Monte Fitz Roy sits in the Argentinian Patagonia region, in the Southern Patagonia Ice Field near the town of El Chaltén. The range itself was also made even more famous as it is the stylized logo outline for the outdoor company, Patagonia. Yvon Chouinard, the founder, spent much of his youth here climbing the peaks. And no wonder he fell in love with the place! We hiked the two most popular treks here, both challenging but rewarding with amazing iconic views of the mountain. It is a destination that most people will include if they are already hiking Torres del Paine given the close proximity to each other. Here is a recap of how we hiked here and some tips on logistics you are planning to visit the area.
View from the front of the bus approaching El Chalten
As you approach El Chaltén, you see the entire Fitz Roy mountain laid out before you and you have to pinch yourself because it's not a dream.
The Fitz Roy is located in the Los Glaciares National Park and is entirely free to visit. There are no park fees or rangers here, no reservations are needed to hike or camp in it which is great if you want the flexibility.
The town of El Chaltén is small and you can walk to everything. This is the hiking capital of Argentina, and you can find many panaderias, cafes, groceries and restaurants lining the street. There aren't that many outdoor shops as the town is small and the selection isn't huge so make sure you have what you need before you get here. You can rent gear in town also. The trailheads are located at either end and the middle of the Main Street, San Martin. We stayed in an Airbnb located in the middle which meant at least one of the hikes was literally outside our door.
THE HIKES
A few adventurous folks will camp in the park (also free!) so you can see the Fitz Roy in all its glory at sunrise. Note, there are no facilities on the hike or at the various camps spread along the trails, except for very run down outhouses that you may want to just by-pass (follow Leave No Trace principles if you do). Unfortunately, I can't 'un-see' it so fair warning if you are squeamish. We decided to do these as day hikes instead, returning to the comfort of a bed at night.
View of the Fitz Roy hidden at Laguna de Los Tres on the Sendero al Fitz Roy
The ultimate bucket list hike is the Sendero al Fitz Roy which takes you to Laguna de Los Tres (23km | 970m ∆ | 7-8 hrs). You can hike directly from the north end of town out and back the same way, or take a private shuttle (1,500-2,000 ARS per person as of Feb 2023) to Río Electrico, about 17km /30 mins north of town. You don't really save on distance however you don't have to retrace your steps on the hike as it is one way back to town, you will get a nice view of Glaciar Piedras Blancas and avoid the long uphill section from town. We saw a few guided groups but mostly you will find unguided trekkers as it's well marked. Pack all your drinks and snacks for the trail, you won't find concession stands here. Save some energy for the last kilometer up to the Laguna. It's a killer section, take breaks if you must and let the faster hikers go by. It's actually trickier going downhill. The steepest section is 2/3 up so poles are a must if you are not a natural billy goat.
The next popular hike is Sendero Laguna Torre (19km | 493m ∆ | 5 hrs). This out and back trail can be accessed at multiple points however the main entrance is off San Martin through a little residential area. Some enterprising local put up a small hamburgesa joint which looked so cute and inviting for a post-trek stop. This is a fairly straightforward trail, with some steep-ish sections but nothing to be concerned about. This is a cakewalk compared to Laguna de los Tres.
If you've got more time in town, you can take the short but rewarding trail up to Mirador de los Cóndores (2.6km | 130 ∆ | 1 hr). It has a nice 360 view at the first viewpoint but beware, it was extremely windy when we were here and I almost wanted to crawl off the top, I could barely stay grounded.
Torres or Fitz Roy?
This is an age old debate among hikers about which is better to visit if you only had to choose one. Everyone will have different opinions on this and there is no right or wrong answer, it just depends on what you are looking for. Here are some pros and cons to think about if you really had to choose one:
Torres del Paine Park overall has a much wilder, remote feel about it because the only way to see many of the sights is by doing a multi-day trek. eg crossing the John Garner pass and walking alongside Grey Glacier requires significant effort and planning only accessible via the O Circuit.
Laguna de Los Tres/Fitz Roy Sendero is a much more strenuous hike vs Mirador Torres as the elevation is higher. Despite this, it also feels more crowded as most people will set off at the same time from town as a day hike. It is also a free hike making it more accessible, and you won't have to pay the high entrance fees required at Torres del Paine. That said, there are also no facilities in the Fitz Roy either, except for very run down squat toilets.
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Now that I've seen both, Mirador Torres has a much more impressive grandeur about it as the towers are closer to you, making it feel larger than life.
How to get to El Chaltén
If you are taking public transit, you will likely arrive via El Calafate, a 3 hour bus ride away. We booked our tickets online as we wanted to get the first row seats for an unobstructed view approaching Monte Fitz Roy. It was $56 USD return per person (Feb 2023) but I think you can get a better rate if you buy with ARS pesos at the bus station.
Where to Stay in El Chaltén
I liked staying in the middle of San Martin as it was very convenient to the shops and the hiking trails. Our Airbnb was about 900 metres away from the bus terminal, about as far as I would be willing to walk to any accommodations. The Sendero a la Laguna Torre was literally across the street so it was great having at least one of the trailheads close by. Tip: Book as far in advance as you can, as I only saw the rates go up as we got closer to our arrival date and the best-value ones go first. There are lots of Airbnbs available here and many are very reasonably priced.
Best Panaderia
There are so many panaderias in town! We sampled almost all of them and have to say, the tiny Que Rika Panaderia was our favourite. We bought empanadas to take on the hikes with us - it's perfect as they are portable, no-mess and still tastes great at room temperature.
Best Alfajores
This deserves its own category! Chalteños on San Martin specializes in alfajores made right there on the premises, and we found them to be the best even compared to the ones we had in Calafate and Ushuaia. Soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, yummmmm.
Best Supermercado
There are a few around town, but Supermercado El Chaltén, while it's the busiest and messiest looking, had the best prices and selection. We bought a bottle of Argentinian wine, meat, veggies, milk, eggs and rice for less than $12 USD.
Best Cambio is in El Chaltén!
Surprisingly, we found the best exchange rates (blue dollar rate) right in this little town. El Calafate was the next best and Ushuaia was the least favourable. Many of the retailers have little exchange signs at the till. We found the best rate at La Nieve Café in El Chaltén. Of course, you need to have $100 USD bills so bring cash with you to avoid having to find a bank ATM or Western Union queue. And things change quickly we found so this information is as of February 2023. This website will publish what the USD is trading at the blue rate. Since we've been back, Argentina's inflation rate rose even more to its highest ever, over 100%.
BUDGET BREAKDOWN
We spent 3 nights in El Calafate and 4 nights in El Chaltén. Below are the costs you can expect for 2 people, in USD not including food:
Bus from Puerto Natales to El Calafate $54
Folk Hostel / Calafate (free upgrade) $67
Perito Moreno glacier bus, return $45
Perito Moreno park fees $31
Bus - El Calafate to El Chaltén $140
Airbnb - El Chaltén $335
Transfer / Río Electrico shuttle $11
TOTAL $683
Look for the blog post on El Calafate and visiting the Glaciar Perito Moreno as well since these are both so close to each other and you have to pass through Calafate anyway enroute to El Chaltén. Also check out our YouTube video on these hikes as well as our trek in Torres del Paine. I hope this was helpful for you! Please ask any questions you have as we love sharing any information about our experience.