Latam Beyond BA
Beyond BA is all about tailor-made trips, providing authentic experiences and offering truly expert advice. Our aim is to help you experience the Argentina and Chile at its best. We offer amazing Patagonia trekking tours, and also other kinds of experiences for those who have other interests.
Here we go with a list of great Treks to do, of two or more hours, in El Chaltén !
GLACIER PIEDRAS BLANCAS
Approach to one of the lower glaciers of the area that descends from the glacier cirque formed by the massif of the Fitz Roy.
Duration: 2 hours from Route 41 (one-way).
Difficulty: easy.
Elevation: 100 m.
Itinerary: From the bridge over the Río Blanco (National Route Nº 41) take the trail that goes up along the Rio Blanco and approximately after two hours of walking you will arrive to a lookout point from where you will be able to appreciate the Piedras Blancas Glacier (at this point it is not possible to cross the river). So you can continue the path to Poincenot base camp and from there either go back to the village or stay overnight.
Another alternative –demands five hours- is to take the path from El Chaltén to Laguna De los Tres until crossing the Río Blanco. After passing over the bridge you should take the deviation to the right that descends next to the river. Continue along this trail until you arrive at Piedras Blancas stream descending in direction West-East, reached at less than an hour walk from Poincenot base camp.
Looking at the glacier turn 90º West to continue the trail that goes up along the stream on the right bank and cross the river a little before its source. Already in the other bank of the river, you are able to carry on until you reach the lagoon from where you will appreciate an excellent view of the glacier and its ice sliding down. In the horizon, the East-Northeast side of the Fitz Roy and its glacier.
Tip If you have some extra time you may return to El Chaltén without walking on the same trail: continue on the same direction until Poincenot campsite and thence back to El Chalten with the opportunity to meet other landscapes and viewpoints.
LAGUNA DE LOS TRES
This is the most sought trek and viewpoint, with spectacular sights of the Fitz Roy massif. This natural viewpoint is undoubtedly the most famous of all walks closer to the imposing walls of Fitz Roy mount and its surrounding granite peaks.
Duration: 5 hours (one-way).
Difficulty: medium.
Elevation: 700 meters from El Chaltén.
Season: normally from October to May.
Itinerary: The head trail begins at the end of Avenida San Martín, where El Chaltén town ends. There you can park your vehicle in a designated parking area.
The slope is quite steep during the first hour until you reach Del Salto stream valley towards Mt. Fitz Roy. You will notice that the Antarctic Beech becomes more and more numerous along the path and approximately after an hour and a half further down the way you will reach a well-marked natural viewpoint. There you will find a sign that interprets the whole landscape right in front of you. The trail continues up along the Del Salto stream until reaching the drainage of the Lagunas Madre e Hija.
Four hours ahead from the starting point you will arrive at Poincenot base camp (big free campsite) and after crossing the Río Blanco you will arrive at Río Blanco base camp (only for climbers). From there the path continues in ascent approximately 400m. until you reach Laguna de Los Tres.
The trail finishes at the old moraine ridge with an extraordinary view of the lagoon and De los Tres Glacier.
This is the closest view to the granite wall of Mt. Fitz Roy and the peaks around.
Going down the moraine, you can take a trail that borders the lagoon until its outflow. There, it’s possible to admire the emerald waters of the Laguna Sucia and its hanging glaciers.
Tip Another alternative is to start the trekking from Hosteria del Pilar. It is located at 15 km from El Chalten, and you can easily hire transfers that leave every morning. By doing this trail you can combine the trek to Glaciar Piedras Blancas, Laguna de Los Tres and Mount Fitz Roy by doing two different trails on each way from and to El Chalten.
Note: Although the access to this viewpoint is possible during the months listed above, the access to this trek can vary depending on the accumulation of snow, especially in its last stretch. We always recommend checking the condition of the trail at the Visitors’ Centre of Los Glaciares National Park located just before the entrance to El Chalten.
LAGUNA TORRE
One of the classic treks of El Chaltén that will take you to the Torre lagoon, at the foot of the amazing Adela range, Torre and Grande glaciers and the incredible Cerro Torre. Ten minutes before arriving to the lagoon, you will find the DeAgostini base camp. Just getting to the Cerro Torre viewpoint, halfway and just two hours from El Chalten- allows you to witness one of the most capricious mountain landscapes in the world and one of the mythical mountains of Patagonia: Cerro Torre.
Duration: 4 hours (one way).
Total approximate time: 9 hours (return).
Difficulty: moderate.
Elevation: 200 meters from El Chaltén.
Season: normally from October until May.
Itinerary: From El Chaltén, there are two head-trails to Laguna Torre, both paths join together after 5 minutes walk. The trail enters the Fitz Roy river valley and continues following the river upstream to its source. At only 15 minutes walk you will access the first viewpoint located at the gorge of the Fitz Roy river -called Cascada Margarita- which offers a panoramic view of the Cerro Solo, Adela range, Cerro Torre and the Fitz Roy mount. Across the river lies the Margarita waterfall.
Halfway you will reach Cerro Torre viewpoint with incomparable views of the Adela range, Cerro Torre and other granite needles. Finally, the path crosses the DeAgostini base camp where you can stay overnight in your tent. Fifteen minutes along the way from the camp you will reach Laguna Torre. At the shore of this lagoon, it is often possible to find a number of icebergs from the Grande glacier.
Tip: Bear in mind that this is a walk that takes several hours, so if you are going to spend the night at DeAgostini campsite, we suggest you start it early, if possible before 8 am in the summer months. Although the access to Laguna Torre is possible during the months listed above, it always depends on the accumulation of snow (between May and October) especially in the last stretch of the trail. We recommend you always check the condition of the trails at the Visitors’ Centre of Los Glaciares National Park, located just before the entrance to the tourist village.
Advice for photographers: The hills are always seen from the west, so they are directly illuminated by the sun only in the morning. You will achieve the best photographs at dawn when the colour of the granite walls are saturated for a few minutes when the sunlight reaches them for the first time. So, this picture is reserved only for those who stay overnight in the DeAgostini camp and wait that magical moment with the camera-ready before the sunrise.
LAGUNA CAPRI
This amazing hike will take you to a blue water lagoon that’s surrounded by native forest. Its only two hours away from town. From there you can enjoy fantastic views of the Fitz Roy massif
Duration: 2 hours (one way).
Difficulty: easy.
Elevation: 200 meters.
Itinerary: The head of the trail begins at the north end of town, at the end of San Martín Ave. During the first hour, the trail is a steep slope until reaching the valley of Del Salto river, towards Mount Fitz Roy. After a 30 min. walk from El Chaltén you’ll have access to a natural viewpoint with panoramic views of the valley of De las Vueltas river. Further down the trail, the ñires will begin to be more and more numerous around you. After 60-90 min. walk -depending on your pace- you will find a sign that shows a bifurcation to Laguna Capri (left) or to the Fitz Roy (right). From the lagoon, you will have a unique view of Fitz Roy and its surrounding peaks.
NOTE: If you have a little more time, or if this is the only hike that you are going to do, it is worth an additional walk of 15 minutes from the bifurcation mentioned above towards the Fitz Roy, to access a rocky signposted viewpoint which allows you to interpret the landscape presented in front of you, as well as the Piedras Blancas glacier. That is the Fitz Roy viewpoint.
LOMA DEL PLIEGUE TUMBADO
A beautiful hike from El Chaltén from where you will be able to see everything from above: Mount Fitz Roy, Mount Torre, El Chalten Town, Mother and Daughter Lagoon, even Viedma Glacier to the other way.
Duration: 7 to 8 hs(round trip).
Difficulty: medium
Elevation: 1100 meters.
Itinerary:
The trail starts at the Ceferino Fonzo Visitors` Centre, where you will find two paths: to the left, you will head to Los Cóndores and Las Águilas viewpoints, and if you take the right, the trail will take you towards Pliegue Tumbado and Laguna Toro / Paso del Viento.
This trail maintains ascends 1100 meters in total (3,610 miles), until you reach the viewpoint located at about 1500 metres (4,920 feet) above sea level. You should go prepared with a windproof jacket and warm clothes since it can snow a little even during the summer.
After walking for about an hour, the trail crosses a plain called “Pampa De las Carretas”, from there you will be able to appreciate the amazing Mount Huemul, the Viedma lake to the south, and the whole majestic Andes to the northwest where Mount Torre and Mount Chaltén stand out.
The trail then enters a forest before reaching an altitude of approximately 1000 metres above sea level, after that, the landscape changes considerably: the trees turn to bushes and scrubby vegetation, and among the numerous stones that you will find around, it is possible to find the remains of marine fossils that can have more than 100 million years old.
The last segment of the trail is still marked with yellow sticks until you reach the top of the Pliegue Tumbado -which can be snowed, if that’s the case, it is not recommended to continue- with an amazing panoramic view.
NOTE: If you have a little more time, or if this is the only hike that you are going to do, it is worth an additional walk of 15 minutes from the bifurcation mentioned above towards the Fitz Roy, to access a rocky signposted viewpoint which allows you to interpret the landscape presented in front of you, as well as the Piedras Blancas glacier. That is the Fitz Roy viewpoint.
We invite you to take a look at one of our best tours to El Chaltén & Patagonia:
Fitz Roy Trek, W Trek, and Patagonia Tour
Texts by ElChaltén.com
0
