After travelling through almost uninterrupted summer, escaping winter 2009/2010 and spending New Year’s Eve in boiling Mildura – the temperature was well over 40 degrees - , we decided that July was the best time to get some action in the snow.
So we went to Patagonia in the midst of South American winter. And we didn't regret it for one minute. The temperature was very agreeable, not colder than -5 degrees. Throughout our stay in South Patagonia we only got beautiful sunny days with amazing views on the snowy Andean mountains and lakes.
Some Argentineans told us that Patagonia is more beautiful in winter than in summer. Obviously, I can't verify that statement but what I saw was breathtaking. Patagonia in great part consists of mountains, glaciers and vast steppes. In winter the endless brown steppe gives one the impression of being truly at the end of the world. And I personally enjoyed more the view of glaciers surrounded by snow than the barren steppe.
Of course, there are downsides to visiting Patagonia in winter. Some of the trails are only passable with special equipment. And to my great disappointment, it is too dangerous to trek on the glaciers when they are covered with snow. On the other hand, we had one of Argentina's greatest tourist attractions almost to ourselves. And we hiked in the mountains around El Chalten for two days and met no more than 10 people along the way.
And there is one more feature of Patagonia in winter that I fell in love with: the sun rises well after 9:30 AM. This means two advantages for people like me (ie those who are not exactly known as early birds): Firstly, there is no point to wake up early in the morning as it is too dark, so I can sleep longer without having a bad conscience. And secondly, I got to see several absolutely spectacular sunrises without any effort at all!
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