Patagonia (Argentina) - Part 3: El Chalten

21 April 2025

El Chalten was a three hour bus ride from El Calafate. It was a beautiful, clear day and we could already make out the jagged Andean peaks from quite some distance away. The most spectacular was the iconic Mount Fitz Roy, which we were intending to climb the next day. Not to the top of course, the mountain is a 3,375m towering spire of rock and ice and is generally recognized as one of the great challenges by the world's climbing community.

The hike up to the base of Mont Fitz Roy, located in the Los Glaciares National Park, is generally considered to be one of the best of its kind in Patagonia (and arguably, in all South America).

The mountain towers over El Chalten which is known as the hiking capital of Argentina. The town gives off a “base camp” feel and we felt an air of anticipation as we  planned our  next days’ adventures. It’s small (end-to-end is 10 minutes’ walk) but is packed with charming and varied cafes, bars, restaurants and places to stay. We chose the Fitz Roy Hostel which was excellent value for money.

We left our hostel at 3am the next morning to get a head start and avoid the crowds later on. Armed with our little torch, we made our way up a steep climb through the trees in the darkness to begin the hike. After an hour or so, the trail began to flatten out and we were rewarded with views of Rio de Las Vueltas and the valley at sunrise.

The next section of the trail was relatively flat and took us through a forest and across a meadow. Here we caught our first glimpse of Cerro Fitz Roy and the Piedras Blancas Glacier.  Now, the real work began. The trail here gained 400 metres of elevation over 1km. It was steep, rocky, and exposed, with lots of loose rocks and gravel. It was very steep and challenging. Luckily, we had rented walking poles. As we kept pushing up the hill, the spectacular towers of Mount Fitz Roy started to tease us as they came into view.

After a final slog up a sketchy scree field, Laguna de Los Tres and Mount Fitz Roy  appeared in all their glory. Honestly, this is without a doubt one of the most breathtaking views we have ever experienced. The scenery is beyond anything imaginable, it is just stunning.

We spent about an hour at the base of the mountain, admiring the vista, eating our packed lunch and gathering our forces for the return trip. Mylene ventured down to the lagoon and came across an even more spectacular lake to its left that few people were seemingly even aware of. As for me, I just didn’t have the energy. 

The final kilometer of the hike is certainly the hardest part of the whole climb. It’s steep, exposed, and covered in loose rocks. This is where I saw the most people struggling and questioning their decision to do the hike, as I certainly did. It was just as challenging on the way back down.

We finally crossed the starting line at the entrance to the park again some 13 hours later. Too tired to feel any sense of elation on our achievement (we were certainly one of the eldest couples on the trail) our pedometer indicated that we had actually done more than 50’00 steps (or 24km) with an elevation gain of over 1000m.

Fortunately, we had chosen to do the hike on a relatively clear day. It was probably the most beautiful hike we have ever done but also the most strenuous and it should not be taken lightly. We saw some people on their way up who looked as if they were out for a Sunday stroll in light clothing and sneakers. This was definitely not just a walk in the park.