Patagonia – El Chaltén
El Chaltén is the trekking capital of Argentina. Nestled in the heart of Los Glaciares National Park near the border of Chile, the country’s youngest town was founded in 1985 in an attempt to beat its neighbor to the land claim. Originally just a handful of shacks and lodges attracting rock climbers looking to attempt some of the most difficult walls in the world, this colorful village now spreads through the valley attracting more mainstream, travelers interested in the breathtaking mountain scenery.
It was during the three hour drive from the closest airport in El Calafate that we first laid eyes on the impressive peak of Cerro Fitz Roy, also known as, El Chaltén in the native dialect meaning “Smoking Mountain.” Named for the mystical white clouds constantly encircling the peak, we realized how lucky we were to have a crystal clear day to witness the mountains uncovered. I was anxious, just wanting to get into town so we could capture the moment before the clouds came in and the opportunity was lost… but luckily there wasn’t a cloud in sight.
With just three days in El Chaltén, I wanted to pack in as many hikes as I could manage… and luckily I was traveling with some equally ambitious adventurers who were on the same page.
On our first full day, we decided to tackle the 18 km roundtrip trek to Laguna Torre. With our 7am start time, the sun was just rising over the valley and the view from the trailhead was well worth a moment’s pause to take it all in.
This hike, of moderate difficulty, offers a panoramic viewpoint 2.5 kilometers along the trail, but nothing will prepare you for the jaw dropping scenery that unfolds as you come into the clearing above the lagoon.
Cerro Torre and the jagged edges of the surrounding peaks command your attention as their snow dusted reflection glistens off the lake’s smooth surface. And icebergs that have fallen from the front face of the glacier, dot the lagoon adding to this mirrored effect. The landscape doesn’t look real… it looks like a painting. I literally couldn’t stop staring. Can you blame me?
We booked it back to town for our white water rafting adventure, not realizing a trip down Rio de Las Vueltas would also include a comedy show. Our guides were hysterical, navigating us through the canyon on Class III and IV rapids.
After several minutes of dodging rocks and getting splashed, we naively said we wanted more action. Well our guide gave us more action, steering us into a huge boulder dumping half the raft… me included.
I had to be rescued by the safety kayak (and photographer) before being asked if I still wanted more action. “I’m good, thanks.” Lol.
After several more attempts to capsize the raft, our guides ended the 14km journey by having us jump into the river, hold hands and float downstream… which allowed them to jokingly paddle away pretending to leave us stranded in the ice cold water. Thank goodness for the gore-tex skin suits! We all agreed this whitewater rafting experience far exceeded any others we had collectively been on and that was thanks to all the laughs.
On our second day, we tackled the most popular of El Chaltén’s hikes, Laguna De Los Tres. All of our G Adventures group was booked for this 25 km round trip trek climbing 2,300 feet to the most stunning view of Mount Fitz Roy. We were enjoying the hike, chatting and sharing travel stories until we arrived at the base of our final ascent. The steep vertical halted our conversations as we sweated our way up the rocky incline knowing that the view on the other side would be well worth the hard work.
And boy it was worth it alright! With barely a cloud in the sky, the stunning peak of Mount Fitz Roy and surrounding mountains stood proud as the brilliant blue lagoon shimmered at their base. I don’t know what we did to deserve another clear day, but I’m beyond grateful. Especially after our guide told us her last group hiked through a blizzard in white-out conditions doing this same exact trek just the week before.
This has to be one of the most impressive natural landscapes I’ve ever laid eyes on. It certainly makes you appreciate the power and vastness of Mother Nature and how small we are in comparison. Even after an hour of taking it all in, it was still difficult to put our back to that view and walk away when it was time to leave.
With our legs feeling like jell-o and the exhaustion creeping in after two action packed days, most of the group decided to use our last day in town to relax. But four of us were hell bent on one last trek to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado, promising the most impressive panoramic views of the entire El Chaltén area. So an early morning alarm rang again and off we went to add another 21 kilometers to our mileage.
Shortly into the hike, our legs were burning and we were moving at a much slower pace than the first day. We were all struggling and I kept thinking, “this view better be worth it.” As the trail continues to climb, it weaves through a thickly vegetated forest and then onto the open mountain slope. Fellow hikers far ahead looked like tiny dots against the vast landscape, reminding us we still had a long way to go. With no trees to protect against the wind, we added a layer and pushed on.
The last part of the trail fades away as the panoramic view spreads out in front of you. This is the closest we’ve been to experiencing Patagonia’s weather of four seasons in one day as we were down to tank tops just a few kilometers into the hike and now we’re adding yet another layer to protect against the whipping wind and plummeting temperatures. We stopped to refuel, take some pictures and then set out to tackle the steepest part of the trek.
The last push was definitely the most challenging, but after climbing a total of 3,610 feet, we were rewarded with 360 degrees of breathtaking views.
We looked down at Laguna Torre, where we had hiked to the first day and could see the village of El Chaltén far off in the valley below. Opposite the jagged peaks of Cerro Torre and Mount Fitz Roy, the turquoise blue of Viedma Lake stretches towards the horizon. This birds-eye view really adds perspective.
After what felt like an endless hike back to town, we enjoyed a little après-trekking complete with a local craft beer and a hearty lunch. The village of El Chaltén is adorable with cute restaurants, charming bars and boutique shops. It reminds me of a ski town without the glitz and glamour but with the same hippie values and laid-back vibes.
It was hard to say good-bye as we pulled out of town, but I felt like we conquered El Chaltén and made the most of our three short days here. We were beyond grateful for consecutive days of absolutely perfect weather, which we were told was an anomaly and that rock climbers will come into town for two months waiting for a clear day to see the peak of Mount Fitz Roy and never have the opportunity. But clouds or clear skies, the landscapes are truly spectacular and the outdoor experiences are unmatched.