Trails around El Chaltén

Information

El Chaltén is called the 'Capital of Trekking', since many trails can be accessed directly from the town itself, and you can do them without paying anything (confirm). For some of these trails it is necessary to give prior notice and register in advance at the park ranger's office located on one side of the town.

Between the months of October and April, the locality shows the presence of many tourists with their backpacks and trekking equipment that come for trekking. On the other hand, in winter (June to September) certain trails and activities may be closed due to the presence of snow, ice or risky weather conditions.

The easiest trails that can be accessed from the village are:
a) Mirador Los Cóndores Trail and Mirador Las Águilas Trail: these are two trails that start a few metres from the park ranger station that is on one side of El Chaltén. Keep in mind that, especially when starting out, there are some steep uphill stretches. At the beginning the trail to the viewpoint Los Cóndores and the viewpoint Las Águilas are the same, but halfway along the trail they separate:
- It takes a total of 1.5 hours round trip to the viewpoint Los Cóndores. In reality, it is a climb up the hill behind the ranger centre. At the end you reach a good vantage point with a full view of El Chaltén, and if you are lucky you may see some Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) flying at altitude.
- It takes about 2 hours round trip to the viewpoint Las Águilas. You will reach an excellent panoramic point with a view of Lake Viedma.
b) Chorrillo del Salto Trail:
- It is of low difficulty. The route is mostly flat, and takes about 2 hours round trip. Please note that there are times when the wind can be very strong depending on the time of the year and the weather of the day.
- The trail starts 150 metres before the end of San Martín Avenue, when the town finishes. At the beginning you walk along Provincial Route 41 in the direction of Lago del Desierto (a lake), with good views of the Río de las Vueltas (a river). Then you go through forest areas and finally you reach a waterfall of about 20 metres high in a natural environment.

If you want to do more demanding hikes there are these options:
- Laguna Capri y campamento Poincenot,
- Laguna de los Tres,
- Mirador y Laguna Torre,
- Loma del Pliegue Tumbado,
- Laguna Toro.