El Chaltén is a small town and surprisingly the youngest in Argentina located 218 kilometers northwest of the town of El Calafate where the nearest airport is located.
Our Patagonian climate stands out for two reasons: strong gusts of winds and a particular unpredictable and changeable character. How we usually joke: Patagonia? All four seasons in one day, but twice!
There is no characteristic month for its good weather but rather it is a kind of lottery. Therefore it is impossible to recommend a month for your visit.
Beyond this, the end of spring, summer and the birth of autumn are usually the time of greatest influx of visitors to this National Park with the characteristic of especially long days due to our proximity to the South Pole as opposed to the scarce amount hours with sunlight on a typical winter day; (in summer there may be light from 5 am to 10:30 pm) which gives us plenty of scope for longer and more demanding walks at a more relaxed pace.
Keep in mind the days begin to lengthen in mid-November when there is daylight until 9/9: 30 P.M.
Autumn (late March, April and early May), although with shorter days, is usually the most special and beautiful time due to the coloring of the forests and the nothofagus, Lengas and Ñires, characteristic trees of the area, have deciduous leaves. In other words, they lose their leaves in winter but not before taking on a gradual and intense coloration that goes from yellow to intense red and the town becomes a little calmer and quieter due to the decrease in the influx of visitors.
El Chaltén is a small and astonishingly young town, located 218 km northwest of the town of Calafate.
Bus:
The route from El Calafate is approx. 3 ½ hours. Check the validity of schedules and rates with each company.
DON ATILIO:
reservas@zonaaustralturismo.com
price per section:
frequency coordinated with the arrival and departure of flights to and from El Calafate airport
TAQSA:
Tel 02962 493130
taqsaech@taqsa.com.ar
price per section: $ 2,900
frequency: El Calafate El Chalten 7.30 am
El Chalten – El Calafate 17.30
LAS LENGAS:
laslengaselchalten@yahoo.com.ar
Tel 02962 493023
price per section: $ 650
frequency: 7:30 am and throughout the day from the airport coordinated with the returns
Also direct from El Calafate airport direct to your accommodation in El Chalten
Caltur:
terminalchalten@hotmail.com
tel 02962 493 150
Price per section $ 600
departs 8, 13 and 18:30
Chalten Travel:
infochalten@chaltentravel.com
02962 493 192
Price per section $ 600
departs 8, 13 and 18:30
Tickets can always be obtained directly at the El Calafate Bus Terminal and those of the Caltur and Chalten Travel companies, which are the largest, can be obtained in advance at
www.plataforma10.com
Car:
218 kilometers from Calafate by provincial route 11, national route 40 and provincial route 23 or 41 (Asphalted)
468 kilometers from Río Gallegos by route 5, provincial route 11, national route 40 and provincial route 23. (Asphalted)
Airplane:
El Chaltén does not have its own airport. The closest airports are El Calafate (with more than 10 daily flights by Aerolineas Argentinas, JetSmart and Flybondi), Río Gallegos, and Ushuaia.
El Chaltén stands out for having a wide variety of outdoor activities of which the most practiced in trekking and climbing, be it alpine or sports!
And here are some suggestions, those places that we recommend not to miss on your way through Chaltén.
To take into account: walking is only about putting a coat and something to eat and a bottle of water in your backpack and going out to enjoy our surroundings for free, without prior reservations and without pre-established schedules. We also offer you some organized activities which do have a cost ...
To all those who are going to carry out activities in the National Park, we recommend visiting the visitor center at the National Parks office: There you will be provided with information on the trails, their duration and difficulty, information on flora, fauna and history of the alpinimo del place: Not to be missed!
Remember when walking: first of all: enjoy.
If at any time you feel any discomfort (rubbing of the boot, knee pain) from the return since you still have the return. Although the published times are indicative, use walking hours, and do not forget that the time of going will be the same as that of return!
EXCURSIONS
TREKKING
To walk out from inlandsis:
Fitz Roy
El Pilar/campamento Poincenot/mirador piedras blancas/laguna de los tres Laguna Capri/Chaltén
This path offers us the closest panoramic view of the Fitz Roy cordon.
You can start from El Chalten, simply walking to the north exit of the town, taking there on the trail.
Either from the El Pilar inn 15 kilometers away, El Chaltén can be done by car or transfer - every day with a pickup at the inn at 8:30
Our recommendation is to start from Pilar, since in this way we simply walk back to El Chaltén, and the route is shorter and with a greater view.
Leaving the Pilar after 2 hours of walking you will reach the viewpoint of the Piedras Blancas glacier and its homonymous lagoon.
