Starting off the season with a pair of muddy running shoes

My name is Dana and I am an American student living in the heart of Patagonia for 6 months with my college roommate, Isabel. It is somewhat of a long story about how we came to work in El Chaltén but to make a long story short: We were not going to be able to study this upcoming year at Appalachian State, the university we attend, because the study abroad program to Chile fell through at the last minute. So ,we had to ditch the idea of studying abroad and we looked for work in South America instead. That is how I got in touch with Walk Patagonia. The owners, Zoe and Leo, gave us a place to stay in the beautiful town of El Chaltén and allowed us to come work for the upcoming season as interns.

Before arriving to El Chaltén, we had spent 7 weeks in Buenos Aires getting the basics of the Spanish language. The exercise within those 7 weeks included dancing in boliches (trendy dance clubs) and walking to class but that was about the extent to our workouts but I knew I would be living a more active lifestyle once I arrived to El Chaltén, the trekking capital of Argentina. 

Once we arrived to El Chaltén, almost immediately we were entered into the 5th annual El Chaltén 42k race. One of my coworkers and his friend entered into the mixed gender category and they were lacking two girls on the team. So without thinking it through- without realizing we had hardly gotten exercise in a month and a half- we said we would join the team for the race the next week. 

The race was 10k for each person, except for the last person who would have to run 12k. I had one of the parts to run a 10k, and I knew I had to practice right away. Luckily, my teammates did not put pressure on us to win; it was only for fun. But like any race or competition, I was determined to do well. We went on a couple of group runs during the next week and I even ran a pre 10k with them to practice. 

Finally came the day. It was a cold and early start to the morning. I took a transfer bus to Lago Del Desierto where the race would start. I was first leg. While we were driving, we saw snow flurries fall to the ground and I suddenly looked down at my attire and realized I was no where near prepared for this type of weather with only a shirt, thin pants and a rain jacket. I got extremely nervous then.

We hopped out of the van and I got to see the beautiful aquamarine waters of Lago del Desierto for the first time. We did a 5 minute warm up and then the first leg runners were sent off. Everyone darted off way faster than I thought they would and I was left at the back receiving all the mud that was kicked up by them. I was extremely cold and extremely wet already and I knew I was only going to get more uncomfortable. However, the breathtaking views somehow took away all the discomfort and I soon fell into a state of meditation while running. We passed through woods, up a few hills and past a towering waterfall. We went over bridges with glacial water running beneath them and past the views of the Andes mountains with freshly laid snow at the top of the peaks. Without realizing it, I began to pass people who started to slow down. I figured I was making good time! Before I knew it, I was at the point where I would finish my part and my partner would start his 10k part. 

I ended with a burst of energy and tapped my partners hand with enthusiasm. He darted off and I watched him kick up mud while he ran to go meet Isabel, who was third leg. As soon as I finished, I was handed water. I must have looked miserably cold because I was herded onto the bus that was blasting the heat. When I took a seat to relax a bit, a fellow runner offered me his coat and some food. I was extremely thankful for his offer because I was in fact very cold.

There was still such high energy inside the van full of people that just ran. It didn’t feel like a competition; everybody was enthusiastic for everybody and all that mattered is that you put in effort to this annual town event. There were gatorade bottles rotating around the van and everybody was chatting about the race. Although I couldn’t understand every part of the Spanish conversation, they tried as much as they could to include me. Many asked me simple questions in Spanish and I could tell that they were trying to make me feel comfortable.

We drove to the gymnasium and filed along the entrance, where the race would finish. One by one, the runners appeared around the corner, following the police truck that would siren whenever a runner was about to finish. There was big applause for each of the finishing runners and they quickly rushed into the gymnasium to meet with their friends and fellow runners. I greeted the last runner on our team with a hug and we went in to wait for the rest of the runners and watch the ceremony. 

When the awards ceremony started, everyone was ecstatic. We were all looking forward to standing on the podium that they put out for the teams that placed. They announced the categories and the places everyone came in and there were cheers and people yelling nicknames for all the runners that went up to the stage. When we went up, after having placed third, we were greeted by the town mayor and then retreated to our spot on the podium. We put huge smiles on our faces for the picture and then we all stayed to chat and see if we won anything in the raffle.

This opening race was a great welcome to the town of El Chaltén. I got to meet a lot of the wonderful people from this town and share the experience with them. Taking place in a small annual town event, with new people and a language you can’t fully understand can be intimidating as well as uncomfortable. However, it is when you are out of your comfort zone when you learn the most. If anything, that is what traveling places and participating in events like this has taught me. I’m excited to see what adventures I will get into here in El Chaltén and the experiences I will take away from living here.