Argentina travel blog by Mark Berman -
November 2021
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El Chalten is known as the trekking capital of Argentina, a small picturesque village surrounded by snow-capped mountains, lagoons and hiking
trails. El Chalten is located 3hrs by bus north of El Calafate, 11hrs by bus south of Perito Moreno (the city) and is not far from the Chile
border. You can choose from many hotels and hostels scattered around town, enjoy good food and get out into the wilderness and nature right
here. The Fitz Roy Trail
From the road into El Chalten from El Calafate you will see the mighty Fitz Roy mountain peak that towers over the area. The peak is 3405m
high. The Fitz Roy trail offers a great trekking experience either with a day trek or with an overnight camping experience up in the mountains
and around the lagoons. For the average person it would be dificult to do the whole Fitz Roy trail in 1 day as it is 10kms long. That is 20kms
in total there and back. I made it to 7km before turning back because it was getting late in the day and I was tired and I wasn't geared up for
camping. If you want to do the whole Fitz Roy trail I would recommend an overnight stay in your tent beside one of the lagoons. Many people do
this. That means you just hike around 10kms each day. I hiked 14kms in one day, to 7km and back, it was hard work towards the end of the day and
I was sore. The Fitz Roy trail is quite spectacular indeed and very popular. You will see people on the trail all day, in front of and behind
you in both directions. Bring supplies - food, water etc. The first stop on the Fitz Roy trail is the mirador lookout point over the river. A
fantastic view of the River of Vueltas with snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance. The first lagoon to see is Capri Lagoon at around the
4km mark. My pace was around 30mins per kilometer beacuse I was doing photography and resting sometimes along the way. Capri Lagoon is beautiful
and very peaceful and you can camp here overnight too. From Capri Lagoon the next part of the trail takes you to the lookout of the Fitz Roy
mountain peak and the river area with wooden bridges. This is the 7km mark. From here you can continue on to Poincenot and the Lake of the Tres
to camp overnight and come back the next day. While on the trail, look out for bird life like woodpeckers and larger animals such as the huemul
and the puma. The Fitz Roy trail in El Chalten is a great trekking experience for everybody, whether you just trek to Capri Lagoon or all the way to the Lake of the Tres!
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Trekkers heading down the green hills to El Chalten.
A glacier or a frozen river? Los Glaciares National Park, El Chalten.
Pathway with greenery and nature all around, Fitz Roy trail, El Chalten.
Cool waters of Capri Lagoon with rocks and small boulders on the edge, El Chalten.
