El Chaltén: Hiking, Fitz Roy and Lots of Wind

Located 135 miles north of El Calafate, in the Santa Cruz province of Argentina, the very small hiking town of El Chaltén is a haven for hikers and climbers. The population of El Chaltén is a whopping 500 strong, and you’ll see more hikers, climbers and tourists than locals around town. Founded in 1985 for the sole reason of ending a border dispute with Chile, now the town also serves one purpose: tourism. It is popular because of its location within the Los Glaciares National Park, and for its proximity to Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre (Mount Torre).

We spent three nights in El Chaltén and the weather only cooperated with us for a few hours. On our first full day we went for a nice day hike on the edge of town called Mirador de los Cóndores (Condor Lookout). Despite the thick cloud cover we had a nice time, and were able to see some of the condors soaring above us. Andean condors have the largest wingspan of any land bird: 10.5 feet from end to end. They’re scavengers and generally feed on the carcasses of dead animals. We saw some amusing t-shirts for sale in El Calafate that read “Caution, Hungry Condor” with a drawing of a condor flying over a hiker. After hiking around for a few hours, enjoying the scenery, fresh air and steady wind, we retired to our cabaña for the evening. Overnight we experienced a really bad wind storm that woke us up several times. I kept waiting for one of the windows to break the wind was so strong. Luckily we survived the night. In the morning, however, it started to rain and it poured all day long, it was awful. So we stayed inside playing cards and reading, waiting out the rain. The next morning we checked out and the clouds disappeared, giving way to beautiful blue skies and an incredible view of the nearby mountains.

While killing time before the bus back to El Calafate we sat and waited for the clouds around Mount Fitz Roy to clear. After about two hours, they finally cleared and I managed to get a few photos. It was great to be so close to such an iconic mountain. Also known as “Cerro Chaltén”, Mount Fitz Roy dominates the horizon. ”Chaltén” means “smoking mountain” in Tehuelche, and for a long time the indigenous people who lived in this part of Patagonia thought Mount Fitz Roy was a volcano. Mount Fitz Roy is named after the captain of the HMS Beagle, the famous ship that carried Charles Darwin. HMS Beagle explored the area near El Chaltén, including the Santa Cruz River. Mount Fitz Roy is famous as a mountain to climb (it is rated as an ‘ultra’ because of the sheer granite face that requires a lot of technical climbing to reach the summit) and also as the logo of the clothing company Patagonia.

Details: Take the bus from El Calafate to El Chaltén, about three hours each way. Contrary to what you may read elsewhere, there are restaurants and grocery stores in El Chaltén, even an ATM. Supply for hotels and hostels is limited and especially during high season it is difficult to find a room. Do yourself a favor and book in advance.