Hiking
El Chelten to Mount Fitz Roy
Contributed by Rowan James
Argentina
A short but spectacular hike that gives a taste of all that Patagonia has to offer, from lush green forests to glacial valleys, and of course, the iconic Mount Fitz Roy.
- Distance
- 35
- Ascent
- 1000
Day 1: El Chaltén to Laguna Torre (10 km) We arrived in the town of El Chaltén with enough time to explore and grab a few last-minute supplies for the trail. Having just finished the O-Loop hike two days prior, we were keen to take this trek nice and easy and simply soak in our surroundings before heading back home to our office lives. Our campsite was nestled under the trees near Laguna Torre, where we could sit back and watch the glacier flow straight down into the lake.
Day 2: Laguna Torre to Campamento Poincenot (16 km) We started the day by getting up close to the edge of the glacier near our campsite. Crossing the river required taking a zip line over to the other side; without a harness or proper gear, we had to pull ourselves across like monkeys! As I reached the far bank, I misjudged where my feet would touch land and ended up stepping straight into the freezing river water. We hiked on, eventually spotting the legendary outline of Mount Fitz Roy off in the distance. Feeling a bit fatigued and thoroughly over sleeping in a tent for two weeks straight, we decided to take it easy and spent a glorious two and a half hours sprawling in the sun during lunch.
Day 3: Mount Fitz Roy Sunrise & Campamento Laguna Capri (10 km) We woke up early and climbed to the viewpoint to watch the sunrise light up Mount Fitz Roy, reflected in the vibrant blue lake at its base. An icy wind was howling, which made standing around a bit punishing, but the view was more than worth the shivering. After heading back down to pack up camp, we made our way toward our final stop for the night: Laguna Capri. On the trail, the infamous Patagonian wind truly kicked in, blowing us around with gusts easily exceeding 100 km/h. We braced against our heavy packs and struggled to stay upright until we finally reached the shelter of the trees at campsite. That night while cooking pasta, we somehow managed to knock over our pot and dump dinner all over the ground. A nearby Southern Caracara- a huge bird of prey in the falcon family- looked extremely interested in our mistake once we called it a night. Fortunately, enough pasta remained for us to get by, though Matt had a rough night and woke up multiple times to be sick.
Day 4: Laguna Capri to El Chaltén (5 km) A short, easy finish to wrap up the trek before heading back into town to try our hand at hitchhiking to El Calafate. We made a cardboard sign that read "Muchos Bocadillos" ("Lots of Snacks") to entice drivers. Unfortunately, we had no luck getting a lift, but we did bump into some friends we had met a month earlier in Peru! We ended up catching an evening bus back to another campsite in El Calafate (as our travel budget was rapidly running dry by this point...).
Highlights
- Mount Fitz Roy
Camping
- Camping is free and on a first come, first serve basis.
Permits
- No permit required