We spend 5 days in Puerto Williams alongside the Micalvi. It's time to prepare a bit for our return to France while the other sailboats with international crews prepare for their wintering, which will soon be the case for us as well. Finally, we still have a few weeks left to enjoy these beautiful places. The weather is overcast, but on Sunday, April 23, while the election night is in full swing in France, we enjoy a beautiful sunny day to climb to the top of Cerro Bandera, a hike that reveals, after 640 meters of elevation gain, an impressive panoramic view of the Beagle Channel and at the summit, the Dientes de Navarino. On Tuesday, the weather seems favorable to gain a bit of West towards Isla Gordon and its beautiful glaciers. But the wind, which was only 2 knots on our weather file, is actually blowing at more than 25 knots... It's often like that in the Patagonian channels where the high reliefs make the synoptic wind difficult to interpret. The constant wind is more often the one announced as "gusts" on the GFS files. At least there is never any swell... We continue nonetheless under engine and anchor in the late afternoon at Caleta Liwaia and its beautiful autumn colors. We leave the next morning to reach a popular anchorage for charters in season: Caleta Olla. We stay there for two nights and enjoy, between squalls, the beautiful hikes the place offers. The one leading to the Ventisquero Holanda glacier is superb. The days shortening and the sun lower offer very beautiful light. Since yesterday, we have been well sheltered from the williwaws in Caleta Mediodia on Gordon Island. We will leave tomorrow for Caleta Beaulieu in Seno Pia and its Romanche glacier, which belongs to the Darwin Range.
We plan to continue the tour of Gordon Island before returning to Puerto Williams in mid-May to winter Libertaire and share some photos of these magical places...
