Patagonia & Beyond (5 of 9) - El Chalten

About 200 km north of El Calafate (easy drive, all paved), beyond Lago Argentino and Lago Viedma, sheltered in Las Vueltas valley, lies El Chalten – Argentina’s trekking capital, and a village that exists solely to support tourism in the area.  It was “stood up” in 1985 as a result of a border dispute and - after some controversy - ended up under the Argentinian flag, although the "borders" really blend up there, in the mountain.  Today, the permanent population is less than 3,000.  Easily triple that during the peak months.

Fitz Roy (the mountain in the Patagonia brand logo) and Cero Torre are the main hiking and climbing attractions.  Mostly day trips, but for an out-of-this-world view of the granite façade covered in glorious early-morning orange sunrays, one must sleep on the mountain.

Sleeping on this mountain, however, requires a tent, as there are no other lodging options in the area.  There are a few campsites (Poincenot, at the base of Fitz Roy, and Agostini, near Laguna Torre being the closest ones). Hard-core hikers would bring their town tents and sleeping bags.  Others would rent them from one of the outfits in town (not overly expensive). A third option – for people like us who are not experienced trekkers and would rather pay for the convenience – there are a couple of outfits that provide (for a significant cost) a full-service package that includes meals, tents, and sleeping bags. Hard-core hikers would “boo” us for it, but it was convenient, service was great, and saved our backs from carrying all that extra gear.  Again, to each their own…

The hike up to Fitz Roy can be done via Laguna Capri route (starting just outside El Chalten), or from Hosteria El Pilar/Río Eléctrico. We did the latter, leaving the cars in the village and taking the shuttle to the starting point.  As with most hikes in the area, it starts flat, with impressive views of the mountain in the foreground.  

Then, a gradual uphill climb through shaded canopy, fighting the heat and the bugs. Lunch stop at Mirador del Glaciar Piedras Blancas, with a nice view of Mirador del Glaciar Piedras Blancas across the valley. Perfection! From there, another 2 miles or so, relatively flat, through the forest, but as we approached the clearing at the top, the flies, gnats and mosquitoes became almost unbearable...

The plateau opens up to fantastic views of Fitz Roy, especially on a clear, sunny day. From there, only a short hop to campsite, where Amerigo greeted us warmly and showed us to our tents.  As we had plenty of daylight left, we left the heavy gear in the tents and headed up to Laguna de Los Tres / Fitz Roy. 

Camp Poincenot was bustling with early preparations for the evening.  Just after the Río Blanco bridge, the steep, unending hike up the rocky boulders begins.  It’s only about 1.5 miles each way, but with elevation gain of 1,600 ft (500 m) it’s simply atrocious, both up and down, and it feels much, much longer than that. The hike, however, is rewarded with splendid panoramic views of the valley below, with glimpses of the Madre e Hija lakes in the distance. 

The longest 1 hr ever!

Once up top – especially on a warm, sunny afternoon – it’s all worth it. Given the late afternoon hour, the crowds were thinning, and unlike the cold, gloomy and gray Las Torres, we were able to bask in the afternoon rays, and fully take in the views. Even the water was warmer; soaking my feet didn’t set in hypothermia in mere seconds! 

The descent was manageable. Partly because the camp was only an hour or so away; the psyche is much more content when not having to think about a 4-hour hike back to town…

A fox greeted us at the top

 

Back in the camp, Amerigo had a warm dinner ready for us (unexpectedly, a three course meal, with soup, chicken and rice, plus dessert) that we washed down with a couple cold beers.  What else can one ask for?  Oh, and he also pointed us to a clearing by the river’s edge, where we could take in the sunrise next day, without having to trek all the way back up (the initial plan was to hike it up in darkness, to catch the sunrise views).  This meant all we had to do was walk out of the tents, take in the glorious sunrise (5:30 am) then go back to sleep.  Once again, money well spent!

A few years back, plans for a similar early-morning attempt to catch the sunrise, this time at Mesa Arch (Canyonlands National Park in Utah - link here) were ruined by a dewy, cold and cloudy spring morning. So, I was apprehensive about the chances of experiencing a proper sunrise here, especially given some of the stories from other travelers. But as we jumped out of the sleeping bags the next morning to witness the glory of the sun saluting the granite façade, it all became worth it: the cold tents, the sore legs, the blistered feet and achy backs. No picture can do it justice (and had a hard time picking a few for this post). It’s simply unreal and definitely a mandatory experience! There is nothing more satisfying than enjoying the tranquility of a warm sunrise, listening to the quiet sloshing of a babbling brook, accompanied by the early morning thrill of birds, and with loved ones in a warming embrace (despite the fact that said love ones were not entirely thrilled with the early wake up call). Aaaahhh... Moments to cherish for a lifetime…

Here's the same view during and after sun rise, which makes the case for waking up at 5 (no photoshop, just natural hues):

Day two, after a solid breakfast we were off to Laguna Torre, via the Madre e Hija trail.  Minimal elevation changes for this one, but the end point, although just as impressive, was definitely overshadowed by Fitz Roy.  Or maybe it was the cloudy, monochrome setting that morning. Or the “low battery” signal flashing within. For whatever reason, it didn’t measure up to the previous day.  

By the time we made it back to El Chalten we were dead-tired (most of us didn’t find tent sleeping all that comfortable). End-to-end, we hiked 24+ miles over the two days. Actively walking for over 12 hours, according to AllTrails (it felt much longer) with 4,500 feet elevation change. Oh, and one bit of advice: don’t forget sunscreen, hats and bug spray.  Hordes of gnats, flies and mosquitoes pestered us most of the way through (especially in the valleys and in heavy-bush areas)

As we rounded the last hill, the view of El Chalten in the valley was such a relief (feet must have been on “cruise control” mode for the last couple miles of the hike). Changing from hiking boots to sneakers provided a “floating”-like sensation. And a cold brew for the parched and dusty throats, was the icing on the cake. Back in the cars, the passengers were instantly asleep, before we even left the village. Two hours later, we arrived back in El Calafate, for the last night in Southern Patagonia.

For other options around the area (especially if you have a car) drive up to Lago del Desierto, a little over an hour north.  It's a very scenic drive with a few waterfalls along the road. There is also a shorter hike to Glacier Huemul. 

Next: pack up and head to Bariloche for New Year's: https://disdatdudder.blogspot.com/2024/02/patagonia-beyond-6-of-9-san-carlos-de.html

Quick jumps to all the other legs of this trip:

• Two days in Iguazu Falls
• Two days in Buenos Aires
• Three days in Torres del Paine
• Three days in El Calafate/Perito Moreno
• Two days in Bariloche
• Two days in Mendoza
• Two days in Santiago, Chile
• A half-day layover in Bogota