Cerro Torre – amusemusings

I purposely saved this long hike for last. It’s “relatively flat” which isn’t true at all but it does have an easier initial uphill climb than the Fitz Roy hike & then it is relatively flat. After 2+ straight weeks of trekking, despite the massage & my amazing hiking boots, my feet were real sore even before starting. So I thought “relatively flat” would be real good for me. I also had been blessed in El Chalten with unusually great weather – sunny blue skies, no rain, minimal wind, warmish weather – as everyone I met in town repeatedly told me how incredibly lucky I was this late in the season. They explained this lovely weather on consecutive days is unusual in the summer much less when winter is coming. So when planning my days, I purposely first knocked out difficult hikes as well as those I’d rather see with blue skies in case my luck ran out. So this hike came last bc of its relative ease & I figured the closer you are to the mountain, the more you can forgive clouds. It was cooler on this hike & yes, grey skies, but yet the views of Laguna Torre right smack dab in front of Cerro Torre were pretty outstanding.
Winter is indeed coming (yes, a not-so-subtle nod to the best show on tv that I can’t wait to watch come July). It was certain the very next day. I had intended to take it somewhat easy, as I was hopping on an incredibly long bus north on Ruta 40 that night, & by easy I mean awake pre-dawn to head up to the Fitz Roy mirador (again) for one last great pink sparkling sunrise. Only that morning, I awoke to find wind, rain, clouds & my hotel’s manager telling me “this was El Chalten weather” & suggesting I head back to bed & skip it. Even hailing from the Windy City, I don’t think I’d ever seen gusts of wind like this before so I stayed warm inside as the mountains weren’t even visible from town due to the cloud cover & the park service shut down difficult passes due to high winds (including the last summit of Fitz Roy).
Not only were difficult passes shut down, but also a bunch of businesses in town as more than half of the town’s inhabitants head elsewhere for the winter. I found myself in El Chalten not really wanting to leave but essentially being forced out as most services, including bus services, were shutting down at the end of the week but for 2 local restos, 1 grocery & the spa that stay open all year long for residents. So while I’m leaving, I will definitely return to El Chalten & when I do, I think I’ll have to come in the fall again. The changing colors of the leaves added so much beauty to this place. I think I’d be a bit disappointed not to see all of these colors.

First mirador & the super cool Cerro Torre (largest of 3 spiked mountains on right) plus a massive glacier

So I’m just going to come out & say it. El Chalten in Argentina is my favorite place I’ve visited on this trip. Yes, that just happened. It’s this perfect little quaint charming town of 1,000 situated inside the Northern end of the same Parque Nacional Los Glaciares that El Calafate borders from the South. In its backyard are these unbelievable mountains dominated by Mount Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre. The hiking trails start right from this darling town. You just throw on your daypack & walk out the door. You don’t have to give a thought to transport. It’s so easy. Well not the treks but the accessibility. It’s obvious I am a massive fan of Torres del Paine. But Torres del Paine is not nearly as accessible as El Chalten. The closest town to Torres del Paine is Puerto Natales, 2hrs away. Unless you’re tent camping in the park, nearby lodging is quite expensive & it’s still a 45-75 min transport to/from the trails (or ferries leading to the trails). I would also argue the treks, mountains & views in El Chalten are just as challenging, rewarding & beautiful as those in Torres del Paine. That’s why it’s number 1.

Merely 30 minutes into the 4hr drive from El Calafate, the bus comes around a bend & perfectly highlighted by the sunrise 75 miles away is Fitz Roy sparkling far above everything else in sight. Fitz Roy getting increasingly large as we neared town only made the rest of the ride go pretty quickly as did passing an estancia previously owned by Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid where they chilled for a few years prior to heading to Bolivia (where they supposedly weren’t killed – I never before knew there was controversy here – now I don’t have to cry anymore at the end of that movie).

The town itself is only 31 years old & still small but I’m told is unsurprisingly expanding. It already has some wonderful tiny local restaurants, cervecerias, supermercados & 1 lovely spa I frequented & made friends w the owners. But the town is solely focused on the trekkers. The quarter-full bus arriving makes its required first stop at the national park’s visitors center for a debrief, trail maps & open Q&A session. They know why you’re visiting & want to make it as easy as possible & also make clear they care about preserving the park. But unlike El Calafate, which is much bigger & not shy about sticking it to you, there’s no fee in El Chalten for the SAME national park (the one where I paid $35 a day to visit on top of the expensive glacier tours). In fact, El Chalten is in a fight with the Argentine Parks system to keep it no-fee as the town itself is within the park’s borders.
After a 15min walk from the bus station to my hotel, where I had already booked for 3 nights, I immediately doubled my stay before I even ventured on a single hike. I just had a feeling about the place. And because I’m so enamored, there’s going to be a few blog posts – based on my 3 favorite treks. The first was a hike to a vantage point w a lovely panoramic view of the area. Then after seeing that view, I of course, had to get up close & personal to Mount Fitz Roy together with Mount Poincenot, Mount Torre & the chain of mountains that surround them.