We slept in until after 9:00 and got up to an overcast sky. We definitely chose the right day for the FitzRoy hike. After breakfast Payo stopped by and we started up the El Chalten central trail to the Cerro Torre mirador through a rhyolitic dome complex. It was a nice walk but some people didn't go and others turned back early. Once we got to the overlook, we could only see the lower part of the towers. Nine people elected to go with Payo to the lake, making it a 24-km hike. The rest of us walked back to camp via the Chalten Norte trail.

We ate our sandwiches back at camp. Then a bunch of us got in the truck and Raul drove us to Bahíia Túnel on the north shore of Lago Viedma . Jackie and I rode on the roof. We were disappointed to learn that the boat ride on Lago Viedma leaves at 8:30 from Bahía Túnel. It is the best way to get to the glacier. We hoped for a view of the Viedma Glacier once we reached our destination but were again disappointed. We drank a cup of coffee or a beer in the coffee shop, bought a few postcards, and returned to El Chalten.

I spent some time in town and bought a map of the area. Back at camp, I took a shower after dinner which felt wonderful. Then a bunch of us sat around the pot-bellied stove in our cooking area and drank wine. I retired early but some stayed up late and talked with some Argentines that were cooking next to us.