El Chalten

I caught a three-hour bus from El Calafate to El Chalten…lucky to have gotten a seat with all the people! From when we left the bus station though, the bus was not sounding too healthy and the driver struggled to put it into gear. We freewheeled down the hills too…until two hours in, the bus finally gave up the ghost. We all shuffled out, grabbed our bags and squashed into a bus that had been behind us. So there were passengers in the aisles and down the stairs, I shudder to think how overloaded we were- but got there safe an hour later.

El Chalten is north of El Calafate, as the crow flies. It is a small village set up for backpackers, hikers and rock climbers and has many beer gardens to relax in after a single or multi day hike! What’s great is that the hikes our nearly outside your doorstep, and thus no buses have to be caught first to get there.

While here I did two, single day hikes. The first was to Laguna de Los Tres. It is a 20km return hike (excluding the part you walk in town) and is rated as moderate, and the last 1 km is difficult as there is an altitude gain of 400m. I headed out nice and early in the morning- to ensure I get there- unlike my disappointment in Torres del Paine! This was a great decision as it was cool and for the first few hours I had the trail to myself. I loved this trail much more than the Mirador Torres trail in Torres del Paine. The main reason for this is that you have regular sightings of Fitz Roy and neighbouring peaks and glaciers; and they are a sight to behold. The last 1 km is also a bit less strenuous than the Torres hike; and it is not constantly uphill. The peaks were covered with a few passing clouds, but the turquoise waters of the lake in the foreground and the spires in the background, made for a superb view!