WE may have packed our bags as individuals – some a lot better than others – but a form of uniform inevitably becomes the norm on an overland trip.
Some may fight the inevitable and stick with their own stab at individuality, but a look around the truck on most travel days will reveal a reliance on the same style of clothing.
There will be an array of T-shirts, normally one or two of the trip design (mainly in black) since their arrival in Cusco, with the main debate on how many days in succession you can get away with wearing the same one.
That number will get longer as the trip goes on and in relation to the number of consecutive days we are camping.
They will normally be matched with shorts and, in the mornings, the odd fleece or hoodie which is usually discarded around the time of the first comfort stop. After the pockets have been stuffed full of snacks if the stop is at a decent petrol station.
Some persist with long trousers, usually of the zip-off trekking variety, while others will fight against whatever the weather throws at us and stick with shorts – the only concession to a fall in temperature being winter shorts which come with added pockets.
Footwear will be largely flip-flops or, to please our Australian brethren, thongs. Thankfully the lack of native Kiwis has stopped jandals becoming a realistic alternative name.
Amid this, there are variations. Mainly worn by Cam who has mastered wearing items of clothing in multiple ways – the right way, back to front, inside out and both inside out and back to front.
Others have tried something similar with certain items of clothing when clean laundry is running short.
But over the past few days as we have headed south through Patagonia, that uniform has changed out of necessity.
There’s still plenty of T-shirts being worn, often more than one at the same time. But they are buried under fleeces, hoodies (two at a time in my case) and waterproof jackets, while the trousers have grown in length and thickness, the footwear has become closed and sturdy and wooly hats have appeared from the depths of bags.
Even socks have been dug out of lockers – or, warm and fluffy, bought at supermarkets and worn night and day.
The fashion choices have been made for us at times as the nights have got cold, we have been hit by a few downpours and keeping warm in our tents has moved to the forefront of everyone’s minds.
The weather is not all bad. We have had a pretty glorious couple of days in El Chalten to complement the stunning surroundings.
And it was still pretty nice when we rolled into Bariloche, our entry point into Argentinian Patagonia after another stunning drive day through the country’s version of the Lake District.
My main issue after a relatively quiet night around camp was not rain but a water bottle leaking all over my sleeping bag, pressing my alpaca blanket and moose onesie – an impromptu pillow until Lisa took pity on me and bought me a proper one – into service in a bid to have anything approaching a warm, dry night.
Mission partially achieved, kept largely dry if not exactly warm as a small group of us headed out on a yacht for a fairly leisurely few hours crossing the lake alongside our campsite before heading into town for a few early drinks and an evening birthday celebration over fondue which, via various dramas, dragged on into the early hours.
Which was when the heavens opened. And continued to do so for hours, ensuring a quiet morning as people sought refuge in their tents or in the only covered area at camp.
Thankfully, the rain was not an issue for our trip to an escape room which lightened the mood considerably, especially when we got out with 18 minutes to spare and did our best to make the most of the spare time by finding a bar.
Not so easy in the world of siesta when you have to get back for cook group.
The rain returned just as we rolled into our next stop, one border crossing, a search of all our bags and more spectacular scenery later at Futafelu in Chile, which meant the chances of our little group emerging from our cabin for long when we had wine, cheese and salami to keep us company were slim.
When we did emerge, it was to stunning surroundings (you may be spotting a trend here) of mountains, waterfalls and a fast-flowing river – too fast for the proposed rafting route, but not enough to stop those brave enough to take on the alternative.
Another birthday was marked by a Patagonian lamb roast supplied by our hosts, more wine and, for some reason, an impromptu transatlantic rugby lesson which reversed the result of the US War of Independence.
Just not hard enough if the evening which followed is to be taken in evidence,
That remarkable scenery and rain dominated the next couple of days as we racked up the miles glued to the passing views on the road to Coyhaigue – a touch of tree surgery enabling us to enter our camp site ready for an early start to miss feared protests.
The start of a two-person bid to watch every episode of The West Wing before the end of the trip later, we were back out on the road, this time with little to see as the rain blocked out any scenery – handy to catch up on some sleep without feeling guilty at missing something.
The rain was still hammering down as we reached Rio Tranquilo and the only campsite still open in the conditions, so what could make more sense than getting even wetter on a boat trip?
The Marble Caves are supposedly much more spectacular (and less, ahem, anatomical) in the sunlight, but it proved a more than enjoyable diversion before heading back to dry land and our more normal habitat. The bars over the road.
There were no bars the following night as our home after a long drive day and another border crossing was on cliffs above a salt lake, although still managed to be on the truck with a couple of bottles of wine until fairly late – an evening which had consequences well beyond the morning after.
Which brings us via, you’ve guessed it, more spectacular scenery to our current stop in El Chalten which has the feel of a ski resort but rather than winter sports enthusiasts heading off to the slopes, it is walkers hitting the trails into the surrounding countryside.
And then apres-walk rather than apres-ski.
Most of us donned a different uniform of trekking gear and headed out in small groups up a glorious trail to a viewpoint of Mt Fitzroy and its surrounding peaks which rise above one end of town.
The walk was fairly straightforward up a few rises, through forests, across streams (which at times masqueraded as the path) and alongside a lake for the first nine kilometres before a steep rise up the final stretch to the best viewpoint.
A creaking knee made by decision to skip the final stretch but it was still a lovely walk, topped off by a rapid, painkiller-fuelled descent back to town. Which is where things went a bit awry.
Plans to head straight for a shower, change and wait for others to return were derailed by a welcoming party in the bar next door – our base for the next 11 hours, bar a quick switch of venue to the nearby waffle house.
Which is beginning to beckon again.
