El Chalten is the gateway to the trekking capital of Argentina – Fitz Roy. Generally reserved for the braver lot who can go out for weeks of hiking or who are experienced mountaineers/ ice climbers. But thank goodness for us mountaineering plebbs there are 1 to 3 day treks that are totally manageable with beautiful views on beautiful days…we were lucky enough to have one beautiful weather day.
We headed off for three days in the mountains, free entry, free camping…what travellar could ask for more. The first day was only 4 hours to Poincette campsite at the bottom of the steep climb to the famous Laguna de los Tres, which itself is at the bottom of Fitz Roy. We headed straight there after the bus ride from El Chalten and fell asleep not 30 minutes after the tents were pitched…at 4pm
H and I managed the climb in treacherous weather the next morning, just 2 km up, but a good 500m climb in the wildest wind I have ever experienced. At times we were forced to the ground to take shelter against the gusts. But the view was more than worth it, the entire experience was wild. We were even lucky enough to see our first frozen lake and out of the mountains came a group of 6 crazy mountaineers who had spent the night sleeping on a ledge in the snow up on Fitz Roy's snowy skirt. We raced down in the rain to pack up and head onwards and out, cutting the camping from three nights to one and settled to drinking coffee and catching up on sleep in El Chalten.
We headed off for three days in the mountains, free entry, free camping…what travellar could ask for more. The first day was only 4 hours to Poincette campsite at the bottom of the steep climb to the famous Laguna de los Tres, which itself is at the bottom of Fitz Roy. We headed straight there after the bus ride from El Chalten and fell asleep not 30 minutes after the tents were pitched…at 4pm
H and I managed the climb in treacherous weather the next morning, just 2 km up, but a good 500m climb in the wildest wind I have ever experienced. At times we were forced to the ground to take shelter against the gusts. But the view was more than worth it, the entire experience was wild. We were even lucky enough to see our first frozen lake and out of the mountains came a group of 6 crazy mountaineers who had spent the night sleeping on a ledge in the snow up on Fitz Roy's snowy skirt. We raced down in the rain to pack up and head onwards and out, cutting the camping from three nights to one and settled to drinking coffee and catching up on sleep in El Chalten.
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