Continuing along the path for another 40 minutes, you will arrive at the Poincenot camp (camp for hikers)
The path that follows is the lagoon of the three is steep and demanding.
Cross the Piedra Blanca river and then cross the Río Blanco camp (camp only for climbers)
Here the trail begins to get steep and after 1.45 you reach the lagoon of the three.
From here you get a beautiful and the closest view of the Fitz Roy cordon.
To return: from the Poincenot camp, take the path that El Chaltén indicates and it will take you through the Capri lagoon hotel town in 2:30 hours.
Or you just take the road to Pilar in case you have left your car there.
Total walking time 9/10 hours approximate.
Cerro Torre
Laguna Torre – Campamento de Agostini – Mirador Maestri
This trail starts from the town. The same transit through the Fitz Roy River Valley.
After an hour and a half of walking, you will reach the Torre viewpoint from where you can see the cordon of Cerro Torre and it is even visible in Cerro Fitz Roy.
After a further 1.40 hours of walking, you will arrive at Agostini's camp.
Continuing the walk for another 15 minutes, you will reach the Torre lagoon, with a beautiful view of the large glacier and the Torre cordon.
For those who want to walk a little more, we recommend continuing to the Maestri viewpoint, surrounded by the lagoon by its moraine to our right.
Total walking time 8/9 hours approximate.
Loma del pliegue tumbado
La Loma del pliegue tumbado is one of our favorites.
With a privileged 360 degree view (on a clear day! This trail starts from the parks visitor center.
You start with a steppe landscape, until you reach a lenga forest.
After a while you come to a clearing, a col with a view of the Tunnel River Valley and further away the passage of the wind.
To our right we can see an ante Cumbre belonging to the Pliegue Tumbado.
From this Summit we already have a unique view and from there you can see a ridge to the west.
The ground in the fold It is composed of slate and you can see marine fossils (remember that it is not allowed to remove anything from the park).
Estimated walking time 10/11 hours approximately.
Piedra del fraile-Rio Electrico
On the way to the Marconi pass (one of the steps to the ice field), this trail starts 16 kilometers from El Chaltén, along the route that leads to the Lake of the desert.
From the bridge over the electric river, the path begins that after two and a half will take us to the Piedra del Fraile camp (this is private property, so it is necessary to pay a pass, but it is totally worth it!).
Once surrounded by the Piedra (a hill protecting the campsite), a totally different landscape opens up. If you follow 1 and a half more, you will reach the Rio Pollones (we recommend not crossing).
Walking time 5 hours approximate (to Friar's Stone).
8 hours approximately (with trekking to the Pollones River).
Chorrillo del Salto
Simple walk of 6 kilometers, where you visit the Chorrillo del Salto a small but charming jump of approx. 20 meters high.
Leaving the route to the Lake of the Desert of transit 5 kilometers to the parking where a 15-minute path leaves to the chorrillo.
Site without visiting the laces but extremely pleasant and protected.
For those without a car, you take the same route and after 3 kilometers you can take a detour to the trail that runs alongside the route.
Mirador cóndores y águilas
Interpretive trails that start from the park visitor center.
Both with excellent eyesight and short on their way.
The viewpoint of the condors has a panoramic view of the town and both mountain ranges, while that of the Eagles looks out towards the side of Lake Viedma.
Recommended to visit in the sunsets and sunrises for the famous photos with the Fitz and Torre and flushed (only in good weather!).
Guidance options
Although due to its difficulty it is not necessary, it is worth noting that the fact of hiring a guide for these outings greatly enriches their content due to the recognition of flora, fauna and history of the guides.
OTHER OPTIONS
Some other options not to get lost (it is necessary to do them with a guide or have knowledge of mountaineering
spend the night at the bottom of the Cerro Torre Valley: one or two nights of camping at the bottom of the Torre Valley, the views from here are unique!
Return to the ice expedition of 6 to 8 days where you travel through the South ice field
Return to Cerro Huemul an excellent option of 4/5 days to have an excellent view of the ice field if the need to enter the
More info about these guided outings in our suggested links.
