El Chalten hikes - Wilfred's travels

If you are somewhat versed with the different hikes around the world, or just the most stunning landscapes in the world, you will have stumbled upon Patagonia at some point. The cascading and intimidating peaks of Fitzroy, Cerro Torre and Torres Del Paine are well deserved of their reputation, and therefore flocks of tourists scatter to these mountains in search of that perfect sunrise photo. For some reason, unbeknownst to be, Torres Del Paine has suffered the brunt of this tourist-wave, and therefore the equally, if not more, stunning Fitzroy and Cerro Torre in El Chalten are less crowded. These treks are therefore always what I recommend for people that wish to do treks in Patagonia.

In El Chalten you can do all the treks while staying in the city, or you can combine them all into one big multiday trek. That’s what I did. This allowed me to camp in a tent, and submerge myself in the nature, while also shortening my walks. Instead of having to do two very long 24 km treks, I instead did three treks that were about 15 km per day. It also included an extra trek, so for me it was a definite win win. However, if you are a creature of comfort and prefer to stay in a hotel or hostel in the city, and enjoy a great steak dinner with some wine after a long day of walking, there’s nothing stopping you.

So how can you do this? What hikes should you definitely do? How can you create a multi-day trek by combining routes? I’ll answer all of those questions, but first, let’s get some basics about trekking in Patagonia out of the way.

How to get there

The easiest way to get to El Chalten depends on where you are coming from. If it is a nearby city or country, a bus can be very convenient. I took a bus from Bariloche all the way down to El Chalten. This was a cheap mode of transportation that allowed me some stunning views of the Patagonian landscape. So if you can take a bus from where you are to El Chalten, it is to be recommended.

If you are flying, the easiest way is to catch a flight to the airport in nearby city El Calafate. Flights from other cities in Argentina land here, and if you are travelling from another country, you need to assume there won’t be a direct flight to El Calafate. From El Calafate you can catch a bus, rideshare or hire a rental car to drive you to El Chalten. The trip shouldn’t take more than two-three hours tops.

Independent vs guided trekking

This really comes down to what you are most comfortable with. Do you want to go at it alone or with a group of friends, or do you want to go with a big group, or maybe just you and a guide? The ups of having a guide is that you will have someone to teach you about the environment and the history, while also knowing the terrain and the routes like their inside pocket. However, they can be expensive, and to be frankly honest, they are not at all necessary. The routes in El Chalten are some of the most well marked and trod routes I’ve ever seen, and it is very hard to get lost. In addition, there are other travellers doing the hike, so there are plenty of people along the way that you can ask for help.

Best time to visit

In the winter Patagonia is closed for tourists, so you want to go in the spring/summer/autumn, which is from October to April. I would say it is best to go in the high season for the absolute best weather, so in December til February. But if you want to avoid the biggest crowds, try and go in the elbow seasons, such as October-November, or March-April. But the crowds doesn’t really get overwhelming in El Chalten, that’s part of what makes it so great!

Water, toilets and garbage

The rivers are safe to drink from. They do a great job of keeping it clean, and informing tourists and locals to not decontaminate the water. I drank it straight from the rivers and it was fine. If you are worried, bring a filtration bottle.

As for toilets, there are toilets in the free camp grounds in Poincenot and C. B. D’Agostini.

You need to pack with you all the garbage that you bring. Don’t leave anything behind, and do your part in making sure that this stays a natural haven free of plastic and other garbage.

Laguna de los tres hike / Fitzroy

Total km: 21 km round trip

Difficulty: moderate to hard

Duration: 6-9 hours

This is arguably the most famous hike in El Chalten, and definitely one you should not miss out on. If you are doing it as a day hike, it will be a long and hard day, but you can also do it as a multiday hike (which I explain more thoroughly below).

It is the longest day hike, and it starts off with an incline up to Laguna Capri (which can be a short day hike on its own). You can choose if you want to include Laguna Capri in the trek or not. It’s not that much further, and it is a really nice place to catch a break. After you get to Laguna Capri, you continue on. Here it gets more flat, and the trail is very easy to follow. The trail is flat until you get to the last part of the trek, which is basically a steep climb up to the laguna where you will get a stunning view of Mount Fitzroy. This last part is very challenging, so take your time, and be careful.

A highlight of mine was seeing the sun coloring the mountains at sunrise. If you want to see this, the only option is to camp in the free campground before the steep climb up to the laguna.

Around here you can also do a hike up to a viewpoint of the glacier, Mirador Glaciar Piedras Blancas. This was not very far from the free campsite, and was a really nice hike to include if you have the energy/time.

Laguna Torre and Cerra torre

Total km: 20 km round trip

Difficulty: Moderate

Duration: 5-7 hours

This hike leads up to another laguna where you get a picturesque view of the Cerro Torre mountain. On clear days, the mountain is reflected in the water of the laguna, and gives you a really nice photo opportunity.

This trek is slightly easier than the laguna de los tres trek, because it is not so steep up to the laguna, and it is a bit shorter. It is well marked and relatively flat, and well worth the trip.

Make sure to go all the way to the lookout point Mirador Maestri which gives you an amazing view of the glacier above the laguna.

How to do a multiday hike in El Chalten; the route and campsites

I was really set on doing a multi-day hike, and in fact it was my first one going solo, so it was a big accomplishment for me. If you are thinking of doing solo multi-day trek, the treks in El Chalten may just be the perfect starting point. Not only are the treks beautiful, but they are well marked, easy to walk with a lot of parts of it being very flat. The hiking days won’t be too long either, as you split them up into smaller sections. I did a three-day trek, that included all the hikes I have mentioned here, in addition to a hike that went past laguna Madre and Hija, also called the two lake-trek. This was in my opinion perfect.

Day 1 I walked from the city to laguna Capri. From there I went to the free campsite Poincenot. This is about 10 km and should take you about 2,5 – 3 hours to finish. After I had put up my tent, I went on to the lookout point for the glacier, Mirador Glaciar Piedras Blancas, which only took 1 hour.

Day 2 I got up bright and early ready for my sunrise hike up to the laguna de los tres to get a sunrise photo of mount Fitzroy. From there I went back down to the campground, packed up my stuff, and walked across to Laguna Torre, passing by laguna Midra and Hija. This was a shorter trek, which was only about 10 km, and should take you about 2-3 hours. I walked to the free camp ground by laguna torre, the C.B. D’Agostini. Here you can either choose if you want to go to the Laguna Torre and Mirador Maestri on the same day, or save it for the next day.

Day 3 I went back to El Chalten, which is only about 10 km as well, and should take you about 2-2,5 hours.

What to wear and pack

If you were to forget any equipment, don’t worry, there are plenty of equipment-stores in town, where you can either buy or rent. I would reccomend packing this for doing day hikes in El Chalten:

If you are camping, make sure to also pack: