Much like my words about Torres del Paine, nobody asked for or indeed needs yet another story about El Chaltén. But my hope is that in our endless wisdom we can provide you with that one nugget of information that’s lacking from all the other numerous blog entries about the hiking Mecca that is El Chaltén. So strap in cause here it goes:
-By now everyone knows about the 45$ fee that is collected at the Los Condores and the Laguna de Los Tres trailheads respectively. Go before 7am for Los Condores (and Huemul Circuit) and choose the alternative entry to the Laguna de los Tres trail and you‘re fine. No fees are collected at Laguna Torre hike.
-I recommend reading up on the history of Cerro Torre. It will make you appreciate the mountain and the whole experience even more.
-Bring bug spray. The horseflies on hot days are annoying to say the least.
-The toilets at Poincenot campground are said to be a disgrace. I was lucky enough to not have to use them, thus I can‘t add to the legend.
-Also we didn‘t see any mice at said campground. We hung our food from a tree nonetheless.
-It was borderline impossible to get Argentinian Pesos in El Chaltén. Nevermind getting them at anything resembling an acceptable rate. We got lucky at Supermercado Betoldi. Banco Santa Cruz and Western Union were both useless. Make what you will of the fact that a random supermarket has to do a job that’s otherwise reserved for financial institutions. And of the fact that we were referred to said supermarket by the bank teller at Banco Santa Cruz.
-There‘s only one tiny gas station outside of Chaltén and they only accept, you guessed it, Argentinian Pesos. The spherical gas station attendant is a real charmer, though.
-Get breakfast at La Esquina Chaltén. It‘s not cheap, but then again there is no such thing as a cheap meal in Chaltén.
If you came here looking for some plus points, scroll down to the summary part of this journalistic gem.
Stats
The following is a summary of our two day hike of Laguna Torre and Laguna de Los Tres. It is a 35,5km loop with roughly 1500m of elevation consisting of what are probably some of the most frequented trails in all of Patagonia.
How to get there
First time around we had a rental car with a roof tent. We stayed at Complejo Turisrico El Relincho – a campground at the heart of town so to speak. It’s also a good budget option if you have a tent and want to stay in it.
The second time we flew in to El Calafate and took a bus from Chalten Travel. Marga Taqsa was our choice for the way back. Both are just fine.
I guess you could take a taxi from the airport, but it‘s a 214km ride so go figure.
The hike
Day 1 (20,5km, 825m)
We started the hike at one of the two Laguna Torre trailheads, thus avoiding the 45$ fee. Laguna Torre can also be done as an out and back day hike.
From the gun the trail goes uphill rather gently before settling into a flat stroll back to the Laguna. Behind the Laguna stand the notoriously windswept and often cloud covered Cerro Torre, Torre Egger and Torre Standhardt. When we arrived at the Laguna, Cerro Torre was also slightly hidden behind clouds on an otherwise completely clear day.
We then went on and refilled our bottles at Campamento d‘Agostini and retraced our steps to the junction that got us on the way north towards Poincenot campground. Another gentle climb ends at Lagunas Madre e Hija and after passing those lakes it‘s just a short walk to Poincenot campground.
Day 2 (15km, 740m)
Like so many others we got up early for a sunrise view of Fitz Roy. We left our tent and gear at the camp and only brought some extra layers for the top. The hike up to Laguna de los Tres starts right outside the campground and goes up 480m of elevation. Nothing technical, easy to find; even in the dark. You could probably just follow the line of head torches leading up the trail, but it‘s better to bring your own.
Our efforts were in vain, though. Fitz Roy was a no show, hidden behind thick clouds. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, I guess. In fact, during the O-Trek we met a couple, who made the trip up to the Laguna four times just to get one clear view of Fitz Roy from up there. That‘s commitment. (Shoutout to Joel and Katy.)
We made the best of it, getting some shots of Poincenot needle and then went back to camp. We gathered our stuff and got on our way with the all downhill remainder of the trek to El Chaltén.
Conclusion
Clearly, there‘s a reason why so many people flock to El Chaltén for these hikes. You can do them as two separate day hikes, you can make one long day of it (shoutout to Jonathan) or you can do it as an easy two or maybe even three day hike, if you added a night at Campamento d‘Agostini. The trails are well marked and not technical. And the landscape is obviously amazing. The „distance to amazement ratio“ is almost second to none. The campgrounds are free and they don’t require reservations. All the hikes can be done straight out of El Chaltén, so no transfer to the trailheads is needed.
That being said, do not expect a lonesome experience. The trails are busy. Especially Laguna de los Tres. If you are in Chaltén and you‘re looking for a more exclusive trek, you might want to consider the Huemul Circuit.