Some previous reading or for the viaje:je:
• Patagonia: tierra mágica para viajeros
Silvia Metzelin y Gino Buscaini
Editorial Desnivel
ISBN: 84-89969-57-4
• Trekking en Chaltén y Lago del Desierto
Miguel Alonso
ISBN: 987-21012-0-5
• Cazando Pumas en la Patagonia
Andreas madsen
• Patagonia las leyes del bosque
Eduardo G. de la Vega
Editorial contacto Silvestre
ISBN: 987-97402-2-X
• Patagonia las leyes de la estepa
Santiago G. de la Vega
Editorial contacto Silvestre
ISBN: 987-21141-5-3
• Patagonia las leyes de la alta montaña
Santiago G. de la Vega
editorial de contacto Silvestre
ISBN: 9789872114183
• Manual del Lago Argentino Glaciar Perito Moreno
Miguel Alonso
Editorial Zagier y Urruty
ISBN: 1-879568-22-5
• Aves de la Patagonia y Antártida
Tito Narosky, Darío Izurieta
Editorial Vázquez Mancini
ISBN: 987-9132-09-2
• Flora de la Patagonia: Bosques australes
Claudia Guerrido y Damian Fernandez
• Patagonia trágica
José María borrero
Editorial Zagier y Urruty
ISBN: 1879568022
• Poblamiento de la Patagonia
Luis Alberto borrero
Editorial Emece
ISBN: 950-04-2245-X
• la Patagonia vieja
Andreas madsen
Editorial Zagier y Urruty
ISBN: 1-879568-62-4
Short recommended reading for any traveler
Preparing for the trip
Before embarking on the trip, it is advisable to find out what the place to visit is like so that we will take advantage of it more and better.
Let's think about thinking about what we will need, so as not to disturb anyone and unnecessarily: a first-aid kit for example should not be missing.
We must adjust to nature and not pretend that it adjusts to Us. If we do not know a place well, we will not face risky undertakings (How to cross a river, climb a steep slope, drive on an unknown road and less at night.
If we find a stationary vehicle on the route, we must stop to ask if its occupant needs help.
This is very important and traditional throughout Patagonia.
If we have books that we no longer read, let's donate them to schools in the interior, the students and teachers are very grateful.
to do so, it can hurt who offered their hospitality. Let's not lecture the locals because they are simple and shy but not ignorant.
Let's talk with the rangers and wildlife guards, surely you will have many interesting things to tell and teach us.
Protected area campsites are excellent places to observe wildlife, and animals tend to be more confident because they know that there is food and that no one is hurting them.
Let us make fires in authorized places and only when necessary, extinguish them well with plenty of water is the only way to avoid fires.
Let's deposit our garbage in a suitable place. And if we find ourselves along the way, let's keep it until we find it.
We do not collect plants or animals as travel souvenirs. In most cases it is forbidden to do so and also hardly survive long there is no better memory than a Live image in our Memory or a beautiful photo.
If we collect seeds on the side of the roads outside the national or provincial parks but then plant them at home.
What better than to have a garden with native plants in our homeland!
We will never know everything but with more and more dedication we will know more. Let us avoid act of predation of other travelers educating or explaining with understanding.
Let nature unfold normally as if we were not there.
Let us leave everything the same or better than how they were in our path.
Keeping a travel journal can be very rewarding.
Let us go out to the field with humility and return home with satisfaction.
Let us share the teaching of nature and that of our teachers.
Let us not promise what we cannot deliver (often you hear “after he sent the photo” and the man from the field will be left “waiting for the float”)
A nature lover is considerate of nature and people. You have to have common sense and a good heart that is the fundamental thing. Have a good trip!
Por Claudio Bertonatti
• We recommend that you come prepared for a climate that can vary greatly.
• To all those who are so used to walking in the mountains, they will know what to expect beyond the fact that the following list can serve as a guide.
• It is for all those who do not usually go to the mountains, that we give a little more detail about the preference of How the garments should be arranged.
• It is always advisable to dress like an onion that is to say in layers and light garments are recommended because perhaps one takes off and puts on a lot of clothes to go for a walk and it is good to take this into account to accommodate the contents of our backpack (remember: in the backpack it is heavier down and up the light and more likely to need a rain jacket, gloves, etc).
• Equipment list (for daily departures)
• Windstopper
• Rain jacket (we recommend that it be light)
• Sun hat and wool hat (to cover the ears and protect the head that brings the feet together. It is where we gain or lose much of our body heat due to lack of accumulation of adipose tissue. It was time not to get fat.
• Glasses sunglasses
Tarifas para temporada 2022-2023
Rates for the 2022-2023
Temporada baja: Octubre, Noviembre, Marzo y dde el 16 y Abril (excepto Semana Santa*)
Low season – October, November and March (from the 16th) and April (Except Easter*):
* Holy Week: 04/06/23 to 04/09/23
Tarifas para temporada 2022-2023
Rates for the 2022-2023
Temporada Alta – Diciembre, Enero, Febrero y Marzo – hasta el 15 y Semana Santa
High Season December, January, February and March – until 15th and Easter
* Semana Santa: 06/04/23 al 09/04/23