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Why El Chalten?
With a population of roughly 3,000 inhabitants the young but growing mountain village of el Chalten is known as the National Capital of Trekking in Argentina for good reason. A natural playground of jagged Andean peaks and the expansive wilderness of Los Glaciares National Park it is a paradise for hikers, climbers and nature lovers. With many of the iconic trails starting and ending in the village it is a practical and logistically straight forward option for hikers who wish to pursue daily hiking from a village lodge or hotel base.
The Young Village of el Chalten
Due to a lack of geographical knowledge, the official border between Chile and Argentina was an unknown. Generally, the frontier was defined by the high summits of the Andes mountain range, or a river acting as the dividing line. However at the beginning of the 20th century, Chilean colonists started exploring and settling in the area. They discovered Lago Desierto and obtained titles of ownership from the Chilean government. However, after identifying a mountain to the west, it was discovered that the Chileans had settled in Argentine land. This dispute was brought to international courts drawing the attention of Queen Victoria and Edward VII. In 1985, during the dispute, Argentina established the village of el Chalten with the purpose of populating the area.
It was only in 1994, after the dispute was yet again brought to an international court, that Argentina was granted the land. Over time, the village has been developed into a starting point for treks that allow visitors to explore this geologically significant and interesting mountain range. It is this range of mountains that insired Patagonia’s clothing brand logo.
How to arrive
The village of el Chalten lies close to the border with Chile approximately 220 kilometres northwest of el Calafate which is the closest airport. Access to el Chalten is via a dazzling road journey with vehicles and buses servicing the route which takes you along Ruta 23 and then the iconic Ruta 40 offering breathtaking views of Patagonia’s vast plains and rugged mountains. The journey time from el Calafate to el Chalten is roughly 2.45 – 3 hours.
Stay a while
There are a good choice of lodges and hotels in the village of el Chalten and on it’s periphery. Some of them are outstanding and we are happy to advise on our favourites. The ideal duration for your stay here depends on your schedule and the activities you wish to pursue. For a comprehensive experience exploring the numerous hiking trails, a minimum stay of three to four days is recommended. This allows time to complete some of the full day hikes such as Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. Avid photographers and keen hikers looking to delve deeper into the landscapes and take advantage of optimal weather conditions might consider spending longer. Multi-day guided hikes with nights camping in basic sites are possible.
When crossing over to Argentina from Chile via the land border at Cerro Castillo (and vice versa), it is important to consider the distances involved in reaching the area and the time taken to get from A to B. In order for an itinerary not to feel rushed, we recommend a minimum of two nights in el Calafate and two or three nights in el Chalten, more if possible. As a rough guide, the bus from Puerto Natales to el Calafate takes around 5 hours (depending on border formalities). It is a further 90 minutes each way from el Calafate to the Perito Moreno Glacier and a further 3 hours to reach el Chalten by road from el Calafate.
Fact
The Andes are located between the parallels 48 and 51 degrees south and they are covered with a permanent layer of ice known as the Continental Ice Field. This Ice Field is known as ‘the third pole’ due to it’s concentration of ice which covers 560 miles from north to south and contains no less than 47 glaciers including the Perito Moreno, Upsala, Viedma Glaciers amongst others.
The Tehuelches who are native to this land called their sacred mountain ‘Chalten’ meaning smoky mountain. This was later renamed in 1877 as Fitz Roy by Perito Moreno, honouring the captain of the HMS Beagle. It had previously been mistaken for a volcano due to the cloud which frequently enshrouded it’s summit.
The mountain represents an irresistible and formidable challenge for climbers from all over the world. Not because of it’s height which is reasonably modest at 3,405 metres, but for it’s 1,951 metres of granite verticals and the potential for strong winds. The exceptionally hard granite of the walls gives the mountain its distinctively jagged and serrated edges and contributes to it’s striking walls and spires.
“But the most imposing attraction is Monte Fitz Roy….he is the lord of all of this vast mountainous region, it is another Cervino (Matterhorn), something more modest as for the elevation but not less imposing by the vertical drops of his walls and the majesty of his peak. The Fitz Roy is without doubt one of the most beautiful and imposing mountains of the Patagonia Mountain range”.
Alberto Maria de Agostini, an Italian Salesian missionary and Patagonia mountain explorer with an alpine heart
The Jumping Off point for hiking the Fitz Roy mountain range
This alpine-style mountain village is a haven for walkers, climbers and nature lovers. It beckons outdoorsy visitors wishing to explore the awe inspiring natural beauty of this ‘third pole’ with its jagged spires, wild icescapes and pristine forests and lakes – where wilderness meets the comforts of a welcoming mountain village.