hikes stay with you forever — Laguna de los Tres is one of ours.
Next: San Carlos De Bariloche, Nov 26 to 30.
oliviatamccue 
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