With my dad back in Ushuaia and Loic, Sulli and Jinghan still in Puerto Williams we joined forces once again. We would take the 33-hour ferry to Punta Arenas with the hope of seeing the scenic landscape Chile has to offer and perhaps spotting some whales too. So after saying my dad goodbye I packed my stuff and headed out to their hostel before heading to the ferry. Being warned about the bad food on board we were all stocked up and not too long after boarding (it is South America after all) we set off towards Punta Arenas. Sailing the Beagle Channel, this time in good weather, was nice and I had the chance to say goodbye to the Dientes, visible from the ferry, one last time.
With the ferry going at a snail’s pace we decided to go back inside as the views did not change so quick and we soon ended up playing card games, before watching a movie and going to sleep. This pattern of going outside, eating and playing card games repeated itself the next day until we arrived in Punta Arenas late in the evening.
Though we spent a few days in town none of us, except Jinghan perhaps who was here before, had any clue what the town is about as we hardly left the hostel. For the first time we had good WiFi and still being tired from the hikes we needed some rest. In our days at Punta Arenas we discussed our plans and found out our renewed group would be short lived as I had different plans than the others. I would go to El Chaltén as soon as possible whilst they would go to El Calafate hike across the Perito Moreno glacier (with a tour of course). After traveling to El Calafate (staying a night in Puerto Natales as well) we said our goodbyes and I continued my journey to El Chaltén.
A mural in Punta Arenas. 
Loic and I proud of our Antarctica trip.
Though the weather would mostly suck I was gifted with two beautiful days in which I was able to hike to Fitz Roy and Laguna Torre, both beautiful places within the park. However the weather did not permit me doing the Huemul circuit, a 100 km trek that is said to rival the Torres del Paine O-circuit. So I have to get back for that.
Mt. Fitz Roy and glacier. 
Posing in front of Fitz Roy. 
Waterfall along the Fitz Roy trail. 
Laguna and Mt. Torre.
On my last day Loic and Sulli made one last appearance. Jinghan would do the W-circuit in Torres del Paine national park (she went a long way from being a dependent hiker to become more independent) but Loic and Sulli would try to do the Huemul in the meantime and came to visit me. We had a short last dinner together and the next day I took the evening bus to San Carlos de Bariloche, a town approximately 1000 km north, in order to stay ahead of the chilly Patagonian autumn. Though this was a 24-hour bus trip by itself it showed me how wild Patagonia slowly changes to the lush green mountains that reminds one of the Alps and with this change in landscape would arise new opportunities in this massive country called Argentina